Movie Miguel's Offical Blog

Assassin's Creed Revelations Stars Ezio and Altair

2011-05-11T22:22:00.003-04:00

Play as both while crafting bombs, using the hookblade and much more.

May 9, 2011

We all found out that Assassin's Creed Revelations was real last week, and today, we know a whole lot more. Game Informer's June 2011 issue is arriving in subscribers' mailboxes now, and it's packed with information on Ubisoft's flagship title -- including that we're going to get to play as Altair, the protagonist from the first game.

While it's true that Assassin's Creed Revelations is the final installment of the Ezio trilogy, the story has him chasing down five seals that will allow him access to an important artifact in Masyaf (the setting of the first game). Each seal belonged to Altair, and when Ezio nabs one, he gets to relive Altair's memories like Desmond relives things through the Animus.

Hookblade!

Making the setup a bit more confusing is the fact that -- spoiler alert -- Desmond is in a coma but hooked up to the Animus when the game begins. Desmond needs to fight through "the black room," an Animus world made up of his shattered mind and "the futuristic architecture of the Animus" to find a specific memory where he, Altair, and Ezio collide.

When we are playing as Ezio, who is now more than 50 years old and questioning how he's spent his life, we'll have access to the hookblade. The one screen released of Assassin's Creed Revelations showed the curved blade on Ezio's arm, but Game Informer has the facts on it. The blade can still be used for killing people, but the device opens up a ton of new movement options. Ezio can use it to zipline around Constantinople, propel himself up walls, and flip over opponents without breaking stride.

"It makes free running more fluid, faster, and more fun," Creative Director Alexandre Amancio told Game Informer. "It speeds up navigation by about 30 percent."

Also joining the fray in Assassin's Creed Revelations is the ability to make bombs. Game Informer said the game employs a simple crafting system that allows us to create more than 300 different bombs that range from flash bangs to smoke bombs.

While a lot of the Game Informer article detailed brand new features, the piece also focused on returning favorites that have been touched up. Multiplayer is back, but it's packing a story. As you increase your rank, you're moving up in the world of Abstergo and getting to know the Templar organization. This time around, you can change your character's appearance, create guilds, and craft your own coat of arms. Matchmaking will be faster, we'll be able to create custom playlists, and Ubisoft is planning Assassin's Creed tournaments.

On the single-player side, eagle vision is now "eagle sense" and will allow Ezio to listen in on far away conversations, hear heartbeats and predict where guards will move. There will be areas to infiltrate similar to the Lairs of Romulus from the last game, but they're based on an "undisclosed historical figure." Ezio's love interest this time around is a bookseller known as Sofia Sorto, who isn't a real person but is based on the Albrecht Durer painting "Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman."

We'll have more on Assassin's Creed Revelations as we move toward E3, but make sure you pick up the June 2011 issue of Game Informer for the full story on Ezio's return, new multiplayer characters, and more.

MovieMiguel.com

Xbox 360 spring update coming May 19?

2011-05-11T22:22:00.002-04:00

By Tim Stevens posted May 9th 2011 5:43PM

If you've run out of beef jerky and had your free Hulu Plus trial go bust, you're certainly not alone. Don't get bored: more bits of new hotness are coming to your console, and they're coming soon. An internal document leaked to our good friends over at Joystiq looks to confirm that the big Xbox 360 spring update will hit on May 19th. However, it'll come in six "separate groups" to "ensure a high quality deployment," so you might not get it until the end of the month, and everyone will have to wait until May 27th to get Avatar Kinect. What else is new? Well, there'll be the slightly larger disc format and support for PayPal, opening the door to a bold new world of personal finance information able to be hacked from your console.

MovieMiguel.com

The Avengers to Film Near Cincinnati, Too

2011-05-11T22:22:00.001-04:00

by SuperHeroHype

May 9th, 2011

In addition to filming in Cleveland, Ohio, Marvel's The Avengers will be filmed close to Cincinnati as well. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the following:
The Marvel Studios feature starring Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson will shoot two weeks here later this year, said Kristen Erwin, Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film Commission executive director. She refused to reveal the location, saying it was within 30 miles of Cincinnati. They're "still negotiating a location agreement."

Filming started April 26 in Albuquerque on the exploits of Iron Man (Downey), Black Widow (Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Col. Nick Fury (Jackson). Chris Hemsworth - star of "Thor" which opened Friday - will reprise that role with co-stars Tim Hiddleston as Loki and Stellan Skarsgard as Professor Eric Selvig.

Director Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") moves filming to Cleveland and Southwestern Ohio this summer, Erwin said.

Gov. John Kasich lured the comic book superheroes with Ohio filmmaking tax credits. Marvel dropped plans to shoot in Detroit after reports that Michigan planned to freeze its film incentives, said Ivan Schwarz, Greater Cleveland Film Commission executive director.

Marvel's $170-million budget is 10 times George Clooney's budget for "The Ides of March." "The Avengers" will spend about $30 million in Ohio, she said.
Marvel's The Avengers is scheduled to hit theaters on May 4, 2012.

MovieMiguel.com

Star Wars Blu-ray set ships Sept. 12th/16th (world/NA), has 40 hours of special features

2011-05-11T22:21:00.000-04:00

By Richard Lawler posted May 4th 2011 9:10AM

LucasFilm has chosen Star Wars Day (May The 4th) to finally reveal more information about the upcoming Star Wars Blu-ray releases, due to hit shelves September 16th. The three editions include The Complete Saga with all the movies included, or the original trilogy / prequels by themselves. When the counter hit zero the official website has dropped the curtain on... absolutely nothing since it's down, likely crashed by the refreshing of a billion fans around the world. Before it crashed completely we snagged the release dates (September 12th internationally, 16th in the US) and a list of special features (included after the break along with the Blu-ray announce trailer) that breaks down the commentaries on each disc plus several new documentaries. Currently the site is refreshing to the standard Fox page, the plan is apparently for a promotion where fans share the page on social media networks which unlocks additional artwork as more people continue to visit throughout the day. We'll let you know if R2-D2 can get the servers back up, until then we can all just imagine what the three new documentaries might be like.

Update: There's also a short (really short) YouTube trailer meant to push the "Feel The Force" content unlocking promotion on the site, it's embedded after the break. [Thanks, Taylor T Farmer]

Update 2: It appears the site is up now, calling on fans to unlock more of an embedded video with various "exclusive imagery" by sharing the page on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you could also not do that, wait a few hours for someone else to finish unlocking it and avoid ending up on our block list along with everyone who plays Farmville. Your choice.

Update 3: As of about 3 p.m. Eastern the site has been fully unlocked, so feel free to click through and check out the entire video, or just peep the box art for all three packs in our gallery here.

Star Wars Blu-ray box art

Show full PR text

MovieMiguel.com

Get Your Friends into the Gears of War 3 Beta

2011-05-04T01:36:00.002-04:00

"Never Fight Alone" beta phase coming May 8.

May 2, 2011

Starting today, Gears of War 3 beta testers in the U.S. have an opportunity to earn a "buddy token" to share with a friend, granting them access to the beta as well.

Players will be given one token for each of the following tasks that are completed by Wednesday, May 4:

- Purchase any "Gears of War" content from Xbox Live Marketplace (including a "Gears of War" Game Add-on, a "Gears of War" Games on Demand title, or a "Gears of War" Avatar item)

- Play 20 or more hours of the "Gears of War 3" beta (any time already spent in the beta will count toward this challenge)

- Add a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription to your existing account (purchased from retail or online)

- Play more than 100 hours of any "Gears of War" title, lifetime to date

Buddy tokens will be e-mailed out starting May 8 when the "Never Fight Alone" phase of the beta is rolled out.
MovieMiguel.com

Billy Bob Thornton in Talks for Bad Santa 2

2011-03-20T22:28:00.001-04:00

Source: TheWrap

March 18, 2011

TheWrap reports that Billy Bob Thornton is in negotiations to reprise his role of Willie in The Weinstein Company's Bad Santa 2.

"We feel that it's a Christmas perennial for the R-rated crowd,", a Weinstein Company spokesperson told the site. "Everyone loves the character and Billy Bob's excited to be in talks with us."

The Terry Zwigoff-directed original was released in 2003 and co-starred the late Bernie Mac and John Ritter, as well as Lauren Tom and Lauren Graham.

The dark comedy was made for about $23 million and earned $76.5 million at the worldwide box office.

Bad Santa 2 was one of numerous films announced by the Weinstein Company in December that could get sequels.

Clerks III: Will It Happen?

2011-03-04T20:37:00.001-05:00

Clerks III: Will It Happen?

January 28th @ 1:07 am | 1 Comment » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

Obviously, with the reveal that “Hit Somebody” would be the last ever directorial effort from Kevin before retirement, many were left scratching their heads, wondering if a Clerks III/3 would ever see the light. Rather than speculate, here’s the writer/director himself on that possibility:

MovieMiguel.com

Gears of War 3 Beta Unlockables, Dates and Details

2011-03-04T20:36:00.002-05:00

Beta unlockables carry over into retail version.

March 4, 2011

Epic Games today announced the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta will begin on Apr. 25 and conclude three weeks later on May 15. Those who purchased the Bulletstorm: Epic Edition get into the beta one week earlier starting on Apr. 18.

Over the course of the beta, three new competitive multiplayer modes and four maps will become available. Epic is also allowing players to unlock content in the beta that can be carried over into the full retail game when it launches on Sep. 20, 2011.

Below is the list of challenges and items:

Beta Tester Medal: Complete one match in the beta to unlock the Beta Tester medal, which will carry over to your gamer profile in the final game. The Beta Tester title will be featured in the "Gears 3" multiplayer lobby as well.

Thrashball Cole: Complete 50 matches in any game type to unlock the Thrashball Cole character variant in the beta. Once unlocked, complete 10 matches as Thrashball Cole during the beta and the character will carry over to your gamer profile in the final game.

Gold-Plated Retro Lancer: Show your ultimate "Gears of War" fandom by unlocking the Gold-Plated Retro Lancer. Complete 90 matches in any game type to unlock it for the beta, and score 100 kills with it once unlocked to carry the exclusive weapon skin over to your gamer profile in the final game.

Flaming Hammerburst: Complete one match by Sunday, April 24 and unlock this weapon variant.

Flaming Lancer: Complete one match during the week of April 25 and unlock this weapon variant.

Flaming Sawed-Off Shotgun: Complete one match during the week of May 2 to unlock this weapon variant.

Flaming Gnasher Shotgun: Complete one match during the week of May 9 to unlock this weapon variant.

UPDATE:

Gears of War 3 will be in stores September 20, but fans will get the chance to kick its tires a bit beforehand. Epic Games and Microsoft are running a public beta of Gears 3's online multiplayer mode beginning in April, and IGN has all the info you need to get into the beta and help test the final installment in the sweeping saga of shooting people in the face.

I've compiled a list of the most-asked questions about the Gears 3 beta and answered them below. If you don't see your question here, throw in the comments section of the article and I'll do my best to answer it. The official Gears of War forums also have an in-depth info on the Gears 3 beta, and if you haven't already, head over to Epic's new and improved Community page for all your Marcus Fenix tattoo needs.

How Do I Get Into the Gears 3 Beta?

Own a copy of Bulletstorm Epic Edition (sorry, it's now sold out) to get into the beta a week earlier than everyone else. Pre-order Gears of War 3 to get in on the standard date.

When Is the Gears 3 Beta?

That depends on who you are. If you bought the Epic Edition of Bulletstorm, you also bought the right to access the Gears of War 3 beta. Bulletstorm Epic Edition buyers get into the Gears 3 beta earlier than almost everyone else, beginning on April 18. Those who pre-order Gears of War 3 get access to the beta on April 25. The official beta runs from April 18 – May 15 (although select media and Epic's friends and partners will kick things off a bit earlier).

What Time Does the Gears 3 Beta Start?

Wow, you're serious about this Gears of War 3 beta thing. OK, so let's say you took the day off of work in order to be front and center for the beta launch. As of this writing, Epic plans to launch each wave of the public beta (April 18 and 25) at 9 a.m. Eastern Time.

How Long Does the Beta Last?

The Gears 3 beta runs from April 18 – May 15. And yes, if you get into the beta early by buying the Epic Edition of Bulletstorm, you get to participate in the entire beta. Epic won't kick you out a week early. Unless you're a jerk and get banned. So don't be a jerk.

What Is the Purpose of the Gears 3 Beta?

A public video game beta is an intense period of testing for the developer. It's an opportunity for the multiplayer designers to put their hard work to the test and see what breaks so they can get to work fixing it. So keep in mind that as you're playing the Gears of War 3 beta things will break, glitches will emerge and balancing issues will emerge. Those are all good things. The more problems you find and report, the better the finished product will be. That's the simple explanation. However, in recent years, betas have also become opportunities for publishers to market upcoming games. The online chatter about an ongoing beta of a big game like Gears 3 goes a long way toward selling the game to more people.

Where Do I Pre-order Gears 3 to Get Into the Beta?

Those without the Bulletstorm Epic Edition can only get into the Gears of War 3 beta by pre-ordering any edition of Gears of War 3 (standard, Limited Edition, Epic Edition) from select retailers. Here's a list of the authorized outlets for each country.

In the US:
Gamestop

In Canada:
Gamestop

In the UK:
GAME
Gamestation

In France:
GAME
FNAC
Micromania

In Spain:
GAME
Gamestation
Fnac
Mediamarkt
ECI
Xtralife

In Italy:
Gamestop

In Australia:
EB Games

In New Zealand:
EB Games

How Does the Beta Work?

Bulletstorm owners will need their Bulletstorm disc in order to participate in the Gears of War 3 beta. And yes, you'll need the disc for the entire run of the four-week beta. If you pre-ordered Gears of War 3, you will have received a code that allows you to download and activate the beta once Epic flips the switch on April 25.

What Is In the Gears 3 Beta?

The Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta will include four maps and three modes, which will roll out at different stages of the beta. Team Deathmatch will be playable from the start on all four launch maps. The Capture the Leader and King of the Hill modes will be available later in the beta, but the timing has not been announced yet. All matches will be run on dedicated servers.

Which Maps Are In the Gears 3 Beta?

There are four maps in the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta: Thrashball, Trenches, Checkout and Old Town. Each map is set up a bit differently, so beta testers will get a chance to experience multiplayer environments of varying size and setup. We'll have detailed walkthroughs of each map in the days to come.

How Do I Unlock Things in the Beta?

Beta testers have the opportunity to unlock items, outfits and badges for the final version of Gears of War 3 by completing tasks in the beta. Epic says that unlocking these things in the beta is the only way to get them.

Flaming Hammerburst
Complete one match by Sunday, April 24 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Lancer
Complete one match during the week of April 25 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Sawed-Off Shotgun
Complete one match during the week of May 2 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Gnasher Shotgun
Complete one match during the week of May 9 to permanently unlock.

Beta Tester Medal
Complete one match in the Beta to permanently unlock.

Thrashball Cole
Complete 50 matches in any game type to unlock for the Beta period. To permanently unlock, complete 10 matches as Thrashball Cole during the Beta period.

Gold-Plated Retro Lancer
Complete 90 matches in any game type to unlock for the Beta period. To permanently unlock, score 100 kills with the Gold-Plated Retro Lancer during the Beta period.

Does the Gears Beta Require Xbox Live Gold?

Yes. If you were putting off subscribing to Xbox Live Gold for some reason, now is probably the time to upgrade if you want to participate in the Gears of War 3 beta.

MovieMiguel.com

The Avengers Cleveland Shoot Confirmed

2011-03-04T20:35:00.002-05:00

by SuperHeroHype

Mar 4th, 2011

But they won't be there until the fall

Scoopers 'Rob Kainec' and 'Apama' alerted us to this article from The Plain Dealer which confirms that scenes for The Avengers will be shot in Cleveland in the fall. Here are some highlights from the article:
Gov. John Kasich announced that the upcoming Marvel movie featuring the superhero team The Avengers, scheduled for a 2012 release, will be filmed in Cleveland.

He made the announcement before Mayor Frank Jackson's State of the City address this afternoon at the City Club.

"I'm really pleased that the city is going to get this movie," he said. "It's fantastic. It required quick and hard work between the community here and the state of Ohio, something that hasn't always happened. We won another one from Michigan. I'm thrilled we are going to have this here. I'm just bucking for a part as Governator 2."

Wayne Hill, chairman of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, said the Avengers movie will be the largest film ever made in Ohio and that filming is expected to start in the fall.

Reportedly, people associated with the film are already in Cleveland scouting out locations.
As we previously mentioned, the majority of the filming will take place at Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico.

MovieMiguel.com

Star Wars 3D's Release Set

2011-03-04T20:34:00.002-05:00

The Phantom Menace bows a year from now.

March 3, 2011

Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox have announced that the first of the 3D theatrical releases of the Star Wars films -- Episode I: The Phantom Menace -- now has an official release date. And it's in less than a year.

February 10, 2012 is the day when you will be able to return to theaters to see Qui-Gon, Amidala, young Anakin and yes, even Jar Jar in full stereoscopic action.

"Supervised by Industrial Light & Magic, the meticulous conversion is being done with utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions," says a press release.

Yousa people gonna be underwhelmed all over again?!
MovieMiguel.com

Star Wars flicks to see 3D re-release, starting with Episode 1 in 2012

2010-10-09T11:25:00.001-04:00

By Richard Lawler posted Sep 28th 2010 10:24PM

The Star Wars series hasn't even hit Blu-ray yet, but The Hollywood Reporter reports sources are saying George Lucas definitely intends to refill his money pit in 2012 by bringing out the movies, one each year, in 3D. Unfortunately that means even if you're optimistically expecting a well done 3D conversion process Episode IV is at least five years away since the plan is to release the movies in numerical order. According to the sources, even after demoing converted 3D footage of the movies in the past, Lucas was moved to greenlight the process after experiencing Avatar and realizing that by the time the movies hit theaters, and eventually homes, there will be more than enough capable screens to watch them on. Of course, all could be forgiven if this meant there were enough petty cash floating around to convince Lucas it's time to restore and rerelease the original editions on Blu-ray, but we're not holding our breath

MovieMiguel.com

Should I Automatically Be a Windows Phone 7 Fan?

2010-10-09T11:24:00.004-04:00

File under: News

By: Adam Z Lein | 9:22 PM 17-Sep-10 | 23 Comments

As many of you know, I've been using Windows Mobile based phones since the smartphone was invented. They've always been the most powerful and capable devices. However, when we started hearing about Windows Phone 7 earlier this year, it became clear that the classic Windows Mobile (that could run on all sorts of hardware and do all sorts of things) was about to be replaced by a completely new "Version 1.0" product. Even though it is number 7, it's really something totally new and entirely unrelated to the old Windows Mobile that many of us have become accustomed to. On one hand, that's a good thing since Windows Mobile has such a bad stigma attached to it. On the other hand, that could be a bad thing since we might be missing out on some functionality from the past. The question is, should we automatically upgrade to Windows Phone 7 simply because we've relied on classic Windows Mobile for so long?

On one hand, we're losing…

A lot of the things missing from Windows Phone 7, are things that I rely on in Windows Mobile 6.x. For example, Outlook tasks that sync with Exchange. Unfortunately, being able to keep track of the things you need to do for work or in life, didn't make the cut for the first version of Windows Phone 7. This was initially pretty disappointing to me since Windows Mobile was really the only smartphone operating system left that could reliably sync Tasks directly with Exchange right out of the box. I also like having my Notes and voice recordings synced with Outlook. Both of those features appear to be gone from Windows Phone 7.

Then there's the lack of 3rd party application multi-tasking. When I'm in the car, I'm always playing music on my phone while also running the GPS navigation software, listening to the voice prompts for when to turn, and occasionally using Voice Command to make a call, or listen to my schedule, or hear emails and text messages read to me. The initial version of Windows Phone 7 won't be able to do all of that.

The lack of Copy/Paste support is also disconcerting, however we've heard that the feature is on the list to be implemented in an update. It just didn't make it to the launch versions that was released to manufacturing last week.

On the other hand, we're gaining…

The Windows Phone 7 interface looks amazing. The fluff-free design is very refreshing. The way content is used as navigation and the way the quick animations are used to define context is very innovative and beautiful. Visual cues and readable text that anyone will be able to understand make the operating system's usability stand out from other mobile OS's.

The new design also brings a high level of consistency. With classic Windows Mobile, any OEM or application developer basically had free reign over every aspect. There were plenty of Windows Mobile devices where manufacturer's added their own user interface layers that often felt completely out of place when compared to the rest of the operating system and any 3rd party applications you may want to use. Windows Phone 7 will remedy this by severely limiting crazy customizations and encouraging consistent design and usability guidelines.

Then there's the new Music & Videos Hub. Earlier this spring I pretty much fell in love with the Zune HD, Zune desktop software, and Zune Pass service. Windows Phone 7 will take advantage of these highly under-rated features. The artist imagery, related artist links, and bio text is so nice to have, too. Since Windows Phone will have a persistent internet connection, you'll be able to instantly download or stream practically any song you want using the Zune Pass subscription service. You'll also have a connection to the Zune Social so you can earn achievements based on your play count. You can bet we'll see more awesome Zune features in the future, such as Smart DJ, "Picks for You", and social music sharing. Zune also supports syncing Windows Media Center recorded TV shows (as long as they're not HD), as well as just about any type of video format (Zune should be able to convert it, if necessary).

OneNote syncing over SkyDrive is another fantastic feature that we'll see in Windows Phone 7. This program can certainly replace the Outlook Notes syncing capability that I've relied on in Windows Mobile for over 10 years. OneNote is much more powerful. It even supports password protected sections, so if those are also supported in Windows Phone 7, I may have an eWallet replacement in OneNote as well. For many, OneNote might be able to replace the tasks list as well. It's a great place to keep track of all of your projects, timing, and research, however it does not support due date reminder notifications, categories, or task assignments.

Then there's the Xbox Live integration. Many people are very excited about the Xbox Live Games Hub on Windows Phone 7 and they have good reason to be. The Xbox Live community is very large, and Xbox users have been very interested in a portable Xbox device for a long time. Making it part of the phone operating system in order to compete with Sony's Playstation Portable, Nintendo's DS, as well as the Apple iOS gaming platform while integrating with the existing Xbox Live community was a great idea. I've never really cared much for gaming on a mobile device. The most mobile gaming I've done was a Bubble Breaker competition while waiting for a movie to start in the theater. However, the idea of turn-based asynchronous multi-player games that can be played across the phone, PC, and Xbox while also earning achievements is quite intriguing.

Developers, Developers, Developers! Microsoft seems to have made developing programs for Windows Phone 7 ridiculously easy. We've seen companies porting popular iPhone apps over to Windows Phone 7 in no time at all. With 300,000 downloads of the free developer tools and Silverlight/XNA development tutorials popping up all over the place, it seems like you can expect some great apps to start appearing on the Windows Phone 7 platform when it's released. Of course, it's true that there are already a ton of developers creating apps for the highly popular iPhone and Android platforms. Microsoft is trying to get an edge out on those extisting platforms by using developer tools and programming technologies that millions of Windows and Xbox developers are already very familiar with… and making it extremely easy to repurpose code between Windows Phone 7, Xbox, and the PC. Allowing developers an easy way of creating applications that can be used across those three screens could be very advantageous.

So what do you think? Do all of the new positive features of Windows Phone 7 outweigh the positives from Windows Mobile 6.x?

MovieMiguel.com

Is The Age Of Exclusives Over?

2010-10-09T11:24:00.001-04:00

Not first party exclusives like Mario, Halo and God of War. Those will live on as long as there are console platform holders. Rather, is the age of big third-party exclusives finished?
The last big third-party exclusive was Metal Gear Solid 4, and that was in 2008. Before the game's release, a great deal of the interest surrounding the title was its platform exclusivity. More and more companies are releasing their titles on all platforms. It makes sense.
In Japan, Square Enix recently revealed that Final Fantasy XIII — which had previously been an PS3 exclusive in Japan — will be coming to the Xbox 360. The news caused a violent reaction on Twitter with mobs of internet users ganging up on Square Enix president Yoichi Wada and calling him a "liar" and "greedy".
Kotaku hears that Wada believes that the enjoyment Square Enix games give should not be limited by platform. Moreover, it is bad games that hurt the brand, not multiplatform games. It seems that Wada feels that the importance of platforms has diminished.
Certainly, the importance of platforms has diminished. Compare the development and publishing environment of 2010 to 1995, and it is very different. That doesn't necessarily mean, however, that exclusives are finished.
Microsoft Game Studios exec Phil Spencer sees several different scenarios. "There are scenarios of proven hits in the market where the economics of the situation make it prohibitive for someone to choose one platform over another for the duration of the franchise," he tells Kotaku. "There are situations where exclusively working with one platform helps the creative process." He mentions Gears of War, an Xbox 360 exclusive developed by Epic Games, as an example.
"I think it did help Epic to build a game that could focus on the Xbox 360 and Live — they didn't have to think about anything else," says Spencer. "We backed it in a big way, and it's obviously made money for both of us." It ends up being a win-win situation for the publisher and the developer.
Sony, which is one of Microsoft's competitors, thinks exclusives can refer to elements of a game. The company does develop its own big, in-house exclusives like the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 and The Last Guardian. "With regards to securing platform exclusives from third parties," Sony Computer Entertainment's Shuhei Yoshida tells Kotaku, "it is becoming more and more difficult in regards to financial needs of third parties in order to justify not releasing the game on other platforms." Yoshida pointed out that the cost of making smaller titles is less, so there is a greater chance for them to become exclusives.
"Now you are seeing more and more exclusive downloadable content as well," Yoshida added. "It is becoming more and more difficult to get the whole title exclusive — even, you know, for Microsoft."
"There are many different angles to secure exclusives," Yoshida pointed out. For example, Yoshida said, Ubisoft's R.U.S.E. and Dead Space: Extinction support PlayStation Move motion controls, but do not support Microsoft's Kinect motion controls. "That's a kind of exclusive feature for the PlayStation 3 version."
According to Yoshida, "It comes down to what makes the most sense to the game's publisher. They'll look at different options and then make a smart choice."

MovieMiguel.com

Keanu Reeves Says Third Bill & Ted is Possible

2010-10-09T11:21:00.002-04:00

Source: MTV

September 20, 2010

Keanu Reeves told MTV that a third "Bill & Ted" movie isn't out of the question.

"We're trying," said Reeves. "Alex and I are still friends and we're talking, and we're talking to Chris and Ed. They're going to try and see if they can write something. To me, I'd love to play the role. I'd love to work with Alex and Chris and Ed again."

"We'll see what they do. If it's a film that can stand up on its own, and I'm meeting people now, they've shown the film to their kids," he added. "We just seek to entertain, and if that could be something that could be worthwhile on its own..."

You can watch the interview using the player below!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

MovieMiguel.com

Netflix "Frowns Upon" Libraries That Offer Netflix Movies & TV Shows

2010-10-09T11:20:00.001-04:00

FastCompany reports that libraries are still using Netflix to offer movies to patrons, despite it being in violation of Netflix's Terms of Use.

Whoops. Turns out Netflix isn't actually cool with libraries using the service and doesn't want early adopting librarians to be encouraging others to do so. Netflix doesn't offer institutional subscriptions and expects its services to be limited to personal consumption. "We just don't want to be pursuing libraries," Netflix's vice president of corporate communications Steve Swasey told the Chronicle of Higher Education recently. "We appreciate libraries and we value them, but we expect that they follow the terms of agreement," he said, adding that Netflix "frowns upon" the liberties taken by librarians.

MovieMiguel.com

Legal Ruling Threatens Second-Hand Game Sales

2010-09-19T12:48:00.002-04:00

Games are licensed, not sold says Courts of Appeal.

UK, September 14, 2010

Following a protracted case involving the sale of second-hand software on eBay, the US Courts of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld the right of software companies to deny their customers the right to resell their products.

Although the court case revolved around AutoCAD, software for computer aided design, the knock-on effect could have huge implications for the used game market, as the judge reiterated that – "A software user is a licensee rather than an owner."

As video games are also subject to license agreements, the court ruling could potentially prevent users reselling their used games in the future, as well as putting rental companies under draconian restrictions.

MovieMiguel.com

7 Things to Stop Doing Now on Facebook

2010-09-19T12:45:00.002-04:00

by Consumer Reports Magazine
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Using a Weak Password
Avoid simple names or words you can find in a dictionary, even with numbers tacked on the end. Instead, mix upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. A password should have at least eight characters. One good technique is to insert numbers or symbols in the middle of a word, such as this variant on the word "houses": hO27usEs!
Leaving Your Full Birth Date in Your Profile
It's an ideal target for identity thieves, who could use it to obtain more information about you and potentially gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you've already entered a birth date, go to your profile page and click on the Info tab, then on Edit Information. Under the Basic Information section, choose to show only the month and day or no birthday at all.
Overlooking Useful Privacy Controls
For almost everything in your Facebook profile, you can limit access to only your friends, friends of friends, or yourself. Restrict access to photos, birth date, religious views, and family information, among other things. You can give only certain people or groups access to items such as photos, or block particular people from seeing them. Consider leaving out contact info, such as phone number and address, since you probably don't want anyone to have access to that information anyway.
Posting Your Child's Name in a Caption
Don't use a child's name in photo tags or captions. If someone else does, delete it by clicking on Remove Tag. If your child isn't on Facebook and someone includes his or her name in a caption, ask that person to remove the name.
Mentioning That You'll Be Away From Home
That's like putting a "no one's home" sign on your door. Wait until you get home to tell everyone how awesome your vacation was and be vague about the date of any trip.
Letting Search Engines Find You
To help prevent strangers from accessing your page, go to the Search section of Facebook's privacy controls and select Only Friends for Facebook search results. Be sure the box for public search results isn't checked.
Permitting Youngsters to Use Facebook Unsupervised
Facebook limits its members to ages 13 and over, but children younger than that do use it. If you have a young child or teenager on Facebook, the best way to provide oversight is to become one of their online friends. Use your e-mail address as the contact for their account so that you receive their notifications and monitor their activities. "What they think is nothing can actually be pretty serious," says Charles Pavelites, a supervisory special agent at the Internet Crime Complaint Center. For example, a child who posts the comment "Mom will be home soon, I need to do the dishes" every day at the same time is revealing too much about the parents' regular comings and goings.

MovieMiguel.com

6 Things You Should Never Reveal on Facebook

2010-09-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

by Kathy Kristof
Tuesday, September 14, 2010The whole social networking phenomenon has millions of Americans sharing their photos, favorite songs and details about their class reunions on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and dozens of similar sites. But there are a handful of personal details that you should never say if you don't want criminals — cyber or otherwise — to rob you blind, according to Beth Givens, executive director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

The folks at Insure.com also say that ill-advised Facebook postings increasingly can get your insurance cancelled or cause you to pay dramatically more for everything from auto to life insurance coverage. By now almost everybody knows that those drunken party photos could cost you a job, too.
[See 7 Things to Stop Doing Now on Facebook]
You can certainly enjoy networking and sharing photos, but you should know that sharing some information puts you at risk. What should you never say on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site?
Your Birth Date and Place
Sure, you can say what day you were born, but if you provide the year and where you were born too, you've just given identity thieves a key to stealing your financial life, said Givens. A study done by Carnegie Mellon showed that a date and place of birth could be used to predict most — and sometimes all — of the numbers in your Social Security number, she said.
Vacation Plans
There may be a better way to say "Rob me, please" than posting something along the lines of: "Count-down to Maui! Two days and Ritz Carlton, here we come!" on Twitter. But it's hard to think of one. Post the photos on Facebook when you return, if you like. But don't invite criminals in by telling them specifically when you'll be gone.
[See Burglars Picked Houses Based on Facebook Updates]
Home Address
Do I have to elaborate? A study recently released by the Ponemon Institute found that users of Social Media sites were at greater risk of physical and identity theft because of the information they were sharing. Some 40% listed their home address on the sites; 65% didn't even attempt to block out strangers with privacy settings. And 60% said they weren't confident that their "friends" were really just people they know.
Confessionals
You may hate your job; lie on your taxes; or be a recreational user of illicit drugs, but this is no place to confess. Employers commonly peruse social networking sites to determine who to hire — and, sometimes, who to fire. Need proof? In just the past few weeks, an emergency dispatcher was fired in Wisconsin for revealing drug use; a waitress got canned for complaining about customers and the Pittsburgh Pirate's mascot was dumped for bashing the team on Facebook. One study done last year estimated that 8% of companies fired someone for "misuse" of social media.
Password Clues
If you've got online accounts, you've probably answered a dozen different security questions, telling your bank or brokerage firm your Mom's maiden name; the church you were married in; or the name of your favorite song. Got that same stuff on the information page of your Facebook profile? You're giving crooks an easy way to guess your passwords.
Risky Behaviors
You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com. So far, there's no efficient way to collect the data, so cancellations and rate hikes are rare. But the technology is fast evolving, according to a paper written by Celent, a financial services research and consulting firm.
MovieMiguel.com

Windows Phone 7: Here's What You Can Pin to the Start Screen

2010-09-19T12:36:00.001-04:00

File under: News

By: Brandon Miniman | 2:49 PM 14-Sep-10 | 18 Comments

The more we use Windows Phone 7 on our pre-release device, the more goodies we find in terms of what you can pin to your Start screen. It's pretty remarkable the extent to which you can draw forth your favorite content from your phone and put it within easy reach. Granted, other operating systems like Android have done this for years, but who's keeping track?

Here's a list of what we've found so far, and we'll add to it if and when we find more.

1. Apps. We knew this from the start...you can put your favorites apps within easy reach.

2. Live tiles. Live tiles change dynamically, and third parties can tap into them. There may be live tiles for sports scores, weather, and news. So far, there are live tiles for email and SMS, people, calendar, and others.

3. Multimedia: We recently discovered that you can not only pin videos to your Start screen, but also favorite artists, albums, or songs. If you're pinning a video, you'll see a thumbnail appear on your Start screen. If you're pinning a music artist/album/song, you'll see the album cover. Neat!

4. Places. Find a sushi restaurant in the city you want to find your way back to you? You can pin places to your Start screen via the Bing maps app.

5. Contacts. Call the same three people the most? Pin them to your Start screen. You can also use this feature to instantly stalk your friends, since clicking on a contacts tile will also let you see their Facebook updates if you're set up for it.

6. Photo Favorites. You can pin your Favorites album to your start screen.

7. Websites: This certainly isn't that exciting, as all other smarpthone operating systems can do this, but you can pin your favorite websites (like pocketnow.com, wink) to your Start screen for easy access.

Our wishlist...

8. Twitter, weather, sports scores, stocks (all should be possible via third parties)

9. System indicators like battery life percentage

10. Links to other documents/files (PDFs, etc)

11. Folders!

MovieMiguel.com

Microsoft launching Windows Phone 7 on October 11th?

2010-09-19T12:35:00.001-04:00

By Paul Miller posted Sep 9th 2010 12:23PM

With a gold master OS, plenty of devices raring to show themselves, and a more or less obvious October launch window, it's clear that Windows Phone 7 is right around the corner. Pocket-lint is reporting today that its sources, "senior figures within the industry," are pegging October 11 as the special day, with a New York launch event to make it all official. The handsets will then be available later that month, according to one of those sources. It sounds like everybody is ready for Microsoft to start fighting back in the world of phones, the question is: are you?

MovieMiguel.com

Windows 7: What Happened to Gaming?

2010-09-19T12:33:00.001-04:00

In 2006, then Microsoft Vice President Peter Moore apologized for what he called a dereliction of duty to the company's number one gaming platform: The PC.
Now more than three years after promising, and some say failing, to deliver a PC gaming renaissance with the Vista operating system, Microsoft is set to roll out Windows 7.
But this time there are no apologies or promises. PC gaming, it seems, has taken a back seat.
When Windows 7 goes on sale on Oct. 22, PC gamers will have little reason to run out to buy it, says Matthew Murray, managing editor of ExtremeTech.
"I don't think there's a lot about (Windows 7) that's going to make it that much more compelling to gamers than Vista," Murray said. "It's a bit better using memory, and it's a bit faster in certain areas, but the performance overall isn't really that much different. If you have Vista and you're happy with it, you can probably keep it, at least for now."
To be fair, much of that promised renaissance in 2006 was tied to the Games for Windows initiative, which launched alongside the Windows Vista operating system.
While the two hit at the same time, they're not directly connected.
The biggest idea behind Games for Windows was to make it easier to play games on your PC. This was done by creating a set of criteria that computer games needed to meet to have the Games For Windows label on their box.
Those criteria included compatibility, easy installation and including parental controls. There were also a number of neat ideas tested out, but never fully realized. Most computer games require an installation before playing, but the Tray and Play option was meant to allow gamers to pop a game in their computer and start playing almost immediately, similar to what most console gamers experience now. Unfortunately, only one game, Halo 2 for the PC, currently uses this system.
The most noticeable way in which Vista and Games for Windows crossed over was the operating system's Game Advisor and Games Explorer.
The Game Advisor ranks a person's computer and available games making it easier to tell if a title would play on a PC.
The Games Explorer was meant to collect all the games installed on a computer and display them in one folder. It's here that Window 7 does bring a modicum of improvement for gamers.
One of the biggest issues with Games Explorer was that it often didn't detect games that were purchases through online retailers and providers like Steam.
While Windows 7 still doesn't seem to include Steam in the Game Explorer, it now has the ability to if the company wants to support the service. If a game provider does choose to be listed in the Game Explorer, computer owners will be able to view news from the service and information about the service's games, all inside the window.
Another update to Games Explorer allows you to be notified when a game you own has an update or patch and then install the update from the explorer without having to launch the game.
Finally, Games Explorer will track statistics for the games you play, showing you how many times you've played, how long and your win and loss ratio.
Currently only the included games seem to support this function, but I'm sure more will include it after the operating system officially launches.
Murray says the only improvement he can find in Windows 7 for gamers is in the Games Explorer, but even he doesn't find it that useful.
"Being able to check for updates for all your games in one interface is a nice feature, but since it doesn't install the updates automatically (the way Windows Update itself does), I don't know how useful that's going to be to a lot of people," he said. "And I've never gotten that into using the Games Explorer anyway—I tend to just add icons to the new taskbar, as with everything else. Aside from that, there aren't a ton of game-friendly changes I've come across."
The problem I have with Windows 7, though, isn't its failure to vastly improve the gaming experience, it's Microsoft's failure to take advantage of the attention brought by the launch of a new operating system to once more thrust PC gaming into the spotlight.
The biggest promise the Games for Windows initiative made when it initially was unveiled was that it would be backed by a huge marketing campaign, one similar to the push Microsoft gave the Xbox 360 when it hit.
But that was never fully realized and PC gaming was left to suffer as a second favorite system next to the Xbox 360 and Microsoft's continued marketing blitz for its gaming console.
In the vacuum left by Microsoft game developers, chip manufacturers and PC builders have come together to try and reinvigorate PC gaming though the PC Gaming Alliance. But even this effort seems oddly absent during Window's big week?
If Microsoft want its PC gaming platform to thrive they will need to do more than offer lip service in the future. But with the lasting success of the gaming console and PC gamers' ability to seemingly put up with anything, why should they?
Microsoft declined to comment for this article.

MovieMiguel.com

Ways to Recover Your Lost Windows Phone 7 Device

2010-09-19T12:32:00.002-04:00

File under: News

By: Anton D. Nagy | 12:52 AM 6-Sep-10 | 7 Comments

We've seen the first blurry image of the Windows Phone 7 MyPhone Portal bring a Kin Studio-like arrangement with thumbnails of your photos and pictures of your Contacts and then we were presented with another screenshot of the Portal in action with the Find My Phone section.

Windows Phone 7 users will have four tools handy to find their lost or stolen devices right from launch and these will come for free for those adopting the platform, via the Windows Phone 7 MyPhone Portal's Find My Phone section. These are: Map it, Ring it, Lock it and display a message and Erase it.

Map it is able to display a Bing Maps representation of the location the Windows Phone 7 device is currently being at. Judging by the size of the circle on the map, besides GPS, the Device is communicating its location using cell tower data triangulation. And while you might be searching for your device within that particular circle, you can use the Portal to Ring your Device with a special ringtone. The ringer will be triggered regardless if the Device is set to Silent or Vibration and it will last 60 seconds.

If you fail to recover your Device, you have two more drastic tools of both protecting it and your data. After you create a unique four digit password to assist you in Unlocking should you recover it, you can use the Portal to lock the Device and have a message of your choice displayed on the screen. You have the option to ring your phone at the same time - same as above - so that people hear it ringing. This, together with the message displayed increases the chances of someone noticing a lost phone and even seeing the message displayed.

If everything else fails and you want to protect the information contained on your Device (Contacts, Pictures, Documents, etc.), you can Erase it which will do a Factory reset on your Windows Phone 7. Not quite sure whether that after this step you will be able or not to use the MyPhone Portal for recovering it since it loses its link to the Portal.

While some of these features and services were available before in a one form or the other, these free services undoubtedly increase your chances of finding your lost device. Also, after launch, more services will be ready for Windows Phone 7 users - rumor has it for free.
MovieMiguel.com

Which is the Hardest Halo Game?

2010-09-16T21:00:00.002-04:00

We rank the all five games and come up with the one experience that is truly Legendary.

September 16, 2010

With Halo: Reach being Bungie's swan song for the series, it seemed the right time for a group of Halo experts to figure out which Halo game is the hardest. Among the committee that spent dozens of hours debating (and by hours, I mean minutes) are Halo aficionados Hilary Goldstein (that's me!), Will Tuttle, David Clayman, Erik Brudvig, Arthur Gies, and Nate Ahearn.

We judged the overall campaign difficulty for each game, considering both the single-player experience and the co-op experience. And always with a mind on the Legendary difficulty, since that's the true measure of each Halo experience. Co-op difficulty was a major influencing factor in the overall rankings, since many of the single-player experiences are fairly comparable for most of the games in the series.

Here are our picks from easiest to hardest.

Halo: Combat Evolved

Difficulty:
Scared Little Grunt

It might have seemed tough nine years ago, but give Halo: CE a try now and you'll likely find yourself giggling at how easy it is to take down the Covenant. Despite the lack of cool moves like vehicle jacking, the weapons hold a ton of ammo, you can stock up on grenades, and the assault rifle is a beast. All the years of playing Halo make the original a cake walk. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The series should continually get tougher.

Halo 3

Difficulty:
Non-Sniping Jackal

Even Bungie admits that Master Chief had turned into a super hero by Halo 3. Though the single-player may be comparable in difficulty to some of the other games (Flood snipers, really?!), the challenge is negated the minute your friends join in. Halo 3's co-op campaign doesn't scale. That means the challenge is three times less when you have three friends playing with you. Not an exaggeration: We beat Halo 3 on Legendary with four players in just a couple of hours at the review event.

Halo 3: ODST

Difficulty:
Angry Brute

Putting you in the shoes of an ODST meant your character's abilities had to be stifled. No more super-human Master Chief stuff. You get one weapon to wield and, in the spirit of the first Halo, you have health that doesn't automatically regenerate but requires health packs. ODST is actually toughest at the outset, because it's hard to accept that, as a lone wolf ODST, you just shouldn't try and stand toe-to-toe with every enemy you encounter. It takes some time to acclimate, and once you do, caution is often the smarter choice over the usual Halo bravado.

Halo 2

Difficulty:
Sword-Wielding Elite

Those God damned Jackal snipers, am I right? Anyone who played Halo 2 on Legendary can attest to how incredibly annoying those snipers could be. They could snipe the pixel off a gnat. But where Halo 2 gets really tough is when you play co-op. When one person dies, you're both sent back to the last checkpoing. When you have some truly tough (and unfairly accurate enemies) this can make progression through the campaign with a buddy close to impossible at times.

Halo: Reach

Difficulty:
Many, Many Hunters

Bungie promised that Halo: Reach was the hardest Halo game and that was no lie, due to scaling cooperative play. The campaign has some tough difficulty spikes towards the end, but nothing a seasoned vet can't fight their way through. It's hard, don't get me wrong, but it's not impossible on your own. However, the difficulty scales in co-op, meaning that if you have three friends in tow, the game is basically three times as hard. Considering that Halo: Reach is already a pretty hard game to beat, upping the difficulty provides, well, a legendary challenge that only the best group of Halo players can hope to overcome.

MovieMiguel.com

Rumor: Lucasarts Cancels Force Unleashed 3

2010-08-17T12:44:00.001-04:00

New Lucasarts president Paul Meegan certainly isn't wasting any time. Barely two months into the job and we hear he's already swinging the axe and cancelling high profile sequels.
If you were wondering why it was strange that Force Unleashed II creative director Haden Blackman would leave mid-project, this may explain things: according to sources at Lucasarts, Meegan has cancelled a third Force Unleashed game that was already in development, and members of Force Unleashed II's team (though we're not sure exactly how many) will be shown the door once that game ships.
Another unnamed project, due to ship next year, has avoided the axe, but has been "put on hold" while developers have been told to "expect management and reporting changes". Those changes are down to the departure of Blackman, who as work was winding down on Force Unleashed II had been leading development on this secret project.
These sources say "morale and productivity are at all-time lows" since Meegan took over, with most Lucasarts developers only finding out about Force Unleashed II's cancellation on the PSP by reading it on gaming news sites.
We've also been told that another sweeping change made by Meegan is that the majority of "external" development of Lucasarts properties is coming to an end, with BioWare's Old Republic MMO to be the last game not developed internally at Lucasarts. That would presumably mean, for example, no more LEGO Star Wars or LEGO Indiana Jones titles after the upcoming LEGO: Clone Wars, as those have all been handled by Traveller's Tales.
So, yes, if this is all indeed correct, big changes are afoot at the house that Star Wars built. Lots of them bad news for the developers currently there, but looking at the big picture, the silver lining could be that such drastic shake-ups could be exactly what's needed at a publisher and developer that, courtesy of its licenses and history, should be doing a lot better both commercially and critically than it currently is.
We've contacted Lucasarts for comment, and will update if we hear back.

MovieMiguel.com

Xbox Live launch titles for Windows Phone 7 finally revealed, we've got the full preview

2010-08-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

By Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 16th 2010 11:12PM

Breaking News

Preview

59diggsdiggWe've known that proper Xbox Live gaming (powered by XNA) was coming to Windows Phone 7 devices, but we'd yet to see any of that thumb-spraining goodness in action besides a brief demo and a few developer videos. Well, Microsoft has finally come clean with details about its launch strategy for the platform, and from where we sit, it's definitely looking pretty promising. First off, the company has announced a full list of launch titles for WP7 handsets, including some familiar names and franchises like Castlevania, Halo: Waypoint, Star Wars, Crackdown, and Guitar Hero, alongside a handful of newer properties like the ultra-cute ilomilo, produced in-house by Microsoft Game Studios. In total, the company will launch with over 60 game titles, with new offerings appearing every week in the Xbox Live Marketplace, just like its big brother console version. We've got all the details, a full list of the launch titles, and our hands-on preview after the break -- so read on to get the scoop!

Xbox Live for Windows Phone 7 hands-on

Besides just announcing some games today, Microsoft has also shown off the full feature set of Xbox Live integration in Windows Phone 7, and users of the service should be pleased to discover that there's not much missing from the version they know and love. Live on WP7 will allow for full avatar integration (we're talking fully rendered, interactive avatars) along with customization (clothes, accessories, and more). The company has even crafted an avatar-centric version of familiar phone utilities like flashlight apps and levels, adding some whimsy to what would normally be pretty staid affairs. Additionally, messaging, friend lists / status, achievements, and leaderboards (with friend comparisons) are all here as well, making for a pretty complete mobile Xbox Live experience. And also just like the console, every game will have a try-before-you buy demo to check out before spending your hard-earned cash.

We had a chance to sit down and play some of the new games (Rocket Riot, Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst, The Harvest, ilomilo, Bejeweled, Max and the Magic Marker, and Uno) as well as check out the Live feature-set, and here are our first impressions:

We'll preface this by saying that both the hardware and software we demoed was still unfinished (the latter being the Samsung Taylor dev phone and the LG QWERTY model we broke news of on the Engadget Show). Regardless, the gameplay for the arcade titles seemed excellent, with frame rates holding fast even during graphically intensive 3D sequences (such as the chaotic, scattered-pixel play of Rocket Riot). The Harvest, while a bit familiar to our eyes, still showed the graphic promise of the platform. Gameplay was definitely well suited to a touchscreen device, though Microsoft's Kevin Unangst told us that developers could target controls for both touch and QWERTY-equipped phones (provided that a touch version was always present). The screen response seemed accurate and sensitive, reacting quickly to our input. Particularly in the Crackdown title -- a tower defense game "set in the Crackdown universe" -- pinch zooming, rotation, and finger tracking was excellent.

Besides just standard gaming, it looks like Microsoft will try and leverage some other components of the platform. In the aforementioned Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst, the game utilizes Bing maps to create levels (not unlike the PSN title The Last Guy), and logic in the software is able to recognize things like roads for enemies to make their way down. A unique concept for sure, and the kind of thinking we hope we'll see more of on this platform. Though we didn't get to see a lot of titles (we particularly would have liked to see something like Castlevania), the polish and speed of the games we played was definitely competitive with iPhone or Palm Pre gaming.

We didn't get a chance to peruse the Live Marketplace because the phones were offline, but we did get to play around with cached elements, and we felt right at home. Updating and tweaking your avatar was fast and straightforward, as was finding friends and checking up on achievements or messages. Unfortunately, for the launch of Windows Phone 7 there won't be any true multiplayer options besides turn-based games, though Kevin seemed to indicate that head-to-head gaming (whether over a local or wide network) was in the roadmap. It only makes sense considering this is Xbox Live we're talking about, and it seems like something that would have been baked in from the beginning. We may be a little spoiled from the variety of multiplayer titles on the iOS platform, but that was one knock against Microsoft here. One other small issue we noticed was that game load times seemed long -- a little too long. Again, Microsoft says things are still unfinished, so we're hoping this is a side effect of debugging and non-optimized builds.

All in all, it's a promising picture for Microsoft. The company has the clout, the community, and most importantly the cash to pull this off, but as with all modern smartphone platforms, success can't be judged on one aspect alone. To make Windows Phone 7 really work, the folks in Redmond will have to hit the right note on not just gaming, but the basic user experience, hardware, applications, and carrier partnerships. Based on what we've seen of Xbox Live on these devices, we think the company can check at least one of those boxes off.

The complete "first wave of launch portfolio titles" includes the following:

* 3D Brick Breaker Revolution (Digital Chocolate)
* Age of Zombies (Halfbrick)
* Armor Valley (Protégé Games)
* Asphalt 5 (Gameloft)
* Assassins Creed (Gameloft)
* Bejeweled™ LIVE (PopCap)
* Bloons TD (Digital Goldfish)
* Brain Challenge (Gameloft)
* Bubble Town 2 (i-Play)
* Butterfly ( Press Start Studio)
* CarneyVale Showtime (MGS)
* Castlevania(Konami)
* Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst (MGS)
* De Blob Revolution (THQ)
* Deal or No Deal 2010 (i-Play)
* Earthworm Jim (Gameloft)
* Fast & Furious 7 (i-Play)
* Fight Game Rivals (Rough Cookie)
* Finger Physics (Mobliss Inc.)
* Flight Control (Namco Bandai)
* Flowerz (Carbonated Games)
* Frogger (Konami Digital Entertainment)
* Fruit Ninja (Halfbrick)
* Game Chest-Board (MGS)
* Game Chest-Card (MGS)
* Game Chest-Logic (MGS)
* Game Chest-Solitaire (MGS)
* GeoDefense (Critical Thought)
* Ghostscape (Psionic)
* Glow Artisan (Powerhead Games)
* Glyder 2 (Glu Mobile)
* Guitar Hero 5 (Glu Mobile)
* Halo Waypoint (MGS)
* Hexic Rush (Carbonated Games)
* I Dig It (InMotion)
* iBlast Moki (Godzilab)
* ilomilo (MGS)
* Implode XL (IUGO)
* Iquarium (Infinite Dreams)
* Jet Car Stunts (True Axis)
* Let's Golf 2 (Gameloft)
* Little Wheel (One click dog)
* Loondon (Flip N Tale)
* Max and the Magic Marker (PressPlay)
* Mini Squadron (Supermono Limited)
* More Brain Exercise (Namco Bandai)
* O.M.G. (Arkedo)
* Puzzle Quest 2 (Namco Bandai)
* Real Soccer 2 (Gameloft)
* The Revenants (Chaotic Moon)
* Rise of Glory (Revo Solutions)
* Rocket Riot (Codeglue)
* Splinter Cell Conviction (Gameloft)
* Star Wars: Battle for Hoth (THQ)
* Star Wars: Cantina (THQ)
* The Harvest (MGS)
* The Oregon Trail (Gameloft)
* Tower Bloxx NY (Digital Chocolate)
* Twin Blades (Press Start Studio)
* UNO (Gameloft)
* Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet (i-Play)
* Zombie Attack! (IUGO)
* Zombies!!!! (Babaroga)

MovieMiguel.com

Is An HD Mortal Kombat Collection On The Horizon?

2010-08-16T21:45:00.001-04:00

News

by Dan Ryckert on August 16, 2010 at 07:00 PM

309 Views

If a leaked game listing is correct, it looks like the highly-anticipated new Mortal Kombat title isn't the only thing series fans have to look forward to. A listing for Mortal Kombat Arcade Compilation appeared on ShopTo.net, but was later pulled.
According to CVG, the disc will contain HD versions of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and be released on October 12th of this year. It's far from confirmed, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to drum up interest in the new title by reminding gamers why MK is an industry icon to begin with. We'll update this story if new information breaks.

MovieMiguel.com

Star Wars Announced for Blu-ray

2010-08-16T21:41:00.001-04:00

Source: Lucasfilm Ltd, New York Times

August 14, 2010

Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox officially announced today that all six live-action Star Wars films will arrive on the Blu-ray format in Fall 2011 as a commemorative box set.

The news, part of this week's Celebration V festivities, promises "the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with extensive special features – including documentaries, vintage behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, retrospectives and never-before-seen footage from the Lucasfilm archives."

“Blu-ray is the absolute best way to experience Star Wars at home – in pristine high definition,” said George Lucas of the release, “The films have never looked or sounded better.”

At this time it is unclear what versions of each film will appear in the set. Past Star Wars home video releases have focused on the updated special editions, though fan demand led to a later, unrestored release of the original theatrical version on the DVD format.

UPDATE: The New York Times is reporting that the set will include only the updated versions of the original trilogy. "[W]hen we did the transfer to digital," Lucas is quoted as saying, "we only transferred really the upgraded version.”

MovieMiguel.com

Droid 2 R2-D2 edition coming September 30

2010-08-13T00:13:00.002-04:00

By Nilay Patel posted Aug 12th 2010 5:46PM

Looks like Verizon and Motorola have finally come clean with the release dates on that sweet Droid 2 R2-D2 edition -- a poster next to that demo unit at the Star Wars-themed Celebration V convention in Orlando says it's due to arrive on September 30. Unfortunately there's no word on how much more this thing will cost over the regular Droid 2, but hey -- Artoo's worth it, right? Check a couple more high-res shots at the source link.

MovieMiguel.com

Spider-Man and Men in Black III Start Dates

2010-08-05T13:16:00.001-04:00

Source: ComingSoon.net

August 1, 2010

ComingSoon.net/SuperHeroHype has learned that the Marc Webb-directed Untitled Spider-Man Project will start shooting in December in Los Angeles. We've received no word yet whether Sony's Columbia Pictures will also film in New York. Andrew Garfield stars in the July 3, 2012 release, produced by Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad.

The studio's Men in Black III, however, is scheduled for filming in New York starting in September. Barry Sonnenfeld is directing the May 25, 2012 release, starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Jemaine Clement.

MovieMiguel.com

Microsoft algorithm uses six-axis motion sensors to fix blurry snapshots, inadvertently pimping your ride

2010-08-05T11:08:00.004-04:00

By Sean Hollister posted Aug 2nd 2010 12:44PM

Trying to snap a shot of your cherry red Mazda, but can't keep your hands still? You'll find all the tech you need to smooth things out in an iPhone 4 or (MotionPlus-equipped) Nintendo Wiimote. Experimenting with 6DOF inertial measurement sensor packages, scientists at Microsoft Research have developed a software algorithm that literally records your exposure-destroying shake via accelerometer and gyroscope, then magically removes the blur by canceling it out. While the technique still isn't perfect -- spot ghostly line above some of those background cars -- the Microsoft researchers compared their results to other in-progress algorithms, and we think you'll agree this new solution presents the best results by far. It's a shame Microsoft doesn't say when we'll see the tech in a spiffy DSLR attachment, or better yet a cameraphone. See before and after animated GIFs after the break, and find high-res comparison images and much more at our source link.

Slashdot

Microsoft Research

Miguel.com

70-Gigapixel Photo of Budapest Offers a Great View

2010-08-05T11:08:00.001-04:00

By Priya Ganapati
July 30, 2010 |
4:54 pm |
Categories: Cameras

Supersized panoramic photos of cities are the flavor of the season. After Prague and Dubai, it’s the turn of Budapest to get a detailed online photo that you can zoom in and out of and play around with–almost like Google Earth.
The photo shot over four days has 70-gigapixels. If the finished picture is ever printed, it would make a a poster 156 meters (511 feet) long and 31 meters (101 feet) tall. The amount of paper it would take would cover two apartment blocks at least 10 floors tall.
To shoot the photo, two 25-megapixel Sony A900 cameras were fitted with a 400mm Minolta lens and 1.4 X teleconverters and placed on a robotic camera mount. 20,000 test images later, the file was processed to create a single interactive photo.
Check out the Budapest photo here. It’s a tad blurry and sometimes pixelated if you zoom in too much but still fun to play around with.

Crysis 2 Delayed to 2011

2010-08-05T10:34:00.002-04:00

Crytek's title moved to next year.

August 3, 2010

During Electronic Arts' Q1 fiscal earnings call, the publisher announced it has delayed Crysis 2 until early next year.

The game will now ship during EA's fiscal fourth quarter, which begins on January 1, 2011.

"We moved to the game to a better marketing window in the March quarter," Jeff Brown, VP of Corporate Communications told IGN. "This will also give the Crytek team more time to polish a great title."

Crysis 2 was originally scheduled to ship during this fall for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
MovieMiguel.com

Need for Speed Shift 2 Announced

2010-08-05T10:33:00.002-04:00

New racing title coming in 2011.

August 3, 2010

Electronic Arts announced during its fiscal Q1 earnings call this afternoon it will release Need For Speed: Shift 2 early next year for consoles and PC.

No other details about the game were revealed. EA's earnings release notes the game is a co-published title.

The Need for Speed Shift series was first released in 2009 for multiple platforms. The game was developed by London-based Slightly Mad Studios and was met with positive response by critics.

"I can confirm the announcement but we have nothing more to add," an EA representative told IGN.

EA plans to release Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, developed by Criterion Games, this fall. Need for Speed World, a free-to-play MMO title, was release last month.
MovieMiguel.com

Nikon D3100 shooting around Page, Arizona in run-up to August 19th press events?

2010-08-05T10:32:00.003-04:00

By Ross Miller posted Aug 4th 2010 7:44PM

Nikon Rumors does its best to keep an ear to the ground on DSLR whispers of a certain company. This time, however, the whispers might resonate a bit louder as they bounce off the rocky walls of Page, Arizona-based Canyons. It's here that the site claims commercial shots are or have been taken related to the Nikon D3100, an oft-rumored memory-capturing device (at one time apparently was called the D4000) for the company that might include 1080p video with a continuous autofocus mode. NR seems pretty certain this camera will rear its interchangeable head for at least one of the multiple press events across Europe that Nikon has scheduled for August 19th. Then again, if it's not the D3100, we wonder what the camera maker does have in store for then.
MovieMiguel.com

Batman: Arkham Asylum Sequel Coming Fall 2011

2010-08-05T10:32:00.001-04:00

Batman: Arkham City, follow-up to the bone-crushing, dark Batman: Arkham Asylum, is in development for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for a Fall 2011 release, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment said this morning.
The sequel, in development by Rocksteady Studios, has players taking Batman into Arkham City, the new maximum security home for all of Gotham City's criminals. This new prison is described as a heavily fortified walled-prison in the heart of Gotham City.
The game will include story that "draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight," according to the press release.
Check out the first teaser trailer here.
Update: Whoops, never mind, that trailer was the one they premiered at the VGAs. Sorry about that.
Update Part Two: As commenters have pointed out, the new Game Informerindicate Catwoman will be playing a part in the game.

Batman: Arkham City

MovieMiguel.com

Last “Live Nude SMod” EVER Tomorrow!

2010-07-31T10:00:00.001-04:00

Last “Live Nude SMod” EVER Tomorrow!

July 30th @ 9:22 am | 1 Comment » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

Now that he’s got the world’s first live podcasting theater in operation, SModcastle (see a quick Kevin-shot bootleg clip from last Sunday’s opening), Kevin has said that the road shows titled “Live Nude SMod” will be no more. Ffor the immediate future, the ONLY spot you’ll see the live podcasts will be at the Los Angeles-based castle – A fall tour titled “SModcast 3D” is planned for the October/November timeframe.
So, that means YOU Columbus, Ohio, will get the last live road SModcast for some time tomorrow, July 31st. Kevin then comes home to Red Bank on Monday, August 2nd, for his 40th birthday Q&A. Hope to see a lot of you there – We’ll be onsite for the big Red Bank event. Then, Kevin’s on to Australia for a historic 2 night stand at the Sydney Opera House.
What about the old standard, online SModcast? Kevin promises standard, brand new episodes for a few weeks until “Red State” is shooting. Once he’s busy on the set, the backlogged episodes recorded at the live gigs will start to fill in the weekly slot, to allow Kevin time to film and edit. ‘Til then, www.smodcast.com is the place to be. Lots going on over there, including the announcement that the great Jason Mewes will become a regular member of new show “Highlinds: A Peephole History”.
New announcements are coming at the new SModcast 3D website, which at minimum promises live SMod at the Castle. Could there be more road shows in the future? Never say never.
Stay tuned for more news on upcoming episodes, and round 2 at SModcastle!

MovieMiguel.com

Microsoft confirms Windows Phone 7 manufacturers: ASUS, Dell, HTC, LG, and Samsung all on board

2010-07-22T16:51:00.005-04:00

By Paul Miller posted Jul 22nd 2010 1:14PM

Microsoft is no stranger to having partners galore in the phone business, but its lineup of manufacturers for the upcoming, surprisingly promising Windows Phone 7 launch is no less impressive. After plenty of rumoring, Microsoft has confirmed that Dell and HTC will be making Windows Phone 7 phones, in addition to ASUS, LG, and Samsung who had already been confirmed. All of these companies should have their stamp on hardware by the end of the year, with the launch of the OS still vaguely slated for the "holidays." We have no doubt that all five manufacturers can build some compelling, sexy hardware, but we're particularly enthused to see Dell really getting into the game after the impressive Streak and that drool-worthy leak a little while back. It's a good time to be alive if you're a person who buys or uses phones.

MovieMiguel.com

Windows Phone 7 Supported Touch Gestures

2010-07-22T16:51:00.003-04:00

File under: News

By: Anton D. Nagy | Date: 22-Jul-10 | 1 Comments

You'll be happy to find out that Windows Phone 7 will support four simultaneous user touch input points to enable unique application interactions. This would be very useful for games or musical instrument applications as well as painting programs. Also, the upcoming mobile OS from Microsoft will recognize five single-touch and one multi-touch gesture.

The single touch gestures include:
1. the Tap which we already know by now with Finger up executing the action. A tap also stops any type of content from moving on the screen;
2. the Double Tap which toggles between in and out zoom states of a control or an application;
3. the Pan which is used to either move content on the screen or reorder a specific item;
4. the Flick that moves content from one area to another area. The difference between Flick and Pan is that the Flick ends with lifting the finger off the screen.
5. the Touch and Hold, which we are used to calling long tap and is used to display a context menu or options page for an item.

The one multi-touch gesture is the Pinch and Stretch which is similar to what we've seen on latest devices (also known to most of you as pinch to zoom) and it provides continuous zoom on content with the center of the zoom located at the center of the two fingers.

Do you find anything missing?
MovieMiguel.com

Droid X users gobbling up 5x the data of other Verizon smartphones

2010-07-22T16:51:00.001-04:00

By Vlad Savov posted Jul 22nd 2010 7:52AM

Been wondering why Verizon would seek to curb its unlimited data plans with bogus restrictions? Wonder no more. Jennifer Byrne, a business development executive director at Big Red, has shared with us the shocking stat that early data usage from Droid X owners is five times what other smartphones are suckling down. Clearly, the jumbo screen is being used to the fullest by those lucky enough to get an X when they wanted one, and Verizon is (outwardly, at least) really, really excited to see such keen use of its network. Enjoy it while it lasts, Droidsters!

MovieMiguel.com

Six Devices Likely to Run Windows Phone 7 this Fall

2010-07-22T16:50:00.001-04:00

File under: News

By: Anton D. Nagy | Date: 20-Jul-10 | 28 Comments

PDAdb.net, the Comprehensive Database of PDA, PDA Phone, Smartphone, PNA & Mobile Device Specifications, has records for so far six upcoming Windows Phone 7 Devices from various manufacturers, hitting the market Q4 2010, according to Preliminary Specifications. It's just a matter of when Microsoft decides to go live with the highly anticipated but controversial OS, but we can't wait till Fall.

Here's the line-up so far:
1. Toshiba TG03
2. HTC Touch Diamond 3 (HTC Obsession)
3. LG Panther GW910
4. LG Apollo GW990
5. Dell Lightning EU-US
6. HTC Mondrian/Gold/Mozart

As far as technical specifications are concerned, they're more or less at the same level with Microsoft's strict hardware requirements for Windows Phone 7. The LG Apollo GW990 and the HTC Mondrian are listed with the new 32 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8650/A processor running at an amazing speed of 1300MHz. Nevertheless, the European version of the Dell Lightning is looking extremely attractive to me, both spec and aspect-wise. See them all compared here. What's your flavor?
MovieMiguel.com

Verizon switching to AT&T-style limited data plans later this month?

2010-07-22T16:49:00.005-04:00

By Chris Ziegler posted Jul 20th 2010 7:24PM

Exclusive

Hang on to your megabytes, folks, because it looks like the Brave New World of limited data is truly upon us. AT&T and Verizon tend to follow each others' moves pretty closely -- the two carriers regard each other as their nearest competitors, after all -- and we're hearing that Big Red intends to move to some sort of tiered bucket strategy on July 29. We don't have details on whether the pricing will be identical to AT&T's ($25 for 2GB, $15 for 200MB), but we imagine it'll be within shouting distance if not. Of course, Verizon has been sending this message for a long time -- even before AT&T was -- so it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that this is going down. You might say that Droid Does Caps, eh?
MovieMiguel.com

Why Twitter is Not Integrated With Windows Phone 7

2010-07-22T16:49:00.003-04:00

File under: News

By: Adam Z Lein | Date: 20-Jul-10 | 19 Comments

You may have seen a number of recent Windows Phone 7 prototype reviews at sites such as CNET, ZDNet, Gizmodo, Engadget and MobileCrunch. Many of them cite the lack of Twitter integration in the People Hub as a glaring omission. Of course there will be plenty of Windows Phone 7 Twitter apps from the likes of Seesmic and Twikini, but why isn't it fully integrated?

If you were one of the Windows Live Home early adopters who added Twitter support to your Windows Live Profile, you might have seen a clue in your email back in June. It turns out Twitter decided to make some policy changes that seem to have prevented Microsoft from integrating twitter feeds with Windows Live. Since Windows Phone 7 is highly dependent on its Windows Live cloud services integration, you can see how this might affect the phone operating system's twitter integration as well. Of course this is all just me guessing at what's going on, but here's the email indicating that Twitter integration for Windows Live will be suspending until further notice:

Dear Windows Live Customer,

Thank you for connecting your social networks and other services with Windows Live. We are contacting you because you have added your Twitter feed to Windows Live and we want to notify you of an upcoming change.

Beginning June 30, 2010 your tweets will no longer be automatically imported from Twitter and shared out to your Windows Live Messenger friends due to policy changes made by Twitter. We are working hard with Twitter to make this service available again and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

We remain focused on making Hotmail, Messenger, and your PC with Windows great companions to social networks and other services. This change has no impact on your ability to connect Windows Live with our other 75+ other social networks and other service partners, which include Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Flickr, and more.

Sincerely,
The Windows Live Team

It's also possible that Microsoft never intended the People Hub to have so much Twitter integration. Already people are complaining that with the Facebook integration, there are too many contacts on the phone. Twitter followees are often not even real people. They could be just bots that spurt out links once in a while. I certainly don't want those kinds of tweets in my People hub... a separate Twitter application is where those belong. And people who follow you? What would the People Hub do with them? I'm not entirely sure the People Hub makes sense as a place for Twitter integration just as it may not make sense as a place for instant messaging integration.

On the other hand, it would be nice if I could link actual people in my contacts to their Twitter accounts so that I could see their latest tweets in the People Hub. That would only be a fraction of the actual number of people I follow on twitter though.

If the Windows Phone 7 People Hub were to have Twitter integration, how would you expect it to work? Should it load all of the people you're following into the contacts database?

MovieMiguel.com

Verizon Rumored to Kill Unlimited Data Plans

2010-07-22T16:49:00.001-04:00

File under: News

By: Chuong Nguyen | Date: 21-Jul-10 | 5 Comments

Following in rival AT&T's footsteps, Verizon Wireless is rumored to be ending its offering of unlimited data soon, a move that is considered unsurprising given that the carrier had alluded to tiered pricing even before AT&T's controversial change. The move by Verizon Wireless is speculated to happen on July 29th; hopefully users on current unlimited plans would be grandfathered in unless they make account changes.

Right now, Verizon is charging about $30 for unlimited smartphone data, the same as AT&T's plan prior to its change to tiered pricing; AT&T is now charging $25 for 2 GB of data and a paltry 200 MB for $15.

The move is justified by the carriers in that most users use under 2 GB of data a month; for a majority of cell phone owners, it will be a cost savings of $5 though users on AT&T's plan under the unlimited data terms are grandfathered in unless they explicitly call in and change to a tiered plan. For heavy data users--a minority--this will help to offset network congestion and hopefully provide a better experience for all users.

However, despite those justifications, as carriers move to 4G networks--AT&T and Verizon Wireless are opting for LTE technologies--that are more efficient at handling data, charging more for data flow is controversial as it'd be cheaper for networks to handle data under 4G systems. Another reason for controversy is that as smartphones get more powerful, data caps may limit the potential of your "pocket computers." For devices capable of shooting large megapixels worth of pictures and high-resolution HD videos, data caps may make it prohibitive to share and be social on the web while mobile.

At this point, such a move seems likely though Verizon Wireless has not officially commented on when a change would occur.

MovieMiguel.com

Verizon launching $80 5GB prepaid data plan next month, FiveSpot too?

2010-07-22T16:47:00.002-04:00

By Chris Ziegler posted Jul 21st 2010 3:55PM

Exclusive

At present, Verizon only offers prepaid mobile broadband in buckets ranging from 100MB up to 1GB at prices from $15 to $50. Problem is, 1GB goes by in about two seconds if you're YouTubin' your way through a layover in Atlanta, enjoying a little too much Hulu and Pandora, or torrenting a few ISOs (perfectly legal ones, of course) -- so to that end, we're hearing that a 5GB option will be launching on August 23 for a breathtaking $80. Presumably, it'd be good for 30 days from the date of purchase the same as the current 1GB plan, though we don't know that from the information we have. Sounds a little ridiculous to us, but we suppose that's the price of contract freedom on a top-tier network these days.

On a related note, we're now hearing that the FiveSpot mobile hotspot we told you about is lined up for a late August launch as well, though we don't have an exact day, and it'll be officially replacing the MiFi -- makes sense. If you already have a MiFi and you don't do much international travel, it doesn't seem like there's a compelling reason to upgrade, but globetrotters are definitely going to want to check this out.

MovieMiguel.com

Avatar Spinoff Series Announced: The Legend of Korra

2010-07-21T18:08:00.000-04:00

What comes after The Last Airbender?

July 21, 2010

Nickelodeon has just greenlit a new animated series from Avatar: the Last Airbender creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. According to the network's president, Brown Johnson, the series-- currently titled The Legend of Korra-- will be expanding the mythology of the Avatar franchise, setting it roughly 70 years after the original show's events with a whole new cast of characters.

"Mike and Bryan have imagined a compelling new story inspired by the Airbender mythology that they so brilliantly crafted when the TV series began," Johnson said. "This new avatar is not only a girl, but also hot-headed, independent and ready to take on the world."

- Nickelodeon

The Legend of Korra

The Legend of Korra follows the adventures of a "passionate, rebellious and fearless" teenager from the Southern Water Tribe, a girl named Korra. Having already mastered three of the four elements (Earth, Water, and Fire), she seeks to master the final element of Air. Her travels eventually lead her to the metropolis of Republic City, an epicenter for the modern Avatar world. Although a thriving society of benders and non-benders alike, Republic City is also ridden with crime, including an anti-bending rebellion that is gaining momentum. Under the guidance of Aang's son, Tenzin, Korra begins her airbending training as she confronts the dangers ahead of her.

The Legend of Korra will be produced at Nickelodeon Animation Studios and is expected to begin airing sometime in 2011.
MovieMiguel.com

'Family Guy' for third 'Star Wars' spoof

2010-07-21T18:03:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, July 21 2010, 10:50am EDT

By Morgan Jeffery

Fox comedy Family Guy will reportedly air a third episode poking fun at the original Star Wars trilogy.

TV Guide reports that a parody of 1983's Return of the Jedi is currently in the works. Previous episodes 'Blue Harvest' and 'Something, Something, Something, Dark Side' have spoofed Star Wars films A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back respectively.

The third instalment - titled 'We Have a Bad Feeling About This' - will feature original Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, as well as Star Trek: The Next Generation regulars Patrick Stewart and Michael Dorn.

A ten-minute preview of the new episode is expected to be screened at the Family Guy panel at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego. Series creator Seth MacFarlane and stars Alex Borstein and Seth Green are expected to attend the event.

The full episode will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 21, with a television broadcast expected to follow at a later date.

MovieMiguel.com

Droid 2 'Star Wars' edition rumored for August release

2010-07-21T18:02:00.000-04:00

By Rachel King | July 21, 2010, 2:18am PDT

There isn’t even a confirmed release date for the Droid 2, and rumors are already swirling about a Star Wars version of the Motorola smartphone landing in August.
Earlier this week, it was theorized that the Droid 2 will be released in August on Verizon Wireless. Now it seems like there will be a special version with the character R2-D2 imprinted on the back.
This would make perfect sense. Not only is the word “droid” already owned by Star Wars creator George Lucas, but R2-D2 is probably the most famous droid there is.
Before all of the geeks rejoice, remember, this hasn’t been confirmed yet. And if it is true, it’s likely to cost a bit more, but just think about how much this collector’s item will be worth a few decades from now.

MovieMiguel.com

Kevin Smith Talks Cop Out

2010-07-21T17:37:00.004-04:00

Source: Silas Lesnick

July 20, 2010

ComingSoon.net spoke exclusively with filmmaker Kevin Smith about the release of his latest directorial effort, Cop Out, on Blu-ray and DVD today. Dubbed the "Rock Out With Your Glock Out Edition," the Blu-ray feature WB's first ever "Maximum Comedy Mode," allowing Smith to take his famous audio commentaries to the next level. Check out his thoughts on the feature below!

The film features Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan as two longtime NYPD partners on the trail of a stolen, rare, mint-condition baseball card that pits them up against a merciless, memorabilia-obsessed gangster. Jimmy (Willis) is the veteran detective whose missing collectible is his only hope to pay for his daughter's upcoming wedding, and Paul (Morgan) is his "partner-against-crime" whose preoccupation with his wife's alleged infidelity makes it hard for him to keep his eye on the ball.

(Please note, the following interview contains some strong language)

MovieMiguel.com

Hangover 2 Confirmed for Thailand

2010-07-21T17:37:00.002-04:00

Source: ComingSoon.net

July 21, 2010

The Hangover sequel is headed to Thailand, a source has just confirmed to ComingSoon.net. Production will move there this fall with a script that sees the characters from the 2009 hit comedy traveling to Asia.

Originally rumored by Latino Review last fall, a Thailand-set sequel was debunked by director Todd Phillips in an interview with Collider earlier this year.

"I don't know," Phillips stated in response to the claim, "There's a lot of rumors. There was rumor also that it was going to Mexico or something and neither are true."

We can now confirm that Phillips' comments seem to be a case of misdirection on his part and that Thailand will, indeed, be the primary setting for the sequel, reuniting Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis as a group of friends who find themselves getting into even more outrageous trouble.

MovieMiguel.com

Star Trek Sequel Starts Filming in January

2010-07-21T17:37:00.000-04:00

Source: Hollywood.com

July 20, 2010

Bruce Greenwood, who played Christopher Pike in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, revealed to Hollywood.com that filming on the sequel will start in January.

"I just know that the plan is to film it in January, more than that, I don't know," Greenwood said, adding that he hoped to have a role in the movie.

John Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin are expected to return in the June 29, 2012 release. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman again wrote the script.

UPDATE: TrekMovie.com tells us they talked to producer Bryan Burk earlier this month who said that filming would actually start late spring or early summer instead.

MovieMiguel.com

Rockstar Targeting Red Dead Redemption Cheaters

2010-07-21T16:55:00.002-04:00

Title update in the next month to address cheating.

July 21, 2010

Sometime in the next month, Rockstar plans to release a new title update for Red Dead Redemption that will counter all the hacking and cheating going on in the game.

"We'd just like to let all fans and players of Red Dead Redemption Multiplayer know that we're aware a few rotten apples persist in the online world, trying to make the experience unpleasant for everyone else," the publisher said.

"Obviously, these Multiplayer modes can be great fun when everyone is on the up-and-up, so to ensure we preserve the integrity of gameplay for all online, we are actively working on new features to counter against the isolated incidents of abuse that go on."

If you're caught cheating or hacking "beyond a shadow of doubt" you will be banned from Red Dead's online world for a period of Rockstar's discretion.
MovieMiguel.com

Activision Must Begin Multiplayer Fees

2010-07-19T19:38:00.001-04:00

Publishers must find a way to profit off online multiplayer, says Pachter.

July 16, 2010

If the videogame industry is going to rebound from its decline in software sales, publishers will need to look at monetizing online multiplayer, said Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter in his latest investor report.

Pachter believes one of the main reasons software sales for PS3 and Xbox 360 are down year-over-year is due to gamers continuing to log substantial hours into a handful of online games and not picking up new titles regularly.

"We estimate that a total of 12 million consumers are playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 for an average of 10 hours per week on the two platforms' respective networks, and the continued enjoyment of this game (along with an estimated 6 million Halo online players, 3 million EA Sports players, and 5 million players playing other games, such as Battlefield, Red Dead Redemption, Left 4 Dead and Grand Theft Auto) has sucked the available time away from what otherwise would be spent playing newly purchased games," he said.

Pachter also noted that Activision needs to make the first move with multiplayer charges, and expects we could see something with Call of Duty: Black Ops, set for release this November.

"We think that it is incumbent upon Activision, with the most popular multiplayer game, to take the first step to address monetization of multiplayer," said Pachter. "It is too early to tell whether that will be a monthly subscription, tournament entry fees, microtransaction fees, or a combination of all three, but we expect to see the company take some action by year-end, when Call of Duty Black Ops launches."

Pachter says he expects the publisher will apply a World of Warcraft-like business model to its Call of Duty franchise. Activision will likely continue to offer some form a free multiplayer for awhile, he says, but notes that it's imperative the company capitalizes on the estimated 4 billion hours of time spent online since the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

"We are quick to point out that the average single player game has an expected play time of under 30 hours, suggesting that a staggering 133 million units of equivalent game play have been spent (so far) playing Call of Duty online, with Activision only seeing revenues from the original 20 million units sold, plus an estimated 8 million map packs sold," he added.

Activision hasn't been shy in the past about its intentions for some of its key franchises. The publisher has said several times it's looking at new online business models for Call of Duty and Guitar Hero.

In a recent interview, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick also made his displeasure known over closed online networks such as Xbox Live.

"We've heard that 60 per cent of [Microsoft's] subscribers are principally on Live because of Call of Duty," said Kotick. "We don't really participate financially in that income stream. We would really like to be able to provide much more value to those millions of players playing on Live, but it's not our network."

MovieMiguel.com

Is Apple's Solution Better Than These Other Hardware Fixes?

2010-07-16T17:14:00.002-04:00

Free cases for all iPhone 4 users! How does Apple's fix compare to some of gaming's more recent hardware problem solutions? Let's take a look.

Wii Remote Straps

The Problem:
The flimsy Wii remote straps that shipped with early versions of Nintendo's console weren't quite up to the task of securing the controllers to the wrists of players. The straps would snap, sending Wii remotes flying, causing property damage and, in some cases, physical injury.
The Solution:
Nintendo replaced the flimsy launch straps with thicker, stronger versions. Customers that had already purchased the console could call Nintendo for a free replacement. Eventually Nintendo added a non-slip rubber controller jacket to the Wii remote, again distributing them free to existing customers.

The Red Ring of Death

The Problem:
The initial batch of Xbox 360 consoles released by Microsoft were plagued with hardware issues. Failure rates were high, the most prevalent being the fabled red ring of death, three flashing red lights indicating a general hardware failure.
The Solution:
A year and a half after the console's release, Microsoft extended the warranty on the Xbox 360, giving customers experiencing the red ring of death three years from the date of purchase to get systems repaired for free.

DS Lite Cracking Up

The Problem:
North American versions of the Nintendo DS Lite proved prone to developing hairline cracks around the hinges.
The Solution:
Nintendo called the issue a minor problem, but still offered to repair DS Lite hinge cracks free of charge.

Dead PSP Pixels

The Problem:
When Sony first introduced the PlayStation Portable, a large number of users reported dead pixels on the handhelds' shiny new screens.
The Solution:
Though the company called dead pixels a common problem with LCD displays, Sony offered replacements for players plagued with the issue.

Bad PSP Buttons

The Problem:
Dead pixels weren't the only problem plaguing the PSP. The handheld's square button was unresponsive and prone to sticking.
The Solution:
After a brief bout of denial, Sony again agreed to replace the defective handhelds for users.

The Day The PlayStation 3 Died

The Problem:
On March 1, 2010, PlayStation 3 consoles all over the world began having issues with getting online, as well as playing certain games offline, even when not connected to the internet.
The Solution:
Wait a day. 24 hours after the problem began, it went away. Sony blamed an issue with the PlayStation 3's clock functionality.

The iPhone 4's Bad Reception

The Problem:
Apple's iPhone 4 featured more memory, a brighter, higher resolution screen, and reception issues that cause the phone to drop calls and lose signal when gripped a certain way.
The Solution:
Everybody gets a free bumper case, keeping them from touching the phone they spent so much money on, and solving the problem of fingers causing reception issues. If users have already purchased one, Apple will refund the cost. The company also plans to source other cases in order to handle demand, giving customers a selection to choose from.
So how's that for a solution? Free condoms for everyone!

MovieMiguel.com

Nikon D3100 to split the D5000 / D3000 difference?

2010-07-16T17:12:00.001-04:00

By Darren Murph posted Jul 16th 2010 7:14AM

We'd obviously take this one with a grain (or two) of salt, but Nikon Rumors has it that Nikon's fixing to give entry level DSLR buyers yet another option in the not-too-distant future. Of course, with the planet's largest photo show coming up in just a few months (Photokina, if you're curious), it's about time that some of these rumors start to pick up traction. Truth be told, this isn't the first time we've heard of the D3100 -- a few months ago it was being bandied about as the D4000. Word on the street has it that the shooter will boast a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor, a dozen autofocus points and a fixed LCD on the rear (read: no swivel). But that's just the beginning; the D3100 will purportedly boast 1080p and 720p movie modes, and each will support continuous autofocus while filming. Yeah, you read that right -- continuous autofocus in video mode. That's a killer feature that we've been begging for ever since the D90 became a reality, and while we'll probably want to swap out the stock 18-55mm lens for something with a bit more flexibility, we couldn't be happier to hear of these features hitting Nikon's range. Look forward to a price and release "in a few weeks." We are.

MovieMiguel.com

James Bond 007: Blood Stone Leaks

2010-07-16T17:11:00.005-04:00

Bizarre Creations at work on action hybrid for HD hardware.

UK, July 16, 2010

Bond may be faltering on a return to the big screen but he's set to make an appearance in one blockbuster next year as leaks have revealed James Bond 007: Blood Stone, a new action game, is coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC courtesy of Bizarre Creations.

A mix of third-person gunplay, hand-to-hand combat and the driving action we usually associate with Project Gotham and Blur developers Bizarre, Blood Stone will employ key members behind the long-running series.

Daniel Craig takes the lead – bringing with him the gruff physicality introduced in Casino Royale – and he's joined by Judi Dench and Devon's own Joss Stone. Stone will also be providing the soundtrack, with an original song penned by her and the Eurythmics Dave Stewart called 'I'll Take it All'.

Multiplayer will also feature, with various modes supporting up to 16 players and pitching spies against mercenaries.

The leaks come courtesy of a post on a Dave Stewart fan site, which has since been pulled but was spotted by the ever vigilant Neo Gaf.

Meanwhile, work on the latest Bond film – which was to be directed by Sam Mendes – has been indefinitely suspended as a by-product of studio MGM's financial woes. But Bond's alive and well in the game world, with a reimagining of GoldenEye also coming to the Wii later this year.

Activision has declined to comment on the leak.
MovieMiguel.com

Kinect Tour in Full Force

2010-07-16T17:11:00.002-04:00

Microsoft is bringing its motion-sensing camera to a town near you.

July 15, 2010

Want to give Kinect a try before you dish out the money to buy one of the motion-sensing cameras? Microsoft thinks you do, so it is taking Kinect on a tour this summer that brings Kinect to 32 cities across North America. Games on tour are announced as Kinect Sports, Kinectimals, Kinect Joy Ride, Kinect Adventures and Dance Central.

Here is the full schedule, which Microsoft notes is subject to change.

East Coast:
July 17–18 Manhattan, NY -- Macy's
July 20–22 East Falmouth, MA -- Barnstable County Fair
July 24–25 Manhattan, NY -- Seaport-Lower Manhattan Entertainment Area
July 28–Aug. 1 Washington, DC -- Six Flags America
Aug. 4–6 Canton, OH -- Football Hall of Fame – Rib Burnoff
Aug. 7–8 Canton, OH -- Football Hall of Fame Festival Weekend
Aug. 11–15 Chicago, IL -- Air Show/Navy Pier
Aug. 19–21 Detroit, MI -- Woodward Dream Cruise – Auto Festival
Aug. 26–30 St. Paul, MN -- Minnesota State Fair
Aug. 30–Oct. 24 Tampa, FL -- Westfield Citrus Park Shopping Mall
Sept. 3–6 Indianapolis, IN -- Rib America Festival
Sept. 10–13 Nashville, TN -- Tennessee State Fair
Sept. 15–16 Atlanta, GA -- Atlantic Station – Entertainment Plaza
Sept. 18–19 Atlanta, GA -- Atlanta Arts Festival
Sept. 23–26 Charlotte, NC -- Festival in the Park
Oct. 1–2 Orlando, FL -- Disney Wine and Dine Marathon
Oct. 8–10 Valdosta, GA -- Wild Adventures Theme Park
Oct. 14–17 Dallas, TX -- Texas State Fair
Oct. 21–24 Shreveport, LA -- Louisiana State Fair

West Coast:
July 15–Aug. 22 Minneapolis, MN -- Mall of America
July 25–26 San Diego, CA Youth Surf Cup – Soccer
July 28–Aug. 1 Sacramento, CA -- California State Fair
Aug. 6–8 Portland, OR -- Bite of Oregon Food Festival
Aug.10–11 Seattle, WA -- Woodland Park Zoo
Aug. 13–15 Seattle, WA -- Taste of Edmonds – Food Festival
Aug. 19–22 Vancouver, BC -- Summerfest
Aug. 27–Sept. 1 Pueblo, CO -- Colorado State Fair
Sept. 3–6 Denver, CO -- Elitch Gardens
Sept. 9–12 Albuquerque, NM -- -- New Mexico State Fair
Sept. 16–19 Salt Lake City, UT -- Utah State Fair
Sept. 24–26 Los Angeles, CA -- Universal City Walk
Oct. 1–3 San Diego, CA -- Miramar Air Fest
Oct. 7–11 San Francisco, CA -- Fleet Week – Military Ship and Air Festival
Oct. 15–17 Phoenix, AZ -- Arizona State Fair
Oct. 20–24 -- Las Vegas, NV -- PBR World Finals

MovieMiguel.com

Dashboard Redesign Coming in November?

2010-07-15T13:27:00.001-04:00

The Xbox 360 dashboard, the user interface for Microsoft's gaming console, looks like it may be getting a slight polish in November when the company launches their Xbox Live Gold Family plan.
The Family plan includes four one-year Xbox Live gold memberships for $100, as well as a new Family Center on the dashboard and the addition of more parental controls for the console.
A set of images that hit the Internet last night showing off a slightly reworked dashboard for the Xbox 360 seems to show the same changes seen in images Kotaku posted of the Family Center, due out in November. Those images, found here and here, were provided to Kotaku by Microsoft.
The changes seen in the images include slightly smaller text for the menu options and presenting the sub menu as a series of side-by-side images rather than images that drop away from the screen.
We've contacted Microsoft for clarification and will update this story once we hear back.

MovieMiguel.com

Microsoft Cans 1 Vs. 100 for Xbox 360

2010-07-15T13:25:00.001-04:00

Just as we suspected, Microsoft confirmed today that there will be no third season for their Xbox 360 version of 1 Vs. 100 and that the game won't be returning.
"When we started on this journey, we knew we were creating an entirely new genre of entertainment that would be a continually evolving concept," said Dave McCarthy, General Manager, Microsoft Game Studios. "We're very proud of the ‘1 vs 100' team and their accomplishments, and are excited to apply what we've learned to future programming."
During the beta season more than 114,000 people played the game on Xbox Live simultaneously.
According to Microsoft the 1 Vs. 100 team is now "focusing their skills and applying the technology used to develop "1 vs 100" to new projects that will be unveiled in the future."
Let's hope that Microsoft is more supportive of those projects then they apparently were of this one.

MovieMiguel.com

What People Can Find Out About You Online

2010-07-14T17:59:00.000-04:00

Who’s Looking You Up, Why it Matters and How to Take Control
Recently we published an article about some of the places where information about you can be found online. Maybe you read it and thought to yourself, “Okay, I’m profiled online. So what? Who's looking at this stuff, anyway?”
To answer that question, start by searching for yourself. Put your first and last name in quotes and enter it in a search engine. It’s actually recommended you do this every once in a while to see what’s out there about you.

You will likely find the information you posted on social-networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. You may discover news items about you that were posted in newspapers, such as when you bought your house or won an award. You may also find someone else with your same name -- it can be fun to read all about the alternate you. Maybe the other you is an award-winning writer, a gourmet chef or a noted golfer. Go you!

If you have searched for your name, you’re probably not the only one. According to a Pew Internet study, seven in 10 adults who use the Internet have searched online for information about other people. Your namesake probably did a search as well and found you!

So who are these other people looking you up?

Your friends and relatives. Typically these folks are just curious and their searches are mostly for fun. If you are dating, it's a good bet your significant other(s) have looked you up to see what they can learn about you before getting serious.

Your current or potential employers. Don’t think your boss is hip enough to do an online search for you? Guess again. According to a 2010 Microsoft study, 79% of recruiters and hiring managers in the U.S. have reviewed online information posted to social networking sites and blogs to screen job candidates. And 44% of online adults have searched for information about someone whose services or advice they seek in a professional capacity, according to the 2010 Pew Internet study.

Total strangers. Who knows why they are looking you up, but chances are someone you’ve never met has done a search for you. What they can find out about you can be alarming. As reported in part one of this article, sites known as "aggregators" pull together a lot of information about all of us. For example, they may grab your address from the white pages and then provide aerial photos of your home from a mapping site.

Such sites often provide incorrect information about you based on the information they find. In the worst-case scenario, potential robbers or stalkers could discover inviting details such as your address or photos of your house. And while not as alarming (or illegal), more commonly the strangers using this information are advertisers and marketers who pay for this information to target their products to you. Yes, once in awhile this might help you get an ad for something you could actually use, but more often than not you simply get bombarded with spam, phone solicitors or junk mail.

Why does it matter?

Since it is convenient, free and accessible by anyone with an Internet connection, your online profile is quickly replacing background checks, credit checks, references and many other methods previously used to get information about you. Those older methods provided you with more control over the results.

What these people are reading about you is often more important than who is reading it. Microsoft's 2010 study also revealed that 86% of U.S. hiring managers have informed candidates they were rejected based on what's been found online about them. If someone posts an article that criticizes you (accurate or not), it could affect your online reputation. Even something as seemingly innocent as a silly photo can make a difference.

Michael Fertik, CEO of ReputationDefender, has spoken about online reputations on several TV shows, including "Dr Phil," "Good Morning America," Fox News and CNN. He sums it up best: "Your online reputation is your reputation. People making employment, romantic, friendship and business decisions about you rely on the Internet as their top source of information. You deserve control over your digital image!"

What can you control?

Here’s one trick: Most search engines work by relevance and popularity, so if you can ramp up sites where you do have control over the content and can put yourself in a positive light, you stand a better chance that any negative information will be buried. Celebrities have been known to hire media firms for the sole purpose of drumming up positive online PR so the negative sites get pushed to the bottom of search results.

If your problem is something you can’t just bury, or you feel like the content posted is truly detrimental, there are companies like ReputationDefender that specialize in proactively monitoring your online identity and taking aggressive steps, even through the legal system, to get misinformation corrected.

So yes, while there are a lot of sites, and it might take a little effort, being proactive with your online reputation can help you control what others may find. These days, that’s one of the most important things you can control.
MovieMiguel.com

New ATM skimmers using more sophisticated technology to steal your money

2010-07-14T17:58:00.000-04:00

Tom Barlow
Jul 7th 2010 at 12:00PM

Thieves are getting more sophisticated with the way they're using ATM skimmers to steal your bank account number and password. Now they're using wireless data transmissions and keypad pressure-sensing devices that make it much more difficult for law enforcement to track them down.

Used for years by crooks, skimmers fit so neatly over the card reader of an ATM that they are difficult to notice. When a card is slid into the ATM, the reader records the data. Using a pinhole camera mounted on the ATM, the crooks then also record the personal identification number, or PIN, that is being entered on the keypad.

But now thieves are going even higher tech. The pinhole camera has been replaced with a fake keyboard that overlays the original and records the PIN as it's entered. Wireless technology in the skimmer also allows the thieves to retrieve the account information via a cellphone text message. That way, the thieves don't have to return to the scene of the crime to retrieve the device, making it all the more difficult for law enforcement officials to catch them in the act.

"Recently, we've seen criminals use wireless technology with skimmers to allow the end users to decrease their exposure to law enforcement by limiting their physical contact with the actual device," Malcolm Wiley of the U.S. Secret Service said.

What can you do to keep from being scammed by a skimmer? First, take a good look at the ATM you usually use, so you can spot any differences.

"ATM users should closely examine any ATM prior to use, paying particular attention to the keypad and card slot," says Wiley. "Most skimmers/keypad PIN capture devices are mounted over the existing hardware and allow the legitimate users to conduct their business while unwittingly allowing their card data and PINs to be simultaneously captured. These skimming devices are usually recognizable when closely examined."

Tom Kelly, a spokesman for JPMorgan Chase, recommends you immediately contact your bank if you note a withdrawal or expense that you did not make.

Read more: As fellow WalletPop writer Josh Smith warned recently, your ATM card info could also be at risk when paying at the pump.

MovieMiguel.com

Iron Man 2 Hitting Blu-ray and DVD on Sept. 28

2010-07-14T17:50:00.001-04:00

Source: Paramount Home Entertainment

July 13, 2010

Paramount Home Entertainment has announced that Iron Man 2 will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on September 28. Here is the official announcement:

The billionaire Super Hero in the iron suit is back in Marvel Studios' and Paramount Pictures' thrilling sensation IRON MAN 2, debuting on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download September 28, 2010. Packed with fantastic battles, stunning visual effects and an all-star cast, the new blockbuster adventure will be available to own as a three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with digital copy, as a limited edition two-disc DVD with digital copy, or as a single disc DVD. In this highly-anticipated sequel, Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes, Tropic Thunder) reprises his role as Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, in a thrill-a-minute story filled with explosive action, new suits and powerful new villains. The phenomenal cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man), Don Cheadle (Oceans series), Scarlett Johansson (He's Just Not That Into You) as the seductive Black Widow, Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) as the vengeful Whiplash, as well as Sam Rockwell (Charlie's Angels) and Samuel L. Jackson (The Other Guys).

To date, with over $300 million at the domestic box office, IRON MAN 2 has delighted audiences with its combination of high-intensity action, intelligence and humor. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack comes fully loaded with immersive and interactive bonus materials including an in-depth, feature-length documentary of the making of the film, revealing featurettes about Nick Fury, Black Widow and War Machine, a look inside the creation of Stark Expo, deleted scenes and an exclusive peek inside the Marvel Super Hero Universe through the S.H.I.E.L.D. Data Vault.

IRON MAN 2 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack

The Iron Man 2 Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc breakdown is as follows:

Disc 1 (Blu-ray):

* Feature film with optional commentary by Jon Favreau (HD)
* S.H.I.E.L.D. Data Vault (HD)— Extend your knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with high-level clearance into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s digital data vault. Interact with select scenes from the movie that include new layers of graphics and insider information. View case files, dossiers, S.H.I.E.L.D. training films, tech details and more.
* Previsualization and Animatics (HD)

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

* Ultimate Iron Man: The Making of Iron Man 2 (HD)
o Rebuilding the Suit—An all-encompassing look at the beginning stages of this mammoth blockbuster.
o A Return to Action—From Marvel Studios to the streets of Monaco, Jon Favreau takes viewers through the trials and triumphs of continuing Iron Man's story.
o Expanding the Universe—From the amazing sets of Stark Expo to Tony Stark's home and beyond, the Marvel Universe continues to unfold into new and exciting places.
o Building a Legacy—From filming to editing, scoring and visual effects, Favreau and his team face the challenges of bringing the sequel to the big screen.
* Featurettes (HD)
o Creating Stark Expo—A look at how the sets and computer-generated elements combine to create the massive set piece.
o Practical Meets Digital—How the "practical" props inform the "digital" work that ultimately brings our hero to life on screen.
o Illustrated Origin: Nick Fury—A comprehensive journey into creating one of the most mysterious and influential heroes in the Marvel Universe.
o Illustrated Origin: Black Widow—An exciting look at the new femme fatale introduced in Iron Man 2.
o Illustrated Origin: War Machine—A look at the introduction of the character and how his friendship with Tony Stark resonates with fans.
o Working with DJ AM—Jon Favreau remembers working with Adam Goldstein.
* Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by Jon Favreau (HD)
o Alternate Opening
o Coulson at the Senate
o The Sub-Orbital Jet
o Tony's Workshop (extended)
o Natalie Wears the Gauntlet
o Flying Party Girl
o Mark II Security
o Element Rediscovered (extended)
* Concept Art Gallery
* Theatrical Trailers (HD)
* Music Video: AC/DC "Shoot To Thrill"

Disc 3 (DVD):

* Feature Film
* Digital Copy

IRON MAN 2 Two-Disc DVD

The Iron Man 2 DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc breakdown is as follows:

Disc 1:

* Feature film with optional commentary by Jon Favreau

Disc 2:

* Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by Jon Favreau
o Alternate Opening
o Coulson at the Senate
o Natalie Wears the Gauntlet
o Element Rediscovered (extended)
* Featurettes
o Creating Stark Expo
o Practical Meets Digital
* Music Video: AC/DC "Shoot To Thrill"
* Digital Copy

The single-disc DVD includes the feature film with commentary by Jon Favreau.

MovieMiguel.com

Why You’ll Want a Windows Phone

2010-07-14T17:49:00.001-04:00

File under: News

By: Adam Z Lein | Date: 13-Jul-10 | 4 Comments

It turns out iPhone loyalist, Ben Gracewood, has been very impressed with Windows Phone 7. He's written an article that lists and explains a number of things that make him very confident of Windows Phone’s impending superiority. We're talking about Windows Phone's seamless convergence of social networking and communications accounts, the pure joy of developing Windows Phone 7 applications, and a Marketplace that offers trial version and beta distribution capabilities.

The best is the user interface design though.
There’s one line from the Metro design language presentation that really stuck with me: “Fierce Reduction of Unnecessary Elements“. And they don’t just pay lip services to this: if you wait for a few moments, the Windows Phone user interface does away with the battery and signal strength icons.
(snip)

The clarity and consistency of the WP7 design is just hands-down gorgeous.

MovieMiguel.com

Media Player Access from WP7 Start Screen

2010-07-14T17:19:00.002-04:00

File under: News

By: Adam Z Lein | Date: 13-Jul-10 | 8 Comments

While you're listening to music on a Windows Phone 7 device, you might be wondering how easy it is to get to the next track. It turns out there's a mini-player that you can access from the Start screen for your music controlling ease of use. Check out this screen capture from Long Zheng's walkthrough.

It reminds me a bit of the Web OS notification area that also included media player controls. This should be a big improvement over existing media player controls that require navigating to the specific application. If pressing the volume control hardware buttons make this mini-player immediately visible in all applications, that would be great. Hopefully there will be a hands-free voice interface for controlling music too. Then you won't have to touch the device at all!

MovieMiguel.com

Microsoft comes clean on doling out cash, free hardware to entice Windows Phone devs

2010-07-14T17:18:00.001-04:00

By Chris Ziegler posted Jul 14th 2010 1:59PM

Microsoft director Todd Brix has apparently revealed what's been known from a series of non-denied rumors for a while now: they're making it rain on mobile developers with good ideas. According to a BusinessWeek report, it seems they're pursuing a number of angles to entice software shops to help build out Windows Phone 7's launch catalog, ranging from offering free test hardware to simply paying cash, sometimes in the form of revenue guarantees that Microsoft will meet if apps don't meet sales goals in the Marketplace. Of course, there's not really anything wrong with Microsoft inorganically pursuing support for its ecosystem like this -- they've certainly got the pocketbook for it, and considering their come-from-behind position, they ought to be using any tool available to 'em right now to get this thing as ready as it can possibly be for app-hungry customers later this year.

MovieMiguel.com

Windows Phone Live to offer remote wipe, location, and sync for your Windows Phone 7 device

2010-07-14T17:17:00.001-04:00

By Chris Ziegler posted Jul 13th 2010 8:00AM

See, Android owners don't ever lose their phones, so that's why they don't need this capability... right? Right? Hot on the heels of yesterday's news that RIM would be delivering a comprehensive remote wipe solution to BlackBerrys this year, Andy Lees is mentioning at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference today that an all-new Windows Phone Live website will figure prominently into the Windows Phone 7 equation when devices launch toward the end of 2010. It looks like the site is divided into two, arguably equally important parts: a sync function, which lets you transfer photos directly from your phone (a la Kin Studio, perhaps?), move OneNote content, synchronize contacts, and so on, and a suite of tools for dealing with a lost or stolen device -- you'll be able to remotely wipe it, locate it, lock it, or just make it ring until you drive the thief out of his gourd.

On a related note, Lees is also announcing that we'll be seeing the first volley of Windows Phone 7 devices in five languages -- English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish -- and that Windows Phone Marketplace (the Windows Phone 7 version of it, presumably) will be available in 17 countries out of the gate. That's not what we'd call global domination, of course, but you've got to start somewhere.

MovieMiguel.com

FULL @DjHero 2 Artist List!

2010-07-14T15:49:00.000-04:00

The 108 Stars Of DJ Hero 2's Destiny

What does DJ Hero 2 and RPG series Suikoden have in common? Both feature 108 stars, though while Suikoden's stars represent demonic overlords from an ancient Chinese story, DJ Hero 2's stars simply represent. Check out the full list below.
Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind a Suikoden game where instead of collecting generic party members you collect popular music artists. I find the idea of fighting evil with Lady Gaga, Puff Daddy, and Mos Def by my side incredibly appealing. It'll never happen, but a boy can dream.
One of my main issues with the original DJ Hero was a lack of variety. While the game featured tons of artists, you'd often see the same tune represented in multiple mixes. While each mix was different, the song repetition made them feel stale.
Hopefully that won't be a problem in DJ Hero 2. As you can see from the full list of featured artists below, originally posted at EW.com, variety shouldn't be an issue.

2Pac
50 Cent
Adamski
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
Armand Van Helden
A-Trak
B.o.B.
Basement Jaxx
BlakRoc
Bobby Womack
Bruno Mars
Busta Rhymes
Calvin Harris
Chamillionaire
Chic
Chris Willis
Clinton Sparks
Colby O'Donis
Daft Punk
Damian Marley
David Guetta
Deadmau5
Deee-Lite
Dillinja
Diplo
Dizzee Rascal
DJ Shadow
Donna Summer
Dr. Dre
Drake
Edwin Starr
Eminem
Estelle
Flo Rida
Gorillaz
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Harold Faltermeyer
House Of Pain
Iyaz
Jackson 5
Janet Jackson
Justice
Kanye West
Kaskade
Kelis
Keri Hilson
Kid Cudi
Kool & The Gang
Lady Gaga
Lil Jon
Lil Wayne
LL Cool J
M.I.A.
M|A|R|R|S
Major Lazer
Malcolm McLaren
Mase
Melle Mel & Duke Bootee
Metallica
Missy Elliott
Mos Def
MSTRKRFT
N.O.R.E.
Nas
Nate Dogg
Naughty By Nature
Nelly
New Boyz
New Order
Newcleus
Nightcrawlers
Orbital
Pharoahe Monch
Pirate Soundsystem
Pitbull
Puff Daddy
Pussycat Dolls
Rihanna
Robin S.
RZA
Salt N Pepa
Sam Cooke
Sam Sparro
Sean Paul
Skibadee
Sneaky Sound System
Snoop Dogg
Snow
Soulja Boy Tell Em
Sparfunk & D-Code
Static Major
Stevie Wonder
Talib Kweli
The Chemical Brothers
The Crystal Method
The Egg
The Notorious B.I.G.
The Prodigy
Tiësto
Tiga
Timbaland
Tweet
Walter Murphy
Warren G
Wayne Smith
Will.I.Am
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Young Jeezy

If there isn't an artist in that list that gets you at least a little bit excited, you probably don't like music. I'm not normally one to get worked up over music lists for rhythm games, but DJ Hero is a different animal. Rather than rehashing old music, it mashes together existing tunes into new, never-before-heard tracks. It might not be the most social music game out there, but it's definitely the most original.
DJ Hero 2 is slated for release in October.
'DJ Hero 2': Check out the exclusive list of artists here! [EW.com]

MovieMiguel.com

Medal of Honor beta Instructions

2010-07-12T19:25:00.002-04:00

instructions on how to join the beta test. The PlayStation 3 and PC betas are running now, and Xbox 360 is coming soon.

Follow these instructions to activate your key and download the Medal of Honor beta:

Go to www.medalofhonor.com/beta.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Enter your unique redemption key when prompted.
You will receive a live code on your selected platform.

MovieMiguel.com

Assassin's Creed Designer 'Did Everything He Needed to Do' Before Leaving

2010-07-10T20:18:00.001-04:00

When Patrice Désilets, the former creative director of Assassin's Creed, abruptly left the game, it left the impression that he was unhappy with Ubisoft's plans to pump out another sequel so soon. Not true, says a friend and colleague.
Ubisoft Montréal's Jean-Francois Boivin, the game's production manager, told GamerZines that Désilets is truly taking a creative break to recharge his batteries, nothing more. "I totally got where he was coming from because he's been talking about taking a break for a long time," Boivin said. "Right now he's watching the World Cup, and if you were to talk to him he'll say 'Yeah, I'm watching the World Cup, I'm going to the park with my daughter, maybe take a nap or read a book, and yeah, that's it'. That's all he's doing."
Boivin himself has said the series may take a one-year break after Brotherhood is finished. And Désilets' departure from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood didn't leave the studio scrambling, either: "In regards to Brotherhood, he did everything that he needed to do; he was at the recording sessions, he did the script, he did the casting with me, and he just said 'here's the port, bring it home,'" Boivin said. "All there is to do right now for Brotherhood is to just bring it home."
That does not necessarily mean Désilets will be coming home to Ubisoft. THQ has indicated that it's got some big names lined up to come aboard, and that publisher has opened a studio in Montréal. Asked if Désilets would return, Boivin told GamerZines: "I don't know. He doesn't even know himself."
Assassin's Creed's Production Manager Discusses Patrice Desilets' Departure

MovieMiguel.com

Clash of the Titans 2 and Avatar Re-Release Updates

2010-07-10T20:17:00.001-04:00

Source: Silas Lesnick

July 9, 2010

Sam Worthington spoke with press today at the offices of Radical Studios, an LA-based company that has teamed with Worthington's Full Clip Productions for a number of series, including The Last Days of American Crime, which Full Clip is developing into a feature film.

In addition to his comic book plans, Worthington spoke about his upcoming film work, including a sequel to Clash of the Titans that he says will begin shooting early next year:

"[It} will be 3D this time," said Worthington, making it clear that he himself wasn't happy with the post-conversion process of the first film, "Shot in 3D. Do put that in and make them f--king aware... When I read Clash 2, they came to me the other day. I said, 'I kinda dig where it's going, but can we make the character more of this? Can we make it more of that? Can I get to play a lot more and get involved and have a lot more f--king fun than just being a young man who has to stand there and look pretty?' I'm sick of doing that, so it's kind of a case of, 'How do we make Perseus a lot more fun?' So we're sort of shaping it down that track. And Warner Bros. has been nice enough to give us a bit on input."

Worthington also touched upon the changes that Clash of the Titans went through between the script and the screen.

"The movies always change. It suddenly became a rolling, runaway train in some parts. In regards to the conversion, I'm a Jim Cameron boy, so people know my opinions."

Speaking of Cameron, Worthington told ComingSoon.net that he is excited for the theatrical re-release, but that he isn't sure what's going to be included in the eight minutes of additional footage:

"I wish we added eight hours. I think the first cut I saw was about six hours long... There's a couple of extra hunting scenes. There's a much-speculated and blogged sex scene everyone keeps f--king harping on about. To be honest, I think everyone's going to be disappointed that's it's not blue porn... But there's a lot of other character parts. Giovanni [Ribisi] stuff and Stephen Lang stuff. So it's up to Jim. I know Jim would only release it if it enhanced the story by putting it back in."

Additionally, there's a number of scenes that took place on Earth that were ultimately excised from the final cut:

"We shot all that. When we first saw all that, it didn't [work]. You just want to get to the planet. It's kind of a slow burn. Jim always wanted it to be a slow burn start so that you would adjust to your eyes and adjust the world, but it because too much of slow burn. It was like, "hurry the f--k up, man."

Meanwhile, Avatar's future may not yet be on the schedule, but Worthington thinks it won't be long before thing start moving forward:

"Avatar 2 will be whenever Jim decides to write it. I think he's in Thailand at the moment or trying to save the Gulf. But I'm sure he's going to put pen to paper soon."

Check back early next week for the full interview transcript and full details of Worthington's Radical titles.

MovieMiguel.com

Angelina Jolie on Why She Left Wanted 2

2010-07-10T20:16:00.004-04:00

Source:Edward Douglas

July 10, 2010

Earlier today at the junket for the Sony Pictures conspiracy action-thriller Salt, ComingSoon.net had a chance to speak with actress Angelina Jolie, and we were curious on her reasons for leaving Wanted 2 despite the filmmakers trying to figure out a way to bring her character Fox back. (SPOILER: If you haven't seen the movie yet, you may want to stop reading here.)

"Being dead makes it difficult," she confirmed. "They were (trying to bring me back) but I kind of feel like if I die in a movie, I should die actually. I'm that way, and that character is not as complex as Salt. It would just be doing the exact same thing in another movie, so it's not that interesting to me."

There's been a lot of talk about Jolie possibly playing Egyptian queen Cleopatra in a musical directed by Steven Soderbergh or playing the witch Maleficent in Tim Burton's reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty tale, but it doesn't look like either is immediately on the horizon for the actress. "It got out that we may be doing them, but we're so in the early stages," she told us. "Neither one has a script, but I've loved Malificent since I was a little girl, so when I heard somebody may be doing it, I was the first one to try to (get it). I would love to work with (Tim Burton), it would be a dream to work with him. I think he's just extraordinary."

Meanwhile, Salt opens on Friday, July 23, and we'll have more from the interview with Jolie before then.

MovieMiguel.com

Windows Phone 7 To Support Many Multimedia Codecs

2010-07-10T20:16:00.002-04:00

File under: News

By: Chuong Nguyen | Date: 9-Jul-10 | 14 Comments

Unlike the iPhone 4's limited codec support, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform will offer support for more codecs to make the platform a robust multimedia platform. Audio codecs "WAV, MP3, WMA Lossless, WMA Pro, WMA Standard v9, AAC-LC, HE-AAC v1, HE-AAC v2, Adaptive Multi-Rate Narrow Band, Adaptive Multi-Rate ide Band, and Qcelp" in addition to video codecs "WMV (simple profile, main profile and advanced profile), WMV v9, MPEG-4 Part 2 (simple profile, advanced simple profile), MPEG-4 Part 10, H.263 and DivX (4.x, 5.x and 6.x)" will be supported according to IntoMobile. Coupled that with the Zune interface and we have a pretty strong competitor to iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android.

MovieMiguel.com

Toy Story 3 in 4K 3D: does higher-res equal higher enjoyment?

2010-07-09T22:51:00.003-04:00

By Vlad Savov posted Jul 9th 2010 6:54AM

Hands-On

8diggsdiggWe'll be straight with you, the Engadget staff is somewhat ambivalent about 3D: some of us believe it to be a gimmick, while others see it as a legitimate advance in film technology that takes our movie enjoyment up to its next logical station. What you won't find us disagreeing on, however, is that everything looks better when it's taken to a 4K resolution. Sony has been busy rolling out its new 4K projectors across the US and Europe, and invited us yesterday to see Toy Story 3 in some ultra-advanced 4K 3D. Because of it having four times the resolution of the more conventional 2K stuff -- which Avatar, the big 3D (and 4D) flagship, was delivered in -- Sony's projector is able to deliver both the left- and right-eye frame on the screen at the same time, rather than having to alternate them in hummingbird fashion. That should ideally provide a more pleasurable overall experience for the viewer and ultimately pay off for the company in more people ponying up more cash for the extra goodness. So, we moseyed along to an Apollo Cinema in central London -- the chain has already installed Sony's hero 4K projectors in 11 of its venues -- and all you'll need to do is click past the break to see what we thought.

We were fortunate enough to be able to sneak two editors into this movie showing and consequently can share with you a pair of (contrasting) perspectives on the experience. Sat in amongst the sweet spots near the middle of the theater, Richard Lai found the whole thing a blast, describing the picture as terrifically sharp and remarking on the fact he experienced no eye fatigue even after the full 103 minute runtime of the film (which was padded out with 3D footage from the World Cup and some other fluff).

This hapless scribe, on the other hand, managed to be late enough to garner a seat on the very edge of the audience, getting to savor 3D from a wide angle. And you know what? It kinda sucked. Although objects in the foreground retained the aforementioned sharpness, the left- and right-eye images were discernibly delineated on background or more distant objects, and the effectively incomplete stereoscopic effect served to diminish rather than enhance your absorption into the movie. Just to get all the bile out of our system, we should also mention that there's a noticeable dropoff in brightness when you pop the RealD 3D glasses on relative to what the screen emits -- it seems to be accounted for, as we certainly can't complain about the film lacking vibrancy or color accuracy, but might be something to bear in mind.

On the whole, though, we have to say we came out of the cinema impressed. Sony's implementation of 3D using these 4K-capable projectors is manifestly better than what we've experienced so far -- eye strain seems to have been entirely nullified and sharpness is tangibly superior to what competing technologies are currently able to deliver. So long as you bear in mind that 3D comes with significantly narrower (ideal) viewing angles than the conventional stuff, we reckon this is the best choice for enjoying it.

We're not going to broach the hot question of whether or not 3D is worth it -- that is most probably a judgment to be made in person -- but we will say that it didn't seem to enhance Toy Story 3 on a consistent basis. There were some highlight moments where 3D really took the action up a notch, but the film's immersion mostly felt on par with what its 2D version would have delivered. Will "made for 3D" movies push the currently sporadic utility of the technology into something more robust? Maybe. All we know is that there'd be some 4K voodoo thrown in there one way or another. We've now gotten our first taste of the stuff, and even though it ain't perfect, it's the best damn 3D we've assayed so far.

MovieMiguel.com

YouTube moves solidly into the future by supporting 4K content

2010-07-09T22:50:00.001-04:00

By Darren Murph posted Jul 9th 2010 6:04PM

It's funny -- we remember the day that YouTube began supporting plain ole HD like it was yesterday, and we're guessing today will hang in our memory banks for quite awhile, too. Over at the VidCon 2010 conference, YouTube officially announced support for videos shot in 4K (a reference resolution of 4096 x 3072), which means that the famed online clip portal now supports resolutions from 360p to 4,096p. Granted, only a handful of humans even have access to a 4K camcorder, and 4K projectors aren't exactly simple to find (or afford), but we couldn't be happier to see YT staying way ahead of the curve here. If you're up for putting a severe strain on your broadband connection (and just pretend that your monitor can actually support a legit 4K feed), feel free to hit that first source link and attempt to watch any of those videos at their "Original" resolution. Godspeed.
MovieMiguel.com

Next Batman Movie Starts Shooting in April

2010-07-09T16:38:00.001-04:00

Source: Digital Spy

July 9, 2010

Sir Michael Caine, who plays Alfred in Christopher Nolan's Batman movies, told Digital Spy at the premiere for Inception last night at London's Leicester Square that the third film will get underway in April for a July 20, 2012 release. You can watch the interview clip below.

MovieMiguel.com

The Real Title for Saw 7 Is...

2010-07-09T16:35:00.001-04:00

Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com

July 9, 2010

ShockTillYouDrop.com managing editor Ryan Turek spoke to "Saw" franchise producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules today about the recent title change announcement for Saw VII.

Contrary to the confusion yesterday, "The Traps Come Alive" is a tagline for the seventh entry in the series. Koules says, "It's a tagline that was added in and misinterpreted. Most of our movies have taglines. One of the things we talked about during the campaign - especially with shooting in the 3D process, the traps really do come alive and we wanted that clear in the campaign. But the title of the film is Saw 3D."

Shock managed to get the duo to talk about the 3D elements as well as how many traps audiences will witness in action when the film opens on October 22. You can read the full interview right here.

MovieMiguel.com

Untangling The Games Of 2010 From The Games of 2011

2010-07-08T21:38:00.002-04:00

We've been hearing about all kinds of big, exciting games in the last few weeks, all seemingly on the horizon. But they're not all coming out that soon. Let's face reality and sort the 2010 games from the 2011s.
Some of the following 2011s are set to come out in early 2011. But they are still next year's games. Look on the left for games you will probably be able to play by Christmas. Look on the right for games you'll be playing after you practice your ability to count down to 1 and embrace the person next to you.
Note: These are North American release dates.

2010

Halo Reach
Fable III
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Driver San Francisco
Call of Duty Black Ops
Medal of Honor
Crysis 2
Epic Mickey
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Gran Turismo 5
Fallout: New Vegas
Mafia II
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Dead Rising 2
Castlevania Lords of Shadow
Castlevania Harmony of Despair
Dance Central
Final Fantasy XIV (PC version)
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
GoldenEye
Vanquish
Civilization V
True Crime
Wii Party
Rock Band 3
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
L.A. Noire
Test Drive Unlimited 2
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
NBA Jam
F.E.A.R. 3
DC Universe Online
Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions
Sonic 4
Sonic Colors
Splatterhouse
Metroid: Other M
LittleBigPlanet 2
Ghost Trick
Super Scribblenauts
Kinect
Move

2011

Gears of War 3
Infamous 2
Rage
Motorstorm Apocalypse
Dead Space 2
Bulletstorm
Portal 2
Killzone 3
Sorcery
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Okamiden
Twisted Metal
Brink
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Dragon Age II
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Red Faction Armageddon
Mortal Kombat 9
Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
Child of Eden
Final Fantasy XIV (console version)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Spec Ops: The Line
Homefront
X-Com
Guild Wars 2
Pokémon Black and White
Mario Sports Mix

Who-Knows-When
Max Payne 3 (any time after October 31, 2010)
Nintendo 3DS (before April 1, 2011)
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (2010ish?)
Metal Gear Solid Rising
The Last Guardian
Batman: Arkham Asylum 2
Diablo III

I didn't list every game that is slated to come out in the next two years. I skipped most of them, including most of the expected sports stuff. But hopefully this helps you sort out the games that are near from those that are far away.

MovieMiguel.com

The Real Truth About the "Do Not Call" Registry

2010-07-08T21:37:00.001-04:00

The Real Truth About the "Do Not Call" Registry

E-mails about the National Do Not Call Registry continue to circulate the Web. But does it really protect you from telemarketers? We separate fact from fiction.

By Amanda Kooser

Posted 7/ 6 10 at 7:00 PM | Business Trends, Technology, Advertising & Marketing, Legal Issues, Business Products & Services, Consumer Products & Services, Telecommunications

Text Size:
A A A

Comments (60)

Email This

It's hard to keep a good urban legend down. Your heart may have jumped and you may have clutched your cell phone a little tighter if you received this charmingly formatted e-mail recently:

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.
REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell and home phone: 888-382-XXXX.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

It takes about 20 seconds.

It's no wonder this e-mail has been rearing its ugly head in inboxes since at least 2004, according to urban legend debunking site Snopes. Nothing is more irritating than someone calling to sell you pet insurance during dinner time or copier supplies during a big meeting. Getting that kind of call on your cell phone adds another level of obnoxiousness.

The recent "Do Not Call" scare revival comes at a time when families and businesses are increasingly dropping landlines in favor of cell phones. The National Center for Health Statistics found that one-quarter of households used only wireless phones in the second half of 2009.

What's True

The National Do Not Call Registry is real. It's managed by the Federal Trade Commission. Cell phone numbers can be registered. To register, call 888-382-1222 or visit donotcall.gov.
You will be charged for any incoming telemarketing calls. Assuming telemarketers got your cell number somehow and are calling you, it is treated like any other incoming call and charged according to your wireless service plan.
Telemarketers are required to respect the registry. They have 31 days to quit calling you after you register your number.

What's False

Cell phone numbers aren't going public this month or any other month. There is no huge directory of numbers that will be handed over to telemarketers.
There is no five-year expiration. Originally, numbers were supposed to be renewed in the registry every five years. That went out the window in 2007 when the FTC announced that registrations will carry over indefinitely unless a number is reassigned, disconnected or the registrant takes the number off the list.

When Calls Keep Coming

There is a small catch in the Do Not Call Registry. According to the FTC, "A telemarketer or seller may call a consumer with whom it has an established business relationship for up to 18 months after the consumer's last purchase, delivery, or payment -- even if the consumer's number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. In addition, a company may call a consumer for up to three months after the consumer makes an inquiry or submits an application to the company. And if a consumer has given a company written permission, the company may call even if the consumer's number is on the National Do Not Call Registry."

For those reasons, you might want to think twice about giving out your cell phone number when you're doing business. Remember, you always have one weapon in your own personal do-not-call arsenal: asking telemarketers not to call you. Report violators through the Do Not Call Registry site.

So next time that alarming e-mail makes it into your inbox, hit delete and feel safe in the knowledge that your cell phone number is in good hands.

MovieMiguel.com

Full Cast Announced for the Third Harold & Kumar

2010-07-08T16:10:00.001-04:00

Source: Mandate Pictures, New Line

July 8, 2010

While we've previously reported that the third Harold & Kumar film (which was using the "A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas" title before) had started shooting, Mandate Pictures and New Line have sent out the following press release that confirms more cast members in addition to John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Patton Oswalt and Thomas Lennon. It also gives us a first look at the synopsis for the film:

The ensemble cast has been set for Mandate Pictures' and New Line Cinema's third installment of the "Harold & Kumar" film franchise, which began with the 2004 cult hit "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle." John Cho ("Star Trek," TV's "FlashForward") and Kal Penn ("Superman Returns," TV's "House") reprise their title roles in the holiday-themed comedy, which recently began principal photography on location in Michigan.

The first of the "Harold & Kumar" comedies to be shot in 3-D, the film is being directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, marking his major feature film directorial debut. Academy Award®-winning producer Greg Shapiro ("The Hurt Locker") and Mandate president Nathan Kahane return as producers. The screenplay is by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who wrote the previous two movies and directed the second, "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guatanamo Bay." They are also serving as co-producers, together with Nicole Brown, who is overseeing the project on behalf of Mandate.

It would not be a "Harold & Kumar" film without Neil Patrick Harris, who reunites with Cho and Penn in the cast. Returning "Harold & Kumar" cast members also include Paula Garcés (TV's "The Shield") as Maria; Danneel Harris (TV's "One Tree Hill") as Vanessa; Bobby Lee ("Pineapple Express") as Kenneth Park; and Eddie Kaye Thomas ("American Pie," HBO's "How to Make It in America") as Rosenberg.

Joining the "Harold & Kumar" ensemble are Tom Lennon ("17 Again," TV's "Reno 911") and Danny Trejo ("Grindhouse"). Rounding out the new film cast are Amir Blumenfeld (TV's "Pranked," CollegeHumor.com), David Burtka (TV's "How I Met Your Mother"), Fred Melamed ("A Serious Man"), Patton Oswalt ("The Informant!") and Richard Riehle ("Halloween II").

Harold and Kumar were introduced in the first film of the series, "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," which follows two post-college friends on their search for the best pot and snacks that suburban New Jersey has to offer. The second film, "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," found them being mistaken for terrorists and having to clear their names—with the help of old friend Neil Patrick Harris.

The new "Harold & Kumar" comedy picks up six years after the duo's last adventure. After years of growing apart, Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) have replaced each other with new best friends and are preparing for their respective Christmas celebrations. But when a mysterious package arrives at Kumar's door, his attempt to deliver it to Harold's house ends with him inadvertently burning down Harold's father-in-law's prize Christmas tree. With his in-laws out of the house for less than a day, Harold decides to cover his tracks rather than come clean, and reluctantly embarks on another ill-advised but hilarious journey with Kumar, taking them through New York City on Christmas Eve in search of the perfect Christmas tree.

Collaborating with Todd Strauss-Schulson behind the scenes are: director of photography Michael Barrett ("You Don't Mess with the Zohan," "Bedtime Stories"); production designer Rusty Smith (the "Austin Powers" movies, "Elf"), editor Eric Kissack ("Brüno," "Role Models"), and costume designer Mary Claire Hannan ("Into the Wild").

The film is a production of Mandate Pictures and New Line Cinema and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

MovieMiguel.com

30 Days of Night: Dark Days Locks DVD, Blu-Ray Date

2010-07-08T16:09:00.001-04:00

Source: Sony Picture Home Entertainment

July 8, 2010

The sequel to 2008's 30 Days of Night, 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, has a DVD and Blu-Ray debut date of October 5.

At this time, we don't have cover art, however, we know the special features include a filmmaker commentary, a PS3 wallpaper theme, Vampires Exist: The Gritty Realism of Dark Days featurette, and as a Blu-Ray exclusive, Graphic Inspirations: Comic to Film featurette.

Written by 30 Days creator Steve Niles and directed by Ben Ketai, the sequel picks up in Los Angeles where Stella, survivor of 30 Days of Night, played by Kiele Sanchez, is hunting vamps. You'll find the full synopsis below:

Nearly a year has passed since the population of Barrow, Alaska was decimated by a vicious clan of vampires during its annual 30 days of night. Terrorized by nightmares and haunted by her husband's murder, sole survivor Stella has been trying desperately to expose the vampire threat to the world. When she's unexpectedly recruited by three other vampire attack victims, Stella sets out to reap vengeance upon Lillith, the vampire queen responsible for the Alaskan bloodbath. Now, these vampire hunters must venture into L.A.'s dark and dangerous underbelly to try and stop the savage evil that is preparing to strike once again.

Diora Baird, Rhys Coiro, Mia Kirshner and Harold Perrineau co-star.

MovieMiguel.com

Avatar Returning to 3D & IMAX 3D Theaters on Aug. 27

2010-07-08T16:02:00.001-04:00

Source: 20th Century Fox

July 8, 2010

20th Century Fox has announced that James Cameron's Avatar will be re-released into Digital 3D and IMAX 3D theaters on August 27 with over 8 minutes of never before seen footage!

"Since - and largely as of result of - Avatar's release last December, the number of available digital 3D screens has exploded, and moviegoers who missed experiencing the film in 3D, as well as fans that want to return to Pandora again, will now have that opportunity," the studio said.

The Oscar and Golden Globe winning epic is the highest grossing film of all time, taking in over $2.7 billion in worldwide box office. It is also the top-selling Blu-ray disc of all time.

Visit Avatarmovie.com/Re-ReleaseDates for international release dates.

MovieMiguel.com

Titanic in 3D Coming April 2012?

2010-07-08T16:01:00.001-04:00

Source: Los Angeles Times

July 6, 2010

Earlier this year, James Cameron mentioned that they were targeting a spring 2012 release for the 3D version of Titanic. Now we have a more specific month.

It looks like Cameron talked about the 3D release at the 100th birthday party for Gloria Stuart, who played the older Rose in the film. While it's not a direct quote, the article said:

...said the director, who's converting the blockbuster into 3-D for re-release in April 2012, the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking.

The date makes sense as the RMS Titanic set off on April 10, 1912 and struck an iceberg and sank on April 14.

MovieMiguel.com

GTA: Vice City Primed for Re-Release?

2010-07-08T15:54:00.005-04:00

Re-classification of game sparks rumours.

UK, July 8, 2010

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has been granted a rating by the Australian Classification board eight years after its release, fuelling speculation that a re-release may be on the cards for the current generation of consoles.

Originally released in 2002, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City took Rockstar's open world formula back to a 80s flavoured spin on Miami, and it's proved one of the most fondly remembered entries in the series. We liked it so much back in the day we wrote a small novel extolling its virtues.

A new rating appeared on the board's site yesterday (spotted by Kotaku), suggesting that it could be due a revival of sorts – though in what form and in what shape it is as yet unclear.

Rockstar were unable to shed any light on the classification, leaving us to scratch our heads as to what this could be; an XBLA & PSN re-release or an all new re-imagining? Please join us in making things up in the comments field below.

MovieMiguel.com

40th Birthday “Evening With” Will Be For TV!

2010-07-08T15:54:00.002-04:00

July 7th @ 12:46 am | 1 Comment » | Scooped by Robb J, Ricky Dunham, JT Schwimer, Clint Harper, Mike "Movie Miguel" Kopcak

Via a recent interview with E! Online, Kevin dropped a major bit of news on a few subjects of great interest to us and our readers. First up, he’s confirming that “Red State” is still set for an August start, and unknowns are being cast so it doesn’t take you out of the movie (seeing known actors in roles sort of ruins the realism of a flick like this, so great decision there). Second, “Evening 4″, which will be taped in August 2nd live in Red Bank, New Jersey, will debut on TV before what we’re assuming will be the eventual DVD. No idea what networks we’re talking here, though we can imagine it might be for a pay channel so censorship isn’t a problem. Finally, his desire to return to Dante and Randal sometime in his 40’s with a “Clerks 3″ is still there, thankfully. Here’s the snippets:
Wouldn’t it e great to see Jay and Bob back in “Clerks 3″, but as investment bankers or something crazy like that? Just a total change in character over 10 years or something. As we learn more about the plans for the show to be broadcast on TV, and “Red State”, we’ll have it for you here. Thanks also to /film for picking up the story and bringing it to our attention.

MovieMiguel.com

View Askew NewsBites

2010-07-08T15:53:00.003-04:00

View Askew NewsBites™

July 7th @ 12:45 am | 1 Comment » | Scooped by Matthew Brandenburg, Kelly Dawson, Ricky Dunham

New York Magazine runs a fantastic NSFW video montage of the “100 Greatest Movie Insults” – We’re particularly fond of the moment at 8:37 (and 2:39!). But seriously, watch it all, it’s truly a great compilation.
One of the benefits of the annual “Crazy 4 Cult” shows are the cool works with Askew tributes that come out of the woodwork. Check out Dave MacDowell’s “Stand By Snootch” for example.
It’s pretty easy to guess what Hollywood.com’s list of “The United States of Movies” would select for New Jersey, but still worth a surf over to see that and their other choices on the clickable map.

MovieMiguel.com

Project Updates from Kevin Smith

2010-07-08T15:53:00.001-04:00

Source: Silas Lesnick

July 6, 2010

Speaking with press to promote the DVD and Blu-ray release of Cop Out, Kevin Smith talked with ComingSoon.net about some upcoming films, namely Red State and Hit Somebody.

Red State plans to begin shooting in August and has locked its two leads. Smith said that he's not yet ready to announce them but that he specifically cast actors who aren't the biggest stars as part of the film's aesthetic.

Hit Somebody, meanwhile, is still in the scripting stage but early plans are for it to shoot in Detroit sometime next year. The storyline, set entirely in the 1970s, closely follows the Warren Zevon ballad on which it is based and the current draft, right now around page 70, has just reached the end of the second stanza with the line, "Son, we’ve always got room for a goon."

Check back soon for the full Kevin Smith interview.
MovieMiguel.com

Gamers Still Prefer Physical Discs

2010-07-08T15:51:00.002-04:00

New study shows strong interest in game discs due to used sales.

July 6, 2010

The majority of gamers still prefer to purchase their games on physical discs, according to a new study done by UK media research firm Ipsos MORI.

The study conducted in May, which surveyed over 1000 people between the ages of 15 to 55 (of which 577 were owners of next gen consoles - Wii, PS3, Xbox 360), showed that 64% still prefer to purchase games on physical discs. 25% say they prefer digital downloads while 11% said they had no preference. Other forms of media, newspapers, films, and music, showed higher interest in digital preference.

Ian Bramley, Senior Director at Ipsos MORI, told IGN the used game market is likely the cause of gamers choosing discs over downloads.

"The preference for physical discs amongst next gen gamers, despite the high levels of interest for digital models, reflects the value gamers derive from the second-hand resale market which likely contributes to holding up the preference for physical - this is unlike the music and film markets," Bramley said.

- Ipsos MediaCT

"Also the physical disc has a long and well established history in the games market which is deep mindset to change, particularly when building a physical collection and in-store browsing are important to gamers, as are fears of losing digital versions."

Have you moved on from physical game discs? Sound off in the comments below. MovieMiguel.com

Sumthing Else Music Works Announces Release of Alan Wake Original Score

2010-07-08T15:50:00.002-04:00

Original music for psychological action thriller composed by Petri Alanko.

July 6, 2010

Press Release

New York - Sumthing Else Music Works, through its licensing relationship with Microsoft Game Studios, proudly presents Alan Wake Original Score featuring original music from the Xbox 360 video game Alan Wake composed by Petri Alanko. The Alan Wake Original Score will be released on July 20th to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works www.sumthing.com, and will be available for digital download on Sumthing Digital www.sumthingdigital.com and iTunes.

Bringing a new style of storytelling to Xbox 360, Alan Wake is a psychological action thriller from Remedy Entertainment, the renowned original developers of the successful Max Payne series. In this dynamic new title exclusively for Xbox 360, players assume the role of Alan Wake, a best-selling suspense author suffering from writer's block, who escapes to a small town only to experience the mysterious disappearance of his wife. Set in the deceptively idyllic town of Bright Falls, Washington, Alan Wake immerses players in an intense and expansive cinematic world that enables players to explore the hyper-realistic and interactive environments.

"Scoring Alan Wake was all about finding the motives of the characters and what forces them onwards," says composer Petri Alanko. "Composing a romantic score for a psychothriller might not seem obvious, but to me it was the right approach for the game - and I thank Remedy for believing in the decisions I made."

Here's what the press has to say about Alan Wake:

"A standout score" - Computer & Video Games

"Superb soundtrack" - GamePro

"The soundtrack is inspired" - GamesTM

Tracklisting:
1. Alan Wake
2. A Writer's Dream
3. Welcome To Bright Falls
4. Vacation
5. Cross That River
6. Waking Up To A Nightmare
7. The Clicker
8. Deerfest
9. Taken By The Night
10. On The Run
11. Mirror Peak
12. Tom The Diver
13. The Night It All Began
14. Bright Falls Light & Power
15. Hunters
16. The Well-Lit Room
17. Water Pressure
18. Departure

For more information on Alan Wake, please visit www.alanwake.com.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video game soundtracks, please visit www.sumthing.com and www.sumthingdigital.com.

Microsoft, Windows and Xbox 360 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Alan Wake and Remedy are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Remedy Entertainment Ltd. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

About Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc.
Since its creation in the late 1990's by the world-renowned song writer, musician and record producer, Nile Rodgers, Sumthing Else Music Works has become the acknowledged industry leader in licensing and distributing video game soundtracks. Possessing full in-house services worldwide, from retail marketing and sales through physical and digital distribution, Sumthing is partnered with the world's leading video game developers and publishers including BioWare, Bungie Studios, Capcom, Crytek, Eidos, Epic Games, Gearbox Software, Microsoft, Mistwalker, Rare, SEGA, Silicon Knights, Sony Computer Entertainment and Ubisoft. Their catalog of titles includes the best selling video game soundtrack of all time, Halo 2: Volume One, as well as award-winning titles including: Alan Wake, Halo: Legends, God of War III, Dark Void, Halo 3: ODST, Borderlands, InFamous, Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV, Halo Wars, Halo Trilogy, Gears of War 2, Fable II, Too Human, Brothers In Arms, Crysis, Advent Rising, Fable, Gears of War, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 Volume Two, Halo 3, Hitman: Blood Money, Hitman: Contracts, Jade Empire, Kameo: Elements of Power, Mass Effect, Red Steel, Unreal Tournament III, Freedom Fighters and many others.

Press Release

MovieMiguel.com

PS3 Slim Goes White, HDD Increases To 320GB

2010-07-08T15:35:00.002-04:00

There are new versions of the PlayStation 3 coming, with new hard drive sizes and new colours. And as is custom, they're hitting Japan first.

First things first: in Japan, the PS3 will cease to be made available in 120GB and 250GB sizes, and instead come in 160GB and 320GB versions. These new models will be released in Japan on July 29, and for the first time will see the PS3 Slim available in two colours: the existing black and "Classic White".

The 160GB model will cost ¥29,980 (USD$340), while the 320GB version will retail for ¥34,980 (USD$400).
As of now, details on this expansion to the PS3 range have been confined to the Japanese market; we'll update should we hear anything of Sony's plans for the PAL regions or North America.

MovieMiguel.com

Movie Miguel's Offical Blog

Assassin's Creed Revelations Stars Ezio and Altair

Play as both while crafting bombs, using the hookblade and much more.

May 9, 2011

Xbox 360 spring update coming May 19?

The Avengers to Film Near Cincinnati, Too

Star Wars Blu-ray set ships Sept. 12th/16th (world/NA), has 40 hours of special features

Get Your Friends into the Gears of War 3 Beta

"Never Fight Alone" beta phase coming May 8.

May 2, 2011

Billy Bob Thornton in Talks for Bad Santa 2

Clerks III: Will It Happen?

Clerks III: Will It Happen?

Gears of War 3 Beta Unlockables, Dates and Details

Beta unlockables carry over into retail version.

March 4, 2011

The Avengers Cleveland Shoot Confirmed

Star Wars 3D's Release Set

The Phantom Menace bows a year from now.

March 3, 2011

Star Wars flicks to see 3D re-release, starting with Episode 1 in 2012

Should I Automatically Be a Windows Phone 7 Fan?

Is The Age Of Exclusives Over?

Keanu Reeves Says Third Bill & Ted is Possible

Netflix "Frowns Upon" Libraries That Offer Netflix Movies & TV Shows

Legal Ruling Threatens Second-Hand Game Sales

Games are licensed, not sold says Courts of Appeal.

UK, September 14, 2010

7 Things to Stop Doing Now on Facebook

6 Things You Should Never Reveal on Facebook

Windows Phone 7: Here's What You Can Pin to the Start Screen

Microsoft launching Windows Phone 7 on October 11th?

Windows 7: What Happened to Gaming?

Ways to Recover Your Lost Windows Phone 7 Device

Which is the Hardest Halo Game?

We rank the all five games and come up with the one experience that is truly Legendary.

September 16, 2010

Rumor: Lucasarts Cancels Force Unleashed 3

Xbox Live launch titles for Windows Phone 7 finally revealed, we've got the full preview

Is An HD Mortal Kombat Collection On The Horizon?

Star Wars Announced for Blu-ray

Droid 2 R2-D2 edition coming September 30

Spider-Man and Men in Black III Start Dates

Microsoft algorithm uses six-axis motion sensors to fix blurry snapshots, inadvertently pimping your ride

70-Gigapixel Photo of Budapest Offers a Great View

Crysis 2 Delayed to 2011

Crytek's title moved to next year.

showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? '<strong>US, </strong>' : ''); August 3, 2010

Need for Speed Shift 2 Announced

New racing title coming in 2011.

showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? '<strong>US, </strong>' : ''); August 3, 2010

Nikon D3100 shooting around Page, Arizona in run-up to August 19th press events?

Batman: Arkham Asylum Sequel Coming Fall 2011

Last “Live Nude SMod” EVER Tomorrow!

Last “Live Nude SMod” EVER Tomorrow!

Microsoft confirms Windows Phone 7 manufacturers: ASUS, Dell, HTC, LG, and Samsung all on board

Windows Phone 7 Supported Touch Gestures

Droid X users gobbling up 5x the data of other Verizon smartphones

Six Devices Likely to Run Windows Phone 7 this Fall

Verizon switching to AT&T-style limited data plans later this month?

Why Twitter is Not Integrated With Windows Phone 7

Verizon Rumored to Kill Unlimited Data Plans

Verizon launching $80 5GB prepaid data plan next month, FiveSpot too?

Avatar Spinoff Series Announced: The Legend of Korra

What comes after The Last Airbender?

showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? '<strong>US, </strong>' : ''); July 21, 2010

'Family Guy' for third 'Star Wars' spoof

Droid 2 'Star Wars' edition rumored for August release

Kevin Smith Talks Cop Out

Hangover 2 Confirmed for Thailand

Star Trek Sequel Starts Filming in January

Rockstar Targeting Red Dead Redemption Cheaters

Title update in the next month to address cheating.

showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? '<strong>US, </strong>' : ''); July 21, 2010

Activision Must Begin Multiplayer Fees

Publishers must find a way to profit off online multiplayer, says Pachter.

showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? '<strong>US, </strong>' : ''); July 16, 2010

Is Apple's Solution Better Than These Other Hardware Fixes?

Wii Remote Straps

The Red Ring of Death

August 3, 2010

August 3, 2010

July 21, 2010

July 21, 2010

July 16, 2010

July 15, 2010

July 6, 2010

July 6, 2010