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007: Casino Royale Collector's Edition first Blu-ray Disc to double-dip
Studios just love to re-release older titles just before a follow-up film hits the silver screen, and Sony's making darn sure it milks the 007 franchise for every dime it's worth prior to Quantum of Solace landing in theaters. Not only are six Bond classics slated to hit Blu-ray on October 21st, but now one of Sony's best-selling 007 BD titles will be joining 'em. Yep, 007: Casino Royale will be re-released in a Collector's Edition with seven hours of new material, free e-Movie Cash to catch the aforesaid QoS in cinemas, Bonus View picture-in-picture visual commentary with Director Martin Campbell and Producer Michael G. Wilson and a "Know Your Double-O" BD-Live-enabled multi-player trivia game. To our knowledge, this is the first Blu-ray title to double-dip, as we're not counting the whole Fifth Element fiasco as a true double release. Prepare to spend $38.96 for the 2-disc Blu-ray set or $29.95 for the 3-disc DVD package.[Thanks, Chris]
How are back catalog titles chosen for Blu-ray release?
C'mon, you know you've asked yourself this. After all, aren't we all tense with anticipation just waiting to see what titles studios are planning to re-release on BD, only to kvetch mightily after our favorite flicks get pushed aside for films that "no one will watch?" Thankfully, Sound & Vision has taken at least some of the mystery out and has revealed five shortcuts to getting a film released on Blu-ray. Essentially, studios are looking for titles that will enable BD setups to shine, and if the movie has proven popular in the past, there's a decent shot the demand will be there for a BD release. Additionally, studios love re-releasing originals when a sequel is in theaters, and of course, if it can stop long enough to hear fans clamoring for a specific title, that too could urge them to crank out a 1080p edition. Be sure and give the read link a visit for the full rundown.
Gamestop taking preorders for Gears of War re-release, launches June 24
We're pretty sure that everyone and their dog played the original Gears of War the first time around (aside from most Border Collies, who are, in fact, devout PS3 fanboys), but if you've yet to divide a competitor using a firearm/lumberjack tool, a Gamestop pre-order listing for a $40 Gears re-release might tickle your fancy. We've yet to hear from Microsoft about details for the title (or a confirmation of the game's existence, for that matter), but as the listing reads "Gears of War with Maps", we can only assume it will contain the Hidden Fronts DLC as well as the Raven Down and Old Bones levels, rather than the hit song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. With less than a month until the game's supposed release date of June 24, we're sure to hear more soon.[Via X3F]
New life for old, dead games?
The folks over at West Karana sure have an interesting concept. It seems the author of this afternoon's post was in the market for an Xbox 360 and was a little shell-shocked when the salesperson tried to sell them a copy of Pacman.This got the creative juices flowing and our friend reasoned that if games like Pacman, Asteroids and Tetris can have such ridiculously long shelf lives, there's no reason this concept couldn't be applied to MMORPGs.I'm with him one hundred percent. I cut my teeth on the original Everquest, which just happens to be the game she is talking about. The question is posed in the article: With all the graphic assets and geography assets already "in the can", how much work would it take to make single-player versions of some of these cherished old games? I would love to go back to the Maiden's Fancy in Neriak Commons and sit in the peeler bar where I spent so much money (on booze of course) and where I often sat sharing a drink with friends. And that's only one of many places that come to mind.Would you pay for single-player versions of old MMORPGs? Which ones would you like to see make the transition? Could the henchmen concept from Guild Wars possibly be married to this idea with interesting results? What do you think?
Super-cheap Ubisoft classics do well in England
Think $20 is a good price for a greatest hit. How's a couple of bucks suit you?Ubisoft is redefining the term "budget software" with the recent British release of three classic (read: old) PC games for just £1 (about $2 US). Thanks to the super-low price, Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30 and Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time all made the ChartTrack top 10 for the week despite their age. In an interview with MCV, a ChartTrack analyst predicted similarly-priced re-releases would follow suit from a variety of publishers.It makes you wonder -- if a couple of bucks is enough to cover manufacturing, packaging, shipping and retail space for these reissues, why do downloadable console and arcade classics that have none of these costs routinely go for more than twice as much?
10.4.7 v. 2 for Intel
AppleInsider brings news that Apple will soon release an updated version of the 10.4.7 software update for Intel machines. According to the company, certain files pertaining to OpenGL performance are missing from the 10.4.6 to 10.4.7 updater package; all other packages including combo updates shipped with the files the first time around. The revised update is not yet available on the Apple website or through Software Update, but it is safe to assume that MacOSXUpd10.4.7Intel.dmg will show up sometime later today. No word yet on whether or not users who already applied the first updater will have to re-run the installer, or if they will receive a patch with the missing files.
