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The short runtime of ‘WandaVision’ really is the best of both worlds
Each episode of 'WandaVision' may be short, but that works to its advantage.
SiriusXM's podcast push brings original shows to its app
'Marvel's Wastelanders' is one of three exclusive Marvel Comics podcasts announced for SiriusXM.
The comic industry would rather grind to a halt than go digital
Wednesday is usually New Comic Book Day but, with everyone on lockdown due to coronavirus, this week’s selection was a little light. The main distributor, Diamond, ceased shipments both to and from its warehouse — a seemingly logical move given that many stores are shuttered anyway. Less logical is that, unlike literally every other media industry, the product wasn’t simply released digitally to consumers stuck at home. Instead, the entire comics world has been on hold.
There's a Thanos-themed Easter egg hiding in Google Search
Got a few seconds to spare? Open the Google homepage and search for "Thanos." Then, click the Infinity Gauntlet that appears in the supervillain's Knowledge Graph card. As 9to5Google and others have spotted, the armored glove will snap for a hot-second and then, inevitably, eradicate half the search results. It's a neat little Easter egg that's been added, no doubt, to mark the theatrical release of Avengers: Endgame. And if you grow tired of staring at a half-empty page, you can click the gauntlet once more to trigger the Time Stone and put everything back to normal. Thanos must be serious about "perfectly balanced" search algorithms.
French students built an interactive celebration of Marvel comics' 75-year history
Keeping tabs on all of Marvel's superheros is pretty challenging work -- the company has been publishing comics for 75 years. Over 2,500 characters have lived in its pages, spanning more than 3,000 individual issues over more than 440 series. How did I know all that? Well, I stole the stats from Ultimate 75th, a student-made website that pilfer's Marvel's own database to celebrate 75 years of comics. Students at the Hétic school in France built the site in just four days using the REST API used on Marvel's official site. This allowed the group to pull comic and character data directly from the publisher's database. The result is impressive, but it isn't perfect.
Marvel Super Heroes star in LittleBigPlanet Vita re-release
Just over two years after the adorable burlap creatures of LittleBigPlanet first reached Sony's Vita, the charming, creative platformer is being relaunched with an extra helping of Marvel Comics cross-brand synergy. Dubbed LittleBigPlanet PS Vita: Marvel Super Hero Edition, the new version of the handheld game features all the content included in its original release as well as a host of Marvel Comics-themed DLC. Exactly which heroes might appear is unknown, though given the long history of Marvel Comics character skins in LittleBigPlanet, it could be anyone from the ubiquitous Thor and Iron Man to more esoteric faces like Forbush Man and Squirrel Girl. In total, 18 character costumes will appear in the re-release, alongside three mini-games, "Avengers: Ultimate Escape, S.H.I.E.L.D Interceptor and Hero Rush." According to the EU PlayStation.blog, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita: Marvel Super Hero Edition will reach European territories on November 19 at a price of €20. There's no word on a North American release just yet, but we've attempted to contact Sony and will update this piece when we hear more. [Image: Sony]
Bandai Namco reunites Spider-Man with The Avengers
Thanks to an unending tangle of intellectual property laws, it's unlikely that American gamers will see Spider-Man joining forces with Thor, Iron Man and Captain America, but Japanese gamers will receive just that in the upcoming Disk Wars Avengers: Ultimate Heroes. Based on the Marvel Disk Wars animated series from Toei Animation, Disk Wars Avengers: Ultimate Heroes stars Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, The Wasp and Spider-Man as playable Marvel heroes. It's unknown what foes this team will be battling in the game's Story Mode, but screenshots published by Bandai Namco feature images of AIM troopers and a hapless purple lizard creature on the wrong end of a Mjolnir lightning strike. Disk Wars Avengers: Ultimate Heroes is slated to hit the 3DS in Japan on November 13. There's no word on an English-language release, but it's not entirely outside of the realm of possibility as Disney Magical World, another Bandai Namco production based on Disney properties, made the jump from Japan to the United States in March of this year. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Guardians of the Galaxy sets Marvel Pinball free on iOS
To celebrate Zen Studios' new table modeled after Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy, the virtual pinball developer is now offering the iOS version of Marvel Pinball at no charge. Like all of Zen's recent pinball games, Marvel Pinball is less a game itself, and more a shell that DLC tables can be bolted onto via in-app purchases. Those tables are usually priced at $2 each, but the gratis game also includes the Avengers table Zen released in 2012. If you're intrigued by this offer, don't put off downloading Marvel Pinball. This discount is only available for the next week, after which Marvel Pinball will return to its standard $1 price. [Image: Zen Studios]
Marvel Heroes introduces Mr. Fantastic and a boost weekend
He's the leader of the first super team in the Marvel Universe, he's a brilliant scientist, and he has perhaps the most egotistical name in the entire franchise. He's Mr. Fantastic, and he's now available in Marvel Heroes for players to enjoy. Launching with two costumes, Richards has access to all of his usual tricks, including forming giant fists, stretching to insane lengths as a travel method, and presumably blasting his friends and family members with untested inventions just to see what happens. If you can't wait to get your (normal human-sized) hands on the FF's leader, you'll be well served by the bonus event running this weekend. All players will receive a 100% bonus to experience, SIF, and RIF gained during the weekend. Players will also have access to A.R.M.O.R. Research Drives, which can be turned in to Jocasta for A.R.M.O.R. Bounty Boxes as well as rewards from the previous bounty event. No better time to get stretching, in other words.
Amazing Spider-Man 2 swings into action April 29, pre-order for extra costumes
Developer Beenox and publisher Activison have revealed a release date for movie tie-in The Amazing Spider-Man 2: April 29. Would-be wallcrawlers in the UK will receive the game on May 2, the same day that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hits theaters. Those who pre-order the game from either UK retailer GAME or GameStop will receive a code for the Web Threads Suit Pack DLC. Included in the Pack are Spider-Man's red and gold Iron Spider Suit, the Cosmic Spider-Man Suit he wore while possessed by the Power Cosmic, the Spider-Man Noir costume from the pulp-homage comic of the same name, and of course, the Black Suit that would eventually go on to spawn Spider-Man's nemesis Venom. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is slated for release on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Wii U, 3DS, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. [Image: Activision]
Report: 'Several hundred' Disney Interactive employees face layoffs
Though Disney Infinity is an undeniable hit, the Wall Street Journal reports "several hundred" employees at developer Disney Interactive are to be laid off later this week. Citing unnamed sources "close to the company," the report claims that these layoffs are "expected to begin after the media giant releases its quarterly financial results Wednesday." The Wall Street Journal offers no concrete motivation for the mass dismissal, though it references a recently announced effort to reorganize Disney Interactive by president Jimmy Pitaro. Intriguingly, the report also mentions Disney Infinity expansions based on Star Wars and Marvel Comics. "New versions of 'Infinity' featuring characters from Disney's Marvel superhero unit and the Star Wars universe it acquired along with Lucasfilm in 2012 are being developed," the Wall Street Journal claims, again citing an unnamed source. While this would be the first confirmation we've seen of such additions to Disney Infinity, it comes as no surprise that Disney Interactive might want to tap those two, wildly profitable licenses for its game. [Image: Disney Interactive]
PSA: Marvel Run Jump Smash endless runner out now
HULK LIKE ENDLESS RUNNER GAMES. HULK STAR IN NEW ENDLESS RUNNER GAME. IT CALLED MARVEL RUN JUMP SMASH, THOUGH GAME NAME IS NOT IN ALL CAPITALS. THAT JUST HOW HULK TALK TYPE. GAME IS AVAILABLE NOW ON ITUNES AND GOOGLE PLAY FOR $0.99, AND ON WINDOWS MARKETPLACE FOR $1.49. HUMANS CAN ALSO PLAY AS (PUNY) THOR, (PUNY) IRON MAN, (PUNY) HAWKEYE, (PUNY) SPIDER-MAN, (PUNY) CAPTAIN AMERICA, (PUNY) CAPTAIN MARVEL AND (PUNY) BLACK WIDOW. NONE RUN AS GOOD AS HULK! HULK SMASH ANYONE WHO SAY OTHERWISE!
Report: Lego Marvel Super Heroes won't appear at Xbox One launch
Initially slated for release on November 22 to coincide with the Xbox One launch, Lego Marvel Super Heroes has been delayed, reports MCV. Though it's still expected to appear reasonably soon, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is currently unable or unwilling to offer a new release date for the game. "We will provide a release date for Lego Marvel Super Heroes on Xbox One as soon as possible," the company told MCV, after confirming that it would not be ready in time for the Xbox One launch. The key question now is whether this delay is global or if it only affects the UK, where MCV is located. We've attempted to contact Warner Bros. Interactive for clarification on when North American gamers can expect to see Lego Marvel Super Heroes on Microsoft's next console, but have so far received no response.
Marvel Heroes announces Asgardian content, playable Loki
Marvel Heroes is a game known for its ability to suck players in to the universe of Marvel superheroes. Its linear play is also augmented by the much more open area of downtown Manhattan, and there is no other MMO that allows you to control heroes from all of Marvel's timelines and universes, from the movie franchises to the classic comics. And now we've learned the game is gearing up for a very nice update in November. So what's in store for this patch? Well, it just so happens that Marvel's latest movie, Thor: The Dark World, is coming out in a week or so. Gazillion Entertainment couldn't very well sit back and let the moment get away, could it? So it created an entire suite of content based around Asgard, Thor, and the new movie. We asked Jeff Donais, Creative Director, some questions to find out all of the details. Warning: There might be spoilers below!
Lego Marvel Super Heroes PC demo swings into action
PC-owning fans of both comic books and sharp, angular blocks can now find a free demo of Lego Marvel Super Heroes on the game's official website. As Eurogamer points out, the demo is relatively short look at the game's virtual Manhattan but does include playable Iron Man and Hulk sections as well as appearances by Sandman and the Abomination. Developer TT Games announced the PC demo release during last weekend's New York Comic Con, alongside similar demos for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which should arrive later this week. Lego Marvel Super Heroes is slated for retail release on November 15, at which point you can find it on the Nintendo DS and 3DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Vita, Wii U and Windows platforms. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Lego Marvel Super Heroes are slated to be released as launch titles for those consoles.
gdgt's best deals for October 9th: HP Envy TouchSmart 15-inch laptop, AudioSource SB121 ultra-slim soundbar
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's top deals are the HP Envy Touch 15-inch laptop, a workhorse for your business and play needs, and an AudioSource soundbar that lets you hear what you've been missing from your movies and games. Hoping to keep track of price dips on the products you desire? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list -- every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Marvel unveils iOS comic book subscription service 'Marvel Unlimited'
A few years ago I wrote an article titled Publishers' choice: Will the iPad be the hero or villain of the comic book industry? It was an open letter to comic book publishers urging them to embrace the digital distribution method to ensure comics didn't fall to the same fate as illegal music downloads. I spelled out four guidelines for a successful business model -- one that would appeal to comic book readers in the mobile computing area. Since then, the comic book industry has taken up some of the suggestions and it's now taken another step forward. That's because Marvel has unveiled its Marvel Unlimited service for iOS. Marvel Unlimited is essentially Netflix for Marvel comic books. Users can subscribe for US$10 a month to access a catalog of over 13,000 Marvel comics back issues. For a limited time, users can also pay for a year's subscription for only $60. The service serves up the comics in HTML5 and allows users to download six issues at a time. While 13,000 back issues seems like a lot, there's not much rhyme or reason to the selection or continuity of what's available. And that doesn't make a lot of sense because when collectors are reading a series, they generally read them in order. Also, the most recent issues of comics on offer will be at least 6 months old. That's because Marvel doesn't want to hurt its newsstand sales. Though Marvel Unlimited is a step in the right direction, I don't think it's the ideal solution for hardcore comic book fans. When Marvel makes complete series available on demand, the digital comic book subscription model will really fly. Marvel Unlimited is a free download.
Avengers Assemble! Transmogrify your own superhero team
Transmogrification isn't just for making your character pretty or wearing old sets. Where's the fun in that? There are thousands of pieces to choose from for your look, and there's no reason you can't make it a distinctive one -- paying homage to video games or popular comics is just as much fun as being pretty. Today, we've got an iconic foursome of characters who have been staples in Marvel comics for decades and recently made a smashing success with the film The Avengers. Though Warcraft's armor doesn't contain exact replica's of Ironman's iconic armor or Captain America's easily recognizable shield, you can still use transmogrification to compile a look that screams Marvel Comics. Just because the Hulk doesn't wear anything more than a pair of pants in the comics doesn't mean we can't capture his look through some well-placed camouflage. And even though we can't get our hands on Mjolnir, there are more than enough warhammers lying around to find a good replica.
Comics iPad app gets Retina-friendly update, 'POW!' bubbles now much POWier
ComiXology is usually keeping up with the latest-and-greatest, and it's doing so yet again by rapidly updating its Comics app to meet the new iPad's Retina-sized needs. In addition to the CMX-HD comic books coming to the 2048 x 1536 screen, the updated application also includes novel social sharing features via Twitter, Zuck's network and email. Among other bits worth noting are a handful of nondescript bug fixes as well as stability improvements. Best of all, the refresh won't cost you a dime and it's available now in the App Store, linked just below for your convenience.
Marvel announces augmented reality app, exclusive digital comics at SXSW
Not content with simply doling out free digital comics to fans who favor the tangible page, Marvel is now giving readers a new reason to reach for their tablets: augmented reality. Android and iOS devices will be able to look beyond the page using Marvel AR, an Aurasma-powered app slated to launch alongside Avengers vs. X-Men #1 this April. When pointed at a compatible comic, the app will server up creator commentary videos, extra art and interactive 3D models of Earth's greatest heroes.Don't worry, your standard Marvel Comics app isn't being replaced -- in fact, it's getting a new line of sequential funnybooks called Marvel Infinite Comics. "Writers and artists now have a whole host of new tools at their disposal to redefine the comic book medium," Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Axel Alonso said at SXSW this week, "Current tablets and smartphones, along with comiXology's Guided View technology, allow us to develop new, full length stories for a different medium that are very much truly comics -- but experienced by readers in a way no other major company has ever executed." The digital-exclusive series kicks off with Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Infinite, which incidentally, will be free to folks who pick up the similarly named physical book. Ready for the revolution ReEvolution? Check out the links below for Marvel's official announcement and CNET's hands-on video.
