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Star Trek Online announces more Voyager cast members in Delta Rising
When you're out exploring the Delta Quadrant, you want people around you who have been there before. It's a big, unfriendly place, after all. Star Trek Online players will have a bit more help than they had previously expected, though. In addition to Tim Russ (Tuvok) and Garret Wang (Harry Kim) reprising their roles from Star Trek: Voyager, Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), and Robert Picardo (The Doctor) will be making appearances in the game. No details on these appearances have yet been revealed, although Neelix is likely still in his role as ambassador, and the game's backstory has Seven of Nine working with the Daystrom Institute. It's likely that more lore will be uncovered as the expansion approaches its release this fall. [Source: Cryptic Studios press release]
Warcraft Movie announces two new actors
Legendary Pictures has announced two more actors who will participate in the Warcraft movie, due to be released in March of 2016. WARCRAFT by @Legendary from @UniversalPics coming March 11, 2016 cast to also include @danielwuyanzu and Clancy Brown. - World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) December 19, 2013 While you might not necessarily be extremely familiar with these guys and their work, their histories are pretty impressive. Clancy Brown is an actor who principally focuses on voiceover, well-known for his parts in Shawshank Redemption, Highlander where he was Kurgan, Starship Troopers, and of course as Mr. Krabs in Spongebob Squarepants! His most recent film, Homefront, is in cinemas now. Daniel Wu is very well-known indeed in Chinese-language film, principally as an actor, but also a director and producer. He's been in over 40 films and won various awards, including a Hong Kong Film award for directing work in The Heavenly Kings. He most recently appeared in The Europa Report this year.
Warcraft movie cast announced by Legendary Pictures
Though it seemed likely we'd hear something about casting for the Warcraft movie at BlizzCon, the movie panel remained close-lipped on the subject of stars. Tonight, however, Legendary Pictures made the first cast announcement via Twitter. WARCRAFT movie fans! Cast reveal: Ben Foster, Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Toby Kebbell, & Rob Kazinsky. Cc: @Warcraft (1/2) - Legendary (@Legendary) December 5, 2013 We'd heard rumors about some of these -- like Travis Fimmel and Paula Patton -- but now we know for sure. So now,on to the next question: who are these actors going to be playing? With filming starting in January, hopefully we'll hear more details soon.
Google invites devs over for a Chromecast hackathon plus SDK show-and-tell, updates official app
Google has slowly trickled out more authorized commercial apps that can stream to its Chromecast dongle since launch (Hulu, Pandora, and most recently HBO Go) but what about homebrew? So far developers have been able to work with a preview Cast SDK (creating a few impressive demonstrations) but restrictions have prevented these apps from being released for widespread use. That will probably change next month, as Google has invited several developers including CyanogenMod / AirCast dev Koushik Dutta and Thomas Kjeldsen to a hackathon on December 7th and 8th in Mountain View. An opportunity to test drive the "upcoming release" of the Cast SDK is promised, plus an opportunity to talk with Google engineers about what it can do. While we wait to find out what devs will be officially allowed to create for the $35 dongle, the official Android Chromecast control app got an update tonight. The new version brings a lightly refreshed design with the side-tray style seen in many Google apps lately, and adjusted the display of time zone settings and the Chromecast MAC address to ease troubleshooting.
Chromecast update breaks local media streaming in third-party apps (updated)
We hope you aren't depending on your Chromecast for local media playback. If you are, the device has just become a paperweight -- temporarily, at least. Google's most recent Chromecast update disables playback from external video sources, breaking third-party apps like AllCast and Fling that use the code for local-only streaming. Developer Leon Nicholls is hopeful that functionality will return when the official Cast SDK is ready for public apps, although we wouldn't count on it. As Android Central notes, Google isn't promising local media support on the Chromecast; for now, it's focused on the cloud. Update: In a statement mentioned by dnengel84 in the comments and posted by The Verge, Google says that it's willing to support local content; these are "early days" for the SDK, and the feature set is likely to change. Read the full statement after the break.
Are you an iOS developer eyeing the Chromecast? You better ask permission first
Yesterday's announcement of Google's new Chromecast accessory could mean big things for iOS developers who want to throw their content on to the big screen without worrying about wires, but tucked away in Google's developer portal is a rather interesting note regarding the Google Cast API required to make an app compatible with the new device: You may not publicly distribute or ship your Google Cast application without written permission from Google, per the terms of service described below. This opaque requirement for Chromecast-enabled apps stands in stark contrast to Google's much more lax approach to open app development, and it's not particularly clear what type of content Google is hoping to filter out. If you happen to be working on making your own iOS app play nice with Chromecast, you'll want to get in touch with Google at chromecast-updates@google.com. Note: Google has since updated the Google Cast Downloads page to include notes regarding the Google Cask SDK, stating that the current version available for download is strictly for developmental purposes only. This may or may not explain the requirement that developers clear all apps with Google before moving forward. We've reached out to Google for clarification and will update if/when we hear back.
Wings Over Atreia: Daevas of Our Lives casting call
It's ironic: The topic I detest experiencing most in Aion is actually the most fun to write about. Whenever I think back to my favorite columns, the almost-too-surreal-to-believe antics of the drama-impaired (or should I say drama-addicted?) always rank near the top of the list. Perhaps chronicling these antics for the amusement of others is simply my choice form of therapy when I'm confronted with them. They say laughter is the best medicine, and who can't help but laugh when reading over the train-wreck that is drama? Seraphim Lords know that living through it is torture and avoidance truly is the best policy, but something about it can be simply fascinating... from a distance. Over the past couple of years, Wings Over Atreia has provided the opportunity to witness Aion's drama vicariously without the danger of involvement or having any splatter on you Gallagher-style. During this time, different episodes of Daevas of Our Lives have offered glimpses of the various cast members. But what about a deeper look into the psyche of these seemingly unreal -- yet based on reality -- characters? This week offers a more detailed introduction to the current members of the cast as well as a new addition. So whether you run away screaming at the first hint of impending drama in game or grab a giant bowl of popcorn and settle in for the show, this handy guide can help keep the who's-who straight for you when you're viewing future (or past) episodes. And if you're a perpetrator of said drama, don't be surprised if your antics are broadcast on the next episode of Daevas of Our Lives.
What's your dream cast for the Warcraft movie?
A few weeks ago, Hollywood headlines were filled with talk that director Sam Raimi is trying to secure Hilary Swank for his next film, Oz: The Great and Powerful. Now, I know that's not especially interesting to the Warcraft community, but it got me thinking about the Warcraft film again, since Raimi will eventually be directing it. Who will Raimi try to cast in the Warcraft movie? Then around the same time, the WoW Insider team got word on the further developments of Michele Morrow's campaign to land the role of Sylvanas Windrunner. This sparked the idea that someone on staff should put together a dream cast for the future Warcraft movie. As the token film school dropout, I jumped on the assignment and promptly put together the most expensive movie cast list ever. Be sure to let us know what your picks for the Warcraft film would be! %Gallery-122920%
Storyboard: Swapping tales
A few weeks back, I took the opportunity to explain why roleplaying is most definitely not storytelling. So this week, I'm going to directly undermine every single part of that column and talk about running a steady story via roleplaying. If you haven't noticed by this point, I'm a big fan of subverting expectations. My usual impish sense of humor aside, the two exist rather comfortably alongside one another. A long-running storyline in-game doesn't require you to have arcs and movements and motivations planned out -- rather, it's the natural outgrowth of character arcs and interactions from months or years of play. You lose much in the way of narrative consistency or overall theme, but you gain a sprawling organic network of developing plotlines. So keeping a long-term story running is more a matter of letting time build on an existing base. But getting that existing base functioning and keeping it on an even keel isn't always a simple task, and that's what we're going to examine. There are a lot of ways to keep a story going in the game, but the better the foundation, the better it'll be.
Jeri Ryan, Michael Jai White reprise 'Rebirth' roles in Mortal Kombat live-action series
Warner Bros. today confirmed the initial casting for the Mortal Kombat live-action digital series, which began shooting in Vancouver this month. Both Jeri Ryan (who spilled the beans last week on Twitter) and Michael Jai White will reprise their roles as Sonya Blade and Jax, respectively, from last year's "unofficial fan short" Mortal Kombat: Rebirth -- which was actually a totally professional pitch for a reimagined MK film, made by director Kevin Tancharoen. (While he didn't land the movie deal, Tancharoen did secure a gig directing, producing and co-writing the upcoming digital shorts.) Joining the duo of do-gooders will be Kano, played by Darren Shahlavi, who voiced one of the Tier 1 Operators in Medal of Honor and was an uncredited "Persian" in 300 -- so, obviously, dude knows how to fight. Surely, punches will be thrown and blood will be spilled as Tancharoen and cast resolve this storied love triangle in a hurry. The Mortal Kombat digital series is expected to span nine short episodes and will also feature Scorpion, Sub-Zero and additional characters from the game's universe. The shorts will be "available online" this spring, in conjunction with the April 19 release of the new Mortal Kombat game. "BTW, just finished reading the whole script for Mortal Kombat," Ryan recently tweeted. "Holy crap... I think u might just love it." [Pictured: Ryan (right) and Jai White in Mortal Kombat: Rebirth test footage]
Meet the Testers, cast of PSN reality show
With a host that's "crazy for RPG" and a model, plus guest appearances by the "legendary" David Jaffe, upcoming PSN reality show, The Tester, has already locked up the celebs. But what about the unknowns -- those everyday, real folk -- vying for an entry-level job in the industry? Today, we're introduced to these eleven strangers, picked to work for Sony, to test games and have their lives taped, to hopefully get smashed and hook up and puke and then start some real drama if the video editors are any good, 'cause, boy, game testing is really kinda boring and ... hey, did we mention there's still an unannounced celebrity that's gonna show up? Stay tuned! [Via PlayStation.Blog]
The Guild, episode 7 of season 3
We're more than halfway through this latest season of The Guild, and the series is in full swing: the Axis of Anarchy is starting trouble, Wiggly is quickly learning the game, and Codex is stepping right up into her guild leadership role. But even as things are coming together, they're starting to fall apart: this episode might have the weirdest ending of the series so far. You can watch the episode in the usual places, including right here after the break.Two other things from The Guild's website recently. Apparently that book that Codex was reading last episode is a real one, all about leading a guild and lessons you can take into real life (and our own Scott Andrews didn't write it? Unbelievable!). And if you happen to be in Los Angeles in the next few weeks, The Guild will be screening parts of season 2 at theaters around the city along with showings of Dr. Horrible, that other web series that stars Felicia Day. At one of them, the cast will be live doing a Q&A, so that should be fun to see. Like The Guild? We do, too! We chatted with all of the folks at BlizzCon, including Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, and Jeff Lewis and Michele Boyd. We also saw their panel, and the guys were nice enough to stop by our meetup as well. Stay tuned here every Tuesday for a brand new episode of season 3!
All the World's a Stage: So you want to be a Mage
This installment of All the World's a Stage is the sixteenth in a series of roleplaying guides in which we find out all the background information you need to roleplay a particular race or class well, without embarrassing yourself. It's also the first installment with a title that rhymes! The Mage is the foremost master of magic in the Warcraft universe. Although all the other classes excluding the Warrior and the Rogue use magic of one sort or another with equally wonderful effects, the Mage is the class that's named after the stuff.But what is magic? What does it feel like to harness it? Does the mage have to do a strange ritual or utter incomprehensible words in an ancient language in order to cast her spells? Other fantasy settings often have one or more of these elements together, but as far as I can tell, Warcraft lacks them.Arcane magic in the World of Warcraft is an ever-present energy field surrounding the whole world. Mages access it by concentrating in the magic energy within themselves, feeling it rush through their body, and directing it as they please. Those spells that require reagents need an extra focusing item with magical properties of its own in order to bring about the desired effect, but for the most part, fireballs, frostbolts and arcane explosions can be created through the mere act of will on the part of a properly educated mind.
A close look at the new changes to Bloodlust and Heroism
Tharfor (I can hear him purr, can you?) tells us today of two changes that we'll see on the PTR soon (Drysc announced this earlier): Bloodlust/Heroism will, again, stack with Icy Veins. Bloodlust/Heroism will not stack with [the new] Power Infusion, however. He tells us the reasoning behind this is "...two spells increasing haste by a percentage will not stack if both can be cast on a target other than the caster..." So this appears to continue the trend we've seen of modifying haste based abilities, both in their power and stacking abilities.For those that don't know about Shamans, Bloodlust and Heroism are Shaman abilities (Bloodlust is the name of the spell for the Horde, Heroism is the name of the spell for the Alliance) that decrease casting time by 30% for 40 seconds. It is often used in raids to get that extra "umpf" necessary to get a boss down quickly.Icy Veins is a Mage talent based spell that decreases casting time by 20% for 20 seconds (and increase the chance the target will freeze by 20%). The combination of Bloodlust/Heroism and Icy Veins is a very potent combination.Power Infusion is a Priest talent that will have some changes come patch 2.4. It will now decrease casting time by 20% as well as decrease the mana cost by 20%. It's interesting that Blizzard decided to allow the stacking with Mages, but not with priests. The difference in the two spells is that Power Infusion can be cast on other targets, while Icy Veins can only be cast on yourself. Indeed, this follows with what Tharfor said in his post (which Drysc left out).What do you think of these changes? Any major issue with them?
Mashing buttons can cause cooldown problems
Ever since patch 2.3, a number of players have been having a lot of trouble with their instant abilities, especially in PvP. They're finding they get constant "spell is not ready yet" and "target is out of range" errors whenever they mash their buttons. The main source of this problem has to do with a change to the way your computer communicates to the server what your character is doing. It's not very easy to explain, but I'll do my best here. First, I'll explain how the change affects longer spell casts, and then afterward look at how it affects instants.Here's how things worked in patch 2.2: I press a button to cast a spell or activate an ability. My computer says, "Hey! Realm server! David wants to cast Frostbolt!" The realm server says "Okay!" 300 milliseconds or so later (this round-trip communication time is your "latency"). My computer then starts a 1.5 second global cooldown, and shows me the Frostbolt casting bar. I cannot use any other abilities from the time I press the button to the time my Frostbalt casting finishes, unless I manually cancel the spell (as with a /stopcasting macro), or unless the server tells my computer, "Okay the spell is finished already!" or "Whoops! That spell got interrupted!" Either way, without a manual interruption on my part, I'm waiting on the server to tell me the outcome of the first spell before I can tell it to start casting the second. Here's how things work in patch 2.3: I press a button to cast a spell or activate an ability. My computer says, "Hey! Realm server! David wants to cast Frostbolt!" My computer goes ahead and starts the global cooldown for me, assuming the Frostbolt will succeed. The realm says "Okay!" 300ms later, and the casting bar shows up. Alternately, if there's a problem, then the realm says "No way, silly! David isn't finished casting Fireball yet! Wait a moment to try again, and cancel that global cooldown while you're at it!" Either way, I can send my commands to the server whenever I want, as long as my global cooldown isn't currently active -- and if it gets activated too early, I just have to wait for the server to tell my computer to cancel it before casting another ability. Sounds fine, right? Before, we had to wait for latency between our computers and the realms in order for any spell to go through, but now we just have to wait if we press a button too early.
PC Magazine salutes Wii Sports: Bowling, but sees adverse health effects long-term
Columnist John C. Dvorak has some very positive things to say about Nintendo's Wii console, namely its bundled game Wii Sports. Actually, he's very impressed by Wii Sports: Bowling, to be precise. Being a man with a rather illustrious bowling past, he found the game to be dead-on as far as realistically translating real-life movement into in-game action goes. This is something we thought was so impressive about the game from our first moments with it, however we had no frame of reference as we never really excelled in the sport out in the real world.What's odd about his piece, however, is that he claims prolonged play with the title will cause some adverse medical conditions in the player. This is something we ourselves can't believe, as we've had sessions that have lasted quite awhile, bordering on the double-digit hour time frame. Even those nights we never found ourselves to be physically fatigued in any way, aside from our feet (having stood up so long, y'know).Do any of you suffer from cramps or pain from prolonged play with Wii Sports: Bowling?
Austrians build concrete cast 5.1 speaker set
We've seen a bevy of interestingly designed speaker systems come our way, and we've even caught a few glimpses of concrete-based gizmos, but a few crafty Austrians decided to create their own nearly immovable 5.1 surround set by casting each speaker in pure cement. By measuring out the dimensions and constructing molds using wood and wax, the speaker enclosures were then placed in a wire cage and doused with concrete. After solidifying, the internal molds were removed and a custom etched logo was carved on the side, only to be further decorated with a few dashes of paint. Eventually, the electronics and drivers were all installed and sealed up, leaving a surround system that would be quite a burden if any thieves tried to relocate them. While there's no specific step-be-step guide available, the entire process was fairly well captured in photographs, so be sure and hit the read link if you're interesting in killing gobs of time creating a very bizarre set of speakers, or click on through for a few more snapshots.[Via HackADay]