Could the kickoff entry to the upcoming Star Wars sequel trilogy, Episode VII see the return of a certain scruffy-looking nerfherder? Well, according to a scoop by Latino Review, that's what the new film just locked-down for itself. Yes, the one and only Harrison Ford is reportedly part of a done deal to reprise his role of the suave, yet seedy smuggler-turned-stalwart of the Rebellion, Han Solo!

If this news proves true, then it would verify recent comments by Ford which seemed to imply that he, along with his Original Trilogy co-stars, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill were open to the idea of returning to THE franchise of sci-fi after a 30+ year break. Although, when it came to Ford, there was a bit of a wild card, since in the past, he has been notoriously dismissive towards his legacy as the smooth pirate of space. In fact, it's been well-documented that he considered the Han Solo role merely as a career stepping-stone, and by the end of the Original Trilogy with 1983's Return of the Jedi, even insisted that Han be killed-off and martyred for a dramatic punch. -- A request that George Lucas did not ultimately oblige.

Fast-forward to 2013 and it seems that Ford, like Han, may have started to wonder what good's a reward if he ain't around to use it. In this case, the "reward" is being forever associated with one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema. (At least one that hasn't used major household appliances for fallout shelters.) Perhaps, the actor has finally come to terms with his character's place in history, looking for a more fitting swan song. (Which could also be accompanied by a spinoff film focusing on Solo's early years.) Of course, Han will be a lot older and, if the critical elements of the Expanded Universe of Star Wars novels and comic books hold true, he and Princess Leia will be parents to a set of Force-sensitive twins who could be central characters in the new films.

Regardless, unless serious concrete proof of this casting emerge, this is something that the franchise's new gatekeepers at Disney will likely sit on for quite a while. Until then, fans will keep riding on the rumor-iffic road to the 2015 release of Star Wars: Episode VII.

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A newly published European patent application (filed in summer 2012) reveals that Sony has put some amount of effort into developing a tablet-like controller interface, dubbed the EyePad (via Engadget). The existence of a patent, discovered by GameChup, doesn't necessarily mean that this is a thing that will happen and be sold. It's certainly noteworthy, especially with Sony's next-gen console reveal believed to be happening next week. 

The name 'EyePad' is an evolution of Sony's motion-sensing EyeToy camera, though there's obviously a tricky tie to Apple's own wildly popular line of tablets. The patent doc describes an input device with six-axis motion sensors, joystick controls (only one analog stick is pictured in the design sketch), and lit edges that "provide a similar functionality to that of the illuminated ball of the Playstation Move." The would-be device is also equipped with a pair of cameras that, together, can sense depth in a manner similar to Microsoft's Kinect. 

It's all very intriguing, though it's important to remain realistic about what we're seeing here. Patents are filed all the time, for all sorts of crazy ideas. The PS Vita makes it clear that Sony sees the value in touch-based controls, but this EyeToy could easily just be an experiment and nothing more.

Sega may be out of the console business, but the spirit of the company's early days in video games lives on now with a new line of branded laptops that are available in Japan through online retailer ebten (via Kotaku). Each one embraces a different visual theme -- vanilla Sega, Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast(!) -- and each theme is available at four different price points.

The options, in ascending order, are Light, Standard, High Spec, and Premium. The minimum cost is just over $1,000 (converted from Japan's yen) and the maximum is north of $2,000, with the internal hardware obviously scaling up as you spend more cash. This is an import-only option for now, so it's probably look-don't-touch for most of us. These laptops sure do look lovely though, don't they?

Irrational Games has an all-new episode of "Truth From Legend" to share today, the second of what seems to be developing into a mockumentary short series on BioShock Infinite. The format of this latest "episode" is the same, though the subject this time is the captive Elizabeth's guardian, Songbird.

This continues to be one of the cooler examples of Irrational's and 2K Games' ongoing campaign to convince everyone that lightning will strike a second time in this BioShock follow-up. All will be revealed on March 26, 2013 when the game is released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows platforms.

Capcom has a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming console/PC version of Resident Evil: Revelations. Hunk is the star of this little montage (via All Games Beta), which focuses primarily on gun-pointing and horrific creature-snuffing. That's Resident Evil for you.

From the look of things, Resident Evil: Revelations gets a big visual bump in the move from Nintendo's 3DS to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Windows platforms. That should be great news to fans still smarting from the misstep that was 2012's Resident Evil 6. The console/PC version of Resident Evil: Revelations arrives on May 23, 2013.

Gas Powered Games will live on thanks to a fortunately timed acquisition by Wargaming, as the World of Tanks dev just confirmed in a press release. Things were looking grim for GPG earlier this week when studio founder Chris Taylor canceled his studio's under-funded Kickstarter bid for Wildman just two days shy of its deadline. He hinted at the time that some big things were in the works. He wasn't kidding.

"Wargaming growth in recent years has been tremendous, and we’re looking forward to joining one of the fastest growing gaming companies in the world,” Taylor said in a statement. "I’m sure our experience and expertise will help us contribute even more to Wargaming’s global success."

It's all smiles and sunshine on the Wargaming side as well, as you might expect. "Gas Powered Games’ heritage and development pedigree shows us just how valuable an addition Chris and his company will make to the Wargaming family," Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi said in a statement. "Gas Powered Games has a long track record of providing incredibly engaging AAA gaming experiences and we can’t wait to start working with them."

Next year's prequel-sequel film, X-Men: Days of Future Past may already be an embarrassment of riches in cast members, but now, it lands another feather in its cap: A Lannister! Director, Bryan Singer has revealed via tweet that actor, Peter Dinklage has officially joined the cast.

Best known for his Golden Globe and Emmy-winning role as the diminutive, yet dangerous Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, Dinklage now joins a cast consisting of Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence and just about ANY top name actor who has been associated with the X-Men film franchise in the past. (Except maybe Halle Berry for some reason.) At the moment, his exact role in the time-bending mutant mega-movie has yet to be confirmed.

However, putting two and two together, fan speculation is already pointing to Dinklage playing Puck, the short-statured slayer of the Marvel Comics Universe. In the comics, Puck was not a mutant, or a real dwarf, for that matter. He was a former mercenary and mountain of a man named Eugene Judd, who, in his quest for power, would turn to a magical artifact that gave him enhanced strength, speed, durability, agility, and lifespan. -- All of which came with the "huge" downside of turning the formerly-full-sized fighter into a dwarf. Puck would become a key member of superhero-team, Alpha Flight, who were essentially Marvel's attempt to recreate the magic of The Avengers for a team based in Canada. The Super-Canucks also hold the distinction of being historically tied to the early crime-fighting career of fellow countryman, Wolverine.

IF, indeed, Dinklage plays Puck, then his character would likely be retconned as a mutant. (Although, ties to Wolverine might still manifest.) However, it's too soon to tell. Despite the speculation that this casting will erupt, it could end up being for a more innocuous role.

X-Men: Days of Future Past may be looking to show that there are other badass Canadians besides Wolverine at theaters on July 18, 2014.

*UPDATE: According to Variety's sources, Dinklage is allegedly playing a role identified as the film's "main antagonist." This intel, however, is far from confirmed.

Nintendo is calling 2013 the Year of Luigi, with a number of games lined up that star or feature the green-clad Mario brother. Company boss Satoru Iwata revealed the facts in this morning's installment of Nintendo Direct, speaking a bit on Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon before turning to a lineup of previously unannounced games.

On the 3DS side, two titles are pegged for summer 2013: Mario Golf: World Tour and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. The former is the work of Mario Golf developer Camelot and it seems to be pretty much what you'd expect. Luigi is joined in the game by Mario, Wario, Waluigi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and likely others. In one course seen during the demonstration, pint-sized golfers compete in a garden that features a giant Goomba.

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THQ's publishing deal for WWE games wasn't snatched up during the former publisher's recent assets auction, but now it's looking like Take-Two Interactive will be taking over the license. A Take-Two rep confirmed to IGN that the publisher has struck a deal to release the Yukes-developed WWE games, though nothing will be finalized until the courts sign off on it. It sounds like that should be soon, per Take-Two's statement.

"We can confirm that we have entered into an agreement to publish the WWE video game series that is developed by Yukes. At this time, the agreement is pending court approval and we anticipate that it will be finalized shortly. We are very excited about the potential of this agreement and will have more to share at the appropriate time," the publisher rep told IGN. 

The news follows an earlier report from January 2013 that Take-Two would pick up WWE, though this amounts to the first proper confirmation.

The roster of superpowered contenders in NetherRealm's upcoming DC Comics fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us, now officially includes Aquaman. Try to contain your laughter. The fish-talking Namor wannabe is hard to take seriously, largely because he talks to fish and wears a ridiculous costume.

The Aquaman reveal trailer above offers a look at how the king of Atlantis factors into Injustice's story. He doesn't seem happy to be dealing with Shazam and the Flash, a disagreement that presumably leads to the surfacing of his undersea army of giant hermit crabs. You also get a first peek at Aquaman kicking tail in the game's fighting environments. 

Injustice: Gods Among Us comes to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U on April 16, 2013.

Video Hacker, a creative/ production services team based in Northern Ireland, released a trailer for their new comedy web series The Clandestine today. The show is about a group of geeks who form an outlaw motorcycle club and hijinks ensue. Think Sons of Anarchy meets The Office. Fun premise, right?

Check out the trailer below (keep in mind it's NSFW so keep the volume low and/ or use headphones):

The Clandestine premieres on March 25th, 2013. Sign up at TheClandestine.TV to see all 13 episodes weeks before its premiere.

What'd you do think? Ready for episode 1?

Heads up! Or WARNING! Valentine's Day is tomorrow and if you've got a significant other, you better be ready! Thankfully, this year's options go beyond the expected box of chocolates, card and flowers. Why not go for Necomimi Brainwave Cat Ears?

(If not, then we need to talk and you'll most likely be single by February 15th.)

We're kind of obsessed with Necomimi ears so we came up with a list of reasons about why you should invest in a pair of moveable ears for Valentine's Day.

1. Express your love and affection in an original and quirky manner than just saying "I love you." Necomimi Ears use brainwave technology to move and wiggle based on your level of excitement and relaxation. You know what I'm talking about.

2. Buy a pair for your girlfriend-wife-boyfriend-husband-friend-with-benefits! Prove to them that Valentine's Day is more than just a social construct designed to overcome those concerns that maybe, deep down inside, you really don't know how to love. Now you can both share your feelings without talking about them.

3. Best reason yet: any purchase of Necomimi Cat Ears by February 14th will come with a free pair of Red Hot Devilish Horns! Swap out the white furry ears with these soft horn-shaped attachments, which will instantly heat up your Valentine's Day. In a good way.

You can purchase the Necomimi Ears for $69.99 online here and enter code LUVU with your order for the free pair of horns. If you want a hands-on look, check out our visit to the NeuroSky booth at Tokyo Game Show after the cut.

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Iron Man 3 has released a brand new character poster highlighting Don Cheadle as Tony Stark's buddy, Colonel James Rhodes all decked-out in his new Iron Patriot armor.

Indeed, the former "War Machine" has new digs that are powerful enough to make anyone say "America, f**k yeah!" It's a good thing, too, because Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) will need all the help he can possibly get this time around when he faces an array of vile villains, headlined by a mastermind in his signature comic book nemesis, The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

Adopted from the pages of Marvel Comics' post-Civil War era, the Iron Patriot suit was worn by Norman Osborn, the former original villainous Green Goblin who resurfaced, attempting to reinvent himself as a hero, eventually becoming director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Of course, when it comes to the big screen, Osborn only exists in Sony Pictures' Spider-Man Universe, which has led to the contextual alteration of having James Rhodes suit up in the red, white, and blue badassery.

Not much is known specifically about what role he will play in this action-packed launch of Marvel Studios' "Phase Two" set of films, but it will surely involve A LOT of insanely-explosive ammunition being unleashed on some hapless baddies.

Iron Man 3 crashes into theaters on May 3. Check out the full poster below to see James Rhodes in the armor that's so patriotic, it smells like apple pie and spawns bald eagles.

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Fumito Ueda continues to work on The Last Guardian, though he does so now as a freelance contributor after having left SCE Japan Studio. This probably isn't news to anyone who has been keeping up with the Shadow of the Colossus creator's work, but Ueda offers an update himself in a newly posted official statement (via All Games Beta).

Ueda confirms that The Last Guardian continues to come together under his "creative supervision" and that it "is still in development by an incredibly talented team." He adds that "details regarding The Last Guardian's release is solely decided by Sony Computer Entertainment, not myself. Please keep an eye out for their official announcement."

Ueda suggests that he's got some other ideas in mind as well, and that while he'll see The Last Guardian through to release, he also hopes to "pursue new creative projects with a fresh perspective." Read the full message right here.

A new trailer has landed for the upcoming sci-fi standout, Oblivion which highlights a vastly ruined Earth of the future...and also Tom Cruise fixing robots.

While this new trailer does not deviate too far from the teaser that hit back in December, it manages to prominently display a gorgeously-ruined version of a future Earth ravaged by war and left to rot. Several examples of iconic imagery are immersed in post-apocalyptic form while managing to capture a kind of sublime beauty as nature has essentially taken it all back. Yet, at the same time, it contrasts with a high-altitude haven of a luxurious and clean future in which Cruise's character lives. It really drives home the full scope of the kind of retro-70's visually bright, almost clinical style of sci-fi that director, Joseph Kosinski is attempting bring back with this project.

Originally Kosinski's brainchild, it would first take the form of a graphic novel of the same name with a would-be film project ruminating in his mind for over five years. However, after landing a career-making gig of helming the 2010 franchise revival, Tron: Legacy, his newly-upgraded status would land him the one and only Tom Cruise for this long-in-the-making pet project. Kosinski takes the director's chair and has collaborated on the script with Karl Gajdusek and scribe of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII, Michael Arndt.

The film is set to hit theaters on April 19. Check out the new trailer below to see a ruined, yet lush Earth of the future which forces Tom Cruise to finally put in an honest day's work.

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