Should You Dread DREDD? If The Poster Is Any Indication, Nope.

Well, OK… a movie poster is JUST another slice of the hype cheese wheel, so at the end of the day it’s actually meaningless if the film it advertises stinks. That said, after reading the plot synopsis, I have a feeling that Judge Dredd’s second Hollywood outing will be a hell of a lot better than that first travesty, where the acting performance by a “robot” made it worth watching (yes, Mean Machine was the best thing in that flick).

Still, I did do a double take when I read the press release, as I mixed up Keith Urban and Karl Urban in my head and nearly choked on a bagel. Good thing I remembered who was who before it was too late or you’d all be wondering why I hadn’t posted in a while. Anyway, September 21, 2012 is the release date and I’m imagining the commercials will start dropping sooner rather than later if the studio thinks it’s got a winner on their hands. One thing I DO want in this one is Anthrax’s “I Am The Law” playing over the end credits, so let’s hope that’s been taken care of.

EDF 3 Portable Coming To PlayStation Vita (In Japan, At Least) With 4-Player Co-op

BRING BACK THE BUGS! Hey, D3Publisher of America: I’m putting you on notice NOW. If you aren’t planning to snap this up and get it out in North America instead of another kid-friendly game that might sell a few more copies, you’re nuts. In the nicest possible way, though. Seriously, you’re loved around here for some cool games and all, but THIS one has to get a US release. Not only is this looking exactly like the Xbox 360 game many PlayStation-only fans of the series never got to play, Sandlot actually ADDED a four-player co-op mode.Which is an excellent move, by the way (provided the slowdown present in the original game has been taken care of).

I’m stealing one screenshot from Andriasang (thanks, guys!) to show you this is no joke, but here’s a link so you can check out the rest of them and start yelling into your Vita like it’s actually got a phone built in. Day one purchase? Oh, absolutely. ESPECIALLY if D3 is smart enough to consider that dual game card package, provided they can release it at a decent price point. If not, a single cart is still fine, but I’m gathering that a single cart and download voucher deal for a friend might be another way to go. OK, let me stop giving out free ideas and get back to hoping we see this one drop into stores as soon as possible…

E3 2012: Watch_Dogs Gameplay: Ubisoft Also Hits A Few Nerves Outside Of The Gaming Life…

Like nearly everyone else who saw it, I was floored when Ubisoft dropped Watch_Dogs into our collective consciousness at the end of its E3 press conference. Not only did they completely surprise people, they did so in the way things USED to be done in this industry. Win NO in house PR-generated “leaks” or overly annoying viral nonsense that keeps people who need to be more productive trolling around the Internet looking at teaser sites or playing with devices in useless mini-games that hint at what’s to come. Although amusingly enough, that’s probably one big way to market the game now that the beans have been spilled. Still, as great as the game looks and as amazing as the idea behind it is, something bugged the hell out of me when the demo was over…

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E3 2012: Unreal Engine 4 Tech Demo: Like It Or Not, It’s Coming Your Way…

 

This is pretty great to look at, but remember: it’s ONLY a tech demo and under the right hands, I’m betting things can only go up from there. But at what cost? For me, a game engine is only as good as the programmers and artists who end up using it. There have been a number of games created with older and current versions of the Unreal engine that do an amazing job of NOT looking as if they were made using it (which is really cool in my book). This leads me to believe that while we will indeed see plenty of games that make us all say “Oh…THAT’S Unreal 4?”… we’re going to be sitting through a lot of games before that, sighing “Oh, that’s Unreal 4…” Continue reading

The Dark Knight Manual? “Bruce Wayne” Is Either Really Smart… Or Really Stupid.

How the heck else would you describe him after he goes and writes an actual book called THE DARK KNIGHT MANUAL that features everything you always wanted to know about being Batman, but were afraid to ask?  After some thought, I think he’s being a wee bit TOO smart here, putting all you need to create your very OWN Batcave, suits, gadgets, vehicles and more between 112 pages (with hardcovers for longevity) adding 35+ removable items and sticking it in stores this month for a mere $40. “What’s the deal?” you ask? Well, dear reader, I’d say Mr. Wayne is getting a wee bit tired of the crime fighting gig and wants a LOT of you out there to get cracking on getting into the masked vigilante business so he can enjoy his yacht, planes and champagne drinking nightlife while you do the dirty work. You, yes, YOU can be a part of the Batman franchise by… owning your OWN batman franchise!

Either that, or he’s putting out FAKE plans just to fool a few of the villains who are out to get him by making them pay just to get their hands on plans that aren’t quite the ones he’s using right NOW.  Hmmm… on the other hand, maybe “Bruce Wayne” is just the pen name of some nefarious baddie long forgotten by Chris Nolan, despite doing everything he could to get even the tiniest cameo in the upcoming soon to be blockbuster. My money is on Ali Babble, as he hasn’t been seen in a Batman comic since 1946! That’s a hell of a long time to wait around just to get some revenge! I know I’d have at LEAST Fourteen Peeves if I was left out of the canon for THAT long!

E3 2012: Feeling Down? Rayman Legends Will Make You Smile In A Few Seconds Flat.

Seriously, if these two E3 videos from Ubisoft’s upcoming (up to FIVE player) Wii U exclusive don’t get you grinning, you’re one pretty mean person having a not so hot day. Don’t spread that frown around at all, I say. Rayman, Murphy, Globox and the rest of the crew want you to let your cares fall away as you race through some mighty pretty (and pretty insane) old-school platforming levels (with some neat and quick “3D” elements) , feeling like you’re years younger, pounds lighter and a bit hairier up top. No, on top of your head, silly (yeesh!). Ha! I saw you smile. Good – that’s just what the game is supposed to do. OK, my work here is done (again)… Thanks Ubisoft!

Holy Bookmobile, Batman! Er, Wait… Oh, Just Buy This When You See It.

With The Dark Knight Rises about to blast into theaters this summer, here’s a little cool reading material for you to pore over that makes for an instant conversation starter because it’s an actual BOOK, not some bunch of bits you can flick around with a pinky and cry over when some thugs swipe your e-reader or iThing on the subway. You’ll soon find out there’s NO Batman if that happens (just some cop laughing at you), but if you have this BOOK in your home, you can comfortably fantasize away on your comfy couch about wearing the cowl, cape and boots all you like. Well, until one of your friends steals the book from your house. Damn you, Joker!

Anyway, Batmobile: The Complete History is written by Mark Cotta Vaz with a Q & A foreword featuring Paul Levitz (formerly of DC Comics fame) and Nathan Crowley (the production designer on Chris Nolan’s Batman film trilogy). It’s 148 pages thick, costs $39.95, comes out this month and it’s hardcover (so you can whack someone upside the head if they try and “borrow” your tome of power), featuring over 100 illustrations and photos of Batman’s wheels from 1939 onward. You know you want this book, so I won;t stop you at all from buying it. And yeah, you want an actual Batmobile, too.  But at least ONE of those isn’t going to happen anytime soon. Besides, reading is good for you. And take that utility belt off before you sit down and poke a hole in those cushions with a Batarang or something.

E3 2012: As A Game, Defiance Proves Me Wrong, But The Show Still Needs To Be Worth Watching…

 

OK, I’ll admit it. I wasn’t at ALL keen on Defiance from the moment I heard about it. Sure, Trion Worlds is known for some solid MMO experiences, but the fact that the game would be based on a show from the network that brings us crappy camp like Sharktopus and Jersey Shore Shark Attack! didn’t exactly make me comfortably assured about reliable quality control in regards to the upcoming TV series.  Sure, the Battlestar Galactica reboot was groundbreaking and great from the start , but as the song goes, “What Have You Done For Me Lately?”

Then I saw some gameplay and well, I had to eat my hat…

 

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E3 2012: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed: One If By Land, Two If By Sea, Three If By Air…

While it’s not the first arcade-style racing game with transforming cars, it’s hard not to see the lineup of rides here and not want to fall over something running to grab a controller and get some fast track action in. I’m still confused as to exactly what to call this, as Sega keeps leaving out the SEGA in the title, but folks who’ve posted the video have put it back in (where it needs to be). I guess we’ll all need to see what the official word is, but as a Sega supporter since before a lot of you were born, I’m all for promoting that world famous name whenever possible. Go, SEGA!

E3 2012: Divinity: Original Sin & Divinity – Dragon Commander: Larian Doubles Up On The Fun Stuff

Not one, but TWO new games on the way from the fine folks at Larian Studios? Nice. We’re getting a prequel to Divine Divinity (still a really cool RPG to dive back into for me) and an all new strategy game with what’s looking like a wild sense of humor from the same team. Here are looks at both games iv developer videos from before and during the show. Keep up the great work, guys!