Steve's THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Statue Collection Photos

Hey, I woke-up this morning and these pics were in my email! A Fan of the BAT-BLOG, named Steve, was kind enough to share some photos of the beginning of his DARK KNIGHT RISES Collection. So far he has a few Statues from both THE DARK KNIGHT ( Batman and The Joker )and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES( Busts of Batman, Bane, and Catwoman ), a Framed Batarang Display, and a Tumbler Batmobile...AWESOME!!

I appreciate it when people share their love of the character and the joys of collecting. Really, this is what this site is all about!! ( Thanks Steve )

New BATMAN, RIDDLER, and TWO-FACE Tattoo Art!!

OK, these photos sent in by a Bat-Blog Fan are not the completed Tattoo Artwork, but more along the lines of showing "a work in progress". There is still some more coloring to do but so far it's all looking really good! As you can see, he has Batman, Riddler, and Two-Face. Also, this Bat-Ink is being done by Citrus City Tattoo. Good work guys!

BATMAN RAP VIDEO - Haircut Design Inspired by The Dark Knight Rises

Check out this crazy cool BATMAN-THEMED HAIR CUT Video. Oh yeah, it's got an excellent rap music soundtrack too!

NEW BATMAN TOYS - 2012 Hot Wheels THE BAT in Stores Now!

This is a quick post to share this cool photo of a new BATMAN toy. I have not been on the retail hunt in a long time but this 2012 Hot Wheels "Car" of THE BAT, from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES movie, is on evil eBay so I guess it's out now. Man, I really need to get out of the house, ha!

Bioware's Mass Effect 3 Money Making Machine starts its engine

Bioware's Mass Effect 3 Money Making Machine starts its engine.
What with everyone complaining about actually having to pay for DLC I thought I'd be cheeky and point out that the Mass Effect cash cow has begun to be milked. Bioware has announced some 'pre-order goodies':
"Prepare for the Reaper invasion today and secure your pre-order gear! Shrug off enemy fire with the N7 Defender Armor and its amplified shields then drop the opposition with high caliber fire from the N7 Valkyrie Assault Rifle. When the enemy has overwhelming numbers bring the M55 Argus Assault Rifle into battle and unleash rapid-fire bursts to even the odds. If the enemy gets too close, stop them dead with the AT12 Raider Shotgun and its superior firepower"
SO will you be shelling out some coin?
Here's the AT12 Raider Shotgun as used in game:

FAQ on the pre-order from Bioware

Is the M55 Argus Assault Rifle included with the N7 Warfare Gear and Origin pre-order packs?

Yes, the M55 Argus Assault Rifle is a channel wide offer and available to everyone who pre-orders.

I don't have a GameStop or EB Games in my country, where can I get the N7 Warfare Gear?

A full breakdown of regions and availability of pre-order offers is coming soon. You can also check with your local retailer for more information about available pre-order offers.

If I already pre-order the N7 Collector's Edition, do I have to pre-order again to receive the pre-order items?

No, if you have already pre-ordered your pre-order will rollover and you will be automatically granted the items.

How do I unlock the items once I have pre-ordered?

Redemption methods may vary depending on platform and region. Please check with your retailer on how to redeem your pre-order content.

When will the pre-order content be available?

The pre-order items will be available on March 6th when Mass Effect 3 releases.

The Prodigal Son Returns?

The Asexual Sheppard

Here's a really interesting perspective of sex in the Mass Effect realm from a person who describes themselves as asexual.
"Back when Mass Effect 2 was a few days from release, I loaded up a New Game Plus of my main career to make all the choices I wanted to stick with me for the sequel. It was going so well, until I discovered I had said one friendly thing too many to Liara and hadn't the time for a do-over. And so I was left with making one uncharacteristic Renegade dialogue option after another to deter the poor, virginal asari, who was only trying to help and didn't realize I was genuinely uninterested in having sex with her.

The infamous dialogue trees in the Mass Effect franchise preceed it. Bioware's Ray Muzyka calls it "emotional engagement." I call it "treating sex as the ultimate stage of a relationship." I'm not against participating in game romances; as much as I feel we burden the two franchises by constantly comparing Mass Effect and Dragon Age, it's true the two are siblings and yet one has vastly different ideas on relationships than the other. Dragon Age portrays romantic relationships which unfold over time, which deepen, and which face challenges. Sex is generally a part of that, but never to the extent it seems like the raison d'etre of pursuing some companionship in Mass Effect.

"Why so uptight?" you might be wondering. "Are you a prude or something?" Good thing you asked. For a while I thought that that was exactly where my discomfort stemmed from, although it didn't line up with the rest of what I thought I knew about myself. It took some lengthy self-discovery to realize that I just don't place sex and love in remotely the same category, and that I was hurting trying to convince myself I felt otherwise.

I categorize myself as panromantic asexual. I once described this on my blog as being "a hands-off Jack Harkness." I feel no compunctions about forming emotional relationships with people but I'm not interested in sex."
Read the rest of the article here

Sheppard's Back On Duty

I'm a little late to the party but I spied this 'captain's log' from Commander Sheppard from the Bioware Blog - it appears to be some kind of promo for the upcoming ME3 game. There's some interesting clues as to how things might be on the Normandy during the game too!Off DutyMy squad piles into the shuttle at the end of a tough mission. A turian squad got pinned down by Reaper forces after their mission went horribly wrong. My team and I saved as many as we could.After a quick debrief with my superiors, I, Commander Shepard, am officially off duty.Diplomacy and De-stressFirst things first: we've got some important diplomatic visitors aboard the Normandy as we try to coordinate war efforts between the Alliance and the Turian Empire. I talk with each of them, and hear their reactions to what happened on our latest mission.While they're important to the war effort, these kinds of talks always stress me out a little - a galactic war will do that. I head up the Normandy's cockpit to see Joker. He tosses off a sarcastic remark about the turians I saved on my last mission, which at least lets me know that somebody else understands what I'm going through.As I'm leaving, the comm specialist tells me I've got new messages. I check my mail and read a thank-you from some civilians we rescued. I also get a note from someone who wants me to come visit them on the Citadel, as well as something from James saying he'd like to talk in private. I file that away for later, then chat with the comm specialist, a technical expert who doesn't have much experience serving on the front lines. After making sure she's doing all right, I'm ready to see what's happening on the rest of my ship.Crew and QuartermasterI head to the lower decks to check in with the crew. I talk with Garrus, who's understandably upset about the turian soldiers who didn't make it on that last mission. I then check on Liara, and find her chatting with Joker over the intercom. At least I think they're chatting - she seems pretty frazzled, but that happens to most people after they talk with Joker. After getting him to lay off her, I head out.I stop by the quartermaster and my work bench. I really liked how my assault rifle handled on the last mission, but my shotgun felt weak. I buy a new weapon mod that should give it more stopping power, along with another upgrade mod that should improve its penetration next time I'm up against something with heavy armor. I tinker a bit more on some pistols - I don't use them, but Liara does - and buy a few cheaper things from the store. I make a note to buy a few expensive things next time I'm on the Citadel - it's cheaper to buy direct when I've got the time. Then I tune up my armor a bit; I've been getting up close and personal on recent missions, so I add some armor pieces that'll help in close combat.Home Sweet HomeFinally, I head up to my cabin, turn on some music, and check on my fish. James wanted to talk, so I invite him up, and we shoot the breeze about something he understandably didn't want to discuss in public.Where to now? I could head to the Citadel and meet that contact. I could explore a system that recently fell under Reaper control; if I'm lucky, I could evacuate more civililans from enemy territory. Honestly, though, all that will still be there after the next mission, and I'm really ready to check out that new shotgun mod.Looks like I'm back on duty.

Why not allowing second hand games to run on the new Xbox would be plain wrong.

Why not allowing second hand games to run on the new Xbox console would be plain wrong.

Kotaku is suggesting that the new version of the Xbox will potentially not allow used or second hand games to be played on the console. While closed units and IPR rights and DRM is all the rage in some quarters, it would seem to be a shitty move by Microsoft if they are trying to stamp out trading in second hand games .

Their motive of course would be enourage the purchase of new games either off the shelf from bonafide retailers or by download through the XBL service (which also would encourage the purchase of gold XBL member accounts).

And that's fine. Microsoft is there to make money.

Publishers are there to make money too. That's why you have to pay for DLC - and if DLC is free, you can be sure that there's a marketing incentive behind it (such as goodwill to fans to keep a community active etc).

What I do not like is Microsoft's attempt to thwart something that is perfectly legal - in NZ where I live for instance, it is perfectly legal to sell second hand software. In the form of an Xbox game, it is absolutely legal to sell your copy of Halo 3 to the kid down the street.

Arguments about raising revenue aside, there should be no other reason to prevent such a transaction from occurring if it's a genuinely legal activity.

All this huffing and puffing is of course only a short term concern as it's bloody obvious we're heading to a 'download' only gaming world - it's just hard to say how long it will take us to get there? NZ is soooo far behind in the internet world we still have very low data caps so downloading full games is out of the question.

In the end, I suspect Kotaku's sources will be full of crap and if there is some kind of intiative, it will be more along the lines of tying a game to an account in some fashion. The mind boggles.

What's your view? Should Microsoft block second hand games from running on the new Xbox console?

Adrienne Curry as Princess Leia from ROTJ

Top Model and gaming fanatic Adrienne Curry loves to dress up as her favourite characters - she's done the Wonder Woman and the Silk Spectre - here's Curry as the 'Slave Princess Leia' from The Return of the Jedi movie. Some one get Adrienne into a sci-fi movie asap!

Meet ME3's celebrity voice actors

Here's some promotional work from the celebrity actors of ME3 - only the stars, not the key players ;)

Martin Sheen
Freddie Prinze
Tricia Helfer
Seth Green

Jessica Chobot to appear as a reporter in ME3

Jessica Chobot as Diana Allers in ME3

In one of the most blatant moves in recent gamer history to get the fan boys on board (other than having Tricia Helfer appear as EDI?), the wise counsel of Mass Effect 3 producers haved decided to add IGN pin-up gal, Jessica Chobot a role in the ME3 game. She's to play reporter Diana Allers in the campaign. I'm sure Jessica will be a popular feature of the game.

Sylvia Feketekuty likes her Electric Six

Here's an interview from the Bioware Blog with one of the ME3 writers. Enjoy. Who are you and what is your role at BioWare?My name is Sylvia Feketekuty, and I'm a writer. I'm responsible for story, dialogue, and game-related text. (The latter might include anything from signs in the Citadel to weapon descriptions to news stories set in the Mass Effect universe.) My first big game at BioWare will be Mass Effect 3.What is the best part about your job?The best part of my job is that this is basically what I've wanted to do since I was five.I always get a thrill from seeing something I've written brought to life better than I could ever imagine. That's due to the hard work of our cinematic designers, audio artists, editors, voice actors, composers, and a lot of other departments. Everyone on these big creative projects tends to go on about how great it feels to work with dedicated, passionate people, but that's because it's so true. It's hard to describe the energy when that collaborative process is in full swing, but there's nothing else like it.What does an average day look like for you?It changes depending on what stage the project is in. Some of the things I've done during Mass Effect 3's development: brainstorm story pitches, write dialogue, rewrite dialogue, look through high-level feedback, meet with level designers to iterate on that feedback, play test, pitch ideas to devs from other departments, hunt for bugs, tweak weapon-mod descriptions, try to fix my own bugs, etc...Can you tell us about one of your proudest moments working in game development?I'm proud to have been one of the writers on "Lair of the Shadow Broker," a downloadable mission for Mass Effect 2. "Lair" was the best learning experience I could have asked for in terms of preparing to work on ME3, since it was a compressed work cycle with huge support from the rest of the team. Reading the feedback once it was released was another good learning experience. It was useful to see what resonated with different fans, what didn't, and why they thought it didn't.What's a geeky thing about you?I play a lot of pen and paper role-playing games. I started back in college, and it probably helped get me my current job. Some of my favorite systems and settings are Call of Cthulhu (both Chaosium BRP and D20 Modern), Over the Edge, Paranoia, Spirit of the Century, Unknown Armies, and D&D's Planescape. Shadowrun also has a special place in my heart as one of the first RPGs I ever played (and died horribly in).I play a lot of board games, too. My current favorite is Cosmic Encounter, an amazing game with a 34-year history. I've also fallen in love again with a quick, dice-based game called Button Men. (For any other Button Men fans out there, you can find printable versions of the players online for free. How cool is that?)Do you have any advice for those wishing to get into the video game industry?Try creating a game of your own. There's a lot of community-supported game-making software out there. Even if what you put together ends up small and basic, you'll learn a lot about working in an interactive medium. It'll really help you figure out where your strengths and interests lie. You'll also have a lot of fun, too, between the bouts of frustration. Adjust what you have to, and don't give up!I'd also encourage people to read as much as possible. Research topics you find interesting. Pick up a classic. Open up a play, or a movie script, or a travelogue if you've never checked one out before. Reading widely helps you become more creatively well-rounded, and that's a trait developers always love to see.If you weren't working in the industry, what would you be doing?Trying to get into it.What are you currently playing, reading, or listening to?Playing: Dark Souls. Also finishing up Fallout: New Vegas' Lonesome Road DLC.Reading: "Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus" by Rick Perlstein, and "The Incomplete Nifft" by Michael Shea.Listening: I've been listening to an awful lot of the Electric Six lately.

Halo 4 Master Chief has a cod piece.

So after a bit of grumbling on the internet it would appear the Master Chief of Halo 4 does have some kind of cod piece.....

ME3 Sheppard vs Reaper Wallpaper

This is some pretty epic wallpaper of Sheppard rushing down a dirt road, chasing a Reaper.

JJ Reviews: Halo Cryptum by Greg Bear

Sometimes a story has been told to death. Think any James Bond, Freddy Kruger or Jack Reacher series - all done to death and often not highly original - they become past their use by date.

Eventually someone (a right's holder looking at diminishing returns) realizes the story is stale and reboot or retelling is necessary. Or else some dark secret that was merely hinted at is explored by way of a prequel.

Queue the Halo franchise - 5 Halo games in, a series of animations, cartoons and novels have followed. Some might argue that the Halo story is reaching or has reached its use by date. Whatever you think, the story is now being split in two directions - 343 Industries think they have a new story for Halo 4 and Greg Bear has been given the task of telling a prequel story but a prequel perhaps unlike any other in that it's set 100,000 years before the age in which most people know the Halo universe.
Halo Cryptum is the first of a trilogy known as The Forerunner Saga. Pitched as being "the first deep exploration into the time of the Forerunners, the creators and builders of the Halos. Almost nothing is known for sure about this ancient race. Worshipped by the Covenant as gods, their engineering relics pepper the galaxy, and their connection to humanity remains unanswered. "

Well frankly, Cryptum raises more questions than it answers but that's OK as the plot gives a facinating glimpse into the origins of the Flood, an truly deep insight into the Forerunners and their struggles with what the presence of the Flood means for the 3 million planets that have sentient life. If you've seen Halo: Origins, that story puts Cryptum in context - this book is an exploration of the tales suggested in that story.

Thankfully, writer Greg Bear is no Alan Dean Foster of the Halo universe simply churning out the movie tie-in, his writing is tightly wound to the fabric of the Halo universe but he's been given the chance to add some real meat to the bones of the Forerunner's story which till now has only really been hinted at by the games.

He takes our antagonist 'Born Stellar' on a wonderful journey across the galaxy. Perhaps as a pawn of unseen masters, this 'manipular' interrupts the deep sleep of the Didact, a Forerunner whose knowledge of the universe could either save or perhaps destroy the galaxy. It's epic in concept but framed just right so that through the eyes of Born Stellar we see the ties of his family and the secrets within it gradually being revealed to show that the treasure he seeks is not the treasure he'll find.
A key point of plot, and spoiler alert here, is that it's revealed humans have been around much longer than the previous Halo canon has suggested - humans were once a thriving space travelling species that had fought a battle with the Flood, long before the Forerunners knew of its existence...
Cryptum also has carnivorous singing flowers which is always amusing in a science fiction novel. I named them 'Daughters of Audrey'.
As a piece of fiction, Halo: Cryptum isn't going to win the Booker Prize anytime soon, it has a slow pace in parts (save for an excellent finish involving court rooms and epic space battles), one could argue it's characters have little depth and that it's sometimes light on detail, such as lack of explanation of how some technology works.I think that above gripes can be ignored if you just want to get inside the Halo universe a bit more deeply that you might have otherwise tread by playing the games. It gives an extraordinary insight into why the Halo games are the way they are (albeit they were written first!). That said, if you've never even heard of Halo before, you should still be able to follow Born Stellar's ride quite well.
I enjoyed Cryptum an immense deal and the moment I finished it, I grabbed my laptop and ordered the second book, Primordium. I can't hardly wait for it to arrive!
Extra for Experts: Trainspotters might note that the cover of Cryptum was also used in the Halo 4 Concept Art trailer.

Infinite will have a free copy of Bioshock for Playstation version

Sony has confirmed that the Playstation 3 version of BioShock Infinite will come with a completely free copy of the original game in the series, Bioshock. That's a pretty sweet deal! I guess it's chance to draw in the punters who didn't catch Bioshock the first time around.
Given that game had one of the best plots in the history of gaming (and also provided a sneaky lesson in economic theory such as laissez faire), I recommend you get a taste of it before you get stuck into Infinite.

Bioshock Infinite has a release date

Elizabeth

Irrational Games has announced that Bioshock Infinite will arrive for purchase in America on October 16th, 2012. The rest of the world gets their hands on it three days later, the 19th.

Producer Ken Levine had this to say "After Bioshock, we had a vision for a follow up that dwarfed the original in scope and ambition...Bioshock Infinite has been our sole focus for the last four years, and we can't wait for fans to get their hands on it."

I thought the original Bioshock was amazing (would you kindly?!) and the follow up wasn't too bad either - and with a whole new ideology to contend with (some kind of variation of socialism / communism), it's sure to give the Bioshock franchise some new room to breathe!
You may have already heard that buyers of the Play Station version of the game will get a free copy of the original Bioshock game which is a bit nice eh?

Halo 4 In game shot of Master Chief!

This is the Master Chief, John 117 as he appears in game in Halo 4.

It is legit. How do we know this? Because 343 Industries's very own Vic Delone has posted on his twitter account.

How I love the Green Machine!

This is what the Master Chief looks like in Halo 4!

Someone must have needed the Master Chief because he's awake! Here's an in game campaign shot of The Big Green Guy in Halo 4. That's right Halo 4! How do we know it's legit? This guy said it is and we think he's a chap you can trust.

Want another picture of the Chief? Seeing as I'm a generous guy, here's another screenshot of the Chief! Enjoy with my sincere compliments!

The Normandy

This is a test post, but enjoy the Normandy.

Final Fantasy to have Mass Effect uniforms

Ever since I noticed Dead Planet 2 had Marcus and Dom from Gears of War turning up, there's been plenty of blatant cross promotional things in the gaming world. The latest is that Final Fantasy players will be able to adorn their characters with Commander Sheppard's Mass Effect N7 uniform.

Let's hope Final Fantasy's ending finds itself with a fan approved ending eh?

Meet the Siren from Bioshock Infinite

Here's the Siren, another of the enemies to be found in Irrational Games' Bioshock Infinite. Looks a mite scarier than the Boys of Silence eh?

Sounds like the Siren re animates people that Booker has already killed and sounds like an interesting premise!

Take your cupcakes and shove them

Bioware's protest cupcakes have arrived and they said this!

"Today, we received the 400 cupcakes you collectively sent us through your donations to express your feelings about the endings of Mass Effect 3. We want you to know; we are indeed listening to all fan response and acknowledge your feedback. We appreciate creative and thoughtful attempts like this one.

The gesture certainly gained our attention both with its creativity and deliciousness. However, while we do appreciate that fans were creative in how they expressed their views, after a lot of discussion, we decided ultimately the reason that they were sent was not done in the context of celebrating the work or accomplishment of the Mass Effect 3 team. This is a subtle, but important aspect in determining how to pass the feedback to the team.

BioWare regularly works with many deserving charities, as such it was decided that rather than passing out the cupcakes to staff or wasting good food, to donate them on behalf of our fans to a local Edmonton youth shelter. We know that for the kids that have to use this facility, something as simple as a cupcake is a rare treat and would definitely brighten up their day. Thank you to the fine folks at the local youth shelter for accepting the donation and to the fans who donated the cupcakes.

Please keep providing your feedback on Mass Effect 3, we're still listening."
-
All that sounds nice and all but I read this line:
"we decided ultimately the reason that they were sent was not done in the context of celebrating the work or accomplishment of the Mass Effect 3 team."
as a thinly veiled fuck you to the senders.
What do you think?

Mass Effect writer interview: John Dombrow

Nicked from the Bioware Blog. The cynic in me suggests this was released to take some heat off Casey Hudson but it's probably just part of Bioware's community reach programme..... either way it's a very good insight into a video game writer's frame of mind and sense of purpose.

Who are you and what is your role at BioWare?
I'm John Dombrow and I'm a senior writer on the Mass Effect 3 team.

What is the best part about your job?
Having the job! When Mass Effect 1 came out in 2007, I was a BioWare fan like so many others. I ran over to Gamestop on release day and snagged a copy because all the previews I'd seen about the game looked amazing. I remember playing it and thinking "Wow, this Garrus guy is cool" or "This Wrex guy sure is a bad-ass" and then pondering all the questions that Mass Effect 1 posed like "I wonder what's going to happen with this genophage problem?" Or "What were Protheans really like?"

So jump ahead to 2010 when I'm working on Mass Effect 3 and I got the writing assignments for bringing closure to the genophage issue, writing Wrex, writing Garrus, and writing our Prothean squadmate, Javik. And BioWare was going to pay me to do that? Wow. It was a dream come true, taking the passion I felt as a fan of Mass Effect 1 and applying it as a writer to Mass Effect 3.

What does an average day look like for you?
That depends on what stage we're at in the project. Early in Mass Effect 3's development it was all about meetings and brainstorming, trying to hash out the basics of a mission as we gradually worked our way towards a more detailed vision. All of that happened on paper. Then once we had approved mission documents and moved into production, the day was spent writing scenes, revising them, going to review meetings as the mission gradually took shape - artwork, level design, combat, cinematics, audio, VO dialogue -all of that started to work its way into the mission, getting more and more refined as we went. I'd play my missions constantly, assess what was working and what wasn't, make adjustments, and so on. Then once everything was at a more finalized state, it was all about polish and bug-fixing, ironing out the kinks, trying to make it as perfect an experience as you can. The trick is you could have several missions that were your responsibility, so you're doing all of this across multiple missions which could all be at various stages of the process. Writers at BioWare quickly learn how to juggle!

Can you tell us about one of your proudest moments working in game development?
Lately, that would be experiencing the Tuchanka genophage mission. I had spent so much time thinking about it and then writing it, that to finally see it in all its final glory, with finished cinematics, music and sound FX, was incredible. I was so proud that we'd hit all the emotional beats we had hoped to hit and successfully brought closure to a complex issue with all the characters fans had come to love. Even better, was seeing the fan reaction to the mission. As a writer you hope that maybe once in your career, no matter the medium, you'll emotionally move people, and I was so proud to see that was happening to players when they finished this mission. And I stress "we" because a mission of that size, scope, and ambition doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's a true team effort.

I had an awesome level designer, Dave Feltham, who was in sync with the story, the themes, and what the mission was all about and how to pack with all these amazing action moments. Boyd McKenzie's artwork was incredible, and then I worked with two great cinematic designers, John Ebenger and Richard Boisvert to bring the scenes alive, along with our cinematics team that handled the Reaper vs. Thresher Maw fight. Then another writer, the very talented Patrick Weekes, who had created Mordin in Mass Effect 2, got involved in shaping and writing Mordin's final goodbye in this mission to give him a proper sendoff (along with one last chance for Mordin to sing a song). Add the final touches with sound and music from our audio department, and all cylinders were firing. There's pride in that - pride in knowing you and your colleagues have brought your "A" game to the table, infused it with all your own individual talents, and created something whose sum is greater than its parts.

What's a geeky thing about you?
I like to go back once in awhile and play old Infocom text adventures. Zork, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Lurking Horror, Planetfall - I still get a kick out of them. There's something about a blank cursor waiting for you to make your move that gives you the illusion of total freedom.

Do you have any advice for those wishing to get into the video game industry?
Find what you're good at and then keep getting better at it. Whether it's writing, designing levels, creating sound FX, doing concept art - you're only as good as your product. You should play games all the time, see what works, what doesn't, and learn from the successes and failures of others. But also be realistic - you're not going to land your first job in the industry as Lead Designer. Be prepared and willing to work hard starting from the ground floor, improve your craft, and eventually you can get where you want go.

If you weren't working in the industry, what would you be doing?
Banging on the door trying to get into the industry. Failing that, when I was a kid I seriously wanted to be director of the CIA. I'm not sure why, but I had this phase where that seemed like a legitimate career goal. Now I think back and wonder - huh? What was I thinking? Because I had it all planned out - I knew how I was going to win the Cold War, which countries I'd recommend we invade, where I was going to send my spies on missions, and how I was going to read all the top secret files about UFOs.

What are you currently playing, reading, or listening to?
I'm playing Skyrim followed by more Skyrim. Very addictive game. Book-wise, I'm in the middle of reading Guillermo del Toro's third novel of his vampire trilogy, The Night Eternal. As for music - I'm pretty much a movie soundtrack guy most of the time. I find soundtracks provide the best inspiration for writing. Everything I did in Mass Effect 3 was inspired by some particular piece of movie music. And when I get tired of that, there's always the aforementioned Patrick Weekes, who will gladly burst into song and give us all a Mordin tune whenever we ask for it.

Remembering Commander Keen

Gears of Halo has been talking about Mass Effect lately but before there was the Normandy, before Eden Prime and the Geth, before Miranda Lawson and before the Reapers, and before there was Commander Sheppard there was the ultimate Commander, Commander Keen.

Billy Blaze would jump around on a pogo stick avoiding green aliens and shooting robots with his laser gun and it was the coolest thing around at the time for my thirteen / 15 year old year old self. Except maybe Lemmings....

Commander Keen taught me about looking for hints and tricks in games. A secret message there, a subtle joke there. It was very original in many facets of its workings.

Classic Tom Hall pose

A bit of of history of the game's birth tells that three men made it possible. Tom Hall, John Romero and John Carmack banded together in their 'off time' at a company called Softdisk but they eventually left to form the company ID.

I recall the first episode was shareware which was a pretty cool idea back in the day. Indeed the 3DRealms site says "The entire first episode of Keen was released to the world as shareware. The idea was that you got a good sense of what it looks like and feels like, and if you liked it, you paid for it - and obtained the remaining parts of the game"

The game was released in December 1990 "Gamers who wanted the next two levels had to pay for them - and pay they did. In January, the ID guys got their first royalty check, for approximately $10,000." They didn't look back after that.

Billy Blaze cosplay

John and Tom went on to become involved in Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake.

Those three games became genuine gaming phenomenons in their own right. I think a lot of modern games such as Halo and the like have a wee duty of debt to such games.

I see that Commander Keen is available for download on the Steam service - I'd buy the game if there was an ipad version! Can someone make that happen?

What does Massive Attack have to do with Halo 4?

Recording sessions for the Halo 4 soundtrack

What does Massive Attack have to do with Halo 4?


The link is round about in the that composer Neil Davidge is the lead composer for the Halo 4 soundtrack. David produced Massive Attacks' albums, perhaps most notably Mezzanine.

Neil Davidge

He's now landed the role of the Halo 4 composer and had this to say:

"Music has always been at the heart of what makes Halo so captivating and iconic. With Halo 4, we want to build upon the franchise's amazing legacy and create a score that captures the awe and wonder of the Halo universe, and reinforces the deeper and more emotionally impactful journey Master Chief will embark on." Which sounds like complete PR spin to me ;)
This vidoc however strongly suggests he and 343 are on the right track for Halo 4's soundtrack.





Sotaro Tojima, Audio Director for Halo 4 had this to say of Neil "When we met up, it was perfect-I discovered that he was a huge fan of the Halo series and had an equally strong passion for matching the next Halo score with his technique and experience. He was also willing and, indeed, enthusiastic to have strong communication, collaboration, and tough iteration with 343 to build something really special with Halo fans in mind. We were exactly on the same page! For me, there was no reason to look any further."
And here's a sample of the music released by 343:





What do you think? Does the music sound like Halo? Is it too different? I reckon it's it's pretty epic with some nice chord changes.

You can download a short sample track right here - thanks 343!

Sexiest Mario Brother Cos Play ever?

Has Meagan Marie pulled of the most sexiest Mario Brothers cos play costume ever? You decide if you want her to ahh... fix your pipes?

You might remember Meagan from her Anya cosplay from Gears of War outfit.

Does this Savage Grenadier remind you of any one?

So I spied on the internets some dude gave another dude a drawing and I thought, how nice. And then I looked at this picture of the 'Savage Grenadier' from the Gears of War series and I thought that's cool but what does that face remind me of? And then it hit me. It was a subtle nod to one of the worst movies in history.

The Savage Grenadier looks like Howard the Duck:

Now haters gonna hate so don't tell me he's got a cloth around his face or anything, aight?

Chuck Beaver on Gears of War " It contains atrocious, offensive violations of story basics"

"Story can only ruin a game for those people who care about story, so it's a conditional answer. For instance, Gears of War. It contains atrocious, offensive violations of story basics. Yet it doesn't seem to ruin it for many, many people. It's literally the worst writing in games, but seems to have no ill effects."
So said Chuck Beaver. Best known in the gaming industry as the story producer for Dead Space. And apparently it's causes a wee stir. Or made Cliffy B upset.
Most importantly, what's my view? I think this statement is most definitely true for the first Gears of War game. The story was bat-shit insanely loose with no fricken clear direction. To this day I still have no idea why General Raam was on that train with the so called Lightmass Bomb. Was he there to stop the bomb or kill our heroes Or both? I have no idea but he was a memorable boss ending for what it was worth. Gears 1 only became a great game because of it's look, feel, game play and full on multiplayer.
Check Beavers comment is perhaps less true for game's 2 and 3. Game 2 was mildly crazy but then again I have no idea why we had to go inside a giant worm or some secret lab who's real context in the Gears saga was never rely explained well enough in game.
I felt Gears 3 had a clear and direct purpose: find Adam Fenix and save the day.
Beaver was clearly having a discussion about qaulity writing and took the time to think back on the Dead Space story as well: "We knew so little about story back then, and overruled our writers on a lot. Dead Space was just a simple haunted house story that we later pasted a personal aspect on top of - a lost girlfriend who is really dead. Dead Space 2 was a huge challenge. All these elements from the original game that were poorly thought through, like the Marker Lore, Necro ecology, etc., had to move coherently forward into the next narrative. The first story we had was a wreck of unrelated events and broken structure, so we cut our teeth getting that into shape, and didn't fully make it. Plus, we got lost a bit in complicated lore and plot elements that didn't come through. And don't even get me started on the final boss sequence that they put in without me in the meeting! That was fun."
But despite this Chuck has said that his original offending words had been taken out of context. He's issued this drippy statement as a result (and following the removal of the actual issue from the EA site).
"I just wanted to jump in and clarify some of my comments that were taken out of context about Gears of War. First, let me say that I'm a huge fan. It is an epic franchise that has trail-blazed more than a few industry-leading player experiences and mechanics. It is deservedly recognized as a top-tier title. Its success as a property is evidenced by its giant sales and rabid fan base. The industry is far better for Epic's contribution, and we all owe a great deal of inspiration to their work."
So there we go, we can all go back to being friends?

Halo 4 DLC Spartan Ops DLC hinted at?

Gameinformer has a pretty sweet article on Halo 4. The key take away for me was Frankie from 343's comments on Spartan Ops (the multiplayer element of the game).

"The Spartan Ops story will stretch out for several weeks, but not months, according to O'Connor. And beyond that? "Season one comes free with the game. If we did another season we would be building that from scratch. Maybe that will be DLC; maybe it goes in the next game. We are still tinkering with that."
Speculation from Frankie or a teaser about DLC? Either way it's important as Frankie never gives up speaks of such things loosely.

The Primary Colours...

I just found Padinga's short films about video games and their effect on marriage. They're pretty darn clever....

This video is a win for gamers everywhere?






Here's the effect that ME3 can have on certain men...

Space Command takes over the UN's responsibilities

Auntie made a bit of a blooper this week

During a piece on Amnesty and the United Nations Security Council's response to the turmoul in Syria, the BBC used a graphic to represent the Council. For some unknown reason (but most likley a bad use of good image search) they decided to use the logo of Halo's UNSC - otherwise known as United Nations Space Command.

Perhaps if the Chief was sent into Syria he could sort the Arab Spring out? As in bring democracy to the people of those nations.

A new chapter in the Dead Space saga?!

Dead Space website has a new trailer of sorts - for what maybe a new game or graphic novel?
"While patrolling the planet Uxor, Earthgov Sergeant John Carver witnesses an attack on the Marker Site he guards which changes his life forever. John must now fight his way through a colony now in complete chaos as he begins to discover how important he is in fighting the Necromorph plague.

This is just the start of John Carver's saga in the Dead Space Universe."
You may recall there were whispers of the Dead Space 3 plot a while ago and that the game would be set on an icy planet, Tau Volantis. If that's true, the chapter is unlikely to be that game....
This release appears to be timed to pique interest in the Dead Space series just before E3 next week.
The internetz is abuzz with hopes that John Carver might be a co-player partner in game (as a Dominic to Issac's Marcus). Time will tell.

Gears of War: Judgement E3 Trailer

Gears of War: Judgement E3 Trailer

I was a little dubious when speculating about that the next Gears of War's next game would be a prequel. More so when it was revealed that it features the terrible characters of Baird and Cole. But looking at this trailer that release at the E3 expo makes me wonder if if a bit more thought has gone into these characters (hopefully the Cole Train isn't as inane as the other three games....).

Either way, the game play looks like a real step up from Gears of War 3 which is pretty impressive. Though not as impressive as the Halo 3 campaign reveal....

Gears of War: Judgement Official Reveal Details

Gears of War: Judgement Official Reveal Details

By Dan Bell at Gears of War

"Gears of War: Judgment" delivers the most intense and challenging Gears of War game yet, with a campaign that takes you back to the immediate aftermath of Emergence Day - the defining event of the Gears of War universe - for the very first time and tests your mettle in highly competitive new multiplayer modes.

Set years before the events of the previous Gears of War trilogy, Judgment centers on Kilo Squad, a troop of soldiers led by Damon Baird and Augustus "The Cole Train" Cole. They are joined by newcomers to the Gears series, Sofia Hendricks and Garron Paduk, as they attempt to save the besieged city of Halvo Bay from a terrifying new enemy. Gears of War: Judgment depicts the planet Sera on the brink of annihilation by an unstoppable new Locust menace, giving you a new vantage point into one of the richest and most acclaimed sagas in gaming.

As with all Gears of War games, Judgment delivers intense co-op gameplay. Play cooperatively with up to three friends on Xbox LIVE (four players total) and experience more challenging gameplay scenarios and achievements by uncovering critical information during the course of the campaign with Judgement's all new "Mission Declassification" system.

Gears of War: Judgment also introduces a new Smart Spawn System [S3] for both campaign and multiplayer action. This new system ensures that each encounter is unique and new because types, timing and locations of enemies change with each new encounter.

Finally, Gears of War: Judgment introduces Gears players to brand-new multiplayer experiences like OverRun, a thrilling new class-based competitive mode that pits Locust and COG soldiers in a head-to-head battle unlike anything Gears fans have experienced yet. OverRun is an objective-oriented mode that lets five-player teams alternate between playing as Locusts and COG soldiers, and marks the first time that a class-based, competitive multiplayer experience has been introduced in the Gears of War series, amping up the addictive gameplay with a deep player progression system layered on top of the experience.

Additional game modes will be announced at a later time.

Gears of War: Judgment will launch worldwide in early 2013 and will be available exclusively on the Xbox 360.

My name is Nick Clifford, and I work in product marketing for EA and BioWare

Here's a bioware blog interview with Nick Clifford. He's a marketing dude for ME2.

Who are you and what is your role at BioWare?
My name is Nick Clifford, and I work in product marketing for EA and BioWare. I also moonlight as Commander Shepard at conventions and trade shows.
As a Product Manager it is my responsibility to work with the BioWare development team and help bring games to the marketplace. You might ask yourself, well what exactly does that entail? A lot actually. Product Marketing touches almost every aspect of a game.

It starts very early on in development. Working with the developer to realize the vision, and see it come to life. We are all Mass Effect fans here, so the team was eager to see what Casey and his team had in store for Mass Effect 3. Will we finally see Earth? What does the Illusive Man have planned? How will Shepard lead the galaxy against impossible odds? So many questions. But that's the greatest part! All those emotional and compelling hooks are what make product marketing so exciting. We start to conceptualize the core tenants of a game. What is Mass Effect 3 all about? It's an action-packed galactic struggle for survival against a ruthless and ancient enemy. That idea then permeates throughout our marketing campaigns. You see it in our announcement teaser that we showcased at the VGAs back in 2010, our first gameplay reveal at E3, our advertising campaigns, and everywhere else.

Marketing shot for ME3

Really our job is all about sharing the game's vision with the world. We want people to see how amazing this experience can be. In doing this we get the opportunity to work with many talented folks across the industry. We are responsible for creating artwork, trailers, screenshots and other assets, including the game packaging and Collector's Edition. We work with our web team and community team to make sure that our core community (you guys!) stay engaged and happy (Thanks for reading). We work with our events team to put on exciting trade show experiences at E3, PAX, Comic Con, GamesCom, etc. It's also our responsibility to work with press outlets such as IGN and G4 to make sure they have everything they need to create their editorial pieces and coverage. Lastly, we are responsible for creating advertising spots, notably the Take Earth Back Cinematic Trailer and the Live Action Trailer you might have seen on TV.
And yes somewhere in there I find time to wear the coveted N7 armor!

What is the best part about your job?
The best part of working on the BioWare team is the passion for gaming. I know that's quite vague, but I love seeing ideas come together, the inception, the light bulb moment. That moment when awesome comes together. The first time I saw the omniblade in action I fell out of my chair. Same goes for when I saw Tali drunk. Emergency induction port...
It's wonderful to see these ideas come together and form an amazing game. I get the chance to work with talented and dedicated developers, but I also get to meet the fans. Hearing your stories is what makes our jobs so rewarding. Meeting everyone at trade shows is fantastic, and I love discussing each individual way that you played through Mass Effect and Dragon Age. It all comes back to passion for gaming, we all have it and we love sharing it.

What does an average day look like for you?
No two days are the same, that's for sure! Currently we are hard at work on Mass Effect post launch campaign. As you know we are working on the Extended Cut single player DLC and ongoing multiplayer updates. As I mentioned, we want to make sure the community stays engaged, that's why you seeing us playing multiplayer with you, running N7 Challenge Weekends, and talking to you on the forums.

Marketing involves a lot of communication and management. We work with a lot of teams and have to make sure that everything stays well oiled. This involves a lot of coordination and planning. Mornings are usually spent talking with everyone and making sure we are all on the same page. We are always planning for upcoming content launches and events and then coordinating with teams to execute on those plans. And personally I always make it a point to play a couple rounds of MP each day.

Full IV here.

Spartan Ops Images Revealed

The Two Towers?

Spartan Ops Images Revealed

Following yesterdays wondrous reveal of the Halo 4 campaign, details the Halo mode Spartan Ops have been revealed - basically it's a peek into the world of multiplayer. As per yesterday's campaign screen shots, these images show a well designed multiplayer environment and are sure to allow for some great Halo matchmaking!

This way to drop the ring off Frodo

Running from the Eye of Sauron?

In the Cold Cold Night

UNSC Station

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion: Euphemia li Britannia 02

Source: N.E Project on Facebook

By the end of the first season of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Euphemia li Britannia announced that she intended to form a Special Administrative Zone of Japan in the region under Mount Fuji. This will evidently give the Japanese people their name as well as their country back. However, during the administration changeover ceremony, she fell under the accidental influence of Lelouch Lamperouge's Geass, compelling her to kill the Japanese people.

Beautiful cosplay by Suok Jiuan! She makes a very stunning Euphemia, and I really like the way she did her eye make up. Thanks to Syaza for suggesting this!

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The BastardCast vs. Bad Van Damme, Bad Playstation Plans and, General Badassery

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This week on The Bastardcast, Jason and Jeremy trick Badass Digest’s Evan Saathoff into coming on the show and then they talk about Universal Soldier, the best and worst of Jean-Claude Van Damme‘s time on this earth.

Also on the show: Nic Cage bought a pyramid for which to die in, Mark Hamill is going to talk to somebody official about being in Star Wars someday, Kevin Smith wants to teach stoners how to read, and Batman is more hazardous to young boys than a [insert stock catholicism joke here]

Jason and Jeremy also try to form words about the unholy joining of Michael Bay and Megan Fox for a movie about Turtles that may be Teenage Ninjas and Sony’s big invisible video game system is revealed… we think.

The Bastardcast: We’d eat a person if the circumstances demanded it.

New BATMAN TOYS AND PRODUCTS To Watch Out For!

OK, Just so this post is not confusing please follow me here. The 1st pic is an item that is out right now. In fact you can find them today at Target in their "Holiday" area. Here are 2 Funko Mini-Wacky Wobblers of Batman and The Joker. Yes, these are miniature-size versions of the larger nodders. Very cool! ( Thanks Franchi )

Next up are 2 brand-new Batman Toys that will be appearing later in 2013. These photos were taken at the 2013 TOY FAIR where Toy Companies share what they are releasing later this year. We have no exact release dates on these yet but stay tuned to the BAT-BLOG.COM and as soon as we know we'll spread the news.

They do look pretty awesome though. One is a "Flying Heroes" Toy ( They also made one of Superman, not shown here ) and a 1966 BATMAN TV Show Mez-Itz Batmobile by Mezco... Sweet!!

OK, this last item was released recently during the Valentine's Day season. I'm sorry about being late with this but I literally just found out about it. Plus, it's an item I missed the chance to get and would have, it's cool! This is a BATMAN Valentines Candy Product by Palmer Chocolates. There might be a tiny chance of finding them, even on clearance. (If anyone knows where to get them please let me know ).

THE FARM LEAGUE! New DC NATION Animated Series on the CARTOON NETWORK This Saturday, February 23rd

This week, The FARM LEAGUE is back!! This Saturday, February 23rd at 10:00 ET/PT, please be sure not to miss DC NATION on the Cartoon Network.




Here is a sneak-peek trailer video and then down below are 2 FARM LEAGUE Wallpaper Backgrounds to brighten your desktop... enjoy!