Defiance Launch Trailer: A “New Age” Begins (Crazy Cat Ladies Holding Mice To Come)…


 

It’s here and launch day bumpiness aside when you get too many people playing your MMO at the same time, it seems that DEFIANCE is taking the MMO world by storm as far as a triple platform launch goes. I’m still seeing a bit of confusion from a few people who expected this online-only game to have an offline mode, but it’s good that they’re at least asking about it FIRST and not plunking down sixty bucks because they liked the TV commercials. Of course, having an offline more would have meant MORE people would be playing this on day one, but as I’ve noted previously, that’s up to Trion Worlds if this MMO takes off and users want more of the new world they’ve created (and not as a stupid simple mobile phone or device app). As always, we shall see, but so far, day one looks like the start of something big for both Trion and syfy. 13 days until the show premieres…

Game of Thrones Season 3: A Threesome of Features To Heat Up Your Monday…


 

Ewwww. That already infamous “Men don’t need nipples” line and scene from the Season 3 premiere nearly sent a cup of hot tea flying into the air last night, fortunately, you could see it coming a mile away (hopefully). Still, yikes. If that’s the army Daenerys wants (and gets), what’s she going to do with them should she also gain the throne she desires and there are a few thousand left? Probably buy them some chairs so they can FINALLY sit down, ha ha. Hmmm? Of course, given the “feel no pain” way those guys work, it should be quite an epic battle that takes place.

Er… Well, as long as we don’t get shot after shot of nipple slicing (yuk)…


 
Anyway, I still haven’t gotten around to reading any of the books (and don’t really plan on it as like The Walking Dead, I know that there’s a GREAT deal of deviation and additions to the source material), so don’t tell me anything. I have a dragon under my bed and it knows your address. Or so it tells me. Hey, I just feed it whomever shows up ringing my doorbell unannounced (so there are a few cable TV salespeople not annoying others about needlessly expensive and some pompous proselytizers missing a few sheep from their flocks, methinks)…


 

And of course, these interviews are always hilarious to watch because of the dumb questions that get pitched at people who really can’t say much for any number of great reasons. Still, a little insight goes a long way, that’s for sure. I wonder what the motto of House Martin is these days? Hmmm… that’s a good question to ask, I bet (or not)…

Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 2 Preview: The Storm Rages Onward…


 

Well, THAT premiere was… very… educational now, wasn’t it? It looks like the new season won’t disappoint at all, so it’ll be fun to see where it all goes from here. Uphill for some of the characters and downhill in terms of some of their fates, I’m supposing. Of course, that’s while we all watch the show, right? I thought so. Anyway, I think I need a shower now. All that tension is bad for the sweat glands and bladder (especially when the show starts up and you’ve forgotten to go. No commercials during programs on HBO, you know). See you next week, same Dragon time, same Dragon channel…

Game of Thrones Season 3 Premiere Accolades: OK, HBO… We Get It, We Get It!


 

Now you’re just f*@King with us with an hour plus to go. Some are hanging out in bars for a while now, others are ditching their Easter hats in favor of some handmade get-ups straight out of the show and people like me are still flipping a flippin’ coin and trying to decide on The Walking Dead season finale or this first because we don’t have a DVR. I’m leaning heavily towards GoT, by the way, but I may change my mind just because I think I can. Eh, I’ll probably go with Game, as I’ve been pretty zombified all week and all these teasers and trailers for Thrones has me too piqued to pass up. Off to plant my butt in front of the TV a bit early. It’s going to be quite a night for beginnings and endings on a few fronts…

Defiance “This Place” Trailer: “The First Rule of Fight Club Is…”

 

Well, you most likely KNOW that part already (if you’ve actually seen Fight Club, that is). I think there’s some other unwritten rule later on about NEVER fighting the blue alien who looks like he’s going to break you into five pieces, but whatever. Besides, who reads the manual to anything these days? It’s obviously much worse in the future (and I can only wonder HOW new furniture and bicycles will get put together then – it’ll be kids and wives falling down everywhere thanks to lazier dads not figuring stuff out even more!). Anyway, contrary to what I’ve been posting previously (Oops!), DEFIANCE actually premieres on April 15, 2013 (9pm/8 Central Time) on syfy. That’s Tax day for many here in the US (whee!), so you can cry when you send out those forms and your check for what you owe Uncle Sam (who must be doing a LOT of shopping at QVC or something with all that money he gets) and come home later to feel better in front of a cool-looking new TV show. AND game (which hits stores on April 2), if you’re connected and want to dive into more of the lore in a more interactive manner…

Game of Thrones Theme Song, Street Version: Spoony Bards Stay Out Of Harm’s Way. Maybe…


 

So, you want to live longer in Winterfell? Pick up an instrument of the realm, learn it quickly, pick a house and learn their motto, then scribe up an appropriately drone-y ditty and have at it until you can play it pitch perfectly with a touch of flaw for authenticity’s sake. The army will leave you be unless they happen to stock the front lines with easily disposable musicians that can sponge a few dozen or more arrows each. Oops on you if you picked House Lannister to try out your musical talents in. Hmmm… maybe acting crazy and pretending you’re blind works better. Or at least it will until another house sees that as a more mystical talent they can take advantage of. Only two more days, folks…

Making of Defiance: Tarrs vs McCawleys (Or: Meanwhile, Back @ The Space Ranch)…

 

Saddle up, pardners and get ready to hit the trail! (or something like that). OK, so syfy’s upcoming show/video game extravaganza DEFIANCE has that whole space western thing going for it, but this is actually a good thing at the end of the day. It should get the show some appeal to those sci-fi fans who prefer their shows a bit tumbleweedy and familiar and cranky old goats like me who have the occasional Bonanza or original Battlestar Galactica flashback (or Battlestar Ponderosa, if I recall what Harlan Ellison rightly called the show back in the day).

Snark aside, I really like what they’ve done with the show so far and will give it a season to do its thing on the parts of my brain that click with the genre. Hopefully, the show and game will do well in this still stupid economy and current ratings format that see shows get axed if viewership only dips a TINY amount after the usually highly watched pilot episode. That’s a stupidly expensive way to do business, particularly with fickle audiences that often come BACK to a show later on in the first season to catch up. As always, we shall see…

Defiance Launch Trailer & Ark Hunter Chronicles 6: A New Era Is Just Around the Bend…


 

OK, I’ve got a tiny cold today, so my ten or so posts I wanted to do have been cut down a bit by common sense (as in I decided to stay home and not exacerbate my condition by hanging out in a public place with other germy folk). Anyway, I’m doing better, so here’s one more update: I’m a little worried about DEFIANCE doing as well as it should at least on consoles. I’ve read elsewhere today (and had this figured for a while) that Blizzard and Sony have done research that reveals many PS3s are never connected to the Internet. And I’d bet good money that the ones that ARE play mostly the same games or types of games. That said, DC Universe Online seems to have done well and certain franchise shooters seem to grab players as soon as they ship. On the other hand, Defiance breaks much new ground in the MMO space, but does absolutely NOTHING for those who want an offline experience. I think this is a mistake, as more people playing your game is ALWAYS a better thing than LESS and every MMO will shut down that last server at some point.  


 
Hopefully, all three versions of the game will sell like gangbusters and Trion Worlds will also hear from solo play fans who want either a stand alone game they can call their own. Or something for the Vita (which has suddenly become an indie game darling). Or both…

Defiance “Changed World” TV Spot: Reinventing A Few Landscapes…

 

So, if that 14 minutes or so of first episode footage shown on syfy’s site is any indication, DEFIANCE will be a pretty decent new show after all. This bodes well for the online-only game coming to Windows PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 April 2 and yes, the show, which premieres on April 13. I need to now actually look up that darn channel’s schedule, as I haven’t paid attention to it for a while except when there’s a Twilight Zone marathon running and I swing by for a half-hour or so fix. The game is definitely solid from what I’ve played, but I do have an issue with it I’ll kick around (again) in the next post…

Game of Thrones Season 3: Inside the Wildlings (Before They Remove Your Insides)…

 

Of course, in real life WInterfell, stopping to put on a pot of coffee and have a chat with a Wildling or two would probably have a few different outcomes (not too many of them good for you, dear reader), so be thankful these interviews aren’t done completely in character all the time. On the other hand, that WOULD make those dragon interview videos really something, right? Only five more days to go before Season 3 rolls around. Between this, The Walking Dead season finale and one or two other shows, that particular Sunday will be a BUSY one in terms of TV time for me, I think. Of course, I could just ignore it all and play through a game or two I need to finish up, but that’s probably not going to happen as I’ll be camped out writing for at least part of the day…