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Scott Pilgrim vs. the world of video games
I saw the upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. The World movie at Comic-Con last weekend, and while our purview is still just interactive entertainment, the film is an indication of just how prevalent video games have become in popular culture. Just like the popular indie comics on which it's based, the film is chock full of video game references and even has some big plot points that invoke old-school video game clichés. Gaming is woven into the language of this story and this movie. I got a chance earlier this week to sit down with director Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley, and the movie's cast to talk about the flick, video games in general and how mainstream audiences will react to seeing games used onscreen in this way. We also got some new insight on the retro-style Scott Pilgrim vs. The World game. %Gallery-98112%
Another celebrity joins the WoW fan club
The list of famous fans is getting longer as World of Warcraft becomes more and more popular. The first famous names I remember hearing about were a whole slew of cartoonists whose work I really enjoy: Roman Dirge (Lenore), Jhonen Vasquez (JTHM), Scott Kurtz (PVP Online), Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins (Penny Arcade), and Tim Buckley (Ctrl+Alt+Del). Now, being a long-time comic book geek myself, these guys didn't really surprise me when they said that they were playing World of Warcraft. After all, video games and comics are generally thought of as sharing space in the realm of the Geek. One of the next names did take me a bit by surprise -- that was when comedian Dave Chappelle proclaimed his love for WoW. After that, it was just a mattter of time. Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) admitted that he was a total WoW fan. Then he showed in an Eastvale Logging Camp t-shirt to the Video Game Awards, and got to introduce the world premiere of the Burning Crusade trailer to the rest of the world.But this most recent name added to the ranks is a new one to me. World of Warcraft has just gained a professional football player as a fan. In a recent interview with Nick Smith, the newly recruited offensive lineman for the New York Jets, WoW came up as a topic and he talked about his time in Azeroth. Or at least, said that he had been playing WoW until Burning Crusade came out.Yeah... I stopped playing when the expansion came out because I just couldn't keep up. Last summer though, I was like that guy in the South Park episode. I could kill anyone over and over again until they quit. It was awesome. That was pretty much all I did: eat, workout and play WoW.While I'm thrilled to see someone in professional sports join the WoW gamer fold, I honestly hope that he was just joking about being like any guy in a South Park episode. There are just certain images that really don't need to conjured up. O.o How about you? Do you know of any other famous names who play World of Warcraft? [via thejetsblog.com]
Joystiq on the Video Game Awards yellow carpet
Warning: video is NSFW Joystiq attended Spike TV's 2006 Video Game Awards last week, and here's the video to prove it. We literally had to shove our way into our designated spot at the press line and jockey for position with other outlets like Hustler and The Greater Cuyahoga News-Press. Once we were set, we asked the hard-hitting questions that have been on gamers' minds for some time. Some highlights: Joe Rogan literally going insane on camera talking about virtual reality Mark Ecko talking about Britney Spears' underwear allergy Samuel L. Jackson not popping us in the face One word of warning, the video isn't safe for work by a long shot. Joe Rogan uses some very colorful language near the end that has to be seen to be believed ... then again, maybe not. It is Joe Rogan after all. The 2006 Video Game Awards air tonight on Spike TV. Tune in if you want to see Sam Jackson drop some F-bombs, Stewie Griffin insult Sam, and Sarah Silverman insult every gamer in the world. The best thing about it is the Burning Crusade opening cinematic that premieres during the show. That and the skits about the motion-capture guy. Nothing is funnier than jokes about balls, right? Alternatively, you could also go back and start beating Gears of War on insane. The night is yours!
Superman needs no health bar [update 1]
The Superman franchise has some bad luck on the gaming market, and not just Superman 64, considered by many to be one of the worst games ever made. After taking a look at 1UP's feature chronicling the worst Superman video games, one thing was made abundantly clear: developers don't like to make Superman ... well ... super. Every Superman title shown had the Man of Steel burdened by a health bar, fighting to protect himself against countless thugs and hackneyed plots. The hackneyed plots are fine, but Superman has only one weakness, and it is not a punch to the face. Developers put too much emphasis on a health bar, prevalent in almost every game now (even Mario gained a health bar when he went 3D). Let's make one thing abundantly clear: Superman needs no health bar. He's Superman.
Superman In Azeroth?
As the momentum for the Warcraft film (I'm just taking a wild stab & guessing that it will indeed be called simply Warcraft, and not World of Warcraft...but who knows) continues to build up, an interesting bit of news came to light on Aintitcool.com yesterday. In a conversation with Brandon Routh (the new Superman, for those of you who live under a rock), the topic of the WoW film came up, prompting Routh to proclaim his love for the game, and to voice his interest in being a part of the project. The exchange in part went:Harry – ...as soon as I read the news, knowing that you were a Warcraft guy, I just had to bring it up cuz you're the title character of Legendary's biggest film to date and that's their movie.Brandon – Yeah, I know. They told me they went down and met with BLIZZARD's guys, that's pretty... that's interesting.Harry – Get your agent on it immediately.Brandon – YEAH! My manager is right here, he's perked up.I haven't seen Routh in action yet, as most of you haven't, but he's been getting rave write-ups for his performance as the Man of Steel, and his star will almost certainly be on the rise after Superman Returns is released next week. His potential involvement could bring a lot of buzz to the project, so it will be interesting to see how this develops.In any case, I'm reminded of one of the endlessly quotable lines of dialogue from William Peter Blatty's The Ninth Configuration: "Would you please tell this idiot that there is no room in any of Shakespeare's plays for Superman?"
