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NASA's Space Shuttle launch videos are spectacularly incredible, incredibly spectacular
Did you know that it takes nearly seven and a half million pounds of thrust to get a Space Shuttle off the ground and into the final frontier? NASA opts to generate that power by burning through 1,000 gallons of liquid propellants and 20,000 pounds of solid fuel every second, which as you might surmise, makes for some arresting visuals. Thankfully, there are plenty of practical reasons why NASA would want to film its launches (in slow motion!), and today we get to witness some of that awe-inspiring footage, replete with a silky voiceover explaining the focal lengths of cameras used and other photographic minutiae. It's the definition of an epic video, clocking in at over 45 minutes, but if you haven't got all that time, just do it like us and skip around -- your brain will be splattered on the wall behind you either way.
Champions Online dev chat answers questions from the fans
The superhero MMO Champions Online is slated for a launch very soon, right around the corner in September. Cryptic Studios has continued to hold dev chats leading up to the game's release, which can be a good source of info about Champions Online, particularly if you haven't had a chance to check out the game's beta tests. The latest dev chat let the Champions fan base pose questions to the developers, including Lead Designer Randy Mosiondz and Reward Systems Designer Cormac Russell, among other devs working on the game. The dev chat addressed a range of questions and concerns, such as what Champions Online will bring to MMORPGs and the superhero game genre that we don't already have. The title's creators also explained the extent of Champions Online's crafting system, including how players will be able to craft Techniques, essentially items that impart abilities. There's also plenty more about unlockable costumes and how the game is designed to prevent players from creating (overly) godlike custom Power Frameworks. You can check out what the Cryptic devs have to say about Champions Online over on the game's official forums.
Dojo update: Get your taunt on
Taunts may be more or less redundant, but they still littered our Melee sessions, and we expect the same will be true of Brawl. Today's dojo update gave us a first look at how we'll be able to goad our opponents in the game, so we see Link giving his sword a nonchalant twirl, Mario spinning his hat "whimsically," Snake hiding in his box, and Sonic giving us a quick shuffle of his feet.Each character has three different taunts, all of which can be executed by pressing certain directions on either the d-pad, or the Wii Remote's 1 and 2 Button.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
