Pentagon Needs to Invest More in Laser Weaponry, Study Says
The US Department of Defense (DOD) must refocus its current scattergun development of laser weapons if the technology is to live up to the hype as revolutionary military tool, according to a report published this week by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think-tank.
“Ultimately, for DE weapons to become serious offset candidates — those technologies that enable U.S. forces to maintain battlefield superiority against any adversary — DOD must become serious about their development,” lead author Jason D. Ellis of “Directed-Energy Weapons: Promises and Prospects" writes. “Their prospective payoff in mission-critical areas warrants focused and sustained senior leader attention.”
Disney Planning Live-Action Pinnochio
A live-action film based on the classic story of Pinnochio is currently in the works at Disney.
According to a report from Deadline, famed screenwriter Peter Hedges is attached to the film, which will serve as a loose take on the beloved fairy tale centered around a wooden marionette who wishes to become a real boy.
Very little is currently known about the project, aside from the fact that it's clearly in the very early stages of production. Considering the recent success of the live-action adaptation of Disney's Cinderella, a new movie about the iconic wooden boy and his maker seems like a no brainer.
Warner Bros. Announces LEGO Dimensions
Update: Pricing info has also been revealed for LEGO Dimensions.
The Starter Pack will retail for £89.99 ($99.99) on last-gen and £99.99 ($99.99) on current-gen. Level and Team Packs both cost £29.99 ($24.99) each, while Fun Packs cost £14.99 ($14.99).
Original story follows.
Original Story: Warner Bros. and TT Games have officially announced LEGO Dimensions for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Wii U.
The game is reported to blend together several universes, namely, DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, The LEGO Movie, The Wizard of Oz, LEGO Ninjago, Back to the Future, and others. You can see the full range of start packs and expansions in the gallery below:
Check Out This New Trailer for Conker’s Big Reunion
A new trailer for Conker's Big Reunion, starring Rare's deceptively cute platforming rodent, has been released by Microsoft.
For those who don't already know, Conker's Big Reunion is an episodic adventure series crafted entirely within the confines of the game-like creation tool Project Spark, which is currently available to Xbox One and PC owners.
Those who already own a copy of Project Spark will be able to download Conker's Big Reunion on April 23 for $5 USD. Microsoft is also releasing a Conker Creation Pack for $10 USD that will allow you to create your own levels using the Conker theme (UK/EU/AU prices to be confirmed).
Mario Kart 8’s 200cc Mode is Really, Really Fast
Nintendo has released a trailer for Mario Kart 8’s 200cc mode, and it’s blindingly fast.
The trailer showcases both 150cc and 200cc alongside one another on Piranha Plant Pipeway. Having watched the video, the difference between the two is like racing a jeep against a Ferrari.
Nintendo revealed the 200cc mode – a first for the Mario Kart series – in April’s Nintendo Direct. The free update is due for release on April 23, the same day Mario Kart 8 gets its second DLC pack, which includes playable versions of the Villager (both male and female) and Isabelle from Animal Crossing, along with Dry Bowser. On top of that, there’s also eight new courses courtesy of the Crossing and Bell cups.
ESA Says Preserving Old Games is Illegal Because it’s ‘Hacking’
The Entertainment Software Association wants to prevent the preservation of old games because it believes the process of restoring them is illegal 'hacking'.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s anti-circumvention provisions (Section 1201) prevents users, including communities, museums, archives and researchers, to legally modify games to keep them playable after publishers shut down the servers.
EFF staff attorney Mitch Stoltz says Section 1201 presents serious issues for academics, museums like Oakland, California’s Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment and non-profit organisation the Internet Archive.
Killing Floor 2 Price and Early Access Details
Tripwire Interactive's upcoming co-op sci-fi horror FPS game, Killing Floor 2, will be made available for Steam Early Access on April 21 for $30 (US), ₤20 (UK) and €27 (EU).
Early Access Steam players will be able to immerse themselves into a fully functional and highly polished subset of the game, including:
- 3 non-linear levels
- 4 perk classes
- 27 weapons
- 11 Zeds
- 7 playable characters, including a female character
- 1 boss character (not the Patriarch)
Keanu Reeves Says Bill & Ted 3 is Closer Than Ever
We’re closer than ever to Bill & Ted 3 becoming a reality says star Keanu Reeves, but then again he’s told us that before. Just six months ago in fact, when we asked him what was happening with the long-gestating sequel.
“We’re closer, but no closer” he explained back in October. “It’s really amazing how that can work. We’re like closer to the dough, but not closer. We’re closer to the script but we’re not closer. We’re closer, but we’re not closer. But we’re still trying to get close to be… there.”
Which was kind of vague. And last week, when meeting with the star to discuss his new film John Wick, talk again turned to the comedy sequel…
“We’re a little closer. We’re a little closer” he explained, triggering a severe sense of deja vu. “There’s now talk of contracts and maybe paying the writers to go and write. There might be some support for making the picture.”
Comic Book Reviews for April 8, 2015
Marvel has been widely promoting the death of Deadpool in this week's Deadpool #45/#250, and now the issue has finally come. Speaking of ends, Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man has come to an end, but don't worry, we've already seen him in the Secret Wars promos.
DC's big Convergence event gets its proper start this week. Almost their entire line has gone on hiatus for two months, replaced by 40 two-issue mini-series. We reviewed a bunch of those, along with the video game tie-in comics Mortal Kombat X and Batman: Arkham Knight.
On the indie front, we got more Saga, which is always good news, plus Mark Millar and Frank Quitely's followup to Jupiter's Legacy (now in production to be a movie) called Jupiter's Circle.
Jurassic World’s Tamed Raptors Explained
Taming raptors is a simple case of mutual respect.
At least, that's what an MTV clip from Jurassic World would have us believe.
According to Chris Pratt's Jurassic World character Owen Grady, he isn't actually controlling the Jurassic universe's scariest breed of dinosaur. "I don't control the raptors, it's a relationship based on mutual respect," he says in the clip, which you can view on MTV here.
You may recall the divisive trained raptor plot device was hinted at in the original Jurassic World teaser and showcased in the Superbowl trailer (below).