Beginning April 22, 2013, the G4 network will be rebranded the Esquire Network, the only television network aimed at the full, multi-faceted lives of today’s modern men. Esquire Network will expand on G4’s foundation of games, gear and gadgets to reflect the broad range of interests, passions and aspirations that define men today. Esquire Network’s programming will capture the classic voice, impeccable style and unmistakable wit that have come to define Esquire, the original men’s magazine and premier authority on contemporary man. Diverse program categories and genres will feature not only gaming and technology, but also entertainment, food, fashion, women, humor, travel, competition, danger and more.

The network will feature a blend of unscripted and scripted series, and movies and specials that appeal to today’s man. Partnering with the industry’s top producers and talent, the Esquire Network team is developing a slate of engaging all-new original series such as Knife Fight, a passionate celebration of food, executive produced by Drew Barrymore, Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment. Hosted by "Top Chef" winner Ilan Hall, Knife Fight is an underground, after-hours cooking competition where talented chefs go head to head in front of a rowdy crowd of celebrities, critics and die-hard foodies. Another original series, The Getaway (working title), is executive produced by Anthony Bourdain and Zero Point Zero and features travel-loving, well known personalities - people deservedly famous for excellence in their fields - who take viewers to their favorite city on the planet, giving the insiders’ track on their top spots to eat, drink, shop and hang out.

Fan favorite competition series American Ninja Warrior will return for its fifth season, to air this summer on Esquire Network and NBC. Additionally, Esquire Network will complement its slate of original programming with ambitious and witty scripted series that include NBC’s Emmy-nominated comedy, Parks and Recreation, and the critically acclaimed series from STARZ, Party Down. Additional programming announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

Esquire Network will offer a full web and mobile experience, linked to the popular men’s destination website Esquire.com. The network’s new website will feature original web series that integrate with the network’s brand and programming, dedicated mobile apps that provide enhanced digital experiences for original programs, and a substantial social presence in support of the new network. Full episodes will be available via the TV Everywhere initiative and Video On Demand.

If you're looking for more insight, give this New York Times article on the Esquire Network a read. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks on the Esquire Network, coming April 22nd.

Crytek's goal is to fully embrace free-to-play business models for all of its games within the next two to five years, according to CEO Cevat Yerli in an interview with GamesBeat. The developer that earned its reputation from the first Far Cry and, later, the first Crysis sees potential for PC and console platforms both in the increasingly popular pricing structure that generates revenue via in-game microtransactions.

"We decided five or six years ago that we want to marry the quality of triple-A games with the business model of free-to-play," Yerli said. "And out of that position, Gface and Warface were born. And at that time, we decided some other games, in some of our other studios, would head in this direction." The changeover won't be immediate due to the developer's current commitments, but the aim is to deliver high-quality F2P experiences for all platforms.

"So we have quite a few console titles in our pipeline that are [traditional retail games] while we investigate free-to-play on consoles," Yerli added. "But our primary goal is to make triple-A free-to-play games for the world market and transition entirely to that."

Electronic Arts confirms that an apparent Dead Space 3 glitch allowing for easy resource farming is not a glitch and won't be patched out of the game. The publisher has taken some flak recently for the use of microtransactions in the Visceral Games release that allows players to spend actual dollars on in-game resources. An EA rep notes that resource farming is an intended feature, so there's nothing to fix.

"The resource-earning mechanic in Dead Space 3 is not a glitch. We have no plans to issue a patch to change this aspect of the game," EA's Jino Talens said in a statement to GameFront. "We encourage players to explore the game and discover the areas where resources respawn for free. We’ve deliberately designed Dead Space 3 to allow players to harvest resources by playing through the game."

"For those that wish to accumulate upgrades instantly, we have enabled an optional system for them to buy the resources at a minimal cost ($1-$3)."

The very telling evidence is accurate: Aliens: Colonial Marines will be supported by Gearbox Software with enough post-release content to merit a Season Pass (via Sega Blog). The $30 token will be good for four content packs in all, with the first one -- Bug Hunt -- coming in March 2013. The Season Pass will be available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC; no mention of Wii U.

Bug Hunt is a Horde-like co-op mode that plays out on three mode-specific maps. There isn't any mention of player count for this mode, but expect it to be four based on the way campaign and the No Escape co-op mode work. Three additional DLC packs will follow Bug Hunt, with the final one to be released by or before August 2013.

Sad news for yet another talented game developer: Impossible Studios, the Epic Games-owned team made up of former Big Huge Games staffers, is no more. Impossible had been put to work on the Diablo-esque mobile title Infinity Blade: Dungeons after it formed in 2012, but the closing of the studio means that the game is now officially on hold.

"It was a bold initiative and the Impossible folks made a gallant effort, but ultimately it wasn't working out for Epic," Epic founder Tim Sweeney said in a statement. "This means that Infinity Blade: Dungeons is now on hold as we figure out the future of the project."

Sweeney added that all Impossible staffers will receive three months of severance and the opportunity to continue using the Impossible name and logo in the event that they'd want to re-establish the studio independently.

Electronic Arts and Maxis are giving fans a second chance to give SimCity a whirl, with another closed beta set to begin on Saturday, February 16, 2013 and end the next day on Sunday, February 17. Just like the previous beta, participants will be able to sample a one-hour chunk of the game. It's enough to get a feel for the new face of the series, but many of the core features remain blocked off until release.

To get in on the beta, head over to the sign-up page on the game's official website. Act quickly though, as registration closes on February 11. SimCity makes its way to Windows PCs on March 5, with a Mac version to follow later this year.

We’ve finally been able to get our hands on Sony’s The Last of Us, to see if the hype around this survival horror game stacks up. The game comes from Naughty Dog, who has already established that they know how to provide action with the Uncharted series, but rather than focusing on loot plundering, The Last of Us is meant to be a terrifying escort mission, taking you across a dystopian United States.

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Another day, another reputable media outlet doling out anonymously sourced information about Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor. The next Xbox console will come equipped with speech recognition technology, according to "sources familiar with Microsoft's Xbox plans" speaking to The Verge.

The full extent of the feature isn't known, but it seems that the console will allow for voice activation, "natural language controls," and speech-to-text. The console maker is also reportedly looking into the possibility of having the console detect individuals when they enter a room and offer suggestions based on voice inputs. The report compares this functionality to Apple's Siri.

The rumor comes only a day after Edge's own report that the Xbox 360 successor will require an always-on Internet connection. This would allow Microsoft to block the use of secondhand games, just as rumors have suggested next-gen consoles would do for some time.

Upcoming sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness has released a set of new photos exclusive to Entertainment Weekly's current cover story on the film.

While the film's release is quickly approaching in just a few short months on May 17, very little is still known about the specifics of the plot and whether or not there is more to the film's new villain, John Harrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. (Shown in one of the new photos in "Red Shirt" custody.) However, what is known at this point is that he is a former Starfleet officer who, after some horrific event, has taken up a cause; something he is willing to destroy Earth to achieve. Yet, if you were to listen to Cumberbatch in interviews, while still necessarily evasive on details, the actor does seem to imply that his character will ultimately prove to be a tragic figure. *Check below for a major breaking update on this subject!

With the entire crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise from 2009's Star Trek returning for this sophomore space epic, we will see the continued development of the relationships between this rebooted rank of recruits in more layman-friendly accessible drama, mixed with balls-to-walls apocalyptic action that this new J.J. Abrams-injected Star Trek franchise will be expected to bring.

Check out the new photos below!

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Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is confirmed for an April 2, 2013 release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms as both a retail offering and a digital download. The previously Wii U-exclusive launch title will be relatively unchanged when it comes to the new consoles, save for the addition of new costumes for all playable characters.

Ninja Gaiden 3 was a bit of a disaster when it launched on the Microsoft and Sony platforms in the middle of 2012, but Team Ninja rose to the challenge of addressing criticisms for the game's Wii U release. The resulting Razor's Edge is a much stronger game overall, with fundamentally solid fighting mechanics further bolstered by the alteration or outright removal of the more offensive bits. Those who skipped NG3 last year may want to give it another look in April.

Michael Keaton will lend his considerable talents to DreamWorks' upcoming Need for Speed movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor joins stars Aaron Paul and Dominic Cooper in the Scott Waugh-directed adaptation of the Electronic Arts-published racing series.

Keaton will (awesomely) play "the reclusive and eccentric host of an underground supercar race where he invites the best drivers from around the world." Keaton does eccentric really well. It should be fun to see him mixing it up with the two stars.

Keaton's been busy lately. In addition to his delightful turn as a Salt-n-Pepa-loving cop in The Other Guys, he also recently finished up filming for a role in the upcoming RoboCop reboot.

Conan O'Brien might not love the video games, but that doesn't stop him from reviewing Halo 4. The latest episode of Clueless Gamer sees the late-night funnyman taking on a game that he provided a voice for. That's what we in the press call a "conflict of interest," but Conan gets a pass because he's funny about it.

The highlight of the episode is of course when Conan confronts his in-game self, a guard stationed in a hangar bay with another guard, voiced by late-night cohort Andy Richter. We learn a few things from this encounter. Conan apparently hates himself, but he hates his "friend" Richter even more. 

After Disney confirmed that those rumors about Star Wars spinoff movies were anything but Bantha poodoo, Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that two of these films will focus on the seedy dealings of the callous, cloned bounty hunter, Boba Fett and the youthful exploits of the handsome smuggler, gambler, and Kessel Run conqueror, Han Solo.

In what is sounding like an old-school Star Wars fan's wet dream come to life, these new films will flesh out what will apparently be pivotal events in the lives of these proverbial faves, also providing us a method to possibly see some other old friends return to the big screen.

The Han Solo film will reportedly take place in between the chronological events of Prequel Trilogy finale, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and the first film of the Original Trilogy, Episode IV: A New Hope. Looking to cast a younger Harrison Ford-esque actor, we will likely see the events that shape the course of Han's life, taking him from a love-struck washout cadet at the Imperial Academy, to an "always shoot first" smuggler, free-riding across the galaxy, accompanied by a Wookie companion named Chewbacca whose life he saved.

So, what's in store for our favorite unmodified Mandalorian clone who collects Carbonite statues?

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The less said about that first Hitman movie, the better. Fox International Productions seems to realize this, as it's flipping the reboot switch on the franchise with an all new film set in the Hitman universe, starring Paul Walker. Aleksander Bach, an accomplished commercial director and feature newcomer, has been tapped to direct the reboot, called Agent 47, according to Deadline.

Bach will work off of a script from A Good Day To Die Hard's Skip Woods and Michael Finch. Woods also wrote the 2007 Hitman film, which starred Timothy Olyphant. Nothing has been revealed yet as far as the reboot's story goes, but expect to hear more soon, as production is supposedly set to start in June 2013.

The upcoming sequel that fans have been calling The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has officially revealed that it will be called...wait for it...The Amazing Spider-Man 2!

In an official press release by Columbia Pictures confirming the film has begun production in New York, the not-so-creative, but necessarily-straightforward title was announced. Additionally, it drops a brief (albeit vague,) synopsis of the plot. The details, while bare bones, are still the most substantive info that has been released thus far.

"In The Amazing Spider-Man™ 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy – between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough.  Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away – but that’s a promise he just can’t keep.  Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past."

Indeed, it looks like Peter's put himself in an awkward position, seeing as Captain Stacy, in his dying act, managed to c-block him from his daughter, Gwen. Of course, he won't have much time to think about that with the arrival a new electrically-charged villain who wants to tell Spider-Man, "I like the way you die, boy."

Besides the mention of our new villain, Jamie Foxx and the returning cast members, the presence of Shailene Woodley and Paul Giamatti are also confirmed, although it fails to say whether they will play, respectively, Mary Jane Watson and Rhino. (Even though we know they will.) However, perhaps the most intriguing bit of news to come out of this presser is the naming of actor, Colm Feore to the cast. The 54 year-old actor, a regular on The Borgias, has also notably played Frost Giant King Laufey in Thor. While nothing was revealed about his role, it is quite possible that he could be our new incarnation of ominous villain and would-be Green Goblin, Norman Osborn.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 3D will shoot an Electro shock that will make your lips swell like Wanda from In Living Color at theaters on May 2, 2014.

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