Xbox One E3 2013 Announcement

Microsoft Xbox One at E3 2013

• Microsoft's Xbox One E3 press conference down to just the important stuff - all in less than three minutes!

Watch the entire Microsoft Press Conference - E3 2013:  

PS4 Console Revealed at E3

Sony Playstation 4 HD at E3 2013

• Here's a look at the new PS4 from Sony's E3 2013 conference. Andrew House took to the stage to reveal a sleek black box, minimal in design and with a hint of PS2 about it's form.

Watch the entire Sony Press Conference - E3 2013:

 

Showdown at E3

Battle of the Consoles: PS4 vs Xbox One

• [By John McKenna] John is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
  
  The first day of the much anticipated E3 expo was less of a cordial professional showcase of the future in video games, and more of the first head-to-head battle between Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) over the new consoles since their announcements last month. Stated in my last post on the console wars, both were advertising cutting-edge computing power and amazing graphics, not to mention its other add-ons like TV and movie streaming that serve as an attempt to expand beyond the hardcore gamers. Here, though, despite Microsoft’s Xbox One being shown first, Sony counterattacked in a big way, and landed punches that have sent Microsoft reeling.
  
  PS4 Affordability is Sony’s Left Hook….
  
  By most accounts, Sony was E3’s big winner on Day 1. Not only did they release the new PS4, which looks like a hybrid between the Xbox One and the PS2 in a good way, but they crafted their presentation to establish differences between themselves and Microsoft. While Microsoft announced on June 10 that their new console would cost $499, Sony came out the next day and announced that it would be $100 less than the Xbox One. Given Sony’s advantages in computing power, as well as a devoted gamer base, this gives Sony an instant leg-up over its competition.
  
  ...and a Right Upper Cut with Game Sharing 
  
  Another big win for Sony was announcing that the new system would be open to used games, as well as announcing an expansive library of PS3 games available on Sony’s cloud software. By emphasizing the ease of sharing games, and the fact that it is free to do so, Sony has hit at another difference between the two giants. Microsoft developers had stated that used games could be played on the Xbox One, but only if a fee was paid, and the user was frequently on Xbox Live. This has irked a lot of gamers because it makes the cost of playing the newest titles more expensive, in addition to limiting backwards compatibility for Xbox 360 games.
  
  Microsoft Bloodied As Sony Takes the Round
  
  By emphasizing consumer demands first and waiting to show off the PS4 until E3, when the eyes of the gamer universe would be focused on them, Sony delivered two big blows to Microsoft and established the PS4 as the premiere console of the next generation, casting doubts regarding the appeal of the Xbox One to gamers, given the price and technology differences. The PS4 comes out of this as a cheaper and more user-friendly console, a big plus for Sony, and puts Microsoft on the defensive for the rest of the convention, if not the rest of the summer.
  
  Sony Saves Trade-In Market
  
  Sony’s announcement of used game compatibility also plays into GameStop’s (NYSE: GME) consumer base. With over 6,600 stores in 15 countries, Gamestop is one of the biggest sellers of used games in the business. This is because Gamestop has a system where customers can trade in used games to earn credits towards new ones, which helps bring down the rather high costs of the newest games and sequels to popular franchises like Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, and Battlefield. In addition, GameStop traditionally takes advantages of big launch dates, and the announcement that these two consoles will be coming out before Thanksgiving means that the company will be able to get a slice of the lucrative Black Friday electronics shopping binge, which will no doubt help the company’s profit margins as well as give them a sustained period of growth into 2014 and beyond.
  
  Sony, GameStop Win Big
  
  Sony and GameStop came out of Day 1 of E3 as the big winners. Sony’s near perfect announcement of the PS4, as well as the numerous advantages it has over Microsoft’s Xbox One, could make life difficult for Microsoft going forward. This also gives Sony a big shot in the arm in regards to getting the company back to its strong suit, which is electronics, and an impressive E3 showing should make investors and gamers incredibly happy.
  
  GameStop also has its business model secured for the next generation, as the used game market will still be very vibrant thanks to the new PS4, and trade-ins will remain relevant. It’s also a fairly cheap buy with a forward P/E of 10.28 and operating margins of around 7%. It is still in the red in regards to profit margin, but the future looks bright for GameStop going forward.
  
  Sony isn’t too bad either, with a forward P/E of 15.31, though its operating margins are a nerve-wracking 0.64%, with a profit margin of 0.61%. It may not seem like a hot investment, but the PS4 has great potential, and is worth investing in for the long haul.
   
  It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who've watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in mobile over the past decade. However, with the release of its own tablet, along with the widely anticipated Windows 8 operating system, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In a new premium report on Microsoft, a Motley Fool analyst explains that while the opportunity is huge, so are the challenges.
   

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Official Trailer

• The Dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf have successfully escaped the Misty Mountains, and Bilbo has gained the One Ring. They all continue their journey to get their gold back from the Dragon, Smaug.

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In theaters December 13, 2013

Live-Action Kiki's Delivery Service Movie

Behind-the-scenes footage with Kiki...

• The video begins by introducing Fūka Koshiba (Iki mo Dekinai Natsu) as the title witch girl Kiki. It then shows the huge open set, including the Gütiokipänja Bakery centerpiece. Co-starring with Koshiba is Machiko Ono (Suzaku, Like Father, Like Son) as Osono, the owner of the bakery where Kiki works. Hiroshi Yamamoto plays Osono's baker husband Fukuo, and Miho Kanazawa plays a woman named Saki who visits the bakery.

• In the Q&A of the video, Koshiba revealed that she cried when she heard that she would play Kiki. The director and the rest of the cast gave her advice on how to deal with her first starring film role. Ono added that she thinks they will create a film that people will enjoy. Director Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge/Juon, Tomie: Rebirth) said that he could not reveal the details on how they will depict Kiki flying on her broom. However, the staff and Koshiba are undergoing training and preparations, and they will use both visual effects and computer graphics.
  From right to left in the photo below are Shimizu, original novelist Eiko Kadono, Koshiba, Ono, and Yamamoto: 
  

• Koshiba, an accomplished figure skater (she can perform the triple loop jump), entered the entertainment industry when she was chosen from 35,390 candidates in the "Girls Audition 2011" competition. Satoko Okudera (Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Princess and the Pilot) is writing the script for the film. 

GOLIATH

Prepare for the Invasion!

• This is a concept trailer for a proposed feature film called "GOLIATH"
  Directed by Alex Popov
  Produced by Jim Wedaa
  
  Concept trailer for the Sci-Fi Action "Goliath" shot in 3 days in Alaska and 3 days in San Diego. Total budget: $150.
•  
• "This project was a one man effort, meaning I had to do it all: concept, props, DP, camera op, directing, editing, post VFX, sound design and so on."
• - Alex Popov
  Click here for more info:
  http://vimeo.com/18647332
  
  Synopsis:
  A signal from space ignites a worldwide race to decode it. The Russians decipher it first and learn that a warring alien race is on its way to attack earth. The message, from a second, friendly alien race intent on helping mankind, supplies the Russians with blueprints for a mechanical-human hybrid army of biodroids to defeat our mutual enemy. When the alien armada arrives, however, they wrest control of the newly built biodroid army and it is revealed that there never was a friendly alien race. We have been duped into building that army that destroys us. With the planet in shambles it is up to a group of American soldiers to free the enslaved Russian hybrid army and together defeat the alien invaders.
•  

A-Kon 2013 Epic Cosplay

A-Kon, Dallas, TX, May 31 - June 2, 2013

   "Mikasa es su Kasa!"

How IRON MAN 3 Should Have Ended

This is how it really should have ended...

• "Why do so many people have a problem with this? I said, it's because I'M BATMAN!"
• 
  

FanimeCon 2013 - League Cosplay Showcase [3-3]

FanimeCon 2013 in San Jose, May 24-27

  

ARISE and Microsoft Tablets Commercial

 

Ghost in the Shell: Arise 

Promotes Microsoft Tablets

The premise of the story: "Snatch the rebel elements' secret data using the Surface! There is a leak saying that the giant coporation Ishimiya Industry will commit an act of international terrorism, and Motoko Kusanagi and the Armored Riot Police head out to seize the plug data!" 

Microsoft has been holding a tie-in campaign between the upcoming Ghost in the Shell Arise anime and its new Surface line of tablets.

FanimeCon 2013 EpicCosplay Part 2 of 3

FanimeCon 2013 in San Jose, May 24-27

RWBY - "Black" and "Yellow" Trailer

"The RWBY project is now complete..."

 Click here to see all RWBY Trailers 

Rooster Teeth's latest project RWBY helmed by 

Red vs. Blue Lead Animator, Monty Oum.

RWBY - "Black" Trailer


RWBY - "Yellow" Trailer

FanimeCon 2013 Epic Cosplay Part 1 of 3

FanimeCon 2013 in San Jose, May 24-27

  

FanimeCon 2013 - Day 1 (May 24)

FanimeCon 2013 in San Jose, May 24-27

Day 1, Friday, May 24

Life-size X-Wing...

Made from 5,335,200 LEGO bricks!

• [Source: blastr.com] In order to celebrate the new animated series the Yoda Chronicles, the LEGO Group has done something truly spectacular.
• 
  It took a 32-person team over a year to construct the 11-foot-tall, 43-foot-long, 44-foot-wide and 46,000-pound structure, but it was well worth it. With a steel infrastructure designed to keep the whole thing in place, this X-Wing (based on the retail model, if you can believe it) is a true, 1:1 re-creation of the real thing!

 

• So, how does one take 5,335,200 LEGO bricks and turn them into one of Star Wars' most famous starships? LEGO Master Builder Erik Varszegi was modest by saying, "Essentially, it's just a blow-up of our existing model. The real feat of engineering here is the steel truss frame that's holding it all together."
• 
  Did we also mention that the engines light up and simulate take-off sound effects? Because they do!

• The ship arrived in pieces from the Czech Republic and was rebuilt in Long Island. As of Thursday, May 23 (30 years to the day from Return of the Jedi's theatrical debut), you can find the X-Wing in Times Square, where it will remain for the next three days before it takes a journey to California, where it will live for the remainder of the year.
• 
  Coolest of all, though? Because of the steel frame, the X-Wing is built to withstand a lot of motion and weight. And, to anticipate your question, yes, you can get into the cockpit!

 

The Flashpoint Paradox

Based on Geoff Johns' 2011 crossover comic

• The series served as a setup for the New 52 relaunch, and found the Flash and a few other heroes noticing major differences between the established and altered timelines.
  
  The trailer looks like the film should be pretty close to the comic canon, and should be a worthy addition to their excellent slate of animated flicks. It makes you wonder why DC doesn’t just put their animated development team in charge of the live-action Justice League and let it roll.
  
  The film will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray July 30.

• 
  

GRAVITY - Teaser Trailer

GRAVITY

"Don't Let Go!"

• Astronauts attempt to return to earth after debris crashes into their space shuttle, leaving them drifting alone in space.

It's Star Wars vs Star Trek

Death Star Destroys Enterprise!

• This killer Death Star Destroys Enterprise video was created by Mike Horn and could very well create a new wave of Roddenberry vs. Lucas insurrection. Align yourself and join a Badass Battle by the Bay...

First Look at THE HOBBIT's Smaug the Dragon

SMAUG!!!

"Who goes there?"

• Here's a massive statue erected inside a well-known theater lobby in Wellington, New Zealand that appears to be the dastardly destroyer himself.
•  
• It's a beautiful piece of studio art and hints pretty hard at it being the infamous lizard we'll meet more intimately in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. This hallowed hallway at the Roxy Theater is normally reserved for the statue placement of characters from Peter Jackson films like TinTin, Gandalf and Gollum.  Voiced by Star Trek Into Darkness baddie Benedict Cumberbatch, the ferocious Smaug is one of most iconic creations in the Tolkien universe and hotly anticipated in the next installment coming out this Christmas.
•  
• Take a look but don't stand too close ... dragons do bite.

Strike Suit Zero

Space Combat Reborn

In the year 2299, an interstellar war rages on. 
In a bid to save Earth from destruction, 
you must take control of the Strike Suit – 
a revolutionary fighter craft with the ability 
to transform into a lethal suit of space armor.

• Reviews

• "Strike Suit Zero is proof that there’s life in the space combat genre yet."
  8/10 – NowGamer
• “Strike Suit Zero nails the balance between simulation and arcade shooter, creating an excellent combat experience”
  – IGN
• "Just about everything you want in a space combat game."
  – Penny Arcade
•  
• Adventurous Mod-Makers can now take XedMod, the Strike Suit Toolset, for a spin... Use XedMod to create your own ships, weapons and missions for Strike Suit or break away entirely and make brand new games.

• About the Game

• In the year 2299, an interstellar war rages on. In a bid to save Earth from destruction, you must take control of the Strike Suit – a revolutionary fighter craft with the ability to transform into a lethal suit of space armor. Immerse yourself in massive fleet battles where your dog-fighting skills will directly affect the fate of the cosmos.
• Discover a colorful and vibrant universe, with an epic story where the fate of Earth hangs in the balance and your actions will determine the outcome: preventing Earth’s destruction is your immediate concern but preserving its future is your ultimate goal.
• Engage intelligent enemy fighters and take on colossal capital ships, exploiting weak points in their super-structure to blow them apart. Upgrade your ships and customize your weapon load-outs to tailor combat to your tastes. Take advantage of four unique craft, including the Strike Suit, to experience dogfighting action as you’ve never seen it before.
• This Is Space Combat Reborn.

• Key Features

• Fast, frantic space combat: freely engage multiple enemies, dogfight other pilots, fight massive fleet battles and defend vast structures.The Strike Suit: strategically switch from Pursuit Mode (speed and power) to Strike Mode (a powerful, highly maneuverable combat mode)Capital Ship Destruction: take capital ships apart piece by piece – take out their turrets or target weak-points to blow out entire sections of their superstructure.Multiple endings: your choices in game directly affect the state of Earth at the end of the game.Vibrant and vivid universe: space is far from the dark, featureless void it’s supposed to be. Discover the color and vibrancy of the Strike Suit universe across 13 unique locations.Ship Designs from renowned Mechanical Design engineer Junji Okubo (Appleseed: Ex Machina, Steel Battalion.)Music from award-winning composer Paul Ruskay (Homeworld) including a collaboration with Japanese singer/songwriter Kokia (Tales of Innocence, Gunslinger Girl: II Teatrino)Joystick compatible: as well as being fully optimized for mouse and keyboard, and gamepads, Strike Suit Zero is compatible with a range of joysticks for full immersion.Multi-screen support: play the game across three monitors, and discover the Strike Suit universe in all its widescreen glory.