Pirates of the Caribbean
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New content for Pirates of the Caribbean
As previously mentioned, Pirates of the Caribbean Online is the surprisingly fun corporate-giant-backed MMO that could. Refreshingly, the dev team on PotCO isn't resting on their brand name to keep them afloat (no pun intended -- well, okay, you got me), but instead continue to bring new content to their constituents. Currently, this takes the form of new emotes, hairstyles, tattoos, jewelry, and clothing, as well as the new 'Looking For Crew' feature, which lets other players know when you want a PUG. Additionally, Unlimited Access Members can get their hands on a new skull bandana, available until midnight tonight from any tailor. Disney Online has additional content planned for 2008 including a new Black Pearl Boss Battle as well as the expansion of ship customization, extension of quest story lines, and the addition of more enemies and challenges. More than ever, this is a great time for new users to jump in and ply the seas in search of tentacular adventure! If you want more information, our hands-on tour is available for your perusal.
Pirates creator criticizes Disney's hesitance to jump into games
At the DICE summit in Las Vegas Wednesday night, Pirates of the Caribbean creator Gore Verbinski gave a chat to game creators about movies, gaming, and his perspective of the industry in general. Beyond his generally complementary comments towards gaming, one particularly interesting aside that perked our interest was the displeasure he expressed towards Disney for not adapting the Pirates universe for an MMO more quickly than they did. According to Verbinski, they didn't even think of starting the project until a few years after the release of the original movie, and did so without his input. Of course, as we all know, they did eventually release Pirates of the Caribbean Online this past year, but Verbinski's comments certainly make us wonder if the game is all that it could have been.As we reported earlier today, Disney has ramped up its efforts in the MMO space considerably, putting a significant capital investment into what they see as an extension of the brand immersion seen in their theme parks. This conflicts somewhat with Verbinski's perception that the studios see MMOs in the same way that they see plush toys. One has to imagine that Pirates of the Caribbean Online would have been met with considerably more fanfare if it had the Pirates of the Burning Sea gameplay under the hood, but at what point does this sort of discussion degenerate into armchair quarterbacking? In this case, while I don't doubt Verbinski's sincerity on this issue, it sure seems like was hamming it up for the crowd.
PotCO brings the bling with avatar customization update
So ye fancy yourself a right good pirate eh me matey? We'll Pirates of the Caribbean Online will soon let players express themselves a whole better as part of the Avatar Customization update coming later this month. Finally! I really enjoy this game. It's easy to get into, fun to play, and hearkens back to my youth riding through the PotC ride at Disneyland. But character customization options are very limited. Thankfully, the devs have headed off the mutiny with what looks like the first of many upgrades.Included in this update will be PotCO's first round of emotes: dance, laugh, clap, and celebrate. Pirates will soon be able to get inked up at the tattoo parlor, purchase some sweet new bling at the jewelry store, and grab some slick new threads at the tailor shoppe. Additionally, new coats inspired by the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court will be added (see above picture).To help ease the frustration of remembering which NPC to visit in order to complete a Quest, enhancements have been made to the tracking system. Which is good for an old fart like me who would forget my head if it wasn't attached. When you're in the "return to townsperson" stage of the Quest a ray of light will shine down from the heavens on to the NPC you need to find (they had this, but it didn't work so well). Plus, a yellow arrow at the player's feet will help guide the way.All in all, a hearty batch of goodies to warm the pirate blood! To see the new emotes, the shops, and the new threads, check out the Current News page on the PotCO website.
Comic Watch: 'Something Positive' hits Pirates of the Caribbean
I am something of a webcomics aficionado. At current count, I follow ... (carry the one) ... Too Many comics. As such, I'm always reading a variety of topics and humor, and occasionally something that approaches Massively-related content will appear. Such is the case with a recent 'Something Positive', which concerns itself with 'Pirates of the Caribbean Online'.The initiating event of the strip actually begins the episode before the linked comic, but it's not necessary to read for the effect. I'm curious if there really is a swearing-related, bannable offense, as the comic suggests. Barring that, I wonder if anyone's run into the naming issue described here. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. Check it out, but be forewarned: NSFW language!
Pirates of the Caribbean's Blackjack contest
As this post over at FileFront points out, you have until January 6th to try for an 8GB iPod Touch, one of which will be offered every day until the contest runs out. How can this be? Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online is offering an iPod Touch each day to the person who has won the most Blackjack games. To play, visit either King's Arm in Tortuga, or the Rowdy Rooster in Port Royal.Blackjack for an iPod? Isn't that gambling? Regardless, the 'Aces Need Faces' contest ends soon, so if you're feeling lucky, get on over there and start playing.
Disney now replacing faulty Pirates Blu-ray discs
Own a copy of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on Blu-ray? Annoyed silly by those pesky framing issues? If so, you're certainly not alone, and it seems that frustrated owners can now phone up Disney in order to request a replacement. Granted, we've known such a program was in the works for some time now, but we're finally seeing widespread reports of current owners being treated to new (and hopefully problem-free) discs gratis. If you're anxious to get a replacement, you can phone up a CSR at 1-800-723-4763 (US) or 1-800-877-2843 (Canada) to get the ball rolling.[Via Blu-ray]
Yo ho yo ho a Pirate's (of the Caribbean) life for me
Disney's free to download and play Pirates of the Caribbean Online launched with little to no fanfare; odd given the media-centric world we live in. Apparently, the lack of an advertising blitz was intentional. In an interview with Ten Ton Hammer, Disney Online VP Mike Goslin said they wanted it that way in order to be certain the game was in working order when the masses started pouring in. With the recent release to DVD of Disney's third PotC movie, and the Christmas season now in full swing, expect to see an explosion of ads enticing folks to come live the pirate life.Mike explained that Disney is devoted to making PotC Online a long term success for all ages, giving parents the peace of mind that their kids won't be exposed to malevolent oddities (the game is rated E10+) while not limiting things for older players. They appear to have succeeded since the game world is always rife with players. For parents, one controversial aspect might be the voodoo abilities. Goslin boils it down by saying that every pirate has access to them once players get hold of a voodoo doll or staff. Players must dart in and tag an enemy, then run out of melee range to use it by poking the doll, setting it on fire, etc. Having used voodoo myself, these powers play no differently than magic in WoW, and add a great deal of fun to the game.While hardcore gamers might shun this peglegged casual MMO - don't. I've been sailing the High Seas since beta, and PotC Online is a fantastically fun, easy to learn game that allows players to romp through the one of a kind world that Walt Disney created in 1967. If you were a child of that era like I was (I'm dating myself), long before the advent of digital, lifelike MMOs, amusement park rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland in Southern California was as close to "virtual reality" as we'd ever seen. The recent trilogy of movies expanded on that wonderful childhood experience, and the new online games serves to continue the same wide-eyed tradition. There appears to be a firm commitment to make this a solid, long running game. With a considerable amount of new content already planned for the year, and since free is free... right now is the perfect time to hop aboard. Arrr, matey!
Blu-ray movie releases for the week of Dec. 2
After last week's less-than-stellar offering, we're back to more of the heavy hitters. This week features a couple movies just seeing their first releases and a classic that's sure to look wonderful on Blu-ray. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Superbad: Unrated Extended Special Edition Elton 60: Live at Madison Square Garden Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid Mr. & Mrs. Smith Cast Away 20 Million Miles to Earth While we'll kindly pass on seeing Elton John in hi-definition, we're huge fans of anything Judd Apatow touches, so Superbad is a must buy. And despite watching Cast Away at least a dozen times, we'll happily pick it up to see one of Tom Hanks' best performances ever.
Pirates of the Caribbean Online launching on Halloween - maybe
Though no official launch date has been announced as of this writing, all signs point to a Halloween launch for Pirates of the Caribbean Online.Fact: The Pre-Order offer expires at midnight on Tuesday, October 30th.Fact: The beta is over and all beta testers can transfer their accounts to the Test Server using the information in emails sent to their registered accounts. Fact: Beta testers are being invited to "celebrate the long night before the dawn of Pirates Online" on the test server where their beta characters await. New characters will have to be created when the game launches, however.Conjecture: If the offer to pre-order expires at midnight before Halloween and the beta is over, then Pirates Online will probably launch on October 31st.Is it ready? I don't know, but I'll be there with my colors hoisted. You'll most likely find me at the poker table. Yar!
Writer drops details about Gears of War movie
GamePro has an exclusive interview up with Stuart Beattie, writer of the forthcoming Gears of War movie. He's been tapped for the job since he did a bang-up job writing the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. It's too bad they didn't use him for the sequels, because they were ... craptastic.He drops some interesting details about the upcoming film, including the fact that 300 ain't too bad of a reference movie, "That film was shot completely on green screen, which is amazing when you actually see the film. It's probably how we're going to do Gears of War."Beattie will be pouring himself into the job apparently, "I hope it's extremely collaborative. From my point of view it's definitely going to be, because I'm going to be riding their asses about it." Personally we don't care whose ass he rides, as long as a good movie comes out of it.
Disney unloads a barrage of tween-centric consumer electronics
Worried your kids haven't been completely indoctrinated with the Disney universe and its philosophy of watch, buy, and buy? Well fear not, parents, because the cartoon-kingpin has got your back (and your pocketbook). If your tweens have been looking for something to do, and playing stickball just ain't cuttin' the mustard, maybe they need the $99.99 Disney Flix Video Camera (pictured), a tween-targeted digital video camera that comes bundled with Disney Director software, which lets the little rapscallions star in their own Disney movies. The company is also offering LCD TVs, such as the $299.99, 15-inch High School Musical model, which resembles a locker and sports 1024 x 768 resolution (the displays also come in Disney Princess, Hannah Montana, and Pirates of the Caribbean motifs). Additionally, the cartoon-factory is offering docks for use with your iPod, selling for $69.99, which feature alarm clocks and AM/FM tuners, though the Hannah Montana version does double duty as a guitar amp -- presumably to use with your Disney guitar. All the products will be available sometime this Fall, but good luck getting your kids to wait patiently.[Via StockHouse]
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End due on Blu-ray Dec. 4
Following up on the expected arrival of Cars on Blu-ray, VideoBusiness reports Disney has officially announced that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will hit DVD and Blu-ray simultaneously December 4th. The two disc Blu-ray (one dual-layer, one single-layer) set has an SRP of $35.99 -- only a dollar over the comparable DVD package -- and feature the numerous extras all re-mastered in HD, as well as a BD-J special interactive feature, Enter the Maelstrom. The company expects this set to follow up on the highly successful DVD releases of the first two movies in the series which also debuted in the first week of December.
X3F Achievements 101: Dragonriding Swashbucklers
So the previous week has come to a close and I'm back with another glorious edition of X3F Achievements 101. The past seven days had some serious grinding behind it as I finished off the amazingly tedious Eragon. Hopefully Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End be a third time's charm for film-to-game adaptations. I'll also give my interpretation of the release of the Halo 3 Achievements, which took the interwebs by surprise this week. Either way, there's a lot to cover from the past week, so let's get started.
Volvo treasure hunt delayed after locating $500 million instead
In an interesting turn of events, it seems like the winner of Volvo's lucrative treasure hunt won't be unearthing the $50,000 treasure anytime soon, as the automaker's hunt partner (Odyssey Marine Exploration) has happened upon an actual $500 million treasure instead. The reported fortune is located somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean -- in a secretive area known only as Black Swan -- but reports are claiming that a court in the Spanish coastal town of La Linea has "issued an order for the Spanish Guardia Civil to detain any Odyssey vessel should it leave the port of Gibraltar," which has brought about an abrupt halt to Volvo's retrieval plans. Thankfully, it sounds like the Russian winner will still be awarded the dough and a new XC70 to boot, but there's no telling how long it'll be before Odyssey is able to put aside its bigger worries and dig up the (comparatively) paltry $50k.[Via CarTechMag]
Watch the Prince of Persia movie on 10 July, 2009
You know, if you have nothing else to do. According to ComingSoon.net, Disney has already scheduled a release date for its game-to-something-vaguely-adhering-to-the-characteristics-of-cinema adaptation, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Arriving on July 10th, 2009, the film will presumably spring from the world established by Ubisoft's modern Prince of Persia trilogy and then be run through the standard movie exec alteration gauntlet. Not much is known about the film, save for its alleged incorporation of Parkour and its involvement with Jerry "Needs More Splosions" Bruckheimer. Michael Bay's directorial sledgehammer has been eyed for the film, but no official announcement on the subject has been made. There's a feint chance of the film turning into a charming and boisterous adventure along the lines of Pirates of the Caribbean, but the realistic expectation is to leave the cinema complaining about the abundance of car chases and Eva Mendez's poor rendition of "Look, a crack!"
Avast! Here there be Pirates demos.
Ah, there's nothing better than surprise demos in the morning. Actually, come to think of it, there are lots of things better than surprise demos (at any time of day really). Still, let's not sully the moment and ruin the fun of a new Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End demo gracing Xbox Live Marketplace (though the demo has already made the voyage to other shores). We've been impressed by the game's visuals so far, and now we can sample the actual swashbuckling gameplay. Let's hope for a pleasant surprise, shall we?Anyone out there gotten a chance to play this yet?%Gallery-3339%
Blu-Ray movie releases for the week of May 21
This is a huge week for Blu-Ray movie release, with NINE new movies hitting the stores. Headlining the pack are the two highly anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean movies. There are also a healthy variety of other genres as well, from Mel Gibson's controversial Apocalypto to Clint Eastwood's critically praised Letters from Iwo Jima. Here's the full list of releases:North American Blu-Ray releases: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Apocalypto Letters from Iwo Jima Flags of Our Fathers Closer Mission Impossible Mission Impossible II Freedom Writers The Pirates movies have been getting fantastic reviews for their audio/video fidelity, so I think I'm gonna be picking both those up. Also I'm pretty interested in Apocaltypo and Closer as well, so it looks like it's going to be an expensive week for me. Ah well, not like there's a plethora of games to spend my money on ...
DS releases for the week of May 21st
Looks like it's pirates vs. ninja this week ... but we're pretty sure this time, it's gonna be alllll ninja. Pirates of the Caribbean may be all the rage when it comes to the theaters, but when it comes to gaming, our money's on Naruto. Of course, if you're looking to stay out of this particular conflict, there are plenty of other games for you to check out this week. Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom Diner Dash Marvel Trading Card Game Naruto: Ninja Council 3 The New York Times Crosswords Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End For the rest of the globe, check out the lists after the jump.
Worldwide PS3 releases for week of May 22nd
Ready for your weekly worldwide PS3 releases? Good. Here they are: US Games Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End EU Games Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Asian Games NBA Street Homecourt A game for each territory this week. Aren't we lucky. Ready to get started on some hardcore 1080p pirating? My brain has a habit of glossing over any mention of franchise-based games, so I'll probably be giving this one a miss. Let me know if I should reconsider.Don't forget that the PS3 is region free, so feel free to choose any of the above list as your next purchase. Maybe you're a huge Pirates of the Caribbean fan and fancy playing a copy from each territory? It could happen, I suppose. And yes, I will be reminding you that the PS3 can read discs from any country every week. It's so easy to forget. Release dates are subject to change, as always.
Worldwide PSP releases for the week of May 20
Another week, and luckily another set of game releases. Every Sunday we give you the 411 on what's coming out for the PSP worldwide. If a game is listed as coming out in a different country from where you live, don't worry. Your PSP can play games from any region. That gives every game on this list the potential to be in your future game library. We have some interesting choices this week, so read on! US Games Brooktown High Senior Year Diner Dash Legend of the Dragon Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End EU Games Crush Heatseeker Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Winx Club Asian Games Bleach: Heat the Soul 4 Juiced Eliminator Release dates may always change, so you may want to call before heading to your local game shop. I totally want Bleach, but do any of these games interest our readers?
