James Chen on Marvel vs Capcom Infinite:

James Chen is one of the FGC's most widely known personalities. He's been an avid competitor, the author of countless fighting game guides, a tournament organizers, and he now regularly commentates at high-profile events.

With such a rich portfolio, how could we possibly pass up the chance to get his thoughts Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite? As you've discovered from our recent featured player interviews, avid fans are ready for Mahvel to be reignited in 2017. Here's what he had to say.

There was a real air of shock with the Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite reveal. WHat was your reaction to the announcement trailers last weekend?

I was just surprised. There was no way, in my mind, that they could have a game in any form of present-ability in the time frame that I'm picturing in my head, unless they've been working on it long before Disney announced that they would stop making games in-house.

So it was a shock to me. I was one of the super skeptical people, but all the leaks and talks definitely tempered the complete shock value. Which makes me sad in a way. I would love for it to have been announced with no idea it was coming, because that would have seriously blown my mind!

Infinite looks like it will be the first crossover fighting game that’s more accessible for casual players. What do you think the game’s biggest challenge will be in maintaining enough depth for veteran players?

It's a funny question in the first place, because the Marvel games are DESIGNED to be beginner friendly, they always have. One button special moves (assists), easy Chain Combos, hitting two buttons to unleash three Supers at the same time, etc. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is arguably one of the most beginner-friendly intended games ever made.

Having said that, it's the players who really broke the games wide open, and hopefully they leave a lot of room for creativity open. Marvel games are great examples of easy to pick-up yet still high levels of execution, and I do hope they maintain that idea. That's a key factor, IMO.

If the game ends up being too watered down, it won't be "Mahvel."

How important is it that Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite includes the X-Men and other popular mutants?

I would be very sad if X-Men weren't in the game, but I don't think they are crucial. The MCU is wildly popular right now, so if they bank on that, MvCI will be perfectly successful without the X-Men.

However, what would be sad for me personally is that Wolverine is the ONLY character who has been in 100% of the Marvel games by Capcom. If he was not in MvCI, that would be a really shame to break that streak!

Do you believe that Infinite will create the same following from the community?

I believe it will, largely because the Marvel community now has experience jumping from game to game. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 veterans were really cautious and wary about going to MvC3, but MvC3 players will understand it a bit more, especially now having gone through a lot of the resistance from MvC2 players.

I think many MvC3 players will be willing to move forward to MvCI so that they can continue to build their scene. But they should definitely NOT stop playing UMvC3. Keep that community alive as much as possible as well.

As a caster, do you personally find it more challenging to commentate a crossover title than say, Street Fighter V?

It can be tougher, but really you just have to be faster and concentrate less on minor details. Also, you do have to be more energetic and hype for Marvel games, it's just their nature. I never really got to commentate UMvC3 late in its life because I just never kept up with it enough to be a good commentator for it, so I'm not sure how it would have turned out if I were still commentating it today.

But I definitely know I would approach it entirely different than how I commentate Street Fighter V, definitely trying more to be energetic and more briefly analytical.

Any chance that you'll consider potentially getting back into the competitor's seat to play Infinite?

Doubtful. [laughs]

I'll play it, for sure, so I can be a good commentator for it. But there's very little possibility of me becoming a competitor again. Commentary is my focus, and it's hard for me to play games in a casually competitive fashion. I get too angry when I play, so I'd have to dedicate every bit of my faculty to playing if I were a competitor, so my commentary would suffer greatly.

Many seem concerned about the lack of X-Factor and the assist system. What are your thoughts on Infinite reintroducing the Gems to be used as a groove a la CvS2?

I think Gems are a cool idea, but I am VERY wary about lack of Assists. Assists are what make team composition really important. The combo tagging is neat and all, but really the "team synergy" that makes Marvel so special isn't as important in that regard.

A lot of people have made Street Fighter x Tekken comparisons, and it's a good one because SFxT combos weren't as reliant on synergy as Marvel games. The synergy also goes beyond combos and plugs holes in your character's game.

Having Doom Missiles or Doom Beam really changes the way a character plays. Without Assists, that will be lost. I'm hoping they can find a good way to make up for that with the Gems, so I can't wait to see what they have in store.

What features do you feel Infinite must include to guarantee it will resonate with veteran players and new players alike?

Franticness. Energy. Speed. Crazy Combos. Hype.

If they can pull that off regardless of what characters or game systems are in place, that will be important to pull from the existing fanbase. Interestingly, just judging by how the UMvC3 community has grown and changed over time, they seem really open to playing a different game so long as those things are intact.

Are there any creative, special modes that you’d like to see included along with the confirmed Story and Mission Modes?

Proper tutorial modes done through mini-games. A really robust online mode, with progress beyond some arbitrary ranking points.

What additional characters would you like to see added to the roster?

From Capcom: I've been wanting Linn Kurosawa of the Alien vs. Predator games forever, but she's a tough one due to licensing. From the Marvel side: Black Panther would be sick.

Some purists are still on the fence about supporting Infinite following its debut. What insight would you offer for anyone that feels skeptical?

Every game is different, and they should be. If they made Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite just a clone of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, I'd think it'd be boring. We already have Marvel 3. Players have been going through this forever now, with huge changes between games.

Alpha 3 was VASTLY different than Alpha 2. UMvC3 was different than MvC2 which was different than MvC. Street Fighter V is very different from Street Fighter IV. It's part of the circle of Fighting Game life. Embrace it, and you'll actually find that you'll have MANY fighting Games you love to play and enjoy.

>

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R.L. Stine to Write Man-Thing Series for Marvel

Photo

Credit Tyler Crook/Marvel Entertainment

Man-Thing, a swamp monster introduced by Marvel Comics in 1971, will return in a series beginning in March. The horror comics will be written by someone more than familiar with tales of suspense: R. L. Stine, the author of the “Goosebumps” novellas for children.

For Mr. Stine, 73, writing the five-issue series is something of a lifelong dream. “My first ambition was to be a comic book artist,” he said. “I started doing these little comic books in the fourth grade: ‘Super Stooge,’ the dumbest hero on earth.” Though he shared the stories with his classmates, he quickly realized he had no talent for illustration. “I was terrible,” he said. “I had no choice but to be a writer.”

The new Man-Thing series, with covers by Tyler Crook and interior artwork by German Peralta and Daniel Johnson, is inspired by the iconic horror comics of the 1950s like Tales From the Crypt, of which Mr. Stine was a big fan.

“They were scary, really gruesome, bloody comics and they always had a twist ending,” he said. “I think they’ve been a major influence in everything I’ve done since,” he said. This was despite his mother’s efforts, who thought the comics were trash and would not let them in the house. Thankfully, the local barbershop had them. “Every Saturday morning, I’d go get a haircut so I could read the comics,” Mr. Stine recalled.

Marvel offered Mr. Stine several characters, but he quickly settled on Man-Thing because of his fondness for swamp monsters, which have been frequent characters in “Goosebumps” stories. Despite being a horror series â€" aimed at teenagers and older â€" Mr. Stine hopes to bring some comedy.

“I’m going to do a lot of action and a lot of great violence and make it creepy, but I’m going to make it funny at the same time,” he said. “It’s what I try to do in my books.”

In the first story, Man-Thing heads to Burbank, Calif., wondering why he is not starring in a major motion picture. (Comic book purists may balk at one revision to the character: Man-Thing will no longer be mute. “He can talk and he’s very sarcastic,” Mr. Stine noted.)

Each issue will also include a short horror story written by Mr. Stine and drawn by a guest artist.

Continue reading the main story"

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RayRay on Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite:

This entire week has been filled with a broad range of opinions by several household names in the FGC. From Bum163 to Justin Wong, it should be clear that the series' true fans are eager to see how Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite will unfold. Many of them are intrigued with the new Infinity Stone-powered sub-system, while others are looking forward to seeing iconic characters make a return.

As Raynel 'RayRay' Hidalgo has been a notable force throughout the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom era, we couldn't pass up the chance to hear his thoughts on what's on the horizon. 

Infinite looks like it will be the first crossover fighting game that’s more accessible for casual players. What do you think the game’s biggest challenge will be -- maintaining enough depth for veteran players?

I'm excited for it. With Street Fighter V, I truly believe they figured out how to make an "accessible" game while keeping the infinite depth that comes from the player vs. player aspect. More players. More competition. 

How much would you measure the importance that Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite includes a significant amount of characters that contain X-men and other popular mutants?

They have to be in it. They have to appeal to the current Marvel fans as well as fighting game fans. X-Men have been part of fighting games for over 20 years now.

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Give us your overall reaction upon seeing the announcement trailers last weekend.

Well, like most people, I spent the entire week prior to the announcement hearing about the rumors non stop. All it did was build up an insane amount of anticipation. I went crazy â€" literally slammed my desk and started shrieking! [laughs]

Do you plan to stick with Vs. titles exclusively, or will you still balance your time with Street Fighter V and other titles?

I plan to continue playing both games. With the competition at an all time high, I'm not sure if anyone will be able to be dominate without giving it their all.

Many seem concerned about the lack of X-Factor and the assist system. What are your thoughts on Infinite reintroducing the Gems to be used as a groove à la CvS2?

The lack of assists bothered me at first. Trying to be unbiased and thinking about it more, having both characters switch seamlessly is more like having one big character and the gems are like variations. Plenty of depth there!

What features do you feel Infinite must include in order to guarantee it will resonate with veteran players and new players alike?

Versus Mode [laughs] . . .that's always been enough for me. Maybe they can also include a more thought out ranked mode, where ranking up actually means something.

Are there any creative, special modes that you’d like to see included along with the confirmed Story and Mission Modes Infinite will be offering?

Obviously a 4-player 2v2 mode is always fun. 

Mega Man X and Captain Marvel are two of the newest additions joining the Vs. universe. What additional characters would you like to see added to the roster?

I'm a fighting game fan, not a comic book fan. I want to see all the classic fighters come back.

What insight would you offer for anyone that feels skeptical about Infinite's success?

Being skeptical with so little information makes no sense. It's that simple. With fighters evolving faster than ever, I say let's crack it open and make it our own again.

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| RayRay | Marvel | Capcom | Infinite: | This | entire | week | been | filled | with | broad | range | opinions | several | household | names | From | Bum163< | Justin | Wong< | should | clear | that | series | true | fans | eager | how Marvel | Infinite < | em>will | unfold | Many | them | intrigued | Infinity | Stone | powered | system | while | others | looking | forward | seeing | iconic | characters | make | return | p> As Raynel | Hidalgo | notable | force | throughout | the Ultimate | Capcom < | em>era | couldnt | pass | chance to | hear | thoughts | whats | horizon | p> Infinite | looks | like | will | first | crossover | fighting | game | that’s | more | accessible | casual | players | What | think | game’s | biggest | challenge | maintaining | enough | depth | veteran | h3> Im | excited | With | Street | Fighter | truly | believe | they | figured | keeping | infinite | comes | from | player | aspect | More | competition | p> How | much | would | measure | importance | Capcom: | Infinite | includes | significant | amount | contain | other | popular | mutants | h3> They | have | They | appeal | current | well | part | games | over | years | p> [embedded | content]< | p> Give | your | overall | reaction | upon | announcement | trailers | last | weekend | h3> Well | most | people | spent | prior | hearing | about | rumors | stop | build | insane | anticipation | went crazy | â€" < | em>literally | slammed | desk | started | shrieking! | [laughs]< | p> Do | plan | stick | titles | exclusively | still | balance | time | h3> I | continue | playing | both | high | sure | anyone | able | dominate | without | giving | their | p> Many | seem | concerned | lack | Factor | assist | reintroducing | Gems | used | groove | CvS2 | h3> The | assists | bothered | Trying | unbiased | thinking | having | switch | seamlessly | character | gems | variations | Plenty | there!< | p> What | features | feel | must | include | order | guarantee | resonate | alike | h3> Versus | Mode | [laughs] | thats | always | Maybe | also | thought | ranked | mode | where | ranking | actually | means | something | p> Are | there | creative | special | modes | you’d | included | along | confirmed | Story | Mission | Modes | offering | h3> Obviously | p> Mega | Captain | newest | additions | joining | universe | additional | added | roster | comic | book | want | classic | fighters | come | back | insight | offer | feels | skeptical | Infinites | success | h3> Being | little | information | makes | sense | simple | evolving | faster | than | ever | lets | crack | open | again | p> |

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Marvel Brings Back Long Dead SPIDER-MAN Character

Welcome to your mid-week edition of Comics Relief, comics fans! To start our collection of comics news off this week, we have the scoop on a long gone character from Spider-Man’s past that I’m not entirely sure anyone was really clamoring to have back. But they are back anyway, like it or not. Read on for all the details!

Proving that absolutely no one stays dead in comics forever, even characters no one really liked in the first place, Marvel Comics revealed Wednesday as part of their ongoing Spider-Man-centric >Clone Conspiracy storyline that the mastermind villain behind Peter Parker’s current drama is none other than Ben Reilly, the infamous Spider-Clone who also once went by the name the Scarlet Spider.

Dan Slott’s The Clone Conspiracy has had Spider-Man dealing with a medical tech company called New U, which was producing “miracles”, bringing people who were once believed to be fatally sick or gravely wounded back from the brink of death. Peter naturally thought this all too good to be true, and he was right â€" turns out the people “saved” go a wee bit crazy.

But the leader of New U wasn’t Peter’s old nemesis Miles Warren, AKA the Jackal, as he once thought. Turns out it’s none other than Ben Reilly, the Spider-Clone was was once thought to be the real Peter Parker himself. Last time we saw him was 20 years ago, where he literally melted away in front of Peter. But what’s a little disintegration between clones? The new Clone Conspiracy story is only half over, so we’ll see if Ben Reilly sticks around this time. If he does, I hope he gets a better costume and name than “the Scarlet Spider.” [Comic Book]

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Another Marvel event coming soon is >Monsters Unleashed, a five-issue miniseries which hits stores in January, which features Marvel’s heroes fighting off the giant monsters who ruled at the publisher before the era of super-heroes. Now Marvel has released a special behind-the-scenes video detailing the event, and giving fans a sneak peek at the artwork. You can watch the full video above.

Frank Miller is still knee-deep in >Dark Knight III: The Master Race, but it seems he won’t be done with DC Comics once that story has concluded. During a panel featuring Miller at the recent Brazil Comic-Con Experience, the >Sin City creator revealed plans for what he hopes will be his next DC project, saying “I have a fixation by World War II and I’m talking to DC on a project with their heroes at that time.” Could this be the big >DC Rebirth version of the Justice Society of America relaunch that’s been hinted at? Or a Superman story set in WWII? Only time will tell. [CBR]

Aside from the JSA, another missing team from DC’s history that might be making a comeback soon is the Legion of Super-Heroes. Although the team has always had strong ties to the Superman family, they are now being teased by writer Tom King in the pages of >Batman.

In recent issues of Batman, we see Legion founder Saturn Girl is, for some reason, in Arkham Asylum. In an interview, King said “We saw one of the pieces in Batman #9 with Saturn Girl, who was also in DC Universe: Rebirth #1 and plays a role in the story going forward. She’s in Gotham City, and she is in Arkham Asylum… We’ll see what that means both to her and the Legion of Super-Heroes.” [CBR]

Last week, Valiant Comics released a teaser image for their new >X-O Manowar relaunch, and now we have the details on this new series. According to the official description, writer Matt Kindt will begin this new iteration of the character “by separating Aric from his armor and sending him to a far-flung alien planet and continue into a yearlong science-fiction epic split into different arcs.”

Each of these arcs will be drawn by a separate rising star artist, with each artistic interpretation meant to reflect the different stages of Aric’s latest journey. We’ll go  from “Soldier” to “General” to “Emperor” to “Visigoth.”  X-O Manowar #1 is set to hit stores March 22, 2017, and for more info on the new series, be sure to click on the following link: [Entertainment Weekly]

When most people hear the name Jack Kirby, they think of the man who co-created the bulk of the Marvel Universe icons, like The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, etc. And while he did work at DC for a time, and created their vast New Gods mythology, he isn’t known for any significant runs featuring their iconic characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Except once. In 1984, as a tie-in to their >Super Powers toyline, DC produced a series of mini-series featuring the Justice League under the Super Powers banner, and drawn by the legendary Kirby. This is the only time Kirby drew characters like the Flash, Green Lantern or Wonder Woman, and they are all now finally being collected in hardcover format after thirty years. The collection will come out on August 29th for $34.99, and it will collect Super Powers Vol. 1 #1-5, Super Powers Vol. 2 #1-6 and Super Powers Vol. 3 #1-4. [Bleeding Cool]

Brian Michael Bendis’ current crossover epic >Civil War II got an extra issue to wrap up from Marvel, but artist David Marquez is getting some help to wrap this sucker up. Seven additional artists are joining Marquez to complete the delayed final issue.

Civil War II #8 will now have 32 pages by Marquez with eight additional pages, which are being described as a “special top secret interior sequence”, will be drawn by artists Esad Ribic, Leinil Yu, Adam Kubert, Alan Davis, Mark Bagley, Marco Rudy, and Daniel Acuna. The release date for Civil War II #8 remains set at December 28, an eight-week delay from the originally solicited November 2 release date. [Newsarama]

Images: Marvel Comics / DC Comics / Valiant Comics 

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Marvel and ABC’s online series could solve a lot of problems over the midseason hiatus

Every winter, the networks take anywhere from two weeks to a month for a hiatus.

The idea is to not compete with holiday programming, but it also allows the writing teams to take time off and return with new ideas. The midseason hiatus also allows companies to focus on scheduling episodes during “sweeps,” the months in which Nielsen spends more time collecting and reporting ratings. If networks schedule bigger episodes during those months, they can report higher numbers to advertisers.

Networks want to make as much money as possible, so it doesn’t make sense to have the hiatus in the sweeps months of November or February. The networks would lose out on potential advertising deals and face other financial risks. Having the biggest episodes air at the end of November and the first week of December, however, allows the networks to work within Nielsen’s reporting schedule while also getting ahead of the Christmas rush. What’s the point of pitting The Flash against Rudolph, for example?

In recent years, however, networks have started rethinking this strategy as viewership numbers tank. One, ABC, is revisiting its midseason strategy. Last year, ABC kept eight of dramas off the air for 11 weeks â€" with four of those weeks coming during the midseason hiatus. Fox, NBC and CBS brought the majority of their series back around the first week of January, but many of ABC’s shows didn’t return for another week or later. ABC saw huge losses in return viewership, with one of its biggest series, How to Get Away with Murder, dropping 20 percent overall.

The question for ABC â€" and other networks â€" is how to give creative teams their winter break, retain good ratings and not compete with holiday programming?

ABC and Marvel seemed to have found a solution to the viewership problem: a digital series that will air for a limited time.

On Wednesday, Marvel and ABC announced that it will be launching an online-only series, Slingshot, with Agents of Shield star Natalia Cordova-Buckley in the lead as Elena “Yo Yo” Rodriguez. Each episode will be three to six minutes long, and although it’s not a full television show, it seems like it may accomplish its goal: keep audiences engaged while Agents of Shield is off the air.

The idea is so brilliant in its simplicity its a wonder networks didn’t try it sooner. Firsst, It’s cheaper for a big network to make a six-minute web series. Consider some of the biggest, most extravagant web series â€" like RocketJump’s >Video Game High School, which cost the studio around $636,000 an episode â€" as well as some of the smallest â€" like Andy Gets Dumped â€" which doesn’t even come close to that budget.

For a three-minute film using equipment and sets already available to the studio and actors, the costs would remain relatively low, but the show could generate a decent amount of advertising revenue. In a 2015 study from Turner Broadcasting and Horizon Media, researchers discovered that “premium online video from broadcast and cable networks outperforms video content from other publishers,” according to AdWeek. That means advertisers are more likely to give money to networks like ABC, NBC and CBS over other platforms because their content is better. ABC and Marvel teaming up for a web series doesn’t just make sense in terms of appeasing fans hungry for new content, but it also may generate income in the long run.

The other reason â€" one that’s more important to audiences than networks â€" is that it gives back to fans who tune in every week. Gary Newman, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, told AdWeek that unless shows are airing on a premium network like HBO or Showtime, it doesn’t make sense to have 10 to 13 episodes in one season and go without a hiatus. Newman added that networks had to start doing more to keep audiences entertained and engaged.

“The alternative is the old-fashioned preemptions and repeats, and let's remember how frustrating that was to the audience," Newman said. "There's no perfect answer, so we're going to still continue to do that.”

Reruns have always been a complaint, but in a pre-streaming world, there wasn’t much that could be done. Now, when services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Video are accessible anywhere for a relatively cheap price, a three or six-week hiatus drives audiences to streaming platforms to watch new shows. Magna Global analyst Brian Hughes told Ad Age in March that fans weren’t necessarily upset with the lack ofnew content on network TV, but they’ve grown accustomed to having more to choose from because of streaming platforms.

“I'm inclined to think any impact the midseason breaks have on audience has more to do with how fans want to watch than being frustrated with a delay,” Hughes said.

Retaining viewership remains the most important goal in planning the midseason hiatus. Keeping audiences engaged leads to higher ratings, more conversation in the press and a generally more enthusiastic fan base. It’s, again, what makes Marvel and ABC’s plan to bridge the midseason hiatus with a new web-only series not only a good decision but also a necessary one.

Agents of Shield is also the perfect show because of its target audience. More than How to Get Away with Murder or Scandal, Agents of Shield appeals to a much younger demographic that is more likely to go online to catch up with a series or start a new one. According to Statista, more than 65 percent of Netflix users are between the age of 16 to 24, the same audience that ABC targets with Agents of Shield.

Whether the series will work the way the network wants is yet to be seen. But it’s the first step in addressing a problem bothering networks for years, and has only worsened in the streaming age.

Slingshot kicks off Dec. 13 on ABC.go.com.

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