Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, November 01, 2007 6:04 PM
Here's what went down today in the world of videogames, technology and popular culture:
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Tags: Daily Wrap-Up
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, November 01, 2007 3:19 PM
 Sick of hearing about the iPhone? Too bad, it's the Invention of the Year according to Time Magazine.
They cite 5 major reasons:
1. The iPhone is pretty
Most high-tech companies don't take design seriously. They treat it as an afterthought. Window-dressing. But one of Jobs' basic insights about technology is that good design is actually as important as good technology. All the cool features in the world won't do you any good unless you can figure out how to use said features, and feel smart and attractive while doing it.
Check out the rest of their reasons, then come on back here and discuss. Do you think the iPhone deserves this honor? Do you have a better invention you'd like to nominate?
Time: Invention Of the Year: The iPhone
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Tags: Apple, iPhone, Tech
Posted by Frank Meyer - Thursday, November 01, 2007 2:26 PM
 A guy in Orlando, Florida has taken his love of Spider-Man and crimefighting and combined them into one awesome and harmful gadget.
Domonique Torrence is the inventor of a “pepper-spray bracelet that shoots a stream of chemicals at the flick of a wrist” to thwart would-be criminals.
The bracelet is worn around your wrist and is activated by a button in the palm of your hand.
Torrence came up with the invention after a friend of his was attacked.
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Tags: Comics, Movies, Tech
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, November 01, 2007 2:12 PM
Soulcalibur Legends, which brings back many of the characters from the Soul Calibur series, but re-imagines the game as a third-person adventure game, in which the characters are searching for the ultimate power. The game will take advantage of the Wii platform to have people using the Wiimote and nunchuck in tandem to fight in the classic Soul Calibur style.
There's also a co-op mode, which should be fun, given the interactive nature of fighting on the Wii works. We're really looking forward to seeing this game in action, but, in the meantime, why not see the trailer?
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Tags: Videogames, Wii
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, November 01, 2007 2:07 PM
Yesterday, it was rumored that hackers had "fixed" the PSP version of Manhunt 2, by removing the violence-filter on at least one of the ultra-violent action game's more objectionable scenes. Today, Rockstar Games confirmed that the work-around exists:
"Hackers apparently have altered one of those edits to produce an illegally modified version of the game that can only be played on an unauthorized, modified PlayStation Portable handheld system," Rockstar reportedly said.
According to Rockstar, most of the filtering remains intact, but even if that's true, TheFeed is surprised that, after the fallout from the Hot Cofee imbroglio, Rockstar would ever let anything like this happen again, even in a limited way.
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Tags: Sony PSP, Videogames
Posted by Frank Meyer - Thursday, November 01, 2007 2:02 PM
 2K Sports’ College Hoops 2K8 is set to feature a big ol’ in-game soundtrack.
You know, for kids.
From rappers like Dilated Peoples and Jurassic 5, to techno artist DJ Romanowski, to rockers The Black Lips and Liars, and UK indie pop courtesy of Hot Chip and The Kooks, this soundtrack features a diverse mix of hip hop, avant punk, electro pop and more.
“For the College Hoops 2K8 soundtrack, we wanted to explore the diversity of music tastes of today’s college hoops gamers while introducing them to up and coming artists we’ve come to love and respect,” says 2K Sports Director of Brand and Lifestyle Marketing Tim Rosa. “The 2K Sports brand is known for redefining the sound of its games with banging soundtracks, and this latest offering stays true to that vision.”
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Tags: Music, Videogames
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Thursday, November 01, 2007 1:59 PM
 The spinoff show that explored the corners of the Heroes universe that we don't see on the show, Heroes: Origins, has been given the axe by NBC. The reasoning has to do with the impending writer's strike, and the fact that resources are going to be stretched thin as it is. Apparently, all unproduced NBC series are being re-evaluated in terms of the strike.
This is just the beginning of what might happen as a result of this strike, which is a possibility as soon as later today, and will likely effect the entertainment business on a very large scale. Still, Origins is not dead entirely, and could surface again as soon as next season.
Variety: NBC holds 'Heroes' spinoff
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Tags: TV
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, November 01, 2007 12:44 PM
Fire up your PCs, MMO fans, Richard Garriott's space-opera MMO, Tabula Rasa will be live, in stores and ready for your credit card numbers tomorrow.
“Now the fun begins! I can’t wait to join thousands of other players in this exciting galactic war,” said Richard Garriott, the game’s executive producer. “It is time for us to release Tabula Rasa to the players. I am eager to see player reaction to the game, and am ready to build on what we’ve started here. We’ve got plans for new features and expansions for the foreseeable future and I’m hoping the players will enjoy the game and get excited about what’s in store for them next!”
So, the question is: Are you going to abandon Warcraft and pick up Rasa?
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Tags: PC Gaming, Videogames
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, November 01, 2007 11:14 AM
Although its official release date is November 20th, upcoming videogame Rock Band has slipped the bonds of its company and appeared in the retail wild, and consequently on the eBay.
eBayer Timenz believes this is the "only one in the country you can buy right now...This is the special edition which includes the guitar, drum kit, microphone and game."
How much would you pay to play this game early?
EDIT: Harmonix says: "I just wanted to officially talk about the sudden influx of broken street date bundles that are being sold. First of all they aren't "real" versions of the game, they are demos for the store that are getting accidentally sold. Retailers don't have bundles sitting in the back room just waiting for November 20th. These demo builds are kind of hobbled - for one the drums don't have kick pedals. Some of the demos don't have mics. And the build isn't a full-real retail version of the game. It is hobbled a bit and, obviously, the bass drum autoplays since there is no pedal that comes with the demo.
I guess what I am saying is beware of any auctions that might show up the next few days, and please alert me to them if you see them as it is quite obviously a huge mistake. I know how badly y'all want to get your hands on the game but it is only 19 more days until it comes out."
eBay: Rock Band Special Edition for Xbox 360 GET IT NOW!
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Tags: Music, Videogames, Xbox 360
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:52 AM
Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball will be coming to the Xbox Live Arcade in early 2008.
“It is no secret that Pirates and Ninjas have beef,” stated Chris Stockman, Studio Director of Blazing Lizard. “But it turns out both have a great love for dodgeball and unique skills when it comes to playing the game. We are bringing together sworn enemies for what I can guarantee will be explosive dodgeball action.”
Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball will feature sea-faring thieves squaring off against stealthy martial artists, with each team using unique strategies to defeat their enemies. The game will allow up to eight players and offer five teams, including pirates and ninjas and three more that will announced soon.
As a public service, TheFeed would like to suggest the three other teams be:
- Knights Templar
- Longshoremen
- The Taliban
Feel free to add your suggestions below.
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Tags: Videogames, Xbox 360
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:50 AM
This past Tuesday, The Simpsons Game was welcomed into the world by a throng of fans, gamers, celebrities, and even the Simpsons themselves at Electronic Arts' Official Launch for the product. All the happy festivities took place at the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood and we were there to snap some sweet pics. Much of the cast and crew of The Simpsons were there, including creator Matt Groening. Fans who attended the event were able to be among the first to purchase the game, which went on sale exclusively at the nearby Gamestop three hours early.
The event was a huge success you can see it all in our photo gallery.
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Tags: PlayStation 3, TV, Xbox 360
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:38 AM
 The Motorola Q9h is coming to AT&T. This upgraded version is GSM, which means it will work internationally with an international SIM card.
The phone also features Windows Mobile 6, 3G support, and a built-in GPS.
The Q isn't the best smartphone, but if you want e-mail, GPS, or mobile web on a budget, it's something to look into.
Wired: Moto Q9h On AT&T From Tomorrow
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Tags: Products, Tech
Posted by Brian Leahy - Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:33 AM
Blu-Ray has a nice lead on HD-DVD, but if the HD-DVD players keep dropping in price like this... let's just say this war is far from over.
At participating Wal-Mart stores, the Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player will be $100. That's CHEAP.
Good luck finding one and then go get Children of Men on HD-DVD because it looks amazing.
UPDATE: Be aware that this player DOES NOT support 1080p. It will do 1080i/720p only.
Engadget: Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player: $100, this Friday, Wal-Mart
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Tags: Movies, Products, Tech, TV
Posted by Frank Meyer - Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:29 AM
More details have emerged from the Cyberathlete Professional League and X Factor Tournament on the $1,000,000 Halo 3 Xbox 360 competition, to be hosted at the Extreme Winter Championships on December 18th to 22nd at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas, Texas.
The competition will use a four-player Free For All format and will be open to gamers of all ages. Players under the age of 17 need a signed parental consents…’cause this is too great for kids. Get the consent forms here: www.thecpl.com/forms/parental_release.pdf
The cash prize distribution for the $1,000,000 “Halo 3″ Xbox 360 competition is in this order:
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