Daily Wrap-Up 2.7.08
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 6:07 PM
Here's what happened today in the world of videogames, technology and pop culture.
- According to Forbes, everyone's favorite 90s ISP AOL is up for grabs,
- Legendary is coming this summer.
- THQ is entering the music-game business in a big way in April: The company is releasing Band Mash Ups for the Wii.
- According to Reuters: Arcades are dying. Even in Japan!
- David Ortiz, the lead producer on the Madden series for the PS3/360 platforms, has left EA Tiburon.
- Darth Vader will be playable in upcoming videogame Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
- Namco Bandai is going to make you cry like a little baby.
- The website for the upcoming next-gen Alone in the Dark game, Central Dark, is live.
- Let's say you want to go skydiving, but you don't want to deal with all of that pesky outdoor action. What to do? Well, if you're a PlayStation 3 owner, your problems are solved! Enter Go! Sports Skydiving.
--Read More--
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TAGS: Daily Wrap-Up, Videos
Would-Be Gunman Quotes 'Star Wars'
Posted by Matthew Bretz - Thursday, February 07, 2008 5:41 PM
A Tempe, AZ man who had planned a shooting spree at last weekend’s Super Bowl in Glendale, AZ is in custody under suspicion of mailing threatening communications following the alleged dispersal of his 8-page manifesto to media outlets.
Kurt Havelock, upset at having been denied a liquor license for his bar, “Drunkenstein’s” (we can see where that might pose a problem), revealed in his manifesto that he targeted the Super Bowl in order to “shed the blood of the innocent.” That’s after he decided that his original target, the Desert Ridge Marketplace, was unsuitable because it’s too near Scottsdale, which Havelock described as being full of “scum and villainy.”
--Read More--
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Lowlife
X-Play Gaming Update 02.07.08
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Thursday, February 07, 2008 5:15 PM
Today, Adam brings you the latest in gaming news, including Duke Nukem Forever release date snafu, Assassin's Creed for the PC, and Legendary from Gamecock Media Group.
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TAGS: PC Gaming, PlayStation 3, Videogames
'Ninja Reflex' Wii Trailer
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, February 07, 2008 4:16 PM
We've long believed that you cannot make an exciting 3rd party Wii game trailer without having to also show people physically playing the game in question.
Ninja Reflex is no different and features a group of kids that get all ninja suited up. Unfortunately, a ninja suit will not be included in the box.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy: MINIGAMES!!!
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TAGS: Nintendo DS, Videogames, Videos
Electronic Searches To Go To Court
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 3:40 PM
Do you think the government should be able to search through travelers' suitcases when they come into the United States? How about their cell phones and laptops? According to some, that's what our nation's border guards are doing: looking through computers, copying photos and otherwise snooping about in people's electronic possessions. In some cases, companies have altered their policies to require employees to safeguard corporate secrets by clearing laptop hard drives before international travel.
But no one knows exactly what the government's search guidelines are. Today, two civil liberties groups in San Francisco, plan to file a lawsuit to force the government to disclose its policies on border searches. Look for an explosive decision when the truth finally comes out.
We want to know: If the governement copies our harddrive, should we notify Microsoft that an unauthorized version of Windows was created?
Washington Post: Clarity Sought on Electronics Searches
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TAGS: Other People's Misfortune
'Spellborn' QA Diary
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 3:05 PM
We're sure you're itching with desire to know who the Quality Assurance testing is going over at upcoming MMO The Chronicles of Spellborn. Us too, man.
Click the cut for the official developer's diary, and all your dreams will be fulfilled!
--Read More--
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TAGS: Videogames
Researchers Create Holographic Disk
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, February 07, 2008 2:31 PM
 Right now, holographic images are static, boring, and most often found on the Pokeyman cards the kids are so fond of. Not for long!
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a new prototype that can display a holographic image to the naked eye. The image is recorded to a special disk and placed between two special glass plates, which create the 3D image.
At the moment, the prototype is only 4 by 4 inches and red, but they hope to be able to increase the size and color range.
Check out their website and a video of the tech in action here.
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TAGS: Tech
Epic Fail Thursday: Superheroes
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, February 07, 2008 2:16 PM
This week, the shining spotlight of Epic Fail Thursday comes gleaming into the pages of the comic books most of us have held dearly to our hearts since our childhood. In other words, here is TheFeed's list of Epic Fail Superheroes, and may God have mercy on your soul.
This week's Fail is a gift from all of TheFeed's contributors clamoring to tell you who are the worst of the worst when it comes to superheroing. Some of the answers might surprise you.
 Spitfire and the Troubleshooters - As a kid, I tried to get into comic books. People seemed to like them, and I figured I should get in on the action. So, in the Fall of 1986, with allowance secured inside my trusty Velcro wallet, I ventured down to the corner book shop and picked up issue # 1 of Spitfire and the Troubleshooters. A super hero decked out in a badass hi-tech exoskeleton that looked like a roided-out Master Chief seemed like it would be pretty cool. It wasn’t. Perhaps it was the ragtag juvenile sidekicks dubbed “The Troubleshooters,” who sounded like people you’d call if your VCR was on the fritz and who set the tone for similar teams to follow like the one in “Captain Planet” (hey, has anyone mentioned the Captain in this piece?). Long story short: I never did get into comic books.
-mbretz
--Read More--
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TAGS: Comics, Epic Fail
William Morris Snaps Up Habbo
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 2:00 PM
Big time Hollywood agency The William Morris Agency is representing Habbo, the teen virtual world.
Habbo is partnering with the Morris in an effort to extend its reach into the entertainment industry by forging relationships with major studios and TV networks.
Also, to get invited to parties. That's important too.
C21media.net: WMA checks in with Habbo
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Tech
Real People That Look Like Star Wars Figures
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 1:31 PM
 
Look! Real people who resemble Star Wars action figures.
More!
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TAGS: Movies, Toys
3D Realms Nixes 'Duke' Rumors
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 1:01 PM
Ooops... yesterday, we reported that Duke Nukem Forever would be out in 2008. We might be proved wrong. Not our fault though! Our source was mainstream newspaper Dallas Business Journal, but it turns out, according to 3D Realms’ Scott Miller, the 2008 release date, like The Cake, is a lie.
“Quite simply, they are lying bastards and they know it,” Miller wrote.
"In what appears to be an unfortunate turn of events, there seems to have been some confusion between what was 'off the record' and what was not. I suppose we're used to dealing with gaming press and not mainstream press. Lesson learned.
"While we have internal targets, dates and goals, like every developer, we are not ready to share them. What's amazing about this is that the DBJ must have assumed that we'd actually announce a date to them, and not gaming press, and that even in the light of Scott's quote of "We can't make an official announcement.", the DBJ effectively did that. Lesson learned."
The release date is: When it's done.
Next Generation: Duke Nukem Forever is a 'lie'
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TAGS: Other People's Misfortune, Videogames
X-Play Web Xclusive: Gerstmann Interview
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:46 PM
In this hot web exclusive, controversial former Editor-in-Chief of Gamespot.com sits down to chat with X-Play's Adam Sessler. Check out the video below and for more with Gerstmann be sure to tune in to X-Play Tonight, February 7th at 8PM ET.
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TAGS: G4 Web Exclusive, TV, Videogames
Gob Loses Job As KITT's Voice
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, February 07, 2008 11:31 AM
 Will Arnett (Arrested Development) has had to give up his part as the voice of KITT in the upcoming NBC Knight Rider reboot due to some contractual difficulty he has with General Motors. See, Arnett has been a voiceover artist for GM for the better part of the past decade, and the cars used in Knight Rider will be Ford Automobiles. Not only will Ford be providing the automobiles for the show, they are taking an active role in the promotion of the show, as well, so naturally GM doesn't want their spokesman working on it.
So, the producers have had to scramble and find someone else to redo the already-completed voice of KITT, and they've scored a winner with the Real Genius himself, Val Kilmer. Kilmer will go in soon to record the voice, and he'd better hurry since the movie is scheduled to be aired on NBC in the next couple of weeks.
Variety.com: Val Kilmer voices 'Knight Rider'
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TAGS: TV
In-Game Hint Reveals New 'Twisted Metal'
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 11:28 AM
Here's some big news: The development of a PS3 entry in the Twisted Metal series was announced last night. Not via press release, but via an in-game hint in PS2 collection Twisted Metal: Head On.
Poster Finman at Gamefaqs managed to extract the words METAL IS COMING ON PSTHREE from flashing numbers on a DVD documentary included with the game.
Kotaku confirmed the fact with creator David Jaffe, who, interestingly, would not discuss how the game would be distributed. FOr that matter, the cryptic hint offers no word on whether we're talking about a downloadable port of an older game or a brand new Metal. Stay, as they say, tuned.
Jaffe: PS3 Twisted Metal Next Project
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames
iPhone Round Up: 2nd Place, Exploits, Oh My!
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, February 07, 2008 11:26 AM
There was a whole mess of iPhone news today and we're going to collect all here in a friendly blog post for you to read and enjoy.
- #2 Smartphone in the US, #3 Worldwide - The iPhone in its short time on the market has surpassed Windows Mobile-based phones in the United States, grabbing around 28% of the market. RIM's BlackBerry still holds the lead at 41%. (TechCrunch)
- Exploit Found in New Firmware - An exploit in the Mobile Safari browser in firmware 1.1.2 of the iPhone has been found in 1.1.3, which includes new devices being sold currently. A quick fix is to turn of JavaScript, but hopefully Apple will release a quick patch. If an iPhone user browses to a malicious site, their phone could crash. (Wired)
- Apple Cuts Orders, Stock Drops - Apple has once again cut orders for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and MacBook product lines. This lead to a drop in Apple's stock price as they revised their estimates for how many units they would sell in the upcoming quarter. (AppleInsider)
We've got one good story for Apple and two bad ones. Some simple 'rithmatic suggests that this is a bad news day for Apple.
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TAGS: Apple, iPhone, Tech
Circuit City to Delve Into Used Games
Posted by Ty Colfax - Thursday, February 07, 2008 11:21 AM
 The folks over at Circuit City are getting into the used videogame racket, citing some research that puts the resale market at a robust $1.5 billion a year industry in North America. With the used market currently dominated by specialty shops like GameStop and Game Crazy, we can bet there is little worry among the small players. Users are typically loyal in their chosen stamping grounds, and honestly, who goes to Circuit City unless there's not a Best Buy for 100 miles?
That said, sometimes among the uninformed (thrift stores, yard sales) you can find some real gems, and so a couple trips to Circuit City might be in order just to see if their pricing on used games is as off as their marketing campaigns and store layouts.
Wow, that came out of nowhere.
circuitcity.com
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TAGS: Videogames
'Juno' Getting A Videogame?
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, February 07, 2008 11:10 AM
 We know that lots of movies have game tie-ins these days, but this one might be pushing it a little too far. Rumors have surfaced suggesting that Fox Searchlight has made contact with Crave Entertainment and 7 Studios in an effort to have them develop a game based on the hit indie film Juno. We can't for the life of us imagine what this might entail, but we have to admit to being at least a little intrigued.
Especially if there's any part of the game that involves getting Ellen Page pregnant, because that would be one of the best game simulators on the market, if you catch our drift. Otherwise, what's it going to be all about? Successfully evading the advances of older men who are into Sonic Youth? Making pithy commentary that shows that you are wise beyond your years? We'll keep you posted.
Gamespot.com: Juno getting game treatment?
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TAGS: Movies, Videogames
'Karaoke Revolution: American Idols' Here
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 11:02 AM
 This is the single most embarrassing admission I will ever make on G4's website, but, other than the usually poor choice in songs, I love karaoke videogames.
I own SingStar. I pick the singer position in Rock Band. And I have pipes, dude. I'll sing the hell out of "Run To The Hills." I say all this as a means of explaining my interest in the fact that:
Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore is available now the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 system from Microsoft, Nintendo Wii, and PS3.
Konami has developed a game that lets players sing through a full season of competition of “American Idol”. It features 40 and several modes of play. According to it's manufacturer: Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore delivers an immersive “American Idol” game experience as players sing their way to fame.
I'm no big American Idol fan. I just like to caterwaul. Sue me.
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Wii
Viacom To Buy Take Two Interactive?
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:58 AM
 Take-Two Interactive, responsible for such games as Bully, Manhunt 2, Table Tennis, and BioShock, has long been rumored to be on the market, and various suitors have been mentioned with none of the rumors bearing fruit. So, with that in mind, the latest rumor has Viacom buying Take-Two.
This rumor might hold a little more water than most, as everyone knows that Viacom has been interested in making an entry into the gaming world for quite some time. Buying a studio with the heft of Take-Two would certainly accomplish the splashy entry they're looking for, but, at the moment, it's only a rumor.
Maybe Viacom's success with Rock Band is enticing them to step further into the gaming space, eh?
Kotaku: Rumor: Viacom To Buy Take-Two?
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TAGS: Videogames
'Force Unleashed' Legos
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:53 AM
You'll want these Force Unleashed Legos.
Buy them here. (Via kotaku.)
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TAGS: Toys, Videogames
Major League Eating Game Announced!
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:29 AM
 In perhaps the most stunning announcement in videogame history, Mastiff games has acquired the rights to Major League Eating (MLE), meaning the game world will finally get the gluttony simulator it has always wanted.
MLE: The Game requires players to "show brilliant on-screen eating; a mastery of offensive and defensive weapons including burps, belches, and mustard gas; and of course the technical mastery necessary to avoid emptying one's stomach in a vividly colored reversal of fortune."
"Major League Eaters aren't just elite athletes," says Bill Swartz, Head Woof at Mastiff. "They are the people who built America. Or at least the competitive eating part of America. And I am deeply honored that the International Federation of Competitive Eating and Major League Eating choose Mastiff as their exclusive videogame partner."
"We knew this sport would lend itself very well to an interactive format," said George Shea of Major League Eating. "Mastiff has the stomach and the sense of humor to pull this off."
We'll breathlessly let you in on details as soon as we get them, if we don't die of a plaque induced coronary, of course.
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TAGS: Videogames
Go Skydiving On Your PS3
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:10 AM
Let's say you want to go skydiving, but you don't want to deal with all of that pesky outdoor action. What to do? Well, if you're a PlayStation 3 owner, your problems are solved! Enter Go! Sports Skydiving, which will allow you not only to jump from planes in a virtual sense, but also to perform aerial tricks and the like.
So, agoraphobes and people who don't like the feeling of wind rushing against your face, you can tell everyone you've been skydiving. Of course, if you're a gamer, you can also tell them you own a mech suit, save the world on a regular basis, and play in the professional sports league of your choice. So, there's that.
PlayStation Blog: Go! Skydiving From the Comfort of Your Sofa
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames
'Alone In The Dark' Website Scary, Spooky
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, February 07, 2008 9:58 AM
The website for the upcoming next-gen Alone in the Dark game, Central Dark, is live, and looks pretty darn spooky. Purporting to be from a group of anonymous mystery hunters, the site sets up the kind of ARG fun we wish we had to time to fully delve into.
Featuring malformed trees, the "fact" that NYC's Central Park is not built on American soil, secrete tunnels under the city, and some info on the razing of Seneca Hill, once a thriving community in what is now Central Park, the site offers mysterious clues to what we can expect from the horror title. Also, a link to this site buried deep within continues the self-directed web exploration, if that's your thing, man.
As fans of Lovecraft, this kind of mysterious, Gothic horror is right up our alley.
Check out the site yourself.
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