James Bond news, Dark Knight Rises preview coming, and Lord of the Rings gets a new videogame in this week’s Planet 46 Comics Podcast

JAMES BOND – SKYFALL IS COMING
The 23rd James Bond adventure will be titled SKYFALL. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. In production now, the film will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.
Cast members include Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR IN THE NORTH RELEASED
War in the North follows three heroes on adventures hinted at, but never before seen in the books or films. The game features 3-player co-op and is based visually on Peter Jackson’s version of the Tolkien world. Trailer available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuzWUbOBXq0&feature=pyv

DARK KNIGHT TRAILER IN DECEMBER?
On December 16, a six minute prologue for “The Dark Knight Rises” is set to debut on some IMAX showings of “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” Batman-on-Film and Batman-News report the first full trailer for “The Dark Knight Rises” could premiere on the same day, on Warner Bros. “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”

REVIEW FILE: Hawk and Dove #3, Uncanny X-Men #1, Action Comics #3, New Mutants #33 and Fear Itself 7.1: Captain America.
Comics read in 2011: 1,661. Still to go: 350.

Felicia Day

In just the latest sign that geeks rule the earth, Felicia Day has topped Katy Perry with the No. 1 best-selling pop music video on iTunes in the United States and United Kingdom.

On Aug. 4, “Game On,” a Bollywood-themed gamer anthem by Day and the cast of the Web series “The Guild” topped Perry’s “California Gurls” on the chart. It’s the second music video for the “Guild” crew, who last year released “Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?”

“The Guild” is in its fourth season online as a Web series; the third season was recently released on DVD. “The Guild” follows the wacky real-world antics of a group of gamers who play a “World of Warcraft”-like game.

In a recent interview with The Oklahoman, Day, who created, writes and stars in the Web series, talked about the differences between creating a Web series and a traditional television show.

“The privilege I have with a Web series is that it doesn’t have to be as episodic as TV would be, where characters kind of stay emotionally static, and they go through different ideas every week,” Day said. “I think it’s important that like, just in real life, people are changed by what happens to them.”

She also said because people tend to watch Web series on a browser, they need to stay shorter and more on point.

“You can’t have as much space or time to tell the stories,” she said. “So you really have to kind of be ruthless and say we have to cut down to the bone.”

At Comic-Con International, it was announced that further “Guild” comics would be released this fall, following the well-received miniseries written by Day. She talked about writing the “Guild” miniseries and how it focused on some of the drama behind the characters.

“The comic, especially the way it started, is a lot more dramatic than some people actually expected,” Day said. “Because to me, these characters do come from a place of loneliness, and that’s why they’re together. So there is a hint of reality and a little bit of sadness in everybody. And for me, that’s kind of the basis of everybody finding themselves online.”

Day said she was pleased with the response, especially from comic-book fans.

“The biggest compliment is when somebody who’s a hard-core comic reader (gives) me a compliment, because I feel like comic guys and geeks are the most hardcore of the bunch, and I know they aren’t going to cut me any slack,” she said.

This fall, five one-shots featuring the main characters of “The Guild” will be released by Dark Horse. The first one-shot, “Vork,” will be co-written by Day and Jeff Lewis, who plays the Vork character.

“There is a lot more to be told in that format; because the great thing about comics is you don’t have to worry about the production values or how expensive something’s going to be to shoot, you just write it,” Day said.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Felicia Day (“Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”) returns as Codex in the third DVD collection of the popular Web series “The Guild.”

As the third season begins, the group of gamer friends who make up the “Knights of Good” in a “World of Warcraft”-like game are fracturing. When they are publicly humiliated by a rival guild, The Axis of Anarchy, led by Fawkes (Wil Wheaton of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Vork (Jeff Lewis) resigns as leader, throwing the entire mess to Codex to handle.

A member short after Tink (Amy Okuda) defects to the Axis, Codex invites a new member to the Guild. Hoping to avoid asking love-struck Zaboo’s (Sandeep Parikh) sadistic new girlfriend, Riley (Michele Boyd), she instead invites Clara’s (Robin Thorsen) completely game-inept husband, George (Brett Sheridan). He’s so hopeless at the game, the group thinks he may be a saboteur.

Meanwhile, the Axis continues to humiliate the Knights, in game and out. Bladezz (Vincent Caso) nearly gets expelled after questionable materials are found in his locker; additionally, his modeling pictures are posted online with disastrous results.

Codex eventually pulls the group together for a final confrontation with the Axis that’s enthralling and hilarious. “The Guild” remains a must-watch for gamers, but even those who don’t play online games will recognize these characters. More clever and deeper than it gets credit for, “The Guild” is among the Web’s best series.

This DVD includes all 12 episodes from Season 3, along with bonus material not seen on the Internet.

— Matthew Price

According to CBR, NECA is releasing a Watchmen collector’s box set of HeroClix figures,to first be available at Comic-Con International in San Diego, then going on sale at comic and hobby stores. From NECA:

The Watchmen Collector’s Boxed Set includes 25 highly detailed, 3D miniatures including Dr. Manhattan, Rorschach, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre.  The Collector’s Boxed Set, which includes a complete set of Watchmen HeroClix figures, comes in deluxe, display-quality packaging.  The Watchmen HeroClix Dr. Manhattan Colossal Figure (sold separately) is built to movie-accurate scale and stands over 14 inches tall.

The figures are based on the movie versions of the characters.

“WizKids is very excited to add Watchmen to the HeroClix platform,” said WizKids/NECA president Lax Chandra in the release. “Watchmen is a groundbreaking movie which redefines the way costumed vigilantes are portrayed on the big screen. With 25 unique sculpts in the Collector’s Boxed Set, plus the colossal Dr. Manhattan figure, we’ve got a comprehensive offering that will satisfy both avid gamers and Watchmen movie fans.”

This could be a bellwether of things to come:  Bleeding Cool recently reported that DC Comics was entertaining the idea of a Watchmen sequel, prequel or spinoff.   From a dollars perspective, maybe this makes sense:  Brian Hibbs’ Tilting at Windmills reported that “Watchmen” made up 5 percent of bookstore sales of graphic novels all by itself in 2009.   Comics fans may have apoplexy, and Alan Moore will likely be less than thrilled.  But given that Moore isn’t working for the publisher at present anyway, DC may not have that much to lose, from a financial perspective.

- Matt Price

Cryptic Studios, developers of Champions Online and Star Trek Online, has partnered with Lolapps to create a Facebook adventure set in the world of Champions Online.

According to a release, The Champions Online mini-game expands upon the story told within Champions Online, giving players a view into the events leading up to the alien Qularr attack on Millennium City. By working with Lolapps, creator of games such as Yakuza Lords and Diva Life, Cryptic Studios intends to introduce a broader audience of Facebook users to Champions Online.

“This is a great way for us to reach a new audience and introduce them to Champions Online,” said John Needham, CEO, Cryptic Studios, in a release. “The team at Lolapps has created a fun new adventure that dives into some of the back story of the Champions Universe and we’re very excited and happy to see their efforts go live.”

In the Champions Online Facebook mini-game, players will fight against a number of classic Champions villains and discover the origins and goals of the mysterious Sinister Syndicate.

Find out more at http://apps.facebook.com/championsonline

HeroClix fans may see the light at the end of the tunnel. The National Entertainment Collectibles Association, Inc. (NECA) has purchased the majority of the assets of WizKids, Inc. from The Topps Company, Inc.

This includes HeroClix, ActionClix, HorrorClix and SportsClix.  Also acquired by NECA were the WizKids brand, the Pocketmodel Game family of games, including the Pirates of the Crimson Coast, Pirates of the Spanish Main and Pirates of the Cursed Seas games, and the Mage Knight line of games.

According to the release, the popular DC and Marvel HeroClix lines will continue under this new ownership, which has got to be a relief for the players who have been waiting to see if their game would return.

Click past the cut for the full release.

The National Entertainment Collectibles Association, Inc. (NECA) has purchased the majority of the assets of WizKids, Inc. from The Topps Company, Inc., including the award-winning Clix family of games, which includes HeroClix, ActionClix, HorrorClix and SportsClix. NECA will also acquire the WizKids brand, the Pocketmodel Game family of games, including the Pirates of the Crimson Coast, Pirates of the Spanish Main and Pirates of the Cursed Seas games, and the Mage Knight line of games.

The assets of WizKids that were purchased by NECA have been transferred to a wholly owned NECA subsidiary operating out of its offices in Hillside, New Jersey, which will operate under the WizKids name.

Clix pioneered the collectible miniature category and HeroClix has been the leading collectible game in the comic genre since its 2002 debut, due to its innovative game platform and deep collection of characters from the respective worlds of Marvel and DC Comics. NECA will continue the successful HeroClix product lines from powerhouse brands DC Comics and Marvel.

The Pocketmodel Game family of games includes the Pirates of the Cursed Seas PocketModel Trading Card Game, which is the latest in the successful line of Pirates card games that has run since selling out its first run in 2004.

“WizKids has created the best games within the collectible miniature and constructible genres and NECA is proud to help continue this great legacy,” said Joel Weinshanker, President and CEO of NECA. “The HeroClix engine is the envy of the industry and many companies have attempted to emulate it without success. We’re thrilled to deliver HeroClix to the gamers.”

NECA has hired Lax Chandra, who ran the WizKids subsidiary for The Topps Company, to be the President of NECA’s newly formed subsidiary, which will operate under the WizKids name. Former WizKids employees Chas Delong, Wade Sugiyama and Mike Elliott have also been brought on to help with the transition.

In the coming days and weeks, the new WizKids company will make further announcements about upcoming release plans.

For further information and updates, visit www.necaonline.com.

The trailer for DC Universe Online was revealed at E3. With comics talent including Marv Wolfman, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee on the game, I’m looking forward to it.

– Matt Price

Joystiq took a look at the PSP Go at the E3 expo in Los Angeles. The new PSP go is about the size of an iPhone when collapsed and is set for an October release at $249.99. Ditching the proprietary UMD format, PSP Go games will be download-only.  My first thought is, what makes this better than an iPhone? How many things do you want in your pockets? I suppose it will come down to what kind of games are available on the system and at what price.

- Matt Price

Topps said in the statement it was pursuing “strategic alternatives so that viable brands and properties, including HeroClix, can continue without any noticeable disruption.”

This is rough news for fans of the WizKids games, and even moreso, obviously, for the people who worked there.   Will HeroClix continue, and will it do so as a game focused on the hobby gaming market? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

– Matt Price

“My Mom is an excellent Scrabble player,” Schwartzbard said in a news release. “While playing with the family (at) Thanksgiving a few years ago, I had an idea to develop an application that would help me become a better player and to beat the socks off my mother.”

His Web site determines every possible play given the rack of letters and the letters on the board.  Now, if you’re playing over a board face-to-face with someone, they may notice that you’re checking Scrabblebard every play; however, if you’re a Facebook player of Scrabulous, you’re a lot more likely to get away with it.

– Matt Price

By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

Live-action role-playing — in which adults act out often fantasy-based scenarios involving battle and adventure — is, if it’s considered at all by the general public, often seen to be an odd hobby. “Darkon” co- Luke Meyer wanted to examine the behavior of role-playing in the context of these games — and he was determined that his film wouldn’t be a vehicle to make fun of the live-action role-players featured in the film.

But he and Andrew Neel first had to convince the Darkon Wargaming Club of their intentions.

“It’s an outsider hobby, it’s not part of mainstream culture, and it’s often pretty widely ridiculed,” Meyer said in a phone interview with The Oklahoman. “They’re all aware of that, and it was definitely on their mind that us, a group of filmmakers coming in, they didn’t know where we were coming from. And it was something that they were concerned about.”

“Darkon,” recently released on DVD, explores the adventures of the Darkon Wargaming Club, a group of live-action role-players, or LARPers.

The film follows the players’ in-game storyline and their personal lives, during a time in the game in which the nation of Laconia led an alliance against the Mordomian empire.

“Initially, when we showed up with cameras, we were just shooting battle stuff and talking to some people on the sidelines. The initial presence was light, and they didn’t mind their battles being photographed,” Meyer said. “As we stuck around, we went through a period of really trying to gain their trust, that we were going to make something that would represent them properly, and they wouldn’t feel like we were making fun of them or anything like that.”

In addition to meeting with the game’s ruling body, Meyer said the filmmakers won over players by simply being at the events on a regular basis.

“Eventually, they felt comfortable with us being there. We came down over and over again, and hung out, and would shoot more footage, and our presence became more of a normal thing,” Meyer said. “They got to know us, and got used to who we were and what we were doing there.”

“Darkon” is different than many live-action role-playing games, as there is an in-game map representing squares of land. It’s for these fictional squares of land that the players battle, using padded weapons.

“That adds a whole lot of depth to people battling it out on the field, which is what goes on in most LARP games,” Meyer said.

While most LARP games are fantasy-based with some type of live-action combat, other types also exist, Meyer said.

“There’s one called ‘Vampire the Masquerade,’ which is about vampires, and there’s no actual battling. The contests in that are decided by rock-paper-scissors,” Meyer said. Other live-action role playing games take place in science-fiction worlds, among others.

Meyer said part of the appeal of the film is the examination of the idea of role-playing, something everyone does to a degree in life.

“We all have a role we play at work, a role we play with our friends. And it’s not to say that there’s not a true self in there somewhere, but we’re always adapting ourselves to an environment so that things fit as best as possible,” Meyer said. “And it was really interesting to us to look at a hobby group that was taking that part of human behavior and really going far with it, and having fun with it.”

LAS VEGAS — Some brief information from Diamond Comics’ Distributors’ Roger Fletcher and Bill Schanes from the ComicsPRO meeting in Las Vegas.  Bill Schanes is Diamond’s Vice President of Purchasing; Fletcher is Diamond’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Among the announcements:

* Ultimate 1/4 Scale Figures are coming for Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Star Wars figures shown were Obi Wan, Darth Maul and Hoth Han Solo.
The Star Wars figures will be 18 inches tall, have 20 points of articulation, and come with sound.
Fletcher said the Star Wars figures drew a strong reaction at Toy Fair, where they first exhibited them.
“The reaction that I saw from people coming by looking at these things — they were showstoppers,” he said.

A vinyl bust bank featuring Indiana Jones was also shown.

In stores now is a Star Trek Original Series Communicator, which was demonstrated for attendees.   Schanes indicated interest in these items could rise as the upcoming J.J. Abrams film draws closer to release.

From WizKids, a July-scheduled expansion called “Secret Invasion” will tie into the comic-book series from Marvel. And, according to Diamond, the expansion will reveal who is in fact a Skrull.

– Matt Price

Executives behind PopKax have more than 25 years of game show experience.

Doug Barry, PopJax CEO, has been involved with producing shows such as “The Jokers Wild” and “Win, Lose or Draw” and is the son of game show pioneer Jack Barry.  Larry Taymor, COO, worked for more than 20 years in interactive television production, creating interactive versions of hit shows such as “Wheel of Fortune,” “Family Feud,” “The Dating Game” and “Jeopardy.” 

The head writer for PopJax is Arnie Meisner, who has written for “The Family Feud,” and the “Hollywood Squares.” 

“As lifelong game show professionals and video enthusiasts, we thought there was a void in the current casual online games offerings, and we felt that the most popular aspects of the Internet — online video and social networking  — were being ignored,” said Barry in a release. “With PopJax, we’ve created a highly engaging video trivia game experience that also combines a prize system similar to game shows. Furthermore, the game experience will continuously expand, as more and more content is brought online and more users begin submitting questions. Now purveyors of pop culture trivia can finally be rewarded with cash for their databank of useless knowledge!”

I played a couple of quizzes — superheroes and pro football — and found them relatively easy, but pretty fun.  It’s sort of like directed YouTube browsing (which is where the videos come from) with trivia alongside.  I could see this being a TV game show pretty easily.  There’s also the chance to win some money by getting high scores each week, so it could even be a cost-effective way to waste time.

– Matt Price

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:  

By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

THE NEXT LEVEL

While many fantasy gameplayers are satisfied with console, tabletop or online gaming, there’s a cult following for live-action roleplaying, or LARPing.

“Darkon,” recently released on DVD, explores the adventures of the Darkon Wargaming Club, a group of LARPers in the Baltimore area.

The film follows the players’ in-game storyline and their personal lives, during a time in the game in which the nation of Laconia led an alliance against the Mordomian empire.

Players must follow an elaborate battle system for land, in a real-life combat setting using padded weapons. In the game, the highly successful Mordomian empire has taken over many land squares, worrying their in-game rivals.

Skip Lipman plays Bannor of Laconia, who heads the uprising against Mordam.

“My goal was to be heroic in the realm of Darkon and to be excellent in my game endeavors,” Lipman said.

Lipman, a stay-at-home dad at the time of the film, says his character resembles his real-life personality.

“I think a lot of different people play different aspects of their personality, but for me, Bannor is very much an avatar of me that just steps into another realm. Bannor is Skip by another name,” Lipman said. “It’s rare in real life where we get to have our enemies arrayed before us. … Darkon is a pleasant release when you can actually see your foe and come to grips with them in combat.”

Kenyon Wells plays Keldar, the Mordomian leader. He started the game as an awkward teen, and says the skills learned in the game helped him develop his speaking and interpersonal skills. Wells is now a manager at a large information technology consulting firm.

“For me personally, I was originally drawn to this type of things when I was much younger because I liked the subject matter — fantasy, swords and sorcery. I read a lot of Tolkien when I was younger,” Wells said.

“Just being involved in a large organized sport taught me a lot and gave me a lot more self-confidence than I would have otherwise had. And I became quite good at it,” Wells said. “It was a way for me to experiment with leadership and organization and public speaking and all these other things in a relatively safe way before I had to do any of that in my academic or professional career.”

Wells said he was playing a character that was the kind of character he wanted to be: a confident, charismatic leader.

“And after a while playing that kind of led to acting like that, and having the confidence that I could act like that when the situation warranted it,” Wells said. “When I later had (professional) opportunities for a leadership position, I was ready for it.”

For more information, visit www.yugiohpreview.com.

Phantom Darkness is the first Yu-Gi-Oh! collectible card game release of 2008.   This 100-card set follows the storyline of the “Yu-Gi-Oh! GX” animated series.

– Matt Price

A Thrall Harvest is a charity event in support of a local food bank/pantry. The event is a fantasy table-top miniatures tournament using the popular WARMACHINE and HORDES game systems. 

As an entry fee, players bring donations of canned and staple goods to be donated to the local food bank/pantry.  A unique tournament format is used to encourage donations during the event.  Privateer Press, the creators of the WARMACHINE and HORDES game systems and miniature lines, provides unique award support for the event including special prizes for the tournament winner and the most generous donor.  Additionally, a prize will be award to the location that hosts the most successfully event in terms of goods donated.   

The Thrall Harvest is national in scope with charity tournaments happening all across the country annually from November to January.

 More information about STAT Gamers is available at http://statgamers.7.forumer.com/.