EVE: Aether Wars Has Groundbreaking 14,000-Ship Battle Live At GDC

Aether

More than 3,850 players have accomplished an astounding achievement in large-scale multiplayer gaming. London-based tech start-up Hadean and CCP Games, the creators of the in-depth and uniquely player-driven spaceship MMO game EVE Online, have successfully hosted a battle with 10,000 ships taking part, through their EVE: Aether Wars tech demo.

Taking place live on the first morning of Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, 3,852 players from across the globe battled each other for an hour in EVE: Aether Wars, with AI-connected clients joining the clash and pushing overall ships total to 14,274. Concurrent combatants peaked at 10,412, but it wouldn’t be a battle worthy of EVE Online without an epic list of casualties and EVE: Aether Wars didn’t disappoint, with 88,988 ships destroyed.

It’s a huge milestone in the EVE: Aether Wars project between Hadean and CCP Games, as part of the continued drive to explore the future of large-scale multiplayer simulation.

EVE: Aether Wars was created to showcase the power of Hadean’s Aether Engine, the world’s first distributed simulation engine. Powered by Microsoft Azure, the Aether Engine allows developers to seamlessly scale their applications at increased speed and ease across the cloud.

CCP Games provided Hadean with EVE Online and EVE: Valkyrie assets for use in the EVE: Aether Wars tech demo, along with its own industry-leading games development expertise. This allowed Hadean to focus on solving the technical challenges faced by developers within large-scale online multiplayer environments. The ongoing collaboration between the two companies will seek to explore the potential for substantial changes to the technical infrastructure of EVE Online.

The EVE Online community currently holds the Guinness World Record for ‘most concurrent players simultaneously involved in a single multiplayer PvP videogame battle’ with 6,142 players on 23rd January 2018.

“We are thrilled to have successfully debuted the Aether Engine with EVE: Aether Wars,” said Craig Beddis, Hadean’s CEO. “A deathmatch of this magnitude couldn’t have been achieved without the support of CCP and EVE Online’s amazing community. After such an incredible showing at GDC, we’re even more excited about the possibilities our partnership presents to push the technological boundaries of what’s possible in the MMO space.”

“We knew that Hadean’s tech held massive potential, and I’m ecstatic to see that potential realised for the first time with EVE: Aether Wars,” said Hilmar V. Pétursson, CCP Games’ CEO. “I remain convinced that our partnership will continue break new ground in virtual worlds, and we will continue to explore creative and exciting opportunities that ensure EVE will outlive us all!”

Hadean will host an ‘offline’ version of EVE: Aether Wars at its stand, S366 in South Hall, for the remainder of GDC. This will enable players to get a feel for how the technology works as they battle against hundreds of AI-controlled clients and against the other EVE: Aether Wars station at Hadean’s stand. Attendees will also have the opportunity to chat with the engineering team behind the Aether Engine, who will be on-hand to answer questions about the project and Hadean’s technology.

For further details on Hadean and the Aether Engine, visit www.hadean.com and  www.aetherengine.io.

For more information about CCP Games and the EVE Universe, visit www.ccpgames.com/products.

Amazon’s DARK TOWER TV Series Finds its Headline Stars

Jasper Pääkkönen Sam Strike The Dark Tower

Following the so-so 2017 movie, it’s hard to remember that Stephen King’s The Dark Tower is also getting adapted for TV. And now, said small-screen adaptation has found its main two characters.

Courtesy of Variety, Vikings’ Jasper Pääkkönen is playing Randall Flagg/The Man in Black and Nightflyers’ Sam Strike is to play Roland Deschain/The Gunslinger. In the movie take on The Dark Tower, those roles were played by Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba, respectively, of course.

Originally, this Dark Tower TV show was to be tied to the aforementioned film. That was until, frankly, the feature disappointed on plentiful levels. As such, Amazon decided to change gears and instead make this TV offering a more faithful adaptation of King’s famed books.

The Walking Dead and Damien’s Glen Mazzara is acting as showrunner and executive producer on the series.

Macon Blair to Handle Legendary’s TOXIC AVENGER Remake

The Toxic Avenger

One of the true standout highlights of this past weekend’s STARBURST International Film Festival was handing out our Hall of Fame honour to Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman. And now, we’ve got an update on the long-gestating remake of Troma’s most famous property, The Toxic Avenger.

Courtesy of Variety, it’s now been confirmed that Legendary Pictures – who have a one-year option on giving Toxie a new lick of paint – has brought in Macon Blair to write and direct the redo. Now while this news is finally official, let’s just say we may have been given a heads-up on all of this from a certain Uncle Lloydie over the weekend…

As for Macon Blair, he’s actually best known for acting in the likes of Green Room and Logan Lucky, although his directorial debut I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore wowed audiences at Sundance back in 2017.

For those not familiar with The Toxic Avenger, the basic premise saw nerdy janitor Melvin Junko end up transforming into the hulking, deformed Toxic Avenger after one too many run-ins with local bullies (and some conveniently-placed chemicals). With enhanced strength, Melvin uses his trusty mop to brutally clean up the local streets. From there, there’d be three sequels, a ’90s cartoon series, and even a musical in recent years.

That last we’d heard on all things Toxie was that Troma and Kaufman were working on a fifth film, while Sausage Party’s Conrad Vernon was also putting together a big-budget remake effort. Unless Vernon is somehow involved in Legendary’s remake, it looks like his take on Toxie is now in limbo.

For this new Toxic Avenger effort, Lloyd Kaufman and longtime partner Michael Herz will be serving as producers, with the plan being for this to be the launching point for a new cinematic superhero franchise.

Elizabeth Debicki and Robert Pattinson Board Secret Nolan Project

Elizabeth Debicki Robert Pattinson

Variety has learned that Elizabeth Debicki and Robert Pattinson will be starring alongside John David Washington in Christopher Nolan’s next film.

So top secret is the project that practically nothing is known about it, not even the title of the movie. Rumoured to be a massive action blockbuster, the only thing that Warner Bros. has confirmed is the release date of July 17th, 2020.

Debicki has recently completed production on the intriguing HBO horror series Lovecraft Country.

Pattinson, whom clearly doesn’t believe in taking things easy, can be seen in High Life, The Lighthouse, Waiting for the Barbarians and Netflix’s The King at various points this year.

As usual expect more news on this mystery project as we get it.

BLACK MIRROR Adds Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Anthony Mackie

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Anthony Mackie Black Mirror

Who doesn’t love Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, right? Well, ahead of the upcoming fifth season, two major names have now been confirmed to be appearing in the genre fave.

Courtesy of Deadline, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Anthony Mackie are joining Black Mirror. Both of those names are likely best known to genre fans for their appearances in certain comic book-driven movies, with Abdul-Mateen II recently seen as the nefarious Black Manta in Aquaman and Mackie playing the Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

No further details are known on the upcoming fifth season of Black Mirror whatsoever, bar the fact that it’s expected to arrive later this year.

Two More Join PENNYWORTH

Emma Paetz and Jessica Ellerby Pennyworth

With Pennyworth currently shooting, the upcoming series has moved to add two more names to its ranks.

As first reported by Deadline, Final Girl’s Emma Paetz and Living the Dream’s Jessica Ellerby have signed on for significant roles in the show. For Paetz, she’ll be playing Martha Kane; the future wife of Thomas Wayne and the future mother of a certain Master Bruce. Where Ellerby is concerned, she’s playing a character called the Queen. Whether that means the Queen of England or simply some character who has the moniker of “Queen” remains to be seen.

Jack Bannon is on headlining duties in Pennyworth, with the series to see the young Alfred Pennyworth and his SAS pals tackling the descendants of Jack the Ripper.

Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Michael B. Jordan Teaming for New Monster Movie

Kong: Skull Island

Well, this sounds like it has the potential to be a tad special. Yes, as the headline suggests, Michael B. Jordan and Jordan Vogt-Roberts are teaming up for a new monster movie.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, Kong: Skull Island’s Vogt-Roberts is to direct what will be a completely original monster-driven effort, with Black Panther and Creed’s Jordan to produce through his Outlier Society banner. At this juncture, the project has yet to be given an official title.

The hunt is currently on for a screenwriter and a cast for the picture, with it currently uncertain whether or not Jordan himself will ultimately have an on-screen role in the film.

Expect more on all of this as we get it.

Noah Centineo Lined Up for MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Reboot

He-Man Noah Centineo

With a new live-action Masters of the Universe movie long in development, it looks as if Noah Centineo may be the one who has the power.

Courtesy of The Wrap, the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Sierra Burgess is a Loser actor is believed to be in talks to play He-Man in the upcoming reboot. Centineo is co-starring in the Charlie’s Angels reboot, and it’s suggested that his performance in that redo is the main reason why Sony is looking to have him take the starring role in their new Masters of the Universe.

This Masters of the Universe redo has been in development for several years now, with John Chu the first director to sign on for the film. From there, he was replaced by McG, who himself was replaced by David Goyer. The last we’d heard, Band of Robbers’ Aaron and Adam Nee took over the director’s chair this past April. Since then, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway have been brought in to work on the screenplay.

Masters of the Universe will follow the story of Adam, Prince of Eternia, who has the ability to transform into the ever-smiling uber-hero He-Man as he battles to protect his world from the nefarious threat of Skeletor. Of course, these bitter rivals have most recently been seen shilling financial products for MoneySupermarket.com…

Sony had previously pegged Masters of the Universe for a December 18th, 2019 release, although the reboot now looks highly unlikely to make that release date.

KINGDOM Production Hits HOME in Manchester

kingdom

Our friends at the prestigious art space HOME have some exciting news regarding a show they’re putting on as part of the  ¡Viva! festival. We have to say it sounds incredible and if Birdie was anything to go by last year it will be very creative indeed. Read on for details…

Synopsis:

Kingdom is an irreverent cocktail, mixing bananas, consumerism, virile choreographies, commercials, punk rock, King Kong, supermarkets, growth, confusion, expansion, multinationals, shortages, coups d’état, trap music, and very macho men in an endless party. The world is going to shit, so let’s celebrate!

Using video cameras, scale models, video projection and live music, Kingdom continues to develop the idea of cinema-in-real-time. Using the character of King Kong and footage from the original and remakes, Kingdom brings the history of capitalism and bananas together, in a way that has never been told before.

Kingdom, presented by Señor Serrano, runs Tue 9 Apr – Sat 13 Apr 2019, with performances at 7.30pm. The company presented Birdie at HOME in 2017. It’s part of HOME’s annual ¡Viva! festival, which runs this year, its 25th anniversary, 22 March – 13 April 2019.

Tickets available from here

BILL & TED to Finally FACE THE MUSIC Next Year!

Bill

Whoa! After years of rumours and false starts, the eagerly awaited sequel to the cult sci-fi comedies Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey is at long last officially a ‘Go Picture’!

Revealed earlier today by the Wyld Stallyns duo themselves, Bill & Ted Face the Music will begin production this summer, with August 21st, 2020 pencilled in as the release date.

As previously reported, Galaxy Quest’s Dean Parisot will helm, with a script by original creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon.

Actors reprising iconic roles several decades later can sometimes be disconcerting for some audiences, and considering Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves haven’t played Bill S. Preston and Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan in a whopping 29 years, there’s certainly a little risk here. Harrison Ford only had a 21 year break between Indy adventures, with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels taking 20 years to reprise their once loveable idiot personas Lloyd and Harry in Dumb and Dumber To. Let’s hope this project doesn’t suffer the same fate reception-wise!

Watch on for the announcement from Reeves and Winter themselves, and stay tuned to STARBURST for plenty more coverage of Face the Music as it develops…