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Warner confirms live-action Mortal Kombat digital series by 'Rebirth' director, coming this spring
Last summer's "unofficial" Mortal Kombat: Rebirth test footage has landed its director, Kevin Tancharoen, a job with Warner Bros. While Rebirth won't become a full-length feature film (you can't kill off Johnny Cage like that!), Warner apparently saw something in the imaginative re-imagination of its new aging fighting game franchise. As reported earlier this month, Tancharoen will helm a series of live-action Mortal Kombat digital shorts, which will be released in conjunction with the new game (launching April 19) "this spring through online digital retailers." Does that mean we have to pay for them? Warner teased that the digital series, to commence (crunch time) filming in Vancouver early next month, will provide "never-before-revealed insights" into the characters from the new game and its "universe," including Liu Kang and, of course, the beloved Johnny Cage (you see, Tancharoen?). The company will reveal further details shortly, including casting (and, hopefully, the fact that these webisodes will be totally, 100 percent free -- right Warner?). It's been reported that Michael Jai White will reprise his Rebirth role as Jax. [Pictured: Scorpion from MK: Rebirth test footage; full video after the break]
TUAW's Daily App: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Much like all of that snow outside your door, the App Store's top lists are currently frozen -- Apple will release what's in the top spots on the marketplace tomorrow (after the holiday), but until then, everything's staying exactly where it is. While we haven't seen a lot of numbers just yet, it's clear that EA was a big winner on the App Store this year. The company dropped prices on lots of its titles earlier last week, then claimed a good bit of the top 10, top 20 and the top 200. The rumor is that as soon as it can, EA is going to raise prices back up on these apps, so if you want to grab this recently-released port of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 at just a buck, now's your chance. Some of the reviews on this iOS version of Mortal Kombat are iffy. The port suffers from the usual fighting game problem of having no buttons on the iPhone, so controls don't feel responsive. Often the controls actually aren't responsive, though there is an S button to make some of the more common moves easier to pull off. But for just a dollar, playing UMK 3 right there on your iPhone is pretty awesome. Whether or not you agree with EA's stunt -- some say it was a cheap way to get some attention, while others say apps are worth what people will pay for them -- I do think it's pretty impressive that a big, traditional gaming company found an interesting way to take advantage of Apple's usually eclectic marketplace. We'll have to see if other bigger studios pick up on this kind of thing in the future, or if indie developers can find a way to take advantage of it.
PDP discusses American-style design of Mortal Kombat arcade stick
According to Gerry Block, senior product manager for PDP, the differences between the arcade stick packaged with the $150 Tournament Edition of Mortal Kombat and the popular Street Fighter FightSticks produced by Mad Catz is culturally based. "Mad Catz did some good work with the Tournament Edition (Street Fighter IV) sticks," Block told Kotaku, "but those are Japanese style sticks for a Japanese game. We thought it would be a lot of fun to respond with an American style stick for an American fighting franchise." That's why the MK stick has parts more traditionally associated with American arcade machines: a bat-top stick instead of a ball-top, concave buttons instead of convex, and parts made by Happ instead of Sanwa. That should make it the ideal stick for the American Mortal Kombat -- and only for Mortal Kombat, thanks to the wacky button layout that game uses. Other design elements aren't so much America-focused as just nice. The internal components are encased in easily removable transparent plastic for modding, and the bottom of the stick has a memory foam pad for comfortable use on your lap.
Mortal Kombat special edition images show up on GameStop.com
So, that's what Mortal Kombat's "portable fight stick" looks like, eh? GameStop has pictures of the fighting game reboot's Kollector's Edition and Tournament bundle. The fight stick features Suzo Happ parts and was designed by NetherRealm Studios. For those who haven't seen the inside of an arcade (or seen one at all) since the early '90s, the button layout on the fight stick may appear unconventional. Former Joystiqer and arcade fighting game proponent Jared Rea explains that it's been the button layout for the Mortal Kombat series since the third iteration, with previous versions lacking the lower-left "Run" button. He notes that most players tend to navigate this layout by having their ring or middle finger hover over the middle block button, moving their whole hand for attacks. Check out the gallery below for the Scorpion figurine, bundled with the Kollector's Edition. %Gallery-110562%
Mortal Kombat koming April 2011, special editions announced
Mortal Kombat's 2011 reboot will tell consumers to "get over here" in April 2011. That's the latest release window kurrently offered by Warner Bros. Interactive, with Warner Home Video's publicity site listing a more specific April 19, 2011. To complement its reveal of Kratos as a playable character in the PS3 version of the game, WB has announced standard, Kollector's and Tournament editions (along with several retailer-specific pre-order incentives, listed after the break). The Kollector's Edition will include Sub-Zero and Scorpion figurines, a collectible art book, and DLC for "Mortal Kombat Klassic costume skins" and avatar costumes. The Tournament Edition, which will have a limited run of 20,000 copies in North America, will contain the game, DLC and ... a "portable fight stick." 'Cause, you see, if it were a fight log it wouldn't be "portable" -- it's a very necessary adjective.
Sub-Zero's ice-cold combos revealed in latest Mortal Kombat trailer
In this new Mortal Kombat trailer, we get a glimpse at Sub-Zero's fall-back career: juggling. We have a feeling he'd be at home on a stage somewhere, tossing chainsaws around -- if the Lin Kuei didn't have such an amazing dental plan, he probably would've given up assassinating a long time ago.
Watch this Mortal Kombat trailer about Sub-Zero, if you Frigidaire
The Mortal Kombat trailer after the break offers some backstory for Sub-Zero, explaining why he joined the deadly tournament. Does he need much motivation, though? He's a ninja who freezes people with his hands. Nobody's going to spar with him at the Y. This is basically his only way to keep fit.
Get over here and learn about Scorpion in this Mortal Kombat character study
When Scorpion was still a human, do you think he ever, even in his wildest dreams, imagined his fate: resurrected demon-ninja competing in a martial arts tournament against another, ice ball-throwing ninja? That's positively preposterous, he would have thought. And he would have been dead wrong.
Mortal Kombat: HD Arcade Kollection listed by GameStop
For the second time in as many months, an online retail site has listed an HD Mortal Kombat collection, further fueling rumors of an HD remake of the first three MK games for PlayStation 3. TRMK spotted a listing for the appropriately titled "Mortal Kombat: HD Arcade Kollection" on GameStop.com. Though the page has since been taken down, a quick Googling of the URL reveals it was a GameStop page for the unannounced title. Unlike the listing from UK retailer ShopTo, the GameStop one has no description of what might actually be contained in the repackaged "Kollection." Oh, and it also changes the name from the UK listing's "collection" to the more thematically accurate "kollection." WB reps wouldn't offer comment though, if the November 16 release date is correct, we'll be hearing more about the game in an official manner very soon. [Image credit: ExtraGuy]
PSP2 apparently in Mortal Kombat developers' hands, said to be a 'pretty powerful machine'
We just heard last month that Sony might already be showing off some prototype PSP2 hardware (said to be roughly similar in size to the PSP-3000), and it now looks like the next-gen handheld may have found its way into some developers' hands as well. That's according to Shaun Himmerick of Netherrealm Studios, at least, who responded to a question about a new Mortal Kombat possibly heading to the PSP or 3DS by saying that while they won't be launching day one on those devices, they actually "have a PSP2 in house." He further went on to say that the PSP2 looks "like it's a pretty powerful machine," and added that they don't yet have a 3DS system but are looking to get one. No confirmation from Sony on this, as you might expect, but it certainly seems like the hardware is pretty far along -- possibly even ahead or on the same track as the 3DS? [Thanks, Aaron]
Fight your sense of right and wrong with these 10 odd mash-ups
We realize some people have fantasies and, thanks to the internet, they have an outlet. But some things are so sacred, so untouchable, that they should never be tampered with. We bring this up because this list of ten crazy, unauthorized fighting game mash-ups created with M.U.G.E.N. is just plain disturbing. Never would we have wanted to see Homer and Peter Griffin team up to battle Scorpion and Sub-Zero -- both teams are mortal enemies! Nor would we have wished to see Wolverine take on Mike Tyson or Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders throw down against Ryu and M. Bison. We're all for enemies putting aside their differences and finding friendship, but it's really skewing our sense of right and wrong here, guys!
Mortal Kombat's latest kombatants: Cyrax and Kitana
Two more familiar fighters have re-upped their active roster status for next year's return of Mortal Kombat. As part of its Gamescom showing, Warner Bros. Interactive has provided a glimpse of what the fan-wielding Kitana and robotic Cyrax will look like in the new game. (Hint: they look really cool.) The duo joins a roster already confirmed to feature a number of characters from MK1, MK2 and MK3, including: Flame, Jax, Johnny Cage, Kano, Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Mileena, Nightwolf, Raiden, Reptile, Scorpion, Sektor, Shang Tsung, Smoke, Sonya and Sub-Zero. Looks like there's something for everyone there, except for that one guy who wants a character that imparts the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi to his opponents. Sorry, pal.%Gallery-99753%
Mortal Kombat Arcade Compilation makes brief appearance on UK retail website
A straightforwardly named Mortal Kombat Arcade Compilation has appeared (and since disappeared) from UK online retailer ShopTo. According to Eurogamer, the original listing promised an HD collection of the original Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat (an updated version of Mortal Kombat 3). The original listing included a November 12th release date. The listing raises some questions. For example, considering the franchise's history, shouldn't this be called the Mortal Kombat ... Kompilation? Additionally, the product was listed only for PS3 -- could it be exclusive to that platform? (Considering the perpetual success of Mortal Kombat on PlayStation Network, that would be somewhat unsurprising.) A WB representative decided not to confirm nor deny the validity of the leak, simply stating "there has been nothing officially announced at this point." However, the rep did note that she will let us (and you!) know "if and when there is anything to announce."
Ed Boon reveals Mortal Kombat: Fire & Ice, a canceled co-op game
While speaking to Game Informer about older Mortal Kombat projects, series creator Ed Boon unveiled one installment of the which never saw the light of day: A co-op action adventure game subtitled Fire & Ice. "When they finished [Shaolin Monks]," Boon explained, "the guys at Paradox were gonna do another one called Fire & Ice. It was gonna be a co-operative Scorpion and Sub-Zero game." We're not sure how the game's writers would have navigated the series' canon to make this union possible (don't those two, like, hate each other?), but we're disappointed nonetheless. To think -- if someone had asked us what our favorite co-op Mortal Kombat game was, and then asked what our favorite 1980s German ski film was, we could have just given them a single, satisfying answer.
Mortal Kombat creator says complexity of fighting games hurts sales
The Mortal Kombat reboot had to have been one of the more interesting surprises around E3. We certainly enjoyed what we saw at the show, which seemed to depict a game very much back to its roots -- you can't get more "MK" than splitting a guy in two with a metal hat, after all. And in speaking with Gamasutra, Ed Boon confirms that he's really gunning for the hardcore players with this latest installment. "Oddly enough, this [new Mortal Kombat] is the first one in a while that we've really made a conscious effort that we are going to focus hard on the hardcore player," he said. While Boon concedes that there are far more casual players out there than hardcore, he values the "opinionated" fans who go online and make their voices heard. Despite the existence of those passionate individuals, Boon thinks it's tough to sell a fighting game nowadays. "While I certainly think there is an audience for that, there's not a very huge audience for the really complex [fighting] games. Unfortunately, the sales numbers kind of demonstrate that," he added. While we certainly understand what he's saying, we'd be hard-pressed to agree. What about games like Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6? How about newcomers like BlazBlue? And that's not even taking into account the success of digitally distributed titles like Marvel vs. Capcom 2 -- so while we'd concede that fighting games can sometimes have a steep learning curve, we'd say now is a wonderful time of resurgence for the genre. Embrace the love, Boon!
Preview: Mortal Kombat
While E3 attendees file out of a darkened room after a demonstration of the new Mortal Kombat, series co-creator Ed Boon is approached by a pair of enthusiastic fans. He gladly gives them a few autographs, and his face lights up in surprise when he learns that they've grown enamored with the fighting franchise in their 18 years of existence -- despite being born well after its inception. Has Mortal Kombat really been around for almost 20 years? Working from NetherRealm Studios -- owned by Mortal Kombat's new custodian, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment -- Ed Boon doesn't limit his interaction with fans to chance encounters. The upcoming reboot is being driven by three major requests from series fans, which Boon calls his "marching orders." They've suggested a return to the M-rated presentation following 2008's Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (check), a deeper fighting system (check) and, of course, a new set of outrageous fatalities (check out that perforated spleen). Boon claims that every combatant's interior, from the soon-to-be-shattered bones to the sickeningly squishy internal organs, has been modeled. It's not often that you get to literally see an artist's blood, sweat and tears in a game, but Boon assures me that when attacks find their mark, all "that shit pours out of them."
WB's new 'Mortal Kombat' tests our might in 2011
Warner Bros. announced a new Mortal Kombat game this morning, and Seven of Nine is nowhere to be found. The game, called simply Mortal Kombat, appears to be a return to the classic Mortal Kombat 2/3 style of gameplay -- extremely quick, 2D fighting -- which has been given a fresh coat of 3D paint and a very noticeable 60 frames-per-second framerate. It also features a man being sliced open at the groin with a spinning hat. It adds a new tag team mode for up to four players, allowing teams to play through a "co-op arcade mode" or compete online against other pairs of e-murderers. The game is being developed by Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon and NetherRealm Studios (the former WB Games Chicago) and is slated for launch on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2011.
'Mortal Kombat Rebirth' footage gets over here [Update]
Just under eight minutes of something related to Mortal Kombat has been posted on YouTube. The video features Jax -- sans cybernetic arms -- grilling a mysterious perp in a police station. Through some (laborious) exposition, he describes new humanized (and gross) versions of Reptile and Baraka, along with Johnny Cage and a young, beardless Shang Tsung. At first glance, one might assume it's footage from the new, possibly derailed Mortal Kombat movie. Another possibility, given the video's proximity to E3 and its introductory nature, is that this is a tease for the next Mortal Kombat game. Furthermore, the name of the newly created YouTube account is MortalKombatRebirth, which sounds like a perfectly suitable title for a new entry in the series. A third and altogether frightening possibility: This is all a prelude to a new movie / game tie-in. We know Warner Bros. is interested in the franchise, so it's safe to assume something is on the horizon. We've contacted WBIE for more info. One way or another, it seems likely we'll hear more by next week. Update: Latino Review claims that it's a test video directed by Kevin Tancharoen, and offers a near-complete list of the featured cast. Update 2: Actress Jeri Ryan, seen in the short playing Sonya Blade, offered further comment about the project on Twitter. "It's not a game trailer," Ryan said. "Actually was made for the director to sell WB on his vision for a reimagined MK film." She said she had "No idea yet what WB's reaction to it was." [Via Kotaku]
Game Informer rates the best and worst Mortal Kombat fatalities
After roughly 28 years in production and 43 separate iterations, it's inevitable that the Mortal Kombat series would have picked a few bad eggs in the Fatalities department. Game Informer has taken it upon itself to dig through the archives and uncover the best and very worst that the series has to offer. Now, lest there be any confusion, we're not talking about Babalities or pap like that. We're talking terrible finishers like Bo Rai Cho's penchant for blasting his enemies with a venomous murder fart. Yeah, it's adorable. Oh, and at one point, Smoke blows up the whole planet, killing every man, woman and child on it. ... Yeah, we're not sure if that's a good or bad one either.
Finding a new dimension for gaming at the 3D Gaming Summit
A small crowd of movie and game producers met this week at Universal City in Los Angeles for the first-ever 3D Gaming Summit, to sit down and discuss the trend of 3D imaging in gaming and film. Much of the talk at the summit was speculative -- with almost no actual consumer devices on the market and nearly none within price range of the average consumer anyway, gaming in 3D isn't much more than an idea at this point. Most of the technology companies in attendance are still working to get content producers to use their systems to create games and films rather than selling hardware directly to consumers. Still, the panels and discussions at the summit offered an interesting look at what many believe to be the eventual future of the industry. From a lunchtime interview with Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson to a Playstation Move demo (and a panel moderated by a Joystiq editor), the 3D Gaming Summit showed off a lot of guesswork, a few interesting demos, and a few big holes that will need to be filled if 3D gaming is going to ever take off.
