In a surprise move this morning, Nintendo announced a completely new gaming handheld called, wait for it, the Nintendo 2DS. It functions almost exactly the same as the 3DS with one major difference, can you guess what it is? Yup, they cut out the stereoscopic 3D capabilities. A 3DS with no 3D. The form factor is also completely new. Since it is basically a 3DS without a hinge, you end up with a form factor reminiscent of a slice of bundt cake. The 2DS will play all DS and 3DS games, and carries the same screen size as the 3DS and will hit shelves on October 12th for $129.99.

Exhibit A.  Credit: MagnoliaDays.com

As someone who never turns 3D on, I would never miss it. Some games, such as most first party titles, actually utilize the 3D rather well, but it has never been a necessity, and this proves that Nintendo feels the same way. The 2DS will play ALL 3DS titles without the 3D, proving that the feature was just that, a feature. An extra, not integral part of the gaming experience.

I am not sold on the form factor. According to the pictures, it just does not look that comfortable for long gaming session, and the lack of a hinge leaves the screens completely exposed. Hopefully it comes with a sleeve or case of some sort because those poor screens probably won’t last too long otherwise.

This budget device comes at a perfect time for two reasons. We are leaving the summer and slowly entering the holiday season where moms and dads everywhere are going to be looking for things to buy their children in a futile effort to satisfy them, and if the kid doesn’t already have a 3DS, this 2DS will probably fit the bill nicely. Cheaper, lighter, new, interesting-looking, it will be highly sought after by children and with a easier to swallow price tag, probably by adults as well.

Also, it comes out the exact same day as Pokemon X/Y! Nintendo might as well called it the Nintendo Pokemon Player. The 2DS is a perfect opportunity to get Pokemon X/Y into the hands of as many people as possible, securing its fan base for years to come.

So the folks over at Virtualhosting.com have come up with an infographic that features a list of 50 things that they think every geek should know. I'm not sure I agree with it because there are different levels of geeks, and geeks are into different things. A geek doesn't have know everything about everything to be one. For example, I have no idea how to solve a Rubik's Cube, but this infographic says that I should know how if I'm a geek, which I think is bullcrap. There are a lot of things on this list that I don't know about! I'm sure that will go for many of you as well, but it doesn't mean you're not a geek! Look over the infographic for yourself, and let us know whether you agree with it or not. This is probably the lamest infographic about geeks ever made. 

Back in the early 2000s, DC Comics and Warner Bros. was trying to get a new Batman movie off of the ground, and one of the ideas they were looking at was Batman Vs. Superman. This is the script that was written for the film by Andrew Kevin Walker (Sleepy Hollow) and Akvia Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), and you can read the full thing below if you want to see what they were planning. I seriously doubt any of this will make it into the upcoming movie, but ya never know!

Artist Otis Frampton created this awesome set of Indiana Jones fan art featuring the villains from the four films. I've always enjoyed Frampton's style, and this is what the artist had to say on his blog about this series:

"I'm pretty happy with the four Indiana Jones villain pieces I recently finished for my 2014 sketchbook, so I thought I'd post them all in one place."

The characters include Belloq from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mola Ram from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Walter Donovan from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Spalko from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

I was inspired by Mick’s brave, honest confession about his childhood cartoon crushes, and I’ll admit that while I also had a little crush on Misty, I was more of a Hermione fan myself. But that’s not what I’m here to confess. I’m here to confess my love for fan fiction.

Growing up, I was an introverted, geeky kid with a wild imagination. I would play Pokemon on my Game Boy Color, then run outside and be a Pokemon trainer. Reading Harry Potter was great--but so was pretending to be a wizard (remember, I have a huge crush on Hermione). Did I love watching Power Rangers? Of course, but not half as much as I loved imagining that I was one.

I was the kid who, all throughout elementary school, wrote “Video Game Designer” as my dream job. Every recess and afterschool playdate was another opportunity to act out some sort of video game/book/tv-fueled fantasy. I soon realized that while I had what I considered a creative mind, everything it came up with was derivative. Every brilliant idea I had was an adaptation of whatever I was playing, reading, or watching at the time.

Then I “grew up,” and not much changed. I still love geeky things, and I still daydream about living in imaginary worlds. The only difference is that now I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), and actually try to write some of these daydreams down. The result is my rudimentary attempt at fan fiction. It’s awkward and geeky, but it’s something that lets me exercise my creativity and explore the ol’ mind palace as I sit, bored, at my day job.

To truly understand the gravity of this Awkward Geek Confession, let me introduce to you the three fanfics that I’ve been brainstorming and writing.

1. Power Rangers Origin

This one came from a pretty simple question I had as I was watching the old Power Rangers movie. “What’s the deal with Zordon?” I wondered. “Where does he come from? And what’s his beef with Rita and Zedd?” This story goes back thousands of years, where I imagine a young, idealistic Zordon (as the original White Power Ranger) trying to unite his friends into the first team of Power Rangers. But--SPOILERS!--he is betrayed by Rita.

2. More Power Rangers...and a whole bunch of other goodness

Okay, so I love me some Power Rangers. In this little fanfic of mine, I follow the story of a group of young Pokemon Trainers who find themselves chosen to be the next generation of Power Rangers. Yes, this means a Megazord made of Pokemon Zords. I know, I know, it’s pretty awesome. Why are these Poke-Rangers needed, you ask? Because an evil group of mutants from the Marvelverse is using an alien symbiote to infect Pokemon in order to take over the galaxy. And before you ask, yes, of course this means that the Pokemon Megazord will fight Sentinels. I’m tellin’ ya, this is intense stuff. This is some Patton Oswalt-level crossover here.

3. League of Extraordinary Avengers

I love the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the graphic novel, obviously, not the movie). It’s Victorian crossover fanfic in and of itself. The third fanfic I’m working on is a combined effort with a friend (and our new writer, Alisha). Her idea is that the LXG is actually a forerunner to the Avengers, and Dr. Jekyll’s potion is a predecessor of the Super Soldier serum. My job is to handle the 1920s incarnation of the team, founded by a Jay Gatsby who faked his death. Also on the team are Houdini and King Tut, obviously.

So that’s my Awkward Geek Confession. I love fan fiction. I love reading it. I love writing it. There it is. It’s out.

I know this isn't really movie related, but there are a bunch of Yo-Yo geeks in the world, so I thought, "what the hell, I'm going to post this." It's a video featuring 2013 Yo-Yo World Champion Janos Karancz destroying his competition at the World Championship. The stuff this guy pulls off is unbelievable, and I guarantee it is going to blow your mind in ways you never thought possible! 

I've also included a slow-motion edit to see what he's actually doing with this Yo-yo. Enjoy! 

Universal Pictures has released a short but very cool Japanese trailer for Keanu Reeves' great-looking martial arts film, 47 Ronin. The trailer has some awesome new footage that is sure to get you a little more excited for this movie. I know a lot of people don't care for Reeves, but the guy manages to make some very cool movies, and this one looks like it's going to be pretty badass.

The movie is being directed by short film and commercial director Carl Erik Rinsch, and it also stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tadanobu Asano, and Rinko Kikuchi. 

47 Ronin is set to be released on December 25th, 2013. 

The troupe of banished samurai long to restore their honor and find vengeance against the treacherous Lord Kira (played by Asano, who is in theaters now as Hogun in Thor) who was responsible for the death of their master. Kai is the uneasy compatriot in their company and his standing will be questioned even more as he falls in love with Mika (Shibasaki), daughter of the fallen master. The film presents a quest where the ronin (the term for samurai with no master) face trials that test their mettle and their loyalty to one another.

Check out this radical series of Supergirl photoshop art created by DeviantArt user MLauNeim. The series is called Girl of Steel, and as you can see it's a female take on Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. These are really cool, and who knows? maybe one day Snyder will introduce her into the DC cinematic universe that he is building for Warner Bros. 

Duncan Jones teased his upcoming World of Warcraft movie at Comic-Con this year with some amazingly epic test footage. It got the fans insanely excited for what is to come. I don't know if you will ever see that footage anytime soon, but you can read our description of it here if you haven't already.

Production Weekly is reporting that Legendary Pictures has set up production offices for the film and that it will start shooting on January 13th 2014! 

I don't play World of Warcraft. I haven't played in years because, well, I needed to live my life dammit! I would get sucked in way too far. I'm still super excited for this movie though. Jones is the perfect director to take this project on, and I'm confident he'll deliver an amazing fantasy action film!  

I really hope they release that test footage at some point because it was awesome! 

Today's short film is a great sci-fi thriller called "The Final Moments of Karl Brant." The story is set "in the near future where experimental technology allows two detectives to bring a murder victim back to life in a digital state in order to question him about his final moments." It's a really well-made film with an interesting concept. It stars Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-Wee Herman, and was directed by M.Francis Wilson. Check it out!

Some more potential casting news has surfaced for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII. The news comes from Latino-Review who also reported that Emperor Palpatine was returning as a Force Ghost and that Ewan McGregor will be back as the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

They are now saying that Rachel Hurd-Wood has auditioned for the role of the daughter of Princess Leia and Han Solo. As of right now she's the only one who has read for the part. The studio will obviously be looking at other actresses, so there's a good chance she might not get the part, but it gives us an idea of the type of actresses they are looking for to fill this character's shoes. Hurd-Wood played Wendy Darling in the 2003 film version of Peter Pan.

It's also being reported that I Am Number Four and Magic Mike star Alex Pettyfer is up for a role in the film as well, but there are no details on whom he is going to play. I imagine it would be for Skywalker's son as Ryan Gosling is not going to take on the role. 

Like I said, there's no confirmation, but Latino-Review is as solid a source as you can get when it comes to these things. Episode VII takes place thirty years after Return of the Jedi, and I can't wait to see what the story for it will be! 

Stay tuned for more Star Wars: Episode VII news! We're on the lookout, and if we see anything happening with it we'll let you know!

The movie is expected to be released during Christmas 2015.

Hot Toys has unveiled their badass collectible action figure for General Zod from Zack Snyder's Superman film, Man of Steel. The toymaker has once again outdone themselves and created an insanely detailed collectible. On top of nailing the likeness of Michael Shannon, the suit design is incredible. Here's a description that came along with the photos:

"Determined to rebuild Krypton and restore the Kryptonian race, General Zod has searched across an ocean of stars for Kal-El and the codex. Upon confrontation with Superman, General Zod proves to be a formidable opponent and engages in intense battle across the city during the climax of the movie. 

The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Michael Shannon as General Zod in the movie which features a detailed head sculpt, interchangeable armored head, and meticulously constructed costume."

Check out the galleries above and below and let us know if you'll be wanting to get yourself one of these!

Via: /Film 

We've got some more Riddick badassery to share with you today! Above you'll find a very cool IMAX poster design for the film created by artist Alex Fuentes, and it features Vin Diesel as Riddick with a new pet. Universal has also released two more clips from the film. The footage features Riddick being held captive by a group of mercenaries. Riddick has a little fun teasing Katee Sackhoff's character before he shows the mercenaries what he's really made of with his feet and a machete.

The movie hits theaters on September 6th, and it's going to be awesome! 

I'm not going to lie, I already have about 3 Doctor Who shirts residing in my wardrobe. I was completely content with that number until I stumbled upon the t-shirt designs of ZeroBriant, all of which are for sale on his Redbubble account. Check them out and order one if you're feeling timey-wimey! By the way, some of these images are from Teefury but are no longer available for sale on their site, thus the clicked images linking you to his Redbubble.

Rob Schneider eats pavement in this hilarious outtake from Judge Dredd. You can't really blame the guy though as the stairs he's running down are ridiculously small. The best part is Sylvester Stallone trying to one arm him off the ground after he plummets five feet face first into the ground.  It gets better every time I watch it.

This might just be one of the funnest pieces of Avengers art that I've come across. It was created by CGHUB Artist ilusionario and it's called "Vengadores." As you can see, Hulk is a little excited about Black Widow coming out of the shower, and it's going to take the whole Avengers team to stop him from getting to her. It's kind of got a little disturbing twist to it, but it's still fun.

Update:

James Spader has been cast as Ultron, read about it here. This news does not necessarily invalidate all the info below, but shows that, like in the comics, Ultron may go through many variations before coming to his ultimate state.

Yes, Ultron is going to be the main villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but there is aspect of the character that will either blow your mind, or be completely obvious. This is big time SPOILER information, so if you don't want to know what it is then do not read ahead or watch the video below. I will tell you that none of this has been confirmed, but it really makes perfect sense to me, and I think it would be an awesome direction to take the franchise! 

First of all watch this animatic storyboard sequence from The Avengers, featuring some ideas that weren't incorporated into the final cut of the film, but that hint at what could happen.

Did this little scene hint at JARVIS' future role in Avengers: Age of Ultron? He seemed pretty comfortable as a villain even though he was being manipulated by Loki. As we understand, Tony Stark will be the man behind creating Ultron, which could lead to JARVIS going to the dark side and actually end up becoming Ultron and taking on Stark and The Avengers.

This actually has been theorized by fans in the past, but Unleash The Fanboy claims to have asked a source at Disney about JARVIS, or a form of the AI software, becoming Ultron in the film, and this is what the source told them:

"That’s the plan so far from what I’ve heard. Obvious, isn’t it? "

It is pretty obvious, as JARVIS is the only AI in the Marvel universe, and I don't see why Stark would create another one. They then asked the source if Paul Bettany (The voice of JARVIS) would be back to reprise his role in the sequel, and this is what he said.

"He’s returning, but I’m not sure if they’re doing motion capture with him, or if they’ll use someone else. Since he’s only done voiceovers, the contract is new."

That's all the information they were able to pull out of the source, but I think JARVIS being Ultron makes perfect freakin' sense! The site then goes on to speculate a few other things that this could lead to, like Vision. Here's what they propose could happen:

Will Ultron be more than a simple robot? If Paul Bettany is, in fact, portraying the villain on the big screen, then I imagine Marvel would want to make good use of his handsome, marketable face. Could Ultron utilize a human visage… a ‘Vision’ for his public persona? 

That may sound a bit far fetched, but considering Scarlet Witch’s involvement with the flick, and her comic book romance with The Vision (who is an android created by Ultron), it seems only natural that Marvel would use Paul Bettany for that role. After all, they’ve allowed Tony Stark to create Ultron for the sake of streamlining the narrative, which a Bettany Vision would accomplish. He can portray the main adamantium armored baddie through motion capture, and The Vision through with his normal pink fleshy self.

I think that theory also makes sense, but who knows what Whedon is really planning. In the comic, Ultron wants to kills his creator, Hank Pym, and run off with his wife, The Wasp. We could easily see something very similar happen with Tony and Pepper Potts. Ultron/JARVIS Ultron could try to kill Tony and marry Pepper. 

Below you'll find a video explanation of this theory from Machinima, which is where I found out about this whole Ultron/JARVIS awesomeness in the first place.

What do you all think about the possibility that JARVIS could be Ultron? 

I liked the look of the Klingons in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness. They kept the classic design that we all are familiar with, but here's a collection of alternate concept designs, showing us that the look could have been very different. The concept art comes from illustrator Neville Page, who had this to say,

"JJ Abrams ("Mission: Impossible III") was kind enough to have me on board another Star Trek. It was not too dissimilar to the first experience, other than I was too busy to be cast as an Alien this time. Then again, I did go down with the ship in the previous one. 

This first round of images are some of the development of the Klingons. This was a very important assignment for me because I knew how important it was to the fans of the franchise. It was a delicate balance of respecting the established looks from previous incarnations yet delivering something appropriate for JJ's film."

Look over the alternate designs below and let us know if you like any of them better than what we saw in the movie.

Via: ComicBoookMovie

Would you look at this big bit of Marvel casting awesomeness! Marvel and director Joss Whedon have already cast their big bad villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron! Marvel has officially announced that James Spader will play Ultron in the film! How freakin' cool is that?!

I guess that kind of puts to rest the rumor that  Paul Bettany will be playing the ultimate Ultron. I still think however there's a good possibility that the parts of the rumor about who Ultron really is could be true. You can read about that right here if you want, but be warned... it could contain spoilers.

Spader is an amazing actor who has won three Emmy Awards in his career. He's stars in several movies and TV shows such as Boston Legal, The Practice, The Office, and an upcoming show called The Blacklist. He also most recently had a role in the Steven Spielberg film Lincoln. 

Avengers: Age of Ultron will bring the Marvel Universe’s biggest heroes together again to face one of their biggest villains, and it's set to be released on May 1st, 2015! 

What do you all think about the casting of Spader as Ultron?  

Here we see an alternate take of one of the more tense scenes in the recent episodes of Breaking Bad . Did Walt make a mistake, though? Yes... no... maybe? I don't know! Could you repeat the question?