Author: Scott Simmons

  • Resident Evil Creator Wants To Bring Survival Horror Back With The Evil Within

    Photo courtesy digitalspy.com
    Photo courtesy digitalspy.com

    If you fell in love with survival horror games with Resident Evil on Playstation 1 then you have Shinji Mikami to thank for it. He is back with a new game published by Bethesda called The Enemy Within and he is looking to take the genre back to its roots. If you have played Resident Evil 5 or 6 then you should be happy about this.

    The trailer below shows off the first gameplay and it is filled with dread and a disturbing atmosphere. This is one you should put on your radar for next year.

  • Ben Affleck’s First Response On Playing Batman

    Photo courtesy pinsofwar.com
    Photo courtesy pinsofwar.com

    Jimmy Fallon was the first person to get Ben Affleck’s public statement about playing The Dark Knight when the actor went on Late Night. He talks about Snyder’s ideas for Batman winning him over and how the studio tried to prepare him for internet backlash by showing him past internet comments on earlier Batman movie castings.

    I strongly believe he will be great and all of this pre-movie hate will go the way of Heath Ledger’s casting and be overtaken by a good performance.

  • Remember When Green Arrow Fought Black Dynamite?

    Photo courtesy bleedingcool.com
    Photo courtesy bleedingcool.com

    You don’t? Hell I don’t either, but that is what we are getting this fall when Michael Jai White comes to Starling City as Bronze Tiger. This may be the greatest thing ever to happen on the CW, although the bar is not that high to begin with.

    I don’t know if this means we will eventually get a version of Suicide Squad on Arrow, but it’s a start.

    And what about those T.J. Miller hand claws White is sporting?

    All this episode needs to be perfect now is kung-fu treachery.

  • Want More Walking Dead? AMC Hopes So. Spin-Off Series Coming In 2015

    Photo courtesy bloody-disgusting.com
    Photo courtesy bloody-disgusting.com

    AMC is developing a spin-off for The Walking Dead with creator Robert Kirkman and show producers Dave Alpert and Gale Anne Hurd. The show would involve new characters and locations not in the current show.

    This is a smart choice for AMC, even if some will roll their eyes at it. The Walking Dead is AMC’s highest rated show and a spin-off is logical considering Breaking Bad is ending in a few weeks and Mad Men’s seventh season will be its last. They have already given a go for the Breaking Bad prequel, Better Call Saul.

    So the AMC lineup for 2015 should look like this:

    The Walking Deader/Deadest?

    Better Call Saul

    Madder Men

    High Summer Moon

    Graphic Novel Women

  • Review Roundup: Grand Theft Auto V

    Photo courtesy whatculture.com
    Photo courtesy whatculture.com

    It is finally here. After five years, Rockstar’s long-awaited [amazon_link id=”B0050SXKU4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Grand Theft Auto V[/amazon_link] is finally here (or will be in a few hours of this writing). Now that embargos on reviews have been lifted, let’s take a look at what the gaming press has to say about the hotly anticipated title.

    Hint: They are good (understatement).

    IGN– 10/10

    “No other world in video games comes close to this in size or scope, and there is sharp intelligence behind its sense of humour and gift for mayhem. It tells a compelling, unpredictable, and provocative story without ever letting it get in the way of your own self-directed adventures through San Andreas.

    It is one of the very best video games ever made.”

    Polygon– 9.5/10

    “It’s fitting that the game arrives at the cusp of the next generation of consoles. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the closure of this generation, and the benchmark for the next. Here is a game caught occasionally for the worst, but overwhelmingly for the better, between the present and the future.”

    Kotaku– YES

    “Beyond all of this, however, is one consistent fact about so many of the best video games: they create great places in which to play. Underpinning everything else, in GTA V, Rockstar has created one of gaming’s most impressive worlds.”

    Joystiq– 4.5/5

    “With so much to do, there’s a danger of feeling bewildered, but GTA5 is never overbearing. For one, you’re no longer forced to perform peripheral tasks to curry favor with other characters, one of the more onerous parts of  Grand Theft Auto 4. GTA5‘s world exists to be played with the way you want.”

    Giant Bomb– 5/5

    “But while you could certainly pick out a handful of individual systems or design choices that feel like they’ve been handled more intelligently elsewhere, none of those other games bring together so many interesting and disparate systems with the same level of aplomb on display here. That, combined with the game’s unique multi-character approach to storytelling, makes Grand Theft Auto V an exciting successor in the long-running franchise.”

    Destructoid– 9/10

    “With its hours upon hours upon hours of content, GTA V provides some incredible new story missions full of explosive setpieces and increasingly frantic scenarios. Each character has a unique series of missions, some of which cross over with other characters, and bring with them a unique flavor.”

    Game Informer– 9.75/10

    “Whether you are in downtown Los Santos or the sprawling San Andreas countryside, you always have a diverse array of activities at your disposal. While in town you can shop for new clothing, get a tattoo, catch a flick at the movie theater, or base jump off skyscrapers. Outside the city limits, you can search underwater shipwrecks for lost treasure off the coast of Los Santos, hunt animals in the wilderness, play darts in a dive bar, or participate in one of the many race varieties. I also spent a considerable amount of time betting on the stock market; paying attention to character chatter can land you a huge payday”

     

  • Weekend Box Office- September 13-15, 2013

    Photo courtesy crazymoviepeople.com
    Photo courtesy crazymoviepeople.com

    Insidious Chapter 2 opened on Friday the 13th with $20 million on its way to the second biggest September opening ever with $41 million. Director James Wan followed up his summer hit The Conjuring with an even bigger opening. The Conjuring made $270 million off of a $20 million budget making it one of the biggest box office hits of all time. Insidious Chapter 2 is headed in the same direction. The budget for the horror movie was only $5 million.

    Next up for Wan? A slightly bigger movie with Fast & Furious 7.

    1. Insidious Chapter 2- $41.0 million/ $41.0 million

    2. The Family- $14.5/ $14.5

    3. Riddick- $7.0/ $31.2

    4. The Butler- $5.5/ $100.0

    5. We’re the Millers- $5.4/ $131.6

    6. Instructions not Included- $4.2/ $26.5

    7. Planes- $3.0/ $82.9

    8. One Direction- $2.4/ $26.8

    9. Elysium- $2.0/ $88.3

    10. Percy Jackson- $1.8/ $62.0

     

  • Fable Anniversary Delayed Until 2014

    Photo courtesy gamercast.net
    Photo courtesy gamercast.net

    You will have to wait a bit longer to play the original Fable in HD. Lionhead Studios has announced that their remake of the original Fable, [amazon_link id=”B00DBCAT3W” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Fable Anniversary[/amazon_link], will not be released until February 2014 to put some finishing touches on the game.

    Fable Anniversary is more than just an HD transfer. It takes the original game and The Lost Chapters expansion and changes the interface, controls, adds achievements and better load times.

    This is a case of a good delay to make sure the game is ready to go instead of pushing it out before Christmas and on a selfish level because my fall was already full of games to play and a February release will be right in the sweet spot of year when I am dying for a new game to play.

  • New Poster For Robocop

    Photo courtesy ign.com
    Photo courtesy ign.com

    Get a look at the first poster for Robocop with The Killing’s Joel Kinnaman as the future of law enforcement. As much as I would like to keep the silver design -which we do get to see a little bit of in the preview- I am coming around to the black armor.

    Robocop releases on February 7, 2014.

  • 2013 Fall Game Guide

    Photo courtesy thesun.co.uk
    Photo courtesy thesun.co.uk

    Two new consoles lead the way this fall and that is not even adding in the huge payload of games that will be making their ways to shelves between now and Christmas. It can get a little confusing out there when you want so many things at the same time. We here at Nerd Rating want to make it as easy as we possibly can for you with our fall game guide. Help yourself and see when your favorite games are coming out and go ahead and hit the link to pre-order them on Amazon.

    Full disclosure- we do make a small profit from all Amazon purchases made through links on the site. Help us, help you.

    September

    Photo courtesy whatculture.com
    Photo courtesy whatculture.com

    September 3rd

    [amazon_link id=”B00BQZ5EWW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Total War: Rome 2[/amazon_link] (PC)

    [amazon_link id=”B00BXTKJ94″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Rayman Legends[/amazon_link] (360, Wii U, PC, PS3, Vita)

    [amazon_link id=”B00BGA9V2Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Diablo 3[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)

    September 10th

    [amazon_link id=”B0050SWYTC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Killzone: Mercenary[/amazon_link] (Vita)

    [amazon_link id=”B008SBZD5U” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix[/amazon_link] (PS3)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CD8W81Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NHL 14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)

    [amazon_link id=”B0050SWNZW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Puppeteer[/amazon_link] (PS3)

    [amazon_link id=”B00E9I1FPI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Elder Scrolls Anthology[/amazon_link] (PC)

    September 15th

    [amazon_link id=”B002I08CSW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Wonderful 101[/amazon_link] (Wii U)

    September 17th

    [amazon_link id=”B0050SXKU4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Grand Theft Auto V[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)

    September 24th

    [amazon_link id=”B00CW3E9NM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Scribblenauts Unmasked[/amazon_link] (3DS, Wii U, PC)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CD90R72″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]FIFA 14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, PC)

    October

    Photo courtesy digitalspy.com
    Photo courtesy digitalspy.com

    October 1st

    [amazon_link id=”B00C710AQO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA 2K14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, PC)

    October 4th

    [amazon_link id=”B002I0GF72″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD[/amazon_link] (Wii U)

    October 8th

    [amazon_link id=”B0050SX7BQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Beyond: Two Souls[/amazon_link] (PS3)

    October 12th

    [amazon_link id=”B0053B5RGI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Pokemon X[/amazon_link] (3DS)

    [amazon_link id=”B0053B66KE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Pokemon Y[/amazon_link] (3DS)

    October 22nd

    [amazon_link id=”B00B98HBTA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Lego Marvel Super Heroes[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Vita)

    October 25th

    [amazon_link id=”B00C7103DO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Batman: Arkham Origins[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii U)

    October 29th

    [amazon_link id=”B00BXE4KVM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Battlefield 4[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, PC)

    [amazon_link id=”B00BMFIXKQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Assassin’s Creed 4[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii U)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CMC6HCY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]WWE 2K14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)

    November

    Photo courtesy screencrush.com
    Photo courtesy screencrush.com

    November 5th

    [amazon_link id=”B003O6CBIG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Call of Duty: Ghosts[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)

    November 15th

    [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVQO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Playstation 4[/amazon_link]

    [amazon_link id=”B00BMFIXOW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Assassin’s Creed IV[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CXCCFSI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Battlefield 4[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00D4WTO1M” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Call of Duty: Ghosts[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00BGA9ZZ4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Driveclub[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CXCCI8A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]FIFA 14[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00BGA9YZK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Killzone: Shadow Fall[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00BGAA29M” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Knack[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00DUARBTA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Lego Marvel Super Heroes[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CYS5DU8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Madden NFL 25[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00DBRM3G8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA 2K14[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CYS5GEQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA Live 14[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00D3RBZHY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Need For Speed: Rivals[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    [amazon_link id=”B00BI83EVU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Watch Dogs[/amazon_link] (PS4)

    November 19th

    [amazon_link id=”B00CTKHZH0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Need For Speed: Rivals[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)

    [amazon_link id=”B00BGHUS58″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Watch Dogs[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii U)

    November 22nd

    [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link]

    [amazon_link id=”B00CX8VYM0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Assassin’s Creed IV[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CXCCB64″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Battlefield 4[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CX6XKK6″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Call of Duty: Ghosts[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00DB90AHA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dead Rising 3[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CX7FMDS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]FIFA 14[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTTQG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Forza Motorsports 5[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CX7FOVS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Madden NFL 25[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00DBRM3EU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA 2K14[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CX7FPKS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA Live 14[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00D3RBYM0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Need For Speed: Rivals[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTU74″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Ryse: Son of Rome[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CX8VY4S” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Watch Dogs[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CFR7VSU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds[/amazon_link] (3DS)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CH9253W” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Mario Party: Island Tour[/amazon_link] (3DS)

    [amazon_link id=”B00DC7G0GG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Super Mario 3D World[/amazon_link] (Wii U)

    [amazon_link id=”B0050SX0UY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tearaway[/amazon_link] (Vita)

    December

    Photo courtesy youtube.com
    Photo courtesy youtube.com

    December 6th

    [amazon_link id=”B00DC7O77A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[/amazon_link] (Wii U)

    [amazon_link id=”B00CRL9TU2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Gran Turismo 6[/amazon_link] (PS3)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • JK Rowling Writing New Movie Set In Harry Potter Universe For Warner Bros.

    jk-rowling
    Photo courtesy mariaawrites.wordpress.com

    JK Rowling is coming back to the Harry Potter universe although “the boy who lived” will not have anything to do with it. She will adapt Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a Hogwarts textbook, into a feature film about the book’s author, Newt Scamander. It will take place around 70 years before Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

    Rowling gave a statement about her first screenplay and returning to the world of wizardry:

    “Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 years, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, 70 years before Harry’s gets underway.”

    Warner bringing in Rowling to work on anything in the Potter universe is going to mean big business even if Potter himself is not involved. As studios keep trying to find the next Harry Potter type franchise, Warner just went right back to the source.

    In case this is still hard to believe, here is Warner Bros. official statement on the team-up of Rowling and the studio.

    Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced an expanded creative partnership with world-renowned, best-selling author J.K. Rowling. At the center of the partnership is a new film series from Rowling’s world of witches and wizards, inspired by Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbook “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and the adventures of the book’s fictitious author, Newt Scamander. The announcement was made by Kevin Tsujihara, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment.

    “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be an original story and will mark Rowling’s screenwriting debut. It is planned as the first picture in a new film series. Set in the wizarding world, the story will feature magical creatures and characters, some of which will be familiar to devoted Harry Potter fans.

    “Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world,” said Rowling. “The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”

    “We are incredibly honored that Jo has chosen to partner with Warner Bros. on this exciting new exploration of the world of wizardry which has been tremendously successful across all of our businesses,” said Tsujihara. “She is an extraordinary writer, who ignited a reading revolution around the world, which then became an unprecedented film phenomenon. We know that audiences will be as excited as we are to see what her brilliant and boundless imagination conjures up for us.”

    In addition to the film series, “Fantastic Beasts” will also be developed across the Studio’s video game, consumer products and digital initiatives businesses, including enhanced links with Pottermore.com, Rowling’s digital online experience built around the Harry Potter stories.

    The Studio’s expanded partnership with Rowling also covers the continued expansion of its Harry Potter activities, including the wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks in conjunction with partner Universal Parks and Resorts (currently in Orlando, FL; opening in Hollywood, CA and Osaka, Japan), digital initiatives (including Pottermore), video games, consumer products and visitor attractions.

    In addition, Warner Bros. will serve as the worldwide TV distributor (excluding the U.K.) of J.K. Rowling’s upcoming television adaptation for the BBC of “The Casual Vacancy,” her best-selling first novel aimed at adult audiences. This miniseries begins production in 2014.

    The relationship will be managed in London by Neil Blair of The Blair Partnership, Rowling’s literary agency, and Josh Berger, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain, who will serve as Warner Bros.’ chief business contact for all J.K. Rowling initiatives going forward.