Earlier today Super Hero Hype released an exclusive photograph of the new costume from Amazing Spider-Man. It looks like they are moving towards a hybrid of Amazing Spider-Man, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man. I love it. While I think the gold sunglasses made sense in the Amazing Spider-Man, I am glad to see the white back for this next movie.

It also looks like the silk screen texture is closer to the Sam Raimi’s costume, which has a bit of nostalgia for me. The fact the eyes are more expressive, similar to Ultimate Spider-Man is also very awesome. I am excited for this movie. Hopefully they iron out some of the issues they had during production of the Amazing Spider-Man. What do you think of the costume?

JJ Abrams seems to have a new goal in mind: take the busiest man in Hollywood title from Guillermo del Toro. Not only is JJ still finishing his second Star Trek movie (with a third in the pipe) and committing himself to Star Wars: Episode VII, he’s also talking with Valve‘s Gabe Newell to make Half-Life and Portal films, plus a gaming collaboration. The discussion started during an on-stage conversation at the DICE Summit last week. For now, it seems like a couple of creative guys are just talking about projects that could be fun, but the conversation definitely took a tone that indicates real discussions with real results will be had. I’m intrigued.

With Sony expected to announce their next-gen console next week we should be very close to announcements about a whole slew of launch games. At least one, possibly two of those games may be coming from Avalanche Studios. CEO Christofer Sundberg’s LinkedIn profile indicates the company is working two next-gen titles. One is “new installment in a very well-known game series.” The “sandbox action game” is being published Square Enix. Smart money is on this being Just Cause 3. The other title is an “open-world action game” based on “a well-known movie license.” This is likely the Mad Max: Fury Road tie-in that Avalanche was attached to a few months ago.

A long-held rumor tying Activision to Nickelodeon’s newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has now been confirmed. Apparently three games are planned for the series, with the first hitting shelves this summer. Which is a little disconcerting considering they didn’t actually announce a developer. Activision hasn’t always been well-known for taking care of their licensed franchises. The Turtles have a long gaming history with some ups and downs. They’re definitely overdue for a top shelf game that appeals to old and new fans. Personally, I’m hoping Activision gets Beenox on development. They’ve done pretty well with Spider-Man, including Shattered Dimensions featuring unique gameplay segments as four different characters.

Expect a new Assassin’s Creed title this year. This isn’t exactly news since it’s basically assumed at this point in the franchise’s life. But it’s official now, as Ubisoft has announced a new entry in the series with a new hero will be coming in Fiscal 2014 (April 2013-March 2014). This came out of an investment call, so no details were revealed. Apparently a new team will be taking the lead on the project, but several studios will be contributing as is usual for the franchise.

Meanwhile, back at the cave, a Time-Warner investment call has also revealed the next Batman Arkham game will likely be releasing this year. During the call, CFO John K. Martin stated that they “…also have a strong games release this year, which will include the next release in the Batman Arkham franchise. So all in all, we expect Warners to post another very strong year in 2013. And with a little luck, the year should be as good or maybe even a little bit better than 2012.” Rocksteady has been rumored for a while to be working on a Silver Age-inspired prequel rather than another gritty version. Is Martin talking about that game? Or is it separate from the core Arkham titles and a sequel is on the way from another developer?

Capcom is celebrating its 30th anniversary with Capcom Arcade Cabinet, a series of old arcade titles releasing on PSN and XBLA over the coming months. It will start February 20, 2013 with Game Pack 1. In the first pack, Black Tiger will be free, while 1943: Battle of Midway and Avenger will be $3.99 each or combined for $4.99. Four more three-packs will be coming with each game running $3.99 or $9.99 for the lump. Additionally, a 17 game mega-pack will be available in late May for $29.99 That will include all five prior packs, plus two mysterious bonus games (likely Strider and Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts).

• GAME PACK 2 | March 5th (separately March 19th)
• Ghosts ‘n Goblins
• Gun.Smoke
• Section Z

• GAME PACK 3 | March 19th (separately April 2nd)
• Side Arms
• The Speed Rumbler
• Exed Exes (Savage Bees)

• GAME PACK 4 | April 2nd (separately April 16th)
• Commando
• Legendary Wings
• Trojan

• GAME PACK 5 – April 16th (separately April 30th)
• 1942
• SonSon
• Pirate Ship Higemaru

A new combatant has apparently entered the Injustice: Gods Among Us arena. Virtually nothing was said, but Ed Boon did release a picture that seems to indicate Killer Croc will be a playable character. I suppose this could just be from a cut-scene, as you can see Riddler and Penguin in the background clearly not participating in the fight. Regardless, the game is starting to look a little heavy on the Bat. Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Solomon Grundy, Bane, and Nightwing are already confirmed. Bruce’s extended family is quite well-suited to a darkly violent fighting game, but they’re really going to need more characters from the larger DC universe if they want to keep it balanced. Then again, maybe it’s not supposed to be balanced. We don’t know the story line. Perhaps the motivation for the conflict comes from the Bat-verse.

Then again, maybe they’re already working on that balance, as they’ve announced Captain Marvel (AKA billy Batson, Shazam) as well. Have to admit, I’m liking this costume:

Bungie is getting set to launch a much larger reveal of their mysterious next project, Destiny. It was expected that any major announcement would come at GDC in March, but the developer now has a seven day countdown on their website. There’s some sort of puzzle element to it as well, but it’s stumped me. The countdown will apparently take us to this Sunday. I don’t know what’s coming, but I can’t help thinking that it’s only a few days before Sony’s big press conference.

High Moon Studios has narrowed the release window for the upcoming Deadpool game. Looks like you’ll be stepping into the Merc-with-a-mouth’s shoes this Summer. I’d still like to see something more specific, but I also like that they’re keeping it open instead of locking into a date they may need to push back. I have my reservations, but I’m actually pretty excited for this. Pre-orders are available now.

Let’s start with a few things you may have missed this past week on Big Shiny Robot!:

Sony apparently has a big announcement coming soon. PS4? Probably.
The excellent Zen Pinball 2 is apparently set to get some Star Wars tables very soon.
The 12th annual NAVGTR awards have received their nominees.

Something else you may have missed this week is EA shelving the Medal of Honor series. According to Peter Moore, COO, “Critics were polarized and gave the game scores which were, frankly, lower than it deserved. This one is behind us now. We are taking Medal of Honor out of the rotation and have a plan to bring year-over-year continuity to our shooter offerings.” Poor news for fans of the franchise, but good news for fans of Battlefield. EA is doing quite well by the way, posting a net revenue of $1.18 billion, though it is slightly below their estimated budget of $1.25-1.35 billion. Of course, they blame MoH for the shortfall.

On a related note, EA says fans should expect some information for Battlefield 4 in “about 90 days.” If I were a gambling ‘bot, and I am, I’d wager that timeframe allows for the PS4 and neXtBox announcements first. There’s probably a good reason for that.

I can’t help but theorize another connection to the next-gen announcements when I hear that Rockstar has delayed Grand Theft Auto V. Originally slated for May, it’s now been pushed back to September 2013. I think that’s a bit early for the next-gen consoles, but maybe not. Rockstar’s official line is the standardized “additional development time.” For Sony and Microsoft, a high-profile title like this could be a system seller. On the other hand, GTA: San Andreas came near the end of the last generation and certainly benefited from the large install base for the consoles. Probably no connection, but the delay is still noteworthy.

Early in the week, “leaked” images of an planned new IP from Ubisoft hit the internet, alongside stories of the Prince of Persia franchise being put on hiatus. It didn’t take long for Ubisoft to confirm both, with caveats. The successful Prince of Persia IP is on pause, for now. I realize this is kind of strange coming from the studio that releases an Assassin’s Creed title every year, but they feel the Prince has run his course for the moment. The franchise isn’t dead, it just isn’t active in the immediate future. Meanwhile, the images from the Egyptian themed Osiris were legit, but the game isn’t actually coming. It actually never even made it past the early design stages. A shame really, an ancient Egypt game with magic and creepy gods has potential. Then again, Ubisoft is pretty good at making games. If they decided not to take it any further, I’ m going to trust they knew what they were doing.

The BSR! “bull pen” debated whether or not we needed to run another article about the relationship between games and gun violence when Sen. Lamar Alexander (R, TN) made an ass of himself on MSNBC’s The Rundown, but decided we had pretty well said everything we needed to say. However, it is news, so here’s the quote:

“I think video games is [sic] a bigger problem than guns, because video games affect people.

“But the First Amendment limits what we can do about video games and the Second Amendment to the constitution limits what we can do about guns.”

At least two bills have been introduced since the Newtown massacre in December seeking funding for research into the games and violence relationship. President Obama has also asked Congress to arrange such funding. An independent, scientific analysis is probably warranted, but it’s doubtful that’s what would actually come from one of these bills. Our highly partisan Congress is much more likely to ask a research team to find a link between the two, as opposed to asking them to find out if there is a link.

Few names is gaming hold as much credibility with a certain crowd than Suda51 and his Grasshopper Manufacture team. The latest from the Japanese developer is apparently coming west to the US courtesy of a deal with XSeed. Killer is Dead sets the player as Mondo Zappa, an executioner that will make full use of his katana and Go-Go Gadget left arm. If you were a fan of Suda51’s Killer 7 or No More Heroes, keep an eye on this one.

If you’ve somehow missed out on the incredible God of War series because you haven’t owned a PS3, Sony is going to make this real easy for you. Coming March 12, 2013 is a new bundle that will include a 500 GB red PS3 Super Slim, red controller, God of War: Ascension, God of War Saga (God of War III, plus HD versions of PS2’s first two games in the series and PSP’s Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta), and a 30 day trial of PlayStation Plus for only $350. That’s enough content that even long-time owners looking for an upgrade should probably consider it.

Arguably one of the most anticipated upcoming games for the BSR! writers is High Moon’s Deadpool. We’ve been eagerly anticipating more information about the game since its announcement, but it’s been slow in coming. Finally, two additional characters were announced and they’re great inclusions. Deadpool’s sometimes comic co-star Cable, AKA Scott Summers’ son from the future, will be making an appearance. As will the merc-with-a-mouth’s somewhat awkward love interest, Death. Which is all well and good, but it only makes me more excited and I still don’t have a release date.

Dead Space 3 just released yesterday, but EA’s already talking about their first DLC expansion. In “Awakened,” “gamers will experience some of the most disturbing content they have ever seen in a Dead Space game,” according to Steve Papoutsis of Visceral Games. The content will be coming in March for $10.

In what is fast becoming a recurring segment of VGQH, this week’s next-gen rumor watch:

The latest reports indicate Sony’s PlayStation 4 will be more powerful than its Microsoft counterpart and will feature a new controller. The controller is supposedly designed to be very similar in size and feel to the DualShock 3, but will feature a WiiU/PS Vita style touch screen where the current Start, Select, and PS button reside. Additionally, a share button on the touch screen will allow players to record, edit, and post video of the last 15 minutes of game play straight from their controller. An upgrade to the PlayStation Eye is also expected, which will still be compatible with the Move. The rumors are unclear whether this will be a standard inclusion or an add-on device. Release is expected for Japan and the US by Christmas 2013, with a European release to follow in early 2014. Early rumors also point to possible launch titles coming from Guerilla Games (Killzone) and a new racer from Evolution Studios (MotorStorm).

Oddly enough, those Sony rumors are of the good or bad quality depending on your temperament. Rumors on the Microsoft neXtBox are a little more negative. And yes, I’m still calling it that until they announce an official name, despite how awkward it is to type. According to the latest reports, the new system’s games will require an XBox Live connection, meaning every console will have to be online to function. Furthermore, rumors that the console will block used games are also being supported. Microsoft is not a small or stupid company, so their decision to go online only is likely very well-informed and recognizes the lost potential for players without internet. They’ve just determined that those players aren’t numerous enough to make a difference. Killing the used game market though? On the surface it makes good business sense for the publisher, but are there long-term consequences that aren’t being considered?

Marvel wants you to get hyped up to see their Iron Man 3 teaser during the Super Bowl. And how would they do that? By teasing their teasers! Here is a good 15 seconds or so from IM3. Some we’ve seen, and some we haven’t. All I know is I’m excited for May 3rd!

-A7ME

In an effort to engage Canadian fans, Toronto ComiCon organizers are banking heavily on Star Trek’s allure.

Building on the event’s inaugural success a year ago, the show brings together a lineup of guests and exhibitors from the worlds of TV and film, comics, horror and anime for two days at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, March 9-10. And the bridge crew from The Next Generation series will be the premier attraction at the second annual Toronto ComiCon (not to be confused with the longer running, much bigger and more popular four-day FanExpo Canada show held each August at the convention centre).

The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation are slated to appear at Toronto ComiCon in March.

Scheduled to attend are Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. William Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi) and Brent Spiner (Lt. Cmdr. Data).

Other celebrity guests who are slated to appear are Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings, The Goonies), Daniel Logan (Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones), Laura Vandervoort (Smallville, V) and Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica).

Of course, the lineups can – and often do – change as the celebrities’ schedules tend to be quite fluid.

The Toronto events tend to have a laid back, fan-friendly feel, with plenty of workshops (including access to some outstanding Canadian and North American authors) and seminars, as well as hundreds of exhibitors and comic artists, plus a celebrity autograph area.

A Star Wars photo session (the 501^st Canadian garrison is usually omnipresent at Toronto geekfests), as well as sketching duels and the opportunity to commission artists to create one of a kind drawings.

For Canadian comic aficionados, one of the key comic attractions this year will be the appearance by Kill Shakespeare’s creators. Toronto native Anthony Del Col and Connor McCreery have garnered attention among comic lovers across North America. The comic features epic battles between ol’ Billy’s iconic heroes and villains.

Del Col and McCreery have inked a follow-up series called Tide of Blood, which will be launching this year.

Robert Bailey, who is an official LucasFilm artist based in Alberta, is also scheduled to appear at the show, where yours truly hopes to follow up with him after my interview during last summer’s FanExpo Canada event in which he revealed he was commissioned by George Lucas to do an original oil painting featuring Ahsoka in a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader.

Bailey is the official artist for the Tuskegee Airmen, the famed all-African-American fighter pilot squadron, which Lucas featured in his movie Red Tails.
(You can hear my first interview with Bailey on the Star Wars Book Report podcast – episode 59, which is available via iTunes or at starwarsbookreport.com.)

As well, comic guests who are slated to appear include: Mike Zeck (Captain America, Marvel Secret Wars), Lee Weeks (Daredevil, The Hulk), Katie Cook (My Little Pony), Mike Del Mundo (Marvel cover artist), Marco Rudy (Swamp Thing) and Ty Templeton (Ultimate Spider-Man).

Tickets are available online now, with prices ranging from $20 for an all-access Sunday pass to $39 for a two-day pass. Childrens’ passes are available for $16 per day.

For information on the Next Generation cast photo-op sessions, autograph signings and VIP tickets, go to http://www.lightspeedfineart.com/toronto-comic-con-vip-tickets.

For a complete list of Toronto ComiCon guests, visit www.comicontoronto.com.

News broke from The Hollywood Reporter that Paul Giamatti is in talks to play the Rhino in the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man, which I think is an inspired casting choice. Giamatti is an excellent actor and it would somehow be fitting that the other half of the duo from Sideways got his chance to play a Spidey villain.

From the Reporter piece:

The role is a dream part for Giamatti, who in the past has said the Rhino was one of his favorite characters when he was a boy.

“I thought Rhino was the greatest thing when I was a little kid,” he told ShowbizSpy in March 2011. “It was a guy who was basically in this rhinoceros outfit and I always thought, ‘Why don’t they have The Rhino in one of their movies,’ but maybe The Rhino wasn’t that big of a deal for anybody but me…If they ever go with The Rhino I would be ready and waiting.”

Around the same time he was also on Late Night with Conan O’Brien where he talked about the character: “The Rhino was fantastic. He was, like, a Russian guy. He was real fast and he hit stuff real hard.

That right there has me sold that he’s the man for the job.

Also buried in the article is news that Felicity Jones is up for a role. I don’t recognize her off the bat, but she was in the Agatha Christie episode of Doctor Who, a favorite of mine. Judging by her looks and status as a British person, I would imagine she could be a great choice as Betty Brandt. But who knows?

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Spectacular maybe?) is set to hit the screen next summer, so this stuff better get organized fast.

We’ve all been expecting Dr. Strange to come together sooner rather than later. He’s a character perfectly suited to this new Marvel Universe, he’s of about the same level of importance and popularity that Iron Man was before his film launched, and he’s owned by Marvel Studios outright.

Marvel Producer Kevin Feige confirmed to MTV News that Dr. Strange was, indeed, in:

“‘Doctor Strange,’ which I’ve been talking about for years, is definitely one of them,” he confirmed. “He’s a great, original character, and he checks the box off this criteria that I have: he’s totally different from anything else we have, just like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ He’s totally different from anything we’ve done before, as is ‘Ant-Man,’ which keeps us excited.”

For those who may not know, Dr. Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme. A former brain surgeon who lost the finer use of his hands in an accident is chosen to be brought into a life of cosmic magic. He’s one of the most epic characters in the Marvel Universe and when things are beyond his power, you know things are grim. He’d mesh well with many aspects of the current Marvel movie continuity and I’d love to see him face off with The Avengers.

Perhaps we’ll get a Secret Defenders movie out of this? Why not? I mean, Guardians of the Galaxy was equally unexpected, why not The Secret Defenders?

If you’re interested in catching up on some Dr. Strange comics, Brian K. Vaughn’s “The Oath” is a great place to start.

Everyone likes to personalize their stuff. One of the best ways is through desktop wallpaper. Rather than having a boring hatchmark, or worse yet, a solid color, wallpapers really let you express your individuality. Still, they’re a dime a dozen, right? Anyone can whip up a few pieces of clip art and have something, yes? Well, yeah I guess, but sometimes one comes across wallpaper so spectacular, that they have to well, write an article about it. That’s what happened, when I came across Todd Brewer’s deviantART gallery.

You see, Todd takes classic comic book covers, disassembles their elements, and then rearranges them into incredibly eye-catching pieces of monitor art. While covering such diverse characters as Captain America, Batman, Shazam Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, and Aquaman, nothing comes close to Todd’s comprehensive collection of Action Comics and Superman wallpaper. Of course, I could talk about it all day, but instead, let’s just take a look at some of my favorites.

Pretty good, eh? Well, if you like that, Mr. Brewer informs me that there are many, many more to come…

I plan to continue my classic series soon. That includes Action, GL, Captain Marvel (both Fawcett & DC), The Flash, Wonder Woman etc. I have hundreds if not thousands of images in my “To Do” folders. I just don’t seem to have enough time “to do” them. lol. Of course it doesn’t help that I am always on google or DA looking for something new that I don’t have already.

Well, he has a fan in me, and I am really looking forward to classic Captain Marvel covers, there are some real gems in there. If you’d like to see Todd’s full gallery of work, check out his DA page, and drop him a line, and tell him how much you like his work and his passion! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to stare at my new King Superman desktop, Pope hat and all.

From the press release:

On his journey to become the Ultimate Hero, Peter Parker has handled tough challenges. From learning to team up with fellow Super Heroes (including The Avengers!), to fighting baddies from across the Marvel Universe, to remembering to pick up groceries for Aunt May, Spidey thought he had things all webbed up. Now in Season 2, his world’s been turned upside down as his teammates become roommates, and they’re left to face foes without the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. But when iconic Marvel villains like The Lizard, Kraven, Electro, the Rhino and Doc Ock team up to take on the young heroes, it’s time for Spidey to discover the “great responsibility” of being a leader. Catch the one-hour SPECIAL PRIME TIME PREMIERE of Ultimate Spider-Man Season 2, January 21 at 7p/6c on Disney XD. And keep up with the team every Sunday at 11a/10c inside Marvel Universe.

Here’s a trailer for the new season! Sound off in the comments and let me know if I should be watching this show.

On his journey to become the Ultimate Hero, Peter Parker has handled tough challenges. From learning to team up with fellow Super Heroes (including The Avengers!), to fighting baddies from across the Marvel Universe, to remembering to pick up groceries for Aunt May, Spidey thought he had things all webbed up.  Now in Season 2, his world’s been turned upside down as his teammates become roommates, and they’re left to face foes without the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. But when iconic Marvel villains like The Lizard, Kraven, Electro, the Rhino and Doc Ock team up to take on the young heroes, it’s time for Spidey to discover the “great responsibility” of being a leader. Catch the one-hour SPECIAL PRIME TIME PREMIERE of Ultimate Spider-Man Season 2, January 21 at 7p/6c on Disney XD. And keep up with the team every Sunday at 11a/10c inside Marvel Universe.