Co-op Multiplayer Coming to Gorgeous Platformer Mekazoo

Mekazoo, a beautiful 2D platformer in a vibrant 3D world, will offer local cooperative multiplayer upon the game's release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Wii U in Q1 2016. The new game mode will make its debut and be playable for the first time at PAX Prime 2015 in The Good Mood Creators' booth, 6517, on the sixth floor. In Mekazoo, the stylish mekanimals challenge levels in pairs as a tag team, seamlessly switching between each other at the touch of a button. In cooperative multiplayer, each player controls a single mekanimal, the inactive player controlling only the "switch" button to transform to their animal, creating dynamic moments of teamwork and cooperation.

Overcoming certain obstacles requires the ability specific to one character in the duo, so in order to advance through each level players must alternate between the two characters. Oftentimes players will need to quickly switch back and forth between both mekanimals to progress, making proper timing essential when tagging characters in and out.

Players control up to five different mekanimals: the speedy armadillo, acrobatic frog, springy wallaby, powerful panda and high-flying pelican.

Mekazoo opens with the armadillo's discovery his four friends have been transformed into huge, angry bosses by the evil insectoid army. When a mekanimal boss is defeated, it returns to its original small friendly form and becomes a playable character ready to combine with the others for free-flowing speedy platform action.

"The reception to Mekazoo at shows like SXSW and GDC has been overwhelmingly positive and we are thrilled so many people are eagerly anticipating its release," said Jarrett Slavin, creative director, The Good Mood Creators. "The most common request we've received is for local cooperative multiplayer, so we're proud to announce PAX Prime attendees will have the first opportunity to try it."

To learn more visit http://www.goodmoodcreators.com/mekazoo.html

Armello Launching on September 1 for PC, PlayStation 4, Two New Characters Unveiled

League of Geeks has revealed two additional characters for their fantasy board game come to life, Armello, which will release on September 1, 2015 for PlayStation 4, Windows, Mac and Linux. The final build of the game, including Zosha the female rat and Barnaby the male rabbit, will be playable for the first time at PAX Prime. PC gamers who can't wait until launch to play have up toJuly 31 to purchase the game on Steam Early Access, after which the title will not be available until the official release.

The second hero from the Rat Clan, Zosha, the Whisper, takes advantage of the cover of night and goes into Stealth every sunset. While hidden from sight Zosha can outmaneuver her competition, avoiding aggressive heroes while also sneaking up on those who least expect it. Her low body stat means she must be careful to pick the right battles, but her unusually strong fight makes her a tough competitor to defend against, especially when her opponent can't see her coming.

Barnaby, Screwloose, from the Rabbit Clan is an impressive tinkerer allowing him to swap items in and out of his inventory depending on what any given situation calls for, making him highly adaptable to multiple strategies. His self-made armor grants him a very high body stat allowing him to take several heavy blows from other characters, while a respectable fight score means he can also deliver tough strikes of his own.

Armello takes players to a vibrant magical world tinged with darkness and throws them into a struggle for power against other players and the mad lion king who is being slowly corrupted by a mysterious dark force called the Rot. After choosing a character from one of four animal clans, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, players fight for their chance to ascend the throne as the lion king terrorizes his subjects and sinks further into insanity.

There are no safe havens in the world of Armello. Gamers must watch out for the king's loyal guards, evil banes spawned by the Rot and other power-hungry characters as they move, fight and quest across the board to claim the crown and rule the land.

"The public have had access to the first four heroes of Armello for a while now, but these characters bring all new levels of complexity, variety and replayability to Armello's gameplay," said Trent Kusters, founder and director, League of Geeks. "Playing a game knowing that Zosha could be lurking on any tile at night or Barnaby is likely to have the perfect tool for every situation, are game changers. It's another way we're delivering on the simple depth all great board tabletop experiences possess."

The Early Access build of Armello is available for Windows, Mac and Linux on Steam for $24.99 until July 31. After that date, gamers must wait until Armello's official release on September 1 to download the title.

More information about Armello can be found at: http://armello.com/

Review: Cross

Cross is an interesting film for many reasons, but ultimately falls short of its intended goal of surprising the audience with story twists. At least surprising them in a way that’s rewarding. Sadly, while reading the credits it became clear to me that there may have been some hiccups in the production of this film that ended up hurting the final product and making the story a mess. The movie starts off okay. Our main character Lee Leung played by Simon Yam takes a long journey to a police station and turns himself in for murder. He hands over evidence against himself and this kicks off the story. In his confession he tells his story… mostly. Its broken up in chunks, but the first chunk is that his wife killed herself rather than dying of Leukemia. This of course got him thinking about suicide and then after hanging around on a suicide message board he decides that god has sent him a message and that message is to kill those about to take their lives via suicide to save their souls.

Which is an interesting premise and even more so as Leung continues to tell how he killed people and more importantly how he picked them. But there’s an angle. There’s always an angle. The detective assigned to the case brings in a criminal psychologist who begins breaking down the events and getting into the Leung’s head. At the same time Leung is visited by a young lawyer who at one point tells him ahead of the police, that one of the women he killed was a sex worker and didn’t actually want to commit suicide though he helped her do so.

At this point we have an interesting story and it gets more interesting as the police, at the advice of the psychologist, bring in the owner of the suicide website and wouldn’t you know it… he has the same lawyer.

There’s an interesting break at this point in the film. Our lawyer and webmaster are released and as they walk away they turn and look at the cop and psychologist in a very telling manner. It’s at this point that the movie shifts gears and destroys all the buildup we just watched. In reality it feels as if they had some footage for a script that wasn’t complete. Then they changed the direction/ending and couldn’t reshoot so they kept both halves. There’s even some indication in the credits as they very specifically state (2011) and (2012) for directors and writers.

Now in order to explain that previous statement I’m going to spoil the movie and I do this because it must be explained. It took me a bit to figure it out myself which is why I think something happened during the production that altered the course of this film.

The ending is this: Our main character has been manipulated, but rather than it being the lawyer like you think it’s going to be… well actually it is the lawyer. The problem is, when the film goes to reveal how the lawyer did it, which is the last half of the movie; they cast a third person for the same role. The character of Yip Wing Woo has a younger version, an ego version and a glasses version and there’s no reasoning for these two adult versions. Hell at one point they actually show “glasses” manipulating Leung behind a computer and then continue to show the rest of the manipulation from “ego’s” perspective. Whatever happened during production screwed this movie.

Aside from never doing anything visually to show these two versions that I suppose could be a Tyler Durden-esq plot device, is the fact that “ego” has a very distinguished mark on his face. You basically end the movie wondering who this third character is and how they fit into the story. Had they done more visually to show that they were supposed to be the same person then it may have worked, but instead they show them with the same mother and then not really. In fact, the mother didn’t make much sense either.

Aside from this weird casting problem that basically breaks the entire ending and twist of the movie, there’s the pacing of the film. Again, it’s really two halves of a movie and so the film hangs out in the strangest places. We spend a ton of time with the psychologist as he lives in Leung’s house and even manages to figure out how to use his equipment to make custom glasses. It’s obvious that a lot of time was put into the set, but we also see it used plenty later on. In the end it’s really hard to make sense of a lot of what’s happening which forces you to pay closer and closer attention. So close that when the ending hits you’ve paid too much attention and the movie no longer makes any sense.

The performances aren’t bad, the visuals were actually pretty good and had the story made more sense or been pieced together better this actually could have been an interesting film. As it stands though, it’s really hard to recommend it unless you just love Hong Kong cinema or that premise that’s very enticing, has worked its hooks into you. Hell, maybe knowing the ending will actually free you from paying attention so much so that you can enjoy the film. As for me, well I’ll always wonder why there was a slow-motion scene of a lawyer and webmaster walking down a long flight of stairs and pausing to look back at a detective and psychologist.

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Score: 2/5

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Cross Distributor: WellGoUSA Price: $24.98 Release Date: 6/23/15

Review: Police Story: Lockdown

It’s been two years since Police Story 2013 released in Hong Kong, but now it’s getting a state’s release and retitled Police Story: Lockdown. I’ll admit, having followed it’s 2013 release I kind of thought that this was newer. Makes me wonder what the fourth Police Story is because I don’t recall seeing it… maybe it did… was there a computer game killing people or something? I don’t know. Lockdown stands out from the other Police Story installments because it’s a very serious film. Clearly after playing a goof for so many years, star Jackie Chan, wanted something different from the role. Which is a shame because the other installments where fun. In fact, they still are some of the best action films of this current generation of action stars that have once again become popular or in Chan’s case, never ceased being popular. My personal favorite is Super Cop, because it was my first taste of the franchise. It was fun. It was entertaining and had incredible action while also having a story that was believable. Believable in the sense that it could happen in this world that they were presenting.

Lockdown on the other hand is gritty, dark and borderline depressing. It’s a very serious movie and takes on some decently heavy subject matter or at least subject matter that you wouldn’t typically associate with either A) the Police Story franchise or B) Jackie Chan. And it’s not that Chan can’t do a serious role, it’s that everything is extremely serious to the point that it stops being believable. That and Chan’s never allowed to be that dark.

And it could have been a very serious movie if the cinematography wasn’t actively ruining the fight scenes and if the editing wasn’t trying to confuse you about what film you were watching. I’ll explain the former first.

There is a fight scene that happens just before the third act of the film. This fight is really the first and only time that Chan squares off with a fighter in the film. And they’re put in a cage. It’s Jackie Chan in a cage fight with a huge dude that we learned previously was involved in death matches… and clearly he lived because here he is. The fight starts off slow and then drags on for a while. The only interesting thing that happens is Chan’s head going through class and other objects in the cage and the film capturing this in slow motion.

But wait… no, that’s not interesting.

This is a Jackie Chan film.

Jackie Chan doesn’t need slow motion unless he’s going too fucking fast and we as the audience can’t see what just happened. We don’t need slow motion to impress us during a fight. In the end, the fight turns out to be boring and shot terribly. You’ll honestly think that Christopher Nolan filmed it because the camera is on top of the two men the entire time.

As for the editing… were to begin? The film has these moments in which we see Chan’s character thinking about the possibility of what could happen given a certain situation. That in and of itself isn’t bad, but the problem is, it stops being effective when the story also cuts away to different cases that Chan’s character has worked on. He’s trying to figure out who the villain is and what he wants from him. The problem is you can’t or rather shouldn’t have both devices because then you begin to wonder if the flashbacks are really just jumbled thoughts in Chan’s head and then you’re left wondering why you’re seeing either. In fact, you really only needed the flashbacks, but there’s a problem with them as well.

Before I get into the flashbacks I have to set the stage for the story. Chan’s daughter has asked for him to meet her at a club to introduce her new boyfriend which ends up being a trap. Now, Chan and the club goers (including his oblivious daughter) are being held hostage.

The movie intentionally traps itself in this one location, be it a rather large location. Then it’s as if the film makers realized that staying in this one location was pretty boring and wouldn’t provide much in terms of action and that eventually the tension would be lost on everyone. They basically tried to do The Raid and realized they hadn’t set up the story in a way that they could. Enter the flashbacks. None of these flashbacks serve a purpose other than showing that Chan’s character is a hell of a cop. And they could have been fun. But instead he’s serious Jackie Chan and so he’s got the same stern look on his face the entire time.

There is one point in the film that you should be able to figure out and call the rest of the film. I know I was able to and I was thankful that I did. If I hadn’t I don’t know if I would have cared about finishing the film. I basically stuck around to see if I was right and I was.

If you’re a Jackie Chan fan, then you’ll probably find some enjoyment with this film. There’s enough diehards out there that can suffer through anything he does and walk away smiling. But if you’re a hardcore Police Story fan… well I would probably avoid this one since it is the weakest one in the franchise and I say that as someone who doesn’t really remember seeing the fourth one. But if you love those first three then you’ll be highly disappointed by this new direction and maybe even wonder why they decided to call it “Police Story” to begin with.

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Score: 3/5

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Police Story: Lockdown Director: Ding Sheng Released by: WellGoUSA Format: Blu-Ray/DVD Price: $29.98/$24.98 Release Date: 8/11/15

Review: Justice League: Gods and Monsters

I, like many other comic and animation fans, love Bruce Timm. It’s hard not to love him considering he and Paul Dini shaped what many of us consider the pinnacle Batman of our childhood. It’s brought me great displeasure to see that Timm continues to lessen his role with WB Animation as the division of Warner Brothers continues to change and adapt to the times. So when an original movie by Bruce Timm was announced… well I paid attention. In fact, I waited anxiously to see what it was. The premise is great; I won’t deny that. Timm looked to the comics for inspiration and attempted to do something that hadn’t been done since Green Lantern and Flash in which the characters were completely changed, but kept the same names. Timm basically did the same and if you know anything about the project then you know he created a new Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. The holy trinity of the DC Universe. And you know what? They’re interesting characters. They have rich backstories and they’re not just different characters in the same role. His Batman is very different, not a detective, but rather a vampire scientist and so on.

The world is very similar. There’s a few characters that remain the same, but don’t evolve like they do in the comics. For instance, Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi make an appearance and Palmer has only just discovered his shrinking technology, but is using it to make horses small. He’s a far cry away from ever becoming the Atom (and thank God for that). Again, the world isn’t just a “what if” version of the DC Universe. It’s takes names and roles and very cleverly shifts them. Lex Luthor isn’t the man you’d think and his past is very different from what you’d imagine.

Now here’s the “but.” The film suffers from its own premise, from its own world building because that’s kind of all it does. Sure there’s a story, but it manages to tie in loosely to everything else that’s going on. But it’s not interesting. The payoff for all the buildup isn’t there. At least not a payoff that feels rewarding.

Going forward, I would be very interested in this world and these characters. You get to know them in this film and I will totally admit that Timm and company make the transition to their past seamless and relevant to that point in the story. I just didn’t feel like the story was trying to go anywhere. The ending was too anticlimactic to be worth the wait, but again… I would revisit this world.

The character designs are very Bruce Timm. They’re done in his trademark style, but he’s grown as an artist and animator. This film doesn’t look out-of-place with the DC/WB Animation universe and that says a lot. If anything it just goes to show that Timm’s style could really be embraced more both in the animation and comics.

Even though I was very ho-hum about this film, it doesn’t take anything away from Timm’s legacy. He’s still one of the very few animators with an iconic style. You know Timm’s animation when you see it and frankly I doubt you can name one other animator in the last twenty years that you could say the same for. As for the director and screenwriter… well let’s just say that I could do without their collaboration with Timm next time.

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Score: 3/5

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Justice League: Gods and Monsters Director: Sam Liu Story: Alan Burnett/Bruce Timm Screenplay: Alan Burnett Distributor: WB/WB Animation Price: $24.98 Release Date: 7/28/15

Anime Expo 15: Shall We Date? Announces Two New Games

I don't have a lot of info to share with you about Shall We Date? Their booth was busy. Very busy. It took me a while just to get someone to talk to me and then I really didn't get a lot of info other than they're trying to expand the Otome dating games in the US. Right now the percentage is very small, but I imagine that the Shall We Date? brand is a large part of that percentage. If you're unfamiliar with the Otome dating sim genre I'll explain; it's basically a game in which you date multiple male characters which you're probably thinking, "big deal." Well the majority of dating sim games are female based. They actually have a lot of titles to check out that are all out on iOS and Android so if you're curious I would start there first.

So here's a look at the two new games which each have their own storylines that of course involve dating and sometimes saving the world... by dating.

Destiny Ninja 2

The following stories take place in Yamato Island, where the four seasons exuberantly express their beauties -- However, those beauties are on the verge of being lost.

With eight fated ninjas as your companion from the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Villages, the journey to save the Island stars now...

Here's the last new game they announced, but there's no details yet. I would assume it's about a love triangle since that's the name of the game, but honestly that sounds like it'll be very different from their other games in which the point is to date several male characters rather than just the two. As for me, I'm going to go ahead and check out the main title and see what's up with this game that really does grow in popularity each year.

Official Site

A Look At Wakfu Raiders

While I was at Anime Expo this year I had the chance to check out a new game from Gumi called Wakfu Raiders. It wasn’t quite anime related so they weren’t showing it on the main floor, but they did give me a chance to take a look at it and give it a play. It’s a roleplayer, but it’s a bit different in the fact that you really don’t need to do much while running through a level. The character you’re controlling just runs on their own until it reaches the next battle. Then you engage in a pretty simple battle field in which you choose a hit sequence from the three party characters you have. The different sequences can do different attacks and heals. This goes on until you reach the end of the level and face the boss.

The game is quick and I imagine it will increase in difficultly as you go on since there will be a lot of levels. Also the variety of attacks vary since there’s 30 playable characters. Each character also has a limit break that’s unique to them which is helpful for bigger battles.

Honestly it looked like a game I could spend way too much time on since it moved so quickly. I tend to find that I get sucked into a game when I know I can put it down whenever because you find yourself saying, “just one more”; but for others it might just be a quick distracting in line at a store.

While it wasn’t available for the demo I played, there will be an online mode with tournaments and player versus player as well. That definitely adds a little bit more to the game to check out once you’ve powered through the levels.

The game is set to release this year (sometime soon if I remember correctly) and will be on iOS and Android. It is a free to play, mini-transaction game so if you’re familiar with that system then there’s really no surprise there. After all, mobile gaming is the new quarter eating arcade system.

Official Website

Anime Expo 15: Phantom of the Kill

While at this year's Anime Expo I had the chance to check out two games from Gumi; the second game you'll hear about later today, but for now let's focus on Phantom of the Kill. Phantom of the Kill is very different from typical mobile games. In a way it represents the new breed of mobile games and it's clear that gumi understands that to be truly successful in the mobile area you need to put in the work on a game just as if you would a console or PC release. Phantom of the Kill's intricacy begins with the story which follows a group of assassins that have lost their memories. They're actually weapons that have taken on a human form, but not before they were scattered all over. The different pieces are trying to essentially come together and regain their memories which makes battles interesting. If you loose then someone else gets your memories, but if you win then you get their memories.

The game itself is a strategy RPG, but built for mobile. Like most RPG's you move the characters in your party (which can be rather large) and they each have a grid that they can move within on their turn. The turns are actually interesting because you can start by moving anyone in your part in any order that you want.

Personally the aspect I liked was the fragments of these "weapons" aka the assassins and that you can collect the same one and combine them to unlock memories, but then also improve them.

The battle system shifts the characters into a "super cute" mode which gives fans the best of both worlds. As you can see on this article the character design is great and kind of touches on all the female tropes associated with anime, manga and Japanese video games. There's more to the battles though as there's a paper, rocks, scissors style of combat in which certain weapons do better against enemy match ups.

Overall the game doesn't seem like it would require you to constantly play and that you could pop in and out. There are in game purchases, but as most developers are finding you can't just expect everyone to buy their way up so the developers were aware of that and made an experience that could still be fun even if you're not buying. The game is set to release this year and frankly looks pretty fun.

If all of this isn't enough for you then you should know that Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii was the editorial supervisor for the opening movie for the game. At any rate, check it out and the screenshots on this article. Otherwise all you need to know is that it'll be out on iOS and Android platforms.

Official Website

At Look At Ace of Arenas

E3 has come and gone, but my coverage hasn't officially wrapped up until I tell you all about Ace of Arenas a mobile game coming out from GAEA. The game is a MOBA meaning its core gameplay is based on fighting against others to protect your core or base. The gameplay is pretty straight forward, but the developers have kept the mobile platform in mind while creating the game. Battles are quick as I had demonstrated for me at E3. Like other MOBA's you can upgrade your champion while playing and either use in-game currency that you've earned or shortcut it and level up by buying. What stuck out to me was the amount of characters/champions the game had. You can check out the entire list here, but I really dug the variety of characters and their designs. Clearly there was a lot of attention put into this and it really gives the game a vibe of having something for everyone.

As for the actual battles there's four game types, bot, which is exactly as it sounds. Then there's 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3. Unfortunately since I was seeing the demo before the launch I didn't get to see how the game handled against other players, but it's out now and free so you can check it out for yourself.

1999 Cult Sensation Rock N' Roll Frankenstein Coming to DVD and Digital Nov 10, 2015

DVDTalk called it, “an instant exploitation classic.”  Filmthreat called it, “a classic piece of B-Movie Entertainment.”  The official selection of over 20 international film festivals and winner of Melbourne Underground Film Festival’s “Most Gratuitous Violence” Award, Brian O’Hara’s 1999 horror-comedy Rock n Roll Frankenstein is now available to home entertainment for the first time in its native 16x9 aspect ratio. Synopsis

After music agent Bernie Stein loses his last act, he decides the only way to a better life is through the grave…the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame graveyard, that is.  Together with a burned out roadie and a mad scientist, the motley crew set out to build the perfect Rock n Roll Superstar from the remains of dead rockers.  Assembling parts from Elvis, Hendrix, Sid Vicious and others, soon enough the monster is ALIVE!  But things go bad when Liberace's love tool mistakenly ends up in the mix. Equipped with the head of Elvis and the junk of Lee, a schizo relationship develops between the monster and his privates.

Hilarious, tasteless and chocked full of gratuitous violence, Rock n Roll Frankenstein is  “a cult item for movie-goers in search of politically incorrect, mind-warping laughs.”—Fangoria

DVD and Digital Tech Specs Title: Rock N’ Roll Frankenstein SRP: $19.98 Directed by Brian O’Hara Starring Graig Guggenheim, Jayson Spence, Barry Feterman Run Time 88 mins Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Audio 2.0 DVD Extras include feature film audio commentary, Rock N’ Roll Frankenstein trailer, Rock N’ Roll Frankenstein Music Video, “Behind R n R Frankenstein” featurette, trailer vault Full Production Information at imdb.com

Call Girl of Cthulhu slithers to Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital September 15, 2015

From the makers of WNUF HALLOWEEN SPECIAL comes the goriest, most hilarious H.P. Lovecraft tribute to ever splatter the screen – CALL GIRL OF CTHULHU.  Directed and produced by Chris LaMartina and Jimmy George (WITCHES BREW, PRESIDENT’S DAY), CALL GIRL OF CTHULHU  hits home entertainment platformsSeptember 15, 2015, following a year of international film festival and theatrical screenings.  Praised by indie and genre press, CALL GIRL OF CTHULHU has been called "a frenetic dance of exploding heads, genital-mutating STDs, tentacles, zombie hookers, laughs, and love" (addictedtohorrormovies), "Laugh-out-loud funny and lose-your-lunch gross"  (nerdremix) and “an absolute must-see for fans of horror movies, comedies, splatter flicks, and H.P. Lovecraft."

Synopsis

Carter Wilcox (David Phillip Carollo) is a struggling artist who’s been saving his virginity for someone special. When he meets the enchanting escort Riley Whatley (Melissa O'Brien), he believes he’s found the one. Unfortunately, she’s also "someone special" to an ancient cult that believes she is the chosen bride of their alien god, Cthulhu. 

Forced to mate with their tentacled deity, Riley becomes a vessel for the spawn that will destroy mankind. 

Now, Carter and his noise musician roommate, Erica Zann (Nicolette Le Faye), must battle the sinister cult and unimaginable creatures to save Riley... and the rest of humanity. 

Will they save the world or surrender to the slimy grip of the Great Old Ones? 

CI Games Releases 30-Minute Gameplay Video of Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3

One of the more interesting games I played at E3 was Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3. It was also probably the biggest named title I played, but the more I've thought about it the more I want to play more. The video above is the demo I was shown and got to play through so check it out and see what to look forward to.

Syfy Acquires WYNONNA EARP from SEVEN24 Films and IDW Entertainment

SEVEN24 Films and IDW Entertainment announced today that Syfy has acquired the U.S. rights to Wynonna Earp, a live action television series based on the IDW Publishing comic created by Beau Smith.  Emily Andras (Lost Girl, Killjoys) developed the series for television and will serve as Executive Producer and Showrunner. With an initial order of 13 one-hour episodes, Wynonna Earp is a fast-paced, contemporary thriller that follows Wyatt Earp’s great granddaughter as she battles demons and other supernatural beings. Wynonna is a witty and wild modern day gunslinger, using her unique abilities and a dysfunctional posse of allies to bring the paranormal to justice.  The series is scheduled to premiere in April 2016.

“Wynonna Earp is a unique contemporary western that will bring high octane, full-throttle, supernatural action to Syfy,” said Chris Regina, SVP, Programming, Syfy. “It is wildly imaginative and we are excited to work with Seven24 Films, IDW Entertainment and Emily on this truly original concept that will showcase fun, stylized visuals and pure escapism.”

Melanie Scrofano (Damien, Gangland Undercover) will star as Wynonna Earp. Tim Rozon (Being Human, Instant Star) will play legendary con artist Doc Holliday, and Shamier Anderson (Defiance, Constantine) plays the mysterious Agent Dolls.

“Together with SEVEN24 Films, IDW Entertainment, and a virtual dream cast, I’m confident we have something special on our hands: a female-led supernatural series with grand themes of redemption, honor, and the struggle to define good vs. evil.  Not to mention, a kickass biker babe fighting demon outlaws,” said Emily Andras.

Wynonna Earp will be produced in Calgary by SEVEN24 Films, and distributed by IDW Entertainment.  Production is slated to begin in August.  SEVEN24’s Jordy Randall and Tom Cox will serve as Executive Producers.

IDW CEO & Publisher Ted Adams, David Ozer, Peleton Entertainment’s Todd Berger, and Circle of Confusion’s Rick Jacobs packaged and facilitated financing for the series.

“Developing the series has been a passion for our entire creative team and we’re excited to share this new series with Syfy’s equally passionate audience,” said Jordy Randall of SEVEN24 Films.

“Wynonna is an incredible character that will appeal to a global audience.  IDW Entertainment is thrilled that Syfy will be the U.S. home for this fabulous series and we look forward to bringing Wynonna to the global market,” said David Ozer of IDW Entertainment.

Emily Andras is represented by Jeff Alpern of The Alpern Group.  Melanie Scrofano is represented by David Ritchie of Ambition Talent and Matthew Lesher of Insight Entertainment. Shamier Anderson is represented by Douglas Patterson of Patterson Talent Management and Tim Rozon is represented by Paul Hemrend at Edna Talent Management.

Brand New SFV Character and Gameplay Details Revealed at EVO 2015

Announced at EVO 2015 in Las Vegas, Capcom confirmed the first brand new fighter to join the Street Fighter V roster - the mysterious Necalli! Capcom also confirmed the details of the content plan for Street Fighter V. The initial game purchase will be the only disc or full game download you will ever need to own. For the first time ever, all post-launch gameplay related content will be earnable via gameplay, totally free of charge. Players will also have the option to purchase the content as soon as it’s available if they wish to do so. Any balance and system adjustments will be available for free also. Releasing in Spring 2016, the title will launch with a core roster of 16 characters, including 4 brand new fighters to the Street Fighter universe. Capcom will continually add additional characters, making this the first iteration in the franchise where it’s possible for dedicated players to continue to expand on their gameplay experience without the need to purchase further titles in the series.

About Necalli

Possessing a wide variety of savage and close range attacks, all of Necalli’s moves have been forged through the heat of battle to ensure he’s inflicting maximum pain upon his opponents.  Making full use of the Battle System mechanics, Necalli’s V-Skill allows him to pound the ground with both fists, creating an explosion that damages the enemy whereas the powerful V-Trigger allows him to channel a mysterious energy that changes his hair colour and alters his personality for a short period of time. Capcom will be revealing more information on Necalli’s origin and storyline in the coming months so stay tuned for more details.

About Street Fighter V

The legendary fighting franchise returns with Street Fighter V! Stunning visuals depict the next generation of World Warriors in unprecedented detail, while exciting and accessible battle mechanics deliver endless fighting fun that both beginners and veterans can enjoy. Challenge friends online, or compete for fame and glory on the Capcom Pro Tour.

Korrigans: Kingdom Wars, An Epic Fantasy Strategy Game, Is Now Available

Fabulapps, maker of the hugely successful MMORPG Heroic Legends, today announced the launch of its latest fantasy strategy mobile game, Korrigans: Kingdom Wars, on the Apple App Store. In the free-to-play mobile game, players join the ancient people of Brittany, the Korrigans, in the battle to save the kingdom from the evil forces of Onalgar. The game enables players to build their empire, form an alliance and fight in tactical, action-packed real-time battles against terrifying creatures.In Korrigans, up to three players can battle in 3D-rendered arenas together against a creature/boss, in real time and with a turn-based system. In addition, they can train troops to grow an army; enhance heroes' abilities; and conspire against their rivals to forge a clan with friends and defeat fierce creatures in varied arenas. Players can also descend upon adversaries with alliances in raids across the virtual world; all while chatting live with thousands of other players around the real world.

Based in France, Fabulapps was founded by the two-man team of Thomas Pagot and Gildas Quiniou, who also create and develop each title on their own.  Their goal with Korrigans was to make a free strategy game that would not only be engaging, but also not pay-to-win like too many games in this genre. This allows players to upgrade buildings and conquer new territories to increase their empire and resources, without having to pay additional funds to get ahead.

“With Korrigans, we decided we didn’t want to sell resources directly; players would have to earn them the hard way so that the game felt as though it had a more even playing field. This was very important to us,” said Pagot. “This game has been a two-year labor of love, and we are proud to say that we definitely thought more about making an awesome fun-to-play game and less about the monetization…though don’t tell our wives.”

Korrigans: Kingdom Wars is available now for free on the Apple App Store at http://bit.ly/1dKhQlh.

Like Korrigans on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/korrigansonline Follow Korrigans on Twitter at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/korrigansgame

Viz Media Announces Home Media Release of Sailor Moon R - Set 1

VIZ Media delivers exciting new action to home media audiences with the release of SAILOR MOON R Set 1 as a special Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack as well as a multi-disc Standard Edition DVD Set. The sets are available now at favorite retailers. The greatest magical girl anime series of all time continues in the second season of the original SAILOR MOON. Fans can expand their home media collections with 22 uncut episodes, presented on Blu-ray and loaded with many never-before-seen extras. Uncut English dubbed as well as Japanese subtitled dialogue options are available on both formats. SAILOR MOON R is rated "TV-PG.”

In SAILOR MOON R, Usagi and her friends return to their normal lives after their epic battle, but the Sailor Guardians are called back into action when powerful new enemies appear. By the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal, Sailor Moon gains strength with a dazzling new attack and transformation. The coming battle won't be easy, but things get even more complicated when a mysterious pink-haired girl falls form the sky and goes after Mamoru!

The new SAILOR MOON R Set 1 Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack contains a deluxe, 6-disc collection (3 DVDs & 3 Blu-rays), packaged in a beautiful reflective chipboard box with extra space to house the concluding edition of the second season of the series. The Combo Pack features Episodes 47-68, presented in crisp 1080p video preserving the original 4:3 aspect ratio. The combo pack also includes exclusive bonus content such as special cast interviews, behind-the-scenes footage from the English dub recording sessions as well as clean opening and ending segments, digital art galleries, and official series trailers. The Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack also comes with a 96-page full-color episode guide. MSRP will be $79.98 U.S. / $93.99 CAN. A Standard Edition Combo Pack is also available for $69.99 U.S. / $81.99 CAN featuring the same on-disc content.

The SAILOR MOON R Set 1 DVD Set contains 3 discs (featuring Episodes 47-68) with beautifully illustrated variant O-card packaging and embossed holofoil printing. Episodes are presented in 480p standard video format. Uncut English dubbed as well as Japanese subtitled dialogue options are available. MSRP will be $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN.

The legendary SAILOR MOON anime series depicts the adventures of Usagi Tsukino, a cheerful 14-year-old schoolgirl who often finds herself in unwanted trouble. One day, she saves a talking cat named Luna from some mean kids, and her life is changed forever. Luna gives Usagi a magic brooch that transforms her into Sailor Moon, guardian of love and justice! Now Usagi must work with Luna to find the other Sailor Guardians and the Moon Princess, whose Legendary Silver Crystal is Earth’s only hope against the dark forces of the evil Queen Beryl!

The SAILOR MOON anime series is inspired by the bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoko Takeuchi (published in North America by Kodansha). In the series, Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy but kindhearted teenage girl who transforms into the powerful guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Meeting allies along the way who share similar fates, Usagi and her team of planetary Sailor Guardians fight to protect the universe from forces of evil and total annihilation!

SAILOR MOON Season 1, Sets 1 and 2 are also available for home media viewers as  Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs and also as Standard DVD Editions.

For more information on SAILOR MOON, or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

DeNA and Anime Consortium Japan to Stream Anime through MyAnimeList

DeNA Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 2432) and Anime Consortium Japan Inc. (ACJ) announced today that they plan to stream Japanese anime titles through MyAnimeList, one of the world’s largest website for anime fans, beginning July 17, 2015. MyAnimeList, LLC, DeNA’s U.S. subsidiary, and ACJ plan to embed anime titles streamed on DAISUKI.net, an anime distribution website operated by ACJ, onto MyAnimeList. The first titles to be streamed through MyAnimeList will be Idol Master Cinderella Girls and God Eater with Japanese audio and English subtitles. ACJ plans to increase the number of titles accessible through MyAnimeList as embedded video or hyperlinks; however, the videos will not be accessible from Japan.

“Together with Anime Consortium Japan, we look forward to delivering authentic Japanese anime titles to the millions of anime fans around the world who visit MyAnimeList,” said Takeshi Sumida, CEO of MyAnimeList, LLC. “With this alliance, we hope to make our own contribution to Japan’s anime and manga industry.”

Players Battle Across New Planets in the “Worlds in Conflict” Expansion for Star Wars: Commander

Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm Ltd. today released “Worlds in Conflict,” the largest update for Star Wars™: Commander since the launch of the game. For nearly a year, Star Wars: Commander has brought storylines, characters and battles to mobile with this strategy game, nearing almost 18 million downloads from fans and gamers across the globe. Now, with a brand new design and Galactic Map, Star Wars: Commander has released the #1 most requested feature to the game, allowing players to relocate to, and battle across several iconic worlds in the Star Wars™ universe, spanning Hoth, Yavin IV, Dandoran and Er’kit in addition to the current planet of Tatooine. Fans will engage in new Planetary Conflicts for PVP victory bonuses and new planetary missions that will be introduced over time.

Important new features of the “Worlds in Conflict” update include:

• World Relocation – The Planetary Command building, which unlocks at HQ5, allows players to choose from up to four additional worlds to scout out and move to – Yavin 4, Hoth Er’Kit, and Dandoran.
• Galaxy Map - Part of the Planetary Command building, this map of the greater galaxy provides tactical intel on each planet and allows players to circle through and decide which planet to engage battles on.
• Updated Play Menu - This updated menu will surface information relevant to each world, such as friends and squadmates on the planet, conflicts and events, as well as chapter progress.
• Planetary Conflicts - Players compete in PVP tournament-style planetary conflicts on a rotating schedule between the added worlds. Victory bonuses are given to the faction that wins each Conflict.
• PvP Victory Loot Bonus - Placement in a medal tier at the end of a Planetary Conflict rewards loot bonuses. For a number of days after the conflict, earn bonus loot for victories against in PVP.
• Planetary Leaderboards – PVP leaderboards will now allow a player to see their own rank as well as the top 50 Commanders. There will also be Planetary specific leaderboards so players will know their standing on their planet. Players will also now know when they’ve received donated troops, and from whom they were donated.

Players can join the battle for control of the galaxy by downloading the game from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Romark Entertainment Snatches Rights to H.P. Lovecraft / Nikola Tesla Comic Book Series HERALD

In a partnership with Markerstone Pictures, Romark Entertainment has secured the rights to the critically acclaimed comic book series HERALD. The series, published by Action Lab Entertainment and created by writer John Reilly, and artists Tom Rogers and Dexter Weeks, tells the story of Nikola Tesla, whose experiments with time travel thrust him ahead in time to the early 1900s, where he must team up with a young H.P. Lovecraft as part of a secretive group combating humanity's greatest threat, the Cthulu Order. Two sides of the same coin, this contentious pair must navigate a dangerous and forbidden world of frightful secrets, cosmic nightmares, and unspeakable horrors in a quest to save the world. The series, which will interweave the worlds of science and magic, also features appearances by iconic characters such as Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart and Harry Houdini. Romark’s Rock Shaink and Markerstone’s Mark Lawyer will produce the project, with Joseph New set to oversee for Romark.

Romark is currently producing “Earthless” alongside Ridley Scott and Brooklyn Weaver at Fox, “Paradox” alongside Tim Kring at Imperative, “Matriarch” alongside Red Wagon for Paramount, and the upcoming television series “Winter” which they are developing with Demarest TV. In June, their Sundance hit “Bound to Vengeance” released in theaters and on VOD from IFC Midnight.

Markerstone setup the thriller “Padre” at Screen Gems, is producing the Irish indie “Brighter Nights” with Fueld Films and is currently gearing up for production on the action/thriller “Backtrace” with Myriad Pictures.

Founded in 2010, Action Lab Entertainment has since launched a number of acclaimed series’, including the Eisner Award nominated series “Priceless” and the comic book reimagining of Charles Band’s 80s cult-classic “Puppet Master.” Known for catering to both family friendly and mature audiences, Action Lab will next launch Actionverse, a ground-breaking crossover series for their library of characters.

Herald writer John Reilly is a writing professor, with a PHD in English and a fondness for all things historical. Artists Dexter Weeks and Tom Rogers have worked on series such as “Avengelyne,” “Koni Waves,” the “Ordinary Days” anthology series and “Calavera de la Justicia”

Guild of Dungeoneering Launches to Aspiring Dungeon Masters Everywhere!

Independent developer Gambrinous, in partnership with indie publishing powerhouse Versus Evil, has announced the release of their newest role-playing game (RPG) Guild of Dungeoneering for PC and Mac. The innovative and entertaining new card driven dungeon-crawler combines dungeon building, exploration and combat mechanics with nostalgic ‘hand drawn’ style graphics on graph paper and is now available to buy on Steam and GoG.com for $14.99. Guild of Dungeoneering turns traditional dungeon crawling on its head by putting a new spin on classic game play – rather than controlling a dungeoneer, players build their dungeon around him (or indeed her). Using a random deck of cards, players can expand the dungeon and strategically place loot and monsters to lure their dungeoneer in the direction they want him to go.  When their dungeoneer confronts a monster (either willingly or not), battle lines are drawn and the victor will be decided on how cunning a player is with the hand that’s been dealt to them.

"We're incredibly excited to share Guild of Dungeoneering with the world," said Colm Larkin of Gambrinous. "What started as a weekend project has blossomed and become something beautiful. I think the game taps into a pretty unique blend of tabletop and role playing nostalgia. I'm really proud of what we've made and can't wait to see what everyone thinks."

Over time, as players collect enough gold and gain more experience, they will be able to build out their own Guild by adding rooms to attract more-powerful adventurers and unlock better weapons and special cards for their Guild deck all in the name of fame and fortune.

"Guild of Dungeoneering brings to life the dungeon crawler in such a unique, fun way through cards that ooze character," said General Manager Steve Escalante. "Through its nostalgic, hand drawn look, its clever use of music and deep adventures, Guild of Dungeoneering has captured the TCG and Roleplaying gamers in the Versus Evil team.  We are so excited you can now all play this wonderful indie title."

For more information about Guild of Dungeoneering, visit www.guildofdungeoneering.com.