Final Fantasy VII Remake to be Released Episodically and Why That’s Dangerous

final-fantasy-vii-remake-logoI felt a great disturbance in gaming, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

Over the weekend, Square Enix released the first look at gameplay from their upcoming remake of Final Fantasy VII. This included a look at part of Midgar as well as the opening assault on a Mako reactor. Not surprisingly, the whole of the internet was excited about it though there were some concerned with some of the changes that SquEnix has already shown off for FF7 Remake.

What didn’t sit well with gamers were some of the quieter announcements that Square Enix made about the game in a press release that seems to have gone to selected outlets. Square Enix quietly announced that Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a “multi-part series.”

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Wednesday Link-Off: Trump Card

nina-dobrev-interview15-02At what point does the laughing stop and the worrying begin? The world has had a laugh at a reality TV star running for President but his rhetoric has gone from generally false to quite possibly dangerous. At what point do people wonder if he can actually lead America and the world or if he’s just spouting policy rather than a plan?

Anyway, it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s get started with Nina Dobrev.

After Donald Trump announced his plans to ban Muslims from entering America, Arianna Huffington changed her publication’s stance on Trump coverage. Instead of treating him as a sideshow, the full might of the politics team would be devoted to unbiased coverage of the Republican frontrunner. The truth won’t set the GOP free, though. (Huffington Post)

For all the fear-mongering that Trump does when it comes to Muslims, he sure likes to do business with them. (Washington Post)

Also convenient omitted from stories following the San Bernardino shooting is that Saudi Arabia has once again managed to not be mentioned in the narrative about terrorism. (CBC News)

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The PlayStation Experience 2015 Game Trailer Roundup

playstation-experience-2015There’s not one but two video game trailer roundups today. The first one comes from this year’s PlayStation Experience event that Sony held over the weekend to celebrate all things PlayStation and generate a little bit of hype as we cross the halfway point between this year’s and next year’s E3.

The PlayStation Experience had a lot of new footage and new games unveiled at the show this year. I’m thinking that it might worth saving up for a press trip there instead of E3. Anyway, we have 18 trailers from PSX to show you including a story trailer for Uncharted 4, the first look at gameplay of the Final Fantasy VII remake and the unveiled Ni No Kuni II.

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The Game Awards Trailer Roundup

The Game Awards were last week. As expected, with the exception of a pretty significant #FucKonami moment, the majority of the interest in the TGAs were focused on new trailers and game premieres that make The Game Awards the show that we know and don’t really love. It’s basically a light, condensed version of E3.

Anyway, there were 11 new trailers shown during last night’s three-hour The Game Awards show and apparently only Best Shooter wasn’t mentioned during the show, Games for Change’s winner was the only mention of that category and most of The Witcher 3’s awards were mentioned when it picked up Game of the Year. So that’s probably an improvement. And there four new game reveals that we have for you as well. Telltale Games and Xbox had five trailers between them on the night so if you’re a fan of them, there’s lots for you here.

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Fails of the Week

Every so often, we take a look at the most epic fails from the week that was in the Fails of the Week. This week, we have five pictures, GIFs and videos that we think are the most epic fails of the week.

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Sunday Link-Off: The Song Remains the Same

jessica-alba-edit15-05bAnother week, another mass shooting in America. I remember seeing a statistic to the effect there being more than one mass shooting per week since President Obama took office in 2009. You can make statistics say a lot of thing but it’s scary that this one seems so believable. It’s even more frightening that nothing will be done to prevent another mass shooting from happening in future.

Anyway, let’s get this post started. Let’s kick things off with Jessica Alba.

America is big on fighting terrorism. Domestic terrorists, on the other hand, they’re willing to give them a pass. (New York Times)

It’s scary to think that the San Bernardino shooting has already made people forget about the Colorado Springs shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic. That shooting may not be down to terrorism but people incited by anti-PP rhetoric. (Washington Post)

For some reason, the press invaded the apartment of the two San Bernardino shooters. It wasn’t a pretty scene. It was just sensationalist bullshit for the sake of ratings. (Mashable)

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Doctor Who: Heaven Sent Review

doctor-who-heaven-sent-headerSometimes, it doesn’t take new blood to do something different. For the penultimate episode of Doctor Who, The Doctor was locked in a castle with one villain who was seldom on-screen. It was a completely different approach for an episode of Doctor Who but it works because of it.

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The Game Awards 2015 Nominations And Predictions

the-game-awards-2015-headerSure, The Game Awards aren’t nearly as terrible as the old VGAs / VGX that used to be on Spike TV and now that it’s solely streamed, it’s easier to ignore. However, Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards is still the only real North American live year-end video game awards show on the block.

So as I am wont to do and since we don’t do a big year-end awards list of our own, I think it’s only right to evaluate the decisions of the big names in garme jurnalizm think are 2015’s best games with our regular look at the nominees for The Game Awards and predictions of who will win.

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Wednesday Link-Off: Going Right

natalie-dormer-womenshealth15-01“Fair and balanced” is a buzz phrase that is really an excuse to skew hard to one side of the political spectrum to counter-act a message they perceive as supporting the opposite end of the spectrum. Both the left and right are guilty of it but it seems to be more often the right because they’re the ones shouting loudest about needing to present their perspective as balance. Both the left and right are engaged in a self-aggrandizing circlejerk in the name of some sort of superiority complex. I don’t know what that has to do with the links or the title of this post but this needs to be said.

Anyway, let’s just get to the links and move on with our lives. Let’s kick off with Natalie Dormer.

Despite allegations that the Planned Parenthood shooter was a transgender liberal, the man’s ex-wife says that the shooter is conservative, religious and anti-abortion. (Raw Story)

Remember when people liked Chris Christie? That was before he realized that having good relations with the White House was actually detrimental to his own White House aspirations. His Syrian refugee plans are just more evidence of how far to the right he’s going to win the nomination. (Esquire)

And while everyone on the right is willing to ban Syrian refugees, statistically, you’re seven times more likely to be killed by a gun nut than a terrorist. (Think Progress)

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Facebook Fails of the Week

Every so often, we look at the most spectacular fails that the internet has to offer. Well today, we look at the most spectacular fails that Facebook has to offer. This week, we have five of the best fails Facebook has to offer.

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