Metal Gear Solid 4 Limited Edition?

Gamestop has started taking pre-orders for a MGS4 Limited Edition.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

Konami has not yet officially announced a special edition MGS4 package. There has been speculation that one will be released but no official announcement has been made. However, Gamestop must know something we don't as the video game retailer has started taking pre-orders for a deluxe special edition Metal Gear Solid 4.



The limited edition, as described on Gamestop's Site, comes in a collectable metal box and is loaded with extras. Found in the package is a blu-ray disc containing two making of documentaries, four chapters from the graphic novel, and a Metal Gear soundtrack CD. Gamers who pre-order from Gamestop will also receive a limited edition art book. It is unclear whether or not pre-order of the limited edition will grant access into the MGS4 online beta. Gamestop lists the special edition at a price of $84.99.



While I'm a total sucker for limited editions I'm a bit disappointed by the extras found in the MGS4 special edition. Don't get me wrong, the blu-ray disc loaded with extras is cool, but it's not as exciting as a mini Master Chief helmet or Grand Theft Auto safety deposit box. It's going to be hard for me to justify paying an extra $35 for a tin case and an extra DVD considering most games sell similar packages for only $10 extra. However, this may all be speculation on Gamestop's part. Nothing has officially been announced by either SCEA or Konami and, if true, the price may change closer to release.

What do you guys think of this package? Would you pay the extra $35 for the content found in the special edition?

Metal Gear Solid 4 hits shelves on June 12th. Click HERE to pre-order the game over at Amazon.

Cheers.

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Rock Band Announced for Wii

The top-selling party game is headed to the Nintendo Wii.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

Harmonix announced today that they will release their well-received Rock Band franchise on the Wii for a June 22nd release. The game will ship in a special edition bundle with a drum kit, mic, and wireless guitar. Stand-alone instruments will also be available for those who don't wish to buy the full set or need an additional guitar for bass. The game will ship with 63 songs along with five bonus songs for Wii gamers.



I'm glad Harmonix is finally releasing this game for the Wii. The console is, without a doubt, the next-gen party system and it wouldn't make sense for a game like Rock Band not to have a Wii release. It'll be interesting to see what the game's instruments look like and if they differ in design to those found on the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.

Rock Band on the Wii hits shelves on June 22nd, 2008.

Cheers.

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Star Wars USB Flash Drives

These are sweet.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

Flash drives are some of the most boring gadgets. They are often a plain, solid colour and feature nothing more than a company name or logo as eye candy. Mimoco has taken steps to change all that with some uber-cool Star Wars licensed designer USB flash drives.



Mimoco has already released a successful first wave of the drives and a second has just hit shelves. The Vader, R2-D2, Chewie, and Stormtrooper drives from series 1 will be followed up by Han, Leia, Luke, and Boba Fett in series 2. To top it all off, each drive comes preloaded with bonus content such as wallpapers, icons, and sound effects accessible on both a Mac and PC. The drives ship in 1gb, 2gb, and 4gb capacities. Click HERE to check them all out on Mimoco's official site.



These are pretty sweet and could start an awesome trend. I'd love to get my hands on some licensed USB drives to add some personality to data storage. What do you guys think of these? What licenses would you like to see turned into USB flash drives? Is there a market for them? Would you pay an extra $10-$20 for a designer flash drive? Post a comment and let me know what you think about these drives.

UPDATE: Apparently Mimoco also has a line of Halo Flash drives. While they aren't as well done as the Star Wars drives they are still pretty sweet. You can check them out HERE.

Cheers.

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Invincible #49 Review

Robert Kirkman puts his milestone plans in motion with a very strong 49th issue of Invincible.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

I hated this issue. Not because of the way it's written, not because of a plot point I didn't agree with, certainly not because of the art. No, I hated this issue because I can't read what happens next for a whole month.



Invincible #49 wraps up the Image crossover against Doc Seismic while setting up events that'll no doubt lead the way for a huge milestone issue 50. Mark's world will be undergoing major changes in the coming months and that all kicks off with issue 49.

Robert Kirkman's fun writing style is on display once again with this issue and it's a treat to read. The Kentucky-based writer is full of surprises and has a knack for throwing his readers curveballs. This issue is no different. Book 49 ends with a bang and, as I mentioned earlier, it's going to be a tough month waiting for issue 50 to hit shelves.



Penciller and Inker Ryan Ottley is also stellar as always. Ottley is quickly climbing his way to number one on my list of favourite artists and it's issues like this that prove his worth. His work is so crisp and defined and it's hard not to ignore his perfectly expressed character work. The man somehow continues to improve with each issue and it's always a thrill when eying each issue of Invincible.

One Sentence Review: Excellent issue that ends with a bang. | 9.2/10

What did you guys think of this issue? How do you think the end of issue 49 is going to affect Mark? Post a comment and tell me all about it.

Invincible's milestone 50th issue hits comic shops in April. Check back to MediaZEALOT every week for new comic reviews.

Cheers.

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Thomas Sangster Front-Runner in TinTin Casting

The 17-year old Brit is the top candidate for the leading role in the Spielberg and Jackson directed motion-capture trilogy.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

It was around this time last year that Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson announced that they would team up to bring TinTin to the silver screen (read about it HERE). It's hard not to take notice when two great directors team up for a project and my interest spiked when I heard the two big names would both be involved. However, very little information on the film has surfaced since last March and my excitement has dwindled. That has all changed as The Daily Mail have revealed that actor Thomas Sangster is the front-runner for the lead role in the motion-capture animated trilogy.



Sangster has quite a few films under his belt, considering his young age of 17, including Love Actually, Nanny McPhee, and Tristan + Isolde. He's also done quite a bit of work for British television and made-for-TV movies.

I'm not sure what to make of this casting rumour. Sangster would definitely not be my first choice if I was in charge but it's hard to predict how he'll fare in motion-capture. Maybe they'll make him look a tad older or change some of his physical features ala Ray Winstone in Beowulf.

What do you guys think of this heavy favourite for the role of TinTin? Is Sangster the right actor for the role? Post a comment and let me know what you think.

Cheers.

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Benicio Del Toro as The Wolf Man

Entertainment Weekly has released the first image of the Oscar-winning actor in full Wolf Man garb.
by Larry_Chimp_Man


This is pretty cool. The first picture of Benicio Del Toro as The Wolf Man has surfaced online and it looks great. The character is flowing with hair and defitely looks like he has a hatred brewing. While this is definitely a meaner Wolf Man than found in the 1941 film it certainly shares a similar look with the one found in the original flick. Makeup artist Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, Hellboy) has done a terrific job. Check out the image below.



I'm so glad Joe Johnston and Universal decided against using a CGI Wolf Man. Practical effects are always the way to go with a film like this. Makeup and prosthetics will usually withstand the test of time, CGI rarely does.

The Wolf Man is currently shooting in the UK. It will hit theatres on February 13th, 2009.

Cheers.

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