Anyone who tried to stream Game Of Thrones season 4 premiere instead of watching it through their standard TV provider was probably disappointed by the delay in being able to actually stream the episode. The server connection seemed to be resolved for the rest of the season. Did they fix the error...ugh, it seems not entirely.
Tonight, subscribers (and others) attempting to stream Season 5, Episode 1 of Game of Thrones suffered a similar aggravation, albeit with a shorter delay this evening as HBO GO and HBO NOW suffered Error messages and delays. They seem to have been resolved now. For more information, visit click here for HBO GO help's Twitter feed
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
I'll be at MegaConvention in Orlando, FL on Sunday! How about you?!
MegaConvention opened yesterday, Friday, April 10th, to reportedly, 100,000 visitors(!) I plan on attending on Sunday, and this will be my first time at this convention. Have any of you been in attendance and can share what are the "must-see" attractions? Which special guests are worth the price of admission to meet in person? Which artists and exhibitors should we all visit? Any special travel considerations to take into account if driving in from out of town?
I'll share my thoughts after tomorrow! Have a great weekend, everyone!
Monday, April 6, 2015
Telltale Games is on a roll...here's what I'd love to see them adapt next
Telltale Games has done a masterful job of creating decision-based narrative video games with their recent adaptations of The Walking Dead, A Wolf Among Us (based on Vertigo's "Fables" comic book series), Tales from the Borderlands and A Game of Thrones. For the uninitiated, each game forces the player to test their sense of both morality and pragmatism by making decisions that affect the direction of the story and their character's relationship with the supporting cast. I've played the Game of Thrones title 4 different ways now, (we're allowed 4 save slots) and I'm wishing that House Forrester could actually be integrated into the TV series! Aside from reading the books yet again, there are few ways to get your Game of Thrones fix in the "off-season" (Well done, TellTale). Next, I'm going to replay season one of the Walking Dead and at least let Lee (SPOILER ALERT) die with his arm still attached (OKAY, YOU CAN LOOK BELOW NOW).
Laura Hudson (@laura_hudson) of Fivethirthyeight.com does a great job of describing the moral complexity and sense of peer pressure (you will re-assess your sense of humanity as your decisions are compared to the rest of the gaming world) explored in the Telltale Games series here. What I'm using this space to explore is which other iconic series full of moral ambiguity TelltaleGames should explore next. I'd love to see the following...
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| The Telltale Games collection, photo courtesy of the Xbox Store |
House of Cards
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| Buckets of blood on these hands, photo courtesy of ign.com |
Like in Game of Thrones, I can easily see alternating between multiple playable characters in the House of Cards' political reality. A reporter eager to break a big story on the true nature of Frank & Claire Underwood's reign...an Underwood staffer conflicted with loyalty to their country or to the campaign...a secret service-man protecting Frank from an assassination attempt...? I'm in.
The Wire
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| A Telltalegames-ish artistic interpretation, photo courtesy of psarips.com |
This may be a bit of a long shot from a timeliness standpoint, (although the advent of HBO GO/NOW can only help the cause), but I can not think of two characters I'd rather take control of in a narrative-based video game than Omar and McNulty. 'Nuff said, right? (but if not 'nuff said...) They both thrive on moral ambiguity and live by their own "codes," and would certainly present very compelling storytelling possiblities.
Watchmen
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| Photo courtesy of aplithelp.com |
A Watchmen game or adaptation that centers around the "action" is just doing it wrong. Watchmen isn't the classic that it is because Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons expertly portrayed iconic fight scenes. Their exploration of the characters equal parts bold and crazy enough to dress up and play "hero" is where the magic truly lies. Whether this game would draw inspiration from the original source material or the more recent "Before Watchmen" series, the series of multiple-choice response scenarios would be nearly endless.
The Godfather
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| A more comic book-esque Godfather fan art, photo courtesy of this website |
Remember the EA produced Godfather games that felt more like a Grand Theft Auto knock-off? Like Watchmen, the heart of the Godfather stories was in the characters and the sense of family, not in the shootouts and murders. The series provides another world in which one could find honor by living within the code of the family and the mafia, as opposed to conforming to the rest of society. Whether cast as a player in a rival family, or as an up-and-coming member of the Corleone family, there are also plenty of compelling moral dilemmas to navigate here.
Now, for a more minor spoiler alert, you can see which titles TellTaleGames is ACTUALLY working on on their website. What other titles would you be quick to spend $4.99 per "episode" on? Feel free to comment below!
5 Things I learned from Mad Men's episode "Severance"
With now only 6 episodes remaining, here's what I learned from watching "Severance."
1. Don sees dead people..
First Bert, and now Rachel. And I imagine these aren't the last. Don's ghosts seem to be reminding him of the "life not yet lived." After Bert's lesson on the "best things in life are free," Rachel's untimely death from leukemia is overshadowed by her achievement of all she wanted from life with her family, according to her sister. The theme of living life to the fullest and enjoying the simple pleasures that come from family and enjoyment of what the world can offer will obviously be prevalent throughout this season.
2. Ken Cosgrove goes from being a cautionary tale to being "the guy."
Playing directly and clearly into the theme of living the life you're meant to live, Ken quickly progresses from being reluctant to follow his wife's (still can't remember her name) suggestion to drop everything and pursue his love of writing, to fired by the company he literally gave his right eye for, to being named to a position of higher prestige with one of SCDP's clients. He'll be calling the shots (that won't end up in his right eye) from here.
3. Pete Campbell is back to being a jerk...and that's an excellent thing.
Very glad that "forlorn Pete" is long gone. He's back in New York and back to being as swarmy as ever.
4. We're stuck with disturbing porn-staches on Roger and Ted.
Why, 1970, why? As soon as Roger appeared in the diner, I lost track of Don's story. As soon as Ted appeared (in Don's dream...?) I forgot what Rachel was saying to Don. It did make it easier to accept that Roger could be even more emotionally detached during Ken's termination than I'd expect him to be.
5. Men are still pigs as the '60s come to a close.
While a bit heavy-handed, The verbal abuse and endless barrage of innuendo that Joan and Peggy receive from the 3 stooges was vile. Peggy's blunt and misguided "you asked for it"lecture for Joan leaves egg on her face, too. Matthew Weiner has written women so well in this series, I'm sure that feminism isn't gone and forgotten.
What remains to be revealed...
What will be the symbolism of the spilled wine?
Who are the "3 women" in Don's life, as Ted alluded to?
How will Peggy's potential new love interest impact her role in the conclusion of the series?
1. Don sees dead people..
First Bert, and now Rachel. And I imagine these aren't the last. Don's ghosts seem to be reminding him of the "life not yet lived." After Bert's lesson on the "best things in life are free," Rachel's untimely death from leukemia is overshadowed by her achievement of all she wanted from life with her family, according to her sister. The theme of living life to the fullest and enjoying the simple pleasures that come from family and enjoyment of what the world can offer will obviously be prevalent throughout this season.
2. Ken Cosgrove goes from being a cautionary tale to being "the guy."
Playing directly and clearly into the theme of living the life you're meant to live, Ken quickly progresses from being reluctant to follow his wife's (still can't remember her name) suggestion to drop everything and pursue his love of writing, to fired by the company he literally gave his right eye for, to being named to a position of higher prestige with one of SCDP's clients. He'll be calling the shots (that won't end up in his right eye) from here.
3. Pete Campbell is back to being a jerk...and that's an excellent thing.
Very glad that "forlorn Pete" is long gone. He's back in New York and back to being as swarmy as ever.
4. We're stuck with disturbing porn-staches on Roger and Ted.
Why, 1970, why? As soon as Roger appeared in the diner, I lost track of Don's story. As soon as Ted appeared (in Don's dream...?) I forgot what Rachel was saying to Don. It did make it easier to accept that Roger could be even more emotionally detached during Ken's termination than I'd expect him to be.
5. Men are still pigs as the '60s come to a close.
While a bit heavy-handed, The verbal abuse and endless barrage of innuendo that Joan and Peggy receive from the 3 stooges was vile. Peggy's blunt and misguided "you asked for it"lecture for Joan leaves egg on her face, too. Matthew Weiner has written women so well in this series, I'm sure that feminism isn't gone and forgotten.
What remains to be revealed...
What will be the symbolism of the spilled wine?
Who are the "3 women" in Don's life, as Ted alluded to?
How will Peggy's potential new love interest impact her role in the conclusion of the series?
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Mad Men Season 7 Part 2 Premieres tonight...! Pre-game coverage here
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| From AMC's Season 7 Part 2 trailer on YouTube |
How will our relationships with Don, Peggy, Roger, Joan, Betty, Sally and the rest of the cast of characters that we know and love (or not) come to an end over the next month and a half? Will Don/Dick fall or jump from the top of SCDP's offices to his literal death or will only the Don Draper persona suffer a demise? Matthew Weiner has reportedly stated that each episode will feel like a finale, so we're sure to be in for no shortage of surprises.
For some "pre-game hype" I recommend the following...Check back here at OverGeekingIt.com for updates throughout the season
The Huffington Post has a bunch of articles on Season 7 from predicting the answers to all of the major questions, to Stan's beard and Megan's hair.
Potential spoilers pieced together here
The 10 Best musical moments on the show...the music pulls you into the era...looking for a guide to direct your binge-watching around tonight's episode?
What tone will the final episodes establish? Hopeful or Bleak?
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| Who will still be standing on May 17th?!?!? Photo courtesy of bustle.com |
Join me on the "Saga" bandwagon...late passes distributed here
I'm totally OverGeekingIt about Saga. I've read and now re-read the series over the past couple of months and am kicking myself for not grabbing every issue of this series from the beginning. It's not that this is some hidden gem only known to the "New Comic Wednesday" crowd, as Saga has become the darling of the present comic book world. Saga has the potential to attract readers who normally think they're "too good" for a comic book series, the way that Game of Thrones has brought new readers to the world of fantasy novels.
As I alluded to, much has already been said about Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' absolutely amazing comic book series, "Saga," currently 26 issues in, and I'm hard-pressed to add much in the way of original perspective as even I have been late to truly embrace how marvelous this series is. But it is quite amazingly great. Saga will belong on everyone's "Comics to read before you die," and "best comic book series ever" lists.
If you're at all familiar wiith Vaughan's previous iconic work in penning Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and The Pride of Baghdad, you won't be surprised at the masterful level of wit, character development, and relatability of the cast of characters in Saga. The real standout creator here for me is Fiona Staples, who is becoming the "it" illustrator in the industry. Staples' art is beautiful and she makes the fantastical and diverse races of alien beings believable and distinguishable. At no point in reading this series do I fear that they're running out of ideas or in danger of re-hashing previously blazed trails. You may have heard it described as "Game of Thrones" meets "Star Wars," as the expansive world spans foreign lands within the setting of an interstellar war. Other critics speak of how Saga is evocative of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Lord of the Rings." While the series does explore familiar themes of familial and parental bonds, forbidden love, interplanetary wars, and the societal ramifications of "haves vs. the have nots," the only world I'm sucked into while reading each issue, is the world of Saga.
If you haven't read comic books in a long time, or ever, there are few series who rival the "start with this one" status that Saga should enjoy. If your most recent memories of comics are the tales of superheroes vs the villain of the month, then you'll be in for a culture shock. Spoiler alert, Saga is not to be read with your young children, but it must absolutely be read (have I made that clear yet?)
As I alluded to, much has already been said about Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' absolutely amazing comic book series, "Saga," currently 26 issues in, and I'm hard-pressed to add much in the way of original perspective as even I have been late to truly embrace how marvelous this series is. But it is quite amazingly great. Saga will belong on everyone's "Comics to read before you die," and "best comic book series ever" lists.
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| Saga #25 Wrap-around cov er, courtesy of ComicBookResources.com |
If you're at all familiar wiith Vaughan's previous iconic work in penning Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and The Pride of Baghdad, you won't be surprised at the masterful level of wit, character development, and relatability of the cast of characters in Saga. The real standout creator here for me is Fiona Staples, who is becoming the "it" illustrator in the industry. Staples' art is beautiful and she makes the fantastical and diverse races of alien beings believable and distinguishable. At no point in reading this series do I fear that they're running out of ideas or in danger of re-hashing previously blazed trails. You may have heard it described as "Game of Thrones" meets "Star Wars," as the expansive world spans foreign lands within the setting of an interstellar war. Other critics speak of how Saga is evocative of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Lord of the Rings." While the series does explore familiar themes of familial and parental bonds, forbidden love, interplanetary wars, and the societal ramifications of "haves vs. the have nots," the only world I'm sucked into while reading each issue, is the world of Saga.
If you haven't read comic books in a long time, or ever, there are few series who rival the "start with this one" status that Saga should enjoy. If your most recent memories of comics are the tales of superheroes vs the villain of the month, then you'll be in for a culture shock. Spoiler alert, Saga is not to be read with your young children, but it must absolutely be read (have I made that clear yet?)
5 Things you can't help but love about Saga...(without much in the way of detail and spoilers)
TV-headed Robots who have "human" needs
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| Prince Robot IV, photo courtesy of thenerdsofcolor.org |
Just try to stretch the truth around "Lying Cat," who's vocabulary is as expansive as Hodor's but is a more menacing companion and protector
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| photo courtesy of imgkid.com |
The cast of bounty hunters, including this unconventional "love story" portrayed in the spirit of a romance novel
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| The Stalk and The Will, photo courtesy of galleryhip.com The most "human" characters have wings and ram-like horns |
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| Our first main characters, and the narrator's parents, Alana and Marko. From Saga #1, photo courtesy of Comicbook.com |
The most sensible character is dead...or, rather undead
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| Izabel's ghost, photo courtesy of Comicbookresources.com |
If an expansive world with a wide array of interesting characters to keep up with intimidates you, then Saga may frustrate you. If you enjoy a narrative in which you'll barely scratch the surface of the world's complexity, but fail to truly notice the fact, this is the series for you. People are even getting Saga-inspired tattoos already.
I won't be requiring any of your money, but if you have $.99 in your checking account, you can use it here or here and give Saga #1 a try. If you read it all the way through, I'm sure we'll be racing to pick up issue #27 together.
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