A last-ditch attempt by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to stop Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard has failed. Thanks to a story on CNBC, we learned that the 9th Circuit U.S. Appeals Court said “Nope,” to the $68.7B deal.
This was one but many hurdles the maker of the XBOX had to deal with over the past year. In the U.S. and in the U.K., multiple government bodies were trying to put the kibosh on what is possibly Microsoft’s most game-changing acquisition in the company’s history.
The concerns are not unfounded. Activision Blizzard develops and publishes games on several platforms, including P.C., PlayStation, and possibly on the Nintendo Switch in the future. Being the sole owner of Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft could be a monopoly issue.
However, that won’t be the case, at least regarding CoD. In another CNBC article, it was revealed that Sony had struck a deal with Microsoft to ensure that future incarnations of Call of Duty will also come to the PlayStation.
The agreement is not indefinite, though. Microsoft agreed to only a 10-year deal to publish the popular first-person shooter on the competing console. No other games under Activision Blizzard’s umbrella were mentioned. Only time will tell if additional contracts will come to ensure Sony gets a piece of the action.
Microsoft could keep the XBOX/PC the exclusive home of various sequels in popular Activision Blizzard franchises like Overwatch, Diablo, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and Crash Bandicoot. Although, it wouldn’t make sense to keep these wildly popular IPs on one console if the game is to make money.
It will be interesting to see what Microsoft does with the titles in the future, but if the past is any indication, we may never see future releases. Remember when M.S. bought Rare and released only a couple of underwhelming games? Ugh.
Did you miss out on the Optimus Prime MP-44 Optimus Prime figure years ago? Takara Tomy is giving us a second crack at owning one of the best versions of the G1 Transformer but with a little change. MP-44S will feature Prime with a new color scheme and decals matching his original Hasbro release from 1984.
That means Optimus Prime will have darker-colored plastic and yellow eyes. However, that’s not the only change.
Those who didn’t want to spend the $400+ on the previous version of the MP-44 will be happy to know that this recolor will probably be far less expensive. From what we’ve seen at the Big Ba Toy Store, MP-44S does not come with the trailer. He’s also limited on other accessories, too.
Aside from his blaster, Optimus Prime will come with the energon ax, Matrix of Leadership, blast effect part, an alternate head, and one other small part I cannot identify. It’s unclear if this figure will have the built-in sound effects and voice lines as the previous figure did.
If MP-44S turns out to be a pricey boy, you could always get the upcoming Volvo Optimus Prime!
Photo Credit: Takara Tomy
Photo Credit: Takara Tomy
Photo Credit: Takara Tomy
Photo Credit: Takara Tomy
Photo Credit: Takara Tomy
Photo Credit: Takara Tomy
If you’re thinking of picking this figure out when it does become available for pre-order, check out JobbytheHong’s review of MP44.
I owned MP-10 Optimus Prime several years ago. It wasn’t bad, but in comparison, most other high-end figures based on the Autobot leader have been better.
If you want to hear our take on the current state of Hasbro, check out the D-Rezzed Podcast.
What are your thoughts on the new Masterpiece figure? What’s the price point that would get you the most interested? Let us know below.
I know, I know— Everyone seems to be complaining about the fandom these days. Admittedly, I have taken a few shots at the fans on the extremes. But that doesn’t mean the fandom isn’t great because it is. It’s time for a more positive list about why working in comics is great and The 20 Best Reasons to Love the Fandom.
20. Fans support our work.
Duh. They’re the people that buy our stuff. Without them, you’ll just be carting around a lot of boxes for no reason. I get a nice boost when I make a sale, and I thank my customers every single time.
19. The emotional reaction of the fandom shows that they have a true love for creators.
Yes, it can get out of hand, but it usually doesn’t. It’s important to keep that in perspective. The more fans you have, the more emotional some fans become about your comic. That emotional wave can be ridden for a long, long time if you ride it right. It’s often a positive experience, and you should never take it for granted. It can stop at any time, especially if you become arrogant. Be grateful, creators!
Image by Pixabay
18. Fans and creators share the same love of the characters.
This is the reason why you and the fans can get emotional about your comic. The emotion, however, is different. Remember, the fans cannot see what you see, but it is important to nurture that love and guide it in positive ways.
So a while back, I did a video on my YouTube channel that blew up and gave me thousands of hits. Unfortunately, it turned out the news story I talked about was wrong, and it was about a subject I didn’t know much about. I didn’t want my channel to be known for that, so I deleted the video and explained to my subscribers why. I feel like my channel has gone in a better direction since.
17. Fandom puts creators on a pedestal.
Don’t let it go to your heads, creators, but it is nice when a fan adores you. Since publishing and selling The Pineys, I’ve had people refer to me as a “historian” and that they “thank me for my work.” It’s nice! It makes you feel important.
Image by Craiyon
16. Sometimes, fandom is a great gauge of where you’re going with your comic.
As I’ve often said, it’s important to listen to fans, but don’t obey the fans. They’re generally a good gauge that your comic is fun, exciting, etc. You don’t want to get lost in the weeds picking their brains for feedback, but if they’re having a good time— You’re good.
Knowing that they’re paying for your comic and enjoying it is a top priority. They may be worried about the condition of this character or that, and that’s fine. Your actual story needs to follow the path of your vision, not the direction of what fans want in the moment. However, if you’re burnout, stressed out, or lost in a creative quagmire— Sometimes fans can show you the general direction you should be heading. So if a fan says something like, “I loved the early funny issues.” Maybe your story is getting too dark.
When the Simpsons began, I read that Bart was the character the showrunners thought would always be the standout. However, Homer quickly became the character everyone wanted to see get in trouble. Over time, the show started to focus more on his antics. One could argue it changed the show, but not in such a major way that it wasn’t still The Simpsons.
15. Fans sometimes become creators.
The fandom produces creators, so it’s another reason why you should always be nice to them. You never know who you’ll inspire, but you might be lucky enough to run into a few of them. There’s no satisfaction quite like a fan saying something like, “I started a comic too! You inspired me!” If you don’t get a warm and fuzzy from that, you’re just dead inside.
Many of those new creators won’t know what the Hell they’re doing, and they’re going to make a whole lot of mistakes (just like you did). Do your best to be encouraging; if they are outstanding, don’t feel threatened. Hell, without you, that new talent might not even be making a comic!
Image by Pixabay
14. The fandom wants you to succeed.
These people genuinely want you to succeed and thrive. Do you think they’d be your fans if they didn’t? I’ve had fans tell me that I should run Marvel or DC comics over the years. More recently, they keep hoping I get a Netflix deal for The Pineys. Hey, I nearly had a movie deal with Super Frat. It could happen.
So what could be better than a group of people that actively want to cheer you on? For some, that’s a lot of pressure, but don’t worry— Again, they want you to succeed, and that includes getting over whatever anxiety you might have in total strangers shaking your hand and saying, “I’m such a fan!”
13. Most fans don’t abuse their power.
As a creator, you are vulnerable when you put your project out there. There is a tiny, tiny minority of fans that can trash you publicly (especially on the Internet), but these people are far outnumbered by the typical fan.
A typical fan is just a normal person that likes your comic and would never think to say something untoward. Hell, most people won’t even talk to you at all. They just want the comic. I sometimes think it’s a subconscious desire not to meet your hero and see you in the light, thereby diminishing the elevated status in their heads. (As they say, “Never meet your heroes.”) Yes, there are Internet trolls, but 99.9% of fans are in that category.
Image from Pixabay
12. The mainstream entertainment media has little control over the fandom.
That stark contrast has never been more true today on YouTube with shows like Nerdrotic, Bounding Into Comics, Yellow Flash, etc. Most entertainment media was shill media, to begin with, but now they actively defend the very people that attack the fandom. Fortunately, despite the vicious attacks online, the fans continue to stand up.
Fans are gonna like good things and dislike bad things. The mainstream entertainment giants not only fail because they are woke, bloated, and out-of-touch, but they also have a high bar to achieve, as they must live up to their past victories. New creators, you don’t have that problem, and fans are infinitely more forgiving of a local creator that just put out a book than they are of a corporate comic they paid $4.99 that promised them the moon and the stars.
Lie all you want, shill media; the fans will ultimately drift away from crap and elevate the righteous and good stuff.
11. Most new fans don’t have a stake in anything but their own entertainment.
Again, a tiny portion of the fandom has some axe to grind or some agenda to prove, but most fans want to be entertained. That makes their reactions almost pure in a way. It’s not biased like yours or your friends and associates— You’re getting an honest response from a total stranger, and that’s valuable even if it isn’t the reaction you want.
Sometimes these reactions can be very telling about your project. Again, don’t hang everything on just a few replies, but use them to gauge how your project is being received, and from that, you can tweak future installments. But most people are genuine, and even when they don’t totally like your work, they may say something nice about it to indicate you’re at least moving in the right direction. And if you really struggle to find someone to criticize, you probably did a good job! Who wouldn’t want to hear that?
Images by Pixai Art
10. Fandom tends to gather around projects with great potential.
The fans don’t build online wikis with just any project. They don’t have fan clubs and panel discussions for something that nobody knows or cares about. The fandom tends to build up around things with great potential.
Unfortunately, for most creators, it usually requires a great deal of popularity, just so enough of the fanbase even knows about you. But still, just the idea that total strangers would gather together to talk and theorize about your comic world— That’s an exciting thought for any creator.
9. Fandom doesn’t forget.
This one’s a bit of a double-edged sword. Long before the Internet, fans would gather and write letters to fanzines to express their confusion over details in a comic book world. This was especially evident in 1985 during Crisis on Infinite Earths. Fans were pointing out the mistakes before the mini-series even finished!
Yes, sometimes it gets annoying when fans point out mistakes or typos, but it’s also useful. You can now make those corrections very easy in digital publishing. Additionally, if you’re always nice to fans, they will remember and appreciate you. (And they will definitely remember if you’re not!)
What’s happening now in the fandom is an emerging new paradigm. Corporate comics, movies, games, and TV shows have destroyed most, if not all, of their credibility. In some eras, it was possible to go back and apologize. These days, the crimes against fandom are too numerous to list here. Fans that stay in the medium are looking for creators and projects that haven’t betrayed, and that’s you, creator!
Image by Pixabay
8. Fandom creates the conventions we need as creators.
The original Star Trek Conventions and comic-cons that spawned a thousand other ones over the many decades— Give thanks to the fandom for creating them. Without these industrious nerds, I couldn’t fly to San Diego and complain about the restaurants charging me for electricity. I also wouldn’t have a massive comic book convention to promote my comics and books.
Dragon Con is still privately run and chock full of some of the friendliest volunteers I’ve ever met. What they pull off year after year is quite impressive, and if I had the money or lived closer— I promise you I’d go every year.
From the tiniest fan get-together, the largest con— You can’t have them without the fandom. And since that will probably be most of your sales until your comic takes off, you should thank the fans profusely when invited.
7. Fans recruit new fans.
One of the absolute best things that fans do is talk about your comic and bring other fans into your fold. Word of mouth is one of the strongest endorsements. Just look at your own personal experience. When a fellow fan tells you a comic book is awesome, aren’t you usually curious about it?
Eventually, these fans may go the extra mile and start those wikis, comic-cons, and fan sites. Until then, the best they can do is tell the world about your comic book’s greatness. You can tell people all day how awesome your comic is until you’re blue in the face, but when a random stranger does it— It holds a lot more weight.
Image by Pixabay
6. Fans buoy our creator spirits.
What is nicer to hear than a fan loves your work? Anything? It’s just so nice to know that someone, somewhere, is not only buying your comic but enjoying it. Don’t let that praise go to your head, but remember the fans who praised you when you thought about quitting. You can’t let them down.
I remember my first line of fans at the table, which was exciting. There’s an energy to it that’s hard to describe. For me, I was mostly panicking that someone was going to walk away before they bought something. Later, when you look back— It’s a good feeling to know that people stand in line for your work.
5. Fans are like friends.
They are like friends. Don’t immediately assume they are because I think that’s a little presumptuous. The stuff you say to your friends, you probably should not say to fans because they probably don’t know the real you.
However, some fans will genuinely go the extra mile. I knew a comic creator who told me he was living with a woman, and their relationship deteriorated. He decided to move out but was worried he couldn’t evacuate his art quickly enough before something terrible happened. He mentioned this online, and one of his fans owned a moving company. He arrived within hours, ultimately moving him out of a bad living space! Now that’s a fan!
I ended up dating a fan for over a year. That probably wasn’t the best idea, but maybe others have had better luck. My point is fans are like your buddies. I’ve had fans tip me extra cash because they liked my books.
Image by Pixabay
4. Fans are generous.
Not only with their money, not only with the tips but with their time. Time is valuable to people. And the fact that fans will come out to see you, talk to you, and talk about your comic— That’s someone being generous toward you, the creator.
Fans sometimes offer to help load my car, buy me food and drinks, and invite me to parties— It can be a bit overwhelming at times, and I think you have to be mildly wary of people’s expectations. However, it is just so nice.
3. Fans will help you network.
Just the other day, I was doing an event at a Dragon Boat race when some nice woman invited me to another Dragon Boat race event on a different weekend. Indeed, many creators experience getting invites to other comic-cons when they’re at a comic-con. I’ve had fans put me in touch with all sorts of people that have helped me book events, get a new printer, get free advertising, and get connected to podcasts, radio, and TV— Once, it even led to a publishing deal.
I’ve met other talent through fans: artists, writers, and publishers. I’m not a very good networker, so this has been invaluable in getting the word out about my comics. Praise be to the fans!
Images by Pixai Art
2. Reviews from fans are the absolute best advertising.
Whether it’s a review on Amazon or some tiny review website on the Internet, you can never have enough positive fan reviews. Even if the review is barely seen, you can use it for a blurb because it’s real. This is often how fans recruit other fans for you.
Accumulating a dozen or so fan reviews and quoting them on a sign at your table is a powerful motivator for a sale. It’s like showing proof that people like your comic, and it’s unbiased (assuming you’re not quoting your friends).
And sometimes, even bad reviews can help you. A big emotional reaction can signal to other fans that there’s something there. I had a fan have a complete meltdown over my webcomic,Super Frat. I posted the link for years, and it was a hilariously disastrous review. But it was so over-the-top that it was obvious to anyone who read it that some other issues were at play, not the comic. And since Super Frat is about a crazy bunch of frat bros, the outrage played into getting people to read it. (Your mileage may vary on a different kind of comic.)
God bless the fan reviews.
1. The fandom will remember you after you’re gone.
The fandom never forgets, even after you’re dead. Your comics will outlive you, which is a special kind of beauty all its own. Without trying to get too morbid here, what will you leave behind on this Earth? Well, creator, hopefully, it’s a lot of cool comics you made. This is part of why you must make them cool and awesome and not just follow the trends to line your pocket. The latter comics will be forgotten.
But long after you’re gone, fans will speak your name and possibly romanticize your existence. So the legends may not only exist in the pages of your book but also the minds of your fans concerning you. Even if you leave the medium one day, it can’t hurt to have a bunch of comics floating around the fandom with your name on it. What do you think is inside all those white boxes? It’s not just Marvel and DC and 90’s Image.
As creators, we may not live to see our comics become massive commercial successes. Most of Phillip K. Dick’s stories were adapted into movies after he died, but he’s a legend in the sci-fi community. And I think we all know as creators; we didn’t just do it for the money. We did it for this very reason: our stories would be remembered and repeated years after we were gone.
Thank you, fans!
That’s all for this week, fanboys. See you at the con!
As an alternative fighting game series for many over the years, the King of Fighters from SNK has been incredibly popular among fans of the genre. Not only does the series have its own style of characters with anime flair, but it’s had a number of releases that were impactful to the fighting game genre. Since the release of the first KOF game in 1994, there have been over fifteen mainline KOF entries, with extra spinoffs released alongside them. The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History book from Bitmap Books tries to compile nearly everything about the fighting game series into one place, giving KOF fans a massive resource for one of their favorite series. While there are a few spots that the book glances over quickly, this is definitely one of the hardcover books you’ll want to look at if you’re a fan of fighting games.
The best part about this the King of Fighters: The Ultimate History is the inclusion of nearly every piece of artwork that was released from SNK. Tons of artwork by fighting game artist Shinkiro is included in the book, with many iconic Neo Geo box art and promotional material that was used during some of the big releases for KOF games. If you saw a magazine ad that highlighted the release of the King of Fighters 95 or 2000, chances are you’ll find it in this book. It’s a great thing for fans to see tons of visual material that may have been limited to specific territories back in the day. Luckily, this KOF book goes over everything on a global scale, so you won’t be missing out on anything that was exclusive to Japan, Europe, or North America.
But since this is the ultimate history of the franchise, the beginning sections of this hardcover book have a detailed history of the franchise’s legacy. From the surprising origins that started at Capcom with the release of the very first Street Fighter game through the release of KOF 15, this book goes over nearly everything. What’s more is how The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History includes interviews with many of the key figures in development for KOF games. This includes lead planners, developers, producers, and musicians that were vital to the creation of the games and responsible for the series’ success over the years. The interviews themselves are interesting and give some perspective on the timeframe where the games were made, as well as how difficult it was to put together many aspects of KOF that many have come to love.
If there’s one thing that stands out as a major omission of the book it’s how it glances over the period of the series that included the 3D King of Fighters games. This would include games like KOF Maximum Impact and its sequel, which are considered non-canon games. Other games that are parallel to the KOF series, like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, are mentioned numerous times because of their relevance to the KOF series as a whole, but the Maximum Impact games are limited to one reference throughout the whole book.
Although not considered canon, this era of KOF was important because it was a jump to 3D for the series that was in many ways similar to Street Fighter with the EX series. It would have given a more complete history and interesting insight to include more about the Maximum Impact games and peer into why those games were not received well. It would’ve also been interesting to include any visual material for those games alongside the rest of the KOF art within the book, showing a juxtaposition of the classic 2D sprites and how the KOF cast didn’t have a smooth jump to 3D. An opportunity for the book to show why later games like KOF 15 worked better for 3D renditions of the characters is also lost by not including Maximum Impact a bit more.
Luckily, The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History has more than enough to make up for what is not included. There are tons of screenshots from every game, frames of animation for characters, background shots of stages in multiple titles, as well as concept art and design documents. Early versions of characters like Terry Bogard and Kyo Kusanagi really showcase the effort and time taken for developing KOF characters. The series has always stood out from games like Street Fighter because of its visuals and willingness to go in directions that were radically different.
Anybody that loves the King of Fighters games will get something out of this book. There’s enough text to detail the history of the series and cover all of the important information, but plenty of visual material to enjoy and balance things out. If you’re a fan of video game art, then you’ll really love the diverse amount of key art and official promos from throughout the KOF series that are given full-page spreads. Despite a few missing bullet points, this hardcover book does justice to the King of Fighters series in a very significant way that makes it a must-own for fans.
What do you think of the King of Fighters games? Would you pick up The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History for your own collection? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comment section.
Resident Evil: The Village did a lot for Capcom’s long-running franchise. It delivered a bunch of new iconic villains and inspired people to create some … interesting fan art. Most of that art features the 9′-6″ tall super hot vampire. So, it’s only fitting that most of the high-end collectibles have been highlighting said character.
Prime 1 Studio is joining the mix with a 26″ tall, $1,649 statue of Lady Dimitrescu. Seated upon a lavish chair, the blood-drinking mistress comes with interchangeable hands and heads, matching whichever version of her you like the most.
The statue is made of polystone and comes with a [SPOILERS] separate crystalized version of Alcina Dimitrescu.
The biggest letdown is the wait. Lady Dimitrescu isn’t expected to ship out until sometime between October 2024 and January 2025. Oof.
Lady Dimitrescu’s deluxe bonus 1:4 scale statue comes with the following:
Resident Evil-themed base
Three (3) Swappable head parts
Two (2) Swappable left-hand parts
One (1) Dimitrescu’s Crystal
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
Photo Credit: Prime 1 Studio
“At almost 26 inches tall, the vampire countess is seated on her throne. She’s showing off her feminine contour, in a way that is elegant, sophisticated, and seductive. Our artists have done an outstanding job of capturing her commanding presence. Her piercing gaze and sinister smirk faithfully replicate the impression she leaves in the game as she scornfully looks down on those who dare enter Castle Dimitrescu. Between her left fingers rests an ornate crimson cup for her wine… or maybe something else… She keeps a long cigarette holder in her right hand, an accessory that’s never out of reach. Adding to her striking appearance is her hat, a key component of her gothic and aristocratic style, evoking a sense of luxury, and refinement, complimenting her formal attire as well as amplifying it as a whole.”
The last time we saw a thousand-dollar-plus mommy vampire statue was when PureArts announced the 3′ tall version of the game’s sexy villain. In my opinion, the PureArts collectible looks better and is substantially more affordable.
What do you think of Lady Dimitrescu’s latest sculpture? Let us know in the comments section below.
‘Ayaka: A Story of Bonds and Wounds’ is a fantasy anime series created and written by GoRA. It is produced by King Records, animated by Studio Blanc, and directed by Nobuyoshi Nagayama. The television show made its debut on Japanese television on July 2nd, 2023 with Crunchyroll announcing that they would stream it as well as produce an English dub.
The dub cast was announced on Crunchyroll’s website:
Yukito voiced by Dallas Reid (Asta in Black Clover)
Jingi voiced by Landon McDonald (Ranpo in Bungo Stray Dogs)
Kurama voiced by Oscar Seung (Kyoji in Sasaki and Miyano)
Ibuki voiced by Alex Hom (Kunigami in BLUELOCK)
Chataro voiced by Corey Wilder
Ibara voiced by Hayden Daviau
Inou voiced by Kent Williams
Jingi (Young) voiced by Lexi Nieto
Momoko voiced by Brianna Roberts
Yako voiced Ciarán Strange
Yanagi voiced by Marcus Stimac
Yukito (Young) voiced by Bev Mageto
Helena Walstrom has been tapped as the ADR Director with Kevin D. Thelwell joining as the Assistant ADR Director. Clayton Browning and Eliza Harris will handle the scripts with Jarrod Greene on board as script supervisor.
You can watch the trailer below:
The series is written by Rei Rairaku while the music is composed by Kana Shibue. The characters are designed by Redjuice and animator Misaki Kaneko.
“Yanagi Yukito is an orphan who one day encounters an eccentric disciple of his father’s. The strange man takes him to his birthplace on Ayakashima, made up of seven islands where mysterious beings called “Mitama” and dragons are rumored to reside. There, Yukito meets his father’s two other disciples, who protect the harmony of Ayakashima… which soon threatens to collapse.”
The opening theme song, “AYAKASHI,” is performed by the Japanese pop band Angela and the ending theme song, “Flashback,” is performed by the rock band saji.
Kartoon Studios, which formally announced a name change from Kartoon Channel last month, have announced on Thursday that they will be creating several original full-length animated features for children based on Kartoon Studios properties, taking advantage of AI technology. While the purpose of using AI is to animate more content in less time while reducing expenses, Kartoon Studios strives to stay true to their main focus on human creativity and positive content.
Here are the current animated features set to come out in years 2024 and 2025:
‘Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders’ (featuring Stan Lee)
‘Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten’
‘Llama’s Big Adventure’ (Llama Llama)
‘An Omaha Yankee In King Arthur’s Court’ (Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club)
‘Fix And Foxi’
‘Rainbow Rangers Hot Concert To Cool Global Warming’ (Rainbow Rangers)
Kartoon Studios CEO Andy Heyward said, “We have observed a strong appetite for recognized brands that began in either television, toys, video games, or publishing, to become full-length animated feature films. We have seen this with top brands like Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Spiderman, the Grinch, and Hotel Transylvania, which were translated into animated movie hits. Much of our catalogue has such roots and pedigree, with a number of brands coming from successful books like Llama Llama or Rainbow Rangers and from brands and pedigrees like Stan Lee.”
Multi-Emmy-winning producer and director Mike Maliani added, “By using both AI, human creativity, and the existing assets that have already been developed with the brands, production costs will be reduced, while upholding the highest levels of quality.
Previously the costs of producing an original full-length animated feature for a streaming service were prohibitive, however with the advent of AI technology, and using existing key materials, footage, and animation cycles already in place, we now have an incredibly cost-effective model that we believe is a game changer, which will enable quality animated films to be brought to the consumer for a fraction of what it would have previously cost.
We can do all this while maintaining our focus on content written by proven industry creators. We like this model, because we are investing in our own brands, as we additionally drive awareness for consumer product sales, as well as viewership for our channel, and creating an evergreen asset that can be used again and again.”
The company will also draw titles from its Munich-based affiliate company, Your Family Entertainment. Certain films will feature celebrity voice actors, as well as original music sound tracks, while highlighting a diversity of characters, global names, and a mix of ages, genders, and ethnicities. Additionally, the Company is planning seasonal titles, such as for Halloween and Christmas.
President of Kartoon Channel! Worldwide Paul Robinson, who will oversee global distribution, stated, “Full-length animated features have consistently been one of the most successful genres of all entertainment, and are very attractive to broadcasters worldwide. They steadily over-index, attracting large audiences. Whether the timeless classics from Disney, or hits from Pixar, DreamWorks, and Illumination, we know they perform well. The films will be family friendly, non-violent, and embrace positive themes. We view the animated feature film business for global services as the game changer catalyst to propel the channel forward to significant earnings.”
This is not the first time Kartoon Studios has delved into AI. In March, they released their first AI-generated children’s series called Kidaverse Fast Facts, utilizing OpenAI’s ChatGPT, along with other AI technologies. The series is geared towards the ages 4-11, with using AI for scripts, images, voices and animation. The series includes new and exclusive shorts hosted by History Henry, Science Sally and Sporty Steve, and each video will educate children, featuring lessons and facts about science, history, music, literature and more.
When this series was announced in February this year, CEO Andy Hayward said, “We’re excited to bring this innovative series to market and, by using ChatGPT, the series is able to quickly and effectively adapt and deliver our content and concepts in a kid-friendly, snackable format. The future of children’s entertainment is here, and we’re thrilled to be at the forefront of this revolution.”
President of Genius Networks Todd Steinman added, “AI is a game changer for us, providing significant cost efficiencies and speed to market, allowing us to expand our content initiatives and fuel our programming pipeline in a way that couldn’t have been possible before. These AI tools and the content they create will certainly have a huge impact in children’s entertainment and beyond. With its innovative use of AI, we are confident that Kidaverse Fast Facts will be a hit with kids and parents around the world!”
Kartoon Channel currently has six videos of Kidaverse Fast Facts uploaded to their YouTube channel. Here are two of the videos:
This is the same company who came out with NFT’s for kids last year, calling it KFT’s. The company doesn’t seem to be shying away from using AI at this point, advancing into greater usages of this technology that people are either excited or very concerned about.
What do you think about Kartoon Studios using more AI to create animated movies and content for kids? Do you think it’s a good thing? Or a bad thing? Let us know in the comments below!
XBOX gamers can soon be sneaky snitches and record in-game voice chats. In a recent blog post, XBOX’s CVP of Player Services, Dave McCarthy, announced the rollout of a new feature designed to combat online harassment.
Instead of simply reporting a player and hoping others do the same so a problematic person gets banned, XBOX will allow users to capture the offender’s voice chat and send it along. This new feedback option will be available on the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
It works the same way as sharing gameplay footage. If you encounter abuse, hit the share button on the XBOX controller. The significant difference is that the captured media cannot be downloaded, modified, or stored for more than 24 hours. This window gives the user time to choose whether to report the incident or not:
Xbox’s latest safety feature allows players to capture and report inappropriate voice activity on any multiplayer game with in-game voice chat on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Players who experience or witness inappropriate verbal behavior can “capture now, report later” minimizing impact to their gameplay.
Xbox’s player reporting and evidence capabilities now cover all content including text, image, video, and voice, further supporting player safety.
The voice reporting feature will be available first to Xbox Insiders to gather feedback from the community.
The recording will be limited to 60-second clips that capture both video and audio. This week, the new tool will kick off for XBOX Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead XBOX Insiders.
It’s unclear when the broader user base will be able to take advantage of the snitching tool. Would you use it? You may need a new memory card to store all that potential video evidence.
At least Microsoft isn’t trying to offer something as pathetic as Bullyhunters. Remember that? It was a giant trainwreck of a service that was alleged to be a way for Steel Series to sell branded headphones.
Imagine if this had been around during the old Live and 360 days. Phew. Call of Duty matchmaking would have been impossible because nearly everyone would have been banned.
Come to think of it … who still uses in-game voice chat? I’ve been using party chat for many years, so we didn’t have to deal with bad actors or people who didn’t understand how to mute their mics.
What are your worst experiences with public voice chat in XBOX games? Let us know below.
‘My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1’ is a light novel isekai fantasy series written by Nazuna Miki, illustrated by Subachi, and published by Kodansha since 2017. Macho Film announced that they were producing an anime adaption that debuted in July 2023 with Crunchyroll releasing it on their streaming service in North America.
Crunchyroll announced they were producing an English dub and announced the cast on their website:
Ryota voiced by Patrick Mealey (Tezuka in AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline)
Emily voiced by Kelsey Maher (Kaori in I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too)
Eve voiced by Trisha Mellon (Elen in Parallel World Pharmacy)
Erza voiced by Brittany Lauda (Yuzuriha in Dr. STONE)
Olga voiced by Dusty Feeney
Orton voiced by Major Attaway (Satun in Ranking of Kings)
Eyna voiced by Kelly Greenshield (Reika in My Home Hero)
Mike McFarland has been tapped as the ADR director and Audrey Drake Rigg as the ADR scriptwriter.
You can watch the trailer below:
The anime is directed by Takeyuki Yanase, written by Yuka Yamada, and the characters are designed by Miyako Nishida, Eri Kojima, Kaho Deguchi, and Yuko Oba.
“Ryouta Satou, who died from overworking at a black company, was reincarnated to another world. Although Ryouta was alive, he was now burdened with the inconvenience that his level is fixed to 1 in this new world. Although he wasn’t able to raise his level, he had a unique skill that can create a cheat-like item that shouldn’t exist in the world from monsters. Knowing this, he maxed out his stats with the help of ability-up items, and he gathered a number of weapons and items that can only be used by himself, which made him have the strongest stats and gear despite being level 1.”
Kodansha published a manga version of the series illustrated by the artist known as Mawata. It has been serialized in the ‘Suiyōbi no Sirius’ magazine since 2018.
‘My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1’ got it start as a web novel on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website.
‘Aquaman’ star Jason Momoa may be reprising the Justice League role for an upcoming DC Comics movie sequel, but he will be swimming with the sharks once again as the host of Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” this year. The actor has been a vocal supporter of conservation and protecting the environment.
“Jason Momoa, the fan-favorite actor, superhero, and conservationist who is dedicated to protecting and preserving the world’s oceans, will host the 35th year of Shark Week, Discovery Channel’s week-long celebration and investigation of shark habits and behaviors. Each night, beginning Sunday, July 23,” Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement.
They added, “Momoa will guide fans through nearly 20 new hours of television featuring the apex predators, including “Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy” that will provide a first time, close-up look at a great white shark feast — captured by researchers with cameras inside a whale carcass decoy — or “Cocaine Sharks” that reveals what happens to sharks that possibly feed on cocaine and other illegal drugs dumped in South Florida waters.”
‘Shark Week’ has long been a tradition on the Discovery Channel. The programming block explores the habitat of sharks as well as highlights unique subspecies of the aquatic predators.
Momoa himself expressed his excitement for his role as host in a post on Instagram. He wrote in the caption, “I’m swimming with sharks! We gotta keep our oceans clean for these beautiful creatures. Join me and (Mananalu) Water on our mission to end single-use plastic to protect our planet.”
Jason Momoa reprised his role as Aquaman for ‘The Flash’ and will return for the sequel ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,’ said to be the last film in the DCEU franchise. He first appeared as Arthur Curry in ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ before his full introduction in the film ‘Justice League.’
