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Dungeons & Dragons Online offers up new Menace of the Underdark screens
If you're an avid Dungeons & Dragons Online player, you probably already have Menace of the Underdark preordered. After all, the expansion is launching on June 25th, so you've got less than a week to wait. But that's still not quite "launching right now," and even if you have the expansion purchased, you might want a look at more of what to expect. The newest batch of expansion screenshots should help tide you over for the next few days. So what's in there? Aside from previews of two of the new quests coming in the expansion, there's also a look at the environment and architecture of Sschyndrylin, which is not exactly a pleasant spot to hang out over the weekend. Take a look at the gallery below for a full lineup of all the new screenshots as well as the previous shots of the expansion, and mark your calendar for Monday, when you can start killing Drow on your new Druid. [Source: Turbine press release] %Gallery-148679%
MOTU sneaks in MicroBook II post-NAMM, ships this Spring for $269
Looking to add some muscle to your mobile recording kit? MOTU waited to pull the curtain back on the MicroBook II until after NAMM, revealing a revamped portable audio interface for those who fancy tracking on-the-go. The studio-quality kit plays nice with both Mac and PC, offering a compact 4-input / 6-output, bus-powered recording option with 96kHz recording and playback support. Sporting inputs for mics (XLR), guitar, keyboard and powered speakers, the MicroBook II connects to your computer of choice via USB 2.0 and boasts on-board volume controls. All four inputs can be recorded simultaneously while internal CueMix tech allows for a unique stereo mix for each output pair. Speaking of outputs, the diminutive box houses six of said channels alongside TRS 1/4-inch, stereo mini, S/PDIF, and 1/4-inch headphone offerings. You'll have to wait until Spring to snag one, but for now hit the PR after the break for a full list of specs.
THQ and Mattel enter game deal, includes Masters of the Universe rights
THQ will target kids with a new multi-year, multiplatform "alliance" with Mattel -- that's for sure. What we're not so sure about is whether those targets are intended to be kids of the 80s or their kids of today. A news announcement reads like a who's who of garage-sale name drops: Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Masters of the Universe, and even Polly Pocket (who's apparently still going strong these days). While the deal with Mattel encompasses games that could appear on any platform imaginable, THQ did specifically note the potential in re-introducing the toy maker's brands through the uDraw GameTablet for Wii. "As we have shown with the combination of uDraw and Pictionary, there is enormous potential for the strategic relationship between THQ and Mattel," said Martin Good, executive veep of THQ's Kids, Family and Casual Games division. The brilliant part about all this is that when you hand over THQ's Tablet and a copy of the He-Man: By the Power of Grayscale drawing game to the GameStop clerk, you simply say, "It's for my kid" -- and he sort of has to believe you. [Image source: Madman Entertainment; credit: Mattel]
