deerstalker

Ever since Disney announced that it would be launching its own streaming service in 2019, fans have been excited to find all their Star Wars content in one place. That is, until it was revealed that Disney does not have the streaming rights to the original trilogies. In 2016, Disney sold the TV broadcast and streaming rights for the first six films to Turner Broadcasting. Now, Turner won’t sell the rights back, and their contract lasts until 2024.

I’m sure the folks at Disney find their lack of a complete Star Wars collection disturbing.

(via ArsTechnica, image: 20th Century Fox)

• Facebook to launch Facebook Dating feature that no one asked for instead of preventing fake news and protecting our data. Cool cool. (via TechCrunch)
• The Legal Geeks put on a mock court martial for Poe Dameron. I find him guilty … of being a smoke show. (via io9)
• The head of FX blames Marvel for canceling Donald Glover’s animated Deadpool series. (via A.V.Club)
• Calling all film purists: Netflix is going to debut a “calibrated mode” in Sony TVs that allow you to watch movies as the directors intended. (via /Film)

What are you seeing this weekend, Mary Suevians?

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Season 3 / Episode 10, Here Beside the River / OWN

Bad As It’s Ever Been

This episode begins with Nova standing at a podium, reading from the chapter of her book she’d written about Ernest’s depression. As she reads about her family–her mother dying when she was nineteen, her father fighting to farm his land and what his wife’s illness and death did to him–we see the rest of the family in a montage under Nova’s unrelenting voiceover. And, well, it doesn’t look like folks are doing so terribly well.

Charley is watching Prosper, the latest victim of the Landrys’ misery, decline physically while he stays in her home. Ralph Angel is looking over the paperwork Darla gave him, still broken at the prospect of having to fight her for custody of Blue. Meanwhile, Micah has not stopped freaking out that the fire at the plantation is going to be traced back to him and his friends. Violet’s dealing with a butterfly-shaped rash on her face, a tell-tale sign of a lupus flare, and Darla’s….

Wait. What the hell is Darla doing, sitting in a car in some desolate part of town watching an alcoholic wander by with a shopping cart? Is she trying to score? This isn’t how we’re going to resolve this conflict, is it? Reactivate her addiction to get her out of Blue and Ra’s life for good? I hope that’s not where this is going.

Watch It Burn

The arson at the plantation is still big news in town. At school, Keke and Micah are talking about it. She feels like the fire was disrespectful–if someone was going to burn something down, why not the big house? The girl’s got a point, but of course the fire was an accident, and she has no idea Micah was there. When she dips out with her friends, Micah meets up with his. Turns out Ant got a visit last night from the police. He says he didn’t tell them anything, but the cops must know something if they’re showing up at his crib.

Charley has called a meeting with Colton Landry, Sam’s son, at what looks like a private club. He’s dismissive right out of the gate–telling her that whatever she has on him, his wife already knows. And furthermore, he’s a Landry, not a Boudreaux; she’s got five minutes. But Charley came very prepared. She wants all his shares in Landry Enterprises, which comes to 10% of the company. He offers to pay her double whatever he thinks she’s paying his mistress because he still doesn’t get it, which is when Charley hits Colton with the truth: She has evidence he’s been using a shell company to launder money for his old fraternity brothers. This isn’t just an embarrassment like his philandering. This is a federal crime that would bring scrutiny to every nook and cranny of the family business and ruin his father. He offers her half his shares, 5%, but Charley did not come to play with these bros. She wants all his shares. “You can take your daddy down, or I can take you down. Your choice.” Damn, Charley.

Problems All Around

On the farm, Ralph Angel responds to a knock at the door and finds two women from the Department of Children and Family Services on his porch–escorted by a sheriff. They’ve come out for a surprise home visit after receiving a complaint–but, of course, they won’t tell Ra who made it. One woman sits in the living room interviewing Blue about his life with his dad–what he had for breakfast, whether his father usually wakes him up in the morning to get ready for school, that sort of thing. Ra is in the kitchen with the other social worker, fuming, especially since they won’t tell him who made the complaint. When she asks him about his criminal record, he loses it. “Who said I’m not a good dad?” It’s a tense moment, with the officer ready to flex if Ralph Angel does anything, but Ra sits back down.

Violet is at her house working when Hollywood comes through to take some pies for delivery. She notices that he seems distant and distracted instead of his usual self. A bit later, Violet’s assistant mentions that she’d read Nova’s essay about Ernest that was published in The New Yorker. Vi hasn’t read it and takes a look at a copy. Uh oh. I had a feeling she wouldn’t be excited about Nova disclosing her family’s business like this. There are things we don’t talk about, and mental illness–depression–is one of them. It’s a problem.

All photos credited: Skip Bolen / Copyright 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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The post Queen Sugar Recap: Here Beside the River appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

I may have found my new obsessions while visiting Petco Park at San Diego Comic-Con this year. This obsession comes in the form of an AR game. That is right all you 80s kids Ghostbusters is back in an all-new augmented reality mobile game. Due to release later this year, Ghostbusters World is a map-based AR game where players can battle and capture hundreds of Ghostbusters ghosts in the real world using your smartphone.

First some highlights:

• Ghostbusters World allows players to battle and capture hundreds of ghosts from all dimensions of the franchise, including the films, TV shows, comic books, theme parks, and video games. The game will also feature new and unique ghosts to the franchise.
• Ghostbusters World will be free to download the game and will not require purchases to enjoy the full extent of the game. However, players can choose to buy optional perks that to enhance their own experience.
• AR Battle – Capture ghosts you encounter in AR battle as you blast them with your proton pack, counter their attacks, and pull them into the ghost trap.
• Multi Raid Boss – Team up with up to four friends in your area to take on a big boss together! Use your proton packs to fight the boss and any minions together.
• Dimension doors – Check in at inter-dimensional doors around your neighborhood to collect items and resources to help you bust ghosts.
• PVP – Details coming soon!
• Story Mode – Enhance your adventure with the story mode which features new exclusive writing and art from members of the Ghostbusters Comics team at IDW!
• Customization – Personalize your avatar’s appearance, costume and proton pack with fun items and gear.

Some Technical aspects:

• A collaboration between Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Ghost Corps, the game’s publisher FourThirtyThree Inc.(4:33), and developer Next Age, Ghostbusters World uses Google’s ARCore and Apple’s ARKit to bring the latest AR technology to Ghostbusters all over the world.
• Location-based gameplay – Using the Google Maps API, Ghostbusters World features ghosts roaming around your own world. Explore your community to find more!

My Experience

Both I and our blogger Desiree had the chance to test drive this game at SDCC and we were not disappointed. Having never played Pokemon Go, I had a completely different experience than Desiree though just as enjoyable. After being given simple directions I scanned the surrounding area for ghosts. It didn’t take long for one to pop up and start attacking. Using several different weapons available to me I conquered the ghost (eventually) and closed it in a ghost trap. I was then able to test run the Multi Raid Boss feature with the owner of the booth. Together we took down the Stay Puff Marshmellow Man, though I suspect she did most of the work.

This game is utilizing Google Maps API so it will be interesting to see how recognizable the area around you will be. This may push it ahead of other AR mobile games. I had a really great time playing and I plan on downloading and playing the game when it is released.

Desiree’s Experience

Our blogger Desiree had a favorable experience as well and did some comparisons to Pokemon Go.  She found it similar to Pokemon Go this way: the portals are like Pokestops (places where you receive supplies). For Pokestops, you have to spin it to get potions, extra pokeballs, etc.  In Ghostbusters it’s a similar concept. Another similarity is that just because you “capture” the ghost/Pokemon, you don’t necessarily keep it because it can still break out of the container and then you have to fight again.

Some noticeable differences she found included: In Pokemon Go, when you are a near a Pokemon, it just appears and then you have to choose to capture it or run away (your phone will buzz, too).  In the Ghostbuster’s World game, you have to actively move the phone around to “detect” the ghosts, which she appreciates.  Having to aim and hold down the ectoblaster is a different skill that you don’t have in Pokemon Go. In Pokemon Go, you swipe to throw balls and hope they land on the Pokemon.

Desiree’s conclusion is that people who enjoy Pokemon Go will more than likely enjoy the Ghostbusters app.  It’s different enough to stand on its own while having a familiarity for Pokemon Go players to make it easy to learn and master.  She too can see herself becoming addicted to this game.

Screen Captures

Check out some screen captures below to get a feel for what the game will look like. Will you be on board day one? Let us know in the comments!

The post Who You Gonna Call?? Ghostbusters World the New AR Game appeared first on The Nerd Element.

This week on Hard NOC Life, Laura Sirikul fills in for Shawn and joins Keith for another week in Nerd Pop and celebrate the beginning of “Asian August!” http://traffic.libsyn.com/thenerdsofcolor/HNL118.mp3 Laura, who also co-hosts the Titans Podcast, shares her thoughts on the show’s trailer (1:00), meeting Ryan Potter at Comic-Con (6:00), and why they started the hashtag […]