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Nintendo is suspending Swapnote after discovering some users, including minors, were using the service to send inappropriate and offensive messages.


Service stop date: Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, 7 p.m. PT
Service being stopped: Nintendo 3DS software Swapnote – Sending and receiving notes using SpotPass
Affected regions: All regions where the service was offered

Alrighty then Mr. Musk, alrighty then. Here's Musk's argument in full:

"The strongest argument for us being in a simulation probably is the following. Forty years ago we had pong. Like, two rectangles and a dot. That was what games were.

Now, 40 years later, we have photorealistic, 3D simulations with millions of people playing simultaneously, and it's getting better every year. Soon we'll have virtual reality, augmented reality.

If you assume any rate of improvement at all, then the games will become indistinguishable from reality, even if that rate of advancement drops by a thousand from what it is now. Then you just say, okay, let's imagine it's 10,000 years in the future, which is nothing on the evolutionary scale.

So given that we're clearly on a trajectory to have games that are indistinguishable from reality, and those games could be played on any set-top box or on a PC or whatever, and there would probably be billions of such computers or set-top boxes, it would seem to follow that the odds that we're in base reality is one in billions.

Tell me what's wrong with that argument. Is there a flaw in that argument?

There's a one in billions chance we're in base reality. Arguably we should hope that that's true, because if civilization stops advancing, that may be due to some calamitous event that erases civilization. So maybe we should be hopeful this is a simulation, because otherwise we are going to create simulations indistinguishable from reality or civilization ceases to exist. We're unlikely to go into some multimillion-year stasis.

I've never been so sold on what originally seemed an alarmingly outlandish take on, well, life?

A new Digimon game has been announced for 3DS in Japan only, but there's a change.org petition hoping to get the game localized. Check it out here.

SEGA says:

Sonic the Hedgehog, the iconic video game character who has brought his trademark speed and attitude to four TV series and more than 70 video games, is returning to television in his first-ever CG animated series in the fall 2014. The action packed comedy series aimed at children 6-11 will debut first on Cartoon Network in the U.S. and on CANAL J and GULLI in France, with a global rollout to follow. The initial order of 52 eleven-minute episodes is co-produced by SEGA of America Inc. and Genao Productions. Sonic Boom is a character-driven comedy that leaves a trail of robot wreckage in its smoldering wake. The series centers on Sonic, his best friend and sidekick, Tails, their never-ending search for adventure, and their battles with Sonic's arch-nemesis, Dr. Eggman. Rounding out the ensemble are fan favorites Knuckles and Amy Rose, plus a rogue's gallery of enemies—some familiar to Sonic fans and some brand-new. Evan Baily, Donna Friedman Meir, and Jane McGregor, Executive Producers for SEGA, packaged the series, bringing together SEGA, Cartoon Network, and Genao Productions. Sandrine Nguyen and Boris Hertzog, Executive Producers for Genao, assembled a world-class lineup of partners in France, including broadcasters GULLI and CANAL J, Lagardere Entertainment Rights and Lagardère Active TV Licensing & New Business. Baily, Meir and Nguyen developed the series, and Hertzog and McGregor structured the financing and negotiated all the deals. Baily (formerly EVP of Production and Creative Affairs for Classic Media) and Co-Executive Producer Bill Freiberger (The Simpsons, Drawn Together) are showrunners. Takashi Iizuka, the head of Sonic Team and driving creative force behind the Sonic games, is overseeing the series to ensure that it's true to the Sonic characters and universe. "Sonic is the star of the SEGA universe and the stage is now set for him to shine like never before. By teaming up with world-class partners in television animation like Cartoon Network, Genao Productions and GULLI, we're ensuring that the Sonic legacy will be introduced to a new generation of children across the globe," said Hiroyuki Miyazaki, SEGA's Chief Content Officer for Sonic. "We wanted to strengthen our TV channels' editorial content with strong brands. This is our new objective. Sonic is an enormously popular and unique character with all the qualities of an animation series' great hero—humor, bravery, loyalty, inventiveness. We are extremely proud to welcome him across our kids and family channels at Lagardère Active and will activate across these channels to raise awareness and excitement for the new series," said Caroline Cochaux, Head of Programs, Kids & Family Channels, Lagardère Active. "Genao is thrilled to collaborate with SEGA on this amazing project and embark on new adventures with the fastest hedgehog in the world. It is so exciting to work on such a world-class brand," said Sandrine Nguyen, Managing Director of Genao. Emmanuelle Bouilhaguet, Managing Director of Lagardere Entertainment Rights added "It is an amazing experience to be associated to such a powerful property with professional partners. International broadcasters are seeking for strong comedy and franchise based series and Sonic Boom is the perfect fit!" "On the New Business & Licensing Side, we are proud and excited to handle the representation of Sonic which counts among the leading characters loved by kids. Thanks to our 360° platform which includes Digital Activities, Magazines, Indoor Parks, Grass Root events, we will push Sonic and the Consumer Products to a new level," said Benoit Roque, Head of Lagardere Active TV Licensing & New Business. SEGA is actively seeking partners in support of the new series launch across a range of industries including broadcast and licensing. In terms of television and digital distribution, Lagardere Entertainment Rights holds worldwide rights excluding the U.S. and Asia (but including Japan)

The big news broke last night that yes, Joss Whedon is returning to TV in a big way, and not with Fox. Variety is reporting that ABC has ordered a pilot for a series based on S.H.I.E.L.D., and as soon as possible.

Because of Joss' busy schedule, he will hand off the showrunning duties to Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen Whedon, but is set to direct the pilot, as long as he has time.

It's a good day, folks. A very good day indeed.

[whedonesque]

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Star Wars: Rogue One will be directed by Godzilla's Gareth Edwards and features a star-studded cast including actors like Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, Forest Whitaker, and Mads Mikkelsen. Watch the teaser video below:

In a statement, Ubisoft said:

Our ambition from the start with Watch_Dogs has been to deliver something that embodies what we wanted to see in the next-generation of gaming. It is with this in mind that we've made the tough decision to delay the release until Spring 2014. We know a lot of you are probably wondering 'why now?' We struggled with whether we would delay the game. But from the beginning, we have adopted the attitude that we will not compromise on quality. As we got closer to release, as all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in our last push before completion, it became clear to us that we needed to take the extra time to polish and fine tune every detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional experience.

Were you excited to play the game ASAP, or are you glad they're taking the time to fine tune the experience?

The actor who played Klingon Leader and Diploma, Kang through three different Star Trek shows died last Wednesday. Michael Asnsara, a Syrian born actor who moved to the United States at age 2, started attending college in Los Angeles to become a doctor before finding his passion. He starred as Cochise in 'Broken Arrow' from 1956-1958, and was once married to 'I Dream of Jeannie" star Barbara Eden.

Ansara had an illustrious career as a character actor on the small and silver screens. He leaves behind his wife of 36 years, Beverly. Us Trekkies, will remember him always as Kang, the Klingon Captain who worked with Kirk to avoid violence in 'Day of the Dove'.

When one particularly perturbed Overwatch gamer named Fipps basically flipped the f**k out on a forum over the 'over the shoulder' pose (I mean hey, you're entitled to your own opinion..) the game's director made quick moves to say they'll be removing it in his official statement that reads, "We'll replace the pose. We want *everyone* to feel strong and heroic in our community. The last thing we want to do is make someone feel uncomfortable, under-appreciated or misrepresented. Apologies and we'll continue to try to do better.

And now, the pose in its full and unfettered, and highly controversial glory:



Next, a tidbit from the incendiary monolague unleashed by the outraged Fipps on the actual forum:

“What about this pose has anything to do with the character you’re building in tracer? It’s not fun, its not silly, it has nothing to do with being a fast elite killer. It just reduces tracer to another bland female sex symbol.”

“We aren’t looking at a Widowmaker pose here, this isn’t a character who is in part defined by flaunting her sexuality. This pose says to the player base, oh we’ve got all these cool diverse characters, but at any moment we are willing to reduce them to sex symbols to help boost our investment game.”

“I have a young daughter that everyday when I wake up wants to watch the recall trailer again. She knows who tracer is, and as she grows up, she can grow up alongside these characters. What I’m asking is that as you continue to add to the overwatch cast and investment elements, you double down on your commitment to create strong female characters. You’ve been doing a good job so far, but shipping with a tracer pose like this undermines so much of the good you’ve already done.”

What do you think? Are people getting 'butt-hurt' over a badass pose, or what? 

We've been served up some unexpected renditions of the infamous Godzilla; from the box-jawed mother of Matthew Broderick's 1998 version to the more recent 2014 encounter Bryan Cranston had with what might as well have been the mystery beast from Cloverfield.

Anyone see that? Nope? Oh, okay. End credits.

Great promise lies on the approaching summer horizon with the coming release of Godzilla: Resurgence. This will be the first Japanese Godzilla movie in over 10 year's time.

The new dropped photos of the supposed production designs employed to bring life to the newest Godzilla were reportedly leaked by a fan group on Twitter on Saturday.

Say hello to the full design of Shin Godzilla. #Godzilla resurgence! pic.twitter.com/CPZUQLshAD

— the big bad Ben (@Thebigbadben90) January 4, 2016

What we have as the best fan theory proposed so far, kind of not really, is that this is the original 1954 Godzilla that somehow managed to start up with regenerating itself.

According to i09 this Godzilla is some kind of 'hybrid' design, never until now attempted in a Japanese Production. This production design weds computer graphics with a gigantic tower of a doll of rippling red muscle that portrays much resemblance to that of an anatomy chart.

The folks over at UPROXX have gotten their hands on some leaked bootleg footage and pics of Guardians of the Galaxy. Click on Rocket Raccoon to check it out, or click here to see pictures of Nova Prime on set.