Monthly Archives: March 2015
Final Symphony Tour Returns With New Final Fantasy Concert
The Final Symphony tour - the critically-acclaimed concert that celebrates Final Fantasy music - is returning to London, UK on September 12.
Promising an "exclusive, all-new programme of music", Final Symphony II will feature new arrangements from Final Fantasy V, VIII and IX performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. There'll also be a new suite of music from Final Fantasy XIII arranged by the original composer, Masashi Hamauzu.
Composer Nobuo Uematsu will also be at the show and will participate in a "pre-concert talk" where he'll discuss his career and take questions from fans.
“It’s wonderful that we’re able to return to the Barbican with such an exciting new programme of music,” said tour producer, Thomas Böcker. “Performing the original Final Symphony with the LSO back in 2013 was a musical dream come true, and recording the album at Abbey Road Studios was the icing on the cake. The arrangers, Roger Wanamo and Jonne Valtonen – plus Masashi Hamauzu – have been working very hard on something extremely special and we think it’s exactly what fans of Final Fantasy have been waiting for!”
Comic Book Reviews for March 18, 2015
While it was an indie-heavy week, there were still some big books from DC and Marvel.
We got to see Superman without his powers, five Bat-comics, and the finale to the third year of Injustice.
Across the publisher pond, the Hulk crossed paths with Deadpool, Storm teamed up with Gambit, and Princess Leia went on an adventure with her new partner.
There was also the big debut of Mark Millar's new series with artist Sean Murphy, Chrononauts, plus debuts for Invisible Republic, Red One, and Frankenstein Underground (as part of the Hellboy universe).
Agents of SHIELD Star Becomes Preacher’s Tulip
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's Preacher pilot for AMC, based on Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s cult comic series, has found its female lead.
As Deadline reports, Ruth Negga, who's played the scheming Raina on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD for two seasons, has landed the ass-kicking role of Tulip - the gun-toting ex of ex-preacher Jesse Custer (yet to be cast).
Ruth Negga and Tulip.
Mortal Kombat Co-Creator Might Be Teasing New Fight Sticks
An announcement for Mortal Kombat X getting its own version of an arcade fight stick appears forthcoming from NetherRealm's creative director Ed Boon.
Boon tweeted a cryptic message and image of the 2011 Mortal Kombat Fight Stick asking, “What the hell does this have to do with tomorrow?”
What the hell does this have to do with tomorrow? pic.twitter.com/s6WhY4tA0B
— Ed Boon (@noobde) March 19, 2015
The question is in regards to a “heavily game play focused” live stream, which Boon tweeted about earlier today, taking place tomorrow at 1:00 pm PST, 3:00 pm CST, and 4:00 pm EST. Mortal Kombat X could be getting new fight sticks since it's common for new fighting games to license new controllers and last-gen controllers don’t work with PS4 and Xbox One.
New to Netflix for April
DAREDEVIL!
Sorry. Getting a little ahead of ourselves. Let's start over. Netflix in April means a lot of great movDAREDEVIL DAREDEVIL DAREDEVIL!
Okay. There's no easing into this one. April marks the first of Netflix/Marvel's "street level" superhero TV shows. Daredevil won't be rated-R or anything, but it will have a slightly darker, more grounded tone than the MCU movies, and even ABC's Agents of SHIELD.
Here's What's Leaving Netflix in April
There's also a new Derek special from Ricky Gervais, Sons of Anarchy's final season, Hot Fuzz, National Treasure, Aussie horror flick The Babadook, and a lot more.
St. Patrick’s Day Aurora Paints Northern Skies Green
A blast of charged solar particles slammed into Earth, exciting atoms in the atmosphere and painting the northern skies with sheets of green aurora.
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, expanded far south of their normal range, with skywatchers as (relatively) far south as Michigan in the United States reporting observing the cosmic phenomenon.
Last night's event was likely caused by the "combination of two coronal mass ejections from an active sunspot region," the Washington Post reported.
NASA Testing Electric-Powered Wing Design
In the deserts north of Los Angeles, an experimental wing design may be the first step toward a future where planes are propelled through the skies by use of electric motor.
The Hybrid-Electric Integrated Systems Testbed, or HEIST, is currently mounted on a truck and driven across a dry lakebed at Edwards AFB in California at speeds up to 70 mph.
Testing of the 31 foot span will continue for the next several months. The wing is tested mounted to the truck rather than in a wind tunnel for obvious reasons: because it looks really cool. The testing represents an iterative stage in the wing's development, as preliminary testing was performed earlier in the year at much lower speeds.
Final Fantasy 15 Demos Popping Up on Ebay
How much would you pay to play a free demo included with another game? If you're looking for the Final Fantasy XV demo without having to buy Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, the running price seems to be roughly 50% of the price of Type-0.
First noticed by siliconera, the demo vouchers are selling for between $25-$35 USD on eBay for both Xbox One and PS4 versions.
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a fully realized game, one we gave an 8.0 in our review. So those who buy the initial run of the game get not only a full game, but also the demo for Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae, which is around 3 hours.
Tesla No Longer Banned in New Jersey
New Jersey governor Chris Christie has signed a law that reverses a ban on direct sales of Tesla cars in the state.
The Verge reports that as part of the new law, Tesla is limited to only four dealerships, and is required to open at least one service center in the Garden State. The move represents a potentially lucrative market for Tesla, as Jersey is the fourth largest market for luxury cars, after New York, Florida, and California.
The ban, passed last year, kept Tesla out of the state, and has led to a heated battle between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and local dealers who support the ban. He pointedly compared dealerships to a mafia protection racket, and said it is important to have access to educating consumers about electric vehicles with direct sales.
You Can Already Pre-Order Nintendo’s NX
Australian video game retailer EB Games is already taking pre-orders for Nintendo's "next-generation hardware concept", the NX.
Pre-orders for the NX - a code-name, obviously - require a minimum $10 AUD deposit.
Speaking to trade site MCV Pacific, an EB spokesperson explained the decision to open up pre-orders, despite the fact that nobody has any idea what the NX actually is.
“Following the announcement Wednesday night, EB Games made the ‘NX’ available for preorder the next day. At EB Games we have a very loyal Nintendo fan base, many of whom love the opportunity to put their names down first for new products. As long as that demand exists, we will continue to give fans what they want and be at the forefront of gaming announcements.”