I really don't even know how to open this post, so I guess I'll just start with: Halo: Campaign Evolved is EVERYTHING wrong with the modern video game industry.

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Like none of this feels 'good':

1. It feels desperate, because Halo Studios/343 Industries hasn't really made a good Halo game in the entire time they've been in charge of the series (Halo: Infinite's multiplayer being an admitted exception, that was a step in the right direction that they screwed up with irregular content updates.
2. Like MGS: Delta, all the intentional art direction choices taken by Bungie - barrier placements to force specific encounters, specifically timed music cues that rely on the Master Chief's single-walking speed, and the brutalist design of the Forerunner's architecture - are thrown out for 'le graphical updates', all of which amount to the 'Nintendo, hire this man' meme.
3. Every gameplay addition/change seen thus far really feels aimed at the lowest, broccoli-haired common denominator that currently obsesses over games like Fortnite or Apex Legends - for example the addition of a sprint mechanic, the ability to aim down the sights on every weapon, and the Needler being given a damn numeric ammo display when its entire design was built around the fact that its loaded bullets can be physically seen on its model.

I mean, not only does the OG Halo still hold-up all on its own, but the Anniversary remaster from the Master Chief Collection does too!

Seriously, rename this release 'Halo: Zoomer Edition'.

As a single male in the 18-45 demographic with no hope of escaping America's current economic enshitification, I collect A LOT of figures.

I'm sure I'm not alone, so fellow toy collectors, I wanna know what you've got coming down the pipeline!

I just had a bunch of pre-orders come in - Marvel Legends MvC series, the Evangelion and Hastune Miku Blockee models, and a 30 Minute Sister model kit - so my upcoming items are actually surprising scarce.

However, of note is the Square Enix FFVII Bring Arts Zack Fair (The last figure I need to complete the full set):


And perhaps the best little Miku figure ever made:



SO yeah, whatcha guys got on deck?!

One Punch Man is so good because it takes everything we know about traditional hero fiction - the noble archetypes, the grand struggles, the overblown power fantasies - and turns them all upside down with both humor and brilliance. Every hero in the series feels familiar because they’re deliberate exaggerations or parodies of the archetypes we’ve seen countless times in comics, anime, and games. There’s a ninja (Speed-o’-Sound Sonic) who embodies the flashy, prideful assassin trope; a cyborg (Genos) who represents the earnest yet vengeance-driven hero trying to surpass his limits; a scientist (Dr. Kuseno) who fits the classic mentor-engineer mold; a psychic (Tatsumaki) with the ego of a god-tier prodigy; and a martial artist (Bang) who stands for wisdom and discipline. Yet all of them - despite their power, design, and backstory - still exist beneath the shadow of Saitama, a plain, bald man whose strength has stripped his life of meaning.

That’s the core genius of One Punch Man: it gathers every heroic archetype from popular culture, gives them all their flashy spotlight moments, and then quietly asks, “What if being the strongest made everything boring?” The show and manga constantly balance parody and sincerity. It mocks shounen cliches - dramatic transformations, ultimate attacks, rivalries built on pride - but never in a way that disrespects them. Instead, it celebrates them. It shows how much we love these patterns, how thrilling it is to see them in motion, even while reminding us they’re often hollow.

Each “powerful hero” in the story is a mirror reflecting some piece of genre history - samurai, cyborg, alien warrior, super-soldier, psychic esper, noble knight. They all chase glory, fame, justice, or personal redemption. But Saitama stands outside of that narrative system. He’s the one person who’s already achieved every shōnen dream - infinite power - and finds only emptiness at the top. That tension between spectacle and simplicity, between myth and mundanity, is what gives One Punch Man its emotional and thematic depth.

And visually, it’s a feast: stunning action sequences, intricate designs, and kinetic energy that make every archetype feel both iconic and absurd. The ninja’s speed, the cyborg’s lasers, the psychic’s telekinetic storms - all of it builds a world that looks like every superhero and anime universe mashed together, but somehow coherent. In short, One Punch Man is brilliant because it’s not just about heroes - it’s about why we love heroes, and what happens when that love runs out. It celebrates the archetypes while quietly dismantling them, giving us a story that’s hilarious, existential, and deeply human all at once. I am just so glad that Yusuke Murata decided to work together with ONE on polishing this series aesthetically.

I'm not playing simply because of the price. 70 bucks for the base game with a purposely limited roster feels like a ripoff. I made the decision not to buy before hearing the criticism about graphics and overall crappy presentation.

The last one i played was scarlet and i was very disappointed in the presentation and performance. Which was an even bigger let down considering how beautiful and stylistic Arceus was.

Are you guys still keeping up with the franchise? If not what the last pokemon you've played?

I'm personally excited about the adventures of Egg and Ser Duncan the Tall. I actually think this show is the perfect bridge between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones since it is set right in the middle of both. However, there are just too many changes with this one. First, the run time for each episode is just 30 minutes, with only 6 episodes in the first season which is just 3 hours of watch time. Surely, the attraction to the Game of Thrones world is the ability to binge, and 30 minutes just isn't long enough.

The brutality of life in Westeros is still on Display, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms really is just a comedy, so it doesn't bring out the same high stakes as its predecessors. I'm not sure three seasons, with that little time, will really bring out the level of transformation Egg undergoes before becoming a king. With so much likely to be lost, I think all these would have been perfectly wrapped in a film trilogy. Just imagine three feature-length films of Dunk and Egg traversing Westeros before he becomes king. That would have been HBO's LOTR right there

Hi friends. If you won't mind sharing a photo of you, OR a photo about you.

Guillermo Del Toro was speaking to NPR on his marketing tour of Frankenstein, and boy, did he sell it!

"I'm a huge fan of death. ... I think it's the metronome of our existence. Without rhythm, there is no melody, you know? It is the metronome of death that makes us value the compass of the beautiful music."

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He apparently wanted to make the film since he was 7, which explains why he has been so heavily invested in it. Having a film that shows the creature's point of view is the perfect next step for the franchise so I'm excited. I haven't watched the screening personally, but I hope it is worth the effort.
Del Toro further said he would rather die than use generative AI in his films. I think the industry is running out of creators like him, people who prioritize art over profits.

Bleach’s charm doesn’t come from being a straightforward action series; it comes from how it evolves - almost like peeling layers of an unseen world. The early episodes of Ichigo’s life as a substitute Soul Reaper feel deceptively small-scale - helping wandering spirits, fighting low-level Hollows, and learning the ropes of an invisible spiritual world overlapping the mundane human one. But that slow buildup serves a deep purpose: it grounds the supernatural in a relatable emotional reality. You start by seeing Ichigo as just a teenager doing part-time exorcisms - but the more you learn, the more you realize how vast, ancient, and hierarchically complex the Soul Society is. That jump - from local ghost stories to interdimensional politics, cosmic laws, and gods of death - feels earned because you walked there step by step.


When Bleach transitions into the Soul Society arc, it feels monumental precisely because of that contrast. It’s one of the best "power world expansion" arcs in shonen history. Suddenly, you go from back-alley Hollow hunts to massive spiritual cities, thirteen royal squads, ancient captains, personal codes of honor, and moral grayness behind the afterlife’s bureaucracy. The worldbuilding explodes - and it does so elegantly, because it builds on emotional stakes: rescuing Rukia. It’s not just about fighting; it’s about rebellion against a cosmic system out of loyalty and friendship. That’s why the Soul Society arc hits so hard - it feels like a war for the soul (literally and narratively) of the world itself.


Bleach could have been much longer, and many fans feel that its story was rushed, truncated, or unevenly developed, especially after the Aizen saga. The Fullbring and Thousand-Year Blood War arcs tried to rekindle that feeling of scale and myth, but by then, the pacing was hurt by editorial pressure, inconsistent serialization, and fatigue in both storytelling and production. What could’ve been a long, gradual mythological epic like One Piece - full of slow-burn arcs exploring every corner of the spiritual universe - was instead condensed into bursts of brilliance surrounded by abrupt transitions. Bleach’s universe - with the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, Hell, and the Royal Realm - had limitless potential. Imagine if Kubo had been allowed to explore the history of the Gotei 13, the rise of the Quincy, the ancient wars, the politics of the Royal Guard, or the daily lives of souls and reapers - that could easily sustain a thousand-chapter epic.

At its core, Naruto isn’t just about ninjas - it’s about loneliness, belonging, and the struggle to be recognized. Naruto starts off as a complete outcast, hated and ignored by his entire village, but he transforms that pain into relentless determination and empathy. That emotional journey - to turn trauma into strength and loneliness into connection - is what gives the story its universal appeal.

On top of that, Kishimoto built a world rich with philosophy and generational conflict. The shinobi world is morally gray - shaped by endless cycles of hatred and revenge. Through characters like Nagato (Pain), Itachi, Obito, and even Madara, the story explores the cost of peace and the repeating failures of humanity. Shippuden really shines in that way: it matures the story from a kid’s tale about becoming Hokage into a meditation on war, legacy, and destiny.
And emotionally? When Naruto lands a heartfelt moment, it really lands. The flashbacks, the swelling music, the bonds between teacher and student - from Jiraiya’s death to Itachi’s truth to the final handshake between Naruto and Sasuke - those are moments that stay with you for life.

But I still think Konoha 11 deserved way more development. Characters like Shino, Tenten, Kiba, and even Lee were brimming with potential that was never fully realized. Early Naruto did a great job making the world feel alive - every genin team had a distinct dynamic and purpose. Team 10 had the Ino–Shika–Cho legacy, Team 8 had the tracker ninjas, and Team Guy had raw physical power. But after the Chunin Exams, the story’s focus narrows heavily onto Naruto, Sasuke, and the Uchiha storyline. In Shippuden, the power scale skyrockets so fast that side characters become almost irrelevant. It’s not that they lacked depth - it’s that the narrative stopped giving them space to grow. Rock Lee, who once embodied hard work over talent, barely gets to fight after Gaara. Shino’s analytical genius? Forgotten. Tenten’s weapon mastery? Barely seen. Even Kiba’s rivalry with Naruto becomes a joke. That’s one of the series’ biggest missed opportunities - the world was rich enough to sustain parallel growth arcs. Imagine if Shino had become a strategist like Shikamaru, or if Hinata’s development wasn’t limited to her feelings for Naruto but her identity as a Hyuga.

What Naruto achieves, though, is a sense of emotional continuity. Even if side characters fade, their presence still feels there - you remember their bonds, their roles in Naruto’s life, their shared struggle as Leaf shinobi. The story focuses on Naruto’s journey, but it’s clear that he’s never truly alone anymore. The “Konoha 11” are symbolic of that - a network of people who finally see him, who fight beside him, who anchor the story emotionally even when they aren’t on screen. If Naruto had given the other Konoha 11 members the same narrative care as Naruto and Sasuke, it could’ve been one of the most balanced ensemble stories in anime history - closer to something like My Hero Academia’s class-wide focus. But even with that flaw, it remains a monumental story about endurance, compassion, and legacy - a tale that defined an entire generation of shonen fans.

Hi friends. What is your creative endeavour or favourite hobby? What inspires you to do that?
For me, it's game design and songwriting. Ever since playing Pokemon and Final Fantasy games when I was a kid, I've been a having burning desires to
make my own worlds. Usually because I want to fix "the incorrectness I saw in the games I played", one, and two, because I wanna express my adventure desires. On songwriting, I think I have natural flair to write songs. Although I'm still quite new to playing guitar acoustic...

Hi friends. Do you play chess? For fun, or for competitives?

I'm rooting for this!

Hi friends, if you are like me who doesn't have laptop or desktop with huge capacity for bulky hefty game like FFXIV, check out the mobile version of FFXIV, currently being worked on

What is your opinion on the cycle of reincarnation, taught in Buddhism?

Hi, friends. What was the first RPG that you played? Mine was, I can't recall was it Final Fantasy 2, Final Fantasy 1 or Pokemon Blue.
It was splendid

Hi friends! Have you ever watched any Wuxia shows? Like The Legend of the Condor Heroes? Smiling, Proud Wanderer? The Four? KungFu Hustle?
Jin Yong's masterpieces have been rehashed regularly adapted as TV shows, and each time it is redone, it is always better.

Hi, friends. My name is Zack, and I live in Malaysia. I liked reading comic books and mangas. I enjoyed watching animes and playing video games. Reading epic fantasy novels is also my thing...although I haven't done it in years. I am working on game dev projects, and hope to have them see the lights of days in one of these years. I am not well-versed in game, comic and animation industry still, and so I hope I will stumble upon good entertainment and materials while I am here. Tell me some good comic books and mangas, animations/animes and video games, preferably roleplaying games (games that do not eat 20+GB, as my laptop is not that spacious). I am so glad to be here, and may my times here made me wiser and more cheerful, and brightens your days, even a lil, thanks!


Sincerely,
Zack

Mike McLusky is the one role I believe Jeremy Renner desperately needed after his disastrous time in the MCU as Hawkeye. Let's face it, he was always out of place as Hawkeye. Meanwhile, Mayor of Kingstown has thrived on the sidelines of Taylor Sheridan's best TV shows, outlasting even the mighty 1923, which is astonishing.
In case you haven't watched it, Renner plays Mike McLusky, the power broker in a lawless town in Michigan where prisons are the only working industry and gangs practically run the city. Tobi Bamtefa delivers one of the best performances on a crime drama, and so far, the story has been deep and touching as the stakes keep growing with each season.
There were signs of repetition in the third season, though, and now, with the main villain probably dead, it makes little sense to keep dragging the show. It will still be nice to see whether the city's crime-life consumes Mike as it did the rest of his family.

Hawkeye wasn't a success, mostly because the script was off, and Jeremy Renner was a huge miscast for the role. Hailee Steinfeld was the only good thing about the miniseries. In an interview ahead of the release of his show, Mayor of Kingstown, Jeremy Renner said he was confident that a second season of the miniseries would happen.
I'm perfectly comfortable with Steinfeld as Kate Bishop having her own film or miniseries as Hawkeye, but I think Renner's time in the role is past, though. Renner looked like he would rather be somewhere else throughout the show. To be fair to him, the script was also one of the MCU's worst as far as TV is concerned. I don't think there is enough creativity at Marvel to redeem this character at the moment, and Renner is probably better off without it

After the "No Kings" mayhem, I'm sure this will send the left into meltdown, although it makes perfect sense because this could end up being the only way to balance voices across this industry.


The NY Post is obviously right-leaning, so there is a pinch of salt to their claim. However, after the disaster that most of the country had to endure under Biden when Disney went woke, it only makes sense for Trump to drum some sense into the industry and prevent WB Discovery from going down the drain, which is what would happen if it is bought by Netflix.
I'm not exactly a fan of David Ellison, but then he has led Paramount in the right direction so far, and I would choose him over Netflix and Comcast any day. Trump apparently thinks that way too.

I'm originally from the Midwest. I've spent the last 25 years or so working professionally as an Audio Tech doing concerts and festivals with many different genres of music. I got my nickname when I first started touring because I usually have a smart remark to add to a conversation hince the 2 Cents. lol But since the world has gone stupid crazy with politics being a new religion, smart remarks has been a helpful tool to keep my sanity.

So, during Hasbro's Q3 2025 earnings call, one of their execs boasted that one of next year's MTG Universes Beyond sets - TMNT, Marvel Superheroes, Star Trek, and The Hobbit has a good chance of doing just as gangbusters as Final Fantasy.

Mind you, Final Fantasy pulled $200 million in revenue in just its first five months and now currently holds the records for 'Best-Selling MTG Set Of All Time'.

Personally, I think they're high on something - and while I want some of whatever they're smoking, I also wanna put the question to you guys.

Which of these four sets, if any, do you actually, genuinely think has any chance of going card-for-card with Final Fantasy?

Megalopolis was a total disaster in the theatre's, grossing less than $15 million despite heavy marketing and now the fallout is hitting Francis Coppola hard. The film was his passion project for which he sold most of his assets to fund. He apparently spent over $120 million of his own money on the film, most of which he never got back as the film became one of the biggest flops of 2024.
Coppola is now struggling financially and has since put up his collection of watches for auction. His story reads similar to that of Kevin Costner whose $100 million passion project is proving to be a financial disaster. Coppola already said he had no problem dying broke if it meant he made a beautiful thing.
From the reviews, Megalopolis isn't the worst of films, but it clearly wasn't good enough. Is it time for these stars to re-evaluate their passion projects before making huge gambles?

Login to view embedded media David Ellison's Paramount Skydance now seems like the frontrunner in the Warner Bros. Takeover saga after making a third bid for the whole thing. The merger has put the industry in a state of unease as many people see it as the potential creation of another giant in the industry.
WGA has said "Merger after merger in the media industry has harmed workers, diminished competition and free speech, and wasted hundreds of billions of dollars better invested in organic growth,” the union said in a statement. “Combining Warner Bros. with Paramount or another major studio or streamer would be a disaster for writers, for consumers, and for competition. The WGAW will work with regulators to block the merger "
It is not clear whether they have any support on this, but after the giant that Disney has become, it only feels right that the others merge if they are to stay in competition. The mergers have clearly stifled creativity and made the industry less competitive, but there is clearly no way back now. It clearly isn't ideal for the industry when everyone else is playing catch-up to Disney when they could merge and compete effectively. I'm personally not excited about this takeover because it always ends badly for individual franchises, but I think it is good for the industry as a whole. Let me know what you guys think.

Gavin Newsom scored a major win when he increased California tax credits from $350 million to $750 million, and now the state is sinking up to $335 million in 52 films. This increase is aimed at boosting filming days in LA, which had hit an all-time low as producers flocked to other states, such as Ohio, where credits are up to 30% and with far fewer hurdles than in California.
However, after looking at the films getting the biggest cuts, I have to ask the question: are these films really in desperate need of a state bailout? Jumanji's producers apparently wouldn't produce in the state unless their cut was increased from 20 to 35 percent. Heat 2 is also getting a huge chunk of the credits. However, these are the same established studios that most would argue have the least need, and yet, make bigger demands.
Meanwhile, Indies are struggling with the most basic of funding. If California is so desperate to boost the industry, then the state probably shouldn't be giving all the money to producers who feel like they are doing Californians a favor by filming in the state. Is it time taxpayers started voting on who gets these huge cuts, because I'm pretty sure, $335 would produce a lot more and even better original films than what these entitled producers have to offer. Let's be honest, are Cafornians desperate enough to sink $50 million plus in Jumanji? Really?

I am known as Zero Dozer. I came here from Twitter (tho I am also in the Discord server).

My life centers around videogames, having dabbled in the hobby for the past 30 years of my life, since I was a child. Natually, I will always have a comment or another to make about gaming.