A place where we get to share with you all the things our inner geek loves. We will look at everything from graphic tees to graphic novels, from video games to movie reviews. Plus shopping hauls and whatever else that tickles my fancy. Geek out with us!
SQUARE ENIX® is thrilled to reveal the official trailer for the latest update for the critically acclaimed MMORPG, FINAL FANTASY® XIV.
FINAL FANTASY XIV continues to deliver epic content to its players with The Far Edge of Fate (Patch 3.5), releasing January 17 which brings with it a ton of exciting, new content for adventurers. The Warrior of Light will be able to scale Baelsar’s Wall, the giant structure that separates the Garlean Empire-controlled territories and the three city-states of Eorzea®. Players will also return to Sohm Al to further explore the holy ground of the dragons. Additionally, Patch 3.5 will feature the latest chapter in the Shadows of Mhach storyline with an all new alliance raid, a new primal fight against Zurvan, the final member of the Warring Triad, as well as new exploratory missions.
Patch 3.5 also brings improvements to the Party Finder so that players from other worlds on the same data center can view, recruit and join parties. PvP will also receive updates to both Frontline and Duel modes, along with a new map coming to The Feast. After listening to community feedback, players will be able to use the Duty Finder while their chocobo® is at their side.
These updates are just the latest with what is going on inside FINAL FANTASY XIV, and it doesn’t stop there. FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival Europe takes place in Frankfurt, Germany on February 18th and 19th. Tickets to this prestigious fan event are extremely limited and those who were lucky enough to attend previous Fan Festivals will know just how incredible the experience is. Secure your tickets to this unmissable event here.
SQUARE ENIX® announced that the shipment and digital sales for FINAL FANTASY® XV have exceeded six million units.
Having received critical acclaim across the world for its beautiful world design and graphical quality, along with the open-world freedom and exciting new battle system, the game continues its strong sales after recording five million units on day one.
FINAL FANTASY XV provides additional content and associated products to expand and enhance players’ experiences, starting with the free game update, Holiday Pack (Free Version) and premium Holiday Pack+ DLC which are now available for download. Those who download the Holiday Pack (Free Version) or Holiday Pack+ will also gain access to the “Moogle Chocobo Carnival,” a special in-game event that brings an exciting festival to the whole city of Altissia, starting on Tuesday, January 24th for a limited time.
To allow players a deeper enjoyment of FINAL FANTASY XV, regular updates enhancing the main game will be coming soon, such as premium DLC content that will provide players additional gameplay experiences.
About FINAL FANTASY XV The latest installment in the classic series, FINAL FANTASY XV is set in an enthralling world where fantasy meets reality, and where players will embark on an adventure like no other. Join Prince Noctis and his comrades on an epic journey of brotherhood, love and despair as they unravel Noctis's destiny and take up arms against the warmongering empire, Niflheim.
With a captivating cast of characters, breath-taking visuals, open world exploration and thrilling action-packed real time combat, FINAL FANTASY XV is the ultimate FINAL FANTASY experience for both newcomers to the series and series fans alike.
FINAL FANTASY XV is available now worldwide for the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system. This game is rated T (Teen). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.
New Video Reveals Mobile Game Collaboration with Multi-Platinum Recording Artist
Fans of FINAL FANTASY® BRAVE EXVIUS®, the free-to-play FINAL FANTASY® mobile game, are in for a surprise this month as internationally acclaimed recording artist and actress Ariana Grande will lend her likeness to the hit RPG. The collaboration with the superstar is further detailed in a new video, which can be viewed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NcoubpSwlEk.
As part of this collaboration, Ariana’s hit song “Touch It” will be arranged as a FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS-style remix, which can be heard on YouTube.
More details around the collaboration and limited-time in-game event will be revealed in the middle of January.
Square Enix also announced that FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS has surpassed nine million downloads outside of Japan. To celebrate this special milestone, for a limited time, players will receive a significant boost in daily log-in bonuses.
FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS is available now as a free-to-play app (with in-app purchases) through the App Store, Google Play and the Amazon App store.
Nintendo Reveals Upcoming Games, New Hardware Features
Press Release: Nintendo announced today that the new Nintendo Switch system will launch worldwide on March 3, 2017 at a suggested retail price of $299.99 in the United States.
The system will include the main console, Joy-Con (L) and Joy-Con (R) controllers, a Joy-Con grip (to which two Joy-Con are attached and used as one controller), a set of Joy-Con wrist straps, a Nintendo Switch dock (which holds the main console and connects it to a TV), an HDMI cable and an AC adapter. Two stylish versions of the system will be released: a version with a set of gray Joy-Con, and a version with one neon blue and one neon red Joy-Con. Both versions will be the same price.
“Nintendo Switch is a brand-new kind of home gaming system that offers a wide variety of play modes,” said Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima. “We will introduce the world to new experiences made possible by the unique characteristics of the Nintendo Switch hardware and the Joy-Con.”
Nintendo Switch is a breakthrough home video game system. It not only connects to a TV at home, but it also instantly transforms into an on-the-go handheld using its 6.2-inch screen. For the first time, players can enjoy a full home-console experience anytime, anywhere. The screen includes capacitive multi-touch capabilities for compatible games. Battery life can last for more than six hours, but will vary depending on the software and usage conditions. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildcan be played for roughly three hours on a single charge. While away from home, Nintendo Switch can be charged by plugging the AC adapter into the console’s USB Type-C connector.
The versatile Joy-Con offer multiple surprising new ways for players to have fun. Two Joy-Con can be used independently in each hand, or together as one game controller when attached to the Joy-Con grip. They can also attach to the main console for use in handheld mode, or be shared with friends to enjoy two-player action in supported games. Each Joy-Con has a full set of buttons and can act as a standalone controller, and each includes an accelerometer and gyro-sensor, making independent left and right motion control possible.
Nintendo Switch also contains a number of built-in features that make it more interactive. The left Joy-Con has a Capture Button that players can press to take instant screenshots of gameplay to share with friends on social media. The right Joy-Con includes an NFC touchpoint for interaction with amiibo figures, as well as an IR Motion Camera that can detect the distance, shape and motion of nearby objects in specially designed games. For example, it can tell how far away a player’s hand is, and even if the hand is forming a rock, paper or scissors shape. Both Joy-Con include advanced HD Rumble, which can provide compatible games with subtle vibrations that are much more realistic than before. The effect is so detailed that a player could, for example, feel the sensation of individual ice cubes colliding inside a glass when shaking a Joy-Con. With HD Rumble players can experience a level of realism not possible through sights and sounds alone.
Nintendo Switch makes it easy for players to stay connected. Up to eight systems can be connected for local wireless play. The player can place the system upright anywhere by using the built-in stand, then easily share Joy-Con for multiplayer fun away from the TV. The system will support online Wi-Fi multiplayer gaming. Nintendo also unveiled a new online subscription service that will begin with a free trial at launch. The service includes a smart-device application available in Summer 2017 that will let users invite friends to play online, set play appointments and chat with one another as they play compatible games. The fully featured paid service will be available in the fall.
Nintendo Switch will be supported by world-class third-party publishers including Activision Publishing Inc., Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and major Japanese publishers. Some publishers, such as Bethesda Softworks, are joining Nintendo for the first time. Players can look forward to major franchises on Nintendo Switch such as EA SPORTS FIFA, The Elder Scrolls, NBA 2K, Minecraft and more. Nintendo Switch software will not be region locked.
The unique capabilities of the console and Joy-Con have combined with innovations from past systems to create Nintendo’s most flexible, feature-packed video game system ever. This is demonstrated by the wide variety of unique games that were announced for launch day, this summer and into the 2017 holiday season, from both Nintendo and its third-party partners. From the engrossing open-air experience of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to the party fun of 1-2-Switch, Nintendo Switch offers something for everyone.
Select First-Party Games
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Prepare for the biggest Legend of Zelda adventure yet, with an open-air style that breaks new boundaries while honoring the origins of the acclaimed series. Explore a world of unprecedented size and discover more than 100 puzzle-filled Shrines of Trials, plus a wide variety of weapons, outfits and gear. Players won’t want to stop playing, and they won’t have to since Nintendo Switch allows them to continue the adventure anywhere, anytime.
The game is compatible with Zelda 30th Anniversary series amiibo, the Wolf Link amiibo (which will be re-issued as a standalone amiibo on Feb. 3) and the new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild series amiibo. In addition to the previously announced Link (Rider), Link (Archer) and Guardian amiibo, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild series amiibo will also include new Zelda and Bokoblin amiibo. The amiibo in this series carry a suggested retail price of $15.99, except for the massive Guardian amiibo, which has a suggested retail price of $19.99.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will provide players with a landmark Nintendo Switch experience on the system’s launch day in March, and will be available as a standard edition, Special Edition and Master Edition. The Special Edition includes the game, a Nintendo Switch Sheikah Slate Carrying Case, Sheikah Eye Collectible Coin, Relic of Hyrule: Calamity Ganon Tapestry and Weather-Worn Map, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sound Selection CD for a suggested retail price of $99.99. The Master Edition includes all of those items plus a Master Sword of Resurrection figure, and has a suggested retail price of $129.99.
1-2-Switch: This is the first Nintendo video game in which players compete in fun activities while staring into each other’s eyes instead of at the TV screen. From Wild West gunslinging to copying each other’s dance moves, the games in 1-2-Switch make creative use of a broad variety of Nintendo Switch features to liven up parties with anyone, anywhere, at any time. 1-2-Switch will be available alongside the Nintendo Switch system on its launch day in March.
ARMS: Featuring a unique multiplayer fighting sport that lets players trade blows using extendable arms, this game includes elements of both boxing and shooting games, plus a new cast of characters. After customizing a character with a variety of arms, the player holds one Joy-Con in each hand and throws left and right punches at the opponent. Characters can jump and dash, and players can bend their punches by twisting their hands as they swing. As players learn the game and improve their skills, they will discover a deeper level of advanced tactics. Players can compete against the computer, against a friend on a split screen using a second set of Joy-Con (sold separately), against worldwide rivals online, or with two Nintendo Switch systems over a local wireless connection. ARMS will be available this Spring.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: With Nintendo Switch, fans can enjoy the definitive version of Mario Kart 8anywhere, anytime, even with up to eight friends in local wireless multiplayer. All your favorite tracks and characters return from the Wii U version, plus all DLC tracks and characters, and new characters join the roster, too: Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy from Splatoon, as well as King Boo, Dry Bones and Bowser Jr.! Plus, Battle mode has been revamped and includes Balloon Battle and Bob-omb Blast, with new courses such as Urchin Underpass and Battle Stadium, and returning ones like GCN Luigi’s Mansion and SNES Battle Course 1. Players can now carry two items at a time, including new items returning from previous Mario Kart games such as Boo (the item-stealing ghost) and the Feather, which gives players a high jump in Battle mode. Players can even choose to use a new Smart Steering feature, which makes driving and staying on the track easy for novice players and kids, even at 200cc. Play in TV mode in up to 1080p. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launches in April.
Splatoon 2: Traditional 4-on-4 turf battles return in this full sequel to the original breakout hit game, along with new stages, new fashions and new weapons such as the two-handed Splat Dualies. Players can compete on the TV or on the go. Whether they use the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller (sold separately) or Joy-Con, players can aim their ink using gyro controls. Splatoon 2 supports both local and online multiplayer matches. The game will also support voice chat using the new Nintendo Switch smart device app (a free, limited version of the app will be available this summer), and will add new stages, fashions and weapons after launch, as the original game did. Splatoon 2 is scheduled to launch this summer.
Super Mario Odyssey: This is the first sandbox game that allows Mario to fully explore his world since Super Mario 64 on Nintendo 64 and Super Mario Sunshine on Nintendo GameCube. Mario jumps out of the Mushroom Kingdom and embarks on a journey through mysterious new places and new experiences, such as sailing between worlds aboard an airship and the ability to throw Mario’s cap. Super Mario Odyssey is scheduled to launch during the 2017 holiday season.
Snipperclips – Cut it out, together!: In this creative new kind of Action-Puzzle game, players communicate, cooperate and use their imaginations to solve basic and advanced puzzles by cutting paper characters into new shapes. People can play solo or with a friend in the main game, then bring in a bigger group to solve up to four-player dynamic puzzles or compete in other activities. Snipperclips – Cut it out, together! will release in March exclusively in Nintendo eShop.
For more information about Nintendo Switch, including a video of the announcements, visit http://www.nintendo.com/switch.
Fangirl Thoughts: The presentation was enjoyable and informative. I enjoyed whenever the presenters would dress up according to what they were presenting. Nintendo presented some great games that will be in the launch window and frankly I am super excited about the master edition of The Legend of Zelda. I think this version of Zelda may be the best yet. I have my preorder in and I will be gaming!
What about the Nintendo Presentation did you enjoy?
If you’re hunkering down in your blanket fort and waiting out another storm, chances are you’ve got the best kind of company: Netflix. According to Fortune, more than half of Americans currently use the streaming service for access to both movies and TV episodes. In recent years, those subscribers have increasingly flocked to Netflix originals, series developed and produced exclusively for streaming. Although Netflix doesn’t publish its ratings, this must have been a successful gamble since the provider announced it would make an astounding 50 percent of its content original in the next few years. If that means more Stranger Things, we can probably all agree the future is going to be weird and wonderful.
Which binge-worthy series was most likely to be streaming in neighborhoods near you? Inquiring minds wanted to know. Okay, it was us—the team at CableTV who wanted to know. And while there was lots of buzz about some of the newer Netflix originals, you’ll be surprised to find some familiar titles dominating the map all across the United States.
The big winner? Marvel rules the Universe, inspiring blind devotion in fourteen states with Daredevil and strong-arming seven more into watching Jessica Jones. A few other Netflix originals like Bloodline and Orange is the New Black were regional favorites, but they didn’t come close to touching Marvel’s superhero streaming status. Each state’s favorite show was identified by compiling a list of all the original Netflix content, and then analyzing state data from Google Trends in 2016. For the purposes of this map, we excluded movies, children’s shows, continuations (series aired previously on another network), and limited, one-time specials so we could isolate popular original content in each state. For instance, shows like Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life made our list because Netflix is rebooting the series and creating original content from what was previously a discontinued network program.
While there were some correlations with favoring shows with local settings, we found less evidence of those types of parallels in this map compared to others we’ve produced. This could be in part because the demographics of streamers tend to skew towards younger, more tech-savvy folks who need less comfort in their entertainment choices. What were the trends we discovered in tracking Netflix original content from sea to shining sea? Snuggle up on the couch and let’s chat.
Keeping it Local
As with most entertainment data by state, we found some evidence suggesting we prefer a taste of home. The following states had favorite shows that were set in the same locale.
Bloodline (drama set in the Florida Keys) Alabama Florida North Carolina South Carolina
House of Cards (political drama set in Washington D.C.) District of Columbia
Last Chance U (docuseries set in East Mississippi Community College) Mississippi
The Get Down (music drama set in South Bronx) New York
Hemlock Grove (thriller set in small town Pennsylvania) West Virginia
When the North settles in to watch Netflix, subscribers tend to choose warmer locales. The following states can have cold winters with heavy snowfall, but their favorite series serves up the sunny side of life.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island tune into Love to see a slice of LA living.
Connecticut keeps warm with Bloodline, set in the sunshine state of Florida.
Montana and Washington leave snowflakes behind in favor of Flaked, featuring plenty of California’s signature palm trees.
Wisconsin heats things up with the explosive Lady Dynamite, whose heroine is a comedian looking for laughs in Los Angeles.
Trending Now…
Some states may not share the same favorites, but their region tends to skew towards a particular genre. The following areas of the country fell neatly into categories of content.
It’s Always Sunny with comedy in the Pacific West. Flaked and W/ Bob & David were two prominent choices along the West Coast.
Lighten it up with laughter in the North. Flaked, W/ Bob & David, Love, and Lady Dynamite were scattered across the northern United States, suggesting there isn’t anything that a little comedy sketch can’t cure.
Superheroes save the day in the Midwest. Daredevil and Jessica Jones are favorites in the middle of the country. Apparently some parts of the
U.S. are still looking for a hero.
New England has love to keep it warm. Sense8,Love, and Jessica Jones all focus on relationships, human or otherwise, and are popular in New England, where their trademark cynicism doesn’t extend to TV content.
Keeping it clean for the kids in the Mountain West. PG-rated fare is favored in states like Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, including Stranger Things, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, and The Ranch, which are all acceptable for younger viewers.
Fangirl Thoughts: It is interesting to see what people are watching across the US. I am a huge fan of Daredevil and can understand how Jersey would be about Daredevil. I hope we continue to get trends like this so we can see how the climate changes in the US.
IMDB Storyline: The next installment in the blockbuster franchise, UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS follows Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) as she fends off brutal attacks from both the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. With her only allies, David (Theo James) and his father Thomas (Charles Dance), she must stop the eternal war between Lycans and Vampires, even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Fangirl Thoughts: Okay so I went into watching this movie admitting that I was seeing it because of my girl crush on Kate Beckinsale. She looks just as amazing as she did in the last movie and is still kicking butt. I thought this was going to be another crap movie and that I would only enjoy it because I am a die hard Underworld fan. However I was surprised that I liked it because it was actually a decent action/horror movie.
The fight sequences were amazing like always and learning more on the vampire history and hierarchy was great. I also enjoyed the ending. I think it was most fitting and frankly I would support if they decide to make another movie. And yes they did leave it open that if the movie did well enough that they could make another movie.
I do not want to spoil the movie for you so go check it out. If you enjoy the series, then you will enjoy this movie.
