One year on from the record release of Mortal Kombat X; NetherRealm Studios Creative Director Ed Boon has polled fans on the controversial subject of absentee characters.

Using a Twitter poll: Boon asked which character fans missed the most, isolating his options to just four characters. With a 45% majority, Noob Saibot was the overwhelming winner. Popularly requested cult favourite Rain came second with 22%.

European gaming site Gamereactor has a new feature interview with Ed Boon discussing some of the basic beats of Mortal Kombat X.

Not a lot of new information to speak of, but the NetherRealm Studios Creative Director and Mortal Kombat co-creator touches on the influence of fandom and how the team manages content. Registered users can give their thoughts on the Mortal Kombat X forum.

Crystal Steltenpohl, MA, Psychology, College of Science & Health of DePaul University is conducting a survey of gamers who identify as part of the Fighting Game Community. The specific intent of the study is undisclosed, but transparently quizzes gamers on social aspects of gaming, user interaction, and gaming specifics.

If you weren't watching the web last month, you may have missed this bad ass NetherRealm Studios tribute to Avalanche Studios' Mad Max! Check Jax out below:

Early in 2014, student film maker Anthony Pellino showed us the first images from his short college film: Mortal Kombat: The Chosen One. Three semesters on, the 12 minute short is complete and ready for viewing:

If you've ever wondered why Mortal Kombat was banned in Australia a couple of years ago, the following video may just explain it. RackaRacka have clearly taken their Mortal Kombat X fandom to new levels, demonstrating exactly what happens when Aussies play. Explicit Content Warning: The following clip contains scenes of extreme graphic violence, gore, and coarse language. Not suitable for viewers under the age of 15.

The crowd funding journey has official ended for Insert Coin: Inside Midway's 90s Revolution - and the coins were indeed inserted.

1,250 backers have emerged to help far and away exceed the documentary project's original target of $75,000 - achieving $79.5k at the time of this writing! The pledge ensures the retrospective film will go ahead, with a tentative targeted Blu-Ray release for 2017.

The achievement was clearly humbling for former Midway Games developer and documentarian Joshua Tsui. Writing to the project's Kickstarter page, he expressed gratitude and excitement in a statement:

Fan campaigns and petitions have become a staple of social media fandom throughout the promotional life of Mortal Kombat X. For every omitted character and potential crossover - there is likely one or more attempts to support it to reality.

Not all petitions are created equal, but occasionally a sound idea and swell of interest breaks out from the ever growing pack. Nearing 4,000 e-signatures at the time of this writing - the message behind We Want An MK Lore Encyclopedia has been heard loud and clear!

The petition has been tirelessly circulated by fan Myke Snow. Among the most prominent supporters of an MK Encyclopaedia is Shawn Kittelsen. As writer of DC Comics' Mortal Kombat X series, he's helped usher Mortal Kombat in its return to print, and spent much time digging into character history, whilst navigating the pitfalls of unreliable online sources. Many NetherRealm Studios staff have also shown enthusiasm and support, including MKX Producer Andrew Stein, and Cinematic Director Dominic Cianciolo!

Chances are you know John Vogel best as one of the stalwarts of the Mortal Kombat design team. As a developer, he's helped steer the course of Kombat through multiple generations, including his well remembered role as writer for 2002's Deadly Alliance and sequel Deception.

As of April; your pal and mine has turned his impeccable skills as writer and artist to the world of webcomics with Skitter!

If you're expecting demonic warlords and deadly fists of kung-fu -- stow those expectations in the nearest pigeon hole! Skitter is "what bugs do when humans are near" and tells the madcap tales of spider Jack and his insect pals. Expect punch lines, not punches.