Derek Kraneveldt | Geekscape

‘Star Wars Rebels’ Gets A Premiere Date!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 19, 2014

Briefly: The rebels are coming.

Disney has just announced the anticipated premiere date for their phenomenal-looking new series Star Wars Rebels.

The series will begin with a one-hour movie titled Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion, which will be available to DisneyXD members on September 29th, while us regular folk will have to wait until its television premiere on Friday, October 3rd at 9 Eastern.

The series itself will begin to air just ten days later on October 13th. The story unfolds during a dark time when the evil Galactic Empire is tightening its grip of power on the galaxy. Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet and are ruining the lives of its people. The motley but clever crew of the starship Ghost – cowboy Jedi Kanan, ace pilot Hera, street-smart teenager Ezra, the “muscle” Zeb, warrior firebrand Sabine, and cantankerous old astromech droid Chopper – is among a select few who are brave enough to stand against the Empire. Together, they will face threatening new villains, encounter colorful adversaries, embark on thrilling adventures and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.

As Disney states: “The television movie garnered rave reviews at last month’s San Diego Comic-Con fan event for its story (set between the events of Star Wars Episodes III and IV) and its look – akin to the classic Star Wars trilogy. The series designs are influenced by the work of original Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie.”

Take a look at the first seven minutes of Star Wars Rebels below, and let us know if you’ll be tuning in!

Adrianne Palicki Joins ‘Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ As Mockingbird!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 19, 2014

Briefly: Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. just found its latest guest star in comic-book lover and Friday Night Lights star Adrianne Palicki.

The actress will appear in the fifth episode of the show’s second season, with the possibility of further appearances down the road. She’ll portray Bobby Morse / Mockingbird. Need a refresher? Here’s the characters origin via ComicVine:

Barbara Morse graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Ph.D. in biology and passed her Civil Service examination so she could work with her biology professor, Dr. Wilma Calvin, on the government-sponsored project to rediscover the Super-Soldier formula that created Captain America. While in the government’s employ, Morse’s exemplary record came to the attention of SHIELD and she was invited to undertake training in her spare time. A champion gymnast in high school, Morse excelled at both the physical regimen and arts of espionage taught to all field agents. When Dr. Theodore Sallis, a maverick scientist also working on the Super-Soldier project, disappeared, Morse was given her first field assignment: to accompany SHIELD agent Paul Allen, suspected of being a traitor, to the Antarctic paradise known as the Savage Land in order to enlist the services of the hero Ka-Zar to find Sallis. Allen and Morse succeeded in contacting Ka-Zar and took him to the Florida Everglades. Although Sallis was never found (unbeknownst to them, he had been transformed into the Man-Thing), Ka-Zar and Morse flushed out a splinter group of the subversive organization AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) who were attempting to steal the Super-Soldier formula, and revealed Allen to be a member. SHIELD director Nick Fury assigned Morse as an escort to Ka-Zar during his stay in civilization, and the two managed to thwart yet another attempt by AIM to seize the Super-Soldier formula. Though Barbara Morse became romantically involved with Ka-Zar, she could not convince him to forsake the Savage Land. Preferring field work over biology, Morse was given another assignment: to trail the subversive El Tigre in South America. Coincidentally, this mission also took her to the Savage Land, where she renewed her acquaintance of Ka-Zar. Completing the assignment with the Jungle Lord’s aid, she returned to SHIELD.

I wasn’t a big fan of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. until its first season hit about the halfway point. After that, I was hooked, and I cannot wait to see what season two brings. Patton Oswald teased the character back at SDCC, which you can watch in the video below:

Are you looking forward to the new episodes? What do you hope to see? Sound out below!

Source: THR

Here’s You First Official Look At Paul Rudd in ‘Ant-Man’!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 19, 2014

Briefy: Following the casting additions and full synopsis released just yesterday, Marvel has debuted the first official still of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang in Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man.

The still certainly reveals little about the character (except that he wears an ugly hoodie), but it’s exciting to see the long-troubled film finally starting to come together.

You can take a look at the still below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Ant-Man hits theatres on July 17th!

Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

‘The Strain’ Has Been Renewed For A Second Season!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 19, 2014

Briefly: FX today renewed their popular horror-drama The Strain for a second season.

While it took a few episodes to get going, I’m thoroughly enjoying where the series is going at this point, and I’m ecstatic that its story won’t conclude when the first season does.

The 13-episode second season will debut next Summer. John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks said that “We’ve never had any doubts about ‘The Strain. Working with Guillermo del Toro, Carlton Cuse, and the brilliant cast led by Corey Stoll has been everything we had hoped it would be and more. It is thrilling when you have a show that is a creative and commercial hit, which is a rare accomplishment in this increasingly crowded marketplace. We look forward having it on FX for as long as Carlton, Guillermo and Chuck Hogan need to tell this epic tale.”

You can take a look at the extended trailer for the series below, and be sure to let you know what you’ve thought of The Strain so far!

http://youtu.be/PK1NDfEnpOM

‘District 9’s Sharlto Copley, Michelle Forbes Join Sony’s ‘Powers’

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 18, 2014

Briefly: Sony dedicated an exorbitant amount of time to the announcement of Powers at their E3 Press Conference, and the series has just its first stars.

District 9 and Elysium star Shallot Copley will portray series star Christian Walker in his television debut, a man who formerly held powers of his own but is now a detective of superpower-related crimes. The Killing‘s Michelle Forbes will play the super-powered Retro-Girl.

Deadline states that “Powers is set in a world full of people with superhuman abilities and where all of those powers are just another catalyst for mayhem and murder. It follows the lives of two homicide detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, who are assigned to protect humans like us and investigate cases involving people with superhuman abilities, referred to as Powers who glide through the sky on lightning bolts and fire and who clash above cities in epic battle, oblivious to the mortals below.”

I’m not overly familiar with the series myself, but it’s got a pretty stellar creative team coming together, so I’m definitely looking forward to checking it out.

Are you looking forward to Powers? Who else would you like to see in the series? Sound out below!

Source: THR

‘Destiny’s Latest Trailer Takes Us To Venus, Looks Incredible

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 18, 2014

Briefly: We’re now less than a month away from Destiny‘s anticipated launch (I’ve already taken the day off work), and today Bungie took us to Venus with the game’s newest trailer.

Bungie says that “Venus was once the site of a great discovery – a paradise. Now, it is a monument to all that we have lost.”

I was enthralled with the alpha, and had a blast with the beta for the day that I was able to play it (I had to leave for SDCC of course) and I cannot wait to get back inside this world. Take a look at the Venus trailer below (and the Mars trailer is embedded below if you missed it).

Will you become legend when Destiny hits on September 9th?

John Slattery Joins ‘Ant-Man’ As Howard Stark, Full Synopsis Revealed!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 18, 2014

Briefly: The long-troubled production of Ant-Man seems like it’s finally back on track, with Yes Man director Peyton Reed now at the helm, and a batch of new cast members joining the project.

The most notable casting addition is John Slattery, who will again play Howard Stark. Here’s who else you’ll be seeing:

The film also includes outstanding additional cast including Corey Stoll (“House of Cards,” “The Bourne Legacy”), Bobby Cannavale (“Danny Collins,” “Annie,” “HBO’s “The Long Play”), Michael Peña (“End of Watch,” “American Hustle”), Abby Ryder Fortson (“Togetherness”), Judy Greer (“13 Going on 30,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”), David Dastmalchian (“The Dark Knight,” “Prisoners”), Wood Harris (“Remember the Titans,” “The Wire”), John Slattery (“Mad Men,” Marvel’s “Iron Man 2”) and Gregg Turkington (“The Comedy,” “On Cinema”) and multi-hyphenate T.I. (“American Gangster,” “Takers”).

Marvel also debuted a new synopsis for the film, which you can read below.

Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

With all of the casting and director changes, are you still hopeful for the film? Ant-Man hits theatres on July 17th, 2015.

Source: Marvel

Odd City Entertainment Debuts Fantastic New ‘Sin City: A Dame To Kill For’ Screenprint!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 15, 2014

Briefly: This is gorgeous.

Odd City Entertainment and the Austin Film Society have debuted a fantastic screen print by Paul Shipper, and it’s definitely a piece that I’d love to add to my wall (I’ve already go the Odd City/James Fosdike Trick ‘r Treat piece hanging in front of me).

The piece has been created for the Sin City: A Dame to Kill For premiere event in Austin on Wednesday, August 20th. Here’s what artist Paul Shipper said about the piece:

“When I was asked to create a poster for the Frank Miller/Robert Rodriguez Sin City sequel, I was excited by the graphic nature of the film and its origins. The simplistic yet complexly rich approach of the black, white and red palette of the film is something that lends itself to the poster design. It’s also worth noting that this is my very first screen-printed poster! The original concept of the poster was loosely based on the original 1944 poster for Double Indemnity with the embrace of a man and woman being very prominent in the design.”

Want to get your hands on one? Here are the details:

The Odd City limited edition prints will be on sale at The Paramount Theatre (713 Congress Ave) at Austin Film Society’s Texas premiere of SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR (3D) on Wednesday, August 20, 2014, with directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, as well as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, in attendance.

The posters will also be available to purchase at the exclusive event after party, which will be held at the Rattle Inn (610 Nueces).

Tickets to attend the screening and after party can be purchased online through the Austin Film Society. For more information and to purchase a ticket, visit: https://www.austinfilm.org/sincity2

The PAUL SHIPPER SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR print will be a limited release of 200. The 18×24 print will be printed with 4 inks and one metallic on MOHAWK paper BY D&L Printing. All prints are $45.

Any prints remaining after the event will go on sale on the Odd City store on Friday, August 22^nd at a random time.

All proceeds from the event, and the poster sales, benefit the Austin Film Society’s artistic programs.

Take a look at the print below, and let us know if you’ll be picking one up!

‘The Evil Within’ Gets Five Creepy New Screenshots

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 15, 2014

Briefly: We were pretty disappointed when Shinji Mikami’s return to survival-horror, The Evil Within, was pushed back to October, and our hands-on with the game back in June certainly didn’t table our excitement.

The game is scheduled for release on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on October 14, and Gamescom has brought five new screenshots for the anticipated title.

Here’s what SJ thought when she played the game back at E3:

And it is scary. We screamed a little bit during our play through. And at one point, as we were sloshing waist deep through thick, congealing blood attempting to solve a puzzle to get to the next room, we were certainly viscerally affected by the well-realized world. Stealth and sneak attacks are preferred; noise and light draw unwanted attention. And the zombie/monster/box-man creatures? Only stay dead after you burn them. And matches are in short supply.

Between The Evil Within and Hideo Kojima/Guillermo Del Toro’s Silent Hills, it sounds like a phenomenal time to be a survival horror fan. Take a look at the screens below, and let us know what you think!

Source: GameReactor

‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ Gets A Premiere Date!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 15, 2014

Briefly: The first creepy teaser for American Horror Story: Freak Show debuted just over a month ago, and now we know just when we’ll be able to see a full episode.

FX revealed today that Freak Show will debut on Wednesday, October 8th at 10PM. This means that it’s going to be a fantastic week for horror fans, as The Walking Dead premieres its fifth season just a few days later.

As revealed by EW back in March, Freakshow is ”Set in Jupiter, Florida, in 1950″ and “finds Jessica Lange playing a German ex-pat who is managing one of the last freak shows in the U.S.”

Are you looking forward to the series’ return? Sound out below!

http://youtu.be/oWzc7xZG0o4

First ‘Community’ Season 6 Teaser Is All Old Footage, Still Exciting

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 14, 2014

Briefly: It’s an amazing time that we live in, isn’t it? Back in my day, when a show was cancelled, it was cancelled. You’d have fond memories of the hours you spent in front of your television, but you would never even hope or dream that there could possibly be more.

Now, it seem like shows come back from the dead fairly regularly (Arrested Development, Veronica Mars, The Killing… twice, just to name a few), and the returning series that I’m most (beyond) excited about is Yahoo!’s Community.

Yep, Yahoo! picked up the series and announced a sixth season on the final day before contracts expired, and the world hasn’t stopped talking about it since. Today, they debuted the first teaser / sizzle reel for the show, stating that Community will be “better than it was before,” and “Better. Faster. Stronger.”

The reel is composed of entirely existing footage, and even includes a nod of the hard-to-remember gas leak year, but it still makes us obnoxiously excited for what’s to come. You can take a look at the reel below, and be sure to let us know what you hope to see next season!

New ‘The Walking Dead’ Video Game Coming From Overkill Software!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 14, 2014

Briefly: Remember how atrocious The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct was? Yeah, I’m betting this newly announced title will be nothing like that.

Starbreeze Studios, Skybound Entertainment, and Payday creator Overkill Software today announced a collaboration to develop a new game based on the AMC version of The Walking Dead.

Details are scarce at this time, including platform information as the title won’t release until sometime in 2016, but it is noted that the game will receive both free and paid DLC content after launch.

The game is described as a “co-op first person shooter with elements of action, role-playing, survival horror and stealth, that invites players to explore the hugely popular The Walking Dead universe, where they will play the role of survivors fending for themselves in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating walkers. In 2016 Washington will fall – what will you do?”

Robert Kirkman took to Steam to announce the title. Here’s what he had to say:

Hi,

This is Robert Kirkman from Skybound and I am the creator of The Walking Dead.

I’m a huge fan of what OVERKILL and Starbreeze have been able to do with PAYDAY 2. It’s just an amazing co-operative game and I’m excited to be able to announce that Skybound is partnering with OVERKILL to make a Walking Dead game. I’m happy to say that it’s the co-op game that all of the Walking Dead fans have been waiting for.

And for all the PAYDAY 2 fans out there, this is for you. Lucille, the choice weapon of “The Walking Dead” antagonist Negan, is a barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat that has caused the untimely deaths of many in the long-running comic series.

You can take a look at the reveal trailer for the game below, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on this one. Payday 2 players, don’t forget to go grab Lucille!

What are your thoughts on the announcement? Will you be looking into this one? Or sticking with the Telltale title?

The Next ‘Silent Hill’ Will Make You Shit Your Pants

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 13, 2014

It’s still hard to believe that yesterday’s news could possibly be true, but alas, a new Silent Hill game is finally in development, it stars Norman Reedus, and it’s a collaboration between master filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and master gamemaker Hideo Kojima.

Yep, the dude that created Metal Gear Solid (and who I met at Comic-Con last year), and the dude who directed the Hellboy series Pan’s Labyrinth.

The way that the game was announced is equally as incredible. At yesterday’s Gamescom press conference, Sony debuted a new independent horror game called P.T., which it turns out was a fake game by a developer that doesn’t exist, and it was actually a ruse by Kojima and co. to build hype for Silent Hills. Who the heck announces a game like that?

And build hype it did. A playable P.T. demo hit the Playstation Store at the closure of their press conference, and gamers fell in love with it. I usually don’t have a problem with horror games (not since Silent Hill 2 in any case), but I tried to play P.T. for about 15 minutes last night before I had to turn it off. There’s no way in hell I’m going through that before bed. It’s legitimately terrifying in its visuals, audio, and especially its atmosphere, and if Del Toro and Kojima and their team can craft something so freaking scary as a teaser for a completely unrelated title, I cannot wait to see what they do with the full game. You can watch a run-through of P.T. below, if you dare.

And they are aiming to scare the hell out of players. At a follow-up press conference today (which also revealed that Kojima Productions is actually developing the game rather than just overseeing production), Kojima said that “Originally, we were thinking of making a game that would make you pee your pants,” Following discussions with Del Toro, Kojima decided, “we are aiming for a game that will make you shit your pants.”

Yep. Shit your pants. But what if it’s too scary? Won’t people simply not play? That’s not their problem, as it turns out, as Kojima continued “So be it. We don’t care. We are aiming for a game that will make you shit your pants. So please make sure you have a change of clothes.” He joked that “The limited edition will probably include a pair of trousers.”

I just hope that we get a release date, or at least more info on the game soon. I have a horror-itch that hasn’t been scratched since Silent Hill 4.

Are you looking forward to the game? Are you worried it’ll be too scary? Sound out below.

‘Power Rangers’ Gets A Release Date!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 13, 2014

Briefly: 2016 is going to be a busy year. The year is filled with gigantic films like Cap 3, Batman v. Superman, Finding Dory, and Warcraft among dozens of others, and another huge release has just been announced for the cycle.

Lionsgate and Saban have revealed that Power Rangers will hit theatres on July 22nd, 2016.

Details on the film are still scarce (or non-existent), and the feature is still without a cast and director, but the script is coming from Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz while Haim Saban, Brian Casentini, Allison Shearmur and Roberto Orci will produce.

The first official synopsis for the film also debuted today, but it reveals nothing that we don’t already know:

From a story by Executive Producer Roberto Orci (TRANSFORMERS, STAR TREK, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2) and screenwriters Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller (X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, THOR) comes a modern reinvention of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a group of ordinary high school kids who find themselves infused with extraterrestrial powers and must harness those powers as a team to save the world.

What do you hope to see in the film? Sound out in the comments below!

Meta Knight Returns To ‘Smash Bros.’!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 13, 2014

Briefly: Following the reveal of Chrom, Lucina, and Robin late last month, another fan-favourite fighter has just been confirmed for the upcoming iterations of Smash Bros.: Meta Knight!

Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai revealed the news on Miiverse earlier today, stating “Looks like there was an impostor in the earlier posts, so I introduced him to my sword!” …I’ll leave it up to your imagination if he really said that or not. The veteran hero, Meta Knight, returns to battle!! We didn’t forget the Battleship Halberd either!!”

Sakura continued, detailing one of the character’s special moves: “Meta Knight’s Up Special Move, Shuttle Loop, changed quite a bit in this game. The glide is gone, and the attack slashes opponents twice while spinning in a large loop. This has turned into a highly technical and effective move.”

I’m a big Mario player myself (though I cannot wait to try out Pac-Man), but you can take a look at the first Wii U Meta Knight screen below, and be sure to let us know who you’re most excited to play as when Smash Bros. hits later this year!

Watch Two Deleted Scenes From ‘The Walking Dead’s Fourth Season!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 13, 2014

Briefly: There’s just two months to go until The Walking Dead returns with its fifth season, and we’re getting pretty antsy. Thankfully, AMC has our backs, and has just released two awesome deleted scenes from the show’s fourth season!

A lot of people were (irritatingly) upset with the verbage that Rick delivered in the last line of the season finale, but the season’s first deleted scene shows that they did in fact shoot an alternate take, and it’s admittedly far more intense. It’s too bad that we didn’t see it on the live broadcast, but I’m sure that the show’s many sponsors would not have been happy with it.

Another just-released deleted scene depicts the Governor’s main man Mitch holding Hershel and Michonne captive in an RV while describing very NSFW activities. Take a look below.

So what was your favourite part of season four? What do you hope to see in season five? Sound out below!

Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro Team Up To Reboot ‘Silent Hill’

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 12, 2014

Briefly: Details are very scarce on this one, but it just may be some of the best gaming news that I’ve ever heard.

Silent Hill is my favourite video game series of all time. Somehow, even after the last few atrocious entries in the series (well, Downpour was okay), I’m still able to say that. That’s how much the series’ early titles resonated with me. It’s a series that was once the pinnacle of the horror gaming experience, and it’s a series that has since fallen into obscurity, mediocrity, and terrible, terrible films.

But that’s about to change, because a new Silent Hill game is in the works, and it’s a collaboration between Metal Gear Solid‘s Hideo Kojima, and master filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro. Oh, and it also stars Norman Reedus.

Today at Gamescom, Sony debuted a teaser for a mysterious title called P.T. The ‘world’s first’ interactive teaser was then uploaded onto the Playstation Store. Upon completion (which I’m about to try my hand at as soon as I finish writing), Norman Reedus appears in a desolate, familiar town, before the Silent Hills (yep, with an S) title card appears.

This is incredible news, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more. You can take a look at the P.T. teaser below, and be sure to let us know if you’ve downloaded the teaser yourself!

Josh Brolin Kicks Ass In A New ‘Sin City: A Dame To Kill For’ Clip

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 12, 2014

Briefly: Finally, finally, finally, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is almost here. With its fast approaching release date comes a new clip from the anticipated sequel.

I still remember being a 15 year old kid, absolutely falling in love with the first film, and being so excited when it was announced that a sequel would be put on the fast track. Now, it’s 9 years later, we’re finally close to seeing it.

Sin City had a huge presence at this year’s Comic-Con. The Petco Interactive Zone showed off some of the film’s gorgeous, classic cars (and an incredible racing simulator inside an actual Dodge Charger). Thursday night also held an incredible Sin City themed party on the roof of the Hard Rock Hotel (complete with Sin City clad Suicide Girls, pieces of the film being projected into pools, an awesome photo booth, and more), and while there I had the opportunity to chat with Kevin Smith, Doug Jones, Daughtry, Michael Rooker, and a myriad of other individuals that I never imagined I’d see in person (though strangely, none of the film’s cast made it).

You can take a look at the new clip below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Sin City: A Dame to Kill For hits theatres on August 22nd!

Atari Announces ‘RollerCoaster Tycoon World’ For 2015

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 12, 2014

Briefly: I didn’t expect this to come out of Gamescom today, but I’m very happy that it did.

Atari has announced a new PC version of RollerCoaster Tycoon entitled RollerCoaster Tycoon World. The game will launch on PC in early 2015, and will also be the series first entry to include cooperative multiplayer.

Details on the game are slim at this time, but Atari CEO Fred Chesnais certainly sounds excited for the project, stating that “Many of the new features in RollerCoaster Tycoon World were not possible a few years ago, but we have taken advantage of technological improvements to offer a wildly fun gaming experience that stays true to the storied franchise.” The game is also micro-transaction free (thankfully), and is said to be a full PC experience.

I lost weeks and weeks of my childhood to RollerCoaster Tycoon, and I sure hope that this game is great so I can do it all over again as an adult. Take a look at the reveal trailer for the game below, and let us know if you’ll be giving this one a shot.

Watch The Premiere Of ‘AFK’s Second Season Right Now!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 11, 2014

Briefly: As a big fan of AFK‘s first season, I’m now really looking forward to every Monday this month.

Once again, the world’s greatest gamers have stepped away from their keyboards to find out how they will fare in challenges including skydiving, a massive paintball battle, and parkour.

It’s the first-ever original travel competition starring some of the world’s most renowned YouTube gaming influencers, AFK season 2 features elite YouTubers and Call of Duty legends including The Minecraft Project creator TheSyndicateProject and TmarTn. The competition is once again hosted by Inside Gaming’s Bruce Greene.

In AFK Season 2, the stakes have been raised as the destination is San Diego Comic Con 2014. Showing no fear, our intrepid YouTubers skydive over the Las Vegas Strip, parkour in Los Angeles, and lead 200 fans in a paintball domination match at Camp Pendleton. All of that is just the appetizer to the season finale, which takes place at Comic-Con.

You can take a look at episode one below. Be sure to check back next Monday (and the Monday following) for episodes two and three! Don’t forget to let us know what you think! A third season is already in the works, so there should be plenty more AFK coming down the pipeline.

http://youtu.be/fPh9tTGNd5Q

Here are the synopsis’ for the season:

Episode 1
Location: Las Vegas.
Challenges: Skydive over the Las Vegas Strip, mini Baja dune buggy chase in the desert.

Episode 2
Location: Los Angeles.
Challenges: Tempest Freerunning Academy puts our YouTubers through a rigorous training session and then sets them off on a parkour time trial and style competition.

Episode 3
Location: Camp Pendleton and San Diego.
Challenges: COD skills are put to the test in real life in a massive paintball match of domination, capture the flag, and one v. one. Then, it’s off to San Diego Comic Con to wrap the season.

Watch The First Gameplay Trailer For ‘Dead Island 2’

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 11, 2014

Briefly: Dead Island 2 surprised all of us when it was revealed at this year’s E3, and Deep Silver has just launched an excellent first gameplay trailer for the title.

The video marks one of the bloodiest trailers that I’ve seen in some time, and it looks to be a great expansion on everything that Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide accomplished over the years. The game looks creepy and silly, all at the same time, and I can’t wait to see more.

Here’s the story: Several months after the events on Banoi, the United States military has put the Golden State under full quarantine. Now a restricted zone, California has become a bloody paradise for those who refuse to leave their homes and an action-packed playground for renegades who seek adventure, glory and a fresh start. Combining the classic Dead Island elements of immersive close combat, action and role-playing, Dead Island 2 features crazy, never-before-seen handcrafted weapons and over-the-top characters in taking players from the iconic Golden Gate to the celebrated beachfront boardwalk of southern California’s Venice Beach.

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think.

‘Suits’ Has Been Renewed For A Fifth Season!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 11, 2014

Briefly: The USA Network has just renewed Suits for a fifth season.

The season will consist of the usual 16 episodes (which isn’t nearly enough in my biased opinion). The fourth season will air its midseason finale on August 20th, at which point I’ll fall into a slight depression until it returns later this year.

This is fantastic news. Suits is one of the best dramas on television, and there really isn’t a series that I look forward to more each week. It seems as though almost everyone I speak to has never heard of the show, so if you haven’t I implore you to check it out.

If you’ve missed out on the series so far, you can catch up via Amazon Instant Video in the US, or Netflix in Canada.

SUITS centers on a fast-paced Manhattan corporate law firm led by legendary lawyer Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht, “Love and Other Drugs”). This season saw a major shift at The Firm that left Harvey at odds with his brilliant, but not-technically-legal associate Mike Ross (SAG Award nominee Patrick J. Adams, “Rosemary’s Baby”) who left to head to Wall Street as an investment banker. As the series builds to its summer finale, Mike has returned to Pearson Specter to resume his place beside Harvey, but Louis’ (Rick Hoffman, “Samantha Who”) secret threatens to unravel The Firm. The series also stars Gina Torres (“Firefly”), Sarah Rafferty (“Brothers & Sisters”) and Meghan Markle (“Fringe”).

http://youtu.be/SYUQKm2nZNE

‘Better Call Saul’ Gets A Tiny, Tiny Teaser

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 11, 2014

Briefly: We haven’t heard much from the Better Call Saul front since AMC released new details early last month, but the network has just debuted the first tiny (really tiny) teaser for the series.

Better Call Saul is the prequel to the award-winning series Breaking Bad. Gilligan and Breaking Bad writer and producer Peter Gould created the show together and serve as co-showrunners of the premiere season. The series is set six years before Saul Goodman (Odenkirk) meets Walter White. When we meet him, the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and, often, against Jimmy, is “fixer” Mike Erhmantraut (Banks), a beloved character introduced in Breaking Bad. The series will track Jimmy’s transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts “criminal” in “criminal lawyer.” The series’ tone is dramatic, woven through with dark humor.

While the series is yet to receive a set premiere date, the teaser also reveals that Better Call Saul will premiere sometime next February.

Take a look at the teaser below, and be sure to let us know if you’re looking forward to the series!

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2’ Announced, Arriving 2016

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 10, 2014

Briefly: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hasn’t even made it through its first weekend at this point, but according to Deadline, Paramount has just confirmed that a sequel is in the works.

As much as I hated on the new turtles film back when the character designs and the first trailers arrived, I’m hearing from countless comic book and TMNT fans that the film is a lot of fun (albeit a bit messy). I didn’t get a chance to head to the theatre this weekend, but I’m now looking forward to watching the film sometime next week.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles screenwriters Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec will return for the sequel, as will producer Michael Bay. It’s unknown at this point, however, whether director Jonathan Liebsman will return for the feature.

The as-yet-untitled sequel will hit theatres on June 3th, 2016.

Did you catch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles this weekend? What did you think? Are you down with a sequel? Sound out below!

SDCC 2014: The Walking Dead Escape Was A Convention Highlight!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 8, 2014

As many of you know, last year was my very first SDCC. As such, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. The entire week was insane (especially that Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed party), but one of my biggest regrets was missing out on The Walking Dead Escape event.

I walked by Petco Park countless times during that week, and every time I was wowed by the post-apocalyptic obstacle course inside. It looked absolutely incredible (especially for me, who lives in a small, boring town in Canada), and it’s an event that I mention when talking about last year’s convention to this day.

After its successful 2012 debut at San Diego’s Petco Park, The Walking Dead Escape expanded with three additional events in major cities in 2013, including New York, where the course was integrated aboard the aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid. Based on fans’ enthusiastic response, Skybound decided to take the events to the next level with a national tour.

This year, I had the awesome opportunity to run through the course. Those of you familiar with Escape will notice that the story has changed from previous years, meaning a lot of the repeat runners that I was surrounded by were pleasantly surprised by the ending. As you can see in the beginning of the embedded video, I strapped a GoPro on my head and planned to share the direct footage from my point of view… but the battery didn’t hold its charge in the week since I had plugged it in, and it died almost immediately. Instead, I tried to strap my ever-trusty iPhone to my head, which definitely wasn’t going to work, before I finally just held the damned thing to attain the footage that you see below.

I had an absolute blast at The Walking Dead Escape, and even walked away from the event with an exclusive The Walking Dead #1 variant just for runners. The event was creepy and very well put together, though I’d recommend running as late as possible to maximize the effect. There are plenty of breaks for story sections and for water, so even if you’re out of shape, you shouldn’t overlook this experience.

Take a look at my run-through below, and be sure to let us know what you think!

Darren Rawlings ‘Little Friends’ Collection Is Adorable, Awesome

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 7, 2014

Briefly: These were too awesome not to share.

Phenomenal artist and former CGHub editor Darren Rawlings (check out his DeviantArt here) has debuted an adorable series titled ‘Little Friends’, which depicts a myriad of our favourite comic book heroes and villains with some of their closest counterparts. Each piece (of course) has a fitting title that adds to the overall cuteness, and my only wish is that there were more than 30 pieces.

We’ve embedded the art below for your viewing please, but definitely check out Darren’s other work over at DeviantArt.

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Pretty great, huh? I sure hope that more of these are coming down the pipeline.

‘Surgeon Simulator: Anniversary Edition’ Is Headed To PS4 Next Week!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 7, 2014

Briefly: I’m not exactly sure how the controls will work here (hell, I’m not exactly sure how the controls work in the iPad or PC editions), but Bossa Studios have revealed that the phenomenal and frustrating Surgeon Simulator is headed to PS4 in the form of an Anniversary Edition.

The new release of the worldwide phenomenon will act as a definitive edition, and will take the “best parts from the Steam and iPad release in one convenient package, for your gaming pleasure.”

If you haven’t yet played Surgeon Simulator, I’d strongly suggest that you do. Be prepared to scream at your screen and to cry a lot however, as the game is a toughie. You can take a look at the trailer for Surgeon Simulator: Anniversary Edition below, and let us know what you think! The game will hit the Playstation Store on August 13th.

SDCC 2014: We Run Through The ‘Assassin’s Creed Experience’

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 7, 2014

My body is probably still recovering from San Diego Comic-Con (I know that my mind still is), and I’m really excited to today share a couple of the offsite events that I was able to partake in.

Right across from the convention centre (where the Ender’s Game event was located last year) was Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Experience. The parkour-styled (for babies like me of course) obstacle course was designed to let attendees experience some of the moves from the Assassin’s Creed series, without having to find their own Animus and become an actual assassin.

Before the event, the company released a great breakdown of the course. Take a look below:

Now, this event was busy. I showed up about an hour and a half before the event opened on Sunday… and the lineup was huge. Luckily, and awesome event employee named Paul helped me figure things out, and I actually ended up being the very first runner of the day.

As you can see in the video below, the actual obstacle course itself wasn’t too hard (except for the rings, which are a lot harder than they look), but my time was certainly nothing to write home about. Participants could request to compete for top time of the day to win some cool prizes, and the best time of the event was just over 20 seconds.

Like I said, the course wasn’t hard, but the leap of faith was pretty terrifying. I didn’t think that 25 feet was that high, but it looks pretty daunting when you get up there. I’m not a huge fan of heights (that’s an understatement), and I’ve never really jumped off of anything before, so I didn’t really know what to do when I got up there. You don’t see much of me after the jump, but I was pretty shaky for quite awhile… and I feel really silly about that as it was just 25 feet.

I always thought skydiving or bungie jumping would be a lot of fun, but I don’t think I’d like to do either anymore.

Overall, the event was a great follow-up to last year’s pirate ship party, and with Assassin’s Creed: Unity looking like the best Assassin’s Creed yet, it’s going to be a great holiday season for Ubisoft. Take a look at my run below, and let us know what you think!

Warner Bros. Moves ‘Batman v. Superman’, Dates 9 New DC Films!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 6, 2014

Briefly: It was very unlikely that both Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Marvel’s third Captain America film would retain the same May 6th, 2016 release date, and it looks as though Warner Bros. has been the distributor to fold. They’ve (thankfully) moved Batman v. Superman forward to March 25th, 2016.

This is a great move for the film, which is now far, far, away from Captain America, and is really surrounded by nothing of note. The film is going to make a killing (as if it wouldn’t have before).

Warner Bros. also announced release dates for twelve as-yet-unnanounced films, and a whopping nine of them are DC Universe titles. Here’s the date breakdown via Box Office Mojo:

-Untitled DC Film – August 5, 2016
-Untitled DC Film – June 23, 2017
-Untitled DC Film – November 17, 2017
-Untitled DC Film – March 23, 2018
-Untitled Animated Film – Memorial Day 2018
-Untitled DC Film – July 27, 2018
-Untitled WB Event Film – November 16, 2018
-Untitled DC Film – April 5, 2019
-Untitled Animated Film – Memorial Day 2019
-Untitled DC Film – June 14, 2019
-Untitled DC Film – April 3, 2020
-Untitled DC Film – June 19, 2020
-Untitled WB Event Film – November 20, 2020

We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as all of these films get tiles, but in the meantime, be sure to let us know which characters you’d like to see get standalone films! Plus, how excited are you to see Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice over a month earlier!?

The Next ‘Terminator’ Has Wrapped… And Now Has An Official Title

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 6, 2014

Briefly: I’m really looking forward to the next Terminator film. It’s got a stellar cast consisting of Arnold Schwarzenegger (of course), Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, JK Simmons, and many more. Thor: The Dark World director Alan Taylor is at the helm, and the film aims to be the start of a new trilogy that could not possibly end as poorly as the last one.

I’m still excited for the film, even if today it received an official, stupid subtitle. The rumoured title has been Terminator: Genesis for some time now, but now the film has officially been named Terminator: Genisys.

Yeah, I’m sure it’s got something to do with some tech company or similar entity, but still, it sounds pretty silly.

Production on the film has also wrapped, so longtime Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger said the following on his official Facebook page (try not to read it in his voice):

Hasta la vista, baby.
I want to thank the cast and crew of Terminator Genisys for a fantastic shoot. It was challenging, it was fun, and it was rewarding. From our director to the producers, from the camera team to catering, from visual effects to hair and makeup – we couldn’t have done it without you. I can’t wait to see our finished project and I know we’ll remind the fans why they fell in love with the Terminator. On July 1, 2015, I’ll be back.

Are you a fan of the title? Are you excited for the film? Sound out below!