Minecraft is about to start looking a whole lot better with the introduction of the Super Duper Graphics Pack, originally introduced during E3 2017. Previously it was announced for those who play Minecraft on Xbox One and on PC, but now the graphics pack is actually coming to the Nintendo Switch as well, according to an interview at Kotaku.
Rendering lead Cameron Egbert let the cat out of the bag: “It will be anywhere that you can play Minecraft in the new version. It will improve any screen on which you play, but the best experience will be on Xbox One X.”
Thanks to the “Better Together” initiative from Microsoft, Minecraft is looking to invite all players on various platforms to play together. This includes bringing Switch players onboard as with the upcoming Super Duper Graphics Pack, which makes the blocky look a whole lot more eye-popping.
The update will offer a brand new vision of Minecraft with 4K HDR graphics, improved lighting, water effects, shadows and a whole other smattering of visual improvements. It’s also all coming for free.
The introductory video shows off a good chunk of what to expect from the update, and it looks nearly like a different game. Unfortunately there isn’t a concrete release date just yet. You can expect to see it gracing a Minecraft player’s screen near you this fall.
Power Rangers fans got a welcome surprise after the credits rolled, and the cast has some thoughts on the tease as well.
Yellow Ranger Becky Gomez spoke to The Mary Sue alongside original Pink Ranger actress Amy Jo Johnson, and one of the topics that came up was the Green Ranger. Tommy Oliver is referenced in the after credits scene but doesn’t show up just yet. Becky has some ideas for the popular Ranger, saying “[Me and my castmates] talk about this all the time. We agree that it should be a girl. I think it would be so cool because we have yet to see that. Obviously, Power Rangers has been around for a very long time, but I feel like it’d be so dope if she was a chick.”
In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers the role was played by Jason David Frank, who has gone on to reprise the role a few different times. In the reboot the role is originally played by Elizabeth Banks, becoming Rita Repulsa after she betrays the other Rangers. It would certainly be a fresh take on the character, but right now most just hope the film gets a sequel at all. Hopefully, after the film debuts in the Chinese market, that forecast won’t look as cloudy.
The action-packed, coming of age feature film Saban’s Power Rangers will morph onto Digital HD June 13 and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital HD), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD and On Demand June 27 from Lionsgate. As part of the 24-year-old global phenomenon and based on the five Rangers from the original TV series, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,”, the reimagined movie features a modern generation of Rangers including Dacre Montgomery (TV’s “Stranger Things”) as Jason the Red Ranger, Naomi Scott (The 33) as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Billy the Blue Ranger, Ludi Lin (Monster Hunt) as Zack the Black Ranger, and Becky G. (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising) as Trini the Yellow Ranger, as they attempt to stop the evil and unpredictable Rita Repulsa (played by Elizabeth Banks, The Hunger Games Franchise) from destroying their city…and ultimately the world. Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) as Zordon, and Bill Hader (Finding Dory) as Alpha 5 train the Rangers to morph and master their powers as a united team.
The Saban’s Power Rangers DVD will include exclusive audio commentary with director Dean Israelite and writer John Gatins, and deleted/alternate/extended scenes and outtakes. Saban’s Power Rangers will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.95, respectively.
Story by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney. Screenplay by John Gatins. Directed by Dean Israelite.
Transformers: The Last Knightwill take fans through a revised history of Medieval times, in a story that will offer greater explanation of the Transformers’ origins and connections to Earth.
Thanks to a new Transformers 5 official image, and some tie-in merchandise, fans can now see the new Transformers character known as The Last Knight for themselves.
As you can see in the new Transformers 5 poster, this is the titular Last Knight in the film: A Cybertronian warrior who apparently helped affect the course of human development during the Medieval era.
As a Transformer, Steelbane bears resemblance to an armored Medieval knight (a battle-worn knight, at that), and from the designs of his helmet, it looks like he might be a Prime.
As for his transformation form: thanks to some tie-in toy merchandise, we know exactly what Steelbane will be in his transformed state.
As you can see from the this tie-in toy line for Transformers: The Last Knight, Steelbane will be a dragon in his transformed state. The big guy certainly looks better (and cleaner) in his toy form, suggesting that in the movie, he will be a white or light gray color, rather than the rusted armor look he has in the poster.
Fans actually got to see Steelbane in his dragon form: The metallic dragon is one of the first images we saw in the very first teaser trailer for The Last Knight.
No telling how Steelbane connects to the Transformers’ creators, or Optimus Prime’s storyline in this new installment, but along with new characters like Hot Rod, it seems fans of the franchise are going to get some exciting new Transformers to play with.
ransformers: The Last Knightis about to hit theaters, but plans for the franchise go well beyond Michael Bay latest (and final) installment of the franchise.
While fans wait to see what will happen with the main Transformers films, details about the Bumblebee spinoff are starting to come to light. The Last Knight will reportedly open the door much wider for Bumblebee as a character, revealing his secret history and origin. The spinoff film will presumably go deeper into that history, with the setting in Transformers cartoon’s classic “G1 Era” of the ’80s.
According to Transformers franchise producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura (via Collider), the Bumblebee movie will be a lot like another famous movie about a giant robot:
“I know we’re doing a spinoff first in the Bumblebee movie, and that is a very distinctive departure from what you’ve been seeing so far…it reminds me a little bit of Iron Giant years ago when I did that movie at Warner Bros. It just reminds me a little bit of that where it was very contained and yet it didn’t feel small.”
However, the part Transformers fans will probably like the most, is when di Bonaventura invoked the sacred name of Transformers G1:
“The objective of that movie is to develop more time with less robots in a way, and to go back to 1985 and go back to sort of the original heritage if you would of the Transformers. G1.”
The terms “G1” and “more time with less robots” are going to be music to the ears of so many viewers who don’t like the approach Michael Bay took with the movie franchise. That joy will hopefully grow much bigger, once we know who will direct this throwback chapter of the franchise.
Who would you like to see direct the Bumblebee spinoff? While we discuss that question, Transformers: The Last Knight is slowly creeping up the fan anticipation ratings, witha 3.91/5 ranking. Let us know how excited you are for the movie by ranking it below!
Transformers: The Last Knight’s voice cast includes Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, John Goodman as Hound, and John DiMaggio as Crosshairs. Other transformers appearing the film include Bumblebee, Drift, Hot Rod, Cogman, Canopy, Sqweeks, Grimlock, Megatron, Barricade, Onslaught, Hooligan, and Mohawk.
Transformers: The Last Knight opens in movie theaters on June 21, 2017.
The Transformers franchise is five films in, but the explosive series doesn’t seem ready to call it quits just yet. Next week, the series will see its new film Transformers: The Last Knight bust into theaters, and the feature will mark director Michael Bay’s final hurrah with the series. Over the years, the action-centric director has had the chance to explore unmarked territory with the Hasbro franchise. And, now, Bay admits he would like to see the Transformers get a R-rated installment.
During a recent interview with Fandango, Bay opened up about his final outing with Transformers, and it was there the director said he’d love a grittier take.
“I would love that,” Bay admitted. “I’ve always said that I think that would be a great idea. I don’t know if Hasbro would ever have it work, but I think it would be a great idea.”
For older fans, the idea of a R-rated Transformers flick is certainly interesting. The first film of the series premiered back in 2007, leaving Transformers to mark its tenth anniversary this year. Youngers fans who sat in for the original Transformers film are old enough now to buy into a restricted film based on the autobots. Much like Logan, Transformers could bank on in on an aging audience in the near future if the right story presented itself.
In the past, Bay said he has been given a R-rated pitch for Transformers. The director told Collider he was pitched a dark take for the spinoff Bumblebee prequel that is currently in development.
“You know, yeah, that would be fun,” Bay said about the R-rated take. “There’s actually one idea that would be really fun R rated, with Bumblebee. I don’t wanna say, but it would be really fun. Very Quentin [Tarantino], you know.”
In Transformers: The Last Knight,humans are at war with the Transformers, and Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving the future lies buried in the secrets of the past and the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Now, it’s up to the unlikely alliance of Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), Bumblebee, an English lord (Anthony Hopkins) and an Oxford professor (Laura Haddock) to save the world.
Transformers: The Last Knight is directed by Michael Bay. The film stars Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci reprising their roles from Transformers: Age of Extinction, with Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro reprising roles from the first three Transformers movies.
Transformers: The Last Knight’s voice cast includes Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, John Goodman as Hound, and John DiMaggio as Crosshairs. Other transformers appearing the film include Bumblebee, Drift, Hot Rod, Cogman, Canopy, Sqweeks, Grimlock, Megatron, Barricade, Onslaught, Hooligan, and Mohawk.
Transformers: The Last Knight opens in theaters on June 21, 2017.
As part of the company’s big show at E3 Microsoft talked about the latest Minecraft update.
The“Better Together Update” unifies console, mobile and Windows 10 versions of the game.
The new update also features better graphics and cross-platform support to let Windows 10 and mobile Minecraft players play the game together.
As part of the update, Minecraft is ditching any special branding associated with Minecraft for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile games or VR — they’ll all just be known as “Minecraft”. There’s a ‘Minecraft: Java Edition’, which is the original PC game (still supported).
The unified branding is designed to let buyers know they’re all getting the same game, that they can play with anyone no matter what device they’re using, the company said.
Supported devices for unified game play include:
Windows 10
iOS
Android
XBox One
Nintendo’s Switch
If players own Minecraft for mobile or VR, they’ll get an update for the summer. Minecraft for Xbox One or Nintendo Switch owners will get a new update for free, and the existing worlds that gamers have created are going to be available on the new game.
The new update also means that any downloadable content will be available across all devices. So a pack bought on mobile will also be available on Xbox and Windows 10 editions too.
As an additional added perk, Minecraft is throwing in a server browser to its latest update. Launching with four servers, Lifeboat, Mineplex, InPVP and Cubecraft — which lets players join public servers that have monthly users numbering in the millions according to the company.
It’s different from Minecraft Realms, which are privately cloud-hosted servers available for smaller groups.
Finally, there’s a new graphics pack for 4K viewing — better lighting, shadows, and water effects, the company said.
