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gaijinhunter · 4 years

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Monster Hunter Rise: 2nd Trailer and news blowout

Hey guys this is Gaijinhunter. I am uploading this as a text post since I caught a cold and have been unable to edit a video.

There was a huge second wave of news for Monster Hunter Rise with the reveal of the 2nd trailer the other day during the Game Awards 2020 show. Keep in mind the actual full length trailer is much longer and better than the shorter edit they showed during the show so makes sure you watch it. It showcased a second map, 2 new monsters, several returning monsters, and more. They also updated their official website with a ton of information so instead of doing a trailer reaction or breakdown, I am going to give you all the info they shared but split up by category, trying to focus only on the new stuff.

New Map

Director Ichinose hinted in an interview that one of the new maps would be nostalgic and boy he wasn't kidding. The Flooded Forest from Third Generation has been massively remade and is back in MH rise. Of course given this game’s focus is verticality, there is no underwater combat sections but they really nailed it from what I can see. One of the most iconic parts of the forest was the ruins in the backgrounds, and now you can scale up it using the wirebug. How cool is that.

With the new map we also got the reveal of 2 new monsters.

First up is the mermaid wyvern, the Somnacanth. This marks the much hyped return of the leviathan class of monsters which were missing in world and iceborne. This Monster looks so wild. It has a special breath that will put you to sleep, is super aggressive, and has this crazy taiko drum like chest in which it will grab oysters and other things and bust them against it to break them open and buff itself. The Japanese name is quite a mouthful and is called Isonemikuni. This is the monster that Ichinose teased with his cute drawing on twitter.

Next up is the tengu beast, Bishaten. This monster is really unique, it looks like a mix of a monkey, bat, and bird. It has a huge and powerful tail it uses for massive mobility and it will chuck various fruits at you as well. One of the most iconic fruits it throws are persimmons, which are very Japanese and if you haven’t had them before, they are kind of an acquired taste. It’s Japanese name is Bishutendo.

For returning monsters we have a few. First is our favorite sponge, the Royal Ludroth. This is a fan favorite and a great early to mid game monster. It has one of the best move sets in my opinion, very telegraphed but it can still catch you off guard even if you are super used to it. Strategically figuring gout where to stand in order to cut off its tail or break the sponge has always been really fun and intersting so I’m delighted to see this monster return, also look at that texture of the sponge!

Then we got the return of the Great Wroggi, the anti-poison skill tutorial monster. This thing really messed me up back in MH3G until I spent the time to get the materials to craft anti-posion decorations and even then, like the Great Izuchi, it fights really well with its sidekick small wroggis and I cant wait to see the improved cooperative AI that they are making for the Great Izuchi applied to this monster as well. It’s armor also spots a really cool Crocodile Dundee hat and look in the trailer and you can see the palico armor as well. So cool.

Finally, we got a small scene that appears to show a snow map and a group of baggi getting hit by a Khezu lightening shot. Does this mean the Great Baggi will return? Not sure. But that scream 100% is a Khezu, and I cannot wait to see how it looks with higher resolution texturing, I bet it will be creepy as heck. So while not technically confirmed, I’d say it’s safe to say Khezu is returning in some form. The balance of all these monsters is so great, I love the selection so far.

As far as other returning monsters that might return, I think we all expect nargacuga and zinogre. These are flagship monsters from games directed by Ichinose and he even tweeted his palamute and palico both named after these two monsters. Especially given the Japanese aesthetic, I think it’s pretty much guaranteed they are returning. Then I think mizutsune is also highly likely given its Japanese design, the fox theme, the kimono armor. Plus the model for it doesn't look that far off from the new Somnacanth. Anyway I have super hyped.

Interaction with animals and endemic life

One of the huge features of Monster Hunter Rise is the focus on wild life and animals to buff your hunter or be used as tools during a hunt.

There are 4 major types of Endemic Life: Temp Buffer, Permabuffer, Hunting Helper, and environmental.

For Permabuffer, we got a new render of the Spiribirds, which will buff your hunter if you move near one, and the effects depend on the color of the pollen it is carrying. Green increases your max Health, Orange increases your defense, red increases your attack power, and yellow increases your max stamina. There is even a special rainbow colored one, which I assume will buff all 4.

Via their website, Capcom announced a new item called the Petalace, a bracelet made of a plant called a Sending Sprig that each hunter has equipped. This is what collects the pollen from the birds and buffs your hunter. There is a variety of Petalaces in the game and some may increase the amount in which an attack boost is applied from a single Spiribird, raise the max value that health can be boosted, and more. Here in the screen shot we can see the caps for each and the amount gained for each buff. Just a quick note but this is not going to be replacing charms as we know that they are giving away a talisman for pre-order.

For Temp Buffer creatures, they revealed the name of the Clothfly, a butterfly that will temporarily increase your defense once you interact with it and cause it to generate a cloud of dust. In previous videos we have seen Peepers that reduce stamina usage, birds that raise your base stats, and a dragonfly that boosts your affinity and I had calculated it out to being applied for 90 seconds but we’ll have to wait for hte final game to see if that depends on the effect or if they change it, but it sounds about right.

For Hunting Helper creatures, we got an adorable new render of the Stinkmink. You can carry up to 5 Hunting Helpers and use them like items. The Stinkmink can be used to cover yourself in a special pheromone that will attract large monsters to you, even allowing you to lure one monster toward another to cause a turf war. I personally can think of other applications like luring a monster toward a trap and stuff like that.

And for environmental endemic life, they didn't show it in the trailer but there are also wildlife that can be used like environmental traps. For example, use raw meat and the giganha fish will go crazy, damaging anything nearby be it a hunter or monster. I can’t wait to see someone hunt a Great Wroggi using only raw meat. I love that we finally will have more use for this item.

NPCs

In the new trailer we got to hear several of the NPC villagers talking and on the website they go into a lot more details. They have quite the star-studded cast in Japanese and the English voice actors are also very interesting picks. This really marks the first time in Monster Hunter that the main cast of villagers will all be called by name and speak, which I think adds a lot of personality to the game.

First we have Fugen the village elder of Kamura and skilled long sword user.

Then we have Hinoa the Quest Maiden, a cheerful and optimistic girl who serves as the quest giver in the village while her twin sister runs the gathering hub. While not announced in any other language, the French and Italian language sites for the game list her sister’s name as Minoto. Hinoa’s name is Hinoe in Japnaese and for the rest of the cast their names are identical between the two languages.

One thing I am excited for is that they said that one of the ways they will help communicate the uniqueness of Kamura is through songs and they shared a sample of one of them in the full trailer. This one is sung by Izumi Kato. If you remember back in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate they featured songs by the wyverian Diva, and I am so happy they decided to do songs again, they add so much richness to the world and are just lovely to listen to.

Next up is Yomogi, our village chef. In this game you will eat meals at her Tea Shop, where her speciality is the Bunny Dango she makes along with the help of some palicoes. I love that we’ve seen her in past videos with a heavy bowgun, so the idea that all the villagers are active participants in the story is great.

Then we have Hamon the blacksmith. He used to hunt alongside Fugen back in the day but now creates weapons for the hunters of the village. His grandson also appears in the game and is a kind-hearted youth that loves your hunting companions.

Next is Kagero the merchant. Despite his mysterious appearance he is actually very warm and kind. If there is a sale going on, not only can you buy most items for half off, but you can also participate in a lottery where you spin a wheel and it dispenses a colored ball. Get a rare color ball to win a rare prize. You can do it once per sale, but you can also scan an amiibo to spin two more times, but only once per day per amiibo you own.

Finally we have Komitsu the sweet-tooth, she sells candy apples in town. What these do is still not yet revealed.

Companions

We got an adorable render for the Cohoot, the pet owl that shows the positions of monsters on your map. You can interact with it in the town and even dress them up in fancy outfits.

Kamura Village

We got gameplay showing that the entire village is open to the 4 person multiplayer session and you can even ride around on your palamute and use your wirebug while in the village to zip around and have fun. There is still a gathering hall but the ability to see each other in the village as well as jump around and really explore it is a lovely change they are making.

Story wise we got more info about the Rampage, both a story mechanic and new quest type. For some reason the monsters will sometimes gang up and attack the village all at once and no one knows why. They call this a Rampage. There was a really bad rampage 50 years ago that nearly destroyed the village and in response the town has created a Stronghold to stop further invasions. This looks like a new quest type with multiple monsters all at once, and a slew of different artillery options at your disposal. I could see this as being a really fun type of quest to do online with other players.

And of course the most exciting news was that there will be a demo in January with more details to come later. That is far earlier than I expected and I now have to finish up my back catalogue of games in like the next month.

And that about wraps it up. Cpacom said that they will be sharing weapon preview videos for all 14 types very soon and if they do the way they used to do it, we’ll get one new video a day for 2 weeks. I hope you enjoyed this recap of the news and please let me know down in comments what you thought about the second trailer. And until next time, happy hunting.

#MHRise

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sophistopheles · 4 years

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Rating the Good Boys of Ace Attorney

1. Missile

The adorable, the original; a handsome Shiba Inu with investigative skills like no other.

Pros: a skilled, lovable, and clearly talented boy, faithful friend to Detective Gumshoe, the best secret weapon by far.

Cons: None known.

If you don’t choose Missile first just to walk around and find dialogue with this wonderful boy, you’re playing Turnabout Goodbyes wrong. Rating: 10/10.

2. Anime Missile (Pess)

Edgeworth’s dog in the flashback episodes, a faithful and super-cute Pomeranian modelled and named after Shu Takumi’s own dog. Presumably an on-screen interpretation of Edgeworth’s dog Pess, who is such a wonderfully good girl that she is only mentioned in interviews and doesn’t even appear in the games, because Capcom knows that if she appeared the degree of goodness would melt the console.

Pros: another very talented boy, can easily find his way back home if he has a trail to follow. Abandoned once but still keeps up his spirits and looks after little Miles. Does a killer MvK cosplay.

Cons: Accidentally caused the class trial by giving Edgeworth’s money to Larry. Then again, the trial meant Edgeworth and Phoenix became friends, so I guess it was a good thing after all…?

It doesn’t bear on his score because he’s too cute to be malicious. Rating: 10/10

3. Napalm

Mixing things up, we have a good GIRL here! Another Pomeranian; you can tell that she’s a Girl® because of her eyelashes, pink bow, and pink heart-shaped marking. Nevertheless, still an indescribably good girl.

Pros: Cute, stylish and ridiculously valuable girl. Indirectly helped Edgeworth become a prosecutor. Missile chasing after her in the same episode as Phoenix trying to contact Edgeworth makes her a lowkey Edgeworth mirror??? Very pretty with a wonderful name.

Cons: Absolutely none.

If she came up to me on the street I would cry because she’s so cute. Rating: 10/10

4. Constantine

To add a twist, here’s an unbelievably fluffy non-canon boy! He’s Inquisitor Barnham’s dog, and is responsible for the scar on Barnham’s face. He doesn’t seem to have a canon breed, but that’s okay, because he’s small and fluffy and that’s what matters.

Pros: A good boy, with a lot of personality! He’s feisty and clever enough to give puzzles to Layton, Wright & co. Just look at him!!! I can honestly say I have never seen a better boy. He even plays a role in the endgame of PLvsAA when Barnham can’t make it.

Cons: Attacked Nick when he tried to pet him, so he’s not the most well-mannered boy, but that’s okay!! He’s cute enough to get away with it.

He may be the only dog in the world to be an official member of an order of knights. Rating: 10/10

5. Shah’do

Ahlbi’s puppy who can’t seem to decide if he’s a dog or a hat. He’s canonically a Tibetan mastiff, which means that when he’s all grown up, he’ll be about three times the size he is now! Quite mischievous, but never causes too much trouble, and it all works out in the end.

Pros: He’s loyal, adorable, cute and intelligent, even sensing and reflecting Ahlbi’s emotions! He really is one of the cutest boys I’ve ever seen.

Cons: Naughty!!

Clearly has magical Khura’inese powers of cuteness, judging by the mitamah marking on his forehead. Rating: 10/10

6. Jugemu

The dog who lives at the Toneido School’s Kurukuru Tei theatre, this boy deserves some more love!! A beautiful good boy with a very healthy appetite; he single-handedly convinced me that Turnabout Storyteller is the best case in AA6. He only appears in one graphic, but I love him nevertheless.

Pros: He has an adorable little kennel so he can stay out of the rain when he has to, and he’s instrumental in solving the case.

Cons: None whatsoever!

I wanted to see more of him! Rating: 10/10

There are a few more good boys, but they have plot roles in DGS2 and AAI2, so beware of serious spoilers under the cut!

Spoilery (But Still Good) Boys

1. Anubis

One of the scarier boys on the list! He’s the guide dog of the blind assassin Sirhan Dogen, and while he’s very clever, he’s also very intimidating! He resembles a Tosa, a breed also known as Japanese mastiffs. (He’s probably killed people in the past, but let’s brush over that for a moment.)

Pros: He’s a startlingly long-lived boy! Unless Dogen replaces his dogs on the down-low (which feels unlikely) he’s been at Dogen’s side for nineteen years! Plus, I feel like if I was nice to him, he would let me pet him.

Cons: You know what? None. He doesn’t have a single malicious bone in his furry body, he’s just a deeply loyal and obedient boy. It’s not his fault that his master is an assassin; he’s still a good boy!

Despite having such a scary reputation, Anubis did nothing wrong. …Kind of. Rating: 10/10

2. Balmung

The second scarily good boy on our list, Balmung is another good but admittedly terrifying boy. He is the dog of a serial killer, the Professor, and he most closely resembles a lurcher hound, though his breed was never confirmed. Despite outward appearances, I promise you he’s a good boy at heart- he just happened to also be used as a murder weapon.

Pros: He’s the real Hound of the Baskervilles, how cool is that? He’s also quite an old boy, living for at least twelve years and remaining active even then. And he’s listed as his owner’s friend on the Ace Attorney wiki, which is also very cute, and strong evidence of his good boy nature.

Cons: …He’s kinda scary…!

Overall, despite being quite a frightening boy, Balmung means well. Rating: 10/10

3. Toby

In stark contrast to the previous two good but murder-y boys, we have one of the cutest boys of the whole series: Toby!! He’s Gina’s dog after she becomes a detective, and is honestly my favourite good boy in the series (but shhh, that’s a secret!) Toby is based on a dog of the same name from the Holmes novels!

Pros: Seriously, just look at him! He’s a classically cute boy. He’s the Platonic Ideal of what a good boy should be. And he’s talented, too- he helps Naruhodou solve a lot of cases!

Cons: …He does attack Naruhodou once. But it leads into the best joint reasoning segment of the whole game, so I can forgive him.

It’s especially sweet when you realise that in-universe Toby is probably named after Gina’s mentor, Tobias Gregson! Rating: 10/10

#ace attorney #aa #i could not rest until i made this #dogs #missile #dgs2 #aai2 #mine

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furederiko · 7 years

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The third and final 'Lucky Seven' date of the month (07.27.17, right?)! And the final Random-News-Digest for July! Today's R-N-D is also Part 2 (of 2) of the San Diego Comic Con International 2017 related coverage. This time around, they are all things Marvel-ous. Excelsior...!!!

NOTE: Since the whole page will be entirely Marvel related, it will be written chronologically to their SDCC schedule. Each title will also be assigned in its own category, not grouped into 'Marvel Studios' and 'Marvel TV' like I've always done. Oh, and the images used above are obviously courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter and Marvel Studios Visual Development Team (that one's Ryan Meinerding's art to be precise). All credits goes to their respective owners! Long story short, I suffered a blackout TWO times when I was writing this. Forcing me to start over and over again all day. That's why I haven't had time to actually proofread it (as well as the 1st Part). I'll try to do that as soon as possible, but please pardon for any tipo or grammatical error if you happen to stumble into any. Thanks in advance!

Marvel's Inhumans

Marvel TV and ABC Studios led Marvel's SDCC 2017 big panel on July 20th, by headlining "LEGION", their collaboration with FX Network. A bit odd if you ask me, considering that's a FOX product... but never mind that. Marvel TV Head Jeph Loeb then continued the presentation on 06:15 PM PST, by bringing the cast of the upcoming "Inhumans" series to same venue, Ballroom 20.

Loeb reentered while wearing that hideous Medusa's wig, a clear but hopefully unintentional attempt to spite those fans who have been criticizing it. To be honest, that was NOT a cool thing to do, especially for someone who would received an award by the SDCC commitee the day after. He welcomed showrunner the almighty Scott Buck, drector Roel Reine, and actors Anson Mount, Iwan Rheon, Serinda Swan, Eme Ikwuakor, Isabelle Cornish, Ken Leung, Ellen Woglom, Sonya Balmores, and Mike Moh, who were all holding a stuffed Lockjaw doll in their hand. The panel then showed several exclusive footage from the first couple of episodes. Some bits of those would later be released online via Marvel Entertainment's channel as a new trailer. Now about that new trailer...

Seriously?!! For the love of Lockjaw, it was indeed better with the VFX, but worse with all the ridiculous corniness and campiness that made me feel... embarassed as I seen it. And here I thought The CW's Arrowverse were already somewhat corny. And THAT song choice? Others might... like it, but it was totally NOT my cup of tea. Clearly, it was an attempt to emulate the style of James Gunn and the retro tune aspect of "Guardians of the Galaxy". But... one that failed miserably in my dictionary. It was grating so much on my nerves all through the trailer, that I had to put it on MUTE the second time I played it again (with the intention to get some screengrab, but decided to lose that thought and rinse it out of my head right away). Not only Scott Buck is faulty as a showrunner, I do think he has poor taste in style and music.

Fans got what they wanted, as in to see the VFX effects on Medusa's hair in action. Unfortunately, I have a weird STROOONG feeling that those effects, as well as the others' abilities, will be most of the VFX we'll see in the show. Why? Remember "Iron Fist"? That series had waaay too many chit-chat and dialogues, that all the cool scenes were already spoiled in its trailers. I'm concerned the same thing is happening with this show too. Since we're speaking about VFX, I wonder if this is the final product? For some reason, this felt cheap and fake. I'd be VERY surprised if Mark Kolpac and his team are the one behind this, considering the ones he developed for Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." looked way sophisticated and believable. I'd gladly take Robbie Reyes' Ghost Rider transformation scene or Daisy Johnson's quaking anytime, over what this series had shown me so far.

Apparently, this extended trailer would be played alongside Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" screenings on IMAX theatres. Personally? I'm not sure if that's even a wise decision, considering this didn't even scream IMAX-worthy. Then again, IMAX is paying for this show, so of course, the studio has to deliver one, right? But if you ask me to pay to see it? I'll totally pass. Once again, no disregard, but... just not my cup of tea. Marvel's "Inhumans" will debut on September 1st, 2017 on IMAX Theatre for two weeks. The same footage will then premiere with additional scenes on September 29th, 2017 on ABC.

Marvel's Runaways

This one didn't actually arrived on SDCC 2017, but the news hit the market the same day the "Inhumans" panel took place. Coincidence much? I doubt. "Runaways", the show that was once reported to be released in 2018, will be arriving MUCH sooner than expected. Hulu unveiled the Fall Premiere dates for their exclusive shows, and guess what? "Runaway" is among them, set to be released in November! Of course, it's a good news, even if I won't be able to see it. From the looks of it, this series will be even more faithful to the source material than say, "Inhumans", notable because the comic writer himself is involved directly in it. So assuming the worse happens, that "Inhumans" turns out to be a bad show, Marvel TV already has something to counter the possible negative impact by delivering this in just two months after. Who knows, this might be the show that Marvel TV and Marvel fans in general has been waiting for. I think it's safe to say we can expect that (once leaked) trailer to officially arrive very soon. All (?) 10 episodes of "Runaways" Season 1 will premiere on November 21st, 2017.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

Let's take a quick detour to the game zone now. This time, for Marvel's popular crossover fighting game with CAPCOM. Yes, the highly anticipated but sadly much criticized franchise had its own dedicated panel on July 21st, 11:15 AM PST at Room 6BCF. CAPCOM used the opportunity to announce four more playable character to the core launch roster. Friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man as representative from Marvel, while Frank West of "Dead Rising", Nemesis of "Resident Evil", and Mike Haggar of "Final Fight" entered the arena from the CAPCOM side. A gameplay video featuring these characters was later debuted through the game's official channel.

It's actually a bit ironic that only ONE Marvel character was revealed in this event. Not to mention, one that is partially a SONY property. I would've expected Marvel to ask CAPCOM to at least, deliver more Marvel characters, particularly new ones that hasn't been part of the franchise like Gamora or Black Panther. Instead, all four of these characters are known to be 'veterans' in the franchise, having been featured in at least one iteration in the past. So yeah, not really a wise decision if you ask me. But who am I to argue, right? "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on September 19th, 2017.

Marvel's The Defenders

Netflix held their 2nd grand Hall H presentation on July 21st, 05:15 PM PST, and of course, it's for one of their most popular series: the Marvel Netflix-verse. Before the panel got to its big event, Loeb became the star of show as he was awarded with "Inkpot Award" for his excellence in comics and television. I'm not too keen on the guy anymore, but it was a good moving moment, and I'm happy for him.

It didn't take long for the spotlight to be taken away from him though, because actor Jon Bernthal showed up, stealing all attention as the panel's first surprise. He also delivered the first exclusive footage from his upcoming series, Marvel's "The Punisher" (is it... this one?). From what I've read online, the team behind this show had successfully and also faithfully continued Frank Castle's arc from Marvel's "Daredevil" Season 2. I got the feeling, that they have managed to create an amazing balance to Castle's dual emotional struggle. One of his loneliness and grieve over losing his beloved family, and one that is anger and vengeance and he mercilessly track down those who are responsible for it. Sure, the big boss of said violent operation was already executed in "Daredevil", but he DID bring an army to do the crime. That means more people for Castle to hunt!

I still think it's a fatal mistake that he's not included as a fifth member of "The Defenders". He could have added an entirely new dark and gritty color to the team, especially because everyone knows he's waaaay more welcomed than one of its core members. I can't help but wonder though, was Bernthal's presence in the panel, served as a subtle confirmation that he would be in it after all? Not to mention, that recent Netflix Korea featurette (that felt special because it's personally narrated by the great Stan Lee) also included his character. I think he'll be a great addition to the team-up mini-series, and I'd be pretty disappointed if he doesn't even show up... at least for a minor supporting role. Oh well, fans of Castle can still wait for "The Punisher" when it arrives in November.

Cast for "The Defenders" then reclaimed their stage, alongside showrunner Marco Ramirez. All four lead actors, Charlie Cox of "Daredevil", Krysten Ritter of Marvel's "Jessica Jones", Mike Colter of Marvel's "Luke Cage", and Finn Jones of Marvel's "Iron Fist" were obviously present. Deborah Ann Woll from "Daredevil", and Jessica Henwick from "Iron Fist" represented the supporting cast. And Elodie Yung of "Daredevil" was there with Sigourney Weaver as the mini-series antagonists. They teased some bits of the plot, but more importantly debuted a new official second trailer for attendees to see. This one felt more clearer, as Weaver's Alexandra dished out her goal and intention to New York. It showed more ass-kicking action, and more importantly, the characters bouncing off one another in their personal quirks. That's actually the highlight of this trailer, IMHO. By the way, the trailer's already available on Netflix's official channel, in case you've missed it somehow.

But this is Marvel, and even if it's a TV divison, it's not their habit to not show exclusive footage for attendees. So they did, but rather than showing a clip or two, they actually screened the entirety of the first episode for the audience! This wasn't a new thing for Marvel TV, but THAT's what I call exclusive. Several sites have since published their early review for the mini-series after SDCC 2017 ended. These journalist have been allowed access to the first half, or first 4 episodes in advance. In general, they praised the chemistry between the heroes, one that rivaled even the Avengers. But they also unanimously pointed out that Marvel TV hasn't really learned from their mistake: it took TOO LONG to see them finally teaming up. Apparently, it will take a while to catch up with what they are doing after their respective series, which is a bit odd, since the benefit of Netflix is anyone can always re-watched those previous series anytime they want. Oh, and that Jones' Danny Rand is the weakest link and lamest part of the series.

Aaaah, yes, speaking of Rand, the panel delivered a news that I found to be... quite unbelieveable. "Iron Fist" is getting a Season 2. Yay... I guess? I'm quite shocked to see that Netflix actually has faith for this show, even if it's among the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for a TV show. And particularly, when other Netflix-exclusive shows with higher scores were getting cancelled one after another. It's pretty much the most hated entry of the Marvel Netflix-verse, and it... actually shows.

On the bright side (or... is it? Hmmmm), since the Unparalleled-Talent Scott Buck is busy ruini... I mean, messing aroun... er, WORKING with "The Inhumans", Raven Metzner of the recently cancelled (oh... no...) "Sleepy Hollow" has been assigned to take over as the new showrunner. That means we can at least expect some drastic improvement to the series. Perhaps, we'll be seeing the actual DRAGON (not bulbs) form of Shou-Lao? Lest we forget, "Sleepy Hollow" is an actual SUPERNATURAL show! Simone Missick's Misty Knight has even been hinted to be part of it, and hopefully form "Daughters of the Dragon" with Henwick's Colleen Wing. That fact alone is enough to make me rethink my decision to not give it a HUGE PASS prematurely.

On the down side? There goes my wish for a "Heroes for Hire" team-up. Even if it MIGHT end up happening in the future, perhaps as a direct continuation of both 2nd Seasons of "Luke Cage" and "Iron Fist", the soonest it would arrive is in 2019. I'm not even sure I'm still onboard with this Netflixverse when the time comes. Oh well, let's just worry and rant about that later. For now, we can anticipate to see Danny, along with the other Defenders very soon. All 8 episodes of "The Defenders" arrives on August 18th, 2017.

Avengers: Black Panther Quest

I actually didn't planned to venture into the Marvel Animation category, but since it has an interesting news, I've decided to include a quick one. Yes, the animation division took the Room 6A's stage on July 22nd, 12:30 PM PST, to talk about their future works. One of it, was of course the upcoming Marvel's "Spider-Man" series (premiered the next day, on July 23rd), that's clearly heavily inspired by "Spider-Man: Homecoming". What I didn't expect though, is that they've already announced a renewal the "Avengers Assemble" series! The current 4th Season entitled "Avengers: Secret Wars" had only started airing last month!

And yes, if the new announced subtitle wasn't clear enough for your, the 5th Season will be focused on T'Challa. Does this mean, he will be the leader of the New Avengers in the series? Or this new season will take place entirely in Wakanda, you know, as a synergy to the live action movie that will be premiered in the same year? I can't really tell. I even wonder why they aren't focusing with the Avengers, to coincide with "Avengers: Infinity War". Curious indeed...

LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes 2

One more side mission before we move on to the movies (which is arguably the best categories of all Marvel's participation in SDCC 2017, of course). It's... video game time again! The gang from TT Games this time, as they took over a July 22nd stage at Room 6A, on 01:45 PM PST. In their pannel, they delivered a brand new trailer that featured... Kang the Conqueror. Does this mean, the time-travelling super villain is the culprit behind the game's reality and timeline mash-up? Very likely. Can he top the menace of Galactus from the first game, though? We'll see. "LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes 2" will be released on November 14th, 2017.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Pheww, now we've arrived on the main menu, as Marvel Studios completed the July 22nd Marvel ride with their grand Hall H presentation starting on 05:30 PM PST. It started 15 minutes late though, due to previous panel running off schedule.

Sequel to 2015's beloved "Ant-Man" got the privilege to kickstart Marvel Studios' panel this year! And yes, that's the official title now. It's no longer "Ant-Man & the Wasp" like was shown in the Disney D23 Expo. Turns out that's merely a placeholder title. Unfortunately, the cast couldn't make it to SDCC 2017, because they are busy in Atlanta filming the movie. Actress Evangeline Lilly had already confirmed this via twitter when SDCC began. But that doesn't mean, it didn't bring anything to the panel. Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige himself delivered a humorous video by Paul Rudd and Michael Peña, to make up for their absence.

Rudd is a natural-born comedic (not to mention, charmingly adorable) actor, and Peña also has been hiding a bonafide comedic talent all these time (not to mention, equally adorable LOL). So obviously, this exclusive video that has them narrating Marvel Studios' movies since the first "Iron Man" was an easy crowd-pleasing hoot. You've really got to hand it to these guys, because reading the description (via ComingSoon live blog) alone was already making me giggling like crazy. All those meta jokes! Seriously, if there's any exclusive footage from this panel I ever want Marvel to release online, it's definitely THIS one.

But best of all, just like any Marvel Studios' movie, even this footage brought a twist of its own. Because it was later revealed that the duo was NOT dishing out this Marvel Cinematic Universe 'recap' to the SDCC audience (of course they are, but you know the drill). Nope, apparently they were 'educating' a third person in front of them, which was... Michelle Pfeiffer!!! ...Who was officially unveiled to be playing Janet van Dyne. SAY WHAAAT??!!! Dang, this was definitely the coolest casting reveal that the studio ever pulled off. Nope, make that 'yet another cool reveal', because remember when Chadwick Boseman was announced as T'Challa? Or Josh Brolin as Thanos? Last year's Brie Larson? Yessss... Marvel Studios is indeed the king of showmanship. No wonder their Hall H panel is always highly anticipated. In case you're not Marvel educated, Janet is the wife of Michael Douglas' Hank Pym, and the mother of Lilly's Hope van Dyne/Pym. Similar to Pym, she was the original Wasp before the suit was naturally passed down to Hope. She was absent in the first movie, because she was lost in the Quantum Realm, and the subplot between Hank and Hope in that movie was the side-effect to that incident. In the comics, her Wasp was the actual founder of the Avengers! Getting Pfeiffer to portray her is a dream come true for fans, and also the actors. Marvel Studios had truly done it again!

That's not all. There's another surprise from this movie. Feige confirmed that both Hannah John-Kamen and Walton Goggins are in the movie, and they are playing comic book character. The former is a famous Marvel antagonist called the Ghost (who as far as I know of, is never unmasked in the comics), while the latter plays Sonny Burch, a CEO of Cross Corporation with connection to... Obadiah Stane. Ouucch!! He already screams antagonist for me. But wait, there's another one, and it's the famous... Laurence Fishburne! Guess who he's playing? Dr. William Foster, a.k.a the superhero Black Goliath. I know that Foster's name has come up in the rumor circuit prior to SDCC, but who would've imagined Marvel Studios would be getting Fishburne to play him. After "Doctor Strange", and then "Black Panther" with their stellar casting, now this movie joined the parade with its truly giant cast!

According to Feige, MCU's Foster will be Michael Douglas' Hank Pym associate. Easy money says that he's the one responsible for Rudd's Scott Lang's Giant-Man ability in "Captain America: Civil War". Perhaps, that stunt displeased Foster, and caused a rift between him and Pym? Goodness, the potential for drama is exciting! And speaking of Pym, could we be seeing him donning the shrinking suit into action? Recent behind the scene reports seem to be hinting that direction. Imagine how great it would be, if he's using Darren Cross' Yellowjacket costume. That would be a neat faithful nod to the source material! Beside, the movie can even debut their own size-shifting Avengers team, assuming Foster gets to suit up as Goliath as well.

The first official concept art poster courtesy of Andy Park, was later released on the Marvel booth. And it was amazing! Lang is clearly Giant-Man, adding further connection to Foster's inclusion in the movie, while Lilly's Hope van Dyne shows her moxie as the fierce superheroine Wasp. Gotta love that new hairdo too! I personally loved the first movie, and I'm totally crossing my fingers that this sequel will more amazing. "Ant-Man and the Wasp" arrives on July 6th, 2018.

Captain Marvel

"Captain Marvel" was up next, and boy... this one sure unleashed its own might. Still flying solo without the accompaniment of any cast members (since only one has been cast), Feige unveiled a few concept arts from the movie, starting with one of Brie Larson's costume. It was faithful to the modern comics' version, but has some tactical elements that resemble those of Captain America's suit. That fan-artist rendition that hit the internet long ago? That was almost accurate.

He then confirmed the report that Samuel L. Jackson will be reprising his role as Nick Fury in the movie... but with both eyes open. Wait, how? Does he get an eye implant or something? Courtesy of Tony Stark, perhaps? Nope. Because the movie will be set in... the 1990s. This reveal undoubtedly sent tidal wave of surprise throughout the audience, as well as the internet. But it got even better, when Feige unveiled that Larson's Carol Danvers will be dealing with... the Skrulls. This namedropping was purely unexpected, because many (including yours truly) thought that the shape-shifting alien-race belongs to FOX, having been heavily associated with their Fantastic Four franchise. And Feige was not lying, because a concept art of the antagonistic species was then shown to the attendees. It IS indeed the Skrulls! Feige later hinted that the movie will address why this alien race hasn't been seen until now.

Fans of the comics would easily understand the connection to Skrulls and Captain Marvel. Danvers received her powers from Mar-Vell, who is a Kree alien. And the Kree and Skrulls have been fighting wars against each other for centuries. Interestingly, this whole reveal has raised numerous questions among the fanbase. Like: Why the Skrulls? Does this mean, the origin story secretly serves like a pseudo-"Secret Invasion" movie? Does this mean, among the characters we've seen until now, some of them might NOT be the real ones, and purely Skrull disguises? Or does this serve as a hint, that the 2019 Avengers movie will in fact be... "Avengers: Secret Invasion"? More importantly, if Carol Danvers has been active since the 90s, WITH her cosmic powers and all... why hasn't she been around? What has she been doing in almost 30 years? Why didn't Fury call her when Loki rained down Chitauri in 2009 (Fun Fact: "The Avengers" was set a year after "Iron Man")? And also... why is she NOT part of "Infinity War"? Or... she is? Hmmmm...

So many questions, and still 1,5 years for answers. If you ask me, then my personal speculation is... Danvers is basically NOT on Earth. Perhaps, in the aftermath of her solo movie, she was given a mission deep in space? Perhaps she joins the Kree and help fight the Skrulls... in their home planet? Or perhaps... captured? Or... have fun and funky galactic adventures? The temporal differences between Earth and other planet, will provide a valid science that she's aging slower. Perhaps, one hour there, is one year on Earth? Through this scenario, she'll work as the second Captain America figure, being 'lost in time'. Even better, she could have lost her powers all these years, which has happened before in the comics, and Fury helps her to regain her power in "Avengers 4". What I'm trying to say is, this fascinating choice of setting just opens up worlds of possibilities. "Captain Marvel" is set to start production early next year in California, and will arrive on March 8th, 2019. And just be honest, we are all intrigued about it, right? *grins*

There's a quick break following this part of the panel, because SDCC director of programming Eddie Ibrahim arrived on stage to deliver a surprise. Yes, just like Jeph Loeb, Kevin Feige was awarded an "Inkpot Award" for achievements in movies. No offense to the other guy, but this one is far more appropriate IMHO. Not only Feige has delivered the first fully-working Cinematic Universe in Hollywood, producing beloved critically-acclaimed movies every year, his move has inspired other studios to... create their own Cinematic Universe. That's a massive accomplishment, if you ask me, and he clearly deserves it. So bravo, Feige, hope you'll keep on working in the MCU for more many years to come.

Thor: Ragnarok

After the dust had settled, and cheering crowd had subsided, Feige and moderator Chris Hardwick continued the presentation by summoning... the Asgardians to the stage. Director Taika Waititi arrived with lead actor Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and surprise addition in Rachel House. By the way, this was likely just a small set of core cast members, because there might be more actors having brief supporting roles in the movie. Considering Waititi is famous for his eccentric style of comedy, this part of the panel... was another round of hoot. Hemsworth said that he's bored after playing the same character five times, and wanted to... push himself. Either that's the truth or a joke, is rather unclear. Waititi then replied that he decided to tackle this movie, to help 'a friend in need', which was a fun jab towards Hemsworth. Blanchett added, that she also got the part because she lives in the same continent to Waititi. LOL. Then came Urban, who's a fellow New Zealander to Waititi, with another Australian neighbour joke.

Ruffalo revealed that his green giant persona Hulk prefers to stays that way, and not return into puny Bruce Banner in this movie. Hiddleston said that ever since the ending of "Thor: The Dark World", his Loki has been masquerading as the All Father Odin. That proved to ignite problem, particularly with Blanchett's Hela. Goldblum confirmed that his character The Grandmaster, is the brother of Benicio del Toro's The Collector. They are the oldest being of the universe. His tournament on Planet Sakaar? It is called... "Contest of Champions". Hulk is his champion, and Thor will be called "Lord of Thunder" in the ring. House, also a New Zealander (she voiced Gramma Tala in Disney's "Moana", in case her name sounds familiar) is a frequent collaborator of Waititi. In this movie, she played the assistant of The Grandmaster, named Topaz. Apparently, her character has some hidden beef with the other assistant, who is Thompson's Valkyrie. Thompson also teased the enigmatic nature of her character.

The cast kept bouncing off one another. So suffice to say, it sounded like a fun and warm set of people, that you totally want to hang out with. Just look at the photos of them on stage, and one can easily tell that seeing Hemsworth bromancing with Ruffalo and Waititi was indeed a delight. And the chemistry between these cast members easily infected the movie itself, as proven by several exclusive footages from the movie, exclusively shown for the attendees. The first showed Thor's first meeting with The Grandmaster. He then was tossed into a holding cell, where he encountered Korg, a rock-shaped character with a gentle voice, who was played by Waititi himself. The last footage, showed Thor's first encounter with Hulk in the arena. That last one then transitioned into a new trailer, that has since been made available online via Marvel Entertainment.

That trailer was pure amazing, it brought Hall H to their feet. It confirmed the appearance of both Fenris Wolf and Surtur, as both of them will be dealt by Ruffalo's Hulk. If in "Spider-Man: Homecoming", Michael Keaton had his Adrian Toomes so grounded that he felt like that ordinary neighbour you occasionally ran into every now and then, Cate Blanchett gets to hamm it up with so much sass and slurr for Hela, to the point of turning her into genuine scary and intimidating. The bromancing rivalry between Thor and Hulk, would easily be the gem of the movie. But what I truly love about this trailer, is the vibrant vivid colors that made your eyes glare in awe. Yes, not unlike that psychedelic new official poster. Thor might have had a rough time with his first two solo movies, but this time around, he (and Team Thor) seems to be having lots of fun and a blast. Even Variety has included this panel as one of their best highlight of this year's SDCC.

One last thing, Collider caught up with Waititi after the panel, and asked some bits about the movie. It was there that Waititi revealed, that "Thor: Ragnarok" might be... the SHORTEST MCU movie to date. He stated that "The cut right now, I reckon it’s about 100 minutes. It’s not gonna be a very, very long film. I think that stories are better when you leave them wanting more, and this film moves at a clip, it’s got stuff happening all the time. I think people are still gonna feel exhausted by the end, they’ve been on this big journey and stuff, so I don’t think we need the film to be three hours.". But rest assured, because he said that there would be plenty of "Great scenes. Funny, funny moments" that will go as 'Deleted Scenes' in the home video version. For now, look forward to the movie itself in theatres, November 3rd, 2017.

Black Panther

As the Asgardians exited stage right, a horde of Wakandan claimed their land!

Ryan Coogler brought his A-list stars to the stage. Lead actor Chadwick Boseman lead the pack of Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and two veteran actors in Andy Serkis, and Forest Whitaker. Coogler opened up about his first experience with the character Black Panther, admitting that he's usually on the other side of the panel, sitting as audience (he did, he was present during WB's panel). Similar to the "Thor: Ragnarok" side, each actor shared their experience in the movie, as well as tidbits of their character. Jordan in particular, revealed that his Erik Killmonger returned to Wakanda, to reclaim her role as a Prince. And why is that? Because the movie will be set directly after the fallout of "Captain America: Civil War". So in a way, similar in timeline to "Spider-Man: Homecoming". With King T'Chaka gone, turmoils began to grow from the inside, as Boseman's T'Challa isn't deemed ready to be a king. Perhaps, a consequence of to his avenging stint in "Civil War"?

Coogler then delivered a completely exclusive footage, that was only shown for the SDCC 2017 attendees. The first one featured a James Bond-esque operation, where T'Challa, escorted by Nyong'o's Nakia and Gurira's Okoye, attempted to take down Serkis' Ulyssess Klaue who has been smuggling Vibranium from Wakanda. Clearly, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" was the solid proof to that. As well as Klaue's prosthetic hand, of course. Martin Freeman's Everett Ross was involved in this scene, as he hillariously screamed himself into hiding. Another footage showed T'Challa, suited up as the Black Panther, in an epic car chase. Wright's Shuri was also seen designing and perhaps weaponizing the Panther suit. Killmonger, was also seen donning his own black/gold color battle suit.

The entire footage had the audience floored, as they immediately jumped to their feet to praise and cheer as soon as it ended. Not just them, the cast hasn't had the chance to see it either. So the stage equally erupted in joy and thrills, as each cast members began embracing one another, celebrating the massive work they've just witnessed. The reaction was magical if you ask me, but also completely real that it actually moved me the first time I saw it. The expression of joy and achievement was genuine! Suffice to say, it was special, and the movie IS going to be special. Not unlike that grand looking poster that was handed out for each attendees.

Obviously, I couldn't commented more since that footage was exclusive for SDCC audience. Yet it's more than clear, that Coogler, his actors, and Marvel Studios weren't playing around. Having long standing ovation was a true sign of greatness, and I hope this movie is as worthy as T'Challa to be the king. Let's cross our fingers, with the hopes that that truly will be the case. "Black Panther" arrives in February 16th, 2018.

Avengers: Infinity War

After a brief teasing by Feige, director Joe Russo appeared on stage to wrap up the panel. He delivered the official trailer for "Infinity War", that had previously been screened to the D23 Expo audience. Remember, the attendees of SDCC 2017 Hall H might not be the same 6500-7000 people. I believe only a very a small portion of those audience showed up in both events, and they are mostly journalists. The reaction on Hall H, was pretty much the same, as everyone got carried away emotionally. It was a perfect way to end the successful panel.

On the other hand, the reaction online was... somewhat opposite. Some fans immediately began complaining because unlike another studio (like... WB?), Marvel Studios did not release this trailer online. A leaked trailer has even surfaced for a few span of time on social media! Yes, this IS the internet we're talking about, so I'm not even surprised. But honestly? I think this was still NOT a good attitude. A bit unfair, even. When you think about the effort and hardship the SDCC attendees had to endure, spending all those long hours lining up, just to be a part of a giant panel like Marvel Studios'? It would make sense that they are given an exclusive first look for the trailer, right? And that's precisely what Marvel Studios was doing. HAS been doing for years, to be precise.

Unlike other studio that instantly released the footage online, Feige and his team were treating their guests as VIP customers. Thus allowing them to experience exclusive footages first hand, meeting the cast, and receiving official posters. Logically speaking, that was actually something to be applauded for. Beside, as I said last week... I'm not sure my heart is literally ready to see "Infinity War" trailer just yet. I did check out that poor-quality leak, but immediately stopped halfway because I couldn't handle it. This movie might signal an end of an era, and it might also be the final time we'll be seeing some of our favorite characters in the big screen. So yeah, to be completely honest... I'm VERY anxious about it instead. I would rather see that comedic Rudd x Peña video over such suspense!

Regardless, there was one thing that I actually felt disappointed about. In a way, I was half-expecting some if not all of cast to show up, just like what happened in Disney D23 Expo (that was just 1/3 of them all, apparently). Perhaps, the then-absent actors like Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and more would take turn and showed up this time. Especially when we realize the fact that "Infinity War" will be released a few months BEFORE the next SDCC next year. Such a wasted of opportunity, right? Alas, that's not the case, so my wish of seeing another massive photoshoot of the cast like last year was too good to be true. Oh well, I guess I'll have to make do with the Asgardians meet Wakandans family photo above. Can't help but wonder though, is Marvel Studios going to held an exclusive private event prior to the movie's release? Next year's the studio's official 10-Year Anniversary celebration, so it would be cool to see all the cast reunited in one huge gala. That might be a bit of tall order, eh? LOL.

Anyways, we did get a few bits and teases about the movie after the panel. That's because the directors and cast members had a quick interview session with the journalists, as has always been the case. Boseman said, that Black Panther will be an important factor in the movie. According to Joe, the movie's final act will be so massive, that he considered it to be a staggering level of scale. He also revealed the necessity of the Black Order, as they serve as some sort of mini-bosses prior to Thanos. At the same time, he's also hoping Thanos would be the new Darth Vader for the modern era.

Oh and yeah, the movie might be among the longest MCU movie to date. "The current cut is over 2 ½, yes. Most of it is a movie you can show. Still a lot of work left to be done... It's certainly going to be a film that lives in the two and a half, two and a half plus range", he said. Make perfect sense really, since it will be dealing with soooo many characters. Even that special SDCC interconnected posters (courtesy of Ryan Meinerding) felt jammed-packed with characters (I didn't see Ant-Man though, I wonder why). We can even expect "Avengers 4" to be the same, since it will also be packed with LOTS of characters. Wow, I need to take a deep breath just hearing that! "Avengers: Infinity War" will be released on May 4th, 2018. I hope when the time comes, my heart would be ready... *sigh*

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furederiko · 7 years

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Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 was held on June 13-15 in Los Angeles, USA. Meaning, it has once again come and gone, and now comes the time to talk about some of its biggest news (ones that matters to me, at least). That's right, it's a Video-Game Special Random-News-Digest this time around...

NOTE: In general, the topics below are categorized under the company that released them. But in some cases, they go by their separate franchises instead. And one more thing, this was supposed to go up yesterday, precisely one day after E3 2017 ended. BUT... due to unexpected technical issues (internet connection, and... my health), I had no choice but to postpone it. Better late than never, I guess... *sigh*

Marvel vs Capcom

Let's kick this off with a collaboration of Marvel and CAPCOM. Aside from another "Monster Hunter" title that I honestly couldn't care less, "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" was one of CAPCOM's big showcase this year. Remember that leak that arrived earlier this month, the one that spoiled the game's roster? Looks like that report might be true after all. CAPCOM has officially unveiled several more playable characters: the Marvel side has been added by Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange, cosmic warrior Nova, assassin Gamora, and the Mad Titan Thanos; while the CAPCOM side was expanded by silver haired Dante of the original "Devil May Cry" (so NOT the latest reboot "DmC"), Zero from "Rockman X" series, cyborg Spence of "Bionic Commando", and goofy knight Arthur from the action comedy franchise "Ghosts 'n Goblins". Considering all eight of these names fit that roster report, I'm pretty sure the credibility of that leak has been confirmed. Everyone was revealed through the new Story trailer, that also announced that a Story Demo has been made available to those who want to experience the game first-hand. You can also check out some of these characters in action, as well as possible in-game pairings (like Gamora-Strider, Strange-Arthur, and so on), through the official gameplay video.

As I've commented on my previous R-N-D, most of the names (with the exception of two) revealed here are 'has been' characters. So while some people were happy about them, many were equally disappointed, which isn't good considering the internet hasn't been kind towards this title. An issue that stemmed from public's disappointments to "Street Fighter V", really. Thankfully, there was one pleasant surprise that came along with this trailer. And it's Black Panther! Those X-Men enthusiasts who cried foul when Wolverine is omitted from the game, can stop whining because the character officially has a replacement now. I'm pretty confident that Panther is going to share a similar 'slash and dice' movesets, if not simply a re-skin version. Panther's inclusion made a lot of sense, considering his first-ever solo movie is arriving in February 2018. The same logic goes to Thanos, as "Avengers: Infinity War" that will put him in the spotlight will arrive a few months after in May. And thanks to Thanos' importance in the story mode, now I understand why Gamora (who shares a famillial link) is necessary to be included in the core cast. Somehow I suspect she's going to be a re-skin of Jill Valentine though, and that might be an issue. Speaking of problem, Panther's not among the core roster. He will be part of the upcoming 6 character DLCs that already includes Ultron and Sigma, though seemingly will be available on launch as part of the 'Deluxe Edition'. And since we already have Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, and also Groot (who has been confirmed to be an official assist of Rocket, as they come in one package), I wouldn't be surprised if Star-Lord will follow suit among this DLC wagon as well.

Story is usually not a fighting game's forte. Even the seamless touch of "Mortal Kombat" couldn't hide the fact that it's... ridiculous at best. And well... this one is no different. Jugding from the trailer, this game seems to rely heavily on the Infinity Stones, or as Captain America suggested, "Infinite Six". Again, it also makes sense, due to the movie based on it happening in less than a year. After all, why would the title even bothered to have 'Infinite' as the sub-title, if that's not the whole point, right? The universe-shattering plot somehow reminded me of "Street Fighter V" all over again, which wasn't that great. So I'm not too sure CAPCOM will be able to pull this 'cinematic experience' off into something significantly better. The CAPCOM characters already felt... what's the word... out of place? And yikes, what happened to Chun-Li?! Subjectively speaking, she's not as 'ugly' as NetherRealm Studios' design for female characters, but I've certainly seen the Chinese Interpol agent in a much better shape before! On the other hand, never thought I'm gonna say this, but Thanos totally kicked-ass with his Infinity Gauntlet. Getting me more and more excited for the "Infinity War" movie, which might be the other primary goal of this game from the very beginning.

I don't know what you think, but overall this game doesn't look half bad. The design might need some getting used to, but I think it feels closer and closer to the previous 3 titles the more I see it. Unfortunately, as I've said before, the general sentiment of this game is definitely leaning on the side of negative. Fans who have 'tasted' the Story Demo have expressed a similar pessimistic tone as well. With a release date crawling closer and closer, how would CAPCOM react to this? I guess we'll just have to wait and see when the game is officially launched. "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on September 19.

Sonic the Hedgehog

SEGA released a new trailer for "Sonic Forces", and this time around, they introduced the set of villains that Modern, Classic and Custom Sonic will be teaming up to face. I was already sold by the inclusion of a Custom character, but seeing all those arch-nemesises in one place just turned me into... a pure happy camper. And that's not all, because a new powerful and mysterious enemy will be joining, if not commanding them. Infinite, no relations to the above category, will be teaming up with Doctor Ivo Robotnik/Eggman (from... duh, almost every game?), Metal Sonic (who debuted on "Sonic CD"), Chaos (of "Sonic Adventure"), Shadow the Hedgehog (of "Sonic Adventure 2"), and Zavok (from the recent "Sonic Lost World") to take over the world. Seriously, that new villain looks scary, and he's totally stealing my attention. Dang it, I totally wish I can play this game. There's no release date so far, but "Sonic Forces" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC this holiday.

Dragon Ball

I actually couldn't care less about any "Dragon Ball"-based games beyond the ones released during the 90s, but this one... "Dragon Ball FighterZ"? This totally got my attention! Indeed, it was that good, that it was stealing many E3 attendee's attention with its high speed action, flashy moves, and colorful anime graphics. For some reason, the "Marvel vs Capcom" style felt strong in this, to the point that many people have come to loving this more than that franchise's upcoming release. Ironic, huh? I guess nostalgia does play a crucial factor...

This title is under Bandai Namco, but developed by Arc System Works, and somehow was leaked a few days ahead of its planned official reveal. The latter is the company that is known for franchises like "BlazBlue", "Guilty Gear", and also the "Naruto" series. But unlike the Naruto ones that went full-on 3D style, this one utilized a 2.5D style, which once again, is the right call! Why? The development is in 3D, which as producer Tomoko Hiroki has confirmed, makes some technical elements much easier to pull off, but the visual is of 2D animation. And I say, not just that. "Dragon Ball" IS and has always been an anime, thus the anime style is definitely the way to go when it comes to adapting Son Goku and other character of the long-running franchise. It also easily reminded me of those classic "Dragon Ball" fighting game I used to play on my SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive with my family. Aaah, the good 'ol times when the world was still kind, and people hasn't been corrupted by the irony called... growing up.

The game's official reveal trailer only included 6 characters so far: Son Goku, Vegeta, (child) Son Gohan, Cell, Frieza, and Majin Buu. But since the game will be based on the whole "Dragon Ball Z" arc, it's obvious we'll be seeing many more characters like the twins Android 17 and Android 18, Krillin, (future and child) Trunks, and even Son Goten. Especially with Bandai Namco stressing out that "famous scenes from the Dragon Ball anime reproduced in 60 frames per second and 1080p resolution.". A closed beta demo will be held on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One before the end of summer, so fans who are intrigued to give this game a shot, just need to wait a bit longer. For the time being, we can indulge ourselves with several gameplay videos taken as direct-feed from the E3 hall. You can visit Gematsu (HERE, and HERE) to view them. "Dragon Ball FighterZ" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC worldwide in early 2018.

Nintendo

Contrary to previous report, Nintendo did take the stage this year, as they announced numerous exciting titles that made MAAANY people happy. Not a surprise as well, because Nintendo Switch was just released 4 months ago, and there haven't been many softwares to complement the hybrid console.

Let's start with what's probably the biggest signature title for Switch. A game that IGN has even crowned to be the "Game of Show", "Best Platformer", and "Best Nintendo Switch Game" of E3 2017. It's none other than... "Super Mario Oddysey"! In this game, players will take Mario on a globe-trotting 3D adventure to collect Moons, a fuel for the airship 'Oddysey' that is necessary to rescue Prince Peach from Bowser. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. How many effing times do Mario needs to walk through the same scenario, right? But never mind that, because this game looked super fun.

I haven't purchased Switch yet, but even I'm already itching to play this game. For so many reasons. That great and catchy theme song that made me dancing like a child. That white broadway top-hat, or Mexican sombrero? And Mario 'possessing' practically any living beings around him with a cap throw? Dang it, if only I can play it right NOW. This looked a lot like "Super Mario Galaxy" on Wii, but with its own... spin. Get it? Here, just take a look at its reveal trailer, or the gameplay videos (available on Gematsu), and tell me if you're not easily charmed by this game. Because if you're not, then I seriously pity your sad childhood (just kidding, no need for death threat!). "Super Mario Odyssey" will launch on October 27th, 2017... only on Nintendo Switch.

The second Switch game for Mario is "Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle", that combines the world of Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom, with Ubisoft's "Rabbids" franchise. Yep, this worst-kept secret collaboration title has been developed by Ubisoft, hence why I don't give the company their own exclusive category (because its content will be separated in two). In this game, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and also Yoshi will join forces with their four... Rabbids dopplegangers, to journey four different worlds, in the hope of restoring order to The Mushroom Kingdom. I'm personally NOT a fan of the Rabbids, but even this crossover game looked FUN. And beyond that, according to IGN it has a deep strategic battle system too. But more importantly, this game also proved that Nintendo is becoming more open to allow other developers to use their properties. A fact that inspires great potentials and possibilities in the future. You can watch the official announcement trailer on Youtube, as well as a Development Diary for the game. Gematsu also had 21 minutes of gameplay from the E3 floor, so go ahead and visit the site. "Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle" will be released for Nintendo Switch on August 29th, 2017.

More Mario? Yes... more Mario! Announced during Nintendo's E3 2017 Treehouse live stream, "Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions" is a renewed classic that will arrive on October 6th, 2017 exclusively for Nintendo 3DS. In this game, rather than trying to battle Bowser, the Mario Bros are teaming up WITH Bowser to restore Princess Peach's voice. Visit Youtube for the official trailer, and also Gematsu for 25 minutes of gameplay videos. Wow, Mario is killing it, huh? Nope, not just him, his green dinosaur friend Yoshi is also getting his own Switch game! Conveniently titled as "Yoshi", the 2D side-scrolling adventure will see Yoshi exploring a world of miniature diorama filled with flip-ping surprises. Go ahead and watch the trailer and have your mind... flipped. LOL. "Yoshi" will be released in 2018.

What about other franchises, you wonder? Well, ask and you shall receive! In list form... LOL - The honestly weird-looking "Arms", is getting rave reviews. It's ridiculous fun, even with its lack in the story department as well as... logic. It might look simple, but it has a startling amount of depth that will wow anyone. Many are saying that this will be a hit for families entertainment, and the game is already hitting the market with a DLC already announced. - Fans of the "Metroid" series will also get their share of excitement. "Metroid Prime 4" has been announced for Switch. There's no release date for now, but I'm sure information about that will come in the near future. The same can't be said about "Metroid: Samus Returns" though. A 3D polygon remake of Game Boy classic "Metroid II: The Return of Samus", the title will be officially released for 3DS on September 15th, 2017. - The pink ball Kirby also gets Switch-ed, in the equally conveniently named "Kirby". Kirby will be adventuring in a party of four, which means up to 4 players can play this game together. Don't forget to check out its Hollywood style trailer! "Kirby" doesn't have a release date yet, but is set to be released in 2018. - And "Skyrim" fans? You got it! Complete with amiibo support and Legend of Zelda skins...

As you can see, the library of Switch is expanding like crazy, and it's an exciting turn around especially compared to what happened to Wii U. Those who have purchased this hybrid console since day one, no longer has to worry about not having a game to play. And for those who haven't had a chance to do so... well, the more the reason to get a Nintendo Switch, right? *grins*

Pocket Monsters

Are you among those who are waiting for a core Pokemon title on Switch? And you were disappointed when "Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon" was announced for 3DS instead of the rumored "Pokemon Stars"? Well, turns out you only need to wait... a little bit longer. The Pokemon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara officially announced that Game Freak has begun developing a core RPG title for Nintendo Switch! So it is indeed happening, folks! He added though, that the title "may not release for more than a year, but we hope you will look forward to it all the same", hence why I told you to wait. Then again, more than a year from now can also mean... it MIGHT arrive on November 2018, right? Wow, I'm getting excited for no reason... LOL.

In a way, this announcement has also partially confirmed that the Switch is indeed the officiall replacement of 3DS. Moreso, and this is just a wild guess, but likely the rumor about "Pokemon Stars" was actually referring to this particular development, instead of the recently announced extension of "Pokemon Sun & Moon". Either way, this is a great news, because we're finally getting what many Pokemon fans have been dreaming: a chance to play a Pokemon RPG on the TV screen! How is that possible, you dare ask? DUH, Switch is a hybrid console that enables that! Of course, this also works wonder to Switch itself, because quoting my own words from last week: "The hybrid console is definitely in need of a fan favorite franchise like Pokemon to attract more players". Yes, the E3 announcement for those Mario titles and many others have shut down the public concern of 'Switch is lacking of exclusive game titles'. But having a Pokemon RPG on Switch, will undeniably attract Pokemon fans who are still on the fence to purchase the console and help boost its sales. Want prove? That's easy, because mark my word, I'm TOTALLY getting a Switch (sooner or later) just for this! *geeks out*

By the way, technically speaking, this section should've been part of the Nintendo category. But since it has already established its own category (in various form of medias) for such a long time, I've decided to put it separately.

Assassin's Creed

At long last, Ubisoft officially unveiled "Assassin's Creed: Origins" during Microsoft's E3 2017 stage. It was certainly not a surprise announcement, considering the title was already leaked since May. More than that, a Game Informer coverage was already leaked ahead of E3, officially spilling the beans in a non-official manner. Ouch! Someone at Game Informer is going to get fired...

Confirming the rumor, the new game will take place in Egypt, and as the title suggest, will be telling about the founding of the Assassin's Brotherhood. The main character (but not the only playable one) will be Bayek, a protector of the land whose story will be root of the Creed. Since the game takes place in the ancient Egypt during Cleopatra's reign, we can expect to see Great Pyramids, mythologies, pharaohs, and many other awesome bits from the country's history. Eventhough this game has been in production before the infamous "Assassin's Creed Unity", it will have a new free-form combat system with new A.I., revamped narrative experience and freedom to choose quests, an entire country to full explore, while still retaining and improving the series existing signatures like puzzles, Eagle Vision (through an Eagle named the Senu this time), stealth, that annoying climbing, Naval adventures, and many others. You can check out the official reveal trailer on Youtube, a Gameplay Demo, coverage by Game Informer, as well as a "Mysteries of Ancient Egypt" that gave additional details about the game.

There are several version of the game that fans can purchase. First is the "Deluxe Edition" that contains the game, printed version of the hand-drawn world map, soundtrack, and Digital Deluxe Pack. Second is the "Gold Edition", that adds a Season Pass for upcoming expansions and equipments. There are also the "Collector's Edition", "Dawn of the Creed Collector's Edition", and the special "Dawn of the Creed Legendary Collector's Edition". That last one will add a highly detailed resin statue of Bayek and Senu, The Collector's Certificate of Authenticity, replica of Bayek's eagle skull amulet, two Steelbooks, and four large lithographs signed by the studio artists. This limited edition (only 999 units for worldwide sale) is already available for pre-order exclusively on Ubisoft store for $799,9. As the pricing suggest, this is totally for that devoted fan with plenty of money to spare! *sigh*. Visit Gematsu for further details of these items. "Assassin's Creed: Origins" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 27th, 2017.

Square Enix

The company brought their top franchise to the convention this year. Several new iterations of "Final Fantasy XV" were announced during the event, while new development on the highly anticipated "Kingdom Hearts III" was also revealed elsewhere.

Second DLC episode for "Final Fantasy XV", one that will focus on Prompto Argentum's solo adventure will be launched on June 27th, 2017, alongside the "Regalia Type-D" update (brings greater freedom to drive Regalia off-road). Just like the first that featured Gladioulus as the central character (released back in March), "Episode Prompto" will likely take place in between the infamous Chapter 13 of the main game as well. If Gladioulus was a hack and slash action genre, then apparently Prompto will take on a first-person shooter experience. Makes sense, really, considering his signature weapon of choice. You can check out a six minutes gameplay video of this DLC on Youtube.

Expanding the "FF XV Universe", two more extension games have been announced. The first one was "Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV", that will be available for PlayStation VR. It's a... fishing game, that let players explore oceans, lakes, ponds, and rivers alongside Noctis and his friends. Clearly based on one of the main game's mini-mission, the game will be launched in September. For now, you can view the official trailer to know that I'm not at all kidding. The second was "King's Knight: Wrath of the Dark Dragon", which apparently is an action RPG. This one's an App game, and will be released on iOS and Android later this year. I can't see the relation of this title with the main game, but I'm sure Final Fantasy fans will dig it like crazy anyway, right? Last but not least, the main game will soon have a major update to support Microsoft's new console. One which I will talk about at the end of this post. "Final Fantasy XV" is available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

As for "Kingdom Hearts III", Square Enix debuted a new trailer during the "Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour". Compared to the "Final Fantasy" one, I personally liked this one better. But while the game looked great, the story seemed to have gotten... even more confusing by and by. Apparently, Hades, Maleficent, and Pete are looking for a Black Box or something, while lead character Sora alongside buddies Donald Duck and Goofy want to bring Roxas to reality, with a certain 'dire cost'. I recall only getting to the second game, thus never experienced the Nintendo DS ones to even have a clue of what's going on. Still, the charm of this series is the various Disney/Squaresoft worlds, and at the end of this trailer, Square Enix officially announced that new information will be delivered at the Disney D23 Expo 2017 on July 15th, 2017. That means there will be new worlds to explore, and I bet it will involve recent released titles like "Frozen", "Moana", and/or "Big Hero 6". "Kingdom Hearts III" is still under development, and hasn't gotten a release date, but is likely to arrive in 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Taiko no Tatsujin

The latest iteration of the "Taiko Drum Master" series, the "Taiko no Tatsujin: Session de Dodon ga Don!" has been announced on Famitsu Magazine. The game will have a special jam session against other player's musical performance data, that can even be achieved when they are not actually available online. This game will include over 70 songs that cover from famous Japanese classic anime songs, classic orchestral musics, recent tunes from the J-Pop circle, up to modern hypes like the "Pen-Pineapple Apple-Pen". A teaser website has been opened by Bandai Namco, that revealed a special feature to play the game alongside popular characters from Japanese shows. Development has reached 80% and the game is set to be released for PlayStation 4 later this year.

Spider-Man

As proven by their smartphones games like "Future Fight" and "Contest of Champions", or the collaboration with CAPCOM that I've talked about above, Marvel is ramping up on their video game divison. And the one I'm going to talk about here, is their collaboration with Insomniac Games, in form of the non-nonsense titled "Marvel's Spider-Man". It is best known as "Spider-Man PS4" though, because as the nickname suggests, it will be exclusively released on PlayStation 4. And well, since SONY is the copyright owner of the Spider-Man franchise, it's not really much of a surprise huh?

A special 9 minutes gameplay video has been released to give players a sense of what to expect from this game. My reaction? If you're eager to see how Spider-Man gets trapped in a Rocksteady's Arkham game, then this is easily your answer. The whole stalking, cinematic quick-time sequences, as well as exciting one-vs-many combat totally reminded me of those Rocksteady titles. But instead of Batman and his vast array of gadgets, we have Spider-Man and his iconic humor, jokes, acrobatic movesets, and... gadgets in his place. Creative director Bryan Intihar also described the footage in details, through PS4's official blog. It seems Spidey will 'cooperate' with Wilson Fisk, to deal with the Inner Demons gang, who works under Martin Li or Mr. Negative. He will be exploring an open-world of New York to deal with super villains as well as personal matters.

Honestly, I'm not too keen on the human character design, as well as the first suit that has too much white. But this certainly caught my attention. Heck, I think every Marvel fans would be amazed by this. In fact, this game has been confirmed to include additional Spidey suits, as well as multiple Spider-Man characters, meaning there's more to it than what we've seen so far. With strong emphasis on story, it's not a joke that IGN has awarded it as "Best PS4 Game" as well as "Best Action Game" of E3 2017. Here's hoping the actual game will be as good as, if not better than this achievement suggested. "Spider-Man" will be released in 2018.

LEGO Games

New characters have been announced for "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2"! Giant teleportation mutt Lockjaw, and Inhumans Queen Medusa have officially entered the game alongside Agent Venom. As to be expected, the whole roster of Guardians of the Galaxy have also been confirmed to be playable in this second game, because the story will pick up directly where the previous title left off. Not to mention tying in to this year's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" movie. There weren't many details offered for this game, because likely TT Games and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment is saving more reveals to be delivered on Disney D23. For now, you can watch various gameplays through the official LEGO presentation stream on Youtube. "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2" will launch for all consoles on November 14th, 2017.

Professor Layton

Following last month's reveal of the first episode of "Layton's Mistery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy", LEVEL-5 celebrated E3 2017 with with details for the second one. Episode 02, entitled "Song of a Certain Love: Riverside Festival" will focus on the town's tradition of confessing love from opposite sides of River Thames. One that is called "Riverside Confession Show". The legend told that the couple who engaged in that would die unnatural death. But this time, contrary to the annual festive that usually went victim-less, two young people actually get killed! An event that shakes the town, for better or worse. I found the premise of this episode to be exciting, because it means Katrielle isn't just a run-of-the-mill detective in this game. She's going to be investigating deaths, and possible murders!

Another two of the "Seven Millionaires of London" have also been revealed. Joining Ridley Fremens and Clerk Gospec are Andrea Quinto and Zach Lyell. Quinto is a young multi-millionaire who inherited a vast sum of money following the death of her parents. While Lyell is a sharp business who is extensively expanding businesses. He's the president of a group enterprise that owns Long Roller Bank. Up to this point, it's still unclear how or in what capacity these Millionaires are involved in the game. Are they part of a secret organization, that is somehow responsible for Professor Layton's disappearance? Or is there other mystery behind that? And how will they affect Katrielle's life?

Several new features have also been announced. Katrielle will be able to change clothes in the game, and they are specially designed by famous stylist Shouhei Kashima. New outfits can be obtained by using "Special Coins" in the 3DS version, or actual money in the smartphones version. Those who purchase the 3DS download version in Japan will receive a Flora Reinhold-style outfit. Player can also decorate the interior of Katrielle's "Layton Detective Agency" through the new "Room Coordinate" feature. New furnitures might be obtained by trading "Interior Tickets". As for the puzzles, this game is said to have the highest number of them, of all Layton titles. Lastly, the game's theme song "Girls" is sung by Kana Nishino, and will be officially released on July 26. "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy" will be released worldwide on July 20th, 2017.

Atari

No, you're NOT reading it wrong. Atari, the classic 90s gaming console that even I have never even seen in real life, is getting back into the hardware business. Apparently, CEO Fred Chesnais had publicly stated this news on the E3 2017 floor. He didn't really go into specifics about this, aside from saying that it is based on PC technology. But could he be talking about that "Ataribox" that has been teased on Youtube? The video DOES call it 'a brand new Atari product'. It even has its own website. The current speculation on the internet, that Atari is attempting to replicate Nintendo's accomplishment with their NES Classic. You know, the one that only saw limited release and has been discontinued? Especially because the video hinted at the "Atari 2600" which was the first console ever released by the company. I guess we'll just have to wait for more information about this. But be honest, would you purchase a NES Classic-esque console just to play classic and likely long-forgotten Atari games? Personally, I'm NOT too sure...

Microsoft

Speaking of console... Okay, let's end this R-N-D with a topic that many are calling to be... the 'MOST POWERFUL' reveal of the Expo. Microsoft has officially unveiled the name of its high-tech console Project Scorpio, and it officially goes by name "Xbox One X". That's... so many Xs, huh? LOL. By 'most powerful', I'm obviously talking about the console's technical specifications of course. And not about that over-confident official tagline that's being boasted throughout the event on T-Shirts, as well as flaunted pretty much everywhere. Hold on... HUH?

Really, its technical specs is certainly no joke. True 4K resolution with 12GB GDDR5 graphic memory, that enable games to run smoothly in 8 million plus pixels resolution (that's the highest possible, for current technology at least); 8-core Custom AMD CPU with 6 Teraflops GPU and 326GB/s Memory Bandwidth, for realistic and smoother animations; liquid cooling and supercharger-style centrifugal fan, to ensure it stays cool with less noise, a system that, according to Xbox Software Engineering Kareem Choudhry, is usually implemented for servers; 8GB flash and 1TB internal HDD storage, with faster hard drive speed; 4K UltraHD Bluray Disc Drive; DTS and DOLBY TrueHD Atmos sounds; various connectivities via wires and wireless; and not to mention being the smallest consoler the company has ever released. To be honest, eventhough I might have an IT background, I have NEVER been into hardware. Thus all these gibberish tech-talks almost put me down to sleep. But I don't think it takes a genius to easily tell that this thing is massive. Undeniably a 'First Class' product that offers immersive gaming experience. According to IGN, the CPU is 30% faster than the current Xbox One, with a GPU that's 4.6 times higher. To ensure backward compatibility with it, all of its accessories and games will work on this Xbox One X, and existing games (like "Dragon Ball FighterZ", "Final Fantasy XV", and "Assassin's Creed: Origins" that I've mentioned above) will soon receive major updates to ensure faster loading time, even for a player who isn't utilizing a 4K TV.

Said technical specification is certainly an eye-popping fact. This is basically a super high-end PC set, in form of a standalone console. Unfortunately, that comparison also immediately raised several glaring questions among the public, particularly game enthusiasts. One that ranged from the most simple, like "Who is this intended for?" to the most philosophical like "Why even bother choose this over PC?". Indeed, which gamer market is Microsoft really trying to aim with this product? Because obviously, to make full use of the UltraHD 4K resolution, a gamer needs to eventually own and plug it into a 4K TV as well. Which is... STILL a really pricey technology that NOT everyone can afford. The fact that the console itself will arrive at an equally 'premium price', feels like a hard wake-up slap to every average guy's face.

Will this win over those gamers who have abandoned home consoles and have since moved on towards PC? In an interview with Gamespot, a developer (who's working on exclusive Xbox title... a random FYI to see the bigger picture) sang praises for Xbox One X by calling it as the most developer-friendly due to its super over-powered hardware. He said, "it's like a high-end PC crammed into this tiny little box". Of course, the logic that follows is, why not just... use a PC instead? A PC World writer has even made a possible comparison to the budget necessary to build one with similar specs. With its own valid pros and cons. The point is, PC gamers will likely opt to spend less money to upgrade their existing PC sets. So is this meant for Xbox fanatics who are looking to upgrade from a very recent Xbox One then? Or VR enthusiasts, eventhough it might be a veeeery niche market? Why not go with the cheaper Xbox One S instead? Hmmm...

Sure, technically speaking, Microsoft has created a console that's... uncomparable, and has no competitor in terms of power and performance (that's the words of Head of Xbox Phil Spencer himself). Will that guarantee a win in the console competition? Remember, the hip and popular neighbour PlayStation 4 (and its 4K extension PS4 Pro) proudly carries the advantages of having far richer library of titles and DLC exclusives, one that only continues to add as we speak. While the sweet and seemingly innocent new kid-on-the-block Nintendo Switch, is offering the ease of mobility, family-friendliness, and multiplayer experience both offline and online. Both are already promising long hours of entertainment with a relative 'family-budget' that seems more inline with the current economical climate throughout the world. So can Microsoft really be certain that their luxury product will appeal a much bigger mass than those? Particularly when sales for the current Xbox One isn't even doing... good? Learning from past experience, the answer to that is rather... skeptical.

No offense to the company, but somehow the term 'most powerful' itself feels... exaggerating much? I mean, A for effort, but it's nothing but a temporary bubble with a very limited lifetime. We are talking about technology here, a means that is ever-changing and ever-evolving. This month, perhaps Xbox One X is indeed the strongest there is, but another console will surely swoop in with better specs and surpassed it. Perhaps next year, if not sooner or later. Trust me, this is coming from a proud Xbox360 owner, who still has the fully operational console and plays its numerous game titles every now and then, and who has consciously skipped out Xbox One due to the lack of interesting titles (aside from monetary situation LOL). What I'm trying to say is, I don't really see the point of moving on towards Xbox One X, at least in the near future. Which is ironic, because what seems to be winning over many gamers' heart, was none other than Xbox One's backward compatibilites. Yes, the exact thing that SONY has been failing to deliver for years, has become the big positive difference that Microsoft is generously offering. Said function will not be available until later this year, but it will support up to classic/original Xbox games! That's an era of 15 years ago, so we're talking about valid nostalgia boost here.

In the end, the common sense is the Xbox One X is NOT for everyone. But it's still all up to you to decide whether you want, NEED, or even afford to have one decorating your already-possibly-expensive home. Lest we forget, freedom of choice, is everyone's basic human rights, regardless of their financial ability *sigh*. This 'most powerful console' is set to be released on November 7th, 2017 at the mindblowing price of $499. I guess that's when its accessibility strength to the general public can truly be tested. So as always, we'll see...

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