Sonic the Hedgehog - the Movie: Here's What We Know So Far
Friday, 26th October 2018, 9:02am (UTC), 0 Comments
We've seen him in over 70 exciting games, but will Sonic be as good on the big screen in 2019 as he is on the console? Considering we're still way off the release date. It's pretty hard to say. But finally getting a real live action movie out of one of our most beloved game characters is exciting regardless.

We've collected all of the gossip and news so far on the film's release, so you don't have to.



The Production Lowdown

The feature film is set to hit theatres in the UK on November 28th, 2019 according to Sega and their producing partner Paramount Pictures. We may still have a year to go before we can make our final verdict on the film, but we're a lot closer than when the first announcement of the film back in February 2016.

Excitement mounted even more when the director of Deadpool Tim Miller took on the role of executive producer. He'll be joined by Jeff Fowler who is a newcomer to his role - hopefully bringing in enough contemporary talent and love for our blue friend. Although Fowler may not have been around for all that long, one of his previous shorts "Gopher Broke" was Oscar-Nominated. So, with an all-star production team, it's safe to say it looks promising!

It would seem that back in February 2016, they vastly underestimated how long it would take to get the action feature under wraps. Originally, the release date was scheduled for 2018. Yet, at least I will be with us just in time for the holiday's next year.

If you're nervous about the film's release, we get it, the writing might let us down, the animation may be terrible, it may be directed at the completely wrong audience. Which raises a very good question, which audience should the movie be targeted at?

Considering that Sonic the Hedgehog videogames were enjoyed by many kids who grew up in the 80's and 90's would it be fair to market the film at children? We're really hoping not, but the chances of that happening are still fairly slim, which you'll definitely understand if you have ever seen Deadpool.

Whilst there may not be all that much credible information flying about the internet about the Sonic movie (Even Reddit are letting us down!) we've collated the facts so far.

- The live action feature will contain live action footage and CGI animation. But will the graphics be as tight as we saw with Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy? (Now we really want to see a face-off between the racoon and the hedgehog).

- Sega will be working alongside Paramount Pictures to produce the film.

- The CGI will be created by Marza Animation Planet who have been involved with features such as RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA, MOOM and SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HANLOCK. So, it's safe to say that aside from RESIDENT EVIL they're pretty much new comers to the Hollywood CGI industry. Can they be trusted to nail down Sonic's attitude and speed?

- The budget for the feature is a whopping $90,000,000.





The Actors Bringing the Characters to Life

There are many popular actors who almost made the cut for the film including Christian Bale, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Jason Segel and Tom Cruise. That seems like a pretty top cast to me, but for varying reasons, the casting directions included the following:

Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik,

James Marden as Sheriff Tom Wachowski

Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog

Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone

Tika Sumpter as the Sherriff's wife

We don't see Tails on the bill as of yet, but there are still plenty of actors and actresses who appear on IMDB without a role including Adam Pally, Natasha Rothwell, Neal McDonough and Frank C. Turner.

Whilst it's clear that they've missed a trick not including some of the considered actors (we're definitely talking about Christian Bale and not Tom Cruise), the movie still holds plenty enough promise. Although Sonic fans have already been a little dubious (that's putting things lightly) about the choice of Jim Carey as Eggman due to the vast differences in their voices.

The announcement which happened back on June 29th, 2018 over Twitter caused quite the storm. Even the original voice actor who played the role of Eggman in the videogames was consulted on the matter by the protesting Sonic fans. Valiantly Mike Pollock politely commented that he's more than happy for Carrey to take the role, however he would have gladly jumped at the opportunity.

Has Sonic lost its roots? Or are they just moving on to bigger and "better" things? You can certainly tell that the producers and executives like a gamble. Perhaps they should have just headed over to cute and cuddly slots sites and played Fluffy Fairground and tried their luck there instead of putting Sonic in the hands of some fairly new actors.

The Plot

There are definitely no spoilers hidden away in the plot which leaves us with plenty of room to run with our imaginations.

"A cop in rural town of Green Hills will help Sonic escape from the government who is looking to capture him." (IMDB)

Although, we can be assured that Sonic still remains the lovable rogue that we've come to know from the games. He'll be going head to head with Eggman once more whilst racing against the government who is also attempting to capture him. I don't think you need to be psychic to guess how the film pans out.

We're still waiting for a trailer date, maybe when that drops we'll have a better idea of the film will pan out, but so far, critics aren't very excited about the feature and chances are that it won't be the best video game film adaptation to hit the screen in recent years. Yet, for all of the loyal Sonic fans out there I'd remain open to the possibility of the film allowing you a different side to Sonic which you didn't get to see in the games!
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5 Ways to Choose Video Games for Kids
Monday, 22nd October 2018, 4:18pm (UTC), 0 Comments
Eli is the community and content manager at computerplanet.co.uk who design and build custom gaming PC's, CAD workstations and desktop computers. Eli is a keen gamer and can be found on twitch when not working.
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While video games are widely played among people of all ages in this modern age, kids appreciate these games as a gift because they love to interact with the screen. But it's essential that parents take an important role when choosing video games for the kids. It's important that the videos games should be not only affordable but also fun, educative, and safe.

While video games shouldn't be a kid's primary entertainment form, every parent needs to understand the inevitability of games for their kids, especially when they love to play with their friends. While parents can comprehend this fact, they will be able to choose appropriate video games for their kids. Also, ground rules should be enforced to prevent addition. In this guide, we'll show you five ways to choose video games for kids.

Check & Confirm The Game's Rating

We recommend that you confirm that the game you intend buying has a rating that is best for your kid. Confirm that it is rated using the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) - a nonprofit organization that rates almost every game on the front and back. The rating goes from Early Childhood (EC) to Adults Only (AO), and it's a guide for parents to be judgmental to choose a game appropriate for their kids. The ESRB considers a variety of factor for their ratings, such as the player's level of control over the action, the reward system, and the level of intensity and realism.

Read Reviews About The Game

A review from other parents is an authentic way of choosing suitable video games for your kids. Just type the title in the online search engines, and you'll get a volume of reviews from parents like you. You can visit http://commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews for in-depth studies on kids games, movies, books, etc.

Play Games With Your Kids

Finding time to review and buy a video game for your kids is not enough as finding time to play with them. The best way you can understand the impact of video games on your kids is to play with them. Playing with them gives you the understanding of how the game works; if it's child-friendly and educational. Your familiarity with the game gives you the confidence that it is safe for your kids to play on their own. It's important to know that you must monitor and carefully observe what they play from time to time.

Choose Games From Your Child's Interest

Every child has an area of interest as they grow up, have you discovered that? Discovering the area of interest of your kids as they grow is vital, a child's interest can be to paint, draw, play sports, watch cartoons, etc. Choosing a video game that goes in-line with their interest helps in developing their favorite hobby, and in the long term, aid their career. A sports game for a sporty kid allows him/her to practice on and off the field. Be sure that the games you choose for them aren't a replacement for the real world activity but an occasional compliment.

Control Game Time To Avoid Addiction

Setting boundaries around the game give the kids a proper way of enjoying the game. That way, they look forward to the time set for them to play games, enabling you as a parent to monitor their game intake. Watching them prevents them from getting addicted to the game. It is proper that gaming comes after the kids' homework, home chores, and every other responsibility. Reasonably, 60 to 90 minutes of video games are excellent for any child per day.

Parents who are not familiar with technology may encounter difficulties in choosing video games, read reviews and pick games you can play with your kids. Make sure healthy responsibilities come first before games, and the kids' time is another important factor you must monitor from childhood as they play video games.
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