Filed under: MISC | Tags: Blu-Ray, Blu-ray Disc, DVD, MISC Paramount, Movies, Spiderwick, Spiderwick Chronicles, Video
Paramount, which was on the losing end of the newly ended DVD format war, will introduce its first discs in Blu-ray on May 20 with “Bee Movie,” “Face/Off” and “Next.” They will be followed with the release of two more recent hits June 3, “Cloverfield” and “There Will Be Blood,” and on June 24, Paramount will issue its first Blu-ray day-and-date video release with “The Spiderwick Chronicles.” (Reuters/The Hollywood Reporter 4/30, Variety 4/29)
Filed under: Feature | Tags: GAME, Get Retro, Grand Theft Auto 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto Series, GTA IV, United States, us, Video game
GET RETRO: GRAND THEFT AUTO 4
It’s been a minute since our last Get Retro post and I think the launch of Grand Theft Auto 4 represents the perfect opportunity for our next edition. Earlier this morning, Grand Theft Auto 4 released to the delight of gamers in retail locations across the US.
The Review
When I say delight, that is to say Metacritic gave the game a glowing 100 out of 100 critical review with IGN calling the game, “The American Dream.”
Sales Forecasts
The first week sales forecast of the game is expected to hit $424 million stateside garnering attention from even the most self-absorbed Hollywood executive. In comparison, the top grossing U.S. weekend box office on a film was a cool $151 million as enjoyed by Spiderman 3. The domestic top grossing theatrical of all time?
$601 million stateside. Don’t hate. You know you cried when Jack left Rose on that 2 x 4. Oh crap. I need a tissue. . . And no, you cannot hate me for getting that insidious Celine Dion song in your head for the rest of the day.
The top-selling U.S.game title of all time is GTA4’s predecessor, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas pushing out 9.4 million copies in the United States alone. Some estimates put this newest edition at 10 million copies sold by the end of the year. And unlike its predecessor, this game is available on the Xbox as well as the PS3 giving the game an extended reach. If you’re looking to buy the game, click here or on the image below.
Where is the Retro?
Vs.
Unlike Halo 3 which focuses on the interstellar war between 26th century humanity, GTA4 revolves around an Eastern European immigrant who comes to America in search of the “American Dream.” The game is set in a city called Liberty City but looking at the GTA4 photo above. . .it looks like another city I know and love. . .
Times Square, Manhattan
Real situations. . .ok, or at least based in a real world. Life-like characters. How very retro. . .
But wait! Isn’t this retro?
The Angry Video Game Nerd sizes up a title from Christmas’ past: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Nintendo. When I say sizes up, he really just rips the game a new one while swigging a Rolling Rock. That said, he has given me an extended repartee of swear words to pony out in difficult situations. Please note: This video includes some extremely heavy language. Do NOT watch from your office computer monitor.
Retro does not represent old and lame. Instead, a return to retro demonstrates an interest in assimilating the qualities from our past we steam-rolled over in trying to make:
New doesn’t always mean improved. And in this case, old doesn’t always represent bad game design. So yes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is old. . .and lame, but not retro in the sense I’m going for.
Moving on. . .
Got Graphics?
The Nintendo Wii has sponsored a whole new segment of casual gamer, bringing those less interested in playing games until their fingers bleed, and more interested in having a few friends over for game night. For a hilarious review of a recently released Wii title, check out Yahtzee’s speedy sarcasm-filled review of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Again, not the best video to play at work but not quite as bad as the one above.
For all of the Wii’s casual gaming wonder, this image from Super Smash Bros. Brawl:
hardly looks as rich as this:
The Cliff Notes
- A return to better graphics
- A story based in the real world
Now that. . .is retro.
Get in the Mood
To help you properly wax retro on the gaming tip, I bring you an inspired music selection for your general enjoyment.
Special Thanks
To Nathan Gao for educating this little non-gamer and introducing me to the wild west of the gaming discussion boards.
Want More Retro?
Get Retro: The LaSonic Ghetto Blaster
SONY READER ON THE L TRAIN
This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone reading a Sony Reader on the train. Strangely, it made me long to see someone reading an old-fashioned hard cover.
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: CBS, Jeff Bewkes, Jeffrey Bewkes, News Corp, News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, Television, Time Warner Inc
Several media conglomerates are set to report earnings in the coming weeks. Deal talk will be a hot topic as Time Warner and News Corp. look at plays for Yahoo, Rupert Murdoch closes in on Newsday, and Viacom unveils its plans for a premium television offering. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i820fd1a4c711cf225dfb4817cfe2d496 4/28)
CBS says its Q1 profit rose 14% as the company sold its “CSI” series abroad and a 100-day writers’ strike temporarily lowered production costs. The radio division’s operating profit fell 27%. Outdoor advertising may surpass radio as CBS’s second-biggest profit center after TV. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a754MV3h7fyk 4/29)
Shareholders of Time Warner are urging CEO Jeff Bewkes to get rid of the cable-television unit and buy back shares after the stock fell 30% from a 2007 high. Bewkes could announce plans to unload the unit when Time Warner reports Q1 earnings on Wednesday. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aaEEOfY0Uj5s 4/29)
Jeffrey Bewkes, president and then chief operating officer of Time Warner Inc., takes a lunch break during the annual Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, July 11, 2007. Photographer: Matthew Staver/Bloomberg News
U.S. media companies are expected to shrug off the economy’s woes in the first quarter, but “growth will slow as the year progresses,” analysts say. Media giants buoyed by strength in their “maturing” cable networks might find bigger pay-offs in faster-growing areas like the Internet. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN2540910320080428 4/28)
Blockbuster is reportedly considering taking an ownership role in a new pay-TV service being developed by Paramount, MGM and Lions Gate that would compete against entrenched cable networks such as HBO, Showtime and Starz, according to this article. Executives for the joint venture, expected to launch in fall 2009, also are in talks with cable companies about distributing the still-unnamed channel. (The Wall Street Journal (free content) 4/29)
Boosting its image across all platforms, A&E will introduce new branding that includes a fresh logo and look both on-air and online centered on the tagline “Real Life. Drama.” The re-branding campaign, utilizing national and local television commercials, online, print and out-of-home in key markets, kicks off this Memorial Day during the miniseries premiere of The Andromeda Strain and then will continue throughout the summer, coinciding with the network’s debut of its first scripted series, The Cleaner starring Benjamin Bratt. (Cynopsis 4/29)
Season five of Reno 911! on Comedy Central opens with all-new episodes May 22 at 1030p. (Cynopsis 4/29)
For the 15th and final season of NBC’s ER, THR reports producers have added Angela Bassett as a regular cast member and one of the original cast members Noah Wyle will return for at least four of the 19 schedule episodes. (Cynopsis 4/29)
The Republican National Committee is calling on CNN and MSNBC to yank a new commercial from the Democratic National Committee about John McCain. The RNC says the ad, which suggests McCain would maintain a U.S. military presence in Iraq for up to 100 years, is a “gross distortion.” (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/04/republicans_want_cnn_msnbc_to.php 4/28)
Viacom-owned Spike plans to launch its first original comedy June 29, an improvised series titled “Factory.” Spike’s Bill McGoldrick, vice president of original programming, said “Factory” would capture the lives of four regular guys who work in a small factory town. (TVWeek.com 4/28)
Cox Enterprises, the parent of Cox Communications, will buy online-advertising company Adify Corp. for $300 million. Adify’s technology helps companies build ad networks that allow advertisers to more efficiently target niche audiences. (The Washington Post/paidContent.org 4/29, Google/Associated Press 4/29)
Verizon added 263,000 net new FiOS TV subscribers in Q1, bringing its subscriber base up to 1.2 million customers. Such success is bringing out attack ads from cable providers, points out WSJ. Verizon earned $1.64 billion during the quarter – up 9.8% from a year ago – attracting more higher end wireless customers with its all-you-can-gab $99/month plan. (Cynopsis 4/29)
Cablevision appears poised to make a bid for Newsday with an offer expected to top two competing $580-million bids by Rupert Murdoch and Mort Zuckerman. Meanwhile, Murdoch is said to be employing former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato to smooth the Newsday purchase with politicians. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bznews0429,0,1089746.story 4/28)
Cablevision in the next month or two will stop offering cable nets such as A&E, TLC, Animal Planet, E!, the Sci-Fi Channel and Travel Channel in analog. With the change, the company’s analog-only customers will receive one free digital set-top box and its digital subscribers may have to buy additional set-top boxes. (Multichannel News 4/28)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Apple, Arts, Facebook, Karaoke, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Music, Myspace, News Corp
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
By 2012, digital music is projected to account for 40% of all music sold worldwide, according to InStat, with Apple‘s iTunes responsible for more than one-quarter of all music sales. Apple’s iTunes software is believed to be installed on nearly 30% of the world’s computers. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2008/04/itunes_birthday 4/27)
Visitors to Viacom’s VMTV.com can enter online “playgrounds” for properties such as “The Hills,” where they will be able to create speaking avatars to interact with others. MTV is hoping users will embed their avatars on their Facebook pages, blogs or any other social media. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3629281 4/28)
MySpace‘s new karaoke service, launching Tuesday, allows users to upload their own audio recordings singing hit songs. The new MySpace Karaoke debuts nearly two years after News Corp.’s Fox Interactive, the parent of MySpace, purchased the karaoke site kSolo.com. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080428/ap_en_mu/on_the_net_myspace_karaoke 4/28)
Here I am. . .sitting at my desk. . .singing Britney Spears ‘Oops, I Did It Again’. Nothing weird here. Nothing at all. I like this idea but I really wish someone could build a user interface that doesn’t look like someone vomited all over my screen. Note to Apple: Please just go ahead and add this feature to iTunes so I have the fun of karaoke without the ick of this website. Gracias.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is expanding its weddings franchise by taking a 40% stake in WeddingWire.com, an online wedding-planning company that combines a Web-based marketplace with a social community. The deal is part of MSLO’s strategy to expand in digital. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2008/4/prweb891864.htm 4/28)
(Below) Hollywood execs should continue to think about how to create quality content and monetize that content wherever it should live, less about how to ‘monitor’ usage. If we all just took a step back and learned how to innovate rather than control, we would all be better off. I continue to fume when I think of this issue considering that the broadband speeds offered in this country are laughable and extremely expensive when compared to the rest of the world. Grrrrrrrrr. . . .
Lawmakers and tech companies are pushing for federal rules to prevent ISPs from blocking or slowing content flowing through their high-speed lines. But Hollywood execs are concerned that “net neutrality” could eliminate a potential tool for fighting online piracy. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-neutral29apr29,1,4892242.story 4/29)
Warner Bros.’s new PeoplesCourtRaw.com is a YouTube-style site that allows users to post pairs of videos articulating both sides of an argument, and then invites site visitors to vote on the verdict. TMZ.com mastermind Harvey Levin appears as a guide on the yet-to-launch site. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/mixed-media/2008/04/29/tmzs-levin-in-new-user-gen-site-launch 4/29)
LOVE it. If only I could post every argument my ex-boyfriend and I have ever had, I would be a happy camper. . .
VOIP provider JAJAH has just got a welcome boost via a deal with Yahoo that will see JAJAH power premium voice on Yahoo Messenger. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/28/jajah-lands-97-million-yahoo-users 4/28)
Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Blockbuster Inc, Games, Grand Theft Auto IV, GTA IV, Playstation 3, Video game, Wii, Xbox 360
(Below) I just played the game. After running over 23 people and beating up some folks at the park, I would surely agree that the game is violent. That said, I have not developed any urges to beat down any of my co-workers. . .
The release of “Grand Theft Auto IV,” the year’s most anticipated video game, comes with concerns about violent content. The game features characters who have the ability to shoot at police and punch cab drivers. The game is projected to pull in $400 million in its first week. (Iwantmedia 4/29, http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2008/04/28/grand_theft_auto_under_fire_upon_release/6717 4/28)
Blockbuster is expanding beyond its game-rental service into selling games, consoles and accessories in its stores. The retailer’s plans cover PS3, DS, Wii and Xbox 360 and involve some exclusive offers. (GameDaily BIZ 4/28, BusinessWeek/Associated Press 4/28)
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Blackberry, Business, Global Positioning System, GPS, High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, HSDPA, MicroSD, Wi-Fi
Although now pulled, a BlackBerry 9000 was up on eBay just long enough for folks to grab some eye candy. A screenshot shows it’s running on OS 4.6, and that the model number is, in fact, 9000. Aside from that, we already know it’ll be running on a quicker processor and higher-res screen, and packing GPS, Wi-Fi and HSDPA, an externally-accessible microSD memory card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. (http://www.blackberrycool.com/2008/04/29/007091 4/29)
