e3-2006
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Blizzard's Word: WoW Movie Officialy a Go
We reported yesterday about the news of a new WoW motion picture in development, and now it looks like the boys in blue have indeed confirmed that report. An official press release went out today, announcing the joint development of the film, with producers Legendary Pictures at the reigns.The release quotes both the Blizzard creative team and the filmmakers, and shines some light on what we can expect to see from the upcoming epic. No talent or crew have been signed as of yet, but I'm sure that the rumors will start flying anytime now, and the fans will have plenty to chew upon as the project comes to fruition.Aside from my wary words yesterday, I do indeed hope for the best with this adaptation; aside from being a fantasy fan in general, I would enjoy a property I'm familiar with being given the proper screen treatment. I'm sure every WoW fan under the sun has their own idea of what the ideal Warcraft movie would be, and I'm sure the filmmakers are going to be listening to those ideas as the project moves forth, so start your dream casting now, folks!
Pioneer's new 5.1 audio setup for your Xboxin' pleasure
With all the attention being payed to those pretty pretty pictures that the big three have been flashing at us so far this week, it's easy to forget about that other little detail in gaming: audio. Pioneer didn't forget though, and they've just announced their new HTS-GS1 5.1 surround sound speaker system for the Xbox 360 to cater to that very thing. The HTS-GS1 has 600 watts of total system power being pumped out of the receiver subwoofer, which includes the five satellite speaker connections, three digital inputs (one coaxial, two optical), an analog input, radio tuner, and control ports. There is also a separate display to monitor the system (pictured) and a Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System that mics the room and adjusts the audio for best results. The integration with the Xbox 360 not only includes its similar stylings, but a bundled remote that can manage the HTS-GS1 along with all other Xbox 360 functions like Media Center Extender. The HTS-GS1 should be priced around $500 and will be available in June.
Wii first-party titles: new franchises
Here's a brief synopsis of new first-party franchises hitting Wii: Disaster: Day of Crisis (Monolith); survival-action - Natural disasters have devastated the US. A rogue Special Forces unit has taken advantage and stolen a nuclear weapon. As Ray, a former rescue task force badass, you must save the world, or at least, what's left of your country. Disaster will feature scenarios like lava avalanches, earthquakes, and floods. Excite Truck (Monster Games); racing - It's descended from Excitebike, at least conceptually. The game features off-road racing (with trucks). Players hold the Wiimote like an NES controller and steer by titling it from side to side. Once airborne, tilt the controller in the right directions to stick the landing. Power-ups are used to deform the tracks in real time. Project H.A.M.M.E.R. - Killer robots are attacking the US. In order to defeat your heartless foes, you must assume the role of one of Project H.A.M.M.E.R.'s cyborg prototypes and wield the awesome powers of ... a hammer? Swing away! Wii Sports (Nintendo); sports - Includes tennis (1-4 players), baseball (1-2 players), and golf (1 player) -- Nintendo may add additional games. Tennis features power-sensitive forehands, backhands, volleys, lobs, slices, spins and serves (note: players are automatically moved into position to hit the ball). Baseball is simply a home run derby game. In 2-player mode, one player pitches, while the other bats. Golf features both driving and putting. [Via Nintendo fact sheets] See also: Wii first-party titles: old faces
Microsoft blends platform lines with Live Anywhere
The latest ambitious endeavor by Microsoft might have "monopoly" written all over it, but we have a feeling they wouldn't want it any other way. Microsoft's new Live Anywhere that they announced at today's E3 keynote takes their Xbox Live concept and extends it to the PC, Windows Mobile and even Java-enabled phones. Whether you're at your PC or rocking a mobile, you'll be able to track your gamer tag, message friends, purchase content for that device or set it to download to another device, and of course compare rankings with your buddies on various gaming titles. Halo isn't going to run so well on your RAZR, so for actual cross platform titles, Microsoft is sticking with XBLA-esque games that can translate easily to different platform, such as Bejeweled. There will, however, be major games that can be played on your Vista PC and Xbox 360. Microsoft is banking heavily on third party support for Live Anywhere, in the form of mobile friendly value-adds for 360 games, and just straight up phone-friendly casual titles. In order to get more support, they're claiming to approach this from a "platform agnostic" (hah!) angle, and after supporting the 360, Windows Vista and Windows Mobile, will move on to Java, S60 and possibly even Palm if they deem it worth their while. Microsoft obviously has the muscle to launch a service like this, and the features they demoed look quite entertaining and welcome, but we'll still be (pleasantly) surprised if they actually manage to pull it off. Keep on reading for screenshots and impressions.
WoW: Coming to a Theater Near You?
Well, we knew it had to be on the drawing board somewhere. It seems that Legendary Pictures, producers of both the latest Superman & Batman films, are interested in bringing World of Warcraft to the big screen, according to this IGN article. The film would likely hit screens via Warner Bros., as they have handled most of the distribution for Legendary's releases so far.This could be exciting news for all Warcraft fans, but we all know just how well video games usually survive translation into the film medium. Alone in the Dark, Doom, Silent Hill....Super Mario Brothers, anyone? Still, just by the law of averages, they have to get one right sometime...here's hoping the best for WoW's big-screen maiden voyage.
Engadget at E3
Just in case you were concerned, we've landed safely in LA for a fanboy-filled week of E3 coverage. We've teamed up with Joystiq to bring you up to the second breaking news, keynote coverage, and in-depth interviews here on Engadget, and over at e3-2006.joystiq.com. Sony kicks off with the first "big three" keynote around 4PM tomorrow, followed by Nintendo and Microsoft on Tuesday around 11AM and 2PM respectively. Now is the time to call out your predictions for maximum cred potential. Our bets are all set for a Sony controller design reminiscent of the Wiimote, an "oh snap" HD DVD moment from Microsoft, and an open apology by Nintendo for the Wii moniker, but maybe that's just us.
Prepping for E3 2006
The E3 2006 festivities in Los Angeles are exactly two months away from today. Though we'll be soliciting specific feedback and reconnaissance work on behalf of you readers prior to our attendance, what are you most looking forward to this year at E3? Last year was a big unveiling of next-gen consoles, so we can expect a lot of hardware refinement from Sony and Nintendo along with more playable games this year. And let's not forget the portable and PC game scene.
