Marvel Future Fight: Teases (X-traordinary) X-Men Announcement for SDCC 2018

     Ever since the 3 year anniversary of Marvel Future Fight, the game and developers have really turned things around from a few great flubs in the last year- such as the loot box Ultimates characters which resulted in amassive player boycott.
     Today after the official Marvel Games twitter account posted an image about what is in store for this years San Diego Comic Con without Future Fight, players questioned the lack of the game, and the official Future Fight account was quick to respond with an amazing teaser.

Calling all Agents! Your presence is urgently requested for a briefing  that is of the utmost importance! We have something... X-traordinary to  discuss! #MarvelSDCC #SDCC2018 https://t.co/DNUiL6WC0j

— Marvel: Future Fight (@Marvel_FFightUS) June 28, 2018

     This seems like an easy teaser for the Extraordinary X-Men comic series.  Granted we can only speculate at this point, but we already have a lot of the team in the game and there's an opportunity to give them new uniforms and even expand the roster with fan favorite characters like Deadpool.
     Considering that last years SDCC announcement was the Age of Apocalypse, I can only imagine this years will need to top the hype and subsequent letdown last year- Apocalypse himself didn't even arrive in game until a couple weeks after the initial update hit.

     The hype has already begun, and I for one, am very X-Cited to see what Netmarble has in store for Marvel Future Fight as SDCC 2018 at the Marvel Games Panel on Thursday, July 19th from 1-2pm.

     For related [ Posts ]

Netflix & Gaming: Why Aren't There Mobile Video Games of Bright, GLOW, and Game Over, Man!

PREVIOUSLY ON NETFLIX...

     Netflix has been branching out of simple streaming video over the last year and into other media.  They released a comic just last week, The Magic Order, after their acquisition of famed comic book writer Mark Millar's (Wanted, Kingsman, Kickass) Millarworld Publishing earlier last year.
     Netflix has also tinkered with some interactive narrative fiction with their "Choose Your Own Adventure" type children's shows with partnered company Dreamworks Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale (featuring Puss in Boots from the Shrek films) and Buddy Thunderstruck, as well as Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout which through their partnership with Hasbro.

THIS EPISODE...

     Much more recently however,  Netflix has announced both a team up with Telltale games for a new episodic Stranger Things game, a full game in Telltale's own unique fashion, as well as an adapted version of Minecraft: Story Mode to continue in Netflix's interactive narratives.

     Netflix explained to TechRadar that, "Minecraft: Story Mode is a licensed 5-episode interactive narrative series coming to our service this fall. It's an extension of our other interactive stories we have on our service like Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout, Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale and Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile."  Further going on to say, "We don’t have any plans to get into gaming. There’s a broad spectrum of entertainment available today. Games have become increasingly cinematic, but we view this as interactive narrative storytelling on our service."
     That doesn't sound so good.  Netflix regards the Stranger Things Telltale project to rightfully be a video game, but considers the more "Choose Your Own Adventure" type stuff on their own platform to be "interactive narratives" due to the simplistic nature and limitations of the streaming service and a remote.
     That may leave gamers a little disappointed, but we can still be hopeful because...

NEXT WEEK ON...

     They've already entered the gaming realm.  First off, Netflix has already published one extremely fun mobile video game with Stranger Things: The Game.  It was a phenomenal top-down RPG akin to the old Legend of Zelda games.
     Secondly, according to a job posting for Netflix, the Manager of Interactive Licensing says,

     "We are pursuing video games because we believe it will drive meaningful show awareness/buzz and allow fans to “play” our most popular content. We want the interactive category to help promote our titles so they become part of the zeitgeist for longer periods of time and we want to use games as a marketing tactic to capture demand and delight our member community."

     So, they say they aren't getting into games, but have already made one, and have a second one on deck (the two Stranger Things games).  Which means we may be seeing a lot more interactive stories on the streaming service itself, while the licensing could wind up bringing us actual games based on Netflix's properties on other platforms.

     The collaborative projects were an intriguing start, but what really has me curious is the release of their own show Stranger Things: The Game's tie-in mobile game last year.  I wouldn't mind a bunch of small games based on properties Netflix holds.

     Here's a few Netflix shows that would benefit greatly from a video game.

GLOW

     I've already expressed wonder as to why some of their properties don't have tie-in games, and GLOW is the perfect example.  Players could work their way through a small story based off of the wrestling characters from the show in an isometric wrestling game.  It could have story mode, an infinitely replayable mode just for fun, and even some challenge modes.  DLC skins would be an option for generating income.
     The reason GLOW would be a great candidate is not just that the show is amazing, but the games it could emulate are insanely popular.  Fire Pro World Wrestling is widely regarded as great (despite some clunky controls), and a more stylized game to emulate would be one of the best wrestling games of all time 1993's WWF Royal Rumble.  By today's standards, it's a simple game, but it still holds up mechanically and plays great- which GLOW could imitate for the mobile market.

BRIGHT

     The gritty crime-fantasy Bright, which I've also asked for a game for, would be another great show that could get a very awesome Grand Theft Auto type 3rd person game.  A simple 3rd-person, action adventure would suit the nature of the Netflix original well.  Players could swap back and forth between narratives of a human and an orc and their intertwined stories leading to a single endpoint.  Think of games like the HIGHLY underrated Dead Space Mobile, Slaughter 1 & 2, or even anything Rockstar Games has on mobile (all the GTA games, Bully, and Max Payne).  There's a wealth of potential in this brilliantly created world ripe for video game entries.

GAME OVER, MAN!

     Another great option would be the action comedy Game Over, Man!, which has an in-film video game adaptation already.  It's nothing special, but offers a small glimpse of the potential it could have.  It could easily be a small entertaining spoof of the movie itself, or even an unrelated storyline all taking place in one of the characters' daydream or some such thing.

     Netflix has a ton of great originals and there's plenty of opportunity to tap into tie-in games through licensing- so for whoever gets the job listed above, please start bringing us this extra form of entertainment to allow for that much more immersion in these worlds.

     Source [ Tech Radar ] via [ PC Games Insider ]

     Stranger Things: The Game [ Google Play ] [ iOS ]

Inhumans: Jeph Loeb on Their Possible Future on TV (and a Possible Lead to the Fantastic Four)

INHUMANS PAST

     Back in 2015 Marvel announced the Inhumans were slated to get a feature film, which could've been amazing under MCU head Kevin Feige, and then there was a rumor that Vin Diesel would be possibly tapped to play Black Bolt, which would've been awful.
     Then in 2016, it was announced they'd be making the move to television instead, which had potential, until it was made known it would be on ABC and not Netflix- leaving me less than pleased again.  Things took a much worse turn as Scott Buck was then given the role of showrunner because his track record is essentially a death sentence for a show- see what he did to Dexter or the fan response to his mishandling of Iron Fist- and even the talented casting choices couldn't save the Inhumans.

     The great disappointment was made certain after the release of the first trailer.  It looked horrendous.  The CGI looked cheap, the story appeared to take the unbelievably amazing Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee Marvel Knights series and reduce it to the worst possible version, and the character designs were atrocious (outside of Black Bolt himself).  It wasn't a too great of a surprise as the show had been rushed, and the double-team of ABC and Scott Buck together didn't leave viewers with much hope that it would turn out even mediocre- because as their history has shown through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, they take great characters and neuter them.
     As I wrote then:

     I've made it well known that I think Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is crap, it's quite terrible.  Even with all the headway the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider has been making, the show is still not nearly as great as it should be.  It gets 2 steps ahead and makes 5 steps back.  They need better writers and better directors.  Seriously, the showrunners have lost the magic of what made Agent Coulson so appealing in the movies.  The same can be said about Agent Carter.  They need to go back and study what made these characters special in the movies and focus on replicating it on television. 

     Skye/Daisy/Quake gained some powers and went from hacking-as-a-semi-superpower to master combatant.  It's absolutely preposterous.  Fitz and Simmons are in the same boat- everybody is now an action star, leaving no differentiation between characters.  That's very poor story telling. 

     And that's exactly why I'm very worried about the Inhumans being handled by a team that relegates their characters to daytime soap opera status.  We want things at least to have the quality the Netflix shows have.  The interpersonal relationship drama and angst is far too abused in S.H.I.E.L.D., maybe they need to focus on small tasks and awesome Mission Impossible type subterfuge as opposed to all the damn overused world threatening crap.  For Inhumans, they should simply adapt the 12 issue Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee run.  Keep it simple and meaningful.  A tightly knit story with a huge payoff.

     Since I wrote this Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has gotten much better, but still suffers from these issues, but it IS progressing into a much better show.  Then, when the inevitable cancellation came for the doomed Inhumans back in December, my immediate thought was, "The #AgentsofSHIELD show should just pick up the #Inhumans on their show- it's a better show anyway."  Because despite its flaws, Agents is getting significantly better and has made huge leaps forward from where it began.  I've tweeted enough praise for the potential in the show, and heavy criticism against it, in hopes we could see them again in a much better way, so the following news makes me quite hopeful.

INHUMANS FUTURE

     During a Reddit AMA for the release of Cloak & Dagger Marvel's Head of Television Jeph Loeb answered a bunch of questions and gave out some great teasers for what is to come.  He stated numerous times when asked about show crossovers that there is a good possibility, for fans to "wait and see", and to "stay tuned" for news.

Then most applicably to this particular situation comes from these gems:

thatguy9234: 
Will the actors in Inhumans be brought back if their characters are revived in either Marvel TV or the MCU? I personally liked the casting choices made for the show. 

JephLoeb:
Hope so. Great cast and for what's it worth, still think is a fun show.

     Another great tease from this one, which includes some good New Warriors info:

Dennisw0w:
Thank you for this AMA, it's very nice of you. I have a few questions I'd love to get answered.
1. Do you think we could expect see the royal family again even though there's no more Inhumans? Perhaps in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6?
2. Any progress with finding New Warriors a home?
3. Are there any exciting crossovers planned between shows or movies? No need to be specific. 

Jeph Loeb:
Well Dennis...
1. Wait and see
2. We're working on it.
3. Answered before.

     And lastly, this one:

blackbutterfree:
Dear /u/JephLoeb despite “Inhumans”… unique reception, Anson as Black Bolt, Serinda as Medusa and Iwan as Maximus are universally praised by fans as the best parts about that show. Could we ever see any of them reprising their roles in other MCU tv shows? Preferably a short arc on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

JephLoeb:
Hope so. We love these characters and the actors are the best!

     So the Inhumans may have a televised redemption after the ill-fated show.  The actors can be given a chance to shine, and better writers and directors can make fans of these wonderful characters in their new home.
     I, for one, am greatly looking forward to them being given a proper treatment and hope they appear on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. now that their creative team has been hitting their stride.

     Source [ Reddit AMA with Jeph Loeb ] [ ComicBookResources ]

A FANTASTIC POTENTIAL

     Now, for the Fantastic Four teaser- which obviously cannot happen until the rights that Fox currently owns, go back to Marvel via the huge deal that's been in progress for months.  I would like to say this is some crazily in depth analysis and ingenious sleuthing regardless if it is true or not.

     This entire next section comes from a brilliant Reddit User named KingInvalid96:

But my burning question to you has to do with my absolute favorite portion of the MCU- Marvel's Agents of S.h.i.e.l.d. I've got a fan theory that the show is actually an epic prologue to several iconic storylines in the marvel universe including Ghost Rider, Secret Invasion, SWORD, and most notably, The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom.

This idea was planted in my mind after a reoccurring use of the word “Doom” by one specific character, or rather a set of characters that would eventually become one character. That which I’m referring to is Will, Ward, and Hive. These characters share an interesting proclivity towards the word “Doom” both in their dialogue and in their interactions, sometimes even quite literally saying “I’m Doom”. (SPOILERS)

1.) Season 3 Episode 5 (4722 Hours): Jemma, stuck on Maveth with Will, proclaims [“I’ll be the voice of Hope, you’ll be the voice of Doom.”](https://imgur.com/n7Pi10ehttps://imgur.com/n7Pi10e).

2.) Season 3 Episode 18 (The Singularity): Hive, before being stabbed by Jemma, quite literally says [“I’m Doom, you’re hope- remember?”](https://imgur.com/VR9FFmG)

3.) Season 4 Episode 19 (All the Madame’s Men): Framework Tripp is talking about whether Ophelia is building some sort of “doomsday device” and Framework Ward, uncharacteristically whines [“Can we not use that word to describe it? It’s not helping me think.”](https://imgur.com/hcH9RCf)

Now this would mean nothing if you assumed Hive's offscreen death meant he was actually dead. But with Graviton being dead in space where the Hive parasite can be drawn to it, I haven't lost faith. Especially considering [Robin's 8-in-1 person drawing shown on Enoch's fridge](https://imgur.com/LNCp0kE). General "My body is a steel trap" Talbot could house

1. Doctor Hall
2. Ian Quinn
3. Green Confederacy Alien (Skrull?)
4. Carl Creel
5. Will "Im Doom" Daniels
6. Grant Ward
7. Alveus Hive
8. Quake ???

I definitely believe they could all come together... like [pieces solving a puzzle](https://imgur.com/AndICKa). But it's been pointed out that the connection here is reliant on common words and basic math. So I thought about the parallels between the show and the F4 themselves:

• The Fear Dimension/Negative Zone
• Alien Energy/Cosmic Radiation
• Discovery of the Inhumans
• The Shield Academy/Empire State University
• The Fantastic Fitzsimmons literally becoming the First Family in the MCU in ep. 100
• Deke saying everyone in shield changed their names (what're the odds Fitsimmons choose Reed and Sue?)
• Fitz/Reed designing a spaceship
• Enoch's accumulation of wealth + reputation for Frozen Fitz/the Future Foundation

I could go on, considering I'm absolutely enamored with the idea that you guys are already planning something similar. But I won't continue to bore you with my fan theories and instead ask a very simple question:

Am I crazy, or are you guys producing Agents of Shield to be the epic prologue to something more? Can you elaborate or hint towards the future of the show now that it's been renewed for Season 6?

JephLoeb:
You're not crazy. But that's all I can say!

      Wow, that's a hell of a fan theory, and honestly, I'm quite impressed.  I had hoped for years that Fox (or Marvel if they got the cinematic rights back) would make a Fantastic Four film as a straight up period piece set in the 1960s, complete with the Galactus plotline and the four thwarting him and making a device that eliminates the memory of it from everyone on Earth- and thus preserving the Marvel Cinematic Universes timelines.

Agent Carter: Possible Revival: Marvel's Head of TV Jeph Loeb - "Find Us a Network"

     Two years ago ABC made the brilliant decision to cancel the fan-favorite show Agent Carter to free up the talented lead actress Hayley Atwell for their new show Conviction in hopes doing something more mainstream and subsequently boosting ratings.  That plan worked out quite well and Conviction was cancelled after a mere 13 episodes.  Now, after the Roseanne got the axe due to some seriously poor life choices and Ambien, fans are jumping at the chance to convince the network to pick Agent Carter back up.

     In a Reddit AMA Marvel's Head of TV Jeph Loeb replies to a question by user Super-Finch's question about an Agent Carter revival with the response, "Wouldn't that be cool? Find us a network! Hayley has been so kind of saying she'd love to come back."
     Which is true, she said when the show was initially cancelled that she would love to return to the role saying, "Yeah, 100%. Absolutely. Yeah, I love Peggy, I love the people that are working on this project together, the fans are incredibly warm and welcoming and it would be an absolute privilege and an honor to bring her back for the fans."  She's also voiced the character again in the animated feature Avengers: Secret Wars, and even admits to previously bugging Marvel people about getting a movie.  Hell, she's even written she'd do "whatever it takes" to bring it back.
     Though, it should be noted, Huffpo claims Atwell has said she's left the Marvel Universe and isn't looking back just yesterday in an interview, but that isn't really what she's said at all.  When asked about possibly returning she said, “To get a call now would be like, ‘Oh, God!’ I’m sure anything could happen, but it’s this genre world that’s so multifaceted it’s like, will it ever die?”  Atwell doesn't appear hopeful about the possibility, but she isn't completely discounting it either- even as of last summer mentioning she'd love to see more of Peggy in the films.

     Netflix had already passed up on the chance to save Agent Carter and explained why in an Entertainment Weekly article back in July 2016 by saying, “We’re looking for truly original brands to own, and in that Marvel space we already have [original comic book shows] - so that was mostly why.”
     Hulu might be an option, as they've got Marvel's Runaways.  Perhaps NBC might be interested because fans spoke up recently, and the network stepped up and saved Brooklyn 99 from cancellation.  Then there's even a chance for Carter to return via Disney's (and thus Marvel's) own streaming service which is set to launch next year...

     Considering the fact that Loeb has said that Cloak & Dagger getting made was wholly due to fans calling for it, the chances of Agent Carter returning aren't too bad.  In my opinion, however, as much as I wanted a Cloak & Dagger series, I wasn't expecting it to be such a kiddie-teen show- I was expecting the hard drugs and abuse stories from the 80s comics, and in essence mimicking the grit of the Netflix Marvel shows.  It looks cheaply done, and from what I've seen it might not last long, and possibly might follow in the footsteps of the Scott Buck ruined Inhumans.  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. took a while to really hit the mark, it started off as more like Agents of S.H.!.T., so perhaps Cloak & Dagger will as well.
     I for one just hope that if Agent Carter does make a triumphant return they can get the appropriate crew to write and direct a good 1950-60's era Cold War spy thriller show that she deserves.  The first two seasons were enjoyable following the Agent Carter Marvel One Shot (the special was great), but the show simply lacked the punch she had in the films (they did the exact same thing to Agent Coulson translating him from film to TV).  The show could easily be tied to some rough early years of S.H.I.E.L.D., a more in depth crossover with the Black Widow's backstory, and keep it as an all-around good period piece show.

     So for fans of the show, dust off your Life Gem Infinity Stones, and get out there to be heard so that Agent Carter may once again have life.

     #RenewAgentCarter

     Source [ Comicbook ]

GLOW Season 2 Trailer & Release Date- June 29th on Netflix

     I'd kept tabs on Netflix's Glow since it was first teased, and once it arrived I binged it in a couple days because it was so damned good, and now that season 2 has gotten an official trailer I've happily jumped back on the hype train.

     It's time to dim the lights, crank up the neon, and adjust our leg warmers- because the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are back.  The entire season will premiere on Netflix June 29th.

DC Unchained: Delayed to 2018

     After it was revealed at Comic Con Seoul, the upcoming mobile action-RPG game DC Unchained has been oddly missing from the news.  In late October however, the developers released some potential bad news for the title.

     Due to some financial woes, DC Unchained developer FourThirtyThree, Inc (4:33 Creative Labs), a one time top South Korean developer, has reported massive net losses since 2014 with  great competition from mobile game giants like Nexon and NetMarble (who make the Marvel comics equivalent game called Marvel Future Fight).  Since the announcement 4:33 has had to make huge alterations to their business model after having no break out titles in years.  They had an emergency board meeting to discuss and plan a new business strategy, which includes a move away from creating 3rd party and move towards more self-developed IPs and titles, as well as reductions in manpower in marketing and publishing roles.  While 4:33 have said there's been no restructuring, they have offered employees the opportunity to retire from the company.

     The company has stated that any games that already have 3rd party deals will remain unaffected.  With that, they've got Blade 2, Boxing Star, and DC Unchained on the way to hopefully alleviated the financial troubles.  Part of the announcement mentioned the fact that DC Unchained will not hit the expected release of late 2017 in time for the release of the Justice League film, but rather the game will be released in 2018- and it has been confirmed to be coming to western markets for certain.

     Sources [ MMO Culture ] [ NewsNews ]

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Voice Cast Announced & Worrisome Changes

THE CAST

     Yesterday, Nickelodeon announced the voice cast for their upcoming 26 episode 2D re-imagining of the TMNT series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

     The cast all sounds pretty good so far.  We'll be getting Omar Miller as Raphael, Ben Schwartz as Leonardo, Josh Brener as Donatello, Brandon Mychal Smith as Michelangelo, Kat Graham as April O’Neil, and lastly TMNT vet Eric Bauza as Splinter.  I'm particularly pumped for Brandon Mychal Smith's Michelangelo, and curious to hear Bauza as Splinter after he voiced Nickelodeon's current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Tiger Claw.

     And with the cast comes the official plot summary:

     Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles follows Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo on all-new adventures as they seek to unlock the mystical secrets of New York City. From the tallest skyscraper to the dankest sewer drain, the Turtles will encounter absurd new mutants and battle bizarre creatures all while enjoying their favorite slice of pizza. 

     Tapping into mystic, ninja powers they never knew existed, the four brothers must learn to work together and navigate the perils of the modern age and hidden realms in order to fulfill their destiny to become a team of heroes.

THE WORRISOME CHANGES

     Now comes the parts that worry me.  With the re-imagining of the Turtles, comes the changes.  With all iterations some changes can be great, and there shouldn't really be problems with those, but there are always some that don't really quite make sense.  Such is the case with the fact they are seemingly altering a piece of the brothers' foundation of their relationships. That part is a little irksome to say the least.
     While Michelangelo, Donatello, Splinter, and April all remain in their archetypal roles, Leonardo and Raphael are apparently being swapped which makes little sense. 
     From Nickelodeon's source article, they say, "Raphael, as the oldest and physically biggest brother, he is now the leader and his enthusiasm and bravado puts him front and center for most of their bizarre adventures; Leonardo, the self-professed ‘coolest’ brother possesses irreverent charm and a rebel heart." 
     What bothers me is the fact that Nickelodeon is completely changing the foundation of these two.  Since the beginning, I've always seen all four brothers as representing very distinct archetypes, and with the alteration of two, that changes the team's entire dynamic.  Raph has been the fire of passionate emotion, Leo was the more level-headed water, constantly flowing and seeking a true balance, Don was the stable Earthly, logical mind, Mikey is the airy heart, wild and free- and Splinter connected them all as the spiritual core. 
     Think of how these fundamental character principles effect the group's relationships- and for a great reference, look at how Avatar: The Last Airbender uses the same core ideas with their own characters as elemental Benders.  This shift will put the emotion in the role of leader instead of the less turbulent flowing of water and that goes against, not just the TMNT's own history and precedent, but flies in the face of mythological/archetypal basis- Raph's pure emotion shouldn't rule, in the same way that Mikey's heart or Donatello's pure logic shouldn't lead the team.  It'd be the equivalent of having an instinctually Id driven person, without the guidance of the Super Ego (Leo), balancing the pure unconscious (Mike), Id (Raph), and rational Ego (Don).  This is something that will eat at the back of my mind for a while, and is definitely something more for me to ruminate on to possibly flesh out more and explain better.

     As a lifelong Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, but I'm going to be very, VERY skeptical going in to the show.

     Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set to premiere in 2018 on Nickelodeon.

     For related posts [ TMNT ]

     Source [ Nickelodeon ]

Disney INfinity Returns via TOYBOX Action Figures

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

     Last year was a bad year for Disney INfinity.  Small problems began began to emerge with the announcement that the Marvel Battlegrounds play set would ship with a single figure, then there was news that there would not be a 4.0 release, but rather 3.0 would be getting updates to continue the Infinity line.  In March Disney Interactive said they'd be dropping out of E3 without a reason giving, and then they officially announced in May of 2016 the video game series would be cancelled.

ENDLESS FUN

     It was a shock to fans, and there were a slew of problems that could've easily put off the toys-to-life game's closure- such as adding far more actual game content, more replayability, and even the simple feature of resetting a figure's data more than twice could've gone a long ways to it selling better.
     What the series did right, however, was in the art design.  The Disney INfinity design style was absolutely superb, and now fans of it are in for a treat.  Disney INfinity focused Youtube channel Infiniteer Adventures spotted an intriguing ad on the Disney Shop- showing that on November 3rd, Disney is releasing action figures that look exactly like they are ripped straight from the game's gorgeous designs.  Making the case even stronger, is the fact this toy series appears to be named directly after the specific Disney INfinity game feature called the TOYBOX as can be seen from the image above, featuring Rey and a Stormtrooper from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens playset.

     It's great to see that such wonderful toy designs are being salvaged for an even better use, bringing us articulated versions of the INfinity toys from Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar properties.  This also offers the opportunity for fans to potentially obtain some of the previously cancelled figures such as Spider-Gwen, or the truly stunning looking Doctor Strange toy.  This is some truly exciting news coming a year and a half after the closing of the game and someone was smart enough to have held on to the game's slogan and put it to great use- "Infinite Possibilities, Endless Fun-" and we can all be thankful for it.

     Related posts [ Disney INfinity ]   

     Source [ Infiniteer Adventures ]

TMNT: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Return to Arcades with a WHOLE NEW GAME!!!

     The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had a long history in video games, loaded with many ups and downs, with occasional oddball gems that really stands out.  In recent years there's been some decent attempts to regain that special something that the old arcade quarter-munchers had and the home ones did not.  It's been nearly 30 years since Konami's original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game first hit arcades and Raw Thrills, Inc is looking to bring back those beat 'em up glory days with an all new adventure featuring our favorite heroes in a half shell.

     Modern arcade game developer Raw Thrills has been hard at work on reviving an old fan-favorite arcade genre staple in the form of a brand new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brawler beat 'em up, and hopefully proving to us that there are still turtles games to look forward to.  This completely original TMNT game is based on the look of the extremely popular Nickelodeon cartoon, which will be finishing up season 5 in November.

     "This new version of TMNT is a completely new re-imagining of the brawler concept. There are more moves, more environmental interaction, cool Turtle Power special attacks, voiceover from the entire cast (including Seth Green and others)… it’s really amazing."

     Many fans will be quite excited to have this TMNT nostalgia returning to the coin-operated gaming for the first time in decades, and Raw Thrills, Inc plans to have a demo at this year’s International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions expo in November.

     This could possibly be the game I've been asking for for years, in my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows game review I wrote:

"I think a bigger and better studio may have been able to truly pull off an open-world 4 player co-op beat-em-up much better than this- a game to match the ambition this one so desperately strove for.  We just haven't found the right company to do it justice yet.  Maybe Activision can find a group to do it with the Nickelodeon series on a larger scale. 

     As a lifelong fan since I was about 5 years old, that is what I would want.  A huge action RPG brawler, maybe even a hack-n-slash, in a fully open world of Manhattan, complete with sewer system.  The world should be as large as any of the GTA games by Rockstar, and it should be filled with plenty of baddies and mini-missions.  Take note Activision- Traveller's Tales' Lego Marvel Superheroes did it right with the large cityscape full of fun mayhem to be had with a couple hundred characters to swap around.  Copy that and improve on it."

     Now, I know Raw Thrills' game won't be expansive enough to encompass a huge open world for a beat 'em up, but the mere fact they are returning to the roots of TMNT gaming is a wonderful thing.  I'd even consider the fact that they may steal the crown for best turtles game which I personally believe to be 2007's TMNT for the Nintendo GBA.  This could be the start fans of the franchise have been waiting for to point the following games towards what we've been wanting for years.

     I can't wait to play this at an arcade cabinet soon. And pray to the reptilian gods that this game may find a port to home consoles or mobile devices.

     For related posts [ TMNT ]

     Source [ Arcade Heroes ]

Mega Bloks (Construx): Masters of the Universe Skeletor: Micro Review

     It's been quite a while since I've found some cool toys since Wave 2 of the Mega Bloks (now Mega Construx) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mini figures, and today I came across an awesome new one- a tiny Masters of the Universe Skeletor.

     When I first came across the initial bunch of TMNT Mega Bloks figures I was immediately taken with how well done they were, wave 2 pushed that impressiveness even further.  Then the toys were set back a little with the TMNT: Out of the Shadows film tie-ins, then they knocked it out of the park with the black and white Mirage Comics figures- they were downright spectacular!

     Once again, Mega Construx has done a fantastic job in making an absurdly tiny and somehow still manage to have a ton of articulation.  This is a tremendous new mini figure that is great for collectors and fans.  It's well painted, well sculpted, and articulated- these things are just plain amazing little figures.  I only hope they will produce more than only He-Man and Skeletor, currently the only 2 available for the Masters of the Universe line.  I'd really like to see Tri-Klops, Stinkor, Man-at-Arms, or any of the vast array of characters from the comics or show.
     I'll definitely pick up more as they come, but right now, this Skeletor is a perfect introduction to the set, and I can only hope for more to come.

     I've also seen they've released 2 figures from Star Trek: The Next Generation and 2 from Aliens.  In reality, they could make a plethora of great figures for those series' as well- paving more paths for cool new figures now that the TMNT lines are becoming stale.  I'm not kidding, there's a wealth of characters to choose from but they go with ones nobody wants, or more simple repaints/variants of the core turtles for each new wave comprising a full 50% of each new wave.  Mix it up a little Mega Construx!  People will buy the awesome figures when they aren't making the same mistake the old Playmates line made, no one wants the football Leonardo, or an Army fatigues Donatello, we'd rather have a cool Metalhead or Chrome Dome than the infinite number of variants.

Marvel Future FIght: Update 2.9 Teaser Images

     After the last update, I was a bit underwhelmed.  I wasn't too impressed with the characters, less impressed with the new uniforms, and so on.  Especially because it followed such an awesome Asgard update.  The small teaser we are getting is two images showing a "New Areas"

     Right off the bat, I'm a bit off put by the fact that it appears to be the same area, from two different vantage points.  It's a small irritation, but it's also true.  Anyways, Netmarble won't say what these will be for- perhaps new dimensional rifts, an Epic Quest analog, new levels, etc- but they will be definitely available with the update.
     The pictures look very reminiscent of the inside of Ronan the Accuser's ship, The Dark Aster, from Guardians of the Galaxy.  It wouldn't surprise me at all with all the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hype going around.  Granted the film won't be out until May 5th, there's still something possibly there.

In addition there will also now be an Alliance Store with Alliance Tokens.  No word yet on what the store will feature or how the Tokens will work.  Plus they're finally adding a customizable Alliance Emblem.  It isn't much, but it is a nice small treat.

     I'll continually update this blog with whatever info I find, as well as a longer post on costumes and ideas for the game and so on.

     For related posts [ Marvel Future Fight ]

     Marvel Future Fight Official [ Mobirum ]

Marvel Future Fight: Thoughts on Netmarble, Kabam, and the Possibility of Mutants

      A couple days ago news broke of Korean game giant Netmarble is purchasing a majority of Canadian Kabam's assets- with it's extremely lucrative licensed ties to Marvel, Universal, and Warner Bros.  Though, the thing I'm particularly interested in here is how the Marvel games will be effected.

     It's estimated that 95% of Kabam's income (over 450 million since Dec. 2014) came from the IAP heavy Contest of Champions, a game I found to be decent but HIGHLY repetitive, so this might be a huge hit in their production budgets.  On the opposite end of this Netmarble's far superior game Marvel Future Fight might not make as much money (couldn't find comparative figures for this) it's a much better game in so many ways.  It's a much more action RPG type game with loads of multiplayer additions and things to do. Contest is a basic 2D fighter. 
     My intrigue with this business deal comes from the fact that Contest of Champions has a one singular thing I see as better than Future Fight- the mutant populace.

     It is doubtful that well be getting mutants any time soon in Future Fight, but this does offer a slight ray of hope for our x-gene friends of the X-Men universe.  It's also a bit concerning that Marvel is pushing the comics from the mutants more towards Inhuman, meaning we have even less of a chance at seeing the popular mutants arrive any time soon.  I mean look at the crap Marvel did with Squirrel Girl, a long-time mutant, was altered to be now a non-mutant, meaning Fox can't cash in on the very profitable film rights while Marvel now can make tons of money off her popularity.  Marvel tends not to like to share.  But I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that we may still someday see characters like Colossus, Storm, or Wolverine in Future Fight.

     Source [ Wall Street Journal ] via [ Venture Beat ]

Pre-registrations for Star Wars: Force Arena Have Begun!

Pre-registrations for Netmarble's new free-to-play mobile MOBA Star Wars: Force Arena have begun just in time for the release of Star Wars: Rogue One.

With over 60 upgradeable characters, ranging from classic icons like Luke Skywalker to newer ones such as Ezra Bridger, Force Arena players must create a team of characters and lead them into real-time PvP battles with other players.

In competing for galactic dominance players have the option of either 1v1 or 2v2 matches.  They'll need to collect their favorite characters, decide whether they want to be a Rebel or Imperial, build customizable decks of controllable sub-units like Stormtroopers, and utilize strategic advantages such as pairing the legendary duo of Han Solo and Chewbacca to gain the upper hand in defeating opponents.

Players will be competing for special rewards, characters, and bonus items on a global leaderboards.

Did I mention that by pre-registering for Star Wars: Force Arena players can get up to 1,400 crystals and 10,000 credits free?

The fate of the galaxy is in our hands.

Pre-register via [ Google Play ] or [ Email ]

Marvel Future Fight: Official Trailer for Asgard Update 2.7.0 (Update Arrives Wed. December 7th!)

[ UPDATE: IS ALREADY LIVE!!! ]

     The new Marvel Future Fight update is arriving much swifter than I had anticipated, hitting this Wednesday with the pre-update server maintenance occurring on 12/6 16:00 ~ 12/7 01:00 (UTC+0) and 12/6 08:00 AM ~ 12/6 05:00 PM (PST).

     Firstly, we'll be getting 7 new characters, Odin, the Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg), Hela, Ulik, and lastly the Enchantress will finally be arriving in game after a leak from early 2015.  Sadly, Odin looks to be only obtainable after completing the new chapter 12 stage 8, and can only be leveled up with Black Anti-matter, other character biometrics for experience and Chaotic Norn Stones for mastery.  Enchantress is locked behind the 20 Biometrics Daily selector package, which really isn't terrible, and the rest will be through standard level biometrics in the new chapters.  I also noticed that Malekith bios will also be in the chapters, which is a nice change.
     Speaking of daily biometrics, each level will now offer 10, boosted from the previous 5, which of course used to only be a meager 3 each day per stage.

     In addition, Thor, Sif, and Silk are getting great new costumes.  As always, they'll be on sale for their initial arrival.  The new upgrade material is Uru (awesome), a new World Boss Invasion has been added, and the top S.H.I.E.L.D. player level is being raised to 70.  There's a ton of other little changes, but I'm just pumped for the major characters and costumes right now.  Seriously, check out the link below for all the details.  There is a huge amount of stuff in this update, which explains why it took longer than many of the previous ones.

     Netmarble has made another amazing update to the best Marvel mobile game around.

     For the full update info [ Marvel Future Fight ]

     Related Future Fight [ POSTS ]

Marvel Future Fight: 2.7.0 Update: Interim Report 2 & Thoughts

     It really isn't any surprise that the character Netmarble teased for the 2.7.0 "Asgard" Update is the Unworthy Thor.  Most of us assumed it would be with a few oddballs thinking it might be Taskmaster- which doesn't make sense either for the Asgard part or for the cape color.

     There's two new locales, Asgard and Muspelheim, being probably chapters 11 and 12 due to the Black Bolt image displaying a chapter 12 mission in the upper left corner.  We are also getting a new material, and the typical new characters and costumes.
     Maybe we'll finally see the Enchantress who was datamined way back in July 2015.  I suppose we might see other new characters like the Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg), perhaps Beta Ray Bill, Valkyrie, Heimdall, Thunderstrike (lol), or maybe even Surtur (because of Muspelheim).  Though I doubt that we'll see him, but only because they left the dreaded Dormammu out of the Doctor Strange update, which seems completely ridiculous.  On the other hand we are almost certainly getting Odin, who the new teaser pic below could be.
     There's a decent chance we'll see new costumes for Angela, Destroyer, Jane Foster, Malekith, and Sif.  Jane and Sif really need some new looks as they each only have one.  Plus, I'm crossing my fingers we'll receive new costumes for some non-Asgard related characters, as we got a few extras with the Strange update.

     To read the full interim report [ Mobirum ]

     For Marvel Future Fight related [ POSTS ]

Marvel's Inhumans: Thoughts on the Move from Film to TV (and in Video Games)

FILM/TELEVISION

     Just over a year ago, I expressed my extreme distaste for the rumor that Vin Diesel might play the role of Black Bolt in a film of Marvel's Inhumans.  Thankfully, in April of this year the film had been pushed back from its original July 12, 2019 release, and then completely cut from Marvel's film schedule.  Which is the good news.

" . . . "  - Black Bolt.

     The bad news, however, is that instead of getting a movie quality film featuring the royal Inhuman family, we'll be getting another ABC series.  The first 2 episodes will be shot on IMAX film and aired in IMAX theaters in early September 2017, prior to airing on ABC.
     I've made it well known that I think Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is crap, it's quite terrible.  Even with all the headway the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider has been making, the show is still not nearly as great as it should be.  It gets 2 steps ahead and makes 5 steps back.  They need better writers and better directors.  Seriously, the showrunners have lost the magic of what made Agent Coulson so appealing in the movies.  The same can be said about Agent Carter.  They need to go back and study what made these characters special in the movies and focus on replicating it on television.
     Skye/Daisy/Quake gained some powers and went from hacking-as-a-semi-superpower to master combatant.  It's absolutely preposterous.  Fitz and Simmons are in the same boat- everybody is now an action star, leaving no differentiation between characters.  That's very poor story telling.
     And that's exactly why I'm very worried about the Inhumans being handled by a team that relegates their characters to daytime soap opera status.  We want things at least to have the quality the Netflix shows have.  The interpersonal relationship drama and angst is far too abused in S.H.I.E.L.D., maybe they need to focus on small tasks and awesome Mission Impossible type subterfuge as opposed to all the damn overused world threatening crap.  For Inhumans, they should simply adapt the 12 issue Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee run.  Keep it simple and meaningful.   A tightly knit story with a huge payoff.

     As for Diesel in the main role- thank goodness at least Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn doesn't believe he'll do it.  Which is great.  He has all the emotive facial acting talent of a slab of beef.  They would be much better off hiring someone like Jason Isaacs, or Christopher Meloni.  Or both and have one of them play Blackagar Boltagon's brother Maximus.  Get talent that can give extremely expressive performances without needing words.

GAMES

     I've been playing Marvel Heroes for a couple years and we'll finally be getting Black Bolt in game soon.  It's super exciting and I hope they've got him done correctly.  I mean, he's super fun in Marvel Future Fight, so I can only imagine the larger game will have him slightly better.  Obviously a mobile game poses a lot more limitations than PC games, so they'll have more opportunity.
     I'm also hoping we'll eventually get his Earth X costume pictured below for both games.

     Source [ Marvel ]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: A 3rd Film Probably Won't Happen

     As a long time fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I both like and dislike the newer Michael Bay produced films.  The 2014 TMNT made a whopping $493 million, while the sequel TMNT 2: Out of the Shadows only grossed $245 million.

     Steve Weintraub at Collider brought up the thoughts on the future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies from producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller during an interview about their recently produced film Ouija: Origin of Evil.

     Form has some good thoughts on what didn't work.

"We were obviously surprised at the box office results. We loved the movie. We loved making the movie. From our first Super Bowl teaser to everything we launched, we felt so good about our material, and for some reason it did not find the audience that the first movie found.

It’s just one of those things where we feel like we made a great movie. We thought at the time that our release date was great, and we added all these new characters with Bebop and Rocksteady and Krang, and Baxter Stockman had a big role in the movie, and Casey Jones, and for some reason when it came to opening weekend… it just didn’t find an audience. We really don’t know why. 

I think one thing we did learn is you really need to give- you can’t just add characters to a movie and expect that to be what’s fresh. It’s a sequel. You have to give the audience something that’s really new and fresh. Maybe just adding characters from the canon- that wasn’t enough. 

We set out to make a poppy, colorful, fun- add all these fun characters that people had grown up with—and like you said, bring the cartoon to life.

I don’t think there’s [going to be a] Turtles 3, but I wouldn’t say there’s never going to be another Turtles movie."

     I like the idea that they tried to bring the old cartoon to life, but they missed the essential change that the 1990 feature film did- they made it real and meaningful, while maintaining the feel the old cartoon had.  I fully admit I do enjoy the new films, despite the many, many problems contained in them.  As for Out of the Shadows, they really did bring an episode of the 80's cartoon to life.  Everything from the humorous idiocy of Bebop and Rocksteady to the absurd nature of Krang.  It is something worthwhile to watch for those that might have some turtles nostalgia, and they did build off of what the first reboot did.

     It does make me a bit disappointed to know there may not be another film, but then again, there's always a chance they'd get even worse.  I mean you can tell the writers weren't the best, resorting to making everything about action and cheap laughs.  It completely lacks the depth of the 1990 film.  I really think the problem comes down to the writers, Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec just don't quite understand the characters.  It's all superficially written, with many of the characters sounding to similar.  They need some true distinctions between them all, they need more "show, don't tell" to really hammer home the differences.

     If a third film does get into production I can only hope that they find writers worthy of continuing the TMNT legacy.  Maybe they should get Bobby Herbeck and Todd W. Langen from the 1990 movie, or the unbelievably brilliant writers of the made-for-TV 25th Anniversary movie - Turtles Forever - Roy Burdine, Rob David, Matthew Dredk, and Lloyd Goldfine.  That is easily the most well-written Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles product of any sort I can think of.  The team had a fundamental understanding of not just the characters, but how they've evolved and changed over time, and getting them to work on a full film would be the most brilliant move that these producers could take.

     Related posts [ TMNT ]

     Source [ Collider ]

Stranger Things: Netflix's Series Now a Playable Point-N-Click Game

     What started as a nice little fan-fare has become a full fan-made point-and-click adventure game based on the tremendous Netflix series Stranger Things, by the Duffer Brothers.  It's a sci-fi horror show that is completely saturated in the 1980's aesthetic, and this gem follows suit.

"99 out of a hundred times, the missing kid is with a parent or relative. This is about that one other time." 

The disappearance of Will Byers has the town of Hawkins, Indiana - and Chief Jim Hopper - on edge. 

     The Stranger Things game takes place over primarily the first episode of the series, so there shouldn't be any spoilers for those of you that haven't seen the phenomenal show yet.  Fans of games such as the LucasArts Monkey Island series will be at home among the simple puzzles and textual dialogue options.

     Infamous Quests' Steven Alexander, Jon Taylor, and James Mulvale created this one-room point-and-click game as a "tribute to the series."  The game takes the same approach as the show in making players feel invested- it's short and sweet, nailing the atmosphere in both sound and visuals, and it definitely shows their appreciation.  While it doesn't offer anything new to add to the series, as it is just a fan made game, it does give us fans a little more Stranger Things to experience while we await the arrival of season two in 2017.

     Go to [ Infamous Quests on Itch.io ] to Download and Play

Black Widow: A Scarlett Johansson Standalone Film & My Thoughts

     Last week Variety published an interview with Scarlett Johansson about her work with Planned Parenthood, some stuff about her political views on Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, and a bit about her role in the Marvel Studios film franchises as Natasha "The Black Widow" Romanov.

THE INTERVIEW

   To begin here's the relevant portions of the interview:

Will there be a standalone Black Widow movie?
I would like for it to happen under the right circumstances. I think there’s a lot of opportunity to mine that story line. She’s got a really rich origins story. There’s a lot of places you can go — you can bring it back to Russia. You could explore the Widow program. There’s all kinds of stuff that you could do with it. You could really uncover the identity of who this person is, where she comes from and where she’s part of. 

So if it happens, will it be a prequel?
It’s a possibility. There’s plenty of back story. Or not. It could be something else. Where do the Avengers go? They are underground. What happens then? What happens after it all falls apart? There are so many ways you can go. I think it would just have to be very much like its own specific thing. It would have to have its own specific vibe. It would have been totally different than any of the other standalone films.

Are you still talking to Marvel about it?
Yeah, of course. I talked to them about it often. It would have to fit in the idea of where they want to go. I’m invested in that character. Marvel is greatly invested in that character. If I did it, I’d have to do it while I still actually want to wear a skin-tight catsuit. I don’t know how much longer that’s going to be. 

MY THOUGHTS

     I think it should be a film full of espionage, action, and intrigue.  Leave out the damn love triangle with Hulk/Banner that was so damned out of place in the Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Leave out the stupid sterility backstory.  Leave out the global destruction tales so many superhero movies lean too heavily upon.  Make it an intimate covert ops mission, a modern cold war narrative going on with lots of cloak and dagger.  It could easily be a political crime story with touches of her past and interactions with the Winter Soldier.  Or an entire secretive special ops sabotage mission taking place in a rogue state.

     There is immense potential for some truly great stories here.  Seriously, this is a case where I really want to see a Black Widow film with a high caliber take on the spy genre.  It's the same principle as when I wanted a Martin Scorsese movie featuring the Punisher.  It should be something handled by a creative team that would focus on perfecting the writing and directing above the cheap action thrills (that's not saying no action, just that it should be substance over spectacle).  Think of films like James Cameron's True Lies, Christopher McQuarrie's Mission Impossible or Jack Reacher, Doug Limon's The Bourne Identity or Edge of Tomorrow, or even the extremely underrated Guy Ritchie update of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  

     In a long Q&A with Deadline, Marvel Studios' president Kevin Feige briefly discussed the possibility of this eventually happening.  They've currently got 9 more films lined up through the end of 2019, and 3 more currently untitled films planned in 2020, so there's definitely an opportunity for her to potentially get a film.

DEADLINE: You’ve got a bunch of characters in this movie from Falcon and War Machine and Black Widow and Hawkeye, who have so far guest starred in movies with another characters title above the fold. Is there one destined to get a solo movie down the line? 

FEIGE: Of the characters that you’ve just mentioned I would say certainly the one creatively and emotionally that we are most committing to doing is Black Widow.

     With Doctor Strange hitting theaters less than a month from now, Marvel will be opening the door for the metaphysical genre in their film universe, so why not continue on the path that Captain America: The Winter Soldier set and allow Black Widow to pave the way for a full-on spy film.  Scarlett Johansson is a tremendous actress, so give her something worthwhile to actually work with.  Marvel has a monstrous opportunity here to break into a genre that hasn't been done with superhero films- a true spy thriller.

     Source [ Variety ]

Netflix's IRON FIST: Trailer & Thoughts

     A week after Danny Rand's bromance partner hit Netflix (Luke Cage), the trailer for Marvel's Iron Fist has arrived.  It's got quite a few nods for fans of both the comics and the Netflix-Marvel universe.

K'un-Lun saved him. 

Lei Kung trained him. 

And now, Danny Rand is back to fight for what's his. 

     Netflix's Marvel shows are great, but I really hope they don't over-saturate the televised superhero show market.  To be fair, the Netflix series' are far better than anything else comic book related on TV.  We already have Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage and they were all tremendous- culminating in a Defenders series coming next year, as well as adding a Punisher solo series.  We might be needing a break soon.

     Well, despite what I said above, I am still looking forward to this show.  We are now getting powers with true special effects, and they look pretty damn good.  And I seriously can't wait to see the blossoming of the Luke Cage and Danny Rand partnership.  It could to be as be as magical as Turk and J.D. from Scrubs or Shawn and Gus from Psych.

     Iron Fist premieres 17 March, 2017