Saturday, November 11, 2006

Remember Goldeneye N64? Classic Video Clip

Still one of the best FPS, this guy is good isn't he? The Facility was the best level.

Stars team up for Johnny Cash tribute

Amazing artists such as the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers & U2 have all come together to feature in Cash's 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' music video taken from his recent album 'American V: A Hundred Highways'



We still miss you Mr Cash!

Nirvana, Live! Tonight! Sold Out! Clips online

Sound and Video clips from Nirvana's Live DVD have appeared online, the release of the DVD version of the VHS original 1994 live show has been remastered for the first time in 5.1 surround sound, making the Nirvana experience better than ever. The DVD features 15 songs plus interviews with the band.

View the Video here
Listen to the Audio here

Lost Airs the 19th November in the UK

Sky One are showing the 3rd season of Lost from the 19th of November, much better than waiting till next summer. Hurrah to Sky!

Check out DarkUFOs Lost website for all your Lost addictions.

Optimus Prime winning line revealed

Remember the competition they launched, asking people to send there Optimus Prime lines in with a chance of having your line in the movie spoken by Peter Cullen? Well the winning line has been revealed on the transformers movie site. And the winning line is...

'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings' - Optimus Prime


Well done to Carl from Norristown, PA, USA.

Hot Fuzz Site Launched


The Hot Fuzz website has gone online featuring info, blogs, gallery and the trailer, plus a chance to join the Fuzz! (sign up for updates).

This film is going to be wicked, i love Spaced, i love Shaun of the Dead and this should be as equally excellent.

Join the fuzz here

PS3 Sells out at Launch

Sony can be proud that their new console the PS3 has sold out at Launch in Japan, although they only made 100,000 machines leaving many people cold and frustrated.

Apocalypto new Stills


Although Mel Gibson has been in trouble with the media recently, these images are a friendly reminder why the man has been so successful, you can see the dedication and craftsmanship in each of these images. He paints using his camera, it looks very interesting indeed.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Flaming Lips NIA Birmingham UK Review

Flaming Lips, NIA Birmingham UK, November 9th 2006

Click here to read the full review

Hannibal Rising Teaser Poster

The worlds most scariest (and hungriest) villain has his journey into cannibalism explored in Hannibal Rising, his origins explored.

Check out the teaser poster! red eyes are very freaky indeed!

'It started with revenge'

Knightley says no to any further Pirates films


Keira Knightley has reportedly said she does not want any further involvement with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. She would like to concentrate on her up and coming prjects 'Atonement' and 'The Best Time of Our Lives'

We will miss you Miss Swann!!

Attack of the Sprouts

It's nearly that time of year again...

Oblivion for PS3 in 2007

Bethesda Softworks have officially announced that the hit Xbox 360 game 'Oblivion' will not make it for PS3 release in the US but for an early 2007 release.

I'm sad that it is making it to the PS3 but I'm also happy that many more people will get to play this amazing game. Remember the game was delayed for the Xbox, so i don't think its anything personal. Must of taken a hell of allot of effort to convert from the 360 to the PS3 considering the game has been on the shelves for ages on the 360!

The Launch games now stands at 20 titles with more delayed rumoured to be announced soon.

Transformers DVD Feature



This feature is supposed to be on the DVD, a few interesting behind the scenes imagery after the teaser. Should be good.

Abbey Road Celebrates its 75th anniversary

World famous Abbey Road Studios celebrated its 75th anniversary yesterday with a star studied party. The secret bash was attended by top bands and former staff.

Abbey Road is famous for producing records for bands such as the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Oasis, Blur, Jeff Beck, Radiohead and.. the Spice Girls!

Green Day and U2 recorded their new single here recently.

Here's to another 75 years of amazing music!

Spider-Man 3 Trailer hits web



Well it looks like Spider-Man has got himself some issues. No sign of Venom though, I'm sure they're keeping him secret. I'm looking forward to seeing this trailer on the big screen when it hits.

Atari God & Founder Mocks PS3

The man responsible for founding Atari, Nolan Bushnell, has started the next round of console feuds. Claiming the PS1 and PS2 were only successful due to 'timing' and that is something the PS3 doesn't have.

He believes Sony faces an upwards struggle due to the price points and release strategy, and have 'shot themselves in the foot' but he also let on that he is quite impressed with what he has seen of the machine and wouldn't call it a failure just yet.

Well that's one good thing for Sony, they're not failures yet....

Until the next round...

The Incredible Revamped Hulk

Marvel have decided to forget about the poor show that was the Hulk and start again.

They will choose a new director, writer and new cast to ensure this film is nothing like its predecessor.

We will see a more action packed movie and hopefully much better special effects and acting. I'm not saying the Hulk was bad (OK I am) but big dogs, concrete foam, moss and dramatised ending just sucked! The ending was just... (fill in appropriate words here)

Lets hope they think big, mean and green ;)

As previously mentioned, the film is penned in for the 27th of June 2008.

Singer to start on Superman Sequel

Bryan Singer, Chris Lee and Jon Peters are all apparently in Honolulu this week to celebrate Lee's birthday and it's thought that they will start looking at the next Superman film. Production is likely to start mid to late next year but no location has been chosen yet.

Rumours also are flying about Singer being asked to look at X-Men 4 but he has reportedly turned it down due to other commitments.

Rumours would also have us believe he would like to find time to be involved with the X-men spin off 'Wolverine' (bring back yellow spandex and stop spoiling things Bub!)

I'd like to see Singer involved with Wolverine, but it needs to be done right, big hair and mean as hell!

Superman Returns....again is expected to be a Summer 2009 release.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Cult Press - iPod Shuffle Review

I bought the Shuffle to help me walk to work in the mornings (and I love shiny things), and it works a treat! You don't even know it's there, the sound quality is great, it can go fairly loud too and the battery seems to last forever. The controls are very basic but very easy. It comes with a small dock which is very cute and syncs with your Mac (or PC) without any problems....

Click here to read the full review

PS3 needs Update out of the box

In another farcical announcement from Sony, it has been revealed that the launch PS3 units don't actually have the proper firmware to access the new PlayStation Network hub. Purchasers of the launch hardware will need to run a system update in order to get the necessary firmware, System Software Version 1.10, in order to access the PlayStation Network.

The System Software Version 1.10 update will be available for downloading when people open their PS3 units for the first time.

Sony didn't indicate why the latest firmware wasn't included right out of the box.

Casino Royale Review

"Contrary to pre-release nay-sayers, Daniel Craig has done more with James Bond in one film than some previous stars have in multiple reprises. This is terrific stuff, again positioning 007 as the action franchise to beat."

4 stars - Empire Online

Click on the link to read the full review.

Russia Bans Borat

Russia has banned the hit comedy film, Borat, which has been accused of poking fun at Moscow's neighbour and close ally Kazakhstan.

The film stars British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen as a spoof reporter on a trip to the US.

A senior official at Russia's culture ministry has told the BBC it will not provide a distribution licence.

The film has been described as a "mockumentary" which follows Mr Cohen's travel across the US.

On the way, he has a series of real life encounters with unsuspecting Americans in which he makes the most outrageous, sexist, racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic comments.

Thanks to the BBC

Evan Almighty Trailer



Steve Carrell is great!

New PS3 Advert focuses on its wireless controller



I like this one, but I still think there a little too mental.

Hellraiser Resurrected - Remake Confirmed

Clive Barker is resurrecting "Hellraiser" at Dimension, writing and producing a remake of the 1980s horror pic.

Barker will not helm the new pic as he did the original; a director has not yet been announced. Anthony Diblasi and Joe Daley will co-produce, while Richard Saperstein and Matthew Stein will oversee for Dimension.

Full story over at Variety

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Marvel Forecast Future Releases

Marvel have released their third quarterly report, showing the status of their many projects. We have highlighted some of the interesting movie releases.

Ghost Rider (Sony) - Feb 16, 2007 Release
Spider-Man 3 (Sony) - May 4, 2007 Release
Fantastic Four 2 (Fox) - June 15, 2007 Release

Plus look out for Future Projects Under Marvel-controlled Development including:

Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Nick Fury, Thor, The Avengers, Wolverine, Punisher 2, Magneto, Namor and possibly Black Panther, Cloak & Dagger, Doctor Strange, Hawkeye, Power Pack and Shang-Chi depending on whether Marvel decide to develop them.

Quite a long list, I'm looking forward to Namor and Spider-Man 3. Iron Man should be good too!

Special thanks to Dark Horizons for the info.

Official Spider-Man 3 Trailer Announcement

Spider-Man fans will get a long-awaited sneak peek at Columbia Pictures' highly anticipated motion picture Spider-Man 3 when a new, full-length, two-and-a-half minute trailer debuts in a special unprecedented "road block" across Viacom Inc.'s brands and on the CBS Television Network on Thursday, November 9, at approximately 10:00 pm. Spider-Man 3, starring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi, kicks off next summer's moviegoing season on May 4, 2007.

The television networks airing the new trailer include BET, CBS, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Spike TV and VH1, with each supporting the event with custom promotions both on-air and online. A total of 14 online destinations from Viacom's networks are supporting the airing of the trailer, including AddictingGames.com, AddictingClips.com, BET.com, MTV.com, IFILM.com, Nick.com, ComedyCentral.com, GameTrailers.com, LOGOonline.com, Neopets.com, SpikeTV.com, The-N.com, VH1.com, and Xfire.com.

Full story over at Superherohype

UK Company offers PS3 for Xmas?????

An advert has been put up in a central London train station boldly proclaiming "PlayStation 3--Order now for Christmas" with a phone number in red underneath beginning with the prefix 0906, the equivalent of a 1-900 in the states. Above the number is a photo of the console and controller, against a background of seasonal snowflakes...and some fine print at the bottom reading, "Calls cost £1.50 per minute."

Brits desperate enough to get their hands on the next-gen console ahead of its official European release date in March will find themselves with an approximately £7.50 (around $14) phone charge for the four-and-a-half-minute call.

The recorded message starts by telling callers that the order line is.. more

100,000 new blogs started a day!

The web's love affair with blogging shows no signs of abating according to the latest report from blog tracking firm Technorati.

Every day 100,000 new blogs are created and 1.3 million posts are made, it found during its quarterly survey.

"It indicates that blogging continues to play a critical role in debates about the important issues of our time" said David Sifry, the founder of Technorati.

Technorati is now tracking more than 57 million blogs, of which it believes around 55% are 'active' - updated at least every three months.

Thanks to the BBC

Grand Theft Mario



This is an awesome sketch from the most recent episode of "Robot Chicken".

New Lyra and Mrs Coulter Picture appears on IMDB

A new picture of Dakota Blue Richards and Nicole Kidman has appeared on IMDB.com. It appears to be a picture from a promotional article that has been sent to various cinemas.

Click here for the original article & image, thanks to HisDarkMaterials.org

Transmetropolitan collections relaunched

Four key titles in Vertigo's TRANSMETROPOLITAN collected edition series will be reconfigured in spring 2007, putting more classic, cutting-edge stories by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson in each of two newly created volumes.

TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 1: BACK ON THE STREETS and TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 2: LUST FOR LIFE will be combined into a single, new TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 1: BACK ON THE STREETS TP, featuring issues #1-12 of the series. In its new configuration, the series will be comprised of a total of nine volumes.

At the same time, TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 10: ONE MORE TIME and TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 0: TALES OF HUMAN WASTE will be combined into the single, new TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 9: ONE MORE TIME TP, featuring TRANSMETROPOLITAN #55-60 and the Specials TRANSMETROPOLITAN: I HATE IT HERE and TRANSMETROPOLITAN: FILTH OF THE CITY. This title also will include the two TRANSMETROPOLITAN stories from the VERTIGO: WINTER'S EDGE Specials, which were previously available in TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 3: YEAR OF THE BASTARD and TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 4: THE NEW SCUM.

The covers of the new titles will be redesigned to prominently feature the creators' names. DC will renumber the intermediate volumes of TRANSMETROPOLITAN TPs as they go out of stock and are sent back to press. So if you don't already own these books, spring 2007 will be the time to get them!

Thanks to IGN

Lena Headey is Sarah Connor

When you think of Sarah Connor, chances are you picture Linda Hamilton either running for her shaggy-haired life, or – in T2 – all muscles ‘n’ guns.

Well, if Fox TV and The Sarah Connor Chronicles have their way, that image may be replaced with Lena Headey carrying the mantle and the machine guns.

The British actress and Brothers Grimm co-star, next to appear in 300, has just been cast as Connor in the Terminator TV spin-off, which will see Sarah and whiny future hero sprog John facing off against futuristic nasties sent to do them in around present-day Los Angeles.

War Of The Worlds co-writer Josh Friedman’s handling the writing, and Smallville director David Nutter will start calling the shots on the pilot early next year.

Thanks to Empire Online

Ratatouille Poster from Pixar



In the new animated-adventure, RATATOUILLE, a rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely - and certainly unwanted - visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy's passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.

Thanks to AICN

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Classic South Park Jimmy Clip



Orange you glad i didn't say Buhn...

Borat takes UK number 1!

Spoof Kazakh reporter Borat's cinematic debut has gone straight to the top of the UK and Ireland box office chart.

The film, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, took £6.2m - one of the highest tallies this year for a debut in the UK.

The controversial film knocked horror flick Saw III off the top spot, which had been at number one for two weeks.

Thanks to the BBC

Lost Episode 6 Promo 3!



They say episode 6 is the best episode of Lost yet....

Thanks to DarkUFO

Blood Diamond Poster


Warner Bros. has provided LatinoReview with the poster for Blood Diamond, which stars Jennifer Connelly, Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Michael Sheen.

Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990s Sierra Leone, "Blood Diamond" is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a South African mercenary, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories as different as any can be, until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives. While in prison for smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon - who was taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields - has found and hidden the extraordinary rough stone. With the help of Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist whose idealism is tempered by a deepening connection with Archer, the two men embark on a trek through rebel territory, a journey that could save Solomon's family and give Archer the second chance he thought he would never have.

Metroid Prime Trace Figure


First 4 Figures is extremely proud to present Trace, the first in the Metroid Prime Hunters collectable series. First 4 Figures has used the official game files in order to create an extremely accurate recreation of Trace.

Cast in high quality poly-stone, the statue is hand finished and hand painted with metallic paints to give an authentic representation of the Trace’s metallic colors. Comes packed in a foam interior full colored box with a card of authenticity. Trace is limited at only 1,500 pieces worldwide at online and local specialty stores will a SRP of $89.99 and is expected to begin shipping early 2007.

Thanks to Figures.com

Gears of War Reviewed

Gears of War is a must-have game, pure and simple. Epic has effectively created a new gaming universe, and the rich story of planet Sera holds its own with the likes of Hyrule, City 17 and the Mushroom-friggin'-Kingdom. A game so gorgeous, both visually and audibly, that is this fun to play comes along only a handful of times a console generation.

There is a healthy learning curve to the cover system, but those who master it will find Epic's twisting and turning and rolling an exciting change-up in the shooter genre, a blend of fast-arcade action and basic, tactical maneuvering. The Insane difficulty level gives Gears legs months after you've finished the relatively-short campaign, and even with a friend it is an impossible, irresistible challenge. Versus is a one-trick pony, consisting of a team deathmatch with three basic variations, but damn, that mode is fun. Downloadable content is on the way, says Epic, but as it stands today, we are left wanting more. Bottom line: Gears of War is the special kind of game that makes you feel like a kid again, a sadistic little bastard obsessed with gore and chainsaws.

Overall Score: 9.4 out of 10 (Outstanding)

Click here to read the full review. Thanks to IGN

Flaming Lips tour starts with a Robbery

The Flaming Lips' UK tour began in controversial fashion on November 4 at the Brighton Centre. Clearly distressed, lead-singer Wayne Coyne spent much of the band's set appealing to the crowd for information after a number of personal possessions - including his wife's digital camera and a laptop - were stolen from the group's dressing room prior to the show.

Speaking from the stage Coyne described the culprit captured on the venue's CCTV as "of regular build, about 5ft 11" who was, "wearing a light blue hooded athletic top with a white stripe".

He also described the character as looking "a bit like a whippet" and that if the items were returned no further action would be taken.

Thanks to the NME

SpringWidgets launched



SpringWidgets is a new service from Fox Interactive Media (the owners of MySpace) that allows you to add RSS feeds to your website, space or blog. It's dead easy - they'll even add the SpringWidget to your MySpace or Blogger for you. If you would like to add a Cult Press SpringWidget, click here.

Wolverine kills the Marvel Universe

What If? returns and this time around, the series of one-shots will focus on the latest and greatest of Marvel events. Next up, What If? Wolverine Enemy of the State! Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s "Enemy of the State" story arc was one of the defining Wolverine stories of recent years, but what if Wolverine hadn't been de-programmed? A Wolverine with no moral fiber, no remorse and no friends to stop him is a force to be feared.

It's a year later and Wolverine is still a Hand assassin. He's the best there is at what he does and after cutting his way through the Marvel Universe, there aren't many people alive who are willing to try to stop him. Only a handful of super heroes remain, but who is brave enough to go up against this unstoppable killing machine? A hero will rise, but at the end of the day, it might not be enough.

Jimmie Robinson, writer of the indie sensation Bomb Queen, teams up with artist Carmine Di Giandomenico to tell this exciting tale in What If? Wolverine Enemy of the State. With a beautiful cover by Doug Alexander, this creative team will weave a new thrilling end for this classic story.

"What If? Wolverine: Enemy of the State" goes on sale on 29 November.

Thanks to IGN

Xbox 360 80GB hard drive on the way?

Looks like at least one Xbox 360 was outfitted with a larger-than-normal drive at one of Microsoft's two fall HD download / update / launches event this evening (that'd be SF and NY). Which is good because if when Xbox Live Video goes, um, live on November 22nd and there isn't a larger drive, we have a feeling certain Microsoft customers (namely us) will start rioting and looting Redmond. Ok, maybe not -- but seriously, of all the rumors to track closely, how much longer do we have to keep watching for a freaking bigger hard drive?

Thanks to Engadget

Gears of War Emergence Day is here


Gears of War is now on sale in the US...

Click on the pic for the webcomic created by 360Prophecy

Movie and TV downloads on Xbox Live

On November 22nd, Microsoft is launching the video marketplace for Xbox Live. This new service will allow Xbox 360 owners with access to a high speed internet connection to download a variety of HD and standard definition video content to their consoles and view it on their television.

That means all Xbox 360 owners with an HDTV will have access to HD movies, regardless of whether they own an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player. It doesn't end with movies, though. The video marketplace will also feature television shows, music videos and game videos to purchase with Microsoft Points.

The service will be available to both Xbox Live Silver and Gold members and promises over 1,000 hours of unique content by the end of the year, with at least 200 of that available in both standard and hi-definition.

Thanks to IGN

Monday, November 06, 2006

GameDaily has graded the consoles so you don't have to

Consoles have been graded on their games, price and future products.

DS: A
Xbox 360: A
Wii: A-
PS2: B+
PS3: B+
PSP: B
GameCube: C
Xbox: D

Thanks to GameDaily

Lost Ep 6 Extended Promo



Once again thanks to Dark Ufo

Stormtrooper Designer gets sued for $20 Million

A British designer is preparing to do battle with Star Wars creator George Lucas over the right to make and sell replica Stormtrooper costumes.

Andrew Ainsworth, of Shepperton Design Studios, helped design dozens of costumes for the 1977 Star Wars film. Lucasfilm, which owns the Star Wars franchise, sued Mr Ainsworth for $20m (£10m) when the company found out he was selling replica outfits in 2004. Last month, a judge in California awarded Lucasfilm damages of $20m.

The court found that Shepperton Design Studios had been marketing unlicensed copies of Stormtrooper helmets and costumes, and TIE fighter pilot , as well as making misleading claims about the authenticity and origins of the items.

Read the full article over at the BBC site

Be Quiet Rambo, we're trying to sleep!!!

Have Thai authorities ever seen a "Rambo" film?

If they had, they might have thought twice about telling the makers of "Rambo IV: In the Serpent's Eye" to go easy on the violence and not damage the environment.

The fourth installment in Sylvester Stallone's saga about the titular disgruntled Vietnam vet is expected to spend around 200 million baht ($5.5 million) in Thailand lensing for two months beginning in January. Locations include Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

But Thai authorities are apparently hoping for a kindler, gentler John Rambo.

Full story over at Variety

Sega gets Iron Man rights


SEGA has done a deal with Marvel to produce games based on the Iron Man comic books and the forthcoming film due out in May 2008.

The deal will also pave the way for SEGA to produce at least one additional Marvel superhero property for next-gen platforms.

Initially though the publisher is aiming to release a game specifically based on the Iron Man film, as the "multi-year" agreement gets under way. "The Iron Man history is filled with compelling and intriguing characters and stories, and with the power of the next-gen systems, SEGA will be bringing these characters to life like never before," reckons SEGA of America president and COO Simon Jeffery.

Thanks to Eurogamer

The Incredible Hulk gets a release date

Universal Studios has announced a release date of June 27 2008 for The Incredible Hulk. Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2) will direct the reboot of the franchise that stalled after Ang Lee's misunderstood Hulk.

Thanks to Empire Online

Halo 3 will come in 3 different versions

Three separate versions of the eagerly awaited game Halo 3 are to go on sale when the final instalment of the trilogy is released late next year.

A regular edition will be available for $59.99, US retailers revealed. But for an extra $10 fans could opt for a collector's edition, with additional, although as yet unspecified, content. Or for $99.99, the legendary edition will contain more content, a behind the scenes look at Halo along with a replica helmet.

Thanks to the BBC

Atari pledges Xbox Live Arcade games

The barrage of old-days arcade games is set to continue on Xbox Live Arcade this January with the start of a run of six Atari titles.

That's according to Microsoft, which says we can expect to see Centipede/Millipede, Battlezone, Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe, Missile Command, Tempest and Warlords released "throughout the year".

As well as the original versions, each will offer "enhanced" graphics options. Battlezone will also offer Xbox Live multiplayer modes and Xbox Live Vision camera support, while Warlords will offer a four-player mode too.

Naturally they'll all come with the requisite leaderboards support and achievements to unlock too.

Microsoft also adds that, in addition to this Wednesday's release of Contra, the Christmas season will see Live Arcade launches for Small Arms, Novadrome, Assault Heroes, Heavy Weapon and Defender.

Thanks to Eurogamer

Sony "overreached" with Blu-Ray

Sony's Phil Harrison has admitted that the company "overreached" with its decision to include a Blu-ray drive in PlayStation 3.

Referring to the shortages of blue diodes that forced Sony to postpone the console's European launch until March, Harrison told Eurogamer's Rob Fahey, "we have overreached in production of the Blu-Ray component - I can't deny that".

"But that's the price you pay for adopting brand new, leading-edge technologies that will be future proof. We will resolve those issues - we are already catching up."

"We will continue to catch up on the production, and as you know, we haven't changed our full-year forecast of six million units [by March 2007], so we're only talking about a ramp-up issue. We're not talking about the fundamental design of the product itself," he added.

"There's no denying that we’ve had some very public challenges," he had said. "Today, it looks like a very difficult situation - but in the weeks, months and years to come, this will pale into zero."

Thanks to Eurogamer

Zune problems for MSN customers

People who have bought music from Microsoft's MSN Music store could face problems if they decide to buy the firm's new Zune portable player.

Microsoft has said it will stop selling music from MSN music from 14 November, when Zune goes on sale in the US. But in a move that could alienate some customers, MSN-bought tracks will not be compatible with the new gadget. The move could also spell problems for the makers of MP3 players which are built to work with the MSN store.

Thanks to the BBC

No wireless guitar for Xbox 360 Guitar Hero

In case you haven't been following the virtual rock and roll scene lately, videogame publisher Red Octane recently revealed that there would be no wireless ax for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II -- even though owners of a "last-gen" console, PlayStation 2, will be able to jam out sans tether. Now since the 360 already ships with wireless technology on board, it would seem relatively simple to implement a cable-free controller for this particular deployment. Not so fast, says Red Octane. According to the studio, Microsoft isn't actually allowing third-party manufacturers to make anything using its proprietary wireless standard -- so while the capability is there, the all-important green light from Redmond is not. It's not clear at this point why a year-old system is being stifled by this seemingly arbitrary restriction, but with the PlayStation 3 offering developers Bluetooth out of the box, it seems that Microsoft either needs to change its tune or risk losing the small-but-vocal "rocker wannabe" demographic to the enemy.

Thanks to Engadget

Oblivion expansion will be cheap


Xbox 360 and PC owning Oblivion fans wondering how much that new Knights of the Nine expansion is going to end up setting them back can rest easy - it's only going to cost US$ 9.99, or 800 Microsoft points on Xbox.

That's because Oblivion developer Bethesda "still considers" the Knights of the Nine add-on "downloadable content" rather than a full expansion. That's despite it adding "another 10-20 hours of gameplay" in the words of Bethesda's Pete Hines.

Indeed, you can already read a few details and check out some screenshots on OblivionDownloads.com, where the PC version will be sold from 21st November, while Xbox 360 owners should keep an eye on Marketplace around then.

Thanks to Eurogamer

Borat is surprise number 1


Spoof Kazakh reporter Borat - aka Ali G comedian Sacha Baron Cohen - has scored a surprise box office hit in the US.

The film - with its naked wrestling and toilet humour - took $26.4m (£13.9m) in the US and Canada at the weekend, more than double estimated forecasts.

Thanks to the BBC

Spring Loaded Lightsabers hit UK stores


Various sourses reveal that Hasbro's new (force action) spring loaded lightsabers have hit our UK shops. i'm guessing these will sell out very soon so keep an eye out as they will be the perfect Christmas gift!

Thanks to Action-Figure

Brandon Routh on Superman Sequel

"Bryan [Singer] said at Comic-Con they were going to add some more fighting elements and stuff like that," said Routh. "That might be kind of interesting to throw some punches or throw something, I don't know, a little more active."

Routh is going to have to hit the gym again to get back into fighting shape, but not just yet. "I think I've got a while. We probably won't start for another at least six months. They've got to get things written so I'm still in the gym. I still work out a little bit but certainly not as much as I had been."

Thanks to Rotten Tomatoes

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Harry Potter and the Sneak Peek

HBO On Demand will be giving fans a chance to see a sneak peak of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix starting on November 20th, three days after the theatrical release of the teaser trailer.

Keep your eyes peeled to YouTube and other video sites for the HBO content.

Thanks to hpana

U2 & Green Day have a download 'hit'

U2 and Green Day's collaboration is the highest entry in the UK Singles Chart tonight (November 5) on downloads alone.

'The Saints Are Coming', which gets a proper release tomorrow (November 6), goes in at Six, while Fedde Le Grand's 'Put Your Hands Up For Detroit' takes over from McFly's 'Star Girl' at the summit.

Thanks to NME

First Lyra Pic Revealed



The first official picture of the actress playing Lyra in the film version of Northern Lights has been released by the film makers.

Alongside 12-year-old Dakota Blue Richards, from Sussex, is the evil Mrs Coulter played by Nicole Kidman.

Dakota won the part of Lyra after going to an open casting held in Cambridge earlier this year.

She's such a big fan of the books that she also went to see the stage version at the National Theatre.

Thanks to BBC Newsround

Fitness machine for child gamers


I don't see this catching on, somehow...

A machine has been invented to encourage children to work out while they are playing computer games. The Step2Play step exercise machine links directly to a child's computer games console. The game's controller will only work if the child keeps up a constant pre-set rate of exercise.

Because the system only controls the game's controller, and not the game itself, it can be used with any Playstation game. The game pauses while the controller is inactive. Two players can use different steppers and controllers to play two-player games. The machine also has a parental over-ride and is aimed at youngsters under the age of 12.

Thanks to the BBC

New Lost Characters get themselves a flashback

Yes, folks, it's true. Nikki and Paulo do get a flashback episode. The interesting thing is the flashback portion takes place ON THE ISLAND. We will see what Nikki and Paulo were up to while the gang was off on an adventure. I'm interested in seeing this from the other point of view; particularly since we assume nothing interesting happened.
Source: The Tailsection via DarkUFO

Brilliant - Bond seduces critics


Daniel Craig's performance as James Bond has been hailed as "terrific" and "simply brilliant" in early reviews of his 007 debut in Casino Royale.

The first verdicts on Craig - who was a controversial choice to play the spy - have been gushing.

The Daily Mirror said he was seen "oozing the kind of edgy menace that recalls Sean Connery at his best".

And the Daily Telegraph wrote that he "steps with full assuredness into Sean Connery's old handmade shoes".

The Times declared: "Craig is up there with the best - he combines Sean Connery's athleticism and cocksure swagger with Timothy Dalton's thrilling undercurrent of stone-cold cruelty."

Craig's impressive physique makes him "a far more plausible Bond than many of his predecessors", it added. "But his main asset quickly becomes evident. He can act."

The action was "edgy", the paper said, with stunts that were more physical and violence that was more raw.

The Mirror said the James Bond rule book had been "well and truly torn up" for the 21st official film.

Thanks to the BBC

Dark Phoenix Mini Mate


They have added a limited edition variant of The Dark Phoenix in the new Marvel Mini Mates series, she will only be available one per case.

I'm not a huge fan of Mini Mates, but i have to admit this one is cool!

Thanks to Superherotimes

Warcraft encyclopedia online

Have you ever wanted to ask what the Twisting Nether was but didn't ask for fear of being pegged as a noob? The answers to potentially embarrassing and reputation-breaking questions like that will soon be easy to find, thanks to Blizzard Entertainment.

Blizzard, publisher of the Warcraft franchise, which includes the ever-popular World of Warcraft, is logging all the lore of the series into the Warcraft Encyclopedia. The online reference guide features definitions of things only hardened Warcraft vets would know, including the various histories between the series' many races, the heroes from the franchise, and the dictionaries featuring definitions of basic Darnassian and Thalassian phrases.

The encyclopedia is a work-in-progress and includes information from all the Warcraft games and novels and from the pen-and-paper role-playing game. Blizzard hopes to update the tome several times each year. View it here

Thanks to Gamespot

Philip Pullman talks about his set visit

Author Philip Pullman has spoken on his official site about his visit to the set of the movie based on his book "The Golden Compass", the first in the "His Dark Materials" series.

"The set was constructed inside a vast sound stage, a building bigger than many aircraft hangars, and going all the way around the inside walls, from floor to distant ceiling, there was a truly enormous canvas painted with an Arctic panorama of icy mountains under a dark sky.

Read more over at darkhorizons

Camo PSP


Sony have released yet another special PSP edition, this time a camo version packaged with Metal Gear Solid... i feel slightly bored by Sony.

in the words of Alan Partridge 'they've re-badged it you fool!!'

Thanks to Engadget

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