A Flight of Links

- Why the Borg make great enemies. 
- Is PC gaming dying out?
- MovieBob about Batman and the Justice League movie, again
- The problem with female leads in video games.
- Alyssa discusses the Walking Dead episode 10.
- The Escapist joins the "Battle of Hoth" discussion. It's strange coming from someone geeking out about ASOIAF like me, but Star Wars really isn't that much of a coherent enough subject for such discussions in my eyes.
- The obviously shitty "Colonial Marines" provoked two in-depth-reviews (here and here) about why making Alien games is hard, and also linked to this nice report on how the aliens were done in the movies.
- Holy nerd, this is one great analysis of the Jaime-Cersei-relationship.  
- MovieBob reviews "Beautiful Creatures".  More interesting for all the missed opportunities than the movie itself. 
- Yahtzee reviews Dead Space 3. When I saw the trailer for the game, I also wondered how this should turn out as survival horror. Spoiler: It ain't.
- German speakers only: an article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung about Crytek, the guys behind the Crysis video games.
- Read this article about what a Django sequel should be about. DO. IT. NOW.
- RPS reviews Dead Space 3 and Colonial Marines.
- The Escapist asks what really constitutes a video game. 

Video: Super Mario Busters

Click!

The trailer for Game of Thrones Season 3

The trailer for season 3 is out:

Some thoughts after the brake. 

The Walking Dead Season 3, Episode 10 "Dead Men Talking" Recap

After we left Rick cracking in the last episode, we continue a few hours or days later, it's never made clear. Rick scans the area with a pair of binoculars, with which he watches Michonne performing guard duty. It doesn't really become clear as to why she's up and running again since Rick was very adamant in the last episode about throwing her out, but here she is. I'd guess the best explanation is that they threw Tyreese out, and Michonne now falls in the "one black per group" quota again that the series has labored so hard to establish. We won't stay long with the the two, though, and there's not much going on: everybody avoids talking to Rick since he could do unpredictable stuff, and Michonne never was the chatty type. So we leave Rick to his quest for Lori's ghost (whom he chases around the prison, begging to be biter food) and go to Glenn.

Her purse says "Bad Motherfucker".

My stance on various ASOIAF conspiracy theories, Part 17

Thursday is theory day now. 

This is the seventeenth article of the series. Since there are a lot of theories floating out there and I'm asked often enough what I think of them, I thought I write it down. You can then laugh about me when I am totally proven wrong by "The Winds of Winter" or something like that. Rules are as follows: you put a question about any theory or plot element (really, let's stress "theory" a bit for the sake of interesting questions) either in the comments of any theory post or by mail (stefan_sasse@gmx.de) and I will answer them in an upcoming post. And if you now ask "Stefan, isn't this a shameless rip-off of Sean T. Collin's "Ask me anything"?", I would tell you to shut up, because you are right.

Prepare for part 17. Spoilers for "A Song of Ice and Fire", obviously.  

Boiled Leather Audio Hour 18

Women of Westeros Part III: Catelyn and Daenerys

The mother of dragons squares off against/pairs up with the mother of direwolves in our new episode — the third installment in our irregularly scheduled series on the prominent female characters of A Song of Ice and Fire. Cat and Dany are interesting to talk about in tandem because more, perhaps, than any other characters, they draw strength from traditional female roles while in the process of subverting or expanding them. From their shared embrace of the mantle of motherhood to their shared perceived missteps with dashing, arrogant swordsmen to their divergent fortunes on the books’ TV adaptation, we tackle as much as we can about these pivotal characters.

And hey, if you like listening to us yak about A Song of Ice and Fire, and I should certainly hope you do if you’re reading this, please give a listen to our guest stint on the most recent episode of A Podcast of Ice and Fire. Sean and I join regular hosts Amin, Ashley, and Kyle — plus unexpected guests Elio & Linda from Westeros.org — to play fast and loose with the most important questions you can ask about any fictional characters: who’d beat whom in a fight, and whom you’d most like to have sex with. Consider it BLAH 17.5!

Mirror here.

Previous episodes here.

Podcast RSS feed here.

iTunes page here.

Home blog here.

The Walking Dead, Season 3, Episode 9 "Suicide King" Recap

Hey, kids, the lovely zombies of the neighbourhood are back! The ball is picked up where it was left, with Daryl and Merle facing an angry mob stirred up by the governor. It is surprising that the situation is completely resolved in the teaser, though: after a marky statement about them fighting to the death, Joffrey style, Rick and the others sweep in and save the day. The credits roll, and we're back in Walking-Dead-land. Somehow, I wouldn't have expected such a quick escape from Woodbury for all of them, and it feels a bit rushed. 

The governor in his new badguy stance.

A Flight of Links

- The Escapist reviews Colonial Marines. As expected, the campaign sucks. 
- Forging Jaime Lannister's sword (Youtube)
- Military analysis of the battle of Hoth. See below for responses.
- Defense Nerds strike back
- Can Star Wars revolutionize special effects again?
- Brillant pictures of Lego on Hoth.
- The Tarkin Doctrine
- MovieBob talks about why internet commentary on movies can sometimes be off the mark.
- Race to the Iron Throne gives Tyrion IV. 

Pic: Pausing Multiplayer

The illusory tenfold increase

A few days ago, I received an email with a very interesting question: 

I believe at one point in A Game of Thrones someone remarks that revenue has increased ten-fold under Baelish's stewardship, but no explanation is offered as to how. I have some of my own ideas of how Baelish accomplished these feats, but none seem adequate to explain his level of success. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on this, either in reply or on any one of your platforms.

Well, I can give a very short version of my answer: he didn't. The tenfold increase is a myth. The long version comes after the break. 

Slick bastard.

So, I saw "Django Unchained" the other day...

Spoilers for Django Unchained, obviously. 

Holy boy, I expected an entertaining and bloody slavery revenge movie when I went to "Django Unchained" this past weekend. However, I got probably the best movie about slavery in the South that was made about the topic. I haven't seen Lincoln yet, but Django provides a very thoughtful insight as well as tons of blood. This may seem contradictory, but it really works in the context. To examine just how, let's delve into the details.

But before, if you haven't, go see the movie.

A Flight of Links

- Assassin's Creed was close getting a coop multiplayer. While they are right that the story prevented implementing one, it would perhaps have been wise to construct something that allowed multiplayer mode. Especially for Assassin's Creed 3.
- GI Joe goes viral with a rather risky ad spot. Very interesting.
- By the way, I don't know exactly how "Family Guy" can think such blatant racism is funny.
- Going apeshit nerd, MovieBob talks about toons based on video games of the 80s and 90s.  
- 6 baffling mistakes done by movie characters. 
- Very clever questions about the psychological effects of video games. 
- J. J. Abrams got into a deal with Valve to possibly make a Half-Life or Portal movie. Don't really know whether this is a good idea.
- Yathzee reviews The Cave. 
-  The cooperation between entertaintment industry and Pentagon explained. 
- We are living in a Star Wars universe. 
- Why Americans are obsessed with Ninjas.
- Games Workshop seriously enforces a trademark on the term "Space Marine". 
- The Justice League movie is falling apart. 
- German readers online: excerpt from a 90s book about media, ripping apart the Simpsons for destroying western values. 
- Moviebob examines some movie types that need to die. 
 - MovieBob has some interesting insights into why the Stallone and Schwarzenegger action flicks flopped. 
- The 10 most incompetent space captains of all time. 
- If the Hobbit was 10 times shorter and 100 times more honest.  
- Red Letter Media reviews Django Unchained.
 - MovieBob asks if Django is rascist (Spoiler: no)
- There's a new GOT Season 3 commercial.
- Race to the Iron Throne just finished Eddard VII. 

Pic: Grumpy Cat's favorite character

Pic: Arya has the flu

My stance on various ASOIAF conspiracy theories, Part 16

Thursday is theory day now. 

This is the sixteenth article of the series. Since there are a lot of theories floating out there and I'm asked often enough what I think of them, I thought I write it down. You can then laugh about me when I am totally proven wrong by "The Winds of Winter" or something like that. Rules are as follows: you put a question about any theory or plot element (really, let's stress "theory" a bit for the sake of interesting questions) either in the comments of any theory post or by mail (stefan_sasse@gmx.de) and I will answer them in an upcoming post. And if you now ask "Stefan, isn't this a shameless rip-off of Sean T. Collin's "Ask me anything"?", I would tell you to shut up, because you are right.

Prepare for part 16. Spoilers for "A Song of Ice and Fire", obviously. 

Sean and I at the Podcast of Ice and Fire

Check out the newest issue of "A Podcast of Ice and Fire", where Sean T. Collins and I join the discussion We learn about Ashley’s Frey allergy, wonder where the boars go, discuss Chataya’s tunnel, and. analyze Tywin/Shae.  We get into fighting match ups (with an ageist bent) and construct the ideal Council (including Danes, Sean and Stefan) and Kingsguard. We are joined in the after-show by Elio and Linda of Westeros.org.

A Flight of Links

- 30 mind-blowing things about single movie scenes
- Race to the Iron Throne has Catelyn V. 
- Paul Giamatti is to play Rhino in The Amazing Spiderman 2. Seriously, the Rhino? There's really no villain too absurd for comic authors to make up, is there?
- MovieBob rants about Abrams as choice for Star Wars. I think he's way overreacting here.
- Wertzone reviews Walking Dead. If you haven't played it yet, start already.
- Race for the Iron Throne has Sansa II. 
- Steven also started a new series on the Tower about the nature of Westerosi monarchy.  I was writing such an article for a while now myself, but I never really got a good grip on the subject that was not incoherent talking, so I'm really excited as to whether he manages to get it (looks good so far) and if I can use my bits and pieces to complement it once he's finished.
- Movie Defense Force takes on Waterworld. 
- Wot I think: Medal of Honor Warfighter. Oh yes.
-  More about Medal of Honor.
- Why are RPGs dying?
- MovieBob reviews Warm Bodies.
- German consumers sue Valve.
- Wertzone also reviews Blood&Chrome. My review here. 
- How will the British EU referendum influence the gaming market?
- Gas Powered Games is facing bankruptcy. Heartbreaking story.
- Another load of links about Spec Ops: The Line: Click, Click, Click, Click
- I had mourned the demise of Extra Credits from the Escapist, which seems to have cheated them, and always assumed they gave up. I just now discovered that they are alive and well under the flag of Penny Arcade. Check them out!

Pic: Leglesslegolegolas

Pic: Admiral Snackbar

Good riddance

Von Stefan Sasse

Let's begin this article with two quotes and a disclaimer: 

“This one is behind us now. We are taking Medal of Honor out of the rotation, and have a plan to bring year-over-year continuity to our shooter offerings.”
“We struggled with two challenges: the slowdown that impacted the entire sector and poor critical and commercial reception for Medal of Honor Warfighter. Medal of Honor was an obvious miss. The game was solid, but the focus on combat authenticity did not resonate with consumers. Critics were polarized and gave the game scores which were, frankly, lower than it deserved.”

- Official EA stateent

Official promotion video for Linkin Park and "Medal of Honor Warfighter"

It's a game I never played. But I did play the Call of Duty series and watched the reviews, so I'm feeling confident of being able to write the following lines.