End of an Era on G4

/



G4's two longest-running and defining series, Attack of the Show! and X-Play, will be ending their run at the end of 2012. Both shows will include original episodes through the end of the year, and will look back at their most memorable moments as we lead up to their final episodes. A rotating lineup of guest co-hosts including John Barrowman, Michael Ian Black, Josh Myers, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel
and Horatio Sanz will join AOTS hosts Candace Bailey andSara Underwood, and X-Play hosts Morgan Webb and Blair Herter as part of the farewell shows.

With well over a thousand episodes each, Attack of the Show! and X-Play have defined gamer culture for a generation, serving as the launch pad for prominent personalities including Kevin Pereira, Olivia Munn, Chris Hardwick and Adam Sessler. Attack of the Show! debuted March 28, 2005 and from the start was the ultimate guide to everything cool and new in the world of technology, web culture, gaming and pop culture. X-Play made its debut almost two years earlier, on April 28, 2003 (on G4’s previous incarnation: TechTV), and immediately became the go-to destination for young men seeking the latest video game news, honest reviews, hands-on demos and exclusive video game trailers and footage. The year-end celebration will take you back through highlights of these landmark shows' history, including its exclusive live-from-the-floor coverage of San Diego Comic-Con and E3.

Both long-running shows helped define, as well as expand, the pop culture and gaming TV experience for a generation. We hope you've had as much fun watching them as we have had making them, and sincerely hope you join us in bidding a fond farewell to Attack of the Show and X-Play's as we look back over the next two months and head towards each series' finale.
from: G4tv.com

SQUARE ENIX Announces 72 Hour Sale through its Online Store

/

Square Enix, Inc. today announced that a number of classic and recently released SQUARE ENIX® titles, including Sleeping Dogs™ and KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance] are available for 30 ~ 50% off, beginning today through October 28. This sale pertains only to qualifying game titles. Merchandise figurines, music CDs and pre-order items will be excluded from this sale.

Additionally, the downloadable PC version of the critically acclaimed role-playing adventure,FINAL FANTASY® VII, will also be available at a discounted price of $6.99 (originally $11.99) until November 4, 2012.

For more information, please visit: http://store.na.square-enix.com/


Silent Hill: Revelation 3D Review

/
Silent Hill returns to the movie realm. Is the new film worth a second trip into the hellish world? Or should we check out of Silent Hill for good?


Story - When her father disappears, Heather Mason is drawn into a strange and terrifying alternate reality that holds answers to the horrific nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. That is the synopsis for the film. Silent Hill Revelation 3D will be a hit or miss with the audience. Fans of the game and the original movie can relax. The movie does a good a job of staying true to the game and keeping continuity of the original movie. However for audiences that have no idea on the story of Silent Hill and characters will be confused. It will be best for people planning to see this movie to see the first one. Otherwise research knowledge on the Silent Hill mythos, because the movie jumps right in expecting you to know certain things about the franchise. For gamers they won't have a problem picking up on key moments, key characters and locations. However for the general audience the story will be all over the place. 

 The story suffers from characters that appear to play key roles only to appear in one or two scenes. Sadly the story misses it's mark due to characters not given enough time to be developed. Fans of the series will not like the treatment of one of Silent Hill 3 important characters Douglas Cartland. I won't go into spoilers but I will say he's in and out faster than you get to remember his name. While the story succeeds on showcasing the psychology of Heather Mason. It does well showing the source of her nightmares and the personality duality that she deals with. As the story progressions we get a deeper look into Heather's her true nature. While it becomes predictable on who she really is, I found that part of story very intriguing and thought it did a good job of adapting that aspect from the game. Overall the main story does a good job sticking to the source material. Fans will be pleased with key scenes, locations and some easter eggs from other Silent Hill games. The general audience however might view the plot as confusing and only catering to fans of the series.

 Acting - The acting wasn't bad. Adelaide Clemens played Heather Mason very well. She carries the lead role good enough to give you a performance you can invest time to care for her character. Sean Bean, Michael Mcdowell and Carrie Anne Moss do a solid job giving the screen time they had. The only performance that really bother me was Vincent played by Kit Harington. It wasn't the acting that bothered me. It was mainly how the character was written. His character is surrounded in mystery, but he also is Heather's love interest which wasn't necessary and falls flat. Harington does well on what he has to work with, but the character is not as memorable or such a key figure as he is in the game. 

 Music & Film-making - One thing Silent Hill is known for is that creepy music. This movie does not disappoint in that department. The soundtrack is composed by Akira Yamaoka and Jeff Danna. The music sets the tone of terror throughout the film. Die hard fans might recognized different renditions of some of they favorite tracks from Silent Hill 3. Film-making the 3D is pretty good. The opening scene with ashes coming to your face was very fun. It uses little CGI and instead uses props and actual stuntman for the monsters. I like the use of little CGI because it makes the film more believable and more intense for the audience. The settings are dark, disturbing and capture the world of Silent Hill 3 very well. The film has number of fairly good scares, but unfortunately one scene which could have been really terrifying with the nurses ends too quick.

 Final Thoughts - Silent Hill: Revelation 3D is not at a bad film, but it isn't a great one. It has some key moments, some key scares and a interesting main character. The 3D and music is used in the right moments and the setting is dark and creepy. This is actually one of the better movies based on a videogame. Fans of the series will enjoy the easter eggs and seeing characters from Silent Hill 3 come to life. The general audience will be confused with the plot, and feel like the pacing of the movie was rushed.   However this movie is still provides some entertainment and is at least a movie to see on Halloween.

                                             

                                              Final Grade

Garth Ennis Reveals Live-Action Crossed, Return to Crossed: Badlands #25

/

 Hey Otakus and Geek fans, Here is some news
from the Guys at Avatar Press for an upcoming
live action Webseries based on the popular Comic series Crossed.

This past Saturday at the New York Comic Con, Crossed creator, Garth Ennis, announced he is teaming with Avatar Press to create live-action Crossed webisodes.

With an eye on airing in Fall 2013, they will begin filming in Spring of next year. Ennis will write and direct, while Avatar Press Editor-in-Chief William Christensen will act as Executive Producer. Each webisode “season” will contain six episodes and each will be around 5-6 minutes in length. Ennis explained each episode will be self-contained, but create an over arching narrative to tie them all together. The iconic writer will be pulling from previous published Crossed comics, as well as scripting new material. Ultimately, Ennis and Christensen hope to gain enough interest from the webisodes to create a feature film. The webisodes will likely be Rated R, while the inevitable DVDs will be unrated.

 Ennis also announced he will be returning to writing Crossed: Badlands with issue 25. “The Fatal Englishman” will run 4 issues and feature a small military unit who decide it is time to strike back at the Crossed. This arc will tie in to issue 50, which Christensen refers to “Patient Zero,” spotlighting when the outbreak initially started.
To see a video interview with Ennis by Newsarama directly after the big announcement at the Garth Ennis panel at NYCC, click here.

by Rick Verbanas on October 18, 2012

Yaoi Publisher SuBLime Announces 11 New Manga Titles

/

Hey Otakus here is some yaoi manga news from SuBLime:

SuBLime, the global yaoi manga (graphic novel) publisher, thrilled fans during its packed panel discussion at the recent YaoiCon 2012 with the announcement of eleven new manga (graphic novel) titles the imprint plans to release throughout 2013.

The forthcoming new titles are rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers. Select releases will be offered as either print-only editions with an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN, or as digital-only releases with an MSRP of $5.99 (U.S. / CAN). Other titles will be made available in both formats.

For digital releases, the $5.99 purchase price will offer readers digital access to two versions of each manga volume on www.SuBLimeManga.com – a downloadable PDF that is viewable on any enabled eReader device and computer or via the embedded online manga viewer found on the web site.

New Print and Print+Digital Titles:

EMBRACING LOVE Vol. 1 2-In-1 Edition, by Youka Nitta ·
Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available In Print And Digital April 2013

SLEEPING MOON Vol. 1, by Miyamoto Kano · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available In Print Only June 2013

BLUE MORNING Vol. 1, by Shouko Hidaka · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available In Print Only May 2013

FALSE MEMORIES Vol. 1, by Isaku Natsume · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available In Print And Digital July 2013
From the creator of DEVIL’S HONEY, also published by SuBLime

HIDE AND SEEK, by Yaya Sakuragi · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available In Print Only July 2013
Sequel to BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE, also available from SuBLime

SPIRITUAL POLICE Vol. 1, by Youka Nitta · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available In Print And Digital October 2013

New Digital-Only Titles:

THE RAVISHING OF THE CROWN PRINCE, by Wang Yi & Feng Nong ·
Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available January 2013
Taiwanese creator and artist

SWORD AND MIST, by Hayate Kuku · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available February 2013

THE MATCH SELLER, by Sakae Kusama · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Available March 2013
From the creator of THE BED OF MY DEAR KING, also published by SuBLime

EGOISTIC BLUE, by Mio Tennohji · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers ·
Available April 2013

BOYS, BE AMBITIOUS!, by Saburo Nagai · Rated ‘T+’ for Mature Readers · Available May 2013


“Fans will have plenty to look forward to from SuBLime in 2013 with a wide array of new titles we’re scheduling for release,” says Jennifer LeBlanc, Editor, SuBLime. “As our library continues to expand, we hope that readers will enjoy a diverse and growing selection of unique stories and characters by some of the most prominent creators and authors in the yaoi genre that will be available worldwide from SuBLime. Stay tuned as we look forward to releasing more information on each of these exciting forthcoming titles closer to their release dates!”

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website atSuBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga and Facebook atfacebook.com/SuBLimeManga.

Evil Dead: Red-Band Trailer

/
You know when will people learn not touch things that look weird, creepy or demonic. The New York Comic Con Evil Dead trailer is finally out for the public to see. Many people have seen the leak version of this trailer, however it's in HD now. This is going to be a really good remake of the Evil Dead. Mia, a young woman struggling with sobriety, heads to a remote cabin with her brother and a group of friends, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads to danger and horror.


First Grand Theft Auto 5 Art Revealed Pest Control

/

Rockstar Games have revealed the first piece of art from the upcoming action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto 5. The awesome piece, entitled "Pest Control" is basically your teaser for what's to come soon, as it came with a message from Rockstar promising lots of info coming next month on GTA5. Hopefully the jumpsuits are enough to tide you over until then.

For larger versions of the artwork, check out the official Rockstar Games site.

Otaku Band LeetStreet Boys Release 3rd Album "L3g3nds"

/
Hey Otakus! Ashley here with some Geeks Who Do Music Music News. Today the otaku band LeetStreet Boys have released there 3rd album entitled "L3g3nds." The album has 11 tracks which you can see the list below and two videos found on the official website. Legends takes otaku music to a whole new level with familiar teen anthems like “Imaginary Boys” and “Sakura,” as well as thoughtful, introspective ballads like “My Life Is An RPG” and “The Song Of Time.” The album is available for purchase on the LeetStreet Boys website as well as iTunes and other digital music stores. The price for mail-order albums is $13.37 including shipping, because the band thinks it’s a really “l33t” (1337) value and has a sense of humor!

Buy “L3g3nds” CD through the LeetStreet Boys website store!
Buy “L3g3nds” digital copy on iTunes.  


Resident 6 Updates Coming In Mid December

/

In response to player feedback, a free title update for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Resident Evil 6 will be made available in mid-December 2012. This update includes the following additions and improvements:
-          Gamers will be able to adjust the camera to give a greater field of view as best suits their play style. 

-          Subtitle options have been improved so that English language audio can be combined with subtitles in an alternative language.

-          As recently announced, Ada Wong’s campaign will be unlocked from the start and have an optional player-controlled co-op partner added. It was previously necessary to complete all three other campaigns in order to unlock Ada’s story.

-          ‘No Hope’ difficulty level will be added above the existing levels, for players who want an extreme challenge.

Japanese Horror Games You Don't Want To Miss

/
Halloween is approaching and one way I will be spending it is playing some of my favorite Japanese horror games. Now when I mean Japanese horror games, I don't mean it was particularly made by Japanese developers. I mean that the games have settings and gives you experiences of a Japanese horror movie. I have played a lot of those type of games and made a list of games you should check out this Halloween.

Fatal Frame Series (Playstation 2 & Nintendo Wii)











There is no secret that my favorite horror game series is Fatal Frame. Why? Fatal Frame was the first horror game that actually scared me. When I'm talking about scared I'm not talking about jump scares. I'm talking about not playing at all because you're scared to do it alone. This was the first game that literally made me drop the controller out of fear and turn off the system. What Fatal Frame does so well that other games attempted but fail to do is keep you tense from start to finish. In any entry of Fatal Frame whether it's 1, 2,3 or 4 you can expect the unexpected. Ghost in Fatal Frame tend to pop up randomly in the most frightening way. I remember in Fatal Frame 2 Crimson Butterfly, there was this one scare where you open the door and the ghost is right in front of you, it made me turn the game off. It's not just the scares that make Fatal Frame a can't miss series. The voice work and environment also play a big role. In the games ghost voices can be heard echoing throughout the game. They sometimes even leave radio messages which is down right disturbing. The environment is pure Japanese horror usually taking place in an old village or apartment. The developers made sure to use doors, windows and other items to advantage to make sure your fear will stick.

 Siren & Siren Blood Curse (Playstation 2 & 3)











If I was going to describe the Siren series in one word it would be underrated. The first one had okay reviews. Many people thought it was too hard, clunky controls, but it was damn good when it came to scares and sound. The third one or re-imaging Siren Blood Curse came out for the PS3 and it was amazing. An American television film crew is investigating the Legend of Haunda. The legend is a village that disappeared and is known for sacrifices of people for over 30 years. This game packs a great story of 12 chapters with different characters to use, different style of gameplay and great puzzle. Above all else this game and series is unique, scary and one hell of an underrated thriller.

 Kuon (Playstation 2)














Kuon might not be the best game. It's short and starts off slow. However it delivers in the scares and the setting is creepy. The story is what keeps you interested. You play as Utsuki or Sakuya depending on who you choose you will be either searching for your father as Utsuki. Or as Sakuya you will investigate the paranormal activity taking place. It has some real legit scares for it's short play through.

 Calling (Nintendo Wii)











I know I gave Calling an average rating. However it still has some genuine scares and it's kind of a love letter to One Missed Call, The Ring and The Grudge. It takes elements from those horror movies and makes a pretty decent story. While the gameplay can be pretty simple and basic for some hardcore horror fans. This game is still a rental that you should give a shot.

 That is my list you should be pretty busy with the entire Fatal Frame Series. However if that isn't enough Siren and Kuon will keep you busy. Other mentions are Ikenie No Yoru (Wii) and Ju-On The Grudge (Wii). Do you have any other titles the readers should know about? Leave a comment. 




Indie Game: The Movie Review

/
I' am a huge fan of documentary films and I came across this one on Netflix. It's called Indie Game: The Movie. The film follows a couple of indie game developers as they journey to create they games and release them. The story is told through the eyes of developers Jonathan Blow (Braid), Phil Fish (FEZ), Edmund Mcmillen and Tommy Refenes (Super Meat Boy). The film is truly a must watch for any fan of gaming, or a indie game developer. This film took me by surprise, because I wasn't expecting it to be powerful in the emotional sense. 

 Directors Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky did a magnificent job of not only showing how these developers created they games. They made sure to depict the struggles, the achievements and criticism that comes with being an indie game developer. The film has great interviews from the developers showing you the journey from beta phase to final product. Fans of Super Meat Boy and Braid will see original concept art, first ideas that was scrapped, unfinished products and more. Hardcore gamers might have they feathers ruffle with the developers views on certain games. It might come off as narcissistic to some people but I applaud the fact they didn't sugarcoat they views. 

 Overall the film excels on depicting it's subject matter, showing you the up's and downs of being an indie game developer, from the financial struggles, balancing your relationships with lovers, family and friends. If you're thinking of going the indie route, you might want to check out how these guys did it. The film is not only a great documentary, but a true life underdog story of people who chose to stick to the passion and freedom of expression to get they dreams realized. 

Final Grade  -

New York Comic Con 2012 Wrap Up

/
Recorded on Sunday October 21st 2012. Justin, Sean, Nathaniel and J.P. from 8BitDrum (http://www.8bitdrum.com/) discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of New York Comic Con 2012. This is no holds barred, uncensored, tell it like it is wrap up. This was originally going to be a video that is why you hear us referencing video. This recorded before the new episode of The Walking Dead so we took a break. Enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly and our thoughts. Running time: 1 hour 20 mins. 

Rin: Daughter Of Mnemosyne Review

/
Rin Asōgi may look like an ordinary office lady on the outside but she is actually a private investigator taking on any jobs, from finding a stray cat to infiltrating a high-security corporate lab. What's more, she appears literally indestructible, supernaturally healing any injuries and mutilations. Together with her partner Mimi, Rin delves into the darkest secrets of the society but the ones she hides herself are by far more sinister...

A Retro Game Look Back At Cowboy Bebop (Playstation)

/
Cowboy Bebop is a scrolling shooter which bears striking similarities to Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Famicom). The player controls Spike Spiegel's Swordfish II from a third person perspective. Each level involves chasing another ship (the bounty head) along a set track through different environments, while enemies (spaceships, robots, etc.) attack. Each stage ends with a boss battle, confronting your target.

Iron Man 3 Official Trailer

/
It's finally here the long waited trailer for Iron Man 3. I must say it looks way darker than the previous installments and I like that. Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?


Music Monday: Top 5 Singles On Oricon Chart For Week 42

/
It's Music Monday and we are going to be doing things a little bit different. Starting today we will be counting down the top five singles on the Oricon Chart every Monday. This week top five comes from artist ClariS, Morning Musume, Shinee, The Yellow Monkey and Fukuyama Masaharu.





Interview With Michael J. Bassett

/
We sat down with Michael J. Bassett the writer and director of Silent Hill Revelation 3D.  We talk about how he approach the sequel and more.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: What were some challenges to approaching this sequel? The last movie was 5 to 6 years ago.

 Michael J. Bassett: You really have to go to Silent Hill 3 and say okay Sheryl in the game is Sharon in the movie so it's not totally confusing.What did she become? For me she became Heather. Why is she Heather? What is the continuation of her story and how can we conclude that? The writing was the hardest part. I have to make a sequel to the first movie so it g can make sense. Then tie in the ending from the first movie with the Christopher Da Saliva character, and explain how he gets back to Silent Hill. Then I take the story from Silent Hill 3 and adapt that so it makes sense for the sequel and still cater to an audience who never played the game. I hope that I made all those things work.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: Did you ever play the games?

 Michael J. Bassett: I like the games. I'm a huge fan of the games. It's one of the first games I played that made me said wow this is cinematic. It really made me get engaged in a emotional way. I'm following a character's story, playing the narrative and love having the shit scared out of me at the same time. Konami did an amazing job with the series.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: Are there any characters, locations and scenes veterans of Silent Hill will recognized?

 Michael J. Bassett: A pure hardcore gamer will beat me up for putting Pyramid Head in this one, because he comes from game 2 and not game 3. However he is in the first movie and it will be hard to pretend that he doesn't exist anymore. I use Pyramid in a way that I feel is appropriate for Heather's psychological situation. In the game world the mythology of Silent Hill is Pyramid is a corruption of the executioner. If you watch the movie that is used and he has a purpose. In terms of scenes and locations there are a handful things I took from the game that will have gamers say hey I played that.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: How did you select the monsters you would use in the movie?

 Michael J. Bassett: You try to select the monsters that will be appropriate for the story. At one point Heather goes to asylum because she is going to see Leonard. In the game you only see Leonard as the monster, but I wanted to see the human personification of Leonard. So I called Michael Mcdowell and if anyone who was going to get Leonard it would be him. Heather is in asylum and there was surgery being done on brains, so we created a brain monster. The brain monster is a creature that is absolutely brilliant. The guy whole brain is exposed, no face, broken mouth with teeth all over the place. It's a great scene.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: You choose to limit the use of CGI why?

 Michael J. Basset: I always go practical compare to CGI and that's kind of an ego thing, because I want to control it. The moment I have an actor even if it's a guy in a monster suit, I can stand there and show them what to do. In the digital world I would have to say this is a tennis ball and it will be scary eventually please act accordingly. I prefer to have things actually like there. See that guy standing at 10 feet he has a big sword in his hand and if you don't get away fast something bad is going to happen *laughs*. It gives a better performance for the actors. I' am a old school kind of guy. 

 OtakusandGeeks.com: Will you revisit Silent Hill again?

 Michael J. Basset: I think we closed the Heather story. I would like to start telling my own stories of Silent Hill. The graphic novels have already started that, there is one that is set in the old west of Silent Hill. I would love to make a really low budget one, which has that kind of full sexual perversity that Silent Hill brings that you can't do in mainstream movies. Will I go back to Silent Hill you bet ya.