Posted by Dana Vinson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 5:33 PM
We're still toiling away in Tokyo to bring you the best, most exclusive web coverage of the land of the rising sun ever.
Check out today's entry from the fashion district Harajuku.
Harajuku is the cool-kid mecca of Tokyo… if you took Melrose and So-Ho, gave them each a hit of acid and encouraged them to mate, the resulting offspring would be Harajuku.
Posted by Josh Lawson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 4:15 PM
Some might recall Sharp's announcement last year that they had developed an LCD screen that allowed a viewer to see two different images depending on the angle being viewed....Remember? Remember?
Ok, well whether you cared or not, the technology was awesome and instantly implemented in the world of navigation systems.
So why would Sharp want to push the limits and move on to three separate images being viewed on one LCD screen? Three words "Multiple Information Display". The qualities of an LCD, such as size, brightness and ease of placement are opening opportunities that companies like Sharp want to take advantage of.
Picture the not-so-distant future as you are driving along in your fuel cell car, looking at directions on your navigation. Your friend next to you is playing on their Xbox 360 and your passenger in the back seat is watching a movie. All of this is happening at the same time on the same screen. Get it?
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 4:10 PM
Okay, maybe you've already seen the trailer to God of War II. But you probably took a look at it on youtube, and it was very grainy and compressed. Lossy, even.
Well, we asked Sony to send us a high quality copy of the video so we could present it to you...and, being the fine and upstanding folks they are, they graciously agreed to our precious request.
We thank them, and you can thank us by taking a look:
Posted by Josh Lawson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:45 PM
Alright people, the powers that be have finally realized that we like to get our content by being lazy and just downloading it. Down with the music and video stores! Why not just let you download it and burn it yourself, right?
CinemaNow and Universal have teamed up to do just that. Releasing the movie The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift, CinemaNow allows you to download the movie and burn it off on to a DVD. Wow you say and all of this convenience with a price of $9.99.
Could it be that easy? Well not really. One of the problems that comes up in this process is that not all DVD's burned through your computer will be playable on "all" DVD players. Some say it is the encoding and others the quality of the DVD that it was burned on to.
Either way, this is just a middle step in the evolution of media being readily available.
Personally I'd rather wait to see how Apple's iTV or Microsoft's to-be-named service effects the future of digital downloads before spending 10 bucks on a defective DVD. Wouldn't you?
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:26 PM
"Hey, TheFeed," I hear you asking yourself. "Can you sum up the most important things that happened at Microsoft's X06 convention this morning? And can you use bullet points?"
Sh*t yeah, TheFeed Reader, I can:
Peter Jackson is working on an as-yet-unnamed Halo game. It's not Halo 3. It's not a sequel. It's something...else. What else? We don't know yet. We don't know when it will be out. We'll find out, though, and tell you. Someday.
First-person shooter Bio Shock will not be coming to Microsoft Vista and Xbox 360 exclusively in the Spring.
Halo Wars, a Halo-based real-time-strategy title is in development.
Seminal FPS Doom is available right now on Xbox Live.
The long-rumored external HD-DVD drive for 360 will be available in November for $200
Marvel announced an MMO with the folks who brought you City of Heroes.
Grand Theft Auto IV will be out in Fall 2007.
Shadowrun will be the first game in which PC users can play with 360 users.
Compare that to Sony's press conference at Tokyo Game Show where they announced...um... not all that much...and you'll see: Microsoft knows how to dominate a market!
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 2:47 PM
Johnny Rotten once said, “Ever get the feelin’ you’ve been cheated?”
I have to guess that hip hop duo The Clipse are feeling that way right now…
It seems The Clipse’s looooong-awaited sophomore album, Hell Hath No Fury, has been delayed yet again.
First the group's record company, Arista, folded in 2004 right as the band was about to release the followup to their hit album Lord Willin’. Then, after they got through all the legal red tape and moved on to Jive, the album was supposed to come out last year. Then it was scheduled for a Halloween release. But nada. Now it has been delayed once again and is schedule for a Dec. 5 shelf date. Right. More like shelved date, as it seems inevitable this album will get postponed again.
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 2:40 PM
Microsoft's X06 press conference brought a crap-ton of exciting announcements, so many, in fact, that I forgot this major, major deal:
Marvel Comics is working with Cryptic Studios to develop Marvel Universe Online, A massive multi-player videogame set in the Marvel Universe.
The game, exclusive to Xbox 360s and PCs, will feature many superheroes (or "underwear perverts" if you prefer that term) and is predicted to be fun. According to the company:
"The vision behind the alliance of Microsoft Game Studios, Cryptic Studios and Marvel is to expand the MMO genre and create an epic gaming experience exclusively for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista gamers to experience together online," said Frank Pape, senior director of business development, Microsoft Game Studios. "Cryptic Studios is widely respected for their established track record of innovation and understanding of the MMO space, and they are a perfect fit for the creation of the best possible experience in 'Marvel Universe Online.'"
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 2:33 PM
The soundtrack to Tenacious D’s movie The Pick of Destiny will be released on November 14, three days before the flick opens.
Dave Grohl played drums on the album, which was produced by The Dust Brothers' John King. The first single is the title track and the video is already on MTV.
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 12:03 PM
MSN, Microsoft Corp.'s web portal announced Tuesday that it will start streaming live concerts to its users.
After signing an exclusive global partnership with Control Room (formerly Network Live), the company behind the web broadcast of last year's Live 8 event, MSN will exclusively air 36 different live events. The gigs will be available on MSN's 42 sites around the world, and for on-demand viewing for a limited period afterward. The shows will be free to the viewer and supported by advertising. The streaming concerts will kick off on October 2 with a John Legend gig in London.
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 11:35 AM
U2’s Bono will be the first guest on Eurythmics guitarist David A. Stewart's upcoming HBO music-themed interview show.
The show features Annie Lennox’s musician/producer sidekick interviewing fellow artists about their craft, and is being produced by Interscope Records head honcho Jimmy Iovine.
"Musicians on musicians," they’re calling it. Sound kinda hot, huh?
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 11:25 AM
Another in a series of shockingly cool announements at Microsoft's X06 press conference:
Ensemble Studios is working on Halo Wars, which we can only assume is a Real Time Strategy game set in the Halo universe. Ensemble is best known for their Age of Empires series of games.
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 11:23 AM
Wolfmother is postponing a Virgin Records in-store Tuesday in Chicago, its Hollywood gig tomorrow in Hollywood, Friday’s San Diego show, and Saturday’s appearance at the Download Festival at Shoreline Amphitheatre near San Francisco due to bassist/keyboardist Chris Ross' partner giving birth a month early to their son in Sydney.
The Aussie rockers rocked Pittsburgh Friday night and the Virgin Festival in Baltimore on Saturday, so Ross had to hop onto a 23-hour flight back to Australia on short notice to be by his gal’s side.
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 11:01 AM
Announced at their annual X06 press conference, Microsoft announced 'Doom,' arguably the most important videogame ever released, is available now on Xbox Live.
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:16 AM
Last night, Sept. 26, a new hip hop supergroup made its live debut at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles.
La Coka Nostra features members of west coast rap legends House of Pain, nu-metal kingpins Limp Bizkit, and New York hardcore rap crews Non Phixion and Lordz of Brooklyn. They performed before headliner Necro (right) devoured the sold out crowd with his patented brand of “death rap” (where death metal and hip hop collide). For those of you who ain’t familiar with this burgeoning genre, a Necro show is where fans of Cannibal Corpse, GWAR, Insane Clown Posse, Gang Starr, Kool G Rap, Biohazard and NWA coexist. And what a crowd it was…
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:07 AM
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens, one of the most notable names in sports, is reported to have attempted suicide last night, by ingesting an almost full bottle of pain medication. Now, I am a Philadelphia Eagles fan, so not only do I hate T.O., but I hate the Cowboys with an almost unearthly tenacity. However, suicide isn't a good answer for anything that ails you.
The receiver is rehabbing from a broken finger that required a plate to be screwed in to set it right. His flamboyant style has grabbed attention for years, with an attitude that sometimes defines the "diva" image of the modern wide receiver.
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:56 AM
Dogs sure are versatile. You can use them to retrieve frisbees, help blind people, and torture detainees in secret government prisons. Now man's best friend is being used by the Motion Picture Association of America to ferrett out DVD pirates.
Disc-sniffing dogs Lucky and Flo, a pair of 2-year-old black Labrador retrievers, were presented to the press yesterday and sniffed DVDs out of a box! The MPAA hopes to loan the canines to customs officials or private shipping firms.
"They tend to be cheaper than most employees and they don't demand raises all the time," said John Malcolm, the MPAA's director of worldwide anti-piracy operations. HA! I get it! Because they're dogs, they don't ask for raises! Ha!
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:53 AM
Dustin Diamond has made a sex tape, and it is being released. Yes, that is correct. Samuel "Screech" Powers from Saved By The Bell has unleashed his legendary snake on tape, and you will be all the better for it. The tape, working under the title Saved By The Smell (and I am not lying even one little bit about that), reportedly features Mr. Diamond giving a "Dirty Sanchez".
Now, I don't know about you, but that's stirring cinema to me. If you've never heard, Diamond is legendarily endowed, and watching him take on two chicks at once should be a call to arms for geeks everywhere.
The tape is being shopped around the porn community, reportedly to Larry Flynt and Vivid Video, two of the heavy hitters in the industry.
TheFeed, for the record, can't wait to see it. Good for you, Dustin!
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:22 AM
Long one of the great events in virtual sports, the yearly Madden tournament gets press that rivals that of the Super Bowl itself. This year, Microsoft will be taking the tournament online, beginning October 5th. After October 10th, the 512 best players will move on to face each other in bracket play.
The grand prize in this tournament is $100,000.
So, if you think you have game, fire up your virtual Vick, and see if you can hang with the kids all over the world. TheFeed will be there, trying to win our hundy, and hopefully we'll see you on the gridiron.
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:16 AM
The Nintendo Wii made the Toys R Us Hot Holiday list this year. The PS3, not so much.
The annual list from the toy retailer details buzz-worthy products being released for the holiday season. Of the dissing of the PS3, Toys R Us said this to Yahoo News:
"The PlayStation 3 is really geared to a savvy gaming enthusiast," said Kathleen Waugh, a spokeswoman for Toys "R" Us,t. "The Wii system appeals to young kids as well as adults."
So, according to Toys R Us, Wii is for kids. Hmmm.
In other Wii retail news, Wal Mart might not be stocking demo units of the new console due to safety concerns. The thought of legions of spastic nerdlings flailing their pale, skinny arms all over the big box stores aisles may be provoking nightmares of lawsuits.
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, September 27, 2006 8:09 AM
With people still shaking off the dust of this weekend's blowout Tokyo Game Show, the Ramadan shopping season cocked and ready to fire, and now Microsoft's X06 live convention in Barcelona, Spain, It's an exciting time for the gaming world.
Last year's X05 featured the announcement of the 360's launch titles, so whatever shizzit gets hyped is bound to be huge.
We'll keep you posted on all the announcements, excitlement and fizzle of Xbox's annual bash right here, throughout the day.