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Wanted: your custom 'Super Mario Maker' levels
Something happened when we were broadcasting the Wii U's Super Mario Maker on Playdate last week. Sean Buckley and myself (and almost assuredly someone from Twitch chat) thought it'd be a great idea to play through levels that the community made, live on the internet. And guess what? That's absolutely what we want to do, but we'll need your help. For a future stream we'd love to do nothing but play custom levels created exclusively by our loyal Playdate viewers. All you need to do is take the ID code for your masterpiece and drop it in an email to EngadgetPlaydate@gmail.com. It's easy! We're playing pretty loose with the rules too. You can send us a couple of your favorites (but fewer than 30) if you're having a tough time narrowing it down to just one, and all that we ask if you not have anything lewd contained therein.
Rumor: GRIN lays off more than 100
GRIN sort of exploded onto the scene recently with Wanted, Bionic Commando and Terminator Salvation all releasing within a couple of months of each other. Like a star post-supernova though, it seems that the company might be shrinking in on itself. Kotaku's reporting that various sources have indicated to them that the company has let go of more than 100 staff members.We're working on getting official confirmation from someone at GRIN, we'll let you know what we find out.
Joystiq interview: Wanted producer Nick Torchia
Besides being a video game producer who has worked on titles like The Matrix, Bruce Lee, and ER (woah now!), Universal Games' Nick Torchia is also a self-proclaimed, extremely fervent fan of Joystiq. In fact, during the Wanted press event we attended, he excused himself to go refresh the site and read up on whatever he'd missed. He even has Ludwig's highly-collectible rookie card -- in mint condition. That's street cred right there.We spoke with Nick about Wanted: Weapons of Fate, and he spilled the beans on a possible sequel, in addition to talking movie-based development and bullet curving (an essential survival technique). Check out the full interview after the break, but please note: there's a spoiler or two lurking near the end. Don't worry, we'll give you fair warning.%Gallery-38585%
Joystiq interview: Wanted executive producer Pete Wanat
Unconfirmed: Pete Wanat in his work clothes. Pete Wanat has worked on games ranging from All-Star Baseball to the upcoming Wanted: Weapons of Fate, and it was his groundbreaking work on The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay that's made him the go-to guy when a movie studio wants to launch a movie-based game. He's worked on Scarface, The Thing, and both Riddick titles, and he's working at Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group (or Universal Games, if you will) overseeing development of its movie-based titles. We spoke to Pete recently about Wanted: Weapons of Fate, which releases on March 24. Read on for Pete's thoughts on the Wanted franchise, video game development, NBA Jam (greatest sports title ever?), multiplayer and GTA IV.%Gallery-38585%
Demo-rama: Wanted, Wheelman, Legends of Wrestlemania
Usually, we use that header as a cute way of making a story out of two demos you wouldn't necessarily care about on their own. But today, we literally have a feast of free gaming, a carnaval pour les thumbs, if you will. Wanted: Weapons of Fate, Wheelman and Legends of Wrestlemania samples have all landed on Xbox Live and (we're assuming) will be headed to PSN later in the day.As noteworthy as the gaming cornucopia is, we feel like we have to point out the truly historic thing about this post. With the release of the Chronicles of Riddick demo yesterday, this marks the first time that two demos for two separate Vin Diesel games have been released within 24 hours of each other. May we suggest laminating your monitor and putting it in your memory box? You know, for the grandkids.Update: As requested by Jonman:Download -- WheelmanDownload -- Legends of WrestlemaniaDownload -- Wanted: Weapons of Fate[Thanks, Doug]
Wanted: Weapons of Fate demo on March 5
According to a F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin promo insert (Xbox 360 version pictured), a demo for Wanted: Weapons of Fate is set to hit the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store on March 5.Developed by GRIN (of Bionic Commando Rearmed fame), Wanted: Weapons of Fate takes place five hours after the events of the 2008 action flick based on the same comic book property. Like a list of games as long as our arm, Wanted will feature bullet-time and (more creatively) the ability to curve bullets around the environment. Basically, it's the most realistic game ever.Check out Joystiq's hands-on feature with Wanted: Weapons of Fate.
Last-minute App Store freebie: Wanted
In the long-established tradition of apps that make your pictures extra silly, Portego is offering its app Wanted free of charge through the end of February 5 (yes, that's today). Snap a photo of the nearest cowpoke (cheesy music is optional, but it does tend to attract a crowd of would-be bandits), accessorize with a selection of facial hair, weapons and other goodies, select the text you want and then save the "wanted poster" to your photos roll.Even though the 1.3 version notes in the App Store suggest that "ALL CRASHES are solved now," I did have the app lock up on me on my 2nd picture; however, if you get it for free today, what's to complain about? Starting tomorrow, Wanted will set you back $0.99.
Movie stars contribute voice work to Wanted: Weapons of Fate
Wanted is a pretty sweet comic. It's also kind of a lousy movie. You'd think the same pejorative would apply to the upcoming video game, but we're actually looking forward to that. Go figure! Less surprising is the news that some of the film's actors will reprise their roles for the game, with additional Hollywood talent coming on board to fill out new roles made specifically for the GRIN-developed title. Among those from the film are Common (he played the Gunsmith in the film, but will voice Brummel, a new character for the game), Thomas Kretschmann (Cross), and Terence Stamp (Pekwarsky). Joining them will be Paz Vega, who will play "a seductive Spanish assassin known as Araña," and Peter Stormare, who will play The Immortal, leader of the French Fraternity. Just so you know, he'll "stop at nothing to follow the film's notable Code of Weavers." Wanted: Weapons of Fate will be available in March for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Head past the break for an interview with Common about his role in the game.%Gallery-38585%
Hands-on with Wanted: Weapons of Fate
Click to see more images. Do you remember Enter the Matrix? How about last year's Iron Man? Quantum of Solace, anyone? Gamers have good reason to distrust movie licensed games. However, Wanted: Weapons of Fate finds itself in a rather unique predicament -- it's based on a franchise people aren't passionate about. Do Batman injustice, and gamers will cry bloody murder. Mess up Wanted, and no one will notice.Perhaps it's because of the original film's clout, but there simply isn't much hype surrounding GRIN's upcoming game. If strong franchises lead to terrible games, what faith can we place in a game based on a mediocre one? We'll admit that our expectations were quite low going into the demo. However, lo and behold, we were surprised to find not only a competent game, but a unique one, featuring an inventive and refreshing new take on traditional third-person cover mechanics.%Gallery-43589%
Trophies: Wanted
Angelina Jolie's not in this one. But Trophies are! View Trophy List | Visit Trophy Portal
GRIN reflects on making licensed games, working with movie studios
From Total Recall to Superman Returns, there is a reason why movie-licensed games are looked down on with such contempt. While many of the problems with these sorts of games can be laid at the feet of the game publishers, it goes without saying that the film studios and property owners themselves are not without blame. Still, GRIN co-founder Ulf Anderson hopes that his studio's upcoming take on Wanted will curve the trajectory of our expectations, and in a recent Gamasutra interview, the exec noted that working with Universal had "been a lot better than I expected it to be."As to why, cooperation seems to be key. While most movie-to-game cashgrabs throw quality to the wind in order to release alongside a movie's theatrical release, GRIN opted to take its time with Wanted, a decision the exec described as a mutual choice between both the game studio and the film company. "We had a choice to do it," recalled Anderson, "but we decided together with Universal that we shouldn't, just to be able to focus on the game and make something special. We'll make something that actually plays and is actually a game." As pearls of wisdom go, Anderson just opened a jewelry store. One we hope other companies shop at going forward.
BigDownload previews PC's 2009 Action-FPS lineup
With less than a week until 2008 is officially history, our overclocking hombres at BigDownload have put together a preview of next year's PC lineup of action / first-person shooter titles. From the likely (F.E.A.R. 2, Mirror's Edge) to the not-so-likely (Duke Nukem Forever), the list highlights 20 or so games you can look forward to clicking through (in a good way) next year, including some exclusive screenshots from Darkest of Days, Wanted: Weapons of Fate and Wolfenstein. Care to take a guess on how many of these games won't make it to our New Year's Eve 2009 party?
Debut Wanted trailer curves its way into our hearts
Those among you who saw Wanted in theaters probably spent most of the 110-minute bullet-fest wondering how well the game would hold up when it made its seemingly inevitable journey to the Land of Licensed Video Games. Your inquisitive mind may have been eased by reading our glowing write-up of our time with the game at E3 earlier this year -- then again, you've never been much of a reader, have you? You're probably not even reading this right now, meaning we can call you a stupid jerk without fear of repercussion. Here goes -- you're a stupid jerk.If you are still with us, we apologize for needlessly insulting you, and offer you the debut trailer for Wanted: Weapons of Fate (posted after the jump) as a humble peace offering. It is proudly NSFW, and chock-full of awesome -- though it is sorely lacking in Morgan Freeman appearances. Looks like we'll have to wait for Bungie's upcoming adaptation of The Bucket List to fulfill that particular fancy.
Universal lays out specs, box art for Wanted on Blu-ray
Universal already called its shot, with a "What The Matrix did for DVD, this could do for Blu-ray" proclamation before Wanted even hit theaters so we're not surprised by the long list of extras in store. The Blu-ray version gets four U-control exclusive features, with My Chat, My Scenes and commentary maker BD-Live extras to boot. Springing for the Collector's Edition? Expect some collectible postcards and a lenticular scene thrown in, with 1080p MPEG-4 encoded video and DTS-HD MA audio to make sure the viewing experience lives up to expectations. Even with a $135 million box office haul to its name we don't know if all the hype is deserved, but if Angelina Jolie and guns interest you, the package is due December 2, MSRP $39.98 standard, $69.98 CE.
WoW Moviewatch: Trollbane 2 trailer
Today's pick is a trailer for Trollbane 2 by DTB Productions who, of course, brought us Trollbane. The filmmaker is asking for feedback on his Warcraft Movies profile, so if you'd like to have an impact on his film, I'm sure he'd appreciate your thoughts. My first thought is: fix the grammar, dude! The tenses are so tortured in the setup titles that it's hard to tell if this isn't a time-travel movie -- or will it might have been?My second comment is that the machinima looks incredibly slick. This is going to be a very high quality, well-produced movie when it's finished. However, shiny polish does not necessarily equal a good film. My main concern with this trailer is that I have no idea what this movie is going to be about. From the titles toward the end -- new outfits, places, and powers -- it sounds like this is a trailer for a new video game, not a movie. I can tell that there's going to be action and gore and female Troll behinds (or was that a Blood Elf?) but other than that? No clue. I don't even know who the heroes and villains are. A trailer is supposed to make me want to see a film. (Sometimes with Hollywood films, the trailer is actually better than the full length film. Wanted, I'm looking at you!) However, slick production values by themselves aren't enough to draw me into a movie if I don't know why else I'm watching it.[Via Warcraftmovies.com]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Barrens Chat: Unwanted
Now, I know last week I said in a comment that I am trying something entirely new this week. However, that plan sort of backfired when I found out my scanner is no longer in the realm of the living, and those Spirit Healers apparently don't speak binary.I've Wanted to put this comic up since I saw the movie. If you have not seen it, you might not get this unless you watched the movie previews, or have someone explain it. %Gallery-22361%
Wanted game brings next-gen bullet curving
Universal and GRIN are working on a Wanted game, and we got to take a peek behind the scenes during E3. Faster than you can say "rushing a movie title into development" our cynical preconceptions were shattered. Not only were we impressed with the gameplay they showed us, we also were bolstered by the fact that one of the developers cared enough to drop the f-bomb several times during our appointment.Find out more about this upcoming title after the break. If you haven't seen the film, watch out for spoilers and don't come crying to us later.%Gallery-27891%
Wanted movie spawns "Fan Immersion Game"
That fabled beast, Convergence, draws closer every day. Proponents of this phenomenon believe that one of these days, all media will be intertwined -- you'll watch a movie online, see a product, click on it to launch its related website or download its video game tie-in -- that sort of thing. As the Internet matures, and Hollywood wises up, we'll see more of this happening.A step in this direction is the new "Fan Immersion Game" based on the Angelina Jolie action film Wanted. Developed by Stillfront AB, this is a web-based MMO in which players rise through the ranks of a fraternal order of assassins. Stillfront CEO Marco Ahlgren says in the press release "The concept of different fraternities of assassins lends itself perfectly to the design of a casual MMOG, and the unique objects ingrained in the property -- from ancient weapons to intricately woven hit orders -- are well-suited for a microtransaction model. The Wanted FIG provides an addictive game play experience for fans while generating online brand awareness leading up to the film release, and well beyond." Check out that marketing speak, wouldja? Decide for yourself if the game lives up to its own hype and we'll see you in the movie theaters.
Universal exec sez Wanted:Blu-ray as The Matrix:DVD
Former HD DVD supporter turned Blu-ray fan Craig Kornblau of Universal has jumped wholeheartedly onto the dark side - he couldn't even wait for the new movie Wanted to hit theaters before exclaiming that "What The Matrix did for DVD, this could do for Blu-ray". Assuming he's talking more about an impressive package of never before-seen special features plus a loving audio/video transfer of a groundbreaking action movie and less about U-control zooms on Angelina Jolie's tattoos over a cheesy PG-13 snoozefest, there's a chance that could happen. Please pardon our skepticism, we seem to have spilled it all over this area.
Play Halo 3 with Wanted's James McAvoy
If you aren't doing too much this Sunday, then you may want to sit yourself down on the sofa, turn on your 360 (as if you weren't going to do that anyway) and play some Halo 3 with Wanted movie star James McAvoy, because he'll be online as part of Xbox.com's Game With Fame. And while sticking spiker grenades in his melon or filling his chest full of pink needles, you may be able to chat it up and talk about how Wanted co-star Angelina Jolie keeps her unnaturally supple lips so plump. Or you could question him about his supposed involvement in The Hobbit. Or you could just play Halo 3 and refrain from badgering him with annoying questions. But that's no fun. We demand our Jolie lip questions be answered!
