This morning was meant to be like any other morning. Unfortunately that was not the case, for I was greeted with the truly saddening news that Satoru Iwata had passed away during the weekend as a result of the cancer he had been battling, at the age of just 55.
Whilst he had undergone surgery and had returned to active duties as President of Nintendo, he was still unable to attend events abroad, such as the recent E3 in Los Angeles, and appeared visibly thinner.
Nonetheless it was great to still see him as an active presence at Nintendo, especially in the recent puppet themed Nintendo Digital Event, in which he maintained his humorous self-awareness, such as once again appearing with a bunch of banana’s in a throwback to Nintendo Direct from a couple of years ago.
Iwata increasingly came across as a rare breed of Videogame president, instead of merely a businessman trying to maximise profits to satisfy investors. Iwata was a gamer at heart, and a programmer who had worked his way up to being only the fourth President of Nintendo in its century long existence and the first outside of the founding Yamauchi family. Although Iwata himself explained his position best:
‘On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer.’
Iwata truly understood what was involved in game development, and for him (like Nintendo as a whole) making the best game they could was what mattered. To him this was being financially responsible, as if a game was bad, people wouldn’t buy it. Iwata’s Presidency at Nintendo has been one of high’s and low’s. Coming in just after the release of the underrated (but by no means a failure) GameCube, he went on to help Nintendo think differently with the Blue Ocean strategy. This saw the release of the Nintendo DS and Wii which despite being technologically inferior to its competitors managed to dramatically surpass them in sales. During the initial struggle’s of the 3DS Iwata took a pay cut and refused to let go of any staff, stating that it would alter the environment in a way that would damage development. Plus the move separated him actions made by other CEO’s in similar situations.
Iwata’s passing will be dearly felt by all of Nintendo’s supporters, no longer will we be able to see him in a humorous Nintendo Direct announcing a new exciting game, or even asking us to ‘Please Understand’ when something has had to be delayed in order to make it even better.
Satoru Iwata deeply cared about videogames, he wanted as many people to enjoy them and share in that joy, and for that he will be missed. But he leaves behind a legacy that anyone would wish for.
New trailer for Doctor Who season 9 as well as a clip from the Sherlock Christmas Special, and Black Ops gets a 1940’s era Zombies mode. With Jeff Goldblum.
Film
So far the Harry Potter spin off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, has a director and a few main characters, well now the cast is being fleshed out a little bit. Singer songwriter Alison Sudol has been cast as Queenie, the sister to Newt’s potential love interest.
Take a look at the NEW look of Katniss all ready for the revolution and that in this new motion poster for the Mockingjay Part 2.
On Wednesday we showed you the new look Ecto 1 from the reboot of the Ghostbusters, well now we’ve got another little treat, straight out of comic-con; Ecto 2. It’s a bike.
Television
Twin Peaks, oh Twin Peaks. At first you were back, then you weren’t, then you were back for a longer series than we’d thought, now you’ve been delayed until 2017.
Doctor Who Season 9 gets a trailer for its return on the 19th of September, which you can check out here. It’s got all the good stuff, running, screwdrivers, quarries.
GTA V has another free expansion for you, Ill Gotten Gains part 2 will introduce a new radio station, as well as the regular new vehicles, weapons and missions for you.
Gears of War Ultimate edition is to be bundled with every new Xbox One until the end of the year once the game releases on August 25th, while stocks last.
Call of Duty’s Zombies mode will be making a return in Black ops 3, and this time it will be set in the 1940’s. If that isn’t enough to entice you (and why wouldn’t it be, 1940’s ZOMBIES) check out the voice talent this time around, Jeff Goldblum, Heather Graham, Ron Perlman and Robert Picardo. Check out the trailer.
Having only transitioned to Sony consoles a couple of years ago the Metal Gear Solid series was one that I was very late in trying out. It was only until Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater came to the Nintendo 3DS that I finally decided to give it a go (helped that it is the first game in the series’ timeline).
Somehow I had managed to absorb very little information at all about the series, aside from the fact that it is a stealth game but still has offensive boss fights. If you’re like I was a few years back and don’t want to know more about what Metal Gear is then stop reading now, then play through MGS 1-4 (including Peace Walker which is canonical) and come back.
If you’ve just come back or had already done so, then you’ll know that MGS is much more than just a stealth game. I still remember when I faced the first boss of Snake Eater “The Pain” all previous assumptions I had for the series were shattered. Here I was fighting what was essentially a bee man who kills his enemies by firing bees at them, and what’s more he goes by the name “The Pain” because that’s what he is feeling. All the while I’m in a jungle somewhere in the USSR trying to prevent the Cold War from going nuclear.
With the game featuring a James Bond style opening movie and the constant pop culture references of the era this was a game aware of the world around it. What’s more it knew how to make the most of the elements that make something a videogame, whilst also utilising techniques found in film to create an engaging narrative unlike anything I had played before. By the end of the game having defeated the original Metal Gear and then learning more about the Philosophers Legacy I was fascinated by everything that I was now having to comprehend. Why hadn’t anyone said about how great this entry of the series was? In hindsight people had praised the game, but despite focusing on the more likeable Naked Snake (AKA Big Boss) many seem to favour the original Metal Gear Solid for some reason.
When I had a system that could play it I decided to give Metal Gear Solid a go, and whilst for me it cannot compare to Snake Eater it was definitely ahead of its time. It is also an easy game to go back to, in the sense that it is not hindered by what would now be deemed anachronisms of game design. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on the other hand (despite playing the HD remake) does not hold up as well. The original MGS essentially has a top down perspective (despite being in 3D), but as MGS2 launched on the PS2 (and later the Xbox) and had more power available, so to was the freedom for more camera angles (with further freedom afforded to the HD version). But the problem was that it felt halfway between the constant constraints of MGS1 (which was to its benefit) and MGS3 which by the Subsistence re-release (and the HD remake) basically played like any other competent third person game. Whilst I had no problem with Raiden being the main protagonist, the plot came off as trying its utmost to try and confuse the player with constant twists, thankfully the ending was an effective one, and manages to speak to the pitfalls that society is facing today, but managing to do so 15 years in advance. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, was a solid (pun intended) enough game, but would have been better served as a Blu-Ray boxset.
This brings me to Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes; the first part of of MGSV. Similar to how MGS2 is divided into two sections with the first smaller section (on the Tanker) contained to one area and has its own story that fits into the wider story. Except this time the first section has been physically separated into its own release. The problem with this was that Konami (in just one of many poor decisions) made this a full price release. Ground Zeroes as a separate entity is actually a good idea and works very well (which I’ll get to) but no way is it worthy of a full retail price tag, it just isn’t. On the surface Ground Zeroes (GZ) is one mission in which Snake (Big Boss) has to rescue Chico and Paz (who featured in the excellent and underrated Peace Walker of which GZ is a direct sequel) before his mercenary group, MSF (Militaires Sans Frontières) undergoes a nuclear inspection. The events that happen as a result of the mission will lead directly into Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, albeit nine years later. This mission can be completed in a very short amount of time. My first playthrough took around two hours, but an hour of that was basically adjusting to the feel of the game.
That’s right, full price (£40/$60) for a two hour game. Except that’s not quite accurate, as the main Ground Zeroes mission is not the sole activity available, as finishing it unlocks Side Ops; which are other missions with different types of objectives set in the same Cuban camp. These present the player with different possible play styles and even then the missions can be played how you want, as is the main mission. Recently I have been delving into the Side Ops and having a great time experiencing the different ways I can interact with the game world that Hideo Kojima and his team have created. What’s more I have gone back to the main mission and played it a further three times, each time my playthrough has been different, and my time shortened. Even though that means I can finish the “main game” in less than an hour now, it shows the possibilities of how to approach The Phantom Pain when it comes out. That was Kojima’s aim for GZ, to Metal Gear fans a chance to try out the game in a self contained level to their hearts content whilst they continue to make the best Metal Gear Solid game they can. Unfortunately Konami struggled to get that message across.
The Phantom Pain is still a couple of months away, but the final trailer (aside from the inevitable TV spots) for the game, and the last ever personally by Hideo Kojima, was for me the best trailer that came out of E3, and it wasn’t even shown off at one of the presentations. Like many people I have rewatched the two available trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens multiple time, but I can easily say that I have watched the last Phantom Pain trailer more. It manages to not only show the transition that Big Boss is going through and his need for retribution, it also provides hints towards other narrative points by straying the line into spoiler territory. Plus it suggest towards a possible philosophical basis for some of the characters motivations, an aspect that has been a highlight for me throughout the series. In addition the music choice of New Order’s Elegia is outstanding and captures the tension and (to take a name of another boss from MGS3) “the sorrow” that encompases Big Boss and his comrads.
There are many great games that are coming out later this year, and more following into 2016, but for now Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is my most anticipated (hyped for if you will) game right now, and being able to play Ground Zeroes is both helping and prolonging the wait. Excuse me whilst I watch the trailer again for the umpteenth time…
First look at the new Ghostbusters movie, Daredevil Se2 starts filming and introduces a cast Elektra and Fallout 4 wins E3’s best of show.
Film
The Ghostbusters Reboot starring Melissa McCarthy and directed by Paul Feig is gaining momentum and now the director has released the first image of the new Ecto-1, which is ever so different from the original. Also, the first image of McCarthy in her new uniform.
The final instalment of the Hunger Games series, Mockingjay Part 2, is on its way, and along with it comes a new host of nifty looking posters.
The Wire‘s Michael K. Williams has been cast as a character with ‘a major stake in the franchise’ in the upcoming Assassins’ Creed movie, he’s also recently been cast in the Ghostbusters reboot.
A few months ago Harry Shearer, voice of many iconic Simpsons characters including Skinner, Flanders and Mr Burns, left the show shortly after the announcement that it had been given two more seasons. Well, he’s back now.
Hayley Atwell, star of Agent Carter, has confirmed that Dominic Cooper (who played Howard Stark in Captain America and the first season) will be returning in season 2.
Destiny players who have done… a buttload of stuff in the first year of the game, will be getting a brand new, exclusive, never to be seen again, emblem for their efforts.
Fallout 4 has taken away the Best of Show award at E3 2015, which, given its sudden and immediate launch coming up, isn’t a surprise (I think the awarders may have shell shock still,) check here for the rest of the winners.
Summer is my least favourite season due to the overwhelming heat and the fact that my hay fever makes everything more difficult. There is one good thing about summer though: the TV schedule. Some of my favourite shows have returned and some new shows have kicked off with a bang. Let’s talk about that.
And be warned, there will be spoilers.
Graceland
My level of excitement skyrocketed when I realised that Graceland was back on TV. We went months not knowing if Mike had died, but luckily for us that American beauty is sticking around. Season 3 already has it all: drama, suspense and perfect moments of comedy. So much happened in just one episode. We have a new villain: Ari from the Sarkissian mob family, Paige was almost killed, Carlito is keeping Lucia hostage, Mike now has a drug problem, Charlie is still pregnant despite being tortured, and no one is doing their chores.
This is a show that just keeps on giving, and if despite my constant urging you have not yet watched this show, then go do it now.
Teen Wolf
The show continues to mature as the seasons go by. This season already looks like it’s reaching new levels. Episode 1 played around with flashbacks, so it was all a little bit hectic. The episode started off with Lydia in a mental hospital, and without giving any explanation, contained flashbacks to the start of senior year. Teen Wolf has a habit of leaving the viewer with questions, but I suppose that’s part of its charm. Lydia’s character has a history of being sidelined but it seems as though the show will explore her character and banshee powers more thoroughly. Finally.
Following Teen Wolf tradition, the start of the new season introduces some new characters. Theo, played by Pretty Little Liars’ Cody Christian, is an old fourth grade friend of Scott and Stiles, who turns out to be a werewolf. We can already tell that he’s going to play a major role this season. Teen Wolf isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I’m well aware of that, but if you’re a fan of the show already then you’ll enjoy this episode. I’m excited to see how this season progresses.
Humans
We’re 4 episodes in to Humans and it has not yet disappointed. I admit I started watching this show because I found out Colin Morgan was in it and I’m still not over the Merlin finale, but I stuck around for so much more. Humans takes place in a parallel present day suburban London in which Synths, humanoid service robots, are the newest tech on the market. I don’t want to give too much away about this show because it’s definitely something that needs to be experienced. If I had to compare it to another show then it would probably have to be Black Mirror. It’s not as insane, but it’s just as intriguing. Bravo Channel 4 on producing some genuinely brilliant television.
Jurassic World continues destroying the Box Office, Snyder defends Man of Steel’s ending and could Agent Carter see the first Baron Zemo?
Film
One day we’ll get bored of reporting just how good Jurassic World is, but that day is not today; after this weekend it’s now reached the fifth spot on the list of highest grossing films of all time, overtaking Frozen, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Zach Snyder gets a lot of stick for the ending of the Man of Steel, there was a lot of crashing, lots of collateral damage and a few snapped necks. But Snyder has defended his decision, saying that in movies like this, you need tension and consequences, or else what’s the point?
We all gave a chuckle in the Ant-man trailer when Scott Lang suggested that they call the Avengers, but the latest TV spot reveals a superhero cameo that not many were expecting, only watch this if you’re not really fussed about a possible surprise appearance.
Television
Another trio of motion posters have appeared for Heroes Reborn, you can check them out here, this show has a lot of movement behind it, here’s hoping it can live up to the original’s first season.
Agent Carter Season 2 will see the appearance of 2 new villains when it returns next year. Reportedly one of these will be another actual villain from the comics, and considering the appearance of Helmut Zemo in the upcoming Captain America Civil War, it could be the original Baron Zemo.
Games
David Cros (Everyone’s favourite blue(th) painted Analrapist) said he and fellow funny man Brian Posehn were flown over to Bungie HQ back when Destiny was being made to write a bunch of jokes for Ghost, but it seems that they didn’t use a single one.
July 14th will see Batman Arkham Knight‘s first piece of story based DLC in the form of A matter of Family, and will star Batgirl.
A heap of new images from Dawn of Justice and more footage from Mission Impossible, as well as a full length trailer for the Wet Hot American Summer Netflix Series.
Film
A new image has appeared from Deadpool, which recently wrapped principle photography, and it’s a pretty iconic one; presumably from the highway scene we saw in the test footage, this image shows Deadpool wielding 2 guns and looking pretty bad-ass. (afterall, why use one gun when you can use 2?)
A whole heap of images from Batman Vs Superman Dawn of Justicehave appeared; we get a look at Gal Gadot’s Wonderwoman outside of her costume, a few more face offs with Bats and Supes, and Lex Luthor with hair.
Wet Hot American Summer, First Day of Camp, the Netflix revival/prequel to the cult comedy Wet Hot American Summer has a full length trailer, after a retro VHS style advertisement was released for the show last week.
A look at the first images of Season 6 of The Walking Dead shows off some fan favourite characters in Daryl, Glenn and Maggie.
Fallout Shelter, the IOS game that’s a lead up to Fallout 4 (whose Pipboy editions are still out of stock it seems) should be out next month for Android devices, Pete Himes has said, (he’s the head of marketing at Bethesda).
Team Fortress 2 is getting a big new update that includes new weapons, new contracts and new maps.
When BioShock 2 was announced there was understandably quite a bit of excitement. Though when it was revealed that the original developers (Irrational Games) were not working on the direct sequel and instead another 2K owned developer (2K along with 2K China) was to take the reins (with assistance from Irrational such as game assets and the engine), people were concerned, especially given what the original game had achieved narratively.
Nonetheless there was still a fair amount of anticipation and many chose to give the game the benefit of the doubt, mostly because they just wanted to return to Rapture. When the game did launch three years after the original game it did actually review very well; just not as highly as the previous entry. Considering this was made by a different studio and still managed to capture the same atmosphere was a tremendous achievement.
However despite this (and achieving respectable sales) why is Bioshock 2 not often looked back on fondly? In part because people think back to the impact that the original created, the lack of a big reveal near the end, and possibly because some people weren’t too keen on the fact that this time you play as a Big Daddy. Whilst BioShock 2 isn’t as revolutionary as the original it is still a unique FPS. It’s plasmid, tonic, and weapons systems build upon that of the first game, as well as adding more enemy types and new means of interaction, such as a hacking mechanic that had more impact.
BioShock 2 has a more straightforward narrative, and focuses less on personal morality. But this is a wise decision as it helps to separate itself from the original, and instead it often feels like the real focus is Rapture itself. Eight years have passed since the last outing in Rapture, and what little sensibility that was present then has all but gone. As Subject Delta your main objective is to rescue Eleanor, the Little Sister that you were once paired with. Except now she is back under the “protection” of her mother, Sophia Lamb, who has filled the power vacuum that was created eight years ago.
Sophia Lamb can be seen as the main antagonist as she is constantly baiting you throughout your traversal through Rapture as well as trying to orchestrate your demise by the hands of her followers (cult) “The Rapture Family”. Whilst it might seem odd that a Big Daddy trying to rescue his Little Sister can be portrayed as the “good guy” given that he is trying to take a teenage girl from her biological mother, the origins of his journey provides an explanation that subverts the notion of saving the girl whilst still adhering to similar rules. Furthermore Eleanor is no longer with her mother by choice.
Sophia Lamb was brought to Rapture to help its psychologically stressed residents manage to adapt to the lack of sunlight, and the whole notion of living in an enclose city under the sea (think of it as a more extreme SAD [Seasonal Affect Disorder]). However she subsequently used her position to persuade her patients to join her cult, and therefore ignore the ethics of her profession (although this is Rapture after all). Andrew Ryan had her thrown into prison after learning of her perverted notions of altruism (for an objectivist altruism is seen as incompatible with freedom and a constraint on individual will). When Rapture finally fell this enabled Lamb to gain control and to seek her aim of creating a perfect embodiment of her altruistic ideals. This involves using ADAM (and the genetic memory it can contain) to transform Eleanor so that she possess the collected minds and memories of everyone in Rapture, and therefore becomes the physical “Embodiment of the Family”. Lamb believes that doing so will bring an end to “The Self”, which of course goes against the very founding principles of Ryan’s Rapture.
In a way the background to the existence of BioShock 2 is not too dissimilar to its narrative. For in both cases an existing intimidating entity has been passed onto new proprietors, and whilst different ideas exists and will therefore be implemented differently, the means of doing so will be similar. Rapture remains a fascinating place to explore and nothing is black or white. BioShock 2 might have started as an attempt just to make more money out of a successful IP, but the end result was something that can can be praised for its own merits. It is what a sequel should be, and given how BioShock Infinite turned out it actually feels like the missing link that completes the narrative and gameplay cycle.
Snowden gets a teaser trailer, BBC3 continues its move to be an online only channel and Nolan North knows the Last of Us 2 is happening.
Film
The first teaser trailer for Snowdenthe Oliver Stone film about Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower, is out. The film will star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zachary Quinto and Nick Cage among others.
Terminator Genisys is out tomorrow, and ahead of the franchise reboot we’ve got a clip that is a quick look at the future in the Terminator universe.
Two short clips from the Xmen Days of Future PastRouge Cuthave appeared. One shows Beast and Mystique getting hot and heavy, while the other shows Iceman taking some heat.
Television
Heroes Reborn is really ramping up the marketing, and now has released motion posters for 4 characters including old face Noah Bennet.
The BBC trust has approved of the decision to make BBC3 an online only channel, due to its younger demographic and programming style it’s considered a prime candidate for the change.
Games
Mojang, the guys behind Minecraft (that was recently bought by Microsoft) have announced that they will no longer be updating their only other released game, the trading card/turn based strategy game Scrolls, but insist that the servers will stay up until at least the 1st of July 2016.
Nolan, voice-of-everyone-who-isn’t-voiced-by-Troy-Baker, North has let the cat out of the bag and has outright said that he knows that Naughty Dog are doing a The Last of Us 2, though nothing’ been confirmed officially yet.
The IOS game Fallout Shelter, which is a free2play app to gear us all up for Fallout 4 (as if we needed it) has introduced its first character from the main game, Preston Garvey is obtainable through the game’s lunchboxes.
As all my television shows come to an end, I find myself in need of new shows to binge watch. My latest target: Sense8. This Netflix original tells the story of eight strangers who find themselves to be mentally and emotionally linked.
Each “Sensate” has their individual story, however, these stories are ingeniously interlinked. Will Gorski is a Chicago police officer who is haunted by flashbacks of an unsolved murder from his childhood. Riley Blue, who becomes Will’s immediate love interest, is an Icelandic DJ living in London with a troubled past and a complicated drug-filled present. Wolfgang Bogdanow is a Berlin locksmith/safe-cracker of Russian decent who is involved in organized crime with his partner-in-said-crime Felix Bernner.
Next on the list is Capheus, a Matatu van driver from Nairobi, who has a deep love for everything Jean-Claude Van Damme, and who is desperately trying to raise enough money to buy medicine for his mother who is dying of AIDS. Sun Bak, one of the show’s most badass characters, is the daughter of a powerful businessman in Seoul, has a master’s degree in economics and has a hidden passion for kickboxing. Nomi Marks is a transgender hacktivist living in San Fransisco with her girlfriend Amanita. Kala Dandekar is a Hindu pharmacist who is engaged to a man that she does not love. And last, but certainly not least, Lito Rodriguez, a closeted film actor who gets into some trouble with his boyfriend, their live-in “beard” and the man who believes that she belongs to him. These characters are so completely different from each other so there is never an opportunity to be bored.
The show successfully incorporates all story lines together by introducing two characters: Jonas Maliki, a fellow Sensate from a different cluster of eight who wants to help the new cluster, and Whispers, a Sensate determined to neutralize newly broken out Sensates.
Due to the connection between the Sensates they are able to communicate, utilise each other’s knowledge and skills, and feel each other’s emotions, which makes for some very interesting scenes. I never thought seen a man experience the pain of a female’s menstrual cycle could be that satisfying. By the end of the season they are all using each other’s skills to escape some pretty sticky situations, for example, Capheus uses Sun’s kickboxing ability and Will’s police skills to defeat some local gang members.
Not only is Sense8 a science-fiction drama, but it also focuses on issues that aren’t usually involved in such shows: gender, sexuality, race and religion. One of my personal favourite things about the show was that it was filmed in 9 different locations: London, Berlin, Chicago, San Francisco, Seoul, Reykjavík, Mexico City, Mumbai and Nairobi. Now that’s dedication. This is definitely a show that is binge-worthy if you have a couple days spare.
I have the utmost faith in Netflix originals and you should too.
Axby Magazine 