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The biggest streaming announcements from Comic-Con
Another San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, and as always, there were a colossal number of trailers and previews for upcoming shows and movies, including many in the streaming realm.
'No Man's Sky' lore comes from classic sci-fi and comics
"We always said we shouldn't have a narrative, but we should have a lore," says No Man's Sky mastermind Sean Murray. And honestly, with a procedurally generated universe that's staggeringly gigantic, it'd be impossible to create a traditional video game story with things like cutscenes. But to make the world feel more alive and less like a giant empty sandbox, Murray says the team at Hello Games turned to artist Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame and scribe James Swallow who worked on the writing for Star Trek and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Broken Sword developer joins comic artist Dave Gibbons for new game
Revolution Software, the team behind Beneath a Steel Sky and Broken Sword, is teaming up with graphic novel artist Dave Gibbons for a new title, Eurogamer reports. Gibbons is responsible for the art and lettering of Alan Moore's Watchmen, and is currently the artist on Marvel's The Secret Service, written by Kick-Ass author Mark Millar.Gibbons and Revolution founder Charles Cecil have collaborated before, with Gibbons contributing to Beneath a Steel Sky and providing art and a digital prequel comic for Broken Sword: Director's Cut. Gibbons says the new game is in an unexplored area that isn't France and isn't catacombs. He'll have story input and direct the look of the whole thing, even if he doesn't do all of the artwork himself."It's going to be something that combines a lot of the things I'm perhaps best known for, which are a design sense and a sense of symbolism and maybe an obsessive attention to background detail," Gibbons says. "It will look like a Dave Gibbons game. There would be no point in Charles collaborating with me if it was going to look like a Joe Blow game." Not to be confused with "a Jon Blow game," of course.
McIntosh MCLK12 wall clock sports fancy face, massive price tag
Ever wonder why you can't find a clock that looks more like a 1970s amplifier? If you answered yes to that question, and don't mind throwing down wads of cash for novelty timepieces, then McIntosh's MCLK12 is right up your alley. The makers of high-end audio gear have produced a clock that's in keeping with their classic look and price point -- it costs $2000 and uses blue-lit amp meters to tell the time (hours on the left, minutes on the right). We have to admit, the MCLK12 looks pretty sweet, but really, whatever happened to promotional t-shirts?
What we know about the Warcraft movie
Last week, we reported that the Warcraft movie may be on its way. Previously there had been speculation that the film's development would be pushed back, since director Sam Raimi was tied up by problems with Spider-Man 4. Raimi then unexpectedly walked away from Spider-Man 4, citing creative reasons, and it suddenly looked hopeful that he might soon be turning his attention to the Warcraft film. So now, in preparation for more news on the film, we will be bringing you up to date on what we currently know about the Warcraft movie.
SlipCover helps make case icons for your media
Here's a cool app we haven't mentioned yet here on TUAW -- SlipCover is an app that will help you put together some beautiful icons for your Mac's media files, from DVDs to video games or anything else that needs a cool looking icon. The app itself revolves around "case" files, which are basically templates like the Blu-ray, PS3, and Xbox 360 branding on their DVD cases, to which you can then drag and drop other media on to (for example, put a Watchmen movie poster on a Blu-ray "case," and you've got an icon that looks exactly like a Blu-ray version of the DVD), and then your media files on there to apply the icon automatically. No more hunting around through file names or weird previews of your media -- you can just browse through a Delicious Library-style set of thumbnails to find whatever you want to watch. Now, you may say that you just get all your media from iTunes, and that those come with thumbnails and covers already, and that's a fair point. But for those of us who obtain media from all over the place, it's nice to have a way to make it look all professional and purty. Slipcover is a free download over on their website. [via Lifehacker]
Watchmen DLC adds Moore to LittleBigPlanet
It's been a while since the release of the last high-profile LittleBigPlanet DLC. DC's going to rectify that with its upcoming costume and sticker pack, inspired by the classic graphic novel Watchmen. As commenters on Media Molecule's official blog pointed out, it appears that Dr. Manhattan is missing from the pack -- but that might make sense considering the character's penchant for walking around naked with his bits showing. That doesn't sound appropriate for a kid-friendly game!Of course, somehow a Sackboy version of Rorschach is, though ...
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Watchmen 2, NBA 2K10 Draft Combine, Invincible Tiger
The Summer of Arcade is finally over and, in a seeming effort to console us all, Microsoft has released not one, but three new games onto XBLA. We've got two beat-em-ups and one basketball game this week, in the form of Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2, Invincible Tiger and NBA 2K10 Draft Combine (we'll let you guess which categories those each belong to). NBA 2K10 Draft Combine (400 / $5) is probably the most interesting of the bunch, as it lets you create a player that you can later import into the retail version of NBA 2K10 when it releases later this year. Meanwhile, Invincible Tiger (1200 / $15) is a unique brawler inspired by old kung fu movies and Watchmen ... well, Watchmen 2 (1200 / $15) is exactly like the first one. Whether or not that's a good thing, we leave to you. Check out the latest XBLA in Brief and get a taste of what each game has to offer. Download the trial version of NBA 2K10 Draft Combine Download the trial version of Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 Download the trial version of Invincible Tiger [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly. [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Interview: Watchmen: The End is Nigh producer Andy Abramovici
We didn't exactly love Watchmen: The End is Nigh, Part 1 when it came out earlier this year, and now there's a sequel. Although it was always planned to be a two-parter in order to avoid the shoehorn effort of rushing a movie/game adaptation into development, how do you handle building the second half of a game that got raked across the coals by critics on its first outing? We spoke with Warner Bros Interactive producer Andy Abramovici about both halves of the game, the retail packages, and if we might ever see an actual Watchmen RPG, or indeed any other game at all. Watchmen purists and PS3 owners out there might want to pick up Watchmen: The End Is Nigh The Ultimate Experience to get the director's cut and both halves of the game. Read on for the interview, which does not include first-hand descriptions of WBIE employees reading our review and cursing our name.%Gallery-69401%
Wait, what? Watchmen game-plus-movie hybrid Blu-ray comes on two discs
In February it was revealed that Sony was working on making game-plus-movie hybrid Blu-ray discs. A great idea that appeals to something movie-goers and gamers share -- an inherent laziness. The first game to feature this was to be Warner Bros' comic book masterpiece, Watchmen, which includes the downloadable game Watchmen: The End Is Nigh on the disc. Well, on a disc, at least. The game and the movie are on separate discs which sort of renders the entire process pointless. Whoops! Still, at least you get the game and the director's cut for for $50. Plus, now you can throw away your copy of The End Is Nigh once you realize how bad it is, without parting with your copy of the movie. Still, bit of an epic fail all around, really.
Watchmen Director's Cut movie / PlayStation 3 game Blu-ray combo now available
If you have the dominant high-def optical storage format -- which can serve both movies and games with equal aplomb -- built right into your consoles, shouldn't you be leveraging that synergy? Well, the assimilation is now complete, as Watchmen Director's Cut launched today with The End is Night Parts 1 and 2 for PlayStation 3 in tow. The price of admission here is a penny under $50 before tax / shipping -- and considering both parts of the game cost $30 total on their lonesome, that's none too shabby of a deal. It'll be interesting to see what film and tie-in game make the merge next -- anyone up for a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory re-release?
Blu-ray releases on July 21st 2009
Things really turned around quickly for Blu-ray this week as not only is there an honest to goodness day-and-day blockbuster in the way of Watchmen, but there is also a couple of TV Shows and a catch up title from Universal. On top of all that there is also a nice trio of documentaries like NOVA: The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies and two Scenic National Parks. Watchmen (Warner) 300: The Complete Experience (Warner) Pushing Daisies: The Complete Second Season (Warner) Prison Break: The Final Break (Fox) Midnight Express (Sony) Coraline (Universal) I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (Universal) Echelon Conspiracy (Paramount) The Great Buck Howard (Magnolia) NOVA: The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies (WGBH) Scenic National Parks: Glacier, Banff, Jasper (Questar) Scenic National Parks: Zion & Bryce (Questar)
Watchmen 5 disc UCE scheduled for the holidays
This double dipping is getting out of control. The Watchmen Blu-ray disc hasn't even released in standard and Collector's Edition form, and Warner is already plotting a 5-disc set due for the holidays. As shown in the flier there will be 2+ hours of more bonus content, new commentary track plus the Watchmen Motion Comics packed in, with Tales of the Black Freighter integrated into the director's cut of Watchmen for an even longer movie. Because what Watchmen needed was to be longer.
Watchmen sequel and retail pack dated, priced and still (likely) boring
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has put its Watchmen: The End is Nigh release plan cards on the virtual table of scheduling. Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience: Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 for PS3 + movie (Director's Cut with 25 extra minutes) on July 21 with MSRP of $50. Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 on single disc for Xbox 360 on July 21 for $30. Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 available July 29 on PC for $15. The title will hit PSN and XBLM on July 30 and August 26, respectively, for $15 (1200). We've previously said and shown all we need to about the quality of this downloadable movie tie-in title. The "make it expensive" trick won't work this time, like it did with Part 1. If there's a burning desire to purchase a downloadable title in your heart, there are plenty of better games on both systems to drop coin on. %Gallery-44353%
Watchmen BD-Live director's chat set for Comic-Con
Beyond its Facebook ties, the Watchmen Blu-ray set will include the opportunity to participate in a BD-Live session with the director while he's live at Comic-Con four days after its release on July 25. Hopefully able to do a better job of creating a live experience for home viewers than our experience with Hellboy II: The Golden Army or The Dark Knight, Video Business reports event attendees can watch the movie and observer director Zack Snyder's responses. Other details revealed during a media presentation yesterday included the Blu-ray cut's Maximum Movie Mode, a session that takes the run time up to three hours so Snyder can step in and explain various behind the scenes details of the movie -- only hardcore fans need apply.
PSA: Watchmen: The End is Nigh is coming to the PC
Yesterday, and for seemingly no particular reason, Warner Bros. told GameSpot of its decision to not distribute the second episode of Watchmen: The End is Nigh on PC. Today, when asked for comment, a WB representative told Joystiq, "It is actually coming to PC. What we told GameSpot yesterday, as of yesterday, was what we knew." Whoops! These things do happen though -- the question now is whether or not the publisher is doing the public a disservice by continuing to release poorly made games based on the classic Warner property. But that's a question you'll have to ask yourself. And maybe Justin. %Gallery-44353%
Watchmen movie / game Blu-ray combo on the way
Look out for another edition of the Watchmen Blu-ray disc hitting on or around the launch date of July 21, but this package -- probably inspired by The Dark Knight's deep console ties -- is a two disc set with the Director's Cut on one disc and the Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 videogame for PlayStation 3 on another. Not quite as cool as packing both on a 50GB disc, but it should allow fans to get the special features of the movie, and cop the previously download-only game all at once. Without a price it's hard to say how interesting of a proposition this is but we're sure that and other details will appear before this hits shelves.
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Blu-ray to combine game and film
` We reported last night that the two episodic Watchmen games were going to be compiled onto a retail disc. However, we've now learned that PS3 owners will be able to get the game in one very awesome Blu-ray hybrid package. Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience is one of the first Blu-ray discs to offer a video game and movie in a single package. (The special edition of Stranglehold on PS3 included a copy of Hard Boiled.) Not only will the package include the Director's Cut of the Watchmen film, it will also include The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2. The two-disc set will feature exclusive artwork and packaging.The End is Nigh didn't get the best reviews, but we're encouraged by this news. This is an excellent step for the format to take -- one we hope other publishers will copy in the future. Bundling a game and film for one low price is certainly an attractive offer. Imagine: Batman: Arkham Asylum with HD episodes of the Batman animated series, or the upcoming Transformers game with the first film? There are a lot of possibilities here.
Watchmen: The End is Nigh coming to retail disc
Both chapters of downloadable title Watchmen: Please Make it End The End is Nigh will be available on a retail disc around the time the movie makes its way to DVD/Blu-ray on July 21. 1UP confirmed the information with Deadline Games director Søren Lund at the Nordic Game Conference yesterday. A press release with the full details should be made available today. Reviews for the The End is Nigh weren't exactly glowing (a la blue dongs), but perhaps having the two Nigh episodes together on one disc will reveal the undiscovered brilliance of the simplistic beat-em-up. %Gallery-44353%
Watch the Director's Cut of Watchmen on Blu-ray
Click to see in Blu-ray high-def. The Watchmen are coming to Blu-ray on July 28th. The only version of the film offered on the Blu-ray disc will be the Director's Cut, which adds 28 minutes to the film's already lengthy run time. In addition to a new 190 minute cut, the Blu-ray version of Watchmen will also include a number of Blu-ray exclusive special features, such as "Maximum Movie Mode" which allows viewers to watch the movie with split-screen on-camera commentary. Two features will also be exclusive to the Blu-ray release: "Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes" and "Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World." Whether or not you loved or hated the film, we're glad to see Warner Bros. add more exclusive content to its BD releases. For fans of the film, the opportunity to see about half an hour more of Dr. Manhattan in 1080p is sure to be a treat.
