Daily Wrap-Up 5.13.08
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 6:00 PM
Check out what went down today in the world of videogames, popular culture and technology.
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TAGS: Daily Wrap-Up, Videos
X-Play's 'Gears 2' Inerview with Cliff Bleszinski
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 5:10 PM
We've got an extended, uncut version of X-Play's Exclusive Interview with Cliff Bleszinski about the recently revealed Gears of War 2.
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TAGS: G4, G4 Web Exclusive, Videogames
Apple Toying With Variables?
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 4:11 PM
 Despite initial opposition to the concept, Apple appears to be warming up to the idea of variable pricing.
How so?
Well, a newly announced deal with HBO finds Apple selling some of the company's original TV series at different prices: $2 for episodes of Sex and the City, The Wire and Flight of the Conchords, or $3 for The Sopranos, Deadwood and Rome.
But will they take this route for music pricing?
Only time (and profit) will tell…, however, that this will translate to differentiated pricing for music anytime soon.
Billboard.com: Apple Warms To Variable Pricing?
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Music, TV
Gizmondo is Coming Back
Posted by Ty Colfax - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 3:55 PM
Gizmondo is BACK, BABY!
Remember that trainwreck of a handheld concept that was a trumped up investment scam bent on capitalizing on the growing gaming trend? Well, if you don't remember it, it's called the Gizmondo and Founder Carl Freer is bringing it back. The 2.0 Gizmondo will get a new graphics chip, Windows CE 6.0, and a bunch of original content downloadable through the gizmondo web site.
We've been hurt before. Will this time be different? It should drop in "Winter 2008." The first day of winter is December 22. Just fyi.
gizmodo.com: Gizmondo to Rise From the Dead in Winter 2008, Founder Says
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TAGS: Other People's Misfortune, Products, Tech
'Alone in the Dark' Music Video
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 3:45 PM
Atari's franchise reboot of Alone in the Dark looks even better as a music video featuring a track from Yppah. The game releases on June 24, 2008 for PC and Xbox 360.
Wii and PS2 versions will also be released, but they probably won't look like this.
The PlayStation 3 version should be out shortly thereafter.
Be sure to check out two additional in-game videos after the jump.
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TAGS: PC Gaming, PlayStation 3, Videogames
Prepare To Get Re-Electrified!
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 3:24 PM
 The Electric Company is coming back for an all-new generation of kids ready to learn!
For those of you under 30, The Electric Company was the other PBS show made by The Sesame Workshop…the first being, of course, Sesame Street.
The 1970s series was targeted for children ages 6-9 and promoted literacy and reading. Actors Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno and Spiderman were among the cast.
Production for the series is scheduled to begin Tuesday on location in New York and in a Newark, N.J., studio. Weekly episodes will start to air in January on PBS Kids.
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TAGS: Internets Culture, TV
Seven 'Ninja Gaiden II' Character Videos
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 2:54 PM
Had enough Ninja Gaiden II? NEVER!
Check out seven videos featuring some of the characters Ryu will meet during the game.
Volf:
More videos after the break.
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TAGS: Videogames, Videos, Xbox 360
'Ninja Gaiden II' Launch Trailer
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 2:31 PM
Ninja Gaiden II hits store shelves on June 3, 2008, but the official launch trailer hits NOW!
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TAGS: Videogames, Videos, Xbox 360
Microsoft vs. Sony on 'GTA IV' Sales
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 2:03 PM
 We have to wait until later this week for official NPD numbers for Grand Theft Auto IV and hardware sales, but that isn't stopping Microsoft and Sony from trying to spin the Gamestop numbers their way.
For those that missed it yesterday, Gamestop released their figures, which saw the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV accounting for 60% of all copies sold.
Microsoft's take on this? "These sales results add GTA IV to a long list of franchises that have switched over from Playstation to find a new home on Xbox 360 similar to what happened last year with titles like Madden and Guitar Hero."
How is Sony going to answer?
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TAGS: Grand Theft Auto IV, PlayStation 3, Videogames
NinjaFest Comes To G4!
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:56 PM
 G4 is going absolutely Ninja Crazy this Sunday!
We're kicking off an unprecedented four-hour block of all things Ninja with the premiere of “Ninja Fest 2” on May 18th.
The one-night-only programming event begins with an exclusive one-hour special, “American Ninja Warrior,” chronicling the arduous journey of three amazing American competitors as they compete for a chance to participate in the ultimate competition in Japan.
Following the special, G4 presents five brand-new episodes of “Ninja Warrior,” bringing viewers face-to-face with the superhuman Sasuke course that is Mt. Midoriyama.
The five episodes capture all the pageantry and raw athleticism of Japan’s most popular televised physical competition, with one American ninja surprising the world by going further than any other U.S. competitor in the past. You will want to tune in for this; it's amazing.
Rounding out the evening is a wrap-up special that highlights all the heart-stopping action of the competition and features one-on-one interviews with the men behind the muscle. You won’t want to miss a pulse-pounding minute as G4 brings viewers the biggest and best Ninja programming event ever when “Ninja Fest 2” premieres Sunday, May 18th from 8 pm- 12 am ET/PT, only on G4.
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TAGS: G4, G4 Web Exclusive, Sports
Rumor: Sony to Patch PS3 to Fix 'GTA IV'
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:49 PM
While Grand Theft Auto IV was already patched for PS3 gamers, there are rumors that Sony could be working on a new firmware to fix some lingering freezes with launch PS3s.
Take-Two contends that GTA IV was "checked over and passed as 100% compatible with the current version of the PS3."
While it's not official, this wouldn't be the first time Sony has quickly created a new firmware release to fix bugs with a specific game. There was one for Assassin's Creed and hopefully there will be one for GTA IV.
Even though the problem exists, it's nice to know that Sony and Take-Two are probably working on a solution.
Joystiq: Rumor: Sony may update PS3 firmware for GTA IV problems
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TAGS: Grand Theft Auto IV, PlayStation 3, Videogames
'Skate It' Videos Show Off Wii & DS Controls
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:42 PM
Skate It was officially announced yesterday for the Nintendo Wii and DS, but how will they control on each system?
Like this!
Wii:
Check out the DS video after the break.
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TAGS: Nintendo DS, Videogames, Videos
'Too Human' Co-Op Gameplay Video
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:34 PM
So, Too Human got a release date and it's looking slick. Here now for your viewing pleasure is gameplay footage of the recently revealed co-op mode.
If you weren't excited about this game, you will be after this video.
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TAGS: Videogames, Videos, Xbox 360
'Video Games Live' Heads to Scotland
Posted by Ty Colfax - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:26 PM
 Video Games Live heads to Scotland for the first time, teaming up with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on June 26. The show features music from Mario, Kong, Pong, Tetris, Warcraft, Halo, and Sonic among many others.
Tommy Tallarico, the co-creator and driving force behind the show, is spreading the joy of the videogame music throughout the world. See our exclusive interview and dissection of the symphonic live videogame show world at this here link.
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TAGS: Videogames
'Force Unleashed' Will Get a Demo
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:22 PM
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is definitely going to sell a lot of copies, but if you aren't quite sure about spending your money on the game, LucasArts has your back.
They are planning on releasing demos of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.
Details aren't final, but LucasArts producer Cameron Suey said, "Yeah. We definitely want to get [the demo] out there."
Sounds good to us.
Videogamer: LucasArts confirms Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demo
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Xbox 360
'Too Human' Screenshots
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:21 PM
The sparkling screenshot above is from space/mythology combo Too Human. It's comes out at the end of August for the 360.
Here's an entire gallery for you to enjoy.
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TAGS: Videogames
'Age of Conan' to Take 250 Hours to Max Level?
Posted by Brian Leahy - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:15 PM
The upcoming brutal MMO Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures is looking pretty sweet, but how much content is actually there?
According to the developers, hitting the maximum level of 80 will take about 250 hours of played time. They claim that from levels 1 to 60, each level will take about 2-3 hours.
The final levels, however, will take a lot longer in the push from 60 to 80.
The big question is if there will be enough end-game content to fill that time. We don't want mindless grinding.
Videogamer: Age of Conan will take "250" hours to get to level 80
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TAGS: PC Gaming, Videogames, Xbox 360
Gears 2 & Too Human on X-Play Tonight!
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:08 PM
Today, X-Play has a show that you can't miss! We'll have an extended and expanded Gaming Update, complete with all the latest news from the Microsoft Gamers' Day in San Francisco and including an interview with Denis Dyack and all new info on Too Human. Also, Adam will be sitting down with Designer Director for Epic Games, Cliff Bleszinski on Gears of War 2.
If you want to catch all this and more, be sure to tune in to X-Play, Tonight at 8PM ET, only on G4!
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TAGS: G4, TV, Videogames
Microsoft Unleashes WorldWide Telescope
Posted by Ty Colfax - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 12:44 PM
WorldWide Telescope, an extraverted version of Google Earth, is essentially a map of the stars with markings and astronomer's expert explanations of what you're looking at. The data is provided from various sites like NASA and Wikipedia among others, and the images are compiled from the Hubble and the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile.
Much like the Google Earth and Google Sky applications, you do a simple download and you can start exploring right away. They'll be adding more features soon enough to bring it up to speed with Google Sky which is slightly ahead in innovation and you can bet the competition is good for both entities.
On a separate note, we are obsessed with this site which updates daily.
worldwidetelescope.org to download and read up
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TAGS: Tech
Hacking Crooks Target Dave, Busters
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 11:58 AM
Three international super-genius hackers have been indicted for using "college-level knowledge of computer programming skills" to steal credit card numbers from customers of Dave & Buster's restaurant.
The master thieves, who targeted the popular home of chicken wings, videogames and carnival midway games, are based in Eastern Europe. The justice department alleged the thieves accessed 11 of the national chain's servers and installed packet sniffers at each. The sniffers snapped up thousands of credit card numbers which were used and sold.
An arrest warrant describes the sniffer program as "efficient, well designed, and uses some algorithms and data structures that reflect college-level knowledge of computer programming skills, whether acquired through self-study ... or formal training."
Damn you, hackers! Is not even Dave and Buster's sacred?
Wired.com: International Hackers Indicted for Sniffing Credit Cards from Dave & Busters
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TAGS: Other People's Misfortune, Tech
Ozzfest Downsizing; Metallica On Board
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 11:57 AM
 Well, much like the shrinking economy and the disintegration of the entire music business, Ozzfest is downsizing…A LOT….
Like Lollapalooza, instead of the traditional summer-long trek, Ozzfest will be a one-day destination festival this summer.
To be held at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas on August 9, t |
