By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/1/2016
Before Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham trilogy proved how top tier comic book properties could be perfectly adapted in the world of blockbuster video games; Electronic Arts was setting up to once again release a tie-in Batman game alongside Christopher Nolan’s second Bat film, The Dark Knight in 2008 . It would not have been their first Batman endeavor […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 1/5/2016
Rey may not have made it onto Hasbro’s Boardwalk but next week she’ll be front and center as video game pinball developer Zen Studios releases a pair of new tables based on the mega blockbuster, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. First, the Force Awakens table sees Rey, the breakout character of the new Star Wars […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/31/2015
We talk about why Batman: Arkham Knight was our 2015 GOTY.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/15/2015
After reports surfaced earlier today about Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima officially leaving Konami and starting a new game studio; the final word came down when PlayStation worldwide CEO Andrew House announced the news alongside a slightly more bearded Kojima. Check out the big reveal below: The new studio (officially named KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS) will […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/15/2015
2015’s saga of the Kojima/Konami controversy appears to finally be at an end. Konami’s drama began earlier this year with rumors, the cancelation of Silent Hills, and even Kojima’s name being removed from box art of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Most recently at The Game Awards we all learned Kojima had been prevented […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/11/2015
Lego Marvel's Avengers was the best game of PSX and here's why.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/10/2015
Comics are the forefront of what we love here at the Beat, but when Marvel delays its latest event you need something more to pass the time. That’s where gaming comes in. At this year’s PlayStation Experience, we went hands on with tons of new and upcoming games. Here’s our impressions of some of the most […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/9/2015
What's the secret to Sony's convention success?
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/3/2015
Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind the Metal Gear video game franchise, has had a rough year. Despite the newest entry in the Metal Gear series, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, debuting to rave reviews, Kojima has rarely been seen in the spotlight promoting the game or accepting awards for its performance. Yesterday, at Sony’s annual Playstation […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/3/2015
Just a short time ago at The Game Awards we got the surprise announcement about Telltale Games taking on the world of Batman in 2016. Now they’ve debuted footage from the highly anticipated The Walking Dead: Michonne mini-series. “We’ve been hard at work on this very special exploration of The Walking Dead universe that will […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/3/2015
Telltale drops quite a bomb at tonight's Game Awards
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 11/6/2015
Fallout 4 parties like it's 2099
By: Joe Hitchcock,
on 10/23/2015
In today’s society, technology is fundamentally embedded in the everyday learning environments of children. The development of educative interactive apps is constantly increasing, and this is undoubtedly true for apps designed to facilitate musical development. So much so that computer-based technology has become an integral part of children’s musical lives
The post Biophilia: technology that transforms music education appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 10/16/2015
Today over on the WB Games Community forums the remainder of Batman: Arkham Knight‘s downloadable content rollout was announced. In addition to new story episodes featuring Robin and a slew of Batman’s villains it was also mentioned that the Catwoman episode originally set for October is delayed to November. The troubled PC version of the game […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 10/15/2015
We've got all the details on Titan's forthcoming series based on the popular Assassin's Creed video game franchise
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 10/14/2015
Saturday, I spent time on the show floor, visiting the sides (3-A, 3-D, 3-E) which aren’t as crowded as the middle mega booths (which I perused Thursday). The Block
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 10/3/2015
Telltale Games rolls out the redstone carpet for the Minecraft Community in LA
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/22/2015
New Arkham Knight DLC drops today to help season pass holders chip away at that feeling of throwing away $40
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/28/2015
Another videogame is heading to the screen–this time, Borderlands, a FPS game is set in a comics-inspired SF universe. Avi Arad and Ari Arad, who certainly have a lot os experience with comics-inspired films, are making it with Lionsgate. The game was developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K, a division of Take-Two Interactive […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/24/2015
After you explore the Wasteland, explore the art behind the Wasteland with Dark Horse.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/18/2015
Batman Arkham Knight releases more DLC, but even a song from Prince couldn't make it bearable.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/17/2015
Valiant Entertainment are bring their comics to your PlayStation menus.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/16/2015
D23 gives gamers tons of Star Wars to cheer about on its last day.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/11/2015
We talk with series writer Paul Cornell about his Four Doctors crossover event for Titan, his Dark Horse limited series This Damned Band, a recently announced Warcraft graphic novel due out next year and the one comic he walked away from.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/22/2015
So, we all know that Marvel didn’t present anything in Hall H during Comic-Con.
Was it because they didn’t have anything to show, just like Sony and Paramount?
Or were they saving their big announcements for the D23 Expo, Disney’s biennial fanfest scheduled for August 14-16?
Well, we know a little bit more, as Disney has published the show schedule, and released PR about some of the bigger events, taking place in “Hall D23″. Disney hasn’t published any maps yet for the Expo, but it will be located in Hall D of the Anaheim Convention Center, which has a theater capacity of … 15,000! (The attached Arena seats “only” 7500.) Disney isn’t using the entire space. just 7500 seats. So get there early!
So, what’s scheduled?
This is the Disney “Hall of Fame”. This year, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger will induct:
GEORGE BODENHEIMER, who retired from his role as Executive Chairman of ESPN in May 2014, enjoyed a remarkable 33-year career that began in the company’s mailroom in 1981. Working his way through the ranks, he became executive vice president of sales and marketing in 1996, before being named the network’s fifth president in 1998. He held that role until 2012, when he stepped down from day-to-day operations.
ANDREAS DEJA is a link to Disney’s past and one of the greatest animators of its modern era. Deja is known for his rich portraits of villainy, having animated Gaston for Beauty and the Beast, Jafar for Aladdin, and Scar for The Lion King. He has also brought life to heroes such as mighty Hercules, the precocious Lilo (Lilo & Stitch), regal King Triton (The Little Mermaid), wise Mama Odie (The Princess and the Frog), and loveable Tigger (Winnie the Pooh). In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious Winsor McCay Award for his contributions to the art of animation.
EYVIND EARLE, one of the greatest of Disney artists, brought his unique style to a number of memorable projects but perhaps the purest realization of his vision remains the visual styling and backgrounds for the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. Earle’s career with Disney began in 1951, working on background artwork for Peter Pan. He created the look of the 1953 animated short Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, which won an Academy Award® for Best Short Subject, Cartoons in 1954. His most noticeable contribution, however, remains his work on Sleeping Beauty. The film’s eye-catching look, in its design and backgrounds, are the perfect representation of his unique style.
DANNY ELFMAN provided the songs and score for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, for which he also provided the singing voice of Jack Skellington. He also scored several Disney films including Alice in Wonderland, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Dick Tracy, Dead Presidents, Flubber, Good Will Hunting (Oscar® Nomination: Best Score), A Civil Action, Instinct, Frankenweenie, and Oz the Great and Powerful. Elfman also wrote the theme for ABC’s Desperate Housewives and penned the music for the Mystic Manor attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland. His music is featured in Disneyland’s annual Haunted Mansion Holiday. His upcoming Disney projects include Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass.
GEORGE LUCAS, whose Star Wars films made him one of the most successful filmmakers of all time, is also a longtime Disney fan who has left an indelible impression on Disney parks. His first project with Disney was Captain EO, the 1986 3-D spectacular starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, as well as Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril in Disneyland Paris, and two blockbuster Indiana Jones Adventure attractions at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, round out Lucas’ timeless work in conjunction with Disney.
SUSAN LUCCI portrayed Erica Kane on ABC’s fabled soap opera All My Children for 41 years, a role that TV Guide deemed unequivocally the most famous character in the history of daytime television, earning Lucci 21 Daytime Emmy® nominations to which she won the prestigious Emmy for Best Actress to an industry-wide standing ovation on her 19th nomination. Shortly thereafter, she received her Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, presented to her by Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. The iconic actress has also appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and Hope & Faith, as well as Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven. Lucci currently stars in the international hit Lifetime series, Devious Maids, produced by ABC Studios, as the wealthy and effervescent socialite, Genevieve Delatour.
JULIE REIHM CASALETTO, who began her Disney career as a tour guide, became Disneyland’s first Ambassador in 1965—a role created to help Walt, who found it increasingly difficult to attend all the events to which he was invited. As Disneyland’s first Ambassador, she was chosen “as a personification of Disneyland’s world-famous spirit of friendliness and happiness.” She became the template upon which decades of Ambassadors would pattern themselves.
CARSON VAN OSTEN helped bring Disney characters to life in a variety of media, all around the world, for three decades. During Van Osten’s tenure, he oversaw creative content for motion picture tie-in advertising, many Disney publications, and also established some of the first licensing style guides for Disney Consumer Products. The talented artist designed logos for Mickey Mouse’s 50th and 60th birthdays, the Walt Disney Studios logo and water tower design, and the Disneyland Hotel clock tower “Mickey” logo in Paris.
After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo, where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to “let it go,” come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents this in-depth look at the animation studios’ slate. Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent.
Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm are home to some of the planet’s best storytellers, immersing audiences fully in the world of each film from beginning to end and beyond. In this exclusive Hall D23 presentation, join Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn for a tour of upcoming live-action projects from these legendary film studios. A bevy of special guests will be on hand to offer a look at an unparalleled slate that includes Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Jungle Book, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens—and much, much more.
No description yet, but Parks chairman Bob Chapek will reveal what’s new! I would expect more info on the new Shanghai Disneyland! As well as info on Disney Springs and [Disney’s Hollywood Studios]! Maybe some information on the $1 Billion expansion at Disneyland?
No idea… I would expect more information about Disney Infinity 3.0 (now with more Wookies). Also, since it launches in October, there’d better be some hands-on demos for Playmation. (Hollee… Iron Skrull?!?!? You had me at MODOK!)
Ahem… getting back on track… sorry… I’ll try not to think about the Star Wars or Frozen sets…
Join host Chris Montan, president, Walt Disney Music, and the Oscar®-winning songwriting team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez as they take you on a once-in-a-lifetime musical journey through the world of Frozen. This one-day-only performance features your favorite friends from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film—including Anna and Elsa––with sing-along experiences and fascinating stories behind some of your favorite Frozen songs.
I can’t speak for much, but I wrote the script for the Dark Knight game in 2008. I was brought out to Australia several times to work with Pandemic. The guys there were wonderful and were definitely working to make the best Batman game ever.
The only correction to your piece that I know about is the game did not hone to the Dark Knight movie script. By design we took place during it but we had a very different story. We did however, end up at the same place. I was extremely proud of the script and was told it was accepted without any changes called for by the movie folk. It’s a shame it never came out.