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'Mine of Steel' trailer blends Superman with Minecraft
This trailer for the upcoming Man of Steel movie was recreated with a Minecraft-like twist by Steelehouse Productions. We prefer the cinematic experience of this animated trailer to the recreation of the first five minutes of Star Wars, which was created using Minecraft itself.
The Daily Grind: Would you like appropriate movie tie-in content in your MMOs?
I don't know if SOE has any plans to capitalize on the wave of Superman hype sweeping the nerdosphere on account of Zack Snyder's upcoming Man of Steel film. The firm's DC Universe Online title features the big blue boy scout rather prominently, of course, and the timing seems right if there aren't a bunch of legal stumbling blocks. SOE has done movie tie-ins with an MMO before, way back in 2005 when its Rage of the Wookiees expansion added a bunch of Episode III-themed content to Star Wars Galaxies. Last summer, though, the firm didn't really acknowledge Christopher Nolan's final Batman film in DCUO, so it may not be in the cards for Supes either. Regardless of what actually happens, would you like to see appropriate movie tie-in content in certain MMOs? Or do you prefer to keep the properties separate? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Injustice: Gods Among Us' Red Son pre-order DLC available to all next week
Hey, remember that bundle of Red Son Injustice: Gods Among Us DLC that GameStop had as an exclusive pre-order bonus? In a fitting turn of events, said bundle will no longer be the privileged purview of the bourgeois and will instead be available to the sweaty, overworked proletariat masses as of next Tuesday. No word yet on how much the DLC will cost, or whether it includes the pre-order's 20 bonus challenge missions in addition to the costumes seen above. The game's official twitter account has also asked which other characters from Red Son we'd like to see; we think the answer should be obvious.
Superman star Henry Cavill enjoys Skyrim, World of Warcraft
Sure, we know lots of people who play WoW -- like all of our co-workers -- but we don't expect Hollywood A-listers to be by our side in dungeons and raids. While we'd already heard that now Superman star Henry Cavill played WoW, he recently spoke to British GQ about his love of the game and Bethesda's equally addictive Skyrim. In fact, he enjoys the game so much that he missed director Zack Snyder's call offering him the part. "I saw it was him [calling]," Cavill told GQ, "but the thing is, you can't save World of Warcraft, you can't pause it. It's live." We have that problem all the time, but at least we aren't the only ones. (Though Cavill is clearly up on his WoW etiquette, as it's definitely rude to pick up the phone while you're in a group.) If you want more of the interview, IGN covers Cavill talking games or you can find the British version of GQ available digitally on iPad, Android, or Kindle. (Sorry, Man of Steel, but Iron Man 3's Robert Downey Jr. is currently on the cover of GQ stateside.)
Jens Andersen reveals DCUO's Origin Crisis DLC
Although he's been dropping hints and teasing fans for a while now, Creative Director Jens Andersen kept the bulk of DC Universe Online's seventh DLC, Origin Crisis, under wraps. That all changed when we met up at GDC; he opened the floodgates of information, sharing a wealth of details about the story, the content, and the new costumes. And now I can pass it all along to you. Story-wise, Andersen expressed how excited he was to finally let players in on the arc that ties up a few loose ends left dangling after DLCs 2 and 3 -- Lightning Strikes and Battle for Earth. As for content, Origin Crisis adds two new raids, two four-man operations per side, two special solo challenges (which offer the chance to play as a legendary character), a new superpower, and a new tier of PvE gear. Oh, and let's not forget the three new iconic-based suits.
Injustice: Gods Among Us footage shows alternate costumes, more facial hair
NetherRealm's barrage of Injustice: Gods Among Us footage continues unabated, with these newest clips showcasing a few of the characters' alternate costumes. We're quite fond of Pseudo-Military Superman and Realistic Armor Batman, but we're starting to lose hope for a Clean Shavin' Green Arrow.
Injustice: Gods Among Us 'Red Son' pre-order bonus also coming to NA
Originally revealed for UK retailers last month, the Superman: Red Son pre-order bonus DLC for Injustice: Gods Among Us will be available exclusively at GameStop in North America. As shown in the trailer above, the DLC pack includes Red Son-inspired alternate costumes for Superman, Wonder Woman and Solomon Grundy (who wasn't in the Red Son comic storyline).The pack also includes 20 extra missions set within the alternate Red Son universe, which is not to be confused with Injustice's also-alternate universe. It'll be interesting to see if Injustice's Red Son missions are actually set in an alternate version of Injustice's universe, making it an alternate, alternate universe. Alternate. Alternate. Now it just looks weird.
Latest Injustice showdowns: Superman vs. Sinestro, Hawkgirl vs. Green Arrow
It's time once again for NetherRealm Studios' weekly infusion of Injustice: Gods Among Us fight tapes, this time featuring all-American legend Superman, creepy Craigslist birthday party magician Sinestro, reincarnation poster child Hawkgirl and facial hair enthusiast Green Arrow.The most important part of either of these videos isn't the fact that Green Arrow has some decidedly Sub-Zero moves going on, or that Sinestro's slender torso makes us uncomfortable, but rather that the Clash system is still in place. First seen at E3 last year, the Clash system was in danger of being scrapped altogether last August, though it seems NetherRealm was able to make the system work.
Finnish composer Pulkkinen working on 'unannounced PS4 game'
Composer Ari Pulkkinen, known for his work with Finnish developers Housemarque, Rovio and Frozenbyte, is providing the soundtrack and sound design for an "unannounced PS4 game," according to his LinkedIn profile. Under his 'Experience' tab, Pulkkinen says he's also providing soundtracks for an iPad game and PSN game, both also unannounced.While Pulkkinen's experience is diverse - he's composed soundtracks for several entries in the Angry Birds and Trine series - the majority of his PlayStation-based work has been for Housemarque. Pulkkinen provided the soundtracks for Super Stardust HD, Outland, Dead Nation, and Super Stardust Delta.Earlier this month, Housemarque responded to a leak of concept art that included Dead Nation 2, as well as tie-ins to Superman and Walking Dead games. In an official statement, the studio said, "As for the artworks on display, they belong to a discarded batch and are not representative of projects we might or might not be working on."
Injustice: Gods Among Us plots Superman's ascendance
Two men are fighting in space, as is often the case. The Earth, beautiful in blue, watches through a massive window while the two brawlers scuff and smash the sleek interior of a space station. I'm rooting for Batman, but my health bar's on the wane.According to NetherRealms Studios Producer Hector Sanchez, this build of Injustice: Gods Among Us hasn't been tuned properly, so it's no surprise to see my masked nemesis, Bane, breaking my back over and over on difficulty spikes. To compensate I keep looking for an opportunity to activate Batman's special attack, in which he summons his hammerhead shark of a car to crush his opponent. Wondering how it gets up there – in space, at this hour – is a bit silly."It's a video game," says Sanchez. Everyone in the room chuckles, shaking off the perils of pondering the logistics behind a fighting game super move. That's a story on a microscopic scale compared to the one Injustice: Gods Among Us really wants to tell. %Gallery-177581%
HeroClix TabApp adds DC Comics figures
The HeroClix TabApp is an interesting, if not all that impressive, app for the iPad that uses HeroClix figurines in conjunction with iOS to make a game featuring the superheroes of the HeroClix series. When it first launched earlier this year, the app featured only Marvel heroes. But apparently the series is doing quite well, because HeroClix has now added some DC heroes to the mix. There are two packs available. One includes Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and the other is a "Dark Knight Rises" special featuring Batman, Bane and Catwoman. And the app, as you can see above, has been updated with new content for all of the heroes, so if you buy those packs, you can unlock and play the new games and settings. Unfortunately, this app isn't all that great, as I said in the review linked above. But it's good to see that this is getting more popular. Hopefully we'll see more and better interaction between the digital and physical worlds in terms of gameplay on iOS.
Man of Steel? Dark Knight? Transmogrifying DC's greatest superheroes
I think I've mentioned before that while I love comics of all sorts, I'm a DC girl at heart. While I've got a ton of obscure titles, I think my favorite from the DC portion of my collection has to be The Killing Joke, which I picked up when it was released. It was a horribly violent story, but the interplay between Batman and the Joker was an oddly chilling moment that showed more about both characters than any comic I'd seen before it. Batman is one of those utterly iconic figures. Dark and brooding, the Dark Knight has his own methodical way of handling situations that is a direct contrast from his millionaire playboy persona. Batman's a manmade hero, but his counterpart, Superman, is an alien from another world whose heroic deeds and super strength can be attributed to his otherworldly origins. Both of these characters are instantly recognizable, and hopefully with today's transmog tricks, your character will be instantly identified as one of DC's finest as well.
DC Universe Online brings fans into the recording studio with Mark Hamill, Adam Baldwin, and Arleen Sorkin
DC Universe Online's upcoming DLC pack, The Last Laugh, will be hitting the live servers tomorrow, June 19th. As you may have surmised from the DLC pack's title (which it shares with a renowned comic story arc), the new content will heavily feature everyone's favorite Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. And of course, when it comes to voicing the Joker, we know there's only one man for the job: the legendary Mark Hamill. In a new video released by Sony Online Entertainment, Hamill brings fans into the recording studio as he lays down his lines for the maniacal Mistah J. Joining Hamill are the voices of Superman (Adam Baldwin), and Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin). Together the trio talks about the joys of voicing three of DC Comics' iconic characters and their work on the upcoming Last Laugh DLC. To see these talented voice actors bringing your favorite DCUO characters to life, just click on past the cut for the full video. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrack revealed, Superman returns with Powerman 5000
We've been pretty worried about the fate of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD's soundtrack after we caught word that the remake probably wouldn't have all of the songs featured in the first two Pro Skater titles, stemming from licensing issues and whatnot. Now that the complete soundtrack has been released, though, we're feeling a little more confident about hitting the asphalt goofy-style once more.The complete track list can be found after the break, and we're glad to say that "Superman" by Goldfinger and "When Worlds Collide" by Powerman 5000 are both present and accounted for. The new replacement tracks include stylistically appropriate songs such as "Flyentology" by hip-hop artist El-P (featuring Trent Reznor). El-P once featured on the Del the Funky Homosapien track "Offspring," and Del's song "If You Must" was on the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 soundtrack. If we're playing by Six Degrees of Separation rules, we can call that a winner.
Sony boosts superzoom collection with DSC-HX200V, HX30V, HX20V, HX10V, H90 Cyber-shots
Sony unleashed a small handful of cameras before this month's CP+ Camera & Photo Imaging Show, but its spring 2012 line was far from complete. Today's announcements round out the collection, however, with a total of nine new models making their way through the Tokyo camera maker's news gate. Five of these point-and-shoots fit within the company's new H-Series, including the Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V, HX30V, HX20V, HX10V and H90. As you may have gathered, that H represents high-zoom -- this recent offering ranges from the H90 and HX10V, which sport 16x (24-384mm) optical zooms, to the HX200V, with a whopping 30x (27-810mm) lens. Filling in the gap, we have the HX20V and HX30V, both with 20x (25-500mm) optics.All of the cameras include 18.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensors, with the exception of the lower-shelf H90, with its 16.1-megapixel CCD. That lower-end model also stands alone in the display department, with a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, compared to the 3-inch 921k-dot screens on the other four models. All five cameras can capture HD video, with the H90 shooting at 720/30p, the HX10V offering 1080/60i and the HX20V, 30V and 200V capturing at 1080/60p. As you may have gathered, the H90 is the least expensive of the lot, and is also the only model to exclude GPS, selling for $250 when it hits stores next month. The HX10V and HX200V will also ship in March, with pricing set at $330 and $480, respectively, while the HX20V and 30V will be available in May for $400 and $420. As always, you'll find full details in the PR just past the break.
Concept art shows Superman and villains from Factor 5's canned game
It would have been a bird! It would have been a plane! Back in 2008, Factor 5 was working on a Superman game codenamed Blue Steel. The studio ran into trouble, as did the game's erstwhile publisher, Brash Entertainment, and the Superman game was cancelled. Siliconera dug up some concept art by character designer Daveed Kaplan depicting Superman as he would have appeared in the game -- and revealing some of the villains that would have been included. Surprise! Lex Luthor is there, in ginormous armor, as are Darkseid, Kalibak, Zod, and Zod's associate Non. You can see all of them as they would have appeared, had they not been banished to the Phantom Zone, at Siliconera. [Update: The Siliconera post is no longer available, and we have removed our image, at Kaplan's request.]
Year One: A look back at DCUO on its first anniversary
Given the popularity of Batman, Superman, and the rest of the DC Comics license, you'd think an MMO based in and around Gotham City and Metropolis would be nothing short of wildly successful. If anything, though, DC Universe Online (as well as dearly departed Sony Online Entertainment titles like Star Wars Galaxies and The Matrix Online) has proved that big-name IPs are not a surefire recipe for an MMO blockbuster. While DCUO has picked up a head of steam over the past couple of months, it took a free-to-play business model conversion to help the superhero title achieve success in its rookie year.
Daily iPhone App: Superman
This one kind of came out of left field -- there isn't really any reason for Chillingo to release a Superman game, especially one created by Flash developer Tiger Games. Superman games in general don't usually work well anyway: How exactly do you put a challenge on pretending to be the Man of Steel himself? But this one works because it stays simple -- you control the big blue boy scout running around Metropolis, and perform various tasks, like stopping robbers, killing big robots, or smashing asteroids or missles as they threaten the city. Most of the gameplay simply consists of flying around, and this is where Tiger Games gets it right -- Metropolis is a nice big 2D world to explore, and arrows on the screen will quickly directly you where Superman needs to go. There's a not-bad storyline propping the whole thing up, but let's be honest, this is superhero fantasy. You really just want to jump in as Superman and blast some robots with your eye lasers. The game's not bad at all, and for a Superman game, given the IP's history, that's enough. The iPhone version is available for just 99 cents, or you can pick up an HD version for iPad for $2.99.
SpellTower, Chickon, Superman and lots of other iOS releases today
Believe it or not, we are getting into the start of the holiday season, and that means tons of action on the App Store as people head over to buy apps for their new devices. There are a bunch of exciting new apps to check out today, so here's a quick list: Hothead Games (makers of Kard Combat and Gem King) has released a new 99 cent game called Sea Stars, featuring some Ecco the Dolphin-style jumping. As expected, Minecraft Pocket Edition is now out and available for $6.99 on iOS. EA Mobile has a new freemium title called Road Trippin', in which you tour around the United States. Adult Swim's latest is an on-rails shooter called Major Mayhem, available for just a buck. Days of Wonder has released an iPhone-specific version of its popular Ticket to Ride board game, yours for only 99 cents. Anthill: Tactical Trail Defense isn't new, but it's gotten a big new content update and it's on sale for just 99 cents as well. SpellTower is a really excellent new spelling game for iPad from the creator of the great Bit Pilot and Halcyon. The creator of Galcon has turned his real-time strategy game about planetary domination into a game about chickens called (of course) Chickon. It's available for free. To celebrate the year anniversary of its dual-stick shooter Age of Zombies, Halfbrick Studios has re-released the title in an anniversary edition, making it universal and adding new content, still at 99 cents. Chillingo has two excellent new titles out, Superman (which features the DC superhero saving a 2D Metropolis from various threats) for 99 cents, and Extraction: Project Outbreak (a well-done top-down action RPG shooter), in a universal build for also 99 cents. Superman will probably sell better, but Extraction shouldn't be missed. Com2Us has released Homerun Battle 2, a sequel to the excellent arcade baseball game Homerun Battle 3D, for $4.99. Firemint has given its rodent stealth game Spy Mouse an HD version, for $2.99. Street Fighter IV Volt has new characters and new content, and is on sale for just 99 cents. Man, that's a whole lot of great games! This isn't even all of the app releases out this week, and my guess is that we haven't even seen the biggest flood of new apps -- that usually comes around Thanksgiving, and then ramps up again right as Apple freezes the store before Christmas. It's going to be a busy holiday season in iOS gaming for sure.
