ILM Celebrates it's 35th Birthday With Documentary

Industrial Light and Magic is and has been one of the biggest mainstays in special effects since it began three and a half decades ago. That is undoubtedly true.

Now, to celebrate year number thirty-five, ILM and cable channel Encore have come up with a look at the house that George (Lucas) built in a one hour special titled 'Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible' which will air on Encore at 9:00pm this November the 12th. It's going to air a few more times that weekend with a special five pack of ILM films to cap off the whole thing on the 14th.

Cool stuff all around. ILM has had it's hand in so many of the best sci-fi stuff ever that it's hard to even remember them all, the special will showcase a bunch of them as well as be chock full of interviews with some pretty heavy hitters (Lucas, Spielberg, Howard, Sam Jackson... big names)

Read on for the full Pressy-

Musings: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Spider-Man has had a far better history than most superheroes in the realm of gaming. Just a brief mental stroll down memory lane brings up thoughts of the original Playstation Spider-Man (you don't just play it... you live it!) and it's sequel-  excellent games both. Go a little further back and you'll want to remember the fun but shallow SNES titles and the amazing (wink) Genesis/Sega CD game.

Sure the X-Men have had some good ones too and Batman had the sublime Arkham Asylum just last year, but Spidey stands out from all of them. Even with the recently meh Web of Shadows, his VG resume bests most other heroes. And now we get Shattered Dimensions.

I really liked this game.

Star Wars Movies to be Re-Released... in 3D

Okay well... the first question is 'how?' The movies were never intended to be shown in 3D and weren't filmed that way- even the 'new' ones are just regular old fashioned films. I think the second question is 'why?'

Everyone's seen these movies dozens of times and to drop them back into theatres again... maybe it's just me. And one more thing (Now I feel like Steve Jobs)-  the movies will be released in order. 'In order' means #1 through #6. So the whole 3D love fest will kick off with none other than everybody's least favorite episode- The Phantom Menace.

Boom.

Star Wars dot com

Nintendo's Upcoming Gold Mine Gets Official

The 3DS is looking great, Nintendo had a press conference yesterday that outlined their plans as far as the Japanese launch goes and so far it's looking like a fantastic assortment of games and a very nice little piece of hardware.

First things first, the 3DS has no North American or European release date yet- the land of the rising sun will see it on March 11th 2011. Yep, that's right- no 3DS for you this Holiday Season. Personally (and I know a lot of people think I'm nuts) I'm still predicting a global launch for the console. If not day and date with the Asian release, then only a few days or maybe a week after for the rest of the markets.

I just don't see them doing this kind of old school japan first thing with the 3DS, there's way to much money to be made- and way too big of an impression to be made. So I don't see it, could easily be wrong since Nintendo has a history of being a little unchanging in their thinking (like with HD), but I don't think so.

Anyway, after the break you'll see some new Resident Evil screens that you may not have seen before and some you definitely haven't seen before as Capcom announces a second RE for the 3D portable.

Some little flickers:

• Japanese price tag? 250 USD
• There will be a transfer feature allowing you to move over DLC from your DSi to the 3DS
• There's a Virtual Console. Done cheering yet? It'll feature GameBoy and GameBoy Color games to start, but I have to imagine they'll expand that. Game Gear games anyone?

PSN Update -- 'Sight for Sore Eyes' edition

This can't possibly be- It's flat out impossible.

And yet it is... PSOne classics have returned! Rise from your grave!!!11!!1

Okay, so this week we get Tomb Raider (the original). Hey wait a sec... wasn't Tomb Raider out already? Yeah... it was... so it's free for Plus subscribers now. Oh. So there still aren't any new PSOne games huh? Well that's just great.

Read on for some nice price drops (but no classics)- oh ModNation Racers, does no one love you!?!

SEGA Surprises at ComiCon

Thor: God of Thunder will most definitely be at the NY ComiCon next month. You probably knew that already, what with the movie coming up in the Summer of '11 and all, but what you might not have figured on is seeing the game of the film as well.

I'm actually a pretty big Thor fan so here's to hoping that SEGA can break the cycle of the cursed movie game- it does look promising so far so I guess we'll see. *crosses fingers*

In other SEGA news- they'll be showing something brand new and unannounced for 'next-gen platforms'. Color me intrigued.

The Walking Dead Come to NY Comicon (NSFW)

This lovely little video came shambling into my inbox today- thought I'd share. The Walking Dead comic series has more fans than you can shake a severed arm at so I figure there might be more than a few who'd love to know that AMC will be holding a panel at the NY edition of ComiCon.

The Con will be held at the Javitz convention center in Manhattan from October 8th through the 10th (Friday through Sunday) with the TWD panel taking place on Sunday at 2:15pm. There will be series stars as well as Mr. Frank Darabont in attendence- they'll also be showing full scenes from the show for the first time anywhere. Don't miss it!

'The Walking Dead' premieres on AMC on Halloween Night (appropriate) at 10pm

GoG Returns After Not Being Gone

Maybe they should call it MaGog? (Read a book!!!)

Just in case anybody actually believed that classic game download site Good old Games had actually shut down, they're back. basically they just shut down the site (it's still down- there's a message for fans till tomorrow morning) so they could 'go gold'. For anyone who's never visited the site, it's actually been in a beta phase for it's entire two year life.

The 'going out for business' style stunt has angered quite a few GoG-ites though- hopefully they'll get over it. GoG is a great little service that I've used a couple times myself and I'd hate to see it suffer because of a little miscalculation in humor.

Let me give them a little plug- they'll have Baldur's Gate when they re-open. Good?

Nintendo Download -- 'and we're back' edition

Actually, I'm referring to me since I'm just settling in back here after a little break- but the saying goes for Nintendo as well since we actually get a Virtual Console game this week!

Don't get too excited, it's Aero the Acrobat 2.

Oh and PS- I left the format errors in because I thought it was funny. NOT AT ALL because I'm lazy. No. Sir.

GameCenter Launches for the iPhone/iPod Touch

After a fairly quick update, Game Center will grace your iDevice with it's oddly implemented presence. Why oddly, you ask? Because there's not much that's compatible with it right now, I answer.

I actually have a lot of titles on my phone (shock D:) but only the original Pac Man works with GC. It's not even Championship Edition for God's sake!

After a very brief play of ol' Paccy, I had a few achievements. Yes achievements, I know it's shameless. Collecting 'cheevos on the iPhone is just as strangely satisfying as it is on the Xbox though, I just wish Apple had made sure there were more games that offered them before they launched.

Edit: I just saw that Real Racing by Firemint works too.

Dead Rising 2: Case 0 Shambles Past LIVE Records

Developer Capcom is overjoyed today as they announced that their Xbox LIVE exclusive game-let prologue for Dead Rising 2- Case 0 -has broken all records for LIVE downloads, thus proving the old adage that quality counts.

For what it's worth I have yet to even fire my DLC'd copy up but the game looks great. I'm thinking it must say something that I downloaded a game that I knew I wouldn't have time to actually play and probably won't until just before DR2 drops at the end of the month.

Take a victory lap Capcom, the rest of you might as well jump for the pressy-

Knights in the Nightmare for PSP Just Got More Interesting

Actually it just got a lot more interesting- if you pick up the new remade RPG for the PSP this November the 9th, you'll get a copy of Yggdra Union (also for the PSP) for the tidy sum of 0 dollars American.

YU, if you don't know the game (and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't), is an RPG that originally was released on the Gameboy Advance- then later for the PSP. It's a little bit of a niche game but then so is KitN.

Either way, it's a hell of a deal. Release after the break-

PSN Update -- 'Ghost of PSPlus' edition

IF you are a Playstation Plus subscriber, you actually get something good this week in the PSN update- the God of War: Ghost of Sparta demo. Yes you too can be shockingly angry and hack'n'slash ('n'leap) your way through a reasonable facsimile of ancient Greece.

Actually, I really enjoyed the first GoW for the PSP and I have no reason to expect anything other than another fine outing with the new one. You know what? I think Chains of Olympus is my favorite God of War. I've never played the third (just lost interest in it) but from the other two games... yeah, it's my fave.

Well, anyway, that was a bit of a digression- there's really not much else to be had in this update. I really think the PSOne classics have been quietly retired. I mean, what the hell?!?

Lots of DLC Today for Some Really Good Games... and One Stinker

New adventures await for your favorite Bioware titles as Dragon's Age gets it's 'Witch Hunt' and Mass Effect 2 gets 'Lair of the Shadow Broker'.

In addition Transformers fans can download some new maps and characters (Zeta Prime and Dead End) in the War for Cybertron.

And then there's a new level for Naughty Bear. I have to give developer 505 Games a nod for still going ahead with their DLC plans even though the game has been less than stellar in the critic department and not that great in the area of sales either. Good show ladies and gents.

Too bad the game stinks.

Official Word on Duke Nukem Forever

I have no objectivity about DNF at all. None.

Seriously, I'm not even going to pretend.

There's a press release and some promo art after the break. Go read it while I dig out my old Duke action figures-

Duke Nukem Forever at PAX?!? Always bet on Duke-

joystiq is reporting just that the amazingly long awaited (and recently canceled) Duke Nukem Forever is at the Penny Arcade Expo game show- well, actually a former joystiq-er Dustin Burg is reporting that. There's also been a picture tweeted by 3D Realms (Duke's daddy's) head George Broussard of pigs flying- he said that's when duke forever would be released. Add to that mysterious pics of the Duke logo and swirling rumors of Gearbox taking over development and there's plenty of cause to get excited.

Please Gearbox, dear God please, as a big Duke fan- please surprise me! make the damn game!

Edit: Holy crap it's real 
Edit Again: EEEEEEEEEE! (that's me screaming like a schoolgirl)

Oddworld (sorta) Returns

The classic Xbox game Oddworld Stranger's Wrath, first released back in 2005, will be re-released as a Playstation Network exclusive at some point down the line- Edit: Tentative download date is Q1 of 2011

This is great news for fans of the series that haven't seen a new entry since O:SW first came out- Playstation gamers in particular haven't seen an Oddworld game since Abe's Exodus (1998)! As I remember (I've never played the game), Stranger's Wrath didn't really bowl anybody over but became a bit of a cult classic. Although with a meta score of 88, it must not have been that bad.

Even less 'that bad'  will be all new bonus material for the fans, remastered graphics, Move support (!), and more. Not announced were the inclusion of Trophies, but I can't imagine it won't have any. That would just be odd. *ahem*

Pressy after the jump-

Crackdown 2 Expands With the Toy Box

The Toy Box pack basically adds a load of new... toys to the game.  The best part? Toy Box is free. F.R.E.E Free... sort of.

See, you get the new level 6 ability (vertical flight), the Keys to the City package of goodies, and the Vehicle Tag mode. But there's new vehicles, weapons, avatar awards, and 'cheevo's to be had here as well. And that'll cost ya' pal- 560mspts to be exact.

Full description of all of the above after the break.

...560? Where's they pull that number out of?

Xbox Snippits

Just some quick flickers here to update on a few things:

• Dead Rising Case 0 is now available for 400mspts, which doesn't sound right. Seems like not enough gouging.
• The Minerva's Den add on for Bioshock 2 is out on Live as well for 800mspts and features a brand new single player adventure in a brand new area of Rapture. Yes please.
• The Xbox 360 control pad has been outed as a Transformer! The actual pad, which is the only bad thing about the controller in it's current state, will be replaced on the new model (which only comes in silver and only comes in a $70 play 'n' charge kit) with a pad that swivels and rises into a classic Nintendo-like 'plus'. One thing bothers me- why wasn't this the standard pack-in for the Xbox 360 s?
• Microsoft is raising the subscription fees for Live. Here's a summary. I get why, everything goes up- I'm sure something related to running the service costs more now than it did in 2005 -but still. 
• Speaking of Live, there's a rumor going around that there will be a Playstation Plus-like addition to the standard Live service next year that will run around $100 a year. If that happens, I would expect the standard 'gold' level to drop to $20/$25. It was once whispered that Live was going to drop fees all together but at this point I think that's a pipe dream.

F3AR Developers Diary

I'm a big fan of the Fear series- I don't really think that any other game franchise comes close to what developer Monolith has been able to achieve with it right now. Maybe that's why, despite how good everything looks, I've been a little apprehensive about getting too excited about the Fear 3.

In case you don't know, Monolith has partnered with Day 1 Studios- the idea being that the two houses can blend their talents and improve upon an already great series. The bottom line for me is that this seems like a recipe for disaster. I could see all kinds of problems popping up as ideas get shot down left and right. This video helps a little, making it seem like they have a pretty good handle on things.

Hope so.

Video Games | F.E.A.R. 3 | UK Spreading the F.E.A.R. Diary

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Just a suggestion for Monolith, how about another Blood? Love that game.

New 'Lord of the Rings: the War in the North' screens

One of the newest games to hold the license for the beloved LotR franchise, the War in the North seems to be doing a lot of things right.

From the RPG-ish feel to the bloody realtime combat, it's really shaping up to be a Lord of the rings game that fans can really get behind. That's something we haven't seen since the Two Towers and Return of the King games on last gen consoles- which, while great action romps, weren't exactly deep.

Read on for screens a some WitN fun facts-