Daily Wrap-Up 1.31.08
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 6:07 PM
Here's what happened today in videogames, popular culture and technology:
--Read More--
Permalink
|
TAGS: Daily Wrap-Up, Videos
X-Play Gaming Update 01.31.08
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Thursday, January 31, 2008 5:54 PM
Today, Morgan brings you the latest in gaming news, including the 2007 Game Critics Awards, Halo Wars, Street Fighter IV, and GTA IV.
Permalink
|
Archival Rock Footage Unearthed
Posted by Ty Colfax - Thursday, January 31, 2008 3:33 PM
 Ever seen those super8 films that they show in movies sometimes? Ever enjoyed of the incredible clarity of BETA firsthand? Well, soon enough you'll be able to see what it was these obsolete formats took in back in the day. A joint venture between the Infernal Machine Music Archive and Rockworld.tv is going to give us a glimpse into the classic rock pantheon with footage from Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Beatles, and The Who.
They're going to retouch and restore the footage and it'll be free to watch as it streams at rockworld.tv.
Programming Note: it's only available through Internet Explorer and you gotta be running Windows.
uncut.co.uk: Rare Led Zep Footage to be Braodcast in New Classic Rock Series
Permalink
|
TAGS: Internets Culture, Music
PlayStation Store Update Live
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 2:54 PM
After last week's incredible PSN update, you can't really ask all that much from Sony this week. It's a lackluster update, sure, but there are some gems within this week's downloadables. We're gonna check out that Conflict demo and the trailer for Prom Night.
Click the cut for the full word on what's available right now.
--Read More--
Permalink
|
TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames
'Montel' Ending Its Run After 17 Years
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, January 31, 2008 2:37 PM
 An golden era in American television will come to an end at the end of the season, when The Montel Williams Show will cease production after 17 long years on the air. And just when we'd started to believe that Montel would be with us forever, too. Just goes to show, we guess, that you can't count on anything or anyone sticking around in your life, especially when you need them the most.
We're sorry. It's a touchy subject around here. It's just that Montel himself promised us he wasn't going anywhere, but here he is, packing up and leaving us with all of the problems that he was always there to help solve. How do you replace a presence like his? It's pointless to try.
Yahoo! News: It's a wrap for "Montel"
Permalink
|
TAGS: TV
Sony's Game Division Turns Profit
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 2:21 PM
Like AC/DC, Sony's game division is back in the proverbial black. That's right: Based on strong holiday PlayStation 3 sales and a consumer-friendly pricing policy, Sony's gamers turned a profit last quarter.
Sony's profits rose 25% for the quarter. In spite of strong sales this year, Sony did lowered annual sales goal of PS3s from 11 million to 9.5 million. But they increased the number of PSPs they expect to sell from 10 million to 13 million.
Grats.
Engadget: Sony's game division finally turns a profit -- sells 4.9M PS3s in Q3
Permalink
|
TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames
The Cos Gets Dope
Posted by Ty Colfax - Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:27 PM
 HOLLA! Hook it up on the clean, friendly rap skeelz of da dope emcee B.C.
State of Emergency drops soon, ya'll. It's going to be Bill's foray into the rap world so that he can foist his values about what teens should be doing into their culture. Does he really think this is going to work?
Listen, the great comedians always find new ways to make us laugh, and half of us think this is just some ploy by a brilliant comedian to pull one over on us. The sad truth is that he's using his standing to try to change the world, and while what he's saying may be true, it just doesn't carry the same weight.
y fooles always gotta step!? stop steppin and get to steppin!
allhiphop.com: Bill Cosby Working on Rap Album
Permalink
|
TAGS: Music
Heads of Google in it for 20 Years
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:13 PM
 The three heads of the internet Cerberus Google revealed in an interview that they pledged to "work together for 20 years" right before the company went public in 2004.
Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt are in it for the long haul... of making billions and billions of dollars. Excuse us while we play the worlds tiniest .midi file.
Hit the break for a glimpse 16 years into the future for our coverage of Google's Threeway Retirement Extravaganza of 2024:
I4U News: Top Google Execs pledged to stay 20 years: Report
--Read More--
Permalink
|
TAGS: Internets Culture, Tech
MacBook Air Tiny Chips Going to PCs?
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:03 PM
The MacBook Air Core2Duo processor that Intel designed at the request of Apple is available for PC manufacturers to use. This could allow another company to try and unseat Apple from its new throne in the Smallest Laptop Castle.
Two companies have apparently moved to use the processors, but there is no confirmation of who they are.
The chips are 60% smaller than previous mobile Core2Duo processors and use less energy, though still utilize 65nm instead of Intel's new 45nm process.
Be on the lookout for more super-slim notebooks in the coming months with a bit of a PC flavor.
Yahoo News: PC Makers to Adopt Chips Used in MacBook Air
Permalink
|
TAGS: Apple, PC Gaming, Tech
CES 2008: Netgear Gaming Router
Posted by Eugene Morton - Thursday, January 31, 2008 12:30 PM
There are probably at least fifty Wi-Fi devices in your house and we’re willing to bet that at least one of them is a gaming console. You’re a bandwidth hog. Don’t be embarrassed, there’s no shame in your game, except when the games you play on Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network get lagged down because of your weak home network. Enter Netgear with a high speed solution for all of you gamers, the Netgear Gaming Router. Game on!
Permalink
|
TAGS: CES, G4 Web Exclusive, PC Gaming
March 'Rock Band' Tracks Leaked
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 12:18 PM
We realize Rock Band's track listings aren't exactly nuclear secrets or anything, but damn, Harmonix sure has a hard time keeping them under wraps. This month, the entire March schedule of downloadable songs have hit the internet, in the form of a scan of an advertisement from an as-yet unpublished Official Xbox Magazine.
Still could be fake, but it's seems real to us. Here's the list:
Week of March 4: Thrash Pack
- Blinded By Fear - At The Gates
- Thrasher - Evile
- Shadow World - Haunted
Week of March 11:
- Shooting Star - Bad Company *Cover*
- Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Message In A Bottle - Police
Week of March 18: Nine Inch Nails Pack
- March Of The Pigs
- The Collector
- The Perfect Drug
Week of Mar. 25: Metal Pack
- Wrathchild - Ironmaiden *Cover*
- Supernaut - Black Sabbath *Cover*
- Fuel - Metallica
--Read More--
Permalink
|
TAGS: Music, Videogames
Garmin's Attempt at iPhone Killer
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:42 AM
We've seen phone makers try to incorporate GPS into their cells with varying degrees of success, but how about the other way around?
Garmin is giving it the 'ol college try with their new "nuvifone".
The iPhone-looking device will (of course) include GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi, and a 3.5" touch display. It will run on Garmin's own OS, which we believe will be the phone's biggest downfall.
No details on price, release date, or carrier.
Engadget: Garmin announces the nuvifone
Permalink
|
TAGS: iPhone, Products, Tech
'Broncos' Gets A Cast
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:37 AM
 Jared Hess, the director of both Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, has a new feature in the hopper, and it has a cast. Gentlemen Broncos will star Sam Rockwell, Michael Angarano, and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement in the story of a fantasy novelist who steals ideas from a high school kid at a writers' camp.
Angarano (Lords of Dogtown) will play the teen, while Clement will play the novelist who steals the material, and Sam Rockwell will play the fictional character that inhabits both projects. It sounds kind of funny, and we're definitely looking forward to seeing it. Hopefully, it will worth the wait.
Variety.com: Cast saddles up for 'Broncos'
Permalink
|
TAGS: Movies
Amazon Snatches Audible in Buyout
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:25 AM
 Amazon.com is flexing its buyout muscle and moving to purchase Audible.com by the second quarter of this year. The move will run Amazon a cool $300 million, but we think they have the cash.
Audible already provides its content through Amazon and other outlets like iTunes, but Amazon might make a play to go exclusive with their newly owned collection.
They are already attempting to run the eBook market with their new Kindle device, but the device's price might hinder that front for the time being.
Hit the jump for our CES 2008 coverage of Amazon's Kindle.
--Read More--
Permalink
|
TAGS: Internets Culture, Products, Tech
Standalone GH Axes in March
Posted by Ty Colfax - Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:25 AM
You'll finally be able to get yourself a Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul gitaxe without having to buy the game that normally comes with it. You can grab up the 360, PS3, or Wii version; or all three if you're feeling heavy of wallet.
Some pictures of the boxes we'll all be seeing on our local dealer's shelves in March can be seen over at this other videogame blog.
PrimoTechnology.com: Guitar Hero III Standalone Guitars Priced, Dated, Pictured
Permalink
|
TAGS: Products, Videogames
'Facebreaker' Brings Fun To Boxing
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:17 AM
Sure, we love boxing videogames like Fight Night for their realism, but you can't beat an oldie like Mike Tyson's Punch Out when it comes to good ol' arcade-style boxing action. Well, this is precisely what EA Sports is looking to bring back to the fold with their new IP Facebreaker, an arcade-style boxing game that allows you to literally break the face of your opponent in an effort to knock them out.
The best thing about the game? It uses racial stereotypes to make jokes with! Yep, there's the Latin Lothario boxer, complete with 'pelvic thrusts,' and the Russian demolitions expert who likes to 'fight dirty,' just like during the Cold War! Oh, boy, oh, boy is this going to be good stuff.
It'll come out for the Wii, the PS3 and the 360 in 2008.
Permalink
|
TAGS: PlayStation 3, Sports, Videogames
'Lineage 2' Players To Change Sex
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:15 AM
Today is my lucky day! I'll finally be able to get that sex change operation I've always wanted...at least in Lineage 2. And it's a bargain: Only 10 bucks.
That's right, transgendered Lineage players can finally let out there inner elf woman or dwarf woman or whatever the hell you are in Lineage.
Name changes will run you $29.99, but escaping your evil reputation in an MMO is priceless. Consider this: in real life, to change your identity and start a brand new life, you have to either commit a number of federal crimes or join the French Foreign Legion, and neither option is very fun.
Lineage 2 Account Service Page (via kotaku)
Permalink
|
TAGS: PC Gaming, Videogames
Nugget From The Net
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:03 AM
The above picture is a cheeseburger in a can.
Works like this: Buy it. Drop it in boiling water. Fish it out. Then you can has.
It sounds ridiculous at first, but then imagine it's the post-Apocalypse and you're the only one who stocked up on cheeseburger cans. Cha-ching!
A poster on Something Awful did just that, then shared pics and thoughts with the internet. Aren't you lucky?
Or, if you wanna, buy your own.
Permalink
|
TAGS: Nuggets From The Nets
Egypt Internet Severed, 70% Outtage
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:03 AM
What happens when two of the giant undersea cables that provide internet to a country get severed for some accidental reason? 70% of Egypt's internet gets knocked out, that's what.
All of Egypt's web traffic has been shifted to a 3rd cable, but there isn't enough bandwidth to go around.
Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (basically, their IT department) has warned that "people who download music and films are going to affect businesses who have more important things to do."
Hey! Egyptian kids, stop all the downloading.
Ars Technica: Egypt says lay off music, movie downloads after 'Net outage
Permalink
|
TAGS: Internets Culture, Other People's Misfortune
Epic Fail Thursday: The Super Bowl
Posted by Ty Colfax - Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:59 AM
Super Bowl, for making us believe all these years, for building us up just to break us down, and for making us watch Brian Boitano skate and twirl around for the halftime show in '92, you are this Thursday's Epic Fail.
Let us first start with the game itself:
Wide Right! from Scott Norwood in Super Bowl XXV - After an incredible drive from the legendary Jim Kelly held together by great runs from Thurman Thomas, Norwood misses a potential game-winning field goal in the closing seconds. Providing the villain for Ace Ventura does not make up for this epic failure. See the last 10 minutes of the game on the tube.
The Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV - XXVIII - Four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Four losses. Epic fail.
The Game Every Year - Because of frequent disparities between the two leagues of the NFL, one team typically blows out the other, meaning months of anticipation, and weeks of analysis all add up to one trumped up, anticlimactic event that becomes about everything except the actual game, because the game usually sucks.
--Read More--
Permalink
|
TAGS: Epic Fail, Other People's Misfortune, TV
'Second Skin' Trailer
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:51 AM
Are you interested in a documentary about MMOs? Good, because one is coming. Second Skin, made by Pure West Films, follows the travails of addicts, guild leaders and assorted MMO-dwellers as they get addicted, fall in love, pwn noobs and otherwise get lootz.
Check out the brand new trailer at Second Skin's official site.
Permalink
|
TAGS: Movies, Videogames
Brand Spankin' New 'Soulcalibur IV' Images
Posted by Justin Fassino - Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Namco Bandai sent over a heaping helping of new Soulcalibur IV media showing off some of the cast from the game.
SCIV is slated for a summer release on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Aside from the traditional weapon-based combat and staple characters, the game will boast pretty graphics and a few new faces, most notable Darth Vader and Yoda from the Star Wars universe.
Click the banner for the complete screen gallery; in the meantime I'm going to go practice making lightsaber noises.
Permalink
|
TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Xbox 360
'And Then There Were None' Teaser
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:55 AM
We know you have been waiting for this one: Agatha Christie is back. She's on the Wii and she's p*sssssed.
The island of Sticklehaven will never be the same.
Permalink
|
TAGS: Other People's Misfortune, Videogames, Wii
1.31.08: Never Forget
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, January 31, 2008 8:53 AM
January 31st is written in all our hearts. Today marks the one year anniversary of one of the most pivotal days in American history: The day the courageous police and fireman of Boston, MA saved the world from a Mooninite invasion. Never forget, people.
It began with the initial invasion:Ignignokts stunned the city with his blinking light attack (Note TheFeed's early assement of the danger). But Boston countered wit |
