6 Things I Learned From THE LAST OF US Gameplay Trailer
Wednesday, 3rd April 2013Posted in Industry
Tags: gameplay, last of us, ps3, Tomb Raider, trailer, video, xbox
Written by: Paul Nyhart
1) Playstation 3 may have just surpassed the XBOX 360
I’ll skip the traditional XBOX/PS3 fanboy arguments and cut right to the chase, The Last of Us presents yet another PS3 exclusive that the 360 seemingly has no answer for. For every Halo, Gears, Dust and Fable, there is a Journey, Uncharted, Killzone, MLB: The Show, God of War, Gran Turismo (5), Metal Gear Solid, Infamous, Ni No Kuni, and now what looks like it could be the Game of The Year in The Last of Us.
Ask yourself what you are missing by not having an XBOX 360 and then ask yourself that same question with the PS3. Based on the GAMES alone, PS3 is looking like something you can’t live without. We’re not sure if we can say the same thing about the 360 given its recent titles. Continue reading “6 Things I Learned From THE LAST OF US Gameplay Trailer” »
Short Film Army Of Two: “Close To Home” Shows Off Everything You Love About Army Of Two
Friday, 29th March 2013Posted in Viral Video
Tags: army, Army of Two, close to home, node, of, skyrim, two, video
Written by: R Bryant Francis
In case you weren’t paying attention this week, Army of Two the Devil’s Cartel hit gaming stands on the 26th–and to celebrate, gaming channel Node took on the task of trying to fill out the game’s story by collaborating with EA to shoot a short film set in the Army of Two Universe. “Close To Home” features Pike and Bradley, two members of the corporation “T.W.O” prepping to join Alpha and Bravo in Mexico before getting ambushed in the United States.
The film’s got everything you expect out of the Army of Two franchise: masks, guns, and an overemphasis on the buddy system that fuels a variety of action-film worthy one liners, but there is really something awesome about seeing gaming-style language brought to life like this. If you’re a fan of the Army of Two games, you’ll definitely feel a resemblance to your time spent with Rios and Salem.
This isn’t the first time Army of Two has become a viral sensation on Youtube—the Devil’s Cartel was announced with a short collaboration with Freddie Wong, which chose to downplay the game’s explosive action in favor of a team-based plot that tapped into the co-operative experience of the game.
But what kind of work goes into bringing these film projects to life? I got to take a look when the production crew for Army of Two “Close To Home” invited me to the set for a first look into the short.
Shooting took place at Fantasy II Effects in Los Angeles California–the effects house normally specializes in creating special effects for films like Terminator 2 or Moonrise Kingdom, but today they were using the junkyard property to set up the shootout between the new characters. Chatting with members of the crew, it was clear that most of them were excited about the return of Army of Two, and the chance to bring the series’ cooperative gameplay to life.
Director Casey MacBeath summed up his excitement for the game while talking with him in between shots. “I think one of my favorite parts of the Army Of Two franchise is I know it as as social game. It’s not so much people are playing it by themselves, friends are playing together. They’re sitting down, they’re enjoying the story, enjoying the action, they’re yelling at each other, screaming, fist-bumping, that’s something happening in their own homes.”
The film, which got the blessing of EA leading up to production, is also part of an effort by Youtube Gaming channel “Node” to amp up their gaming-based content. The team produced the Skyrim short “Broken Shield,” and as producer Matty Kirsch explained to me, is working on multiple gaming-based projects like “Army of Two.”
“It’s interesting. We’re coming into a day and age where the IP holders were always ‘this is ours,’ now there’s this trust coming out because you have really good filmmakers making really good stuff, and they can elevate their IP into a different way.”
As to why filmmakers like MacBeath have been able to get these gaming-based films off the ground, Kirsch had this to offer: “10 years ago people weren’t as involved in video games. Now we don’t have to do that anymore because that overexplanation of who these characters are and why they count is gone, because people are already identifying with these characters.”
Looking ahead, it’s easy to see why games like Army of Two inspire these kind of films–since they’re already so filled with moments ripped from movies and television, it’s easy for MacBeath and his team to bring them to life. All they need is a few cameras, the right stunt guys, and someone making sure that they get the mask “just right” for the shoot.
The Video Guide To Understanding College Basketball’s March Madness (Brought To You By STAR WARS)
Wednesday, 20th March 2013Posted in Online Video
Tags: March Madness, Satire, star wars, video, youtube
Written by: Jeff Nau
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There’s a reason it’s called March Madness, besides the fact that generally psychotic behavior overcomes basketball fans around the country every year around this time. Yep, the shockwaves Springtime sends outside the NCAA world can be felt even by those who wish to avoid it at all costs, or even don’t own a TV set.
For the reluctant learner, now there’s a translator that promises to make it a lot easier: Star Wars.
Continue reading “The Video Guide To Understanding College Basketball’s March Madness (Brought To You By STAR WARS)” »
What Would Doom Have Looked Like on The Vic-20? (We Thought You’d Never Ask)
Friday, 8th March 2013Posted in History
Tags: classic gaming, Commodore, doom, FPS, vic 20, video
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Arguably one of the greatest FPS in the history of space and time has been modded out for the Comodore Vic-20. To those of you unfamiliar with the Vic-20, it was one of the first home computers, created in 1980, to sell over a million units. For those of you unfamiliar with Doom…please go here or here or here.
Obviously the above video shows off a port, seeing as the original Doom was not released by id Software until 1992, however, it does show off the hotness of the Vic-20 nevertheless and we’d be remiss if we didn’t share this with our audience of 1337 gamerz. Continue reading “What Would Doom Have Looked Like on The Vic-20? (We Thought You’d Never Ask)” »
Virtuix CEO Tells Us How The Omni Is A “Mind Blowing” Experience, Shows EXCLUSIVE New Prototype Images
Monday, 4th March 2013Posted in Gaming Personality
Tags: applications, exclusive images, game, jg, jhs, omni, prototype, video, virtual, vr, walking
Written by: Craig Hunter
Last week we brought you an exciting new VR device called the Omni. The hybrid VR treadmill device has many applications, one of which allows gamers to “walk freely and naturally in virtual environments.”
(If you haven’t had a chance to see the Skyrim demonstration video yet, you can do so here.) Continue reading “Virtuix CEO Tells Us How The Omni Is A “Mind Blowing” Experience, Shows EXCLUSIVE New Prototype Images” »
Skyrim VR Hack: Virtual Reality Treadmill Allows Players To “walk freely and naturally in virtual environments”
Friday, 1st March 2013Posted in Industry
Tags: device, head, kinect, omni, site, skyrim, video, virtual, virtual reallity, Virtuix, vr
Written by: Craig Hunter
Today we have a new virtual reality device that allows players to naturally walk and look around within a game environment.
The VR treadmill-hybrid device is called the Virtuix Omni and is still in the prototype phase (via Reddit courtesy of PC Gamer).
As you can see in the demonstration video below, the Omni shows off some pretty impressive motion tracking technology.
‘Classy Reading’ of Erotic Mario Fan Fiction Will Make You Want to Take a Long, Boiling-Hot Shower
Thursday, 28th February 2013Posted in Gaming
Tags: authors, Classy Readings, erotic, fan fiction, Lust Star, Mario, PCULL444444, peach, toadstool, video
Written by: Jeff Nau
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Fan fiction is pretty much everywhere online these days, much due to the success of 30 Shades of Grey and guys like G. Norman Lippert, whose Harry Potter fan tribute series, James Potter, has been flying off the virtual shelves as of late.
So you can thank those guys — and by thank them we mean blame them — for this latest latest batch of gaming-oriented fan-fiction, inspired by Mario and Princess Toadstool, called “Lust Star.” Continue reading “‘Classy Reading’ of Erotic Mario Fan Fiction Will Make You Want to Take a Long, Boiling-Hot Shower” »
Inspiring Video: Disabled High School Basketball Player Gets Shot At Glory..Is Carried Off of Court
Wednesday, 27th February 2013Posted in Viral Video
Tags: basketball, Coronado Thunderbirds, El Paso, Jonathan Montanez, Mitchell Marcus, video
Written by: Jeff Nau
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In one of those inspirational videos that comes along rarely, here’s a heartwarming story of two basketball teams that mended rivalries, come together for a mentally challenged teammate, and help him get a literal shot at glory.
During the season, Coach Peter Morales of the Coronado High School Thunderbirds in El Paso looks to 18-year-old Mitchell Marcus to be the team manager – a job which entails duties like taking care of the equipment and uniforms, and helping motivate the players. Marcus rarely, if ever, actually played. Continue reading “Inspiring Video: Disabled High School Basketball Player Gets Shot At Glory..Is Carried Off of Court” »
More Details and Video on Google Glass Emerge; Haters Defiant
Monday, 25th February 2013Posted in Gadgets
Tags: design, fashion, features, glasses, google, google glass, new york times, people, video
Written by: Jeff Nau
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The recently-released video-commercial for Google Glass seems pretty glib: Plucky folky music plays to a montage of trapeze artists sending emails, hot air balloonists recording video, biplane pilots connecting to Google Hangouts, and artists sharing their ice sculptures online, all using Glass, and all with an endless supply of verve. It’s a merry-go-round montage of cute puppies, hot air balloon rides, being in cirque du soleil, life as a wealthy porn star doing 5 girls at once– never mind, that’s just us projecting again…
Critics, meanwhile, who have actually tried the glasses, haven’t been exactly forthcoming — and when they are, it sounds like a mixed bag. Continue reading “More Details and Video on Google Glass Emerge; Haters Defiant” »
Activision: Crushing North Korean Propaganda, One VHS Tape At a Time
Friday, 8th February 2013Posted in Offbeat
Tags: Activision, bad, north korea, propaganda, telegraph, terrible, video, youtube
Written by: Jeff Nau
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When the now-infamous, anti-U.S.North Korean propaganda video aimed at the United States got pulled from YouTube the other day, questions ran amok: why was it pulled? Where did they get such life-like explosions?
Only one name could answer to both: Activision, mighty defender of U.S. copyright law and beat-downer of North Korean propaganda.
Continue reading “Activision: Crushing North Korean Propaganda, One VHS Tape At a Time” »
North Korean Propaganda Video Featuring Call of Duty Footage Gets Yanked From Youtube
Wednesday, 6th February 2013Posted in Industry
Tags: call of duty, city, dream, footage, korean, Modern Warfare 3, north, propaganda, sequence, video
Written by: Craig Hunter
A North Korean propaganda video was pulled from Youtube after it was discovered that the video contained footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Call of Duty publisher, Activision, filed a copyright claim against the uploader, according to BBC News (via Eurogamer).
The video was uploaded by North Korean propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri and although promptly taken down, there are still several versions, like the one below, available to watch.
This Guy is Insane: French Beatboxer Battles Metronome; Sets New Record at 208 BPM
Friday, 1st February 2013Posted in Music Video
Tags: alem styleup, beatboxing, bpm, metronome, Rubik's cube, video
Written by: Jeff Nau
Follow @jeffnau
Rahzel better look out: French beatboxing champ AleM Styleup has seriously just upped the beatboxing speed ante to a stunning and record-breaking pace.
In the following video, Styleup sets his beatboxing skils to a metronome across a huge spectrum of paces– 76 bpm, 132 bpm, 176 bpm, and a new record of 208 bpm. Continue reading “This Guy is Insane: French Beatboxer Battles Metronome; Sets New Record at 208 BPM” »
God of War: Ascension’s Manticore Beast and Red PS3 Bundle [Video]
Thursday, 31st January 2013Posted in Preview
Tags: Ascension, beast, bundle, Garnet, god, manticore, playstation, RED, video, War
Written by: Craig Hunter
The Garnet Red super slim PS3 was previously announced for both Japan and Europe. Today Sony has announced the red 500Gb PS3 will be part of a new God of War: Ascension bundle.
The bundle will also come with the God of War Saga which includes every other game in the series as well as a 30 day Playstation Plus membership.
The limited edition God of War: Ascension Legacy Bundle will hit stores on March 12, along with GOWA for $349.
Continue reading “God of War: Ascension’s Manticore Beast and Red PS3 Bundle [Video]” »
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander Says Video Games Are “a bigger problem than guns” [Video]
Wednesday, 30th January 2013Posted in Industry
Tags: alexander, daily, games, guns, lamar, rundown, Senator, video
Written by: Craig Hunter
In a unbelievable statement made on The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd on MSNBC, Senator Lamar Alexander said that he believes video games are a greater threat than guns (courtesy of Daily Kos via Kotaku).
You can see the Tennessee Republican make this ridiculous statement in the video below.
Footage of Senator Alexander’s appearance on The Daily Rundown was uploaded to Youtube by the liberal current events blog Daily Kos with the description, “Dumb thing to say, or dumbest thing ever?”
Ex Power-Ranger Sets World Record for Karate Chopping Blocks of Wood…While Skydiving
Tuesday, 29th January 2013Posted in Viral Video
Tags: boards, chop, chopping, comic-con, Jason David Frank, karate, pine, pinewood, video
Written by: Jeff Nau
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Ex-Power Rangers. Some of them end up leading pretty interesting lives after they take off those visored, spandex suits. That may mean going on to low budget, straight to DVD movies; it may mean being convicted of some brutal murders.
In the case of Jason David Frank, it may actually mean becoming the closest actual thing to a Power Ranger that there is, and karate chopping through pinewood while skydiving. Continue reading “Ex Power-Ranger Sets World Record for Karate Chopping Blocks of Wood…While Skydiving” »
Jace Hall Explains How to Properly unN00B Yourself, Creates Tears of Sadness For Cry Baby Gamers
Monday, 28th January 2013Posted in Ask Jace
Tags: 1337 gamer, ask jace hall, complex magazine, Jace Hall, noob, talks smack, video, video games
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Are you a closet n00b who a) can’t own up to the fact he isn’t very good at video games or b) blames any and all of their losses on cheating, glitches, or other lame excuses?
What are the steps going from n00b to 1337 gamer and getting you out of such a rut? Continue reading “Jace Hall Explains How to Properly unN00B Yourself, Creates Tears of Sadness For Cry Baby Gamers” »
Axe Cop Co-Creator Ethan Nicolle Sketches, Talks His Latest Projects in The 1337LoungeLive
Friday, 25th January 2013Posted in 1337 Lounge Live
Tags: axe cop, axe cop story, Ethan Nicolle, fox comedy, tv show, video, wedding
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Fans of one of the most iconic comic book series know the story full well, but we were once again reminded just how awesome Axe Cop is, last night in the 1337LoungeLive.
Ethan Nicolle, creator of the Axe Cop comic book and soon to be Fox Saturday night animation series, gave us the genesis of the Axe Cop comic book series. Continue reading “Axe Cop Co-Creator Ethan Nicolle Sketches, Talks His Latest Projects in The 1337LoungeLive” »
Tired of Living in His Brother’s Shadow, Luigi Goes Kung-Fu On Mario in Live Action Adaptation
Wednesday, 23rd January 2013Posted in Online Series
Tags: EMC Monkeys, kung fu, Luigi, Mario, Super Smash Bros., Super Smash Brothers, video
Written by: Jeff Nau
Follow @jeffnau
If Bruce Lee and The 3 Stooges had collaborated on a Super Smash Brothers movie – perhaps in some alternate reality – they might have come up with this: a live-action adaptation of the N64 classic that mixes in martial arts moves with slapstick comedy to anarchic effect, 70′s style.
The story is pretty straightforward: tired of being his brother’s sidekick, Luigi sets out to beat his brother’s ass. Continue reading “Tired of Living in His Brother’s Shadow, Luigi Goes Kung-Fu On Mario in Live Action Adaptation” »
Interview With Waterloo Labs,Tech Geniuses Behind the Real-Life Mario Kart
Tuesday, 22nd January 2013Posted in Producer
Tags: Hunter Smith, Mario Kart, real, RIFD, video, Waterloo Labs
Written by: Jeff Nau
Follow @jeffnau
There’s apparently something to be said for Super Mario Kart‘s ranking as the third best-selling SNES game of all time. It did, after all, spawn an entire legion of sequels, half-assed imitators, and assured placement in the pantheon of video game greatness.
It’s also inspired an intrepid filmmaking/tech geniuses at Waterloo Labs to undertake this endeavor in real life. Continue reading “Interview With Waterloo Labs,Tech Geniuses Behind the Real-Life Mario Kart” »
MC Frontalot’s New Music Video Offers Key Advice For Anyone Looking to Live The Nerdlife
Tuesday, 15th January 2013Posted in Nerd Music News
Tags: day job, MC frontalot, nerd life, video, work
Written by: Jeff Nau
Follow @jeffnau
MC Frontalot has dropped the brand-new video for his latest single, ‘Nerd Life.’
Somewhere between commiseration for those suffering through the day-to-day grind and the spasmic Front dance moves we’ve all come to know and love, the video features Frontalot enduring the doldrums of daily work most of us must. Wait, Frontalot has to work a day job? Continue reading “MC Frontalot’s New Music Video Offers Key Advice For Anyone Looking to Live The Nerdlife” »
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