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Google announces Android 'special event' for November 16th in Los Angeles
We just got word from Google of an Android-themed event next week, with little more than the words "These Go to Eleven" right up top -- a reference to a phrase from the 1984 mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. To top things off, the email came from "Nigel Tufnel," Christopher Guest's character from the film. The event kicks off in Los Angeles at 2PM local time (that's 5PM for you folks on the East Coast) on Wednesday, November 16th. We'll be there live, and so will you -- catch the livestream at YouTube.com/Android. There are a few more subtle hints in the invite teaser image, so jump past the break to see if you can pick them out.
Why we don't get more innovative games
Innovation is as often as not used as a blank check when asked why MMOs aren't as good as they could be. While the sentiment isn't constant, it's recurring: a vague sense that something isn't there that ought to be. Often, the answer thrown around is that we need innovative games -- but when the people hollering for them are asked to explain what they mean, usually they shuffle, stare at their feet, and reply "well, these would go to 11." We want something new, but we're not sure what, and we're not sure why we aren't getting it. Brian "Psychochild" Green recently wrote up a post on the problems of innovation in MMOs, as well as several reasons we don't tend to get a great deal of it. In short, there are two main reasons. Innovation is risky, which makes a company more and more wary of investing money in a game that might not make any of it back. It also goes directly against another virtue that we look for in our games: polish. By its very definition, an innovative game can't be polished, since there's not as much precedent for refining systems. It's hard to summarize the full essay in a few sentences, however, as it covers a lot of ground and a wide variety of games. If you're interested in why it seems like there's little new under the MMO sun, you could do worse than reading the full thing through.
Rock Band Weekly: Spinal Tap, Black Sabbath, Foo Fighters
It appears that Rock Band Weekly and Rock Band Wiikly will be combined into one post every Friday, along with Rock Band Unplugged's DLC, for the foreseeable future. We certainly appreciate being aware of future DLC in one concentrated dose that -- if injectable or smokeable -- would have us waking up on the bathroom floor of our hotel room in a puddle of our own sick. Rock on! Check out the full details after the break. Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:
Rock Band Weekly: Spinal Tap, Evanescence
Spinal Tap lands on Rock Band next week and will be ready to turn it up to 11. Just remember to keep an eye on your drummer -- Spinal Tap and drummers don't mix well. Next week's Rock Band Weekly also adds Evanescence. Male vocalists shouldn't even bother. Seriously, it's one thing to sing "Bring Me to Life" with the windows rolled up in your car, but it's a little different trying to do it with others around.Spinal Tap Pack (560 / $7) "Back from the Dead" (160 / $2) "Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare" (160 / $2) "Saucy Jack" (160 / $2) "Warmer Than Hell" (160 / $2) Evanescence Pack (440 / $5.50) "Bring Me to Life" (160 / $2) "Call Me When You're Sober" (160 / $2) "Weight of the World" (160 / $2) All tracks are masters and will be available for download next Tuesday and Thursday on Xbox 360 and PS3, respectively.
MGM reveals specifications, extras for Spinal Tap on Blu-ray
The mere mention of Spinal Tap gets our gears turning, and saying that phrase in the same sentence as "Blu-ray" pretty much stops us in our tracks. The cult classic will be making its long-awaited high-def debut on January 20th, 2009, and MGM has just revealed a few new details to keep the buzz, um, buzzing. The flick will boast a 1080p / AVC MPEG-4 transfer on a BD-50 disc, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround track, three audio commentaries (with Rob Reiner, stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer, and other filmmakers), a host of deleted scenes, five music videos, trailers and TV spots. Of note, the BD will feature an exclusive "Create You Own Band" BD-Java game, though we can see the novelty there wearing off pretty quick. MSRP is set at $34.99, though it'll probably be available for a few bucks over eleven on launch week. Sorry, couldn't resist.
