Lord of the Rings fans are in for a treat as Andy Serkis serves as the narrator of an upcoming audio version of the Silmarillion. Here are some other things that happened this week in geek.
Tiktok has been banned in Montana and the social media company has responded by… well, suing the state. Another Marvel project has been affected by the writers’ strike. Meanwhile, on the gaming side of the nerd world this week, there’s good news for Xbox owners but bad news for gamers awaiting The Last of Us multiplayer game. Finally, Andy Serkis is lending his voice for an audiobook version of the iconic The Silmarillion.
A Tiktok ban has been talked about for so long in the US, but it was all just talk… well, until Montana finally passed a law that banned the app. Governor Greg Gianforte tweeted that the move was “to protect Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party”. In response, Tikok has sued the state, calling it “unconstitutional” as per a CNN report. China’s Foreign Ministry has also called it an “abuse of state power”. Along with the social media company, a number of creators have also stepped up to sue the state for the new law.
Despite the new Gollum game being panned by both critics and gamers, there’s still something good coming from Middle-Earth. Andy Serkis, the actor who gave life to Gollum in The Lord of the Rings films, will be narrating JRR Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. Those familiar with LOTR lore know what it is, but for the uninitiated, the hefty book details the history of Middle-Earth before the One Ring was created, proving once and for all that no one comes close to Tolkien when it comes to world-building. For those excited about the project, there’s good news because you don’t have to wait long. The audiobook releases this June 22.
Another Marvel production has been affected by the writers’ strike. The upcoming film Thunderbolts has halted work on the film and delayed filming, which was due to start in three weeks according to Deadline. Thunderbolts joins Blade and Wonder Man as one of the Marvel projects that have been hit by the writers’ strike.
Although the series has been instrumental in the resurgence of Dungeons & Dragons in mainstream media, this is the first time that a board game based on the show has been released. Stranger Things: Upside Down tasks you with rescuing Will Byers from the Upside Down by gathering allies, investigating, and collecting items, all while being wary of the otherworldly creatures inhabiting the alternate reality. When is it being released? Actually, the game is available now. No Eddie Munson though because this is obviously set in the earlier seasons—that or maybe he’s still being feasted on by demobats. Too soon?
Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game has been the talk of the town once again ever since the success of HBO’s adaptation, but one thing that gamers have been anxious for is the multiplayer game set in the TLOU universe. Unfortunately, Naughty Dog went to social media this week to announce that they needed more time to work on it. Since no release date was ever announced for the game, it’s safe to say that we won’t be seeing it for at least a few years.
The recent PlayStation Showcase showed off a number of titles that have gotten PlayStation owners excited, but Microsoft was quick to announce that some titles would also be on Xbox. A notable title is Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, a remake of the third game in the Metal Gear Solid franchise. Those who are old enough know that the franchise was originally a PlayStation exclusive. Other titles include Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Marathon, Alan Wake 2, and Ghostrunner 2.
Eric can be found lost in his own world jamming with headphones on while writing when he’s not prepping for a DnD session or researching ‘Star Wars’ galactic history on Wookiepedia. A proud Ravenclaw, he loves playing (and writing about) video games, humming the ‘Doctor Who’ theme under his breath, and rewatching ‘Friends’, ‘New Girl’, and ‘The West Wing’.
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