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iPad apps: books and comics galore
Reading on the iPad is something that is part of the device's DNA. Whether or not you think that LED-backlit display is a killer or a cure for the world's third favorite bedtime activity, you can't deny that Apple has pushed the idea of the iPad as e-reader pretty heavily. So, if you've got one you must be thinking about what kinds of reading choices you really have. Unlike a lot of platforms, you're not just locked into Apple's iTunes-integrated iBookstore for getting your textual kicks -- you can also utilize Amazon's Kindle service and a handful of other distribution channels for the books and comics of your choosing. So, which ones stand out? Take a look beyond the break and see our picks for reading on your magical new device. Oh, and be sure to check out our other app roundups right here.
iPad roundup: iDisplay extended desktop, plus Kindle and Time reader apps
Say what you will, the past couple of days have been littered with signs of a rapidly expanding set of functions that the iPad can perform. Latest on the block is the iDisplay desktop extender, which will turn any of your iPhone OS devices into a WiFi-connected second monitor, allowing you to finally unchain your Mac OS (Windows version forthcoming) desktop and take it on the move. Introductory price is $4.99 and you'll find an early hands-on experience at the TUAW link. Next up we have the Kindle for iPhone app contracting its name to just Kindle and making the expected jump to iPad compatibility with version 2.0, which comes with iBookstore-like page turning and, best of all, won't cost you a thing. We've also got word of Time Magazine pricing what's free on the iPhone at $4.99 per issue on the iPad, with the excuse being that you can "experience Time in a revolutionary new way." Good luck with that, we say.
iPad in the family: What it'll take
When Steve Jobs announced the iPad, I thought it was neat, but I didn't see how it would really fit into my life. What could it do for me that my iPhone or MacBook Pro couldn't? It seemed like that gap Steve Jobs said the iPad filled was targeted at a group of people I didn't belong to. So I asked the TUAW readers if you'd be getting one. Then I began talking to my family about the iPad and discovered some surprising things: the very people I thought would never buy one plan to, and the people I thought would jump at it are holding off. So here's a rundown of four very different people in my family and if/why they will be getting an iPad: Person: My mother. 62. Queen of the Luddites. Computer proficiency: Absolutely none. Will she be getting the iPad? Yep. The 16GB 3G model. Why? My mom has never owned a computer. She doesn't have an internet connection. She couldn't explain to you what Facebook is. And she refers to my iPhone as "that information device."
PSP Digital Comics launching in US, UK, other territories today
The PSP Digital Comics store will launch in several countries today. According to a PSNComics tweet, the US will receive access at noon Pacific time (3PM EST). The European PlayStation Blog states the comics store will open at 5PM GMT in the UK, Ireland (technical issue), Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The system will supposedly launch with hundreds of comics from Marvel, IDW, Titan, iVerse and 2000AD. Everything that's available should be listed on playstationcomics.com after launch. We're definitely looking forward to taking the service for a test drive with that "free comics" button.
Ihnatko says Apple tablet could play hero to comic books
Speculation based on rumor can be frustrating. But when the rumor is of Apple's fabled tablet, and the speculation is of a new golden age for comics, the 13-year-old kid in me comes alive. Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, Andy Ihnatko says there are hints that Apple is getting into the digital comic book market, a statement he likens to saying "Apple is helping to create the digital comic book market." Digital comics today, he argues, are where digital music was in 2002. Legitimate businesses are so fractured, clumsy, and behind the times that pirated comics (online illegally one day after hitting store shelves) provide the best user experience. Enter LongBox, a company that has made the rounds at comic book conventions this year pitching an iTunes-like store for buying and selling digital comic books. Ihnatko talked with LongBox CEO Rantz Hoseley, peppering him with questions and looking for reasons that LongBox was doomed to failure. What he found instead was a company that respects the comic book as a medium, that has made publishing to the LongBox format (.LBX) as simple as adding a plug-in to the software publishers already use, and that has plans for outfits as big as Marvel or DC all the way down to the lone artists publishing on their own.
Digital Reader brings comics to the PSP this December
After trotting out a mess of new information about PlayStation Home earlier today in Germany, SCEE prez Andrew House announced Sony's upcoming digital comics initiative on the PSP, the Digital Reader. According to House, Sony has worked out plans with Marvel to launch with "hundreds available, including the Marvel Comics stable." Additionally, the service will give PSP-owning comic fans access to Archie and Image comics. Unfortunately, he didn't specify if the service will be a free firmware upgrade to the existing PSP software or pricing for the comics themselves. But alas, GamesCom has just started! We'll poke around and see if we can get some more information as soon as the Sony press conference ends.
Marvel Comics to share writers and artists with Gazillion for MMO
We were disappointed back in 2008 when we learned that the Marvel MMO project was being shuttered. But, roughly a year after the bad news broke, Gazillion Entertainment announced that they're working on a Marvel Comics MMO. Two, in fact. While a number of comics fans who play MMOs are excited about DC Universe Online (which is slated for release in 2010) comics fans often have their particular allegiances to a certain IP, and not everyone is a huge fan of the DC Comics universe. Marvel purists should have even more to look forward to from the upcoming MMO. Joystiq reports that Marvel Comics will lend its writers and artists to the project. That comes straight from Ira Rubenstein, who holds a senior position with Marvel's global digital media group. Rubenstein made the announcement during the GamesBeat 2009 conference in San Francisco.
GDC09: Marvel getting involved in Gazillion's MMO with art and writers
Speaking at the inaugural GamesBeat conference in San Francisco, Ira Rubenstein, head of the global digital media group at Marvel, stated that the comic book company plans to stand behind Gazillion's future Marvel-based MMO, lending its writers and artists to the project. Rubenstein didn't want to speak for Gazillion, but said that Marvel offers an IP that isn't very common -- a full universe of superheroes that has yet to successfully manifest in an MMO. Considering the 10-year deal Marvel has inked with the "new" company, there should be enough time to get some MMO based on the popular characters out the door.
Songbird takes flight in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
It's been quite some time since we last heard anything on the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 front, aside from a trailer loosed at last month's NY Comic Con. Today, however, Marvel has revealed a new character in "Songbird," an ex-female wrestler turned supervillain turned superheroine, whose main superpower is -- and we're not kidding -- "enhanced vocal cords." Pictured above, Songbird "fuses" with Iron Man to produce ... what precisely, we're not sure ... though Marvel's Steve Nelson assures us that "fusions are BIG," (his caps, not ours). Mr. Nelson continues on the Marvel website, saying, "Songbird solidifies sound waves into objects, which she can use for a number of purposes on the battlefield ... one of our concept artists, Dave Phillips, came up with a really stunning piece of art for her 'wings,' and we ended up basing the look of her powers largely on that." Looks as though Songbird will not only be able to solidify sound waves and toss 'em at foes but also do so while flying high above their heads. Who knew strong vocal cords could do so much?For more on MUA2, check out our (limited, we know) gallery below and the most recent trailer, after the break.%Gallery-48082%
WSJ: Marvel inks 10-year MMO deal with upstart Gazillion Entertainment [update]
The Wall Street Journal reports this evening that Marvel Entertainment has struck a 10-year exclusivity agreement with upstart Gazillion Entertainment to produce online multiplayer titles based on its comic book properties. The paper's website indicates that the deal will be officially announced tomorrow.Marvel's previous foray into the MMO space, Marvel Universe Online, was eventually canceled by its publisher, Microsoft Game Studios. The title was announced for Xbox 360 and Games for Windows at the 2006 X06 showcase, and was in development at Cryptic Studios, makers of the upcoming Champions Online. Marvel and Gazillion will be going head-to-head with DC Universe Online, a joint venture between Sony Online Entertainment and DC Comics. More details as they hit.[Update: VentureBeat reports that Gazillion Entertainment, which was until today operating under the name "NR2B Research," employs more than 300 staff across four development studios. Its first title utilizing Marvel characters will be Super Hero Squad, an online game slated for 2010 that ties into a kid-friendly Cartoon Network series launching this fall. In big news for the MMO crowd, Gazillion's San Mateo, CA based Gargantuan studio is confirmed as developing a Marvel universe MMO for PC and consoles.][Thanks, J Blackthorn]
NYCC 09: Marvel Comics releasing two more Halo mini-series
If you enjoyed Marvel's yet-to-be-completed Halo: Uprising comic series then you may be interested in a recent announcement from Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada -- during his Cup O' Joe panel at NYCC, Quesada confirmed that Marvel will be publishing two more Halo miniseries by the end of the year. Hopefully, these two won't get bogged down by late-in-the-game story revisions and accompanying year-long delays.The first five-part series, which is set to deploy this summer (and could conveniently wrap in time for Halo 3: ODST) will be penned by She-Hulk writer Peter David, and drawn by Gigantic's Eric Nguyen. The second series, due out in winter, will be produced by Fred Van Lente and Francis Portela, the writing and illustrating (respectively) team behind Wolverine: First Class. Best of luck, guys -- you've got some awfully big shoes to fill.
Marvel Comics hires former Sony exec as digital media VP
Marvel Comics has announced the hiring of Ira Rubenstein, a 12-year vet of Sony Pictures where he oversaw digital distribution, casual and mobile games including properties such as Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, as well as mobile titles like Spider-Man 2: The Hero Returns and Ratchet and Clank: Going Mobile. His new role will be much the same as the executive vice president of Global Digital Media at Marvel, where he'll handle digital distribution of content across across all platforms, as well as lead Marvel's charge into mobile and casual games -- meaning we'll know where to place the blame when someday we're coordinating the drapes in Stark Tower from our mobile phones.
Iron Man fan-art contest
Win up to L$100,000 courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Marvel comics by creating Iron Man fan-art in Second Life. We don't think our little attempt above will win the prize, honestly. You can create still images or machinima -- you just have to use the official avatar which is available free with an optional (also free) animation overrider at Silverscreen Island, where finalists will also be displayed. Entries need to be emailed in no later than 7PM US Pacific time on Wednesday, 7 May. First prize takes L$100,000 (more than US$370), and second place takes a not unattractive L$25,000. Check out the full contest details at theppc.com.
Paragon City: All But Child-Free
There seem to be two children in all of Paragon City, and their names are Penny and Jimmy Preston. If you don't already know Penny, she's a mutant 'store' contact in Founder's Falls. Okay, there aren't any schools for kids to go to, even if one of the Westin Phipps villain missions does have you destroying a shipment of schoolbooks. But what strange side-effect of the Rikti Invasion has apparently concealed all of Paragon's other children from view?Super-powered kids are a comic book staple. The Marvel Power Pack is the best known, but super children have been showing up in comics ever since the infant Kal-El revealed his Kryptonian nature. So why aren't there any in Paragon, except for the Prestons? (Baby New Year doesn't count. That bizarre little anthropomorphic personification is a law unto himself.)
Warhammer 40k MMO details emerge from cover
PC Gamer drops a few new details on the in-development Warhammer 40,000 MMO that was announced in March 2007. This MMO will play more like an RPG than an FPS, even though there will be extensive gunplay elements, such as flanking, suppressive fire, and cover. Additionally, fans of the franchise will be happy to know that their favorite race, no matter what that might be, will find a home in-game. "All of the races important to Warhammer 40,000 lore (not to mention the fans) will be represented", says creative director Joe Madureira, formerly of Marvel Comics. He adds that there will be "Tons of stuff hanging off your character, weapons, scrolls ... we are going to have the coolest looking characters of any MMO, ever. Once we begin releasing images, feel free to call me on that." That's tempting fate, like saying 'At least it's not raining'. But given that it sounds as though THQ's taking their time in developing this game, it could very well be true. We'll keep up to date with further news as it arises.[Via computerandvideogames]
The writer for Champions Online is awesome
Yet another 'Meet the Team' article has gone up on the Champions Online official website. This time around we meet the man responsible for making the the story for Cryptic's upcoming superhero MMO -- John Layman. The most important thing to know about Mr. Layman is other than being able to weep ultra-luminous tears he's also an bonafide comic book writer. His works include Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness and House of M: Fantastic Four, which were both great reads. We're expecting some very entertaining writing in Champions Online, especially from a guy who got to write a character like Ash.When Jack Emmert said that Cryptic wanted to push the importance of story and character in CO, he wasn't exaggerating. The act of hiring John Layman speaks a lot for what we can expect from the sure-to-be-crazy world of Champions Online. He wrote a scene with a zombie Howard the Duck chomping the brains out of Ash for crying out loud -- we mean, come on! This game had better have a great story.
Marvel Universe Online: how would it have worked?
Here's a question I haven't heard anyone ask. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Marvel Comics geek; I know what both MODOK and AIM stand for; I remember Wolverine from when he wore those silly little eye-wings and whiskers on his mask; heck, I recall Nick Fury heading up the Howling Commandos. So I was pretty excited to hear about the Marvel Universe MMO. I had fantasies of playing as my favorite character (Adam Warlock, in case anyone's interested) until I realized that the game couldn't possibly work that way.Think on it for a second: how many players would want to be Gambit, or the Hulk, or the Punisher? If even just two people, then there's a problem with identity. Even if you were to get around the problem with a suffix, i.e., Punisher213, then the brand has been diluted, and it no longer means anything. So, how would this MMO have worked?
The Digital Continuum: A Cryptic future
These days, if you don't keep your head down, a rumor about Cryptic Studios is bound to hit you in the face. In fact, quite a few of them probably already have at this point. It all started with a letter to the community. After that plural hit, it wasn't just Marvel Universe Online that people were chattering about, but upcoming "projects" from Cryptic Studios as well. Ever since they managed to take one of my favorite things in the world -- superheroes -- and turn that world into a fun and successful massively game, I've loved the people at Cryptic.So it was with plenty of excitement that I discovered Cryptic would be handling the Marvel Comics license for their next massively game. Unfortunately for all of us excited fans -- of Cryptic, Marvel or both -- the entire operation went into super-secret-silent mode. Aside from CoX news, (which came from a different team at Cryptic, now NCsoft NorCal) we haven't heard even a faint murmur of information. After a while, this leads to lots of speculation about whether or not Marvel Universe Online is canceled. So far, there still hasn't been any additional official information on the game and all we are left to is pure speculation.What could be in the future for Cryptic Studios? Nobody knows except them, but that shouldn't stop anyone from guessing.
Cryptic Studios says adios
Saying goodbye is the hardest part. At least that's what the song by Coko tells us.Cryptic Studios, the original developers of the dynamic City of Heroes & City of Villains universe, recently announced that they're shutting down. Well... they're shutting down their forums and blogs. Why? "As work on Cryptic Studios' upcoming projects progresses, we have reached a point where we must focus all of our energies toward ensuring that our presentations of those projects are the absolute best work we can do." Makes total sense since at least one of those aforementioned projects (and undoubtedly the biggest one they got brewing) is the beyond-eagerly anticipated Marvel Universe Online, the MMO that will at long last let players "explore exotic locations and encounter their favorite characters from Marvel comics in a massively multiplayer environment."But is that all there is to it? The good folks at A Ding World ask: are they hiding something? Does it have something to do with the rumors of MUO's demise? Or perhaps they're trying to avoid the "loose lips sink ships" motto by prohibiting their employees from posting. Check out their line of reasoning for the complete conspiracy theory rundown.What cryptic things are really going? As tight lipped as the players involved in the MUO project have been to this point, accidental leakage likely won't occur until Cryptic and/or Marvel is good and ready to spill the proverbial beans. But that won't stop us - or you - from speculating, right? Excelsior, True Believers!
Metareview - Marvel Ultimate Alliance
The ongoing debate over which superhero universe reigns supreme may never be settled, but Marvel Comics is looking like the clear winner in the gaming space with Activision's release of Marvel Ultimate Alliance. There's no Incredible Hulk (he's in Vivendi's game), but just about everyone else from the House of Ideas makes an appearance, which amounts to at least 20 playable characters on each platform. Where Ultimate Alliance really shines over Justice League Heroes is in the stronger focus on teamwork, not to mention a more impressive cast of villains. <Your team name here>, assemble! Game Informer (93/100) likes the new transparent rejuvenation system: "In this game, you no longer need to stock potions. When an enemy is slain, there's a chance that the fallen will gift you with a cluster of healing orbs that automatically zoom to your character. This change not only removes the clunky system of healing, it makes you feel more like a hero. Your focus is always on the battlefield, not a meter." GamePro (90/100) appreciates the challenging enemy AI: "The major boss battles are head and shoulders above anything you've seen in the past. The roster of villains changes with such frequency that you never get a chance to get sick of them. Stronger ones boast talents like healing and immunity to certain attacks, while others carry shields that force your active crew of four to work as a team." TeamXbox (88/100) was dazzled by the production quality: "The opening cinematic by Blur Studios is perhaps the finest I have witnessed in a videogame...but it's worth mentioning that the in-game footage cut scenes by Raven are no slouches either. Raven's in-game work is really nice too. Characters all have that comic book look, but have been updated to have their own edge. The backgrounds are just as sweet, flexing a bunch of post-production effects and lots of animations."
