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Mortal Kombat web series to debut on April 12
With under two weeks left until the official launch of the new Mortal Kombat, the game's companion live-action web series has been given a premiere date: April 12. According to Hadoken.net, the first episode will be available via Machinima at 4PM PST, following a live stream event. Select actors from the series and show director Kevin Tancharoen will play Mortal Kombat during the stream, and then introduce the episode. We're waiting to hear back from Warner Bros. about the scheduling of the next eight episodes, but we imagine you'll see more around the game's April 19 launch day. For now, we've got the image of two ladies from the film fighting just above. It's the least we could do.
Eight pieces of Sesame Street concept art and screens (Eight!)
Sometime it hard to be Bloggy Monster. But then Bloggy Monster remember there new screens and concept art for Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster (that new game for Microsoft arm-wavy box). Then Bloggy Monster look at art in rich, web 2.0 gallery and Bloggy Monster happy again! Bloggy bloggy bloggy!
Mortal Kombat classification appeal rejected in Australia, import companies rejoice
Despite a contested rating by Warner Bros. Interactive, the forthcoming Mortal Kombat reboot has been permanently refused classification in Australia, effectively banning the title from official retail distribution. WB Games issued a statement regarding the ruling, stating that it's "extremely disappointed" that the game has been refused classification on the continent. The publisher continued, praising "thousands of Mortal Kombat fans in Australia and around the world who have voiced their support during the appeal process." Mortal Kombat's latest iteration will still arrive next month in other territories, also known as "the month when a handful of hardcore Australia-based MK fans are forced to import copies."
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster preview: Tickle me, Double Fine
"One of the things that I'm personally really passionate about -- the reason I'm in this industry -- is that I want to see our medium be more than it is already," Double Fine's Nathan Martz, and project lead on Once Upon a Monster, confided in me at a Microsoft press event yesterday. "Our human experience is so broad and yet our industry deals with such a narrow slice of it." Martz explained that the project was conceived with the express purpose of generating joy. "I wanted to explore emotions," Martz said of his goal going into development. "For me, the best one is joy. The early example of this is a girl I was dating at the time. She asked me if I had a 'happy' song, a song that you hear and it just makes you feel great. Everybody has a happy song, and that was originally the name of this project: 'Happy Song.'" I'll admit it: Playing a bit of Once Upon a Monster was a happy experience, one I think would be even more so for families and kids a little younger than myself.%Gallery-116735%
Sesame Street Kinect game being developed by Double Fine
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster will be brought to you this autumn by the letters D, F and K. Warner Bros. Interactive announced this morning that the children's television institution will be transformed into an "interactive experience" for Xbox 360's Kinect. The game will be developed by Double Fine Productions, the studio that's recently taken a new path with bite-sized downloadable titles like Costume Quest and Stacking. Accompanied by Cookie Monster, Elmo and other fluffy residents of Sesame Street, you'll explore a "living storybook" (entitled Once Upon a Monster). Parents and children can get active in this journey through a set of minigames that encourage "dancing, jumping, flying and more." From this initial announcement, it appears the game will be like an interactive Sesame Street episode. If Double Fine nails it, it holds serious potential for the studio that's only come close to having a break-out hit. Of course, if the series does take off (and remember, there's flying!) how is mom supposed to enjoy a quiet moment in the kitchen and a bottle of wine if she actually has to play along? Whatever happened to the good old days of television as babysitter? %Gallery-116735%
Mortal Kombat and MK: Annihilation Blu-rays include costume for game
With the launch of Mortal Kombat's current-gen reboot getting closer by the day, Warner Bros. is ramping up promotion by announcing the Blu-ray release of both the Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation movies. The films will be sold individually and packed with various special features, most notably a "free exclusive Jade character costume download" for the PlayStation 3 version of the game, included with both movies. Blu-ray.com details each film's Blu-ray extras, and pins an April 19 launch date on them. And, wouldn't you know it, that's the same day that the game comes out!
Mad Catz making replacement FightStick panel for Mortal Kombat
The Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition arcade stick is great for Mortal Kombat, but isn't really usable for other games, due to the unique layout. During a Level|Up Live event, Mad Catz's Mark "MarkMan" Julio unveiled Mad Catz's novel Mortal Kombat solution: a replacement panel for current Tournament Edition FightSticks, allowing you to have arcade-perfect controls for multiple games with the same stick. The Mortal Kombat "Kombat Fight Stick Ultimate Edition Panel" allows users to replace the button layout of the edition Tournament Edition FightStick with one that approximates the classic Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 arcade panel, which is also used in the new Mortal Kombat. The buttons are a little closer together in this version for the sake of ergonomics. No price or release date was announced, but the panel will be available from Mad Catz's online store.
Two-Face wants YOU to see new Batman screens
We'd say chances are 50/50 that you're going to be thrilled by these (three) new Batman: Arkham City screenshots (and some Two-Face art). On the one hand, they don't appear to reveal any new tidbits about the game -- but then, they're also three new Arkham City screens!
Lord of the Rings: War in the North introduces a heroic trio
Forget about Gimli and Aragorn -- it's all about the "Ranger of the North," the "Loremaster of Rivendell" and the "Champion of Eriador" in Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Get acquainted with the heroic trio in this latest trailer for the game.
Video: Mortal Kombat's Mileena pops Ps without lips
We understand that while watching this trailer of Mileena in the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot we should be focusing on her fighting style, or assets. However, we simply can't get past one thing: how does she pronounce the letter P without touching her lips together?
FEAR 3 Collector's Edition includes pregnant Alma figure, abject terror
The F.E.A.R. 3 "Collector's Edition" release will include a SteelBook case, an in-game gun and a comic or something -- those items aren't important. The real bonus is something more intangible: a lifetime of nightmares. See, the Collector's Edition also includes a pregnant Alma figurine, and of course it glows in the dark. The F.E.A.R. 3 YouTube channel shows the Collector's Edition listed for several European countries. (We've contacted Warner Bros. to find out if it's also headed to North America, though we're not sure we actually want to know.) There's a video of ... the thing after the break. Please, please don't watch it.
F.E.A.R. 3 delayed until May
Looks like F.E.A.R. 3 needs a few more months of gestation. Previously announced for March 22, 2011, Joystiq has confirmed with a Warner Bros. representative that those looking for supernatural pregnancy scares will have to wait until May. So far, Best Buy is the only major retailer reflecting the change. We want to make sure we're prepared for those earth-shattering Alma contractions, but WBIE isn't currently sharing a more specific due date.
Lego Battles to go ninja, go Ninjago this spring
TT Games and WBIE are preparing a sequel to one of the few Lego games not to carry a license (well, other than the Lego license), the DS real-time strategy battle Lego Battles. Lego Battles: Ninjago brings back the RTS style, but gives it a new setting and new characters from Lego's new Ninjago toy line. Ninjago is about ninjas who practice "Spinjitzu," the art of spinning into a human tornado like the Tasmanian Devil, and a martial art that doesn't sound like it lends itself to strategy. In "good" or "evil" single-player scenarios, you can play out the battles between the ninjas and the "Skulkin" skeleton army. There are also multiplayer modes, including "four new multiplayer challenges, and two of the original multiplayer challenges from Lego Battles." Ninjago will be released on DS this spring. In addition, a Ninjago-themed world is being added to the MMO Lego Universe.%Gallery-113830%
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.
Warner Bros. Montreal focusing on lower-budget social, mobile games
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's new Montreal studio won't be working on triple-A console games, but will instead focus on smaller social and mobile titles, with a budget under $10 million per project. Speaking to LaPresseAffaires (Google translation), Montreal studio head Martin Carrier said that WBI-oui originally considered online games to be a secondary market, before the company realized the niche was "growing." Hmmm ... we wonder where execs got that idea? Reportedly, some employees and recruits haven't been so peachy keen on the studio's en vogue direction. Of course, in Montreal, there are still actual places where game devs can work on big-budget games. See: Ubisoft, EA and most-recently THQ.
New Batman: Arkham City screens drop in
Unlike last time, it doesn't take much detective work to figure out that these screenshots for Batman: Arkham City are the real thing -- they came directly from Warner Bros. this time. Check out the gallery to see the Dark Knight beating up a variety of goons, and Harley Quinn cosplaying as Harlot. %Gallery-104752%
Warner Bros. appoints Greg Ballard senior VP of 'Digital Games'
Warner Bros. has tapped former Glu Mobile president and CEO Greg Ballard to serve as its senior vice president of Digital Games. He will serve under Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, reporting to both division presidents. Ballard will be in charge of the company's broad digital distribution business as it pertains to PC, console, handheld and mobile games; online titles, including social games, owned and operated MMOs and "light persistent worlds"; and TV-delivered and on-demand streaming games. That leaves a lot to consider, but we'd be satisfied just to get a lot more Batman DLC for the next one. Make it happen, Ballard. Additionally, the new vee-pee will oversee Turbine, creator of The Lord of the Rings Online, and has been tasked with recruiting a new GM for the studio. Most recently, Ballard could be found in the cushy CEO chair of Transpera, a mobile video ad network. He's also held executive positions at Capcom and the now defunct Digital Pictures, developer of the famously "controversial" early '90s FMV classic, Night Trap. You know, the genre is making a comeback with iPhone ports ... Make it happen, Ballard.
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]
Mortal Kombat media fights for your entertainment
Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? We can't help but get a feeling of deja vu from these new Mortal Kombat screens, which pit classic franchise fighters against each other in a coliseum full of bloodthirsty spectators. Feel free to satiate your own blood lust by checking out the gallery below -- if you're looking for something a bit more on the moving side, head past the break for a new trailer. %Gallery-100910%
Batman: Arkham City screens are an inexplicable treat
Before we get you all hot under the collar, a preface: We have no idea where these screenshots for Batman: Arkham City originated. They seem to be posted on an anonymous Flickr set, which then made its way onto NeoGAF. Normally, we wouldn't run images of enigmatic origins, though we've decided to make an exception this time for two reasons: These images look pretty legitimate. These images are as hot as the core of the Sun which sustains our planet. Get your first look at Two-Face, Catwoman and the new (and arguably improved) Harley Quinn in the gallery below while we try to confirm their authenticity. An intentional "leak" from WBIE's marketing department wouldn't surprise us. %Gallery-100909%
