Stone Marshall

Gameband Is the Ultimate Wearable (for Minecraft Players)

by Stone Marshall | Jun 10, 2015 | Minecraft News | 0 comments

Gameband + Minecraft is something special for fans of Minecraft. It’s a wearable (yeah, I know we’re hearing a LOT about those these days), but it’s a wearable with a big difference. Gameband is a portable game of Minecraft you take with you on your wrist. It’s YOUR personal, portable game of Minecraft.

The basic idea is that users can play Minecraft from the Gameband on most any computer (Windows, Mac, and even Linux), as the game is pre-installed on Gameband (but the user needs to have purchased the game license separately). On top of that, Gameband comes with a bunch of pre-loaded contents including awesome maps created by community-favorites SethBling, Dragnoz, and Hypixel. What’s really special is that whatever you do in a given session using the Gameband is automatically backed up to the Gameband, and if you have Internet connectivity, it’ll be backed up to the cloud as well (via Gameband’s servers). You’ll never lose your world again, and you can take it anywhere you want to go!

As you can see, the Gameband is much, much more than just a USB stick on a bracelet. It’s a whole world you can create, and carry on your wrist. It’s also a fun piece of geeky wearable art that you can program yourself. And it’s built to stand up to the kind of wear-and-tear that kids will put their accessories through.

And let’s not fail to notice that, as you might have noticed in the video, the folks at Mojang, who ARE Minecraft, are big fans of the Gameband.

Price: $79.99 – Available at Gameband.com, or at Target, Gamespot, Microsoft stores, and Best Buy.

Pay special note: right now, at Target stores, you can get a $15 Target gift card when you buy a Gamband!

Gameband Is the Ultimate Wearable (for Minecraft Players)

Stephen Amell Says He’s Done Wearing the ‘Arrow’ Suit

by Stone Marshall | Jun 9, 2015 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

[WARNING: This post contains SPOILERS for Arrow.]

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While The Flash‘s season finale won’t air until next week, Arrow has already finished its third season with this week’s “My Name is Oliver Queen.” The episode wrapped up season 3’s struggle with Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins with a neat and tidy bow, practically coming across as a series finale with how final every development felt. This was especially true of Oliver’s decision to retire the Arrow persona and leave the vigilante business altogether, last seen driving off into the sunset with Felicity while proclaiming how happy he was.

However, we know Arrow is returning next year with its star Stephen Amell, so it shouldn’t be too terribly long before we see Oliver return to his bow and arrows. During the course of season 3, Oliver’s identity as the Arrow was outed, and though Roy eventually took the fall for him, it’s now impossible for Oliver Queen to resume his crime-fighting activities under that guise; especially since Ra’s again framed the Arrow as a killer, tarnishing his reputation. Simply returning next season and donning the Arrow costume would effectively undo all that happened this season, something Amell himself affirmed when recently asked about season 4.

Having a show called Arrow without anyone as the Arrow doesn’t seem all that likely, at least not for long. And while Oliver’s sister, Thea, has recently stepped into the role of Speedy, there’s little doubt that Oliver will return and again take up arms. But if the Arrow persona is truly dead and gone, what new identity will Oliver assume upon his return?

In his earlier interview during the CW’s Upfront presentation, Amell said he doesn’t know what’s in store for Oliver next season when it comes to the future. But in speaking with E!, he goes on to confirm at least one thing he knows for sure about the upcoming season of Arrow:

“Arrow is done. No more Arrow suit. I’ve worn it for the last time.“

Again, the news that the Arrow persona is done for now isn’t all that shocking, but saying he’ll never again don his green leather hood is truly outrageous. After all, it was the outfit that most strongly connected the Arrow to his comic book inspiration Green Arrow. Without it, Oliver isn’t all that indistinguishable from his recent turn as Al Sah-him.

Retiring not only the Arrow persona but the Arrow suit could imply a number of things, one being that Oliver is truly well and done being a masked hero. That’s the least likely scenario, but it is one we could see Arrow toy with for more than just an episode or two (unlike Oliver’s “death” which lasted all of an episode).

What’s more likely is that season 4 of Arrow could be the season where Oliver truly becomes Green Arrow (as The Flash even hinted at with Gideon’s newspaper from the future). The distinction may not seem all that drastic, but the Green Arrow of the comics is different from the man Amell has played for three seasons. Most noticeably, Green Arrow isn’t nearly as dour or brooding as Amell’s Oliver Queen. Since Oliver has finally found happiness in his relationship with Felicity, we may see a happier Oliver in season 4.

Pair a less surly Oliver with a new costume, most likely another green affair, and you’ve got someone closer to the character fans of the Green Arrow comics have been expecting since day one.

What do you guys think? Do Stephen Amell’s comments that he’s worn the Arrow suit for the last time imply he’s hanging up his quiver for good? Or will we see him return next season as a brighter, more fun Green Arrow? Sound off in the comments below!

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Arrow season 4 will premiere this fall along with The Flash season 2 and season 1 of CBS’ Supergirl. The Flash/Arrow spinoff show Legends of Tomorrow will premiere as a midseason replacement in early 2016.

Stephen Amell Says He’s Done Wearing the ‘Arrow’ Suit

Robert Downey, Jr. Turns Down Iron Man Role To Star In ‘Captain America: Civil War’

by Stone Marshall | Jun 9, 2015 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

Robert Downey, Jr. has turned down the role of Iron Man in the franchise’s fourth installment to star in Captain America: Civil War along with Chris Evans.

Downey, who turns 50 this year, told Venture Capital Post there were no plans for a fourth Iron Man movie, nor were there any scripts although he does plan to be involved in upcoming Marvel films.

“Just between us, no. But I’m gonna do other stuff with Marvel. I’m still gonna be involved with Marvel.”

Downey already has commitments to star in other Marvel films in the coming years and the aging star has said he wants to be spend more time with his family.

If and when there is a fourth Iron Man movie it will probably star Ty Simpkins, according to rumors circulating around Hollywood. Simpkins played the boy, Harley Keener, in the last Iron Man movie.

The studio is contemplating a prequel to Iron Man and Simpkins will be old enough to play a young Tony Stark, the Inquisitr reported.

For the moment, Downey told Collider, he was looking forward to starring in the third Captain America movie opposite Chris Evans.

“They said to me, ‘If we have you, we can do this, or Cap 3 has to be something else.’ It’s nice to feel needed. And at this point it’s about helping each other, too. I look at it as a competition and I go, ‘Wow, maybe if these two franchises teamed up and I can take even a lesser position, with people I like and directors I respect, maybe we can keep things bumping along.’”

Rumors concerning the next Iron Man movie continue to abound, however, as Downey recently went on the Ellen Degeneres Show and said there would be a fourth movie only to withdraw his comments later.

That appearance set the internet aflame lately with rumors of a fourth Iron Man movie along with a possible cameo by Robert Downey as he hands off the torch.

The next Marvel movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron is due to hit theaters in the U.K. April 23 and in America on May 1.

The movie stars Robert Downey as Iron Man, along with the other Avengers: Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and Anthony Mackie as Falcon.

Trailers for the movie came out Thursday morning and boast a 60 second action sequence.

Robert Downey, Jr. Turns Down Iron Man Role To Star In ‘Captain America: Civil War’

Let’s Speculate About the Future of the Marvel Universe

by Stone Marshall | Jun 8, 2015 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

Let’s Speculate About the Future of the Marvel Universe

Ever since yesterday, Marvel’s been talking about how the next version of their superhero universe will look a whole lot different. And a new teaser image gives a glimpse of even more changes, including a female Wolverine. Time to put on our thinking caps, true believers.

Is That Tony Stark in the Iron Man Armor?

As previously discussed, the presentation of the Iron Man seen in the Free Comic Book Day All-New, All-Different Avengers story was… coy. It might not be—as some readers think—Tony Stark in the red-and-gold suit at all.

Combined with yesterday’s teases about a new Hulk, the comments about the founding of the Avengers in the image above have folks wondering if it’s Bruce Banner wearing the Iron Man.

Members of the X-Men and Fantastic Four Are Still Around…

Despite their disappearance from merchandise and a nebulous publishing status, characters from Marvel’s First Family and mutant populations are in the newest teaser image. Maybe Marvel’s movie-rights beef with Fox won’t affect their comics output, then. But, it looks like the Thing has a Guardians of the Galaxy uniform on, doesn’t it?

Including a Woman in a Wolverine Suit

There was mention of a new Wolverine in the interviews with Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso yesterday and there she is. Odds are that’s X-23—the female clone of Wolverine—in the character’s superhero togs. She’s been part of the weekly Wolverines comic that’s been happening in the aftermath of Logan’s death. But she’s also standing right next to the alt-universe Old Man Logan version of her forebear. In the latest He’s raising a baby Hulk in the Old Man Logan Secret Wars tie-in comic. Maybe that’s the new Hulk talked up by Marvel?

Why’s Daredevil Hiding His Face Again?

Matt Murdock’s secret identity is a thing of the past in the current iteration of the Daredevil comics. So why’s the Daredevil up there wearing a mask? Could be that it’s not Murdock at all, especially with the weird change to his DD insignia.

Other Characters from the Ultimate Universe Will Be Around After Secret Wars

It’s all but confirmed that Miles Morales will be making the jump from a parallel dimension to the mainline Marvel Universe after Secret Wars. A Fast Company piece notes that Alonso says that the newer Spider-Man won’t be the only one to wind up in the new reality:

Alonso says that some of those Ultimate characters will continue in the main continuity, giving Marvel “an incredible, wide array of options to spice up our universe.”

There’s a lot of other stuff in the new teaser image to wonder about, like a younger-looking Dr. Strange holding a big ol’ battle axe, Squadron Supreme characters Hyperion and Spectrum hovering in the background and Thunderbolts’ character Citizen V making an unexpected return. What do you think it all means? Sound off in the comments below.

Let’s Speculate About the Future of the Marvel Universe

Sony’s PlayStation 4 made gaming better for millions of people with one simple menu

by Stone Marshall | Jun 8, 2015 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

The screen at the top of this story doesn’t look like much. It’s a simple interface that allows you to swap any one button on the Dual Shock 4 for any other button. It’s a screen that makes gaming a much better place.

“Console wide button remapping is a huge deal for physically impaired gamers. One of the most commonly requested accessibility adaptation AbleGamers receives is for custom controller’s that move buttons to more comfortable positions,” Steve Spohn, COO of the AbleGamers charity; told Polygon.

“If you have limited movement in one arm, only one functioning hand, or even limited digit movement, button positioning is everything. And even more so if you have a neuromuscular disease such as muscular dystrophy where you fatigue more easily depending on what buttons you need to press.”

The push for full customization in button mapping has been going on for years, and some companies are better than others when it comes to offering the feature. What Sony has done is make the conversation obsolete by offering the option at the console level. This is a huge deal for many gamers.

“The ability to remap any button to a position that is more comfortable for your gaming needs mean that gamers with disabilities who have motor skill impairments will be able to play more comfortably, from longer periods of time, and in some cases where pushing certain button such as triggers were completely impossible, you would be able to play for the first time,” Spohn explained.

The push for full customization in button mapping has been going on for years

Now players don’t have to wait for the feature to be patched in, and they don’t have to worry about buying a game only to find that it doesn’t offer a feature that would allow them to play. The PlayStation 4 became, with one feature, a much more welcoming console for a huge audience.

“With this update up to 70 million gamers with disabilities will have a higher quality of enjoying video games. In addition, we will have to rework some of our own internal documents, such as our game accessibility guidelines Includification, which has button remapping as one of the top priorities,” Spohn said.

This is the gaming accessibility version of changing your maps after a major battle has been won, and the PlayStation 4 just earned many new customers by default since neither Microsoft nor Nintendo offer anything close to this feature.

They no longer have any excuse to not include these features now that the most popular current generation console made it a universal option on its platform.

Sony has made the world of gaming a bit better today, and we can only hope the rest of the consoles follow its lead.

Sony’s PlayStation 4 made gaming better for millions of people with one simple menu

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