{posted by Will} More news is coming out about the PSP2, although Sony is the only one not saying a word about the device yet. A patent application from the company gives even more credence to the rumor that the handheld will have a touch pad on the back of the unit. The application, uncovered by akihabaranews, is for a "Hand-held Device With Two-Finger Touch Triggered Selection And Transformation Of Active Elements" [sic] and it would let you operate what you see on the screen via a two-fingered touch pad on the backside of the device. While this may take a little getting used to for the user, it means you'll no longer have your giant mitts obscuring the screen when you have to select or control something on it. You also won't be getting your dirty candy hands on the front screen either, which we hear is a full inch bigger than the current PSP screen. {Source: GameInformer} My Thoughts: Enough with the rumors, just releasethe damn thing! {posted by Will} Images have surfaced online from a mystery forum-goer identifying him or herself as "Not Tom Morello" (a reference to the source of leaked Halo: Reach screens earlier this year). The source claims the new shots are from Bungie's next game, which she or he is calling a "semi-modern war game" that "plays like a cross between Halo, Call of Duty, and Rainbow Six." So are the images legit? Not so, according to the developer. Bungie employee Luke Smith posted on a NeoGAF thread about the images. His response: "Worst fake ever." If you're interested in seeing the full set of images despite their apparent lack of credibility, you can check out this thread on IGN's forums, where they seem to have originated. Despite the fact that Bungie recently began looking for testers for their next project, we're probably going to have to be patient before we hear much about it. In the mean time, can't we all just play some more Reach instead of dreaming up fake info? {Source: GameInformer} My Thoughts: Sounds like a pretty interesting gam they're making! Irvin Kershner, the director behind what many consider the finest of all the Star Wars films, has passed away at the age of 87. Irvin Kershner didn't want to direct The Empire Strikes Back. When George Lucas asked him to take on directorial duties for the second Star Wars film, Kershner initially declined, only to accept the offer later at the urging of his manager. It's hard to imagine how the Empire Strikes Back might have turned out if not for his involvement. His exquisite balancing of action and character development made a film that otherwise might have otherwise been a throwaway bridge between A New Hope and Return of the Jedi something truly special. Prior to Empire Kershner had been directing movies on and off since 1958's Stakeout on Dope Street, a movie about three teens getting caught up in a drug ring. After Empire Kershner went on to direct the James Bond film Never Say Never Again, Robocop 2, and the cult classic science fiction television show SeaQuest DSV. Kershner passed away in his Los Angeles home after a long battle with illness. May the Force be with you always. [Source: Kotaku] Though I’m remiss to say it for fear of jinxing the project, it looks like Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films really are moving ever closer to production. With the issues over filming in New Zealand settled and a great deal of casting recently confirmed, filming is gearing up to begin at last. And now, Jim Jannard, the owner and founder of RED DIGITAL CINEMA, has announced that Jackson will be using the company’s soon to be released EPIC digital cameras to shoot the two film adaptation in 3D. Engadget reports that the new camera has 5k resolution, is able to shoot up to 128 frames per second, and has a new HDRx mode “for the highest dynamic range of any camera ever made.” All this is to say that RED has produced a camera that is considerably smaller, lighter, and more powerful than any on the market today. Jackson had this to say about using the cameras: I find the picture quality [of RED cameras] appealing and attractive, and with the Epic, Jim and his team have gone even further. It is a fantastic tool, the Epic not only has cutting edge technology, incredible resolution and visual quality, but it is also a very practical tool for film makers. Many competing digital systems require the cameras to be tethered to large cumbersome VTR machines. The Epic gives us back the ability to be totally cable free, even when working in stereo. Jackson will reportedly be using at least thirty of the new EPIC cameras on the production. For more on the technology, and what we know about The Hobbit so far, hit the jump. Given his rather long history with RED (he used the prototype RED ONE on his short film Crossing the Line), Jackson’s been a fan of the company for quite a while, stating that he’s “always liked the look of RED footage…the image RED produces has a much more filmic feel than most of the other digital formats.” Jannard and his team apparently flew out to New Zealand earlier this year to let Jackson test the cameras, and it appears that he very much liked what he saw. This is exciting news, as Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films are an absolutely magnificent sight to behold. With this new technology, and Jackson’s knack for making gorgeous films, The Hobbit flicks are sure to be stunning. The past month or so has been chock full of Hobbit news: composer Howard Shore recently confirmed that he will be returning to the franchise to score The Hobbit films, casting seems to be nearly complete with Martin Freeman announced as Bilbo Baggins and litany of other exciting names mentioned for various roles, and Hobbiton is set to be a permanent tourist attraction when filming is completed. Needless to say, Jackson’s dream of completing J.R.R. Tolkein’s epic saga is near fruition. The Hobbit is set to start shooting in New Zealand early next year, with Part 1 to be released December 2012, and Part 2 in December 2013. [Source: Collide] Reuters is reporting that Microsoft are in talks with media companies about bringing an online subscription cable-like service to Xbox 360. Not many details are known, but the company is thought to be planning a pay monthly service for “a ‘virtual cable operator’ delivered over the Internet.” It’s also thought Microsoft are going to bring out “content silos” for premium US channels HBO and Primetime. Reuters’ sources say any service won’t be arriving for at least another year. Microsoft have refused to comment. In the UK, the only thing similar to a cable service for Xbox 360 is Sky Player, which provides live TV and catch-up services for its channels. [Source: VG247] Disney Interactive Studios and TT Games have announced the next swash-buckling entry into the Lego video game franchise: Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (that’s one hell of a title). The game is being developed by TT Games, the masterminds behind all the other cute and cuddly Lego games like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game will be releasing on nearly every video game console and handheld in existence, meaning you can pick up the title on Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PSP or DS. Furthermore, in a cross-promoting masterstroke, Lego Pirates will release alongside the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film, “On Stranger Tides,” in May 2011. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean will include characters, settings and storylines from all four Pirates of the Caribbean films. This is just place-holder box art. It will be different. “Pirates of the Caribbean is a globally successful franchise based in action, adventure and humor perfectly suited for a LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game adaptation,” said Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Interactive Studios. “Combining the excitement of playing as Jack Sparrow and other recognizable characters from the franchise will make the game fun for players of all ages throughout the world.” “The action-packed world of Pirates of the Caribbean is a perfect fit for LEGO video games,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director of TT Games Publishing. “With so many wonderful characters, in such amazing environments, our teams are having great fun – and we’re sure that players will, too.” [Source: CraveOnline] Sony announced this week that BBC America programming is heading to PlayStation 3's across the United States. To kick off the new partnership, BBC America has made the first episode of the American version of "Top Gear" available at no charge (normally $1.99 for SD, $2.99 for HD), at least for the first two weeks. "Doctor Who" and "Being Human" will join "Top Gear" on the network's launch list at some point in December, and BBC America promises to "rapidly add BBC programming each week, including the best of the BBC's library as well as currently airing series." [Source: Joystiq] Sony's long-rumoured PlayStation Phone is expected to be officially announced on December 9, ahead of a planned commercial launch in February 2011. That's according to MobileCrunch, which is carrying a photo of an event invite received by French tech blog Nowereelse.fr. The invite features an image of the four PlayStation symbols alongside a picture of a telephone. A source claiming to have seen the PS Phone first hand told the site that the event invite is real, and that the device's screen is "mind-blowing", on-par with the iPhone 4s retina display. Apparently the PS Phone is "nowhere near ready", but Sony-Ericsson is nevertheless aiming for a February 2011 launch. The off-contract price of the handset could be in the region of $500, with the purchase including five free games. Games will likely be priced like mobile titles and not downloadable PSP ones, meaning under $10, the site also reports. The first pictures of the as-yet-unofficially-unannounced PS Phone hit the net last month. Sony subsequently discussed how it may bring a PlayStation Phone to market - and even hinted that an iPad-style tablet might not be far behind. [ Source: MobileCrunch ] CVG] Earlier today, Ubisoft reiterated that "a big Assassin's Creed game" is set to launch next year, and our money's on AC3. So where will the next entry in the series be set? According to Ubisoft EMEA marketing chief Geoffroy Sardin, we should be looking at the company's cross-media AC efforts for clues. "If you've read the comic books you will see that we took Assassin's Creed to the USSR, or Caesar's Rome - that's a good example of what we could do in the coming years in the next video games," he told MCV. "We never saw this as just a franchise - it is a 360 degree franchise, and touches a lot of other experiences. It's not just a game, but an animated story, on comics, in books, and other formats too. There's lots of scope for what we can do." Previously rumoured AC settings have included Egypt and WWII, while Ubisoft devs have even jokingly mentioned outer space. Where do you want the series to head to next? [ Source: MCV ] CVG] |
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