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Daily Wrap-Up 2.25.08Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Monday, February 25, 2008 5:50 PM
Here's what went down today in the world of videogames, technology and pop culture!
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X-Play Gaming Update 02.25.08Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Monday, February 25, 2008 5:31 PM
Today, Adam brings you all the latest in gaming news, including EA's proposed buyout of Take-Two and Phil Harrison resigns from Sony.
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New Wii Shop Content Is Here!Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Monday, February 25, 2008 4:54 PM
The Crystal Shards was Kirby's debut on the Nintendo 64 and his first 3-D adventure, and focused on his desire to reassemble the 100 shards of a crystal that would save the universe from a villain known as Dark Matter. Psychosis, on the other hand, allows you to enter the mindset of a twisted demon who wants to cause evil worldwide. Sounds like fun, eh? Go. Check them out!
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Trailer: 'Run Fatboy Run!'Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Monday, February 25, 2008 4:24 PM
Simon Pegg, who you will recall as the star of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, stars in Run Fatboy Run, a movie he wrote with perennial hipster Michael Ian Black, and directed by unearthed Friends star David Schwimmer. You should watch the trailer. Where will you find it? Well, look below.
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DivX Shutting Down Stage6Posted by Brian Leahy - Monday, February 25, 2008 2:51 PM
In just 3 short days, DivX will shut down Stage6.com, citing rising costs for keeping the service running. In a note to users on the site from Tom, a DivX employee, he states: "...we plan to shut down Stage6 on February 28, 2008. Upload functionality has already been turned off, and you’ll be able to view and download videos until Thursday." Tough breaks for DivX. While it's a great format, it definitely got beaten by Flash in the streaming video game. If you're a Stage6 user, start looking elsewhere.
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FCC: Pixels Not Good Enough!Posted by Frank Meyer - Monday, February 25, 2008 1:58 PM
Yes, the Federal Communications Commission has rejected Fox's arguments that an episode of the defunct reality program Married to America did not violate the nation's indecency laws because female breasts and buttocks during a raunchy bachelor party scene were pixilized, and fined 13 Fox stations and affiliates $7,000 each over the April 2003 incident. "To be sure, the pixilation of the female strippers' naked breasts and buttocks does render the material less explicit and graphic than it would have been in the absence of pixilation," the commission said. "However, the material is still sufficiently graphic and explicit to support an indecency finding."
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Fat Lady Sings: MS Drops HD-DVDPosted by Mike D'Alonzo - Monday, February 25, 2008 1:23 PM
It's been coming for a long while now, and the other shoe has finally dropped. Microsoft says they will no longer make HD-DVD part of their plans and they won't continue to produce the HD-DVD player as an add-on for the XBox 360, effectively driving the last nail into the DVD format wars once and for all. There's even speculation that Microsoft will begin production of a Blu-Ray player, though that is strictly rumor at this point. They might also just concentrate on the digital download service for a long while and let the fallout do what it will. Still, who could have seen this coming even a few short months ago? Microsoft has dropped the price of the HD-DVD add-on to $50, while supplies last. Next Generation: Microsoft Drops HD-DVD
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Gamefly Shows 'Frontlines' In FrontPosted by Mike D'Alonzo - Monday, February 25, 2008 12:13 PM
Each week, Gamefly keeps track of what gamers are looking for with a list of the top ten most requested games across all platforms each week. This week, the top requested title is Frontlines: Fuel of War for the XBox 360. As for the rest of the list...well, you're going to have to check it all yourself. Gamefly's Cross-Platform Top Ten
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Video of all 7 XNA Community GamesPosted by Brian Leahy - Monday, February 25, 2008 12:11 PM
At GDC, Microsoft released their plans for the XNA Community Games platform and 7 trial games went live on the service. They are:
After the break, X-Play's interview with Microsoft on XNA.
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Nugget From the NetPosted by Mike D'Alonzo - Monday, February 25, 2008 11:47 AM
Friends, we've been making a horrible mistake since the early 80's. See, we've been reading Garfield all wrong. Now, there's a website that shows us that the removal of the titular feline is all that is required to make this a genuine hoot. The first one is free, then you're hooked through the bag. Go git.
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Nokia Nano-Tech Concept is Out TherePosted by Brian Leahy - Monday, February 25, 2008 11:44 AM
Nokia wants to solve all your problems with portable electronics by releasing a device that could change its shape to fit any purpose. Of course, this tech is years and years away and it'll probably never happen in our lifetime, but it's kind of cool to think about. The concept, called Morph, would use nanotechnology to reshape itself, display information, and accept input in any form. Engadget: Nokia's nanotech Morph goes on display, signals melting devices in our future
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Dr. Dre’s New Chronic CognacPosted by Frank Meyer - Monday, February 25, 2008 11:44 AM
Yes, it was announced today that the good Dr. is an equity owner in a new beverage venture with Drinks American Holdings Inc. that will produce and market both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. The first product under the new deal is a premium cognac, followed by a new sparkling vodka. "I'm always down for a new challenge," Dr. Dre said in a statement. "When Drinks Americas approached me about going into business with them, I knew there was a lot of competition out there but it was the same way when I started doing music. I'm going to put the best product out there, because that's what I do."
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Rice Paper: The Vampire Chronicles ReturnPosted by Frank Meyer - Monday, February 25, 2008 11:35 AM
The potentially bad news: the book will have a definite Christian framework and a focus on the theme of redemption to reflect the born again beliefs she adopted four years ago. "I don't see it as a violation of my promise,” she explained in a recent interview, “because I won't be writing about vampires in the same way." Oh great.
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eBay Auctions Down 13% Due to BoycottPosted by Ty Colfax - Monday, February 25, 2008 11:13 AM
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Pakistan Kills YouTubePosted by Stephen Johnson - Monday, February 25, 2008 11:00 AM
If you logged onto the youtube yesterday to post a LOL-riffic video of your cat playing the piano or an impassioned response to EmoGirl443 vlog about her parents lack of empathy, you may have been thwarted. Almost all of youtube.com was down for around two hours yesterday because of the nation of Pakistan. Our friends in the Pakistanie government recently decided to block the video-sharing site from their citizens: Apparently, too many anti-Islamic vids were showing up for their taste. But, due to a technical SNAFU, practically all of youtube was shut down as Pakistan's telecom companies attempted to block youtube access. Seemingly, Pakistan's Telecom industry "hijacked" the web server address of youtube; the details of the "hijack" were leaked out into the wider internet, and YouTube was blocked by ISPs around the world. Youtube-owners Google issued a statement saying: "Traffic to YouTube was routed according to erroneous internet protocols, and many users around the world could not access our site."
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Japan Launching Internet SatellitePosted by Brian Leahy - Monday, February 25, 2008 11:00 AM
Say goodbye, FIOS. Japan is launching a new satellite that hopes to offer 1.2Gbps downloads to subscribers on the ground. The satellite would also be effective in providing internet access in the case of emergencies that disable standard connections. Users on the ground would be required to install a special antenna, but for speeds like that you can bet they'd be willing to do it. Also, they can brag that their internet comes from space! Look for more news on this project when it launches into orbit in July. Gizmodo: Japan's Kizuna Satellite to Beam Souped Up Internet Connection Back Home
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Take-Two Rejects EA's OfferPosted by Brian Leahy - Monday, February 25, 2008 10:33 AM
Strauss Zelnick, Executive Chairman of the Board of Take-Two said, “Electronic Arts’ proposal provides insufficient value to our shareholders and comes at absolutely the wrong time given the crucial initiatives underway at the Company." Noting that this move by EA is probably an attempt to secure Take-Two for cheap before Grand Theft Auto IV launches, they added:
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Tech Review: USB Mini Archade BasketballPosted by Ty Colfax - Monday, February 25, 2008 9:43 AM
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'WipEout HD' Trailer, Screens, TracksPosted by Stephen Johnson - Monday, February 25, 2008 9:19 AM
WipEout HD has a trailer.  
Watch the large version of this video And some screenshots. Plus, a track list is under the cut!
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Take-Two Stock Soars, EA's FallsPosted by Stephen Johnson - Monday, February 25, 2008 8:25 AM
If you've diversified your investment portfolio into Take-Two stock (instead of the Llama farms and timeshare condos we're stuck with) today is your lucky day: Take-Two's stock has soared to $26 a share, from around $17 a share on Friday. Electronic Arts, who hopes to take over the company, has seen their stock fall $1.77 to $47.97. According to Forbes (who know a lot more about stocks than we do), the rise in Take-Two's prices indicates that "the bigger firm has targeted its prey with enough firepower to bring it down."
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Harrison To Leave SonyPosted by Stephen Johnson - Monday, February 25, 2008 8:17 AM
"The past 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment has been the defining journey of my life so far. I am grateful to all the PlayStation family for their incredible support, guidance and friendship," Harrison said. "It has been a privilege to serve as part of the team and be inspired by them on a daily basis. I am so proud of everything PlayStation has achieved and will continue to support its future in every way I can." Sony President Kaz Hirai said: "As one of the founding members of SCE, Phil played a key role in the development and growth of the PlayStation business and our industry," Kaz Hirai said. "It is sad to see him departing from SCE, but I wish to express my gratitude for his many invaluable contributions and also wish Phil the very best of luck in his future endeavours." Although it is far from official, there is a rumor on the internet that Harrison plans to move to Atari.
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EA Lays Offer On Table, WebsitePosted by Stephen Johnson - Monday, February 25, 2008 8:01 AM
If you want to delve deeply into the insider talks regarding EA's takeover of Take-Two, EA has set up a website for you to enjoy. Among the interesting facts:
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EA Offers $2 Bil. For Take-TwoPosted by Stephen Johnson - Monday, February 25, 2008 7:45 AM
Take-Two? More like take two billion. Electronic Arts has offered two billion dollars in a bid to take over Take-Two interactive. Take-Two, so far, has rebuffed EA's offers. "There can be no certainty that in the future EA or any other buyer would pay the same high premium we are offering today," EA Chief Executive John Riccitiello wrote in a letter to Take-Two released Sunday. "Electronic Arts' proposal provides insufficient value to our shareholders and comes at absolutely the wrong time," Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick replied in a statement. At issue: Grand Theft Auto 4. While EA contends a takeover would allow the publishing juggernaut to put its marketing power behind the upcoming blockbuster, Take-Two would like to wait until after the game is released to talk turkey with EA. Take-Two's was worth $15.83 on Feb. 15, and EA's offer is buy the stock at $26 a share. Associated Press: Electronic Arts Offers $2B for Take-Two |
Each and every week, the Wii Shop channel offers some downloadable content for you Nintendo fans who are looking to enhance your already enhanced gaming experience. This week, there are two new games that hearken back to a bygone era. First is Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and second is Psychosis.
So under the latest Federal Communications Commission ruling, simply pixilating naked body parts is not enough to avoid an indecency ruling.
Like 50 Cent before him, hip hop mega-producer Dr. Dre is getting into the beverages business.
The good news: After taking a four-year break from the series due to religious reasons, author Ann Rice will be writing one more book in her Vampire Chronicles series.
Take-Two has rejected EA's offer of a stock buyout for $26 a share (which is now what Take-Two is trading at after the markets opened today, up from $17).
Phil Harrison, the head of Sony's in-house game studio, is leaving the company, beginning the 29th of February.