Transformers Dark of the Moon
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon clip breaks down shooting movies, special effects in 3D (video)
The Transformers: Dark of the Moon Limited Edition Blu-ray 3D doesn't hit the streets officially until next week, but you can get a look at one of the special features early right here. In this video clip director Michael Bay and other members of the production team explain some of the special challenges that came with shooting the special-effects heavy movie in 3D. It required changes to his usual frenetic cutting style with fewer pans and longer shots, as well as extra work by the editors on each element of animation overlaid on each frame. For a longer discussion about the background of shooting the flick you can check out an interview featuring Bay and 3D-master James Cameron here, otherwise just press play, or check out the press release after the break for a full list of special features included when he disc debuts January 31st.
Transformers Blu-ray 3D release coming to Japan in January, still no release date for US
The United States got a quickie Blu-ray release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon a couple of weeks ago sans-extras and 3D, with only a promise they would be delivered "in the coming months" but that is not the case across the Pacific. In Japan Paramount has announced the Blu-ray 3D version is coming January 20th complete with English and Japanese soundtracks. There's still no date for a full-fledged release around these parts, so if you're an early adopter (if you have a 3D TV, it's a pretty safe bet) your first chance to bring the billion dollar blockbuster home as Michael Bay intended may come with some extra kanji on it.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray due September 30th, 3D version later
Besides being a lightning rod for the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD wars, the Transformers series also racked up some of the biggest HD sales ever, and now we'll see if the latest entry, Dark of the Moon, keeps up that trend. Paramount has announced it will be released September 30th in Blu-ray/DVD combo form for $29.99, with a "deluxe" release including Blu-ray 3D expected in "the coming months." There's no specifics on any extras included in this release, but it looks like PHE is going the Avatar route and saving those for later. For those anticipating the 3D release, hopefully this doesn't equal a similar exclusivity period, but until the disc is actually announced we won't assume anything. If 154 minutes of Michael Bay exploding things sounds like a good idea to you, check after the break for a press release and schedule that Friday off -- you have somewhere to be.
Zumba Fitness spends fifth week atop UK charts, Harry Potter fizzles
The unstoppable Zumba Fitness won't let go of the spotlight, holding the top spot on Chart-Track's UK all-formats chart for a fifth week in a row. Despite a 24 percent drop in sales, the dance-ercise title celebrates its eighth time holding the crown since the Wii version launched in March. Stupefy simulator Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiered in seventh place. Chart-Track notes it's the lowest sales performance ever for a Harry Potter game. Thanks to "significant" price promotion, EA Sport Active 2 sales shot up 338 percent, sweatin' its way back into the top ten in eighth place. Check out the full UK top ten after the break.
Zumba Fitness tops UK charts for fourth week in a row
For a fourth consecutive week, Zumba Fitness maintained its spot atop Chart-Track's UK all-formats chart. The title has danced its way to the gold seven times since the Wii version launched in March. Another fitness game that's making moves on the charts is THQ's UFC Personal Trainer, which debuted at #22 a couple weeks back, but is now close to punching into the top ten at #13. No new releases broke the Top 40 last week, so the top ten is full of the usual suspects, many which benefited from price promotions. Such was the case with Dirt 3, which raced into second, with a 28 percent increase in sales. Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the tie-in title to the summer blockbuster, transformed that extra exposure into a 10 percent increase in sales, placing it in third. Autobots can roll out past the break for the UK top ten.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review: No More Than Meets the Eye
One year ago, our own Justin McElroy called High Moon Studios' Transformers: War for Cybertron "a crystal clear, easy-to-follow example of how to do a licensed game." Maybe the example wasn't so easy to follow. When you play the movie tie-in, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the surprise isn't that it feels rushed and incomplete. The surprise is that High Moon made this one, too. Most of the features that made War for Cybertron a standout are gone. Gone is co-operative play. Gone are several multiplayer modes, including Escalation. In their place are three standard multiplayer gametypes (deathmatch, team deathmatch, and conquest), and a campaign so short that it feels like it was based on an episode of the cartoon show rather than a movie. %Gallery-122764%
Transformers: Dark of the Moon multiplayer trailer runs and guns
Looks like the surprisingly exciting multiplayer component from War for Cybertron is back for another round of automotive mech-slaughter. Check out the latest trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon below to see the game's competitive combat unfold by land, by air and ... by robot.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon pre-orders include virtual and actual Transformers
For those of you who need a bribe in order to be pushed into a purchase of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Activision has prepared its cornucopia of goodies, divided up by retailer and by console. GameStop pre-orders for Xbox 360 and PS3 will get you a code to unlock Sideswipe, while Amazon pre-orders get you Ratchet (and a $10 credit). But the Wii and DS games, pre-ordered anywhere, get you actual toys -- Bumblebee with the Autobots game, and Lockdown with the Decepticons version. Other bonuses announced by Activision include an in-game Bumblebee skin for the 3DS version at Toys R Us, in-game "Deco" character skins for the Wii and DS games at Target, and a, "original, limited edition Transformers: Dark of the Moon comic book" at Kmart and Sears, seemingly not tied to any particular version. Or you could pre-order from Best Buy and get a "free movie ticket upgrade to 3D." Thrilling.%Gallery-123022%
Transformers: Dark of the Moon preview: Preliminary prequel prologue
High Moon Studios received a lot of attention for Transformers: War for Cybertron, not only for its avoidance of the Michael Bay "reboot," but because it was actually a pretty good game. Sadly, Transformers: Dark of the Moon isn't a sequel to that game -- it's a licensed prequel to Bay's upcoming third Transformers movie. %Gallery-118722%
High Moon rolls out for Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Love them or hate them, Michael Bay's Transformers films just keep coming back, and with them come mediocre movie tie-in games. Typically, a Joystiq post announcing such a game would arrive with a due amount of skepticism, perhaps a link to the meager Metacritic scores for the previous Transformers movie games. But then, in the press release next to some malarkey about a new "Stealth Force" gameplay gimmick, there's a ray of hope. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, serving as prologue to the upcoming film, are being developed by none other than High Moon Studios. You might recall High Moon as the developer of Transformers: War for Cybertron. Alternately, you might remember it as "that one studio that made that really good Transformers game." Okay, perhaps Stealth Force mode -- described as "a third, hybrid state that combines the weapons and firepower of robot mode with the agility and maneuverability of vehicle mode" -- shouldn't be dismissed at this early stage. The game will launch (presumably) alongside the film this July, with Wii and DS versions coming from Behaviour Interactive (formerly Artificial Mind and Movement).
