HOTTER IN HOLLYWOOD

The Garden of Eden with a Touch of Grimm Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

This week saw the release of two great and very different games, both of which all gamers and non gamers should take the time to check out!

First up is PixelJunk Eden from Qgames, which delivers you into the world of the psychedelic gardens of Eden, where you are given the task of bringing the garden to life by collecting pollen and nurturing the flowers, I know it may sound strange, but trust me once you get your hands on it you will understand how beautiful and fun it is in its simplicity, and once you do you will find yourself going back again and again.

VERBINSKI HEADS BACK OUT TO SEA Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

Gore Verbinski on Set

Gore Verbinski the director of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, has
signed on to helm Universal's film BioShock, which is based on Take-Two's
award winning video game of the same name.

BioShock is in good hands, as Verbinski is a big supporter of video game
storytelling and has proved his worth in creating a blockbuster. Verbinski
said "I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that's cleverly unveiled
to players is just brimming with cinematic potential," and "Of all the
games I've played, this is one that I felt has a really strong narrative."

For all of those who have not got to play this story rich game, check out
the video to get a feeling of the game and an idea of what the movie
should bring.

*video contains violent content.

Capitalism RULES!! Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

April 29th saw the release of possibly the biggest video game of the year,
and that game was Take-Two and Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV. Now a
week later we are finally getting sales numbers in and they have shattered
all records held in the past.

Grand Theft Auto IV has sold 6 million units worldwide in the first week
generating roughly $500 million dollars!! The first day sales alone hit
3.6 million units totaling sales of $310 million in just that day!

So its easy to see why Take-Two has been quick to point out that, "Grand
Theft Auto IV's first week performance represents the largest launch in
the history of interactive entertainment, and we believe these retail
sales levels surpass any movie or music launch to date" said Take-Two
chairman Strauss Zelnick.

Beat of a Different Drum Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

The Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) has been gaining momentum in the past months and the momentum continues to grow to the beat of a drum! And on that drum beat marches Patapon, a rhythm based game combined with the best elements of strategy and a touch of role playing, all brought to life through an amazing retro art style.

In a land filled with fierce monsters and the evil Zigoton army, you must take control of the war drum to lead and inspire your brave Patapon’s so that they can finally make it to Earthend and find “IT”.

For a game that would generally command a $39 price point, Patapon has marched into retail stores with a price tag of just $19.99!!! So if you are a portable gamer and your PSP has been gathering dust lately, run out
and pick up Patapon, you will not regret it! And if you have never picked up a Sony PSP, Patapon is a great way to get into the world of portable gaming!

Toshiba nails the coffin shut! Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

This morning brought the official announcement from Toshiba (the original creator of HD-DVD) that they have “decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD-DVD players and recorders.” though Toshiba will continue to “provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD-DVD products.”

So this may upset early adopters in the format war with Blu-ray, the writing has been on the walls for months as, as major Hollywood studios and retailers have been jumping ship in favor of full support for the Sony developed Blu-ray, which is the heart of Sony's Playstation 3.

+ Toshiba Press Release

Spielberg Debuts Boom Blox!!! Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

The first game to come out of the Spielberg/EA collaboration is heading to the Wii console this May!! It is great to see two powerhouses in the entertainment industry come together to create a new vision of the puzzle genre. Boom Blox which will feature over three hundred high energy levels, a variety of activities, and supported by a cast of over thirty fun characters. On top of that we will get an easy to use in game editor to create our own zany levels which should provide limitless entertainment and torment of our friends on those Wii game nights!

Spielberg said “My inspiration for this game came while I was playing the Wii for the first time." "From the initial concept to what the game is today, it’s always been built around the innovations the Wii brings to playing games. BOOM BLOX plays on the enjoyment of building and knocking down blocks, something that can appeal innately to kids and adults of all ages.”

Sounds and looks like great fun to me!! Now I'm awaiting info on the very secret XBOX360/PS3 game which will feature sci-fi elements, a deep story and compellingly rendered characters that Spielberg says he wants the player to feel deeply for them and their outcome.

Big Lines for Smash Brothers in Japan! Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

Thanks to Famitsu.com for the photos

Yesterday saw the release of Super Smash Brothers Brawl (featuring characters from across the Nintendo universe and beyond) for the NintendoWii. And as predicted, it has drawn huge but orderly lines this morning
across Tokyo and all of Japan. As of 10:00 A.M., Yodabashi Camera shop in Akihabara had over 500 people (one of the largest video game retailers in Tokyo)! Even with an expected shortage it seems that quanities held up fairly well, though there are doubts that if Japanese gamers did not get their hands on it today,they may not find it for awhile. Now for all of us on this side of the Pacific we have to wait till March 9th to get our brawl on!!

Money, Money, Moneyyyy!!! Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

Assassins' Creed

The NPD Group just recently released the 2007 non PC earning figures for the interactive industry, and as predicted it was a banner year. All of this in a year of endless slowing economy reports and miserable holiday retail sales for the major department stores, the one bright spot is the interactive industry which shot up 43% over 2006 with earnings hitting $17.94 billion dollars!!!

HALO 3

Here is a quick overview:
Video Games: $17.94 billion... +43%
Video Games Hardware: $7.04 billion... +54%
Console Hardware: $5.12 billion... +73%
Portable Game Hardware: $1.92 billion... +19%
Video Game Software: $8.64 billion... +34%
Console Software: $6.64 billion... +39%
Portable Game Software: $2.00 billion... +18%
Video Game Accessories: $2.26 billion... +52%

Resident Evil: Degeneration Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

The zombie will never die! Back in October I reported that a new feature length CG film of Resident Evil, based on the video game of the same name was in development in at Capcom of Japan and to be distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan for a 2008 release. And now with the release of the first trailer we are getting a great glimpse into the direction of the film (starring fan favorites characters, Chris and Claire Redfield) and the overall feel of another journey into the zombie apocalypse.

Resident Evil: Degeneration Trailer

Size Does Matter! Hot Geeks by Shane Boucher

OLED and what is it? With CES 2008 having just wrapped, I thought it was a good time to talk about the HOT new kid on the block of TV displays and explain how it works and when it will be available for our living rooms.

OLED or Organic Light-Emitting Diode is a new flat panel technology that is made up of several thin layers of organic films to which an organic compound is then “printed” in columns and rows resulting in the individual pixels of the display. When an electrical current is applied the “printed” organic pixel matrix can emit light of different colors.

The biggest benefit of OLED over traditional LCD and Plasma displays is OLED’s do not require a backlight to function, which means they draw far less power and can even be battery operated, while still delivering a true HD picture, with greater brightness and contrast ratios of up to 1,000,000:1!

Another big benefit of OLED is the size; the first models that have been shown are just 3mm thick!!! Not only are they able to be super thin, but OLED’s can also be flexible while still maintaining the picture quality.