Monthly Archives: February 2019
Nintendo Direct Predictions: Pokemon Gen 8, Starters, and Region Reveal
We’re finally getting a Pokemon Direct for the first time in more than a year on February 27 at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. GMT and February 28 at 1 a.m. AEDT (sorry Australia.) While we don’t know for sure that it will focus on the core RPG Pokemon title for Nintendo Switch, why else have a Pokemon Direct if Nintendo isn’t going to discuss the incredibly highly anticipated Generation 8? Yeah, we’re rolling with that. Here’s what we expect (and hope for) from tomorrow’s Pokemon Direct.
If we can rely on any single detail being revealed in the February 2019 Pokemon Direct, it’s the name of the Generation 8 Pokemon Nintendo Switch games.We first heard about the Gen 8 Pokemon games back at E3 2017, and we learned in May 2018 they would be arriving worldwide in Fall 2019. It’s about time we learned, at the very least, the name and logo of the new games releasing this year. We got at least that much from the 2016 Pokemon Direct for Pokemon Sun and Moon.
What Roma’s Oscar Wins Mean for Netflix’s Future
Netflix didn’t win Best Picture for Roma as had been widely predicted, but that doesn’t mean the streaming giant’s Oscar dreams are at an end; it’s only getting started. Roma won four Academy Awards Sunday night, including Best Director and Foreign Film. The reason why Roma ultimately came up short for the Academy’s top honor remains a matter of debate, but what is indisputable is that between its Oscar wins this year and recent admission into the MPAA, Netflix is now a fully fledged member of the Hollywood elite. And it’s here to stay.
The streaming platform may have first made waves in the TV realm by creating its own acclaimed original series, but Netflix has long craved the respect (and, yes, the awards glory) shown to Hollywood film studios. Given the sheer volume of movie content on its platform, the relentlessness of its announcements of new titles, and the overall lackluster quality of many of the original films they’ve so far released, Oscar gold certainly goes a long way to dispel the notion that Netflix is just a dumping ground for films that couldn’t cut it theatrically.
Games Made By Black Developers You Should Look Out For
Over the last decade, the video game industry has seen a rise in prominent indie games on platforms like Steam and Xbox Live Arcade. It signaled to developers everywhere that ideas could be created by nearly anyone wanting to make them. Black developers have taken advantage of this as well, home-brewing games that feature their own takes on various genres. African Americans may only make up only 2.5 percent of all video game developers, but that doesn’t mean they’re not putting time and effort towards building their own development studios.
In celebration of Black History Month, we look at games created by Black developers that are out now (or soon) that you definitely want to keep on your radar.
New X-Men: Dark Phoenix Poster Revealed
A new poster for the upcoming X-Men film, Dark Phoenix, has been revealed along with information on when we’ll be seeing the next trailer.
Revealed on Twitter, the poster came with the brief caption "The new #DarkPhoenix poster has arrived. Trailer tomorrow night!"
Credit: Marvel, 20th Century Fox.
The poster centers on Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix and features several other X-Men characters, including Professor X, Magneto, Beast, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Quicksilver and more. It (mostly) cuts the typically good and evil characters down the middle, with Phoenix depicted as divided between the two.
Update: THQ Nordic Apologises Again for Controversial 8Chan AMA
Update 03/04/2019: THQ Nordic AB, the parent company of THQ Nordic GmbH, has now offered its apologies following last week's 8Chan AMA debacle.
Per GamesIndustry, company co-founder and CEO Lars Wingefors has written an open letter to employees, partners and consumers, apologising for the decision and explaining that an internal investigation has been taking place.
It's unclear from the letter if those involved have faced consequences. Here's Wingefors' apology in full:
"This letter is to offer my sincerest apologies and regret for THQ Nordic GmbH Vienna's interaction with the controversial website 8chan last Tuesday, February 26. I condemn all unethical content this website stands for. Even if no one within the THQ Nordic Group would ever endorse such content, I realize simply appearing there gave an implicit impression that we did.
Detective Pikachu Trailer: Mewtwo Explained and 40+ Hidden Pokemon
The second trailer for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu offers a much better idea of the plot and features the live-action debut of the OG Legendary, Mewtwo. We’re going to break down the new information we learned and see how the powerful Psychic-type fits into all of this.
Here's the new trailer if you want to give it a look:
Pikachu tells Tim Goodman that he woke up with amnesia and the only clue he had was the tag in his cap saying it belongs to Tim’s father, Detective Harry Goodman. It looks like an attempt was made on Harry’s life, perhaps because he was investigating the case of the missing Pokemon we see posters for and discovered it was linked to a larger conspiracy. So now it’s up to Tim and Pikachu to get to the bottom of it, with some help from their young reporter friend Lucy and her Psyduck.
45 of the Very Best Images From Detective Pikachu Trailer 2 (Slideshow)
Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Cast as Jordan Peele’s New Candyman
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, known for his recent work as Black Manta in Aquaman, has reportedly been cast as the titular Candyman in the upcoming film produced by Jordan Peele.
Reported by Variety, Abdul-Mateen is in talks to star in this successor to the 1992 original. Abdul-Mateen has recently worked with Peele on his upcoming film Us, and will also appear in the upcoming Watchmen series on HBO. The Candyman was originally portrayed by Tony Todd
Previous reports revealed that Nia DaCosta would be directing the film, and that it would serve as a spiritual sequel to the original, also taking place in the Chicago Cabrini-Green housing project following a period of gentrification. The film is being made by MGM and Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
These Apple Watch and iPad Deals Match Black Friday Prices
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Anyone in the market for a new smart watch or tablet will want to take a look at these deals. Amazon has the latest version of the Apple iPad on sale for $249.99, matching its Black Friday price last year. Also at Amazon, the Apple Watch Series 3 is marked down to $219.99, which isn't far off the $199.99 BF deal. These are discounts you might not see beaten until Black Friday this year, so grab them if you want them.
Talisman: Kingdom Hearts Board Game on the Way for 2019
Talisman, the popular adventure-themed tabletop game from Games Workshop, will be getting an official Kingdom Hearts edition in 2019.
Announced by board game makers The OP, Talisman: Kingdom Hearts Edition is a licensed version of the classic game, and “...reveals Sora, Kairi, Riku, King Mickey, Goofy and other comrades as figures at the helm of an exciting and different way to play the tabletop classic.”
Classic Tabletop Adventure Meets Disney Royalty in Talisman: Kingdom Hearts Edition. #TheOP25 #KingdomHearts https://t.co/StYDqnZkJO pic.twitter.com/3mZI5zQSvE