PlayStation 4 Finally Getting Promised Suspend/Resume Feature Tomorrow

From GameInformer.com

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Sony has announced that PlayStation 4 firmware update 2.5 (codenamed “Yukimura”), will arrive tomorrow, March 26. The update includes a number of anticipated features, chief among them the long awaited “suspend/resume.”

Suspend/resume allows players to pick up exactly where they stopped in most PlayStation 4 games when waking the system from rest mode. The update also allows players to back up their entire hard drive to a USB-connected external storage device.

New social features are also included in the 2.5 update. You’ll be able to search for friends using their Facebook profiles, join friends from the “What’s New” section, and share automatically captured screenshots taken when you earn trophies.

Yukimura also includes accessibility options for those with visual impairments or limited dexterity. Controller functions can now be remapped, text-to-speech and larger text are available for the interface and messaging.

Those that use Share Play or Vita remote play will notice an improvement, as games that support 60 frames-per-second will now be streamed as such. Finally, Dailymotion users can now upload clips to that service.

The Vita and the PlayStation smartphone app will also be getting upgrades. Those will roll out tomorrow, also.

 

For this and more check out GameInformer.com 


X-Files Returning to Fox for 6 Episodes

From ew.com

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The truth is right here, and it’s amazing: After 13 years off the air, The X-Files is officially returning to Fox as a limited series. 

Stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are back on board, along with creator Chris Carter. 

“I think of it as a 13-year commercial break,” Carter said. “The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories.”

The only part of this huge news you might not like: There are only six episodes planned. 

“We had the privilege of working with Chris on all nine seasons of The X-Files – one of the most rewarding creative experiences of our careers – and we couldn’t be more excited to explore that incredible world with him again,” said Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group. “The X-Files was not only a seminal show for both the studio and the network, it was a worldwide phenomenon that shaped pop culture – yet remained a true gem for the legions of fans who embraced it from the beginning. Few shows on television have drawn such dedicated fans as The X-Files, and we’re ecstatic to give them the next thrilling chapter of Mulder and Scully they’ve been waiting for.”

The sci-fi procedural classic first premiered in 1993. It became one of Fox’s first major breakout hits and a pop-culture sensation that went on to last nine seasons and spawn two feature films. The show also earned 16 Emmys and helped pave the way for other prime-time sci-fi shows like ABC’s Lost and Fox’s Fringe. Once again, the series will follow FBI special agents Scully (Anderson) and Mulder (Duchovny) as they investigate unexplained cases. 

Carter’s “six stories” comment seems to suggest the series will embrace the show’s original format of focusing on stand-alone mysteries rather than delving into the serialized alien conspiracy mythology that dominated some of the show’s episodes and its first feature film (at least, that’s what I want to believe). 

The move follows Fox reviving another one of its hits, 24, for a shortened run last year. The X-Files deal has been in the works since at least January when executives told reporters at the network’s press tour presentation that they were trying to revive the show.

The X-Files will start production this summer. There’s no premiere date yet, and no word if other cast members from the original series will return. 

Batmobile Evolution

Post originally found at ComicBookResources.com 

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After 75 years of omnipresence, one can make a very strong case that the Batmobile is the most iconic automobile in all of pop culture history. Since Batman's debut back in 1939's "Detective Comics" #27, the caped crusader has always relied on a car -- usually a stylish, feature-loaded one -- to get him from his cave to crime scenes. As a crucial part of the Bat-mythos, the Batmobile -- dubbed such in 1941's "Detective Comics" #48 -- has appeared in everything from comics and cartoons to films and video games. Wherever you see Batman, odds are the Batmobile is parked just a few blocks away. 

Zack Snyder Shares Partial Look at New Batmobile

With the Batmobile poised to make it's eighth big-screen appearance in 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," former CBR editor Steve Sunu set about researching the most intimidating car on DC Comics' streets. Did you know that the original Batmobile was red? Or that the "Batman '66" version had an "emergency bat-turn parachute"? Or that you could buy almost three "Dark Knight" tumblers for the cost one one Lamborghini Veneno Roadster? Graphic artist and COMICS SHOULD BE GOOD contributor Sonia Harris brought all these facts together in the three infographics below, designed to get you up to speed on the fiction's most notable car.

Peruse CBR's three Batmobile infographics and broaden your knowledge of comics' most famous car -- and feel free to share and discusses these infographics on social media with #CBRBatmobile!

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GAL GADOT TALKS WONDER WOMAN AUDITION AND ADRESSESS BODY CRITICISM

From IGN.com

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Gal Gadot has been talking about landing the role of Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, revealing that the music of Beyonce helped her through the audition, and stating that criticism of her appearance hasn’t really bothered her.

Speaking to Israeli website Ynet (which we were alerted to via a translation on Batman-News.com) Gadot explained that she was incredibly nervous before her first audition opposite Ben Affleck:

“When I got there they put me in a trailer and after all the hair and makeup I had to wait a few hours. Waiting is auditioner's biggest enemy. I called [my husband] Yaron and told him I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t calm down. He told me ‘Gal, put on Beyonce. Move around. Don’t sit there frozen.’ I put on Diva and started dancing. Just when the song ended, I was all flushed, there was knock on the door calling me in.”

As for claims that she doesn't have the right build for the role, Gadot said “When I was younger I could take criticism really hard. But now it mostly amuses me. The true Amazons had one boob so it won’t bother them in their archery. So it’s not going to be like real Amazons. We always try to make everyone happy but we can’t.”

As for the film’s take on the character, Gadot revealed “She has unbelievable endurance. She is exceptionally strong. She can jump really high and practically fly. She knows tons of martial arts styles. She is a strong and serious woman.”

For more of that Ynet translation head to the Batman-News, while Dawn of Justice hits in 2016 and a standalone Wonder Woman will be released in 2017.

For this and more check out IGN.com

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 to Film in NYC, Buffalo

From NYDailyNews.com

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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are coming to New York — and they’re bringing some serious green with them.

The action flick sequel, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2,” will begin filming next month in New York City and Buffalo, which officials estimate will result in $70 million in spending.

The bulk of that money — $63 million — will be spent in the Big Apple, according to Paramount.

New York City knows how to host blockbuster films," said Mayor de Blasio.

“We welcome ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2’ to New York City, and look forward to the many jobs and tens of millions of jobs this will bring to our local economy.”

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The details of where the shoots will take place and what stars are featured are being kept under wraps.

“We can only imagine what the filmmakers have in store,” said Cynthia Lopez, commissioner of the mayor's office of media and entertainment.

The movie will be in theaters in June 2016.

HALO 5: GUARDIANS TEASER TRAILER LEAKS, GETS PULLED

From IGN.com

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Update: And just like that, the video is now on the teaser tumblr page. We'll reach out to Microsoft to see if we can find out what happened. In the meantime, here it is:

 

Some very alert folks on Reddit spotted a teaser video for Halo 5: Guardians on YouTube, which was quickly yanked by Microsoft.

Trailer spoiler follows:

The video shows a bullet getting shot out of a gun. The video follows the bullet as it crashes into Master Chief's helmet, shattering it. The video ends with the Halo 5: Guardians logo and the hashtag #HuntTheTruth.

Yesterday we reported there's a Halo 5 teaser site counting down to 6 pm PT Sunday/1 am GMT Monday/11 am AET Monday. Interestingly, the bullet image on the teaser site is similar to the bullet from the teaser video. Whether it's all connected, we'll find in less than two days.

In other Halo 5 news, we reported this morning that Halo 5 will have dedicated multiplayer servers.

 

For this and more check out IGN.com

This Week on Netflix: Total Recall

​When a man goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real, or does he? -IMDb

Browsing through Netflix this weekend between my episodes of Dr. Who we decided to watch us some old school Total Recall. Arnold plays Douglas Quaid your everyday average guy, well until you see his wife played by Sharon Stone. But like I said other than that he is an average guy working 9 to 5 but he struggles with nightmares of Mars.​

Total Recall is set in the future and a booming industry is called Recall is where you can implant custom memories. Why pay for a vacation when you can just by the memories off that vacation at a fraction of the cost? Not only can you buy these implanted memories but you can enhance these memories by adding different features such as your identity or the woman you're with in those memories. Quaid decides he wants to get his own memory of Mars where he is a Secret Agent.​

Follow Quaid on his custom Recall or real life adventures both on Earth and on Mars. Where you find some very interesting characters, one of which I like to call "Trits" you'll know when you see her!​ The movie does a good job at hiding what is real life and what are Recall memories. Definitely worth the watch and in my opinion much better than the remake in 2012 so go check it out!

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Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

 

WHAT IF THE AVENGERS HAD BEEN MADE IN 1985...

From IGN.com

BY: CHRIS TILLY

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How earth's mightiest heroes could have looked 30 years ago.

On the eve of Avengers: Age of Ultron hitting screens, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and the like playing earth’s mightiest heroes.

But what if the team had been assembled in 1985? Who would Marvel choose and what would they look like? We thought it would be fun to speculate a bit, so the following are our choices, with the ‘85 age listed next to each name for a bit of context. And obviously there are no right answers here, so when you’ve had a read, let us know your casting suggestions in the comments below…

Iron Man – Burt Reynolds (49)

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Burt Reynolds was one of the biggest stars on the planet back in 1985, thanks to the success of the Smoky and Cannonball Run movies. And while they had fair jokes and good stunts, much of the popularity was down to Reynolds' charm and charisma, which could be put to good use as Tony Stark. But the guy could also do tough, as the likes of Deliverance and Sharky’s Machine prove, so he could handle himself as Tony is so frequently forced to. As for the look, that iconic moustache would need to be trimmed and the rest of his facial hair developed, but make those tweaks and you’re looking at Iron Man ’85.

The Hulk – Mel Gibson (29) & Arnold Schwarzenegger (38)

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The Hulk is a character that’s fuelled by aggression and rage, and in 1985 Mel Gibson had already played a character filled with aggression and rage (Mad Max) and was about to play a character tormented by those same emotions (Martin Riggs). For that reason – as well as the fact that he’s a pretty great actor – Gibson is our Bruce Banner. But in those pre-CGI, post-Lou Ferrigno days, we’d need a giant to green-up to play the Green Goliath, and for that role we’re looking no further than Austrian Oak Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Thor – Dolph Lundgren (28)

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Back in 1985 Dolph Lundgren was making his silver screen debut as a muscle-bound bodyguard in A View to a Kill and a Russian boxer in Rocky IV, so he was hardly a household name. But look at any photos from the time and you realise that he basically was Thor, just without the flowing locks. And while he might not have been the greatest He-Man in 1987’s Masters of the Universe, his Swedish accent make him a much better fit for the Norse God a couple of years before.

Captain America – Patrick Swayze (33)

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This is a tough role to cast. Especially as Chris Evans has absolutely nailed it across The Avengers and a pair of stand-alone Cap movies. Kevin Costner would have been a good shout, but back in the mid-1980s he was best known as the dead corpse cut out of The Big Chill. And both Kurt Russell and Dennis Quaid scream square-jawed all-American hero. But we’re going for Patrick Swayze, who played a brave patriot in Red Dawn, and became the youth of America’s stoic big brother in The Outsiders. Strong, handsome, athletic and tough, he looked good as a blond in Point Break, and spent the bulk of his career playing likeable heroes, so it’s easy to imagine him as the ultimate good guy.

Hawkeye – Tom Cruise (23)

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Tom Cruise would have made an amazing Tony Stark in the late 1990s when he was linked with the role. In 1985 he was just 23-years-old however, making him a little young to play the billionaire industrialist. But the cocksure kid from Risky Business and All the Right Moves would have made a fantastic Hawkeye. The Cruise of the time was all intensity and steely-eyed determination, plus you just know he’d be a crack shot with that bow-and-arrow.

Black Widow – Michelle Pfeiffer (27)

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Coming off the back of Scarface and about to start work on Into the Night, Michelle Pfeiffer was the dangerous dame du jour back in 1985, making her a great choice to capture Natasha Romanoff’s dark side. But it’s her later work as Catwoman in Batman Returns that convinces us she'd make a great Black Widow, with Pfeiffer effortlessly combining athleticism and sexuality to leave you in little doubt that she’s the most dangerous woman on the planet.

Nick Fury – Clint Eastwood (55)

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In 2008, when he made his debut as Nick Fury in the MCU, Samuel L. Jackson was 60-years-old and having played gangsters, a Jedi and all manner of tough guys, was pretty much the baddest man on the planet. Back in 1985, having embodied both ‘The Man With No Name’ and Dirty Harry on the big screen, Clint Eastwood was just as tough. Give him an eye-patch and the then 55-years-old basically is Nick Fury, though his iteration might also wear a cowboy hat. Because he’s Clint.

Agent Coulson – Bill Murray (35)

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Thanks to the colossal success of Ghosbusters, Bill Murray was the box office king heading into 1985. Combine that with his understated comedy genius and he’d be an impeccable choice for the deadpan Phil Coulson. And while up-to-that point he’d rarely dipped his toe in dramatic waters, Murray’s modern-day output proves that he’s equally as skilled with the dramatic stuff, enabling him to bring much needed pathos to a role that turns tragic in the team-up flick.

Spider-Man – Michael J. Fox (24)

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Yes we know Spidey isn’t in Avengers or Age of Ultron, but with the character joining the MCU for Captain America: Civil War, we thought we’d cast the role anyway. And though he was busy shooting Family Ties during the day and Back to the Future at night in early ‘85, Marvel would have to find some kind of window is his schedule as Michael J. Fox is our wall-crawler. He’d have to scale back the cool of Marty McFly a little, but the baby-faced star was a dab hand at playing plucky young upstarts you could really root for in the 1980s, and upstarts don't come any pluckier than Peter Parker!

Those are our suggestions, but what are yours? Feel free to speculate wildly in the comments below…

 

For this and more check out IGN.com

Insurgent: From the Divergent Series

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Insurgent, from the Divergent Series, headlines this weeks movie releases. Warrenton 8 Cinema did an early release last night for those wanting to be the first to see the 2nd installment from the Divergent series.

Brief Overview:

Picking up from the first movie you find Four, Tris, Peter and Caleb on the run from Jeanine. During their hiding and eventual return to the city, Tris and Four fight both physical and emotional battles along the way. Peter describes Tris to a T when he says "You can take the girl out of Abnegation but you can't take the Abnegation out of the girl." Tris puts herself in situations throughout the movie that other members of different factions would not have done to try and protect those around her. Jeanine, not only wanting to find Tris and Four she is out once again to locate and bring in all Divergent's because they hold the key to opening a box that the Founders left behind with an important message. What is in the box?

To find out what message the box holds go check out Insurgent in a theater near you.

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Check out Warrenton 8 Cinema on facebook, give them a like to be entered for you chance to win 2 free tickets and $25 in free concessions!

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Thanks again to TJ, Stacey and the entire Staff at Warrenton 8 Cinema

 

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

TELLTALE TEASES DRAGONS FOR GAME OF THRONES EPISODE 3

From IGN.com

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TELLTALE TEASES DRAGONS FOR GAME OF THRONES EPISODE 3

Oh, Drogon then!

BY: LUKE KARMALI

MARCH 18, 2015

Telltale Games has released the first teaser image for Game of Thrones: Episode 3 - The Sword in the Darkness.

 

The image, which was tweeted by the company earlier today, shows a black dragon resplendently belching flames, which seems to suggest we could be seeing Drogon in the next episode of the series.

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As for the title, "The Sword in the Darkness", this is part of the famous vow uttered by all members of the Night's Watch when they're ready to take the black, perhaps revealing where our attentions may be focused in the next chapter.

Episode two of Telltale's take on the Game of Thrones universe came out February 3. In IGN's review of Telltale's Game of Thrones, we said it introduced new characters but failed to move the Forrester's story in meaningful ways.

Star Clipper Returns With Downtown Location

From riverfronttimes.com

"Oh my God, it looks just like Star Clipper!"

Ben Trujillo was visiting 1319 Washington Avenue, where two long-time friends wanted to open a new comics shop, when he first noticed the similarity to his own store.

Trujillo and his wife, A.J., had just decided to close their venerated Delmar Loop comics shop Star Clipper, ending its nearly three-decade reign after years of struggling to recuperate revenue lost after the economic collapse of 2008.

See also: Why Star Clipper's Owners Shuttered Their Beloved St. Louis Comic Book Shop

Hoping to fill the void left by Star Clipper's closure, Steve Unverferth and Tony Favello, co-owners of Fantasy Books, Inc., purchased the store's fixtures for their Wash. Ave. store and even hired four of the Trujillos' former employees. Unverferth and Favello didn't have a name for their shop yet, but it was easy for Trujillo to see how this new store -- a long, narrow space with hardwood floors that had formerly housed an art gallery and a dojo -- could channel the spirit of its popular predecessor.

"I was like, 'Wow, this really does look like Star Clipper,'" Trujillo remembers.

Until then, Trujillo hadn't seriously considered selling Star Clipper's name or branding along with its bookshelves and inventory.

"Our feeling was that we wanted to take it with us," Trujillo says. "We had built it up into what it was, and we didn't feel like there was anyone who could really pick up the reins."

But as any comic fan knows, the hero never really dies. As the Washington Avenue store took shape and as St. Louisans floundered over the loss of their favorite comic-book store, the Trujillos agreed on February 21 to keep Star Clipper alive by selling to Unverferth and Favello.

"We decided that St. Louis needed to have Star Clipper, and these are the guys who could do it," Trujillo says. "When you see the space, you'll understand. They're going to put their own spin on it, but I think they understand what made Star Clipper special, and they're committed to keeping it that way."

The resurrected Star Clipper Comics, Games and Collectibles, now owned by Fantasy Books Inc., will open in early April at 1319 Washington Avenue, with a grand opening scheduled for a couple of weeks later. That gives the store plenty of time to prepare for May 2, which is Free Comic Book Day.

Unverferth hopes that by reviving the Star Clipper name he's also resurrecting its role among comic fans and pop-culture enthusiasts as a hub for creativity and community, supported by a knowledgeable and welcoming staff.

"We want to keep that going," Unverferth says. The store will continue the artists signings, Comics University series and other special events it's known for, and even has two rooms where customers can play multiplayer games, such as Magic: The Gathering or Settlers of Catan, without interruption.

"We are providing a safe environment for people to do the things they love to do," Unverferth says.

Unverferth and co-owner Favello have been in the comics game since 2004, when they bought Fantasy Books Belleville, a store Unverferth had worked in part-time since 1996. The business partners bought two more comics and gaming stores in the Metro East: Fantasy Books and Games in Fairview Heights and Heroic Adventures in Edwardsville, before deciding to bring their comics empire across the river, locating on Washington Avenue across the street from a lighted parking lot on a block surrounded by trendy restaurants, a dog park and the incomparable City Museum.

"We are the little brother nobody talks about," says Unverferth. "Star Clipper, everybody talks about. We try to do the same thing over on the Illinois side. So we decided we just had to buy big brother."

So if Star Clipper is coming back, why did it have to die in the first place?

Star Clipper has been dropping a few hints at its superhero-style rebirth online:

Post by Star Clipper.

Trujillo admits the timing of Star Clipper's rebirth may seem cliche to comic book fans wary of Superman-style resurrection tropes, a marketing ploy to drive readership to the superhero's "last" issue. Indeed, in a January 21 cover story, the Riverfront Times wrote that for Star Clipper, "there is no miraculous regeneration in the near future, no alternate dimension from whence the shop will emerge stronger than ever just in time to celebrate another Free Comic Book Day."

Turns out, there is an alternate dimension for Star Clipper to emerge victorious for Free Comic Book Day, and that dimension is Washington Avenue.

"We never meant to fool anyone," says Trujillio, adding that he decided a month after thatRFT feature story to sell the name. "It was a very natural evolutionary progress."

Unverferth adds: "Our feeling was, it still could be very meaningful to bring it back."

Meaningful, indeed -- especially to the Star Clipper supporters who crowded the store in its "final" two months to mourn their loss. Trujillo said the outpouring of grief from customers took him totally by surprise.

"I expected there to be some outpouring, but the degree and level and volume, they really exceeded any expectations I had," Trujillo says. "I know all the metrics about the store. I know all the regular customers we have, I know how many people are in our database and how many people shop with us multiple times a year. But how attached such a huge proportion of those people were to the store was a surprise. You can run the numbers, but their emotional attachment to the store was more difficult to judge."

Before the deal to sell Star Clipper was inked, Unverferth says he and co-owner Favello were having a hard time picking a name for their store.

"We had a whole long list of names," Unverferth says, listing St. Louis Comics and Washington Avenue Comics as two potential options. "Nothing was exciting. Nothing was really fitting in."

For awhile, Unverferth considered calling the store Arch Nemesis, a name Trujillo disliked.

"One of the things that Star Clipper was and being in a location like where you're going to be on Washington Avenue, you have to be open to the casual person just waiting down the street," Trujillo says. "And if you're called Arch Nemesis, they're not going to know. I mean, Star Clipper? They're not going to know either. They might think it's a hair salon. But Arch Nemesis, I think, comes across as too weird and nerdy."

In true superhero fashion, Unverferth says, Trujillo sold them the name Star Clipper in the nick of time. "He was saving us," Unverferth says.

Again, for this and more go to riverfronttimes.com