In a move that you’ll either love or hate depending upon whether you are a teenage girl or not, it has been officially announced that One Direction will be performing the official theme song for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of romantic comedy anime ‘Say, I Love You‘.
The song was recently featured in the trailer for the live action ‘Say, I Love You’ film which you can check out below. The theme is titled ‘Happily’ which is likely a song that many One Direction fans are surely familiar with.
‘Say, I Love You’ revolves around the high school romance between Mei Tachibana and the handsome Yamato Kurosawa. Mei is a loner without any friends besides the local stray cats. Yamato, a guy who is often swarmed by girls becomes enamored with the quiet girl. Will love spring forth, will Mei ever say “I Love You”?
Be sure to check out the trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments section. You can take a look at our review of the anime series here.
Haruma Miura – who Japanese pop culture fans may know played Tatsuya Bito in “Crow Zero II” and who did the voice of Yara for the “Space Pirate Captain Harlock” movie – has just been confirmed as the actor who will be representing Eren Yeagar on-screen for the live-action “Attack On Titan” film that is said to currently be in production.
So far Mr. Miura has been the only actor confirmed for the film but hopes for some more information in the the near future are extremely high especially now that fans have been given this small piece of information. No real specifics for the film has been released apart from its shooting location which has said to be Hashima Island in Nagasaki.
The island is an extremely popular spot for photographers and will serve as an excellent “blank canvas” to build the world of “Attack On Titan” upon. The film has been said to be based on the manga moreso than the anime but will feature film-only scenes and storylines. As mentioned above; we do hope some more information regarding the films cast gets released soon and you can be sure that, if and when it does, you’ll find it here on Capsule Computers so stick around.
Think you’re the very best like no-one ever was? Huh?! Well here’s your chance to put your money where your mouth is, the “2014 Pokemon Video Game Australian National Championships” have just been announced so let’s hope you didn’t write a cheque your skills can’t cash because your pride as a trainer is now on the line. Big fans of the Pokemon franchise and its series of games will know that competitive Pokemon Battles are quite popular worldwide.
Players from around the globe spend months working on their Pokemon teams in the lead-up to tournaments and/or championships with the goal of beating the competition and taking home not only a sense of overwhelming pride but the sweet, sweet prizes offered up at every event. Championships are about to begin all around Australia with the top contenders of every event go in the running to win a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the “2014 Pokemon Video Game World Championships” which is set to be held on the 16th and 17th of August this year. Just note that you will need to have your own copy of Pokemon X or Pokemon Y for the Nintendo 3DS, the tournaments will only be played on those games.
Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland (New Zealand) will each hold their own “Regional Championships” so, if you live in those states and are interested, head to the official event page by Clicking Here to read up on all the information available. Remember, trainers: These events are full of strong competition so come prepared with your best Pokemon and the most positive attitude you can. Good luck and hopefully one of you will make it to the World Championships in Washington. Go on and be the very best!
Event Details: To find out where and when you ca participate in a local event, head to the “Event Locator” page of the official Pokemon Website by Clicking Here.
“Do you remember how many pranks you have “pranken” in your life?”
April Fools’ Day is over for another year and from now until the next one we’re safe from silly pranks and practical jokes, thank the lord! The same thing happens every single year though; big companies release fake news stories which are almost always followed up by some sort of “fake” notice or an official apology. It’s what we call “Damage Control”. Unfortunately for some companies, releasing actual news on a day like April Fools’, it can be very difficult with people being collectively on-guard, worried that they may fall victim to another humiliating prank. “Crunchyroll” – one of the biggest digital anime, manga and drama distributors – fell victim to this mindset on the 1st as they unveiled that they have acquired the rights to stream the new “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” anime.
People wanted to believe that this was true but they could not bare to bring themselves to doing so…though, two days after April the 1st, we have confirmation that “Crunchyroll” will indeed be adding the “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” anime to their online library. Coming straight from the horses mouth, “Crunchyroll” stated that they will be adding the first season of the anime – which covers the events of both the “Phantom Blood” and “Battle Tendency” storylines – as well as the upcoming season “Stardust Crusaders” which is set to begin airing tomorrow on the 4th of April. Both the first episode of the new season and all the episodes of the first season will be available starting tomorrow at 9.30am so prepare to be engulfed by the all-encompassing power of “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure”!
Press Play, the creators behind Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, has recently announced that they’ll be releasing Tentacles: Enter The Mind for the Windows 8 PC and RT devices.
Tentacles: Enter The Mind is a new take on the Tentacle universe and mechanics from the prior award-winning title Tentacles: Enter The Dolphin. In this 3D bizarre world, weird creatures exist in every nook and cranny of Phluff’s mind. Eat the cuteness out of Professor Phluff’s dolphin-head and clean out his troubled subconscious. Use the intuitive controls to avoid projectiles and traps while chomping away at eyeballs.
The game will be free for download and available this summer. For more information, check out their site here.
One of this year’s best animated features has just hit cinemas here in Australia (about 6 months later than the rest of the world) and it is accompanied by Lego Sets, merchandise and of course a video game! The Lego Movie Videogame takes the plot and characters from the film and brings them home for you to play with yourself. While it manages to capture a lot of the charm of the film, it struggles a bit to bring all of the whimsy and wonder along with it.
Story
When the evil Lord Business tries to collect a super weapon of unimaginable destructive power, the good Wizard Vitruvius warns him that he will be stopped by “The Special,” a prophesied hero that will save the world. Enter Emmet Brickowski, an ordinary construction worker minifig who just yearns to be noticed. After teaming up with a mysterious, tech-savy, ninja-esq female fighter minifig, Emmet finds himself mistaken as “The Special,” and is whisked away on an adventure that has him crossing paths with Batman, running from a two-faced cop, and finally showing that you don’t need to be “The Special,” to be special.
The Lego Movie Videogame’s story is ported straight across from the film and is primarily told through sections of the film that are cut and pasted in between stages. It should be noted though, that since the game’s plot is lifted directly from the film and the fact that many of the cut scenes are actual sections of The Lego Movie, that there are a tonne of spoilers through the game and if you want to go in blind to The Lego Movie, then you are probably better off watching it before picking up this game.
Gameplay
The Lego Movie Videogame is pretty standard-fare when it comes to Lego videogames. You play are a collection of heroes, all who have different skills and abilities and you utilise their unique abilities to progress through the game’s fifteen large worlds, collecting everything in your path. While fifteen stages doesn’t seem like a lot, they are all massive maps, and the fact that there are so many collectibles means you will come back time and time again to find everything.
Since this is a Lego game, don’t expect anything overly difficult. There are little to no consequence for dying, and the puzzles themselves are nothing to scratch your head about, but the game is still fun and this simplicity makes it great to play with kids (of all ages). However, if you are a little bit older and have a little bit more experience with video games, you will likely find the challenge and objectives to get old and repetitive very quickly.
While the game follows on from the same pattern as other Lego games, it does throw some new concepts into the mix. The biggest addition is the new instruction builds. Throughout the levels are a selection of instruction pages that Emmet can use to build large Lego structures. Using instructions creates a mini-game where the player has to find the missing pieces in order for the structure to finish being built. The quicker they find the pieces, the more studs that they earn. The instruction builds are very reminiscent of real-world Lego kits and make ita better representation of actual Lego kits than previous games.
On the topic of past Lego games, Lego City Undercover really set the bar high for where Lego games should be heading. Its large open world was as much fun to explore as the individual levels itself. The Lego Movie Videogame doesn’t quite reach these lofty heights, and while there are a variety of hub-worlds, they are not as big or sprawling as those that have come before it. The smaller disconnected hub worlds may add to the tone of the film and game, but it really feels like a big step backwards for the franchise.
Visuals
While past TT Games Lego titles have given us worlds that only featured Lego pieces for the intractable objects, The Lego Movie Videogame finally gives us what we have all wanted – a world built entirely from Lego. The colourful bricks that we all love so much are now the literal building blocks of the entire world. Everything from the citizens to the vehicles and even the buildings and roads themselves are built from Lego, which makes it look like a child’s dream creation come to life and adds a sense of whimsy.
The world itself isn’t the only thing that is authentically Lego this time around. Taking inspiration from the stop-motion animation style of the movie; characters all move in a blocky, somewhat disjointed way. It is a nice feature that just builds upon the authentic Lego vibe of this game. While a lot of other games couldn’t pull off this style of movement animation, Lego manages it quite nicely.
One downside to the visuals is the fact that there isn’t much of a difference between the Xbox One, PS4 and PC versions in comparison to the last-gen consoles. While they all look great, and the new console version have that slight more sharpness to the visuals, that is about it and unless you are really looking for it there aren’t all that many differences.
Audio
The voice acting for this game is a little off. Firstly, all of the cut-scenes are taken literally from the movie with no alterations or additions. This means that during these sections, we get samples of the great voice work that the likes of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrel, Morgan Freeman and Will Arnett put into the film. However, the same actors do not lend their voices to the in-game sections, resulting in a bit of a disconnection in the two. The voice actors for the gameplay sections often sound remarkably similar to their film-counterparts, but they are just different enough for you to tell.
The music is your pretty typical Lego fare, everything is happy and joyous and really sets a family-friendly tone to the events. However, the film’s theme song “Everything is Awesome,” makes a triumphant return… to punctuate just about everything in the game. Just about every accomplishment is accompanied with the flourish of “everything is awesomeeeee!” What originally starts as upbeat and cheerful quickly turns into repetitive and frustrating.
Overall
The Lego Movie was one of the most unique and special family movies to come out in the past few years. Its cast of characters manages to bring the childhood building blocks to life and create an adventure on par with what we as children could dream up. The Lego Movie Videogame goes a long way to bring that magic to the console, but its few nagging issues fall a bit flat. While there is a lot to see and do, it feels like a step backwards from the likes of Lego City Undercover and its few new additions to the Lego format feel like they could do with further development. Everything is awesome, but it isn’t the best that it could be.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
“YOU DON’T KNOW JACK” Studio Now Supports Amazon Fire TV With Two Launch Titles: “YOU DON’T KNOW JACK Party” and “Fibbage” – A New Lying, Bluffing, Fib-Till-You-Win Party Game
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – April 2, 2014 – Independent developer Jackbox Games today announced that two of the studio’s games – YOU DON’T KNOW JACK Party and the all-new Fibbage™ – will launch on Amazon Fire TV.
Fibbage is the studio’s newest, comedy-laced trivia party game. Up to 8 players can play together on their TV simply by using their mobile phones or tablets as controllers. The game challenges players to fool their friends with lies, avoid selecting their friends’ lies, and find the (usually outrageous) truths to some very unusual facts.
For example, if asked the question: “The mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky is a _____,” players could enter lies such as “baby,” “rabbit,” or “ham sandwich.” Players can get as creative as they want, or use a suggestion if they get stuck. The game is hosted by the studio’s overworked and under-worshipped (according to him) host, Cookie Masterson.
“What we’ve always believed we do best is creating games that get groups of people sitting together laughing through gameplay and cracking each other up,” said Mike Bilder, GM of Jackbox Games. “Fibbage is the kind of game where you have fun when you get the question right, fun when you fool your friends, and fun even when you get fooled yourself.”
Each game of Fibbage is seven questions long and includes specialty questions such as Celebrity Tweets and Road Trip. And of course, the game culminates with a high-stakes final question: The Final Fibbage.
“We’ve watched group after group of people play Fibbage, and then ask if they can play another round, and another, and another, to the point where we have to cut them off like a drunkard at 3:59 a.m.” says Steve Heinrich, the game’s director. “When we hear laughter in every single play session, that makes us pretty confident we’ve got something special.”
Fibbage offers a free version featuring a handful of starter questions as well as a paid upgrade to full Fibbage to get hours and hours of game-party material. Additional content as DLC is planned in the near future.
Fibbage follows last fall’s launch of YOU DON’T KNOW JACK Party, the first game specifically created for the party play genre. Both games use mobile devices as controllers, eliminating a major friction point for live gameplay with big groups.
Jackbox Games is actively working to bring both Fibbage and YOU DON’T KNOW JACK Party to other platforms based on supportive technology and market demand.
About Jackbox Games
Jackbox Games, formerly Jellyvision Games, is a developer and publisher of games on leading consumer gaming platforms. The company is located in Chicago, Illinois.
Insomniac Games Sponsors Women In Games International’s GameMentorOnline
Free Mentoring Program Connects Video Game Industry Professionals to Protégés in All Disciplines of Games Business and Development
LOS ANGELES—April 2, 2014—Women in Games International (WIGI) announced today that independent video games developer Insomniac Games has become the exclusive sponsor for GameMentorOnline (GMO), the first and only online mentoring program for the video game industry.
With the help of sponsorships like the one from Insomniac Games, GameMentorOnline is offered as a free service that connects video game industry professionals with those establishing their careers. The first and only platform of its kind, GameMentorOnline has helped hundreds of protégés learn the ins and outs of all aspects of the video game industry, by matching them with appropriate mentors who are experts in their field.
“Sponsoring GameMentorOnline is an investment into the future of our industry,” said Carrie Dieterle, Chief People Officer at Insomniac Games. “We want to be part of an initiative that encourages innovation and creativity; something that celebrates diverse backgrounds and stokes the desire to be part of the games business.”
“From the beginning, WIGI’s mission has always been to make the video game industry a better place for everyone,” said Belinda Van Sickle, President and CEO of WIGI. “Whether you’re first starting out in games or building your career, it can be a tough place to navigate socially and professionally. We consider GameMentorOnline to not only be a professional service, but one that promotes positive interactions between mentors and protégés from all types of backgrounds.”
WIGI’s GMO is housed within the Chronus Mentoring Service-mentoring and talent development software-that helps mentors and protégés track progress and reach key milestones as they work to achieve their professional goals. Volunteers completely run the program, with donations and sponsorships all going towards keeping the program free for protégés.
For information about GameMentorOnline and to donate or sponsor, please visit: www.gamementoronline.org.
About WIGI Women in Games International (WIGI), made up of women and men, enthusiastically works to promote the inclusion and advancement of women in the global video game industry. WIGI promotes diversityin video game development, publishing, media, education and workplaces. WIGI is driven by a fundamental belief that increased equality and camaraderie among genders can make global impacts for exceptional products, increased consumer enjoyment and a stronger game industry.
About Insomniac Games
Burbank-based Insomniac Games is an independent video games developer that has released award-winning hits for game consoles for 20-plus years. In 2013, it announced a partnership with Microsoft Studios to release Sunset Overdrive exclusively on Xbox One. Insomniac has created world-famous game franchises such as Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, Outernauts and Fuse, resulting in more than 44 million games sold globally. Insomniac is also known for its collaborative workplace culture, having earned 13 local, regional and national “best places to work” honors since 2004. In January 2009, Insomniac opened a Durham, N.C. studio. Additional information can be found on both Insomniac studio locations at http://www.insomniacgames.com.
As I’m sure most people know, the fourth season of the ever popular Game of Thrones series will be premiering on Monday the 7th of this month on Showcase (or on Sunday the 6th for any of our Yankee readers). Our review for the previous season can be found here. Once more will millions tune in to see the intrigue and plotting unfold in the mythical land of Westeros, where undead white walkers rise to terrorise the living and boy kings kill with impunity…
To coincide with the start of the new series, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCEA) called the banners of various news media outlets together for a suitably medieval feast. Meat off the bone and wine by the barrel was consumed as the Sony hosts announced the new addition of Foxtel Play to its entertainment options. The new service, launched on the 1st of April, will allow those who own a PS3 to subscribe to Foxtel Play’s service by using their Playstation Network (PSN) account and pay for access to content on a month-to-month basis. There will be a special rate for those who sign-up withing April for the first three months of their subscription (A number which mysteriously lines up with the run of the latest season of Game of Thrones– *wink*). This app will also be available for PS4 at a point in the near-future, but as of writing is yet to have a concrete date announced and users will be required to have a broadband connection to fully enjoy the service.
It was after the official speeches and before I had consumed too much wine that I confronted SCEA’s Managing Director, Michael Ephraim, at butter-knife point (in keeping with the Game of Thrones theme). I (politely) discussed with Mr. Ephraim a number of topics including the direction of the PlayStation consoles towards more holistic entertainment hubs.
Sony has in recent times moved to position and market its product as less of a specialty ‘games console’ and more of a broader-reaching ‘entertainment device’. This move has been echoed by Microsoft in their own products, but theirs is a story for another time. Some aspects of the gaming community have been made anxious by the decreased emphasis on video games which this marketing portrays for what should be first and foremost; a video game console. It is these concerns about the PS which I voiced to Mr Ephraim.
Ephraim spoke calmly and he spoke eloquently. It was clear to see that I was but one amongst many journos who had gotten too brave on booze and cornered him at a press event. He explained that PlayStation catered to those who wanted a ‘sit-back entertainment experience’. The sort of experience which involved relaxing in a lounge room with surround sound and a triple-digit-inch screen. This was the trump card which the Playstation console could provide its audience to compete with traditional streaming on a computer (with its puny localised sound and double-digit-inch screen) and a feat which was now available with greater ease thanks to the aforementioned addition of Foxtel Play in Australia.
Furthermore, he added in between mouthfuls of trout, lamb, chicken, and beef (seriously, there was a LOT of meat at that event), the PS’s increased diversity was meant not to lose focus on gaming in the process, but to unify and streamline the entertainment experience in the lounge room. With an increasingly technologically complex world, entertainment has grown to become similarly complex with separate UIs accosting a consumer on their computer, smartphone, and smart TV. The PS seeks to cut this Gordian knot by providing a single system which can offer all these entertainment capabilities with a single UI to master. I admit, this line of thinking cut through my alcoholic haze and spoke reason to me. This Ephraim guy probably knew what he was talking about. Whether or not the PS will be able to fill this niche in the market will be seen in the future.
I unfortunately cannot remember what happened after I began grilling Mr. Ephraim about whether or not Sony had designs upon the Iron Throne of Westeros. I was informed afterwards that I had perhaps consumed too much Dornish wine, but I have a theory that I might have been poisoned. Well played Sony, well played…
Only Lovers Left Alive is independent film icon Jim Jarmusch’s latest, starring the extremely popular Tom Hiddleston (THOR, The Avengers) and always enthralling Tilda Swinton (We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Grand Budapest Hotel) as centuries old vampires who live for love amongst a dying world. Jim Jarmusch is often credited with kindling the American independent film movement with his 1984 absurdist comedy Stranger Than Paradise, and has since remained a major presence in independent cinema state-side. Though its appeal may widen as it stars the white-hot Loki himself, Only Lovers Left Alive is art-house personified and might not be for most.
Story
Adam (Hiddleston) is a reclusive musician, living away from all of what’s left of society in a Victorian-era house on the abandoned side of Detroit, Michigan (although, it seems the whole of the United States has been effectively abandoned), apt for a vampire such as he. A crisis faces the “zombies” of the Earth – how Adam unsympathetically refers to humans – as they fail to find a solution to their increasingly self-polluting ways. It’s not the ozone layer or global warming that is cause for concern, but instead our global water supply. When he’s not busy lamenting the depressing state of the world “zombies” have left in their wake, Adam continues to make new music, which always ends up sounding solely appropriate for funeral services. He’s also drawn to the lure of suicide, asking local ‘rock and roll kid’ and personal supplier of guitars and other eccentricities, Ian (Anton Yelchin), if he knows a guy who can craft him a wooden bullet of the densest wood. Ian is quite naive, not even connecting the dots or batting an eyelid at the odd request. Adam obviously knows this, and trusts him because of this very fact.
Eve (Swinton), Adam’s wife (as if the biblical names didn’t already tip you off), lives a decidedly different life across the other side of the world in Tangier, Morocco. Living in a technologically abaft country by comparison, Eve is not completely opposed to new technology, such as her iPhone which she uses to video call Adam. He on the other hand, living in a once advanced metropolis, is anachronistic in his insistence on complicating affairs, hooking up his old laptop’s webcam to a tube television in order to complete the communication. Eve is happy in Tangier, supplied with O- blood from her mentor and fellow vampire, dramatist and poet Christopher Marlowe (John Hurt), but upon witnessing Adam’s clearly morose frame of mind and spirit, decides to fly over to be with her love. Once reunited, the audience is not subjected to an almost expected, lustful rendezvous, but one that shows the true depth of the fondness between these world-weary souls. The film doesn’t really have much of a plot, per se, with the only real event being the arrival of Eve’s sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska), whom Adam despises for certain transgressions she made in the past.
Ava’s “crimes” are never spelled out to the viewer, but spending one minute with the character is enough to explain his adverse attitude towards her; she is a spoiled, teenage brat maturing as slowly as her vampire body decays. Once again, her actions land the couple in an unfavourable position that ultimately instigates their leaving to Tangier in order to avoid potentially unwanted attention. The film features some humorous, satirical and sometimes scathing lines, mostly aimed at the music industry. Some may find it too self-aware or self-indulgent in those pop-culture referent moments, but from someone who has experience in the medium like Jarmusch, it’s okay to trust in his knowledge and laugh along with him. The film does drag slightly with a runtime of just over two hours, particularly in the final twenty minutes or so, also succumbing to a somewhat abrupt end. However, the vibe of the film isn’t like any other, which along with the superb acting from our leads, is reason enough to drink in this art-house experience.
Visuals & Audio
If anyone walks into the cinema without knowing that the protagonists are vampires, they will as soon as the reel rolls; the text of the opening credits is all made in a deliciously dracula-esque gothic font. The film opens with a spinning record slowly dissolving back and forth to a spinning shot of Eve laying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, a visual transition technique that Jarmusch utilises multiple times to great effect, matching the movie’s pace and airy feel. The lighting throughout is naturally sourced. Though Tangier has an overall warmer colour palette, rarely is a scene not bathed in shadow and dark tones. Adam’s Detroit abode is dim and darkened, with the cool rockstar having closed every curtain and blocked out all light. As a vampire, that’s a necessity, but his personal style is similarly drab, opting only to decorate with blacks, deep reds and purples; the colour scheme, combined with the numerous instruments and records lying about, appropriately presents the feel of a lived-in music studio as opposed to an inviting home. Adam’s very possessions and decor are antiquated, from the furniture to his 200+ year old dress robe.
The visual symbolism in the film goes beyond their immediate surroundings as Eve wears all white, with Adam wears all black; Eve believes in seeing the positive in this existence, choosing to dance her cares away while Adam is the pessimist, opposing her stance. Even Eve’s hair is of an unusual, but metaphorically stark, white hue. The original instrumental soundtrack of the film composed and performed by Jozef Van Wissem & SQÜRL has an airy, yet haunting quality to it. When the droning guitars kick in, it becomes quite hypnotic. The strings are the focal point across the board, mirroring Adam’s obsession with all things bowed and plucked. In fact, some of the score doubled as the fictional music the character was responsible for creating. Lebanese singer Yasmine Hamdan gets a spotlight moment near the conclusion of the film with a seductive and mesmerising performance. Hiddleston himself busts out an elongated version of Paganini’s Caprice No. 5 on violin in a single-shot, with no editing trickery. Surely there are other ways to fake it in post, but for all we know, Hiddleston is simply a very quick learner.
Overall
It’s extremely hard to classify Only Lovers Left Alive; it’s part trippy, musical love letter, part dark comedy, part vampire romance (not like Twilight, mind you) and part existential study. At the end of the day – as Adam and Eve would require – Jim Jarmusch has created a vehicle for the wonderfully ethereal Swinton and brooding, but tender Hiddleston to dig their fangs in and help bring the independent film community a fresh, atypical take on vampires. Heart-achingly relatable in its message and, dare I say it, human, Only Lovers Left Alive is a beautiful and twisted, albeit long in the tooth and meandering tale. Regardless of whether you attain any meaning from the feature, there’s certainly this intangible, effortlessly enchanting and artistic aspect to Jarmusch’s newest creation that demands our eyes and our ears.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
To coincide with the start of the new series, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCEA) called the banners of various news media outlets together for a suitably medieval feast. Meat off the bone and wine by the barrel was consumed as the Sony hosts announced the new addition of Foxtel Play to its entertainment options. The new service, launched on the 1st of April, will allow those who own a 
