Do You Want To Learn A New Card Game? Do You Like WARHAMMER 40K? Click Here!

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The Living Card Game is a subset of card games coined by Fantasy Flight Games made to circumvent the problems that card games like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Cardfight Vanguard, and Magic: The Gathering had.

 

In traditional Collectible Card Games (CCGs), players traditionally bought booster packs that contained (for the most part) a rare (or two) card, several more “uncommon” cards, and “common” cards, which took up the majority of the pack. With this method, the player wasn’t really guaranteed that they will get the cards they desired, and this resulted in players gaining far more cards than they needed as they bought subsequent packs.

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In addition, with the advent of ebay and online stores, finding that specific card that you desired is now easier than ever. This spawned a veritable middle market where people bought boxes and boxes of booster packs, opened them, and sold the cards individually online. Tournaments would publicly list the top winners deck lists, which simply gave players with enough money a roadmap to simply “buy” their way to victory. It’s a great money making engine for the developing company, but it tends to turn people off because of the inefficiency of booster packs to money spent and the game only caters to people that have a lot of money. Poorer players tend to get squashed by more wealthier players.

 

But Fantasy Flight Games has changed that. Living Card Games are card games that release its expansions in smaller, more frequent intervals. With each expansion, they also provide the multiples of those cards necessary to maximize your deck building. In essence, it eliminates the middle market and puts all players on a more even playing field. No longer do boosters have rare cards, everyone has access to the cards and everyone gets the amount they need for their play style.

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And Fantasy Flight has already boasted a plethora of Living Card Games in various franchises. You may want to try Lord of the Rings (a co-op card game), Game of Thrones (based more on the books), Call of Cthulhu, Netrunner, and even Star Wars.

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Coming soon from Fantasy Flight is the Warhammer 40K: Conquest Living Card Game. If you’re a fan of Warhammer 40k, you’ll want to check this out. But if you want to see how it plays, you can watch the tutorial videos right here (all 7 parts are here):

 

Warhammer 40k: Conquest will be available online and in select stores by the end of September.

Wrestling For Dummies For The Week Of September 15, 2014: We Are Family

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For those that have lived under a rock for the last 30 years, the WWE is primarily run by the famous (infamous?) McMahon family. Way before the Vince McMahon we know, there was Vince McMahon Sr. (Yes, the Vinnie we know is actually a Jr.) and he set the foundation for what would become WWE by running a company called WWWE (yes, 3 “w”s) or the World Wide Wrestling Federation.

 

But this is obvious information. What a lot of people may not know is that there are a lot of families that work under the WWE banner, siblings, sons, daughters, cousins, etc. and I believe that these families have kept WWE going strong all these years.

 

Let’s get into the families within the WWE infrastructure. While this may not be EVERY family represented, these are the some of the more prominent ones today.

 

The Bella Twins

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The most obvious family example (aside from the McMahons) are the Bella Twins, Nikki and Brie (real names Nicole and Brianna Garcia-Colace). Beautiful and dangerous, they’ve been the talk of Hollywood with popularity of E! Network’s Total Divas and they’ve been featured in major story lines within the WWE Universe. “You can look, but you can’t touch” is their intro song and they make sure you’re getting an eyeful. Unfortunately, with Nikki dying her hair and Brie marrying Daniel Bryan (in real life, now Brianna Danielson), the two aren’t the identical twins as they used to be; their signature move “Twin Magic” in which they switch during the match to gain the advantage, became nullified the moment Nikki went under the knife and got a little “Twin Magic” of her own (breast implants if you didn’t get that).

 

The Usos

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The next obvious example of family comes in the form of the current Tag Team Champions, Jimmy and Jey Uso (real names Jonathan and Joshua Fatu). Another set of twins, these Pacific Islanders have been consistently stealing the show since 2010 and are looking to defend their Tag Titles at Night of Champions against another set of brothers, currently known as…

 

Goldust and Stardust

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Goldust (real name Dustin Runnels) isn’t a new wrestler, in fact, he’s been an active wrestler since 1995, bouncing between WWE, WCW, All Japan Pro Wrestling, TNA, and various independent federations. He’s wrestled under his real name Dustin Runnels, Dustin Rhodes, and Black Reign, but he’s famously known for his androgynous latex-clad “bizarre one” character Goldust. Last year in 2013, he’s partnered up with is real life half-brother Cody Rhodes (real name Cody Runnels), who hasn’t had much breakout success since his debut. When they teamed up, it seemed like magic, they won the Tag Team Titles and just had an amazing dynamic. After they lost the titles, the rumors of a possible brother vs. brother conflict at this year’s Wrestlemania gave the opportunity for WWE to make a nice bait and switch and “reform” Cody into the wildly eccentric Goldust clone, StarDust (who, I think, looks like an oversized Rockstar can). Now it seems like the two are in full throttle, turning heel (becoming bad guys) and causing a ruckus. They are due to face the Usos at Night of Champions to get back their Tag Team Championships.

 

Randy/Cowboy Bob Orton

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Randy (real name Randall Orton) and father Cowboy Bob Orton (real name Robert Orton) aren’t seen together much, but it seems the transition between the Golden Age of wrestling in the 80’s and the Modern Age of today. While Cowboy Bob doesn’t do much nowadays, his son Randy has become a 12-time World Champion. And if you think that’s legacy, check out…

 

Natalya/Hart Family

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Waaay back when there was the Hart Foundation, wrestlers Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart (no relation) made a huge scene in WWE in the 80’s. Both trained under Bret’s father Stu in the infamous Hart Family Dungeon and, even though they weren’t related, they soon would be. Jim married Bret’s sister Ellie, and had a baby Natalie.

Well that baby grew up proper as she is currently a WWE diva. Related to Bret, (the late) Owen, and (the late) British Bulldog, among others, she’s got a pedigree that’s full of amazing quality.

 

And here are the ones that you may not know about:

 

Bray Wyatt/Bo Dallas/IRS

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Mike Rotunda made his debut in the WWE as Irwin R. Shyster in 1991 after several attempts to create a character that would click with the audience. What he probably didn’t know was that he would create a legacy that shines today in his two sons, Windham Rotunda and Taylor Rotunda, better known as Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas respectively. And, just like their father, both men have gone through some “refining” before settling on their current character; Bray was previously “Husky Harris” formerly of the Nexus faction and Bo had previously competed in the 2013 Royal Rumble match and was headed to the main roster, when he was suddenly taken back to the minors (NXT) to “repurpose” his character. There has been no move to put the brothers together on TV, let alone reveal that they are brothers. Still, they do share that creepy smile…

 

The Usos/Roman Reigns

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This one may be a little harder to catch, but something to note. We’ve already talked about the Usos being twin brothers, but the Usos are also related to the fast rising Roman Reigns. They are cousins. And if you think that is pretty cool, these three are also related to former superstars Rikishi (father of The Usos), Jamal and Rosey (3-Minute Warning…Jamal would later become Umaga), and even The Rock.

 

 

Of course I can also mention many other related superstars…I haven’t even touched the ones that married in like HHH/Stephanie McMahon, Naomi/Jimmy Uso, Tyson Kidd/Natalya, Miz/Maryse or other parent/child relations like Mr. Perfect/Curtis Axel and Jimmy Snuka/Tamina Snuka. Do I even have to mention the Guerrero’s?

 

I guess when it comes to wrestling, it’s truly a family business.

MOJANG, Creators of MINECRAFT Bought Out By MICROSOFT. Details Inside.

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Last week, there was a lot of speculation about Microsoft buying Mojang. Well, it seems that the rumors were true. This morning, on Monday, September 15, 2014, this was posted on Mojang.com.

            “Yes, the deal is real. Microsoft is buying Mojang. It was reassuring to see how many of your opinions mirrored those of the Mojangstas when we heard the news. Change is scary, and this is a big change for all of us. It’s going to be good though. Everything is going to be OK <3. Please remember that the future of Minecraft and you – the community – are extremely important to everyone involved. If you take one thing away from this post, let it be that. We can only share so much information right now, but we’ve decided that being as honest as possible is the best approach. We’re still working a lot of this stuff out. Mega-deals are serious business.” – Mojangs official announcement

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With all this news coming to fruition, it leaves one to think. Where is Minecraft headed to now? What about other ventures that where taken by Mojang such as scrolls? What about the staff of Mojang? What is happening to them? Well, if you would like to find out, go to the official announcement for more information. Mojang released a very detailed letter this morning. One thing is for sure. With the infrastructure of Microsoft, it will sure be fun to see what happens with Minecraft.

NXT Stands For NOW, And That’s When You Need to Watch It

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NXT is the Pixar to WWE’s Disney, the Team Ico to their Sony, the Shane McMahon to their Vince. Once an underplayed attraction, WWE’s “developmental” league has rapidly established itself as the premiere brand in pro wrestling. Since Paul “Ripple H” Levesque assumed control of operations, NXT has become laser-focused on showcasing the fresh new talent of today and introducing audiences to tomorrow’s emerging athletes. It represents big-time wrestling’s cutting edge, and its weekly show still airs for free on Hulu. Free. No excuse not to be watching (unless you are a fetching damsel who desires my intimate affections).

With the launch of their network this year, WWE began airing pay per view-esque specials for NXT. From them we have witnessed some of the year’s most outstanding matches. Their first special, Arrival, demonstrated that NXT had arrived center stage alongside WWE’s main roster. The second event, Takeover, showed that NXT had… taken over… in terms of… quality wrestling. Sure, the latter presents a convoluted analogy, but the point is that NXT’s talented athletes have upstaged the best performers on RAW and Smackdown. We have arrived at wrestling’s future.

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Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze, Adrian Neville and Tyson Kidd earned their daily bread this week when they stole the spotlight with a heated tag team match on RAW. Watching their main event at the latest NXT show (available currently to watch for free on Hulu or the WWE Network) is a whole other level of kinetic poetry. These four have mastered making sense of chaos.

WWE brass and spectators alike have compared NXT to the best parts of the old ECW, though a stronger similarity stands in PWG, the independent Southern California promotion making waves lately with a string of flat-out amazing shows this last year. Both hold strong programs heavily based around, what do you know, in-ring wrestling. Both have a fervent fanbase despite a smaller venue. Even glancing at PWG’s alumi will reveal names that are either dominating NXT now (like the afforementioned Zayn and Neville) or have succeeded in WWE proper (Cesaro, Daniel Bryan, and the former CM Punk). ECW strategically presented its best stars with extra care to shroud their weeknesses; Sandman and New Jack were never remembered for putting on a technical clinic (or appearing sober). Showing off one’s  pure wrestling abilities is more the pattern for the standard NXT or PWG match, where even the lighter comedic matches can still garner a rousing ovation by the finish.

The glory days still exist in this no-nonsense (well, maybe a little nonense) approach: good competitive matches with functional stories supporting them. It can work, and NXT shows us just how well it does each week.

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” Banner Hits!

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“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.

Check out the new banner for the movie below!

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Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving and Orlando Bloom, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is set to be released on December 17th.

Source: Digital Spy / Comic Book Movie

‘The Mockingjay Lives’ New Trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 Released

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After weeks of anticipation the wait is over. A new trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 has been released and it simply epic.

Advance tickets go on sale on October 29 at 12PM ET / 9AM PST so don’t miss out and get yours. The movie opens in theaters on November 21 but meanwhile sit back and check out the trailer below!

‘The Mockingjay Lives’ Continue reading →

Could There Be A Live Action TEEN TITANS?

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The one in the back with the huge 80’s afro? That’s Starfire.

My first experience with the Teen Titans came in the form of a comic book way back in 1983 that was a deterrent to get kids off of drugs. Back then, Nancy Reagan’s “Just say no” campaign was in full swing, penetrating everything from commercials, to rallies, and yes, even to comic books. Back then, Robin was the real-deal-Holyfield original Dick Grayson (not like the what-appears-to-be Tim Drake in the current animated version) and the team was portrayed to be a legitimate, serious comic book team. Little did I know that the  Teen Titans actually debuted in the 1960’s as an all sidekick team to compliment the Justice League. Unfortunately, despite all its push, the Teen Titans seemed to fade away in the late 80’s and 90’s when X-Men, Image Comics, and more “adult” fare started becoming more mainstream.

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Image Comics’ new version of superheroes smashed many teen superhero teams.

But lately, the Teen Titan team have received a lot of love over the past 10 years. It started with the Teen Titans TV animated series that seemed like an amalgam of Bruce Timm’s straight-angled Batman animation style with the silliness and awkwardness of anime. It seemed like Teen Titans were trying to break new ground in animation by intermixing American and Japanese styles. But after its 3 year run, the creators decided to try (or at least it seemed like it) and split the Teen Titans style into its more pure parts: Young Justice, which was was a more mature, less slapstick and serious look at the team, and Teen Titans GO!, which took all the silly aspects and shunted them into a fun, slightly morbid, and fairly unintelligent show.

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2003’s Teen Titans, which mixed American animation with Japanese anime styles.

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A more serious Teen Titans as opposed to…

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…a more light-hearted but silly dark comedy.

And while Teen Titans GO! and Young Justice both experienced moderate success, it seems like DC has even FURTHER plans for the young team.

With the recent success of shows like Smallville and Arrow, DC is starting to expand their TV repertoire by pushing more realistic, live action version of our favorite franchises in a new and fresh way. The Flash and Gotham are on deck and is receiving a huge positive response (see here), but The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a Teen Titans live action show is in the works entitled “Titans” slated to air on TNT.

 

(I would assume they took the “teen” out of the title to garner a wider audience and account for a possibility of a 4+ year run)

 

The WSJ is also saying that this iteration of the Titans will more closely resemble the 1980’s comic “New Titans” which has Dick Grayson’s Robin as his Batman-graduated character Nightwing and an older, more dramatic Cyborg and Starfire. The new series would be written by Akiva Goldsman, whose credits include The Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind, and Batman Forever.

 

Note that though there is buzz around this project and there are names attached to it, the possibility of the project coming to completion is still up in the air. Check back here for more updates and details!

 

Or, if you want to see something cool now, check out this fan-made Teen Titans production: