Monthly Archives: April 2018
Opinion: Infinity Shows Marvel Comics at its Best
Note: this article contains no spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War beyond what's been shown in the trailers.
Every MCU movie has drawn some level of inspiration from Marvel's comics, and Avengers: Infinity War is no exception. This latest sequel borrow heavily to the 1991 miniseries Infinity Gauntlet, which also explored what happens when Thanos acquires the ultimate power in the universe. But the film also owes a clear debt to a more recent Marvel crossover, 2013's Infinity. It's exciting to see Infinity exerting such a heavy influence on Marvel's movies. After all, that story showcases the modern Marvel Comics at its very best.
Infinity was basically one act in Jonathan Hickman's larger Avengers saga, one that eventually culminated in 2015's Secret Wars. That said, it's a story that stands perfectly well on its own. It tells a very ambitious, two-pronged tale as one group of Avengers head into space while another remain on Earth to fend off an invasion by Thanos and his Black Order. It's that latter element where the Infinity War movie seems to be drawing most of its inspiration. Infinity was the story that introduced readers to Thanos' Black Order, powerful minions determined to help their master achieve his goal of dominating empires and wiping out every last one of his children. Infinity even features an invasion of Wakanda as a major set piece, just as Infinity War does.
How Avengers: Infinity War’s Ending Compares to the Comics (Spoilers!)
Warning: full spoilers for the Infinity Gauntlet comic and the Avengers: Infinity War movie! Read on at your own risk!
As promised, Avengers: Infinity War saw some of Earth’s mightiest heroes meet their end. But rather than wait for the second half of the story to hit in 2019, we’re looking to the comics to examine just how permanent those deaths really are.
Now, it’s important to note that Infinity Gauntlet only loosely inspired the events of Infinity War and its story is really, really different from the movie. The only major common factors are that Thanos is up to no good with the Infinity Gauntlet and the heroes have to stop him.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider Hands-On Preview
In 2013’s iteration of Tomb Raider, Lara Croft was driven by urgency, and most of her decisions were reactive. She responded to drama, or conflict, or struggle only because she had to, not because she was driven to by her ambitions. Five real-world years later, in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft has evolved into someone who’s narcissistic, and destructive, and obsessed with finding the next treasure, or the next artifact that defines her importance. She’ll go far enough to ignore her allies, even if it means starting a war - even an apocalypse - all by herself, because the race to win is more important than anything else.
With that, I think the title of 2018’s addition to the Tomb Raider franchise makes a lot more sense than it did to me initially. This is seemingly intended to be Lara Croft’s darkest story, with the beloved protagonist realizing there’s a human cost to what she previously thought just involved ‘raiding tombs’, and that destruction follows her for a reason. According to the Narrative Director at Eidos Montreal, an increase in drama and tension with her allies was a huge focus of the game, too. This is the Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the dive into the darker parts of her personality, and the confrontation of how her flippant attitude toward messing with historically, culturally significant artifacts can influence everyone, not just her alone.
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PlayStation 4 Worldwide Shipments Reach 79 Million
Sony's fiscal results for the last financial year have been released and the company has confirmed that its worldwide shipments of PlayStation 4 consoles have reached 79 million.
Sony announced its intention to increase worldwide PS4 shipments to 78 million in its forecast last year. Since then, the company has shipped 19 million units, which is a decrease of one million, year-on-year.
For the upcoming fiscal year, Sony forecasts 16 million PS4 hardware sales, predicting a decrease of 3 million units from last year.
Avengers: Infinity War’s Surprise Returning Character Was Recast
The villainous Red Skull -- whose fate has been unclear since he disappeared in a Tesseract-induced glow at the end of 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger -- makes a surprise return appearance in Avengers: Infinity War. But that’s not original actor Hugo Weaving playing the character this time around.
The Walking Dead’s Ross Marquand succeeds Weaving in the role of the Hydra leader-turned-Soul Stone keeper on the planet Vormir. In addition to playing“Aaron” on AMC’s hit zombie TV series, Marquand is also a master of celebrity impressions (as seen here and here). Marquand certainly captures enough of Weaving’s voice and delivery in Infinity War to make this new version of Red Skull tough to differentiate from the original.
Avengers: Infinity War Ending Explained
The end of Avengers: Infinity War completely changes the status quo of the MCU, so we’re here to break down all the big twists of the Avengers’ final showdown with Thanos, and explain what that ending could mean for Avengers 4.
For more on Infinity War, check out why the movie finally gave us the real Doctor Strange. Needless to say, there are major spoilers ahead, so read on at your own risk.
How Apple is Attempting to Lead the AR Future
When Apple’s new augmented reality platform ARKit was announced six months ago, it was designed to bring accessibility to a market that previously required developers to create or onboard their own tech. So accessible was the platform that the AR-heavy future that has seemingly been looming for years suddenly felt a lot closer; on the cusp of becoming as omnipresent as that first week when Pokemon GO spread throughout the globe like an infection.
So are we experiencing the AR revolution? Not quite. We’re yet to see children’s bedtime stories unfolding in exquisite 3D detail as demonstrated in Apple’s ARKit announcement, and it’s safe to say most people are still using tape measures over AR ruler tools in their homes. Pokemon GO is still enjoying a healthy user base, but feels like something of an anomaly; a perfect combination of gimmick and franchise popularity that no AR app has touched since.
Nintendo Promises Support for the 3DS Through 2019 and Beyond
Nintendo and has promised new 3DS games will be coming "in 2019 and beyond".
In its financial results briefing published on Nintendo's official site, the company highlighted previously announced 3DS games coming this year (Dillon's Rolling Western: The Dead Heat Breakers, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker for Nintendo 3DS, WarioWare Gold for 3DS and Luigi’s Mansion), and next (Mario & Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story + Bowser's Jr.'s Journey). "In addition to the titles currently on sale we have announced the coming release of the titles shown here," reads the accompanying text, "we are even preparing new software for release in 2019 and beyond."
Nintendo to Focus on Super Smash Bros. For Switch at E3
Nintendo is spotlighting Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch at this year's E3.
Nintendo's usual video presentation on June 12 will feature "games releasing in 2018," with a particular focus on the recently announced Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch will also be playable on the show floor, alongside the console's "most noteworthy upcoming third-party games."
The presentation will be followed by three day's worth of Nintendo Treehouse Live, which will kick off with a deeper dive into Smash Bros.
Announced last month, Nintendo is also focusing on competitive play at E3, with the two day Splatoon 2 World Championship tournament kicking off at the Belasco Theater in LA on June 11, followed by the Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 tournament on June 12.