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WWE gets in deeper with Ascent Media on HD production facility
Early last month, we heard that WWE was cutting a $20 million check in order to convert its production facilities at its Stamford, Connecticut headquarters to HD. Now, the outfit is announcing an extended partnership with Ascent Media, which enables WWE to use Ascent's Harbor Plaza facility "for the creation of wraparound elements" used in its programming packages. Additionally, Ascent is promising to provide "new HD-capable fiber optic links between the new studio space and the existing WWE studio in Harbor Plaza, and to the WWE technical facility elsewhere in Stamford." More fiber in the Northeast -- what else is new, eh?
Cinemassively: Female wrestling in Second Life
Well, this is something that you don't see every day ... unless you have cable. Apparently there's female wrestling going on in Second Life. In a world of 3d avatars that can't get a scratch on them, that still looks pretty painful!tonyb Hax created a mat in SL that allows residents to get in the virtual ring for a girl fight that doesn't look very fair. According to the video comments, there is a male version as well. I thought that the video was really well done and totally captured the spirit of a real match!
WWE dumps $20 million on HD production facility, still waiting on ratings boost
In case you've been camped out under the nearest boulder for the past few weeks, WWE has officially transitioned to high-definition, but the change most certainly didn't come cheap. Reportedly, the outfit is finishing up a $20 million conversion of its production facilities at its Stamford, Connecticut headquarters, and in the meanwhile, it's using new HD technology for broadcasts out of a temporary location in the same city. Furthermore, the WWE has constructed all new sets and two new production trucks, and while the company seems quite pleased with the results, the general public hasn't exactly responded. According to David Meltzer, editor and publisher of Wrestling Observer, ratings have yet to jump from the move to HD, but as Michael White, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities puts it, WWE "almost needed this investment to keep [its] core fan base excited." Yeah -- who wants to watch sweat drop from ridiculously built bodies in SD, anyway?[Image courtesy of BroadcastEngineering]
THQ earns more sales, less profits, lots of licenses
For its third fiscal quarter through the holiday season, publisher THQ saw their sales boost to $509.6 million but profits down to $15.5 million (via Gamasutra). Comparatively, last year they had $475.7 million in sales (a 7% raise) and $62.1 million in profit (a 75% drop). THQ also had $27 million in non-cash charges due to the cancellations of Juiced and Stuntman.Big sellers include THQ's licenses. Life to date sales from Nickelodeon projects total $1 billion, and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 enjoyed a whopping five million in unit sales -- behold the power of licensing.
WWE HD pay-per-view events head to Cineplex theatres in Canada
We can't exactly say we saw this one coming, but considering that you can catch the Metropolitan Opera in a cinema, we suppose it's not all that shocking. Just days after WWE aired its first live event in high-definition, it has partnered up with Cineplex Entertainment to bring future pay-per-view broadcasts to the big screen. Starting this Sunday with Royal Rumble, Canucks will be able to purchase tickets for $13.95 to enjoy the carnage from within one of Cineplex's many Canadian theaters. If you're impressed, you can check out the full lineup of upcoming HD PPV wrestling events that will be shown on screen here. 'Course, it'll be hard to mimic what you're watching with all those immobile seats, but we're sure you can find a way to sneak a headlock or two in if nothing else.[Image courtesy of WWE]
WWE RAW: live in HD for first time tonight
Not that rabid professional wrestling fans really needed a reminder, but WWE's first high-definition broadcast of RAW does indeed start tonight. Set to air from Virginia's Hampton Coliseum on USA HD, we can expect to see crystal clear glimpses of Triple-H, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho (among others) -- sweat beads and artificial blood included. Gather up the fam, the party starts at 9:00PM EST.[Image courtesy of WWE]
WWE in HD gets official, carnage begins next week
Just in case things weren't official enough for you, WWE has gone the extra mile and boasted about WWE in HD via an on-air spot. Starting a week from today (January 21st for those taking notes), Monday Night RAW will be broadcast in high-definition for the first time on USA HD. The very next night, ECW will air in HD on Sci-Fi HD, and if you're still itching for more, you can catch the first HD showing of Smackdown on The CW HD on January 25th. Oh yeah, and then there's that little Royal Rumble thing going down on the 27th -- we're hearing that will be available in crystal clear HD, too (albeit for $10 more than the SD version). Hit the read link for a look at the promotional ad, and feel free to dig up your stash of bandannas and ripped-up shirts up from the bottom drawer -- next week's gonna be pretty intense.[Thanks, Dustin R.]
WWE RAW scheduled for HD on USA
For fans of WWE and HD, things are about as good as they could possibly be. Just as you get ready to experience Smackdown and Royal Rumble in high-definition, along comes word that next Monday's episode of RAW will likely be aired in HD, too. Apparently, DirecTV is listing the show in HD on USA, which means that either RAW is indeed finally making the leap to HD or DirecTV has labeled it erroneously. Needless to say, we're hoping for the former, even if it ends up happening a bit later in the month.Update: Sure enough, we may not see RAW in HD until after Royal Rumble. Better late than never, we say.[Thanks, Colin V. and gamedude420]
WWE Royal Rumble confirmed for HD
Just as expected, the January 27, 2008 WWE Royal Rumble will indeed be airing in HD, and considering that the event itself sold out in five hours, catching it via HD pay-per-view is likely your best remaining option. Reportedly, the high-definition broadcast of Royal Rumble will be available via DirecTV and "digital cable" providers, but we're not entirely sure if it'll be accessible on every provider out there. Unfortunately, those requesting the event in HD will be dinged for an extra $10 ($49.95 versus $39.95 in SD), but hey, that's still a fair bit cheaper than snapping up a ticket from a scalper.[Thanks, gamedude420]
Royal Rumble to be WWE's first HD pay-per-view event?
Apparently, the WWE will finally be rolling out a major pay-per-view event in high-definition some 12 months after UFC did the same. According to a tipster, Time Warner Cable (partly owned by Time Warner, parent company of AOL, which owns Engadget) is gearing up to offer the WWE Royal Rumble PPV event in HD when it airs on January 27, 2008. Of course, this shouldn't be too surprising considering that WWE was already planning to switch Smackdown to HD next month, but for fans of the sport, we're sure they'll be delighted to have the PPV matches in 1080i, too. We'll let you know if we hear anything official.[Thanks, DG]
Today's manliest video of manliness: TNA Impact trailer
What is TNA? Trilateral Nuclear Abominations? Trigonometric Narcissists Association? Tits 'n' a ... ah, nevermind, it's Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. And that's just about the best explanation for the TNA Impact trailer, which debuted last night on Spike's VGAs.We're told wrestling is a very manly sport; however, we don't remember seeing it in Maddox's The Alphabet of Manliness, which is our reference guide for such things. (It should be noted that female wrestling is listed under section 'F.') Video embedded after the break; if in the event there is not enough manliness in the TNA Impact trailer, we've also embedded a video dose of menergy as supplement.
Bikinis and bodyslams in Smackdown Vs Raw commercial
We recognize that this SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 commercial does a great job of selling the game to its core demographic, but, to us, it's a sad reminder of what the World Wrestling Federation has become. Remember how the Bushwackers used to stomp around their downed adversaries? Remember when you thought the Undertaker was for real and that someone was surely going to die by the match's end? Remember Hulk Hogan running up to the ring with an American Flag in tow, ripping apart his sleeveless yellow shirt to reveal his oiled chest to a throng of frenzied, heterosexual men, everyone chanting, "U-S-A! U-S-A!" Gone are those glory days -- the greatest days, some would call them. THQ's commercial is representative of what the WWE has celebrated in their stead: gratuitous displays of flesh, jackasses walking around with open shirts like that's the proper order of business, and crotch-chop gestures accompanied by some scoundrel telling you to "suck it." If you're exhausted with our nostalgia-tinged rant and would rather watch an extended, minute-long version of the ad, bring your best moves past the post break.
WWE readies Smackdown's switch to HD next year
Ready for pro wrestling in 1080i? It's getting closer, as the WWE production team just spent time in Florida shooting all new openings specifically for the HDTV broadcasts. SmackDown was projected to make the high definition switch in January and it appears to be well on schedule.[Via PWMania]
Rumor: The greatest wrestling game of all time could come to the VC
If you had a N64 and friends, then you probably played a couple of different games on the regular. Some game starring a "Bond. Mr. James Bond" or something, called Goldeneye 007, seemed to be the crowd favorite. Another game some would say was quite popular was Mario Kart 64, a game that involved kart racing and some guy with a mustache. Last, but not least (for us, anyway), was a series of wrestling games based on both the WCW and WWF (a magical time when one guy didn't totally destroy what used to be a kind of fun program to watch).Now, the last amazing wrestling game that the N64 would ever see (and most would agree, gaming as a whole) might be making its way onto the Virtual Console. But, it won't be the same game you remember, because word on the street is that it's to be updated with the current roster of WWE superstars. While we could care less about the new crop of wrestlers, we could easily create all of our old favorites using the awesome character creation mode.Who else is with us in wanting this game?[Via Game | Life]
Virtually Overlooked: M.U.S.C.L.E.
Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative.It's plainly obvious that we love talking about terrible NES games here in the Virtually Overlooked squad command center. According to a statistic that we just made up, about 72% of the games we profile are awful. Nothing is more fun than snarking about a game that is not only completely without merit or value, but also old enough that nobody will show up to defend it.But what isn't so obvious is the fact that we genuinely, honestly love playing some of the worst NES games. Whether it's a result of nostalgia or some kind of bizarre preference for poor game design, we don't know. But the fact is that we would give serious consideration to buying a virtual copy of M.U.S.C.L.E., despite owning the cartridge.
Arcade arm-wrestling game pulled for arm wrecking
Japanese arm-wrestling game, Arm Spirit, had to be yanked from Japanese arcades this week after displaying inhuman strength and breaking the arms of three would-be challengers. This bicep battle between man and machine is obviously similar to real arm wrestling, with the disturbing exception that your opponent's cold hand has no body to go with it. Instead, the appendage is part of an electronic box which mocks you in beeps and boops as it snaps your arm like a twig.A spokeswoman for game distributor Atlus told the Associated Press that the recall was a "precaution," implying that the organic meatbags of Japan should put some effort into it and realize that the world meets nobody halfway. "The machine isn't that strong, much less so than a muscular man," said Ayano Sakiyama. "Even women should be able to beat it." We're not sure how Ms. Sakiyama would fare when pitted against the mangler of limbs, but she apparently had enough energy to manage a firm shrug. "We think that maybe some players get overexcited and twist their arms in an unnatural way."[Thanks, Charlie]
CW Network going all-HD next season, including WWE in January
We worried that The CW Network wouldn't be able to broadcast HD every night when it was originally announced, but it recently revealed that all of its dramas and comedies for the upcoming 2007-2008 season will be produced in high definition with surround sound. Unfortunately wrestling fans were left out of the party, but no longer, as PW Insider is reporting that SmackDown is finally going 1080i in January, following tests of HD technology by WWE over the last few months.[Thanks, delldude360] Read - WWE Going HD this January Read - CW 2007-2008 Premiere Dates
No More Heroes site updates
The No More Heroes site continues to leak bits and pieces of information -- just enough to keep us drooling -- and this latest update covers some of the ground already tread by this morning's video. Our hero Travis and his beam katana are the center of the new information, which is all about combat and the tools of the assassination trade. The beam katana can be used to deflect bullets (where've we seen that before?), but it's not a never-ending source of bloody awesome; like any gadget, it can run out of juice. Luckily, there are battery packs scattered around, but in the event you can't find one and find yourself in need of a good cutting edge, you can always get your waggle-charge on. Charging the katana is as simple as jerking the Wiimote up and down. The updates also show off something we've already seen -- Travis's penchant for wrestling moves -- and a shot of a fight brought to a grappling standstill. The image isn't terribly clear, but it seems that with a turn of the Wii remote, it's possible to break free and beat your opponent down. We couldn't possibly want this game more, but at this point, all we really want is to find out just what's up with the tiger indicator on the upper part of the screen. In videos, it can be seen wiggling around, and in these screens, it looks like he takes a little tiger-journey across the top of the image, but for what reason? We can wait for the game, but we must know the secret of the tiger! Perhaps he's like a pet, feeding on the blood of your enemies. It's either that, or he's linked to all the tiger rugs we keep seeing in the game.
THQ profits show power of licensing
Publisher THQ has posted net sales of more than $1 billion in their 2007 fiscal year, reportedly their 12th consecutive year of revenue growth. According to their annual financial report (PDF file), the company also managed to ship eight titles that exceeded one million units in sales. Their secret to success? Licensed titles.The annual report revealed that THQ's focus was 80% licensed intellectual property and 20% owned IP -- a 4-to-1 ratio. Key achievements include shipping 8 million units of Disney/Pixar's Cars, 4 million units of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 and 4 million units combined of Nickelodeon franchises.THQ did establish two franchises this fiscal year, Saint's Row and Company of Heroes, and this upcoming fiscal year, THQ intends to increase its focus on owned IPs to a 33% share on the pie graph -- that's now only a 2-to-1 ratio of licensed-to-owned IP.Sure, licensed games may not be the most anticipated titles (or even the ones to receive the most coverage from the gaming press), but they do wonders to a publisher's bottom line.
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008 could bring fun wrestling games back to Nintendo
Remember way back during the days of the N64 when wrestling games were pretty much the most fun thing to play? You would talk so much trash to your friends, about how you could totally own them with Eric Bischoff and his, like, 5 different moves? Tossing your opponent outside the ring, only to rain down on them with chair strikes over and over and over ...Well, those were the days and, based on the embedded video past the post break, they could very well be returning. The video gives us a gameplay demonstration on how the Wiimote and nunchuk will work together and allow you to destroy your opponents in the ring.[via Gaming Age]
