Artificial Continuum


Saturday, January 30, 2010

*Update: Well Ive finished a bit more after like 100 setbacks. :hilo:

Download Here

Well thats really it AGAIN and i'm off to sleep. . .
:sleep:
Lu~kun
In the first week alone, Biowares "Mass Effect 2" has sold over 2 million copies in the first week alone. And with an average score of 96, its safe to say the game was a success.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Hey everyone. So I'm being told that I haven't posted in, oh, what is it now? 2 months? Maybe even 3? We may never know. However, I recently bought a copy of No More Heroes Desperate Struggle for Wii, and damn, I can't stop playing it.

REVIEW
Oh No More Heroes, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Story:
Unlike in the last installment, this game actually has a well thought out story. You are Travis Touchdown, the assassin who walked away from a huge tournament of assassins 2 years ago, because you grew tired of the spectacle. Well 2 years later you're back, and literally EVERYONE wants a piece of you, the "Crownless King". As Travis begins his trek back up to the top of the ranking matches, he is instantly hit with the murder of one of his dear friends, Bishop. This sends the disturbed Travis into a frenzy, killing endlessly until not a single person is alive to stand up to him.

The story starts out very interesting, but then floats away as you fight the other ranked opponents. Sure, every now and then it's fine to ignore the story and just enjoy the action, but the problem persists when you realize that the story doesn't actually develop until the very last hour or so of the game. This isn't a big issue, however, as the game isn't looking to wow you with an epic story of betrayal or some kind of Shakesperean story of love, lust and revenge. No, this is your basic tale of guy gets murdered, friend seeks revenge, friend ends up falling in love, manages to get said revenge, and totally gets with the hot chick. Basic story, but it is oh so delicious.

Presentation:
Suda 51 and Grasshoper Studio are both very famous for making games that have a focus on presentation, and boy, does it ever show. The game is simply beautiful, from the varied arenas that you fight in, right down to the very last panty shot, this game has a ton of detail. The art style was definitely a good choice, making sure that the Wii's struggle against HD console's didn't show one bit during the entire game, making sure that the style immersed you and never let go. The idea here was definitely to wow you with CG and the weird and wacky characters in the game. Let's just say they handled it, well, perfectly.

From the blood spurting out of the last guy you maimed, down to the stadiums and flowery fields you fought in, this game didn't skip a beat. The world is wonderful, providing new areas and never reusing an old motif or the like. The only issue that Suda and Grasshoper had was that the enemies (not including bosses, mind) mostly looked the same. There wasn't a whole lot of variety in them, and they all pretty much shouted the same lines as they were being split in half. It was never THAT bad, but seeing the same opponent get cut in half twice and having them both shout the same things as they perish? That tends to make me think, are all people wielding crowbars like that?

Gameplay:
The smoking gun of the game, the gameplay. Suda 51 and Grasshoper did a good job of going back and fixing what didn't work for the first game, adding in new moves, making seemless gestures between strikes and slashes, and even allowing you to switch targets. The Gameplay has certainly been fixed, but has it really improved? In the grand scheme of things, no. You are still hacking and slashing the same guys as the last game; this time, however, you're a little faster with the dodging and button mashing. And although the fights themselves aren't particularly clunky or obnoxious, the fact that Suda had to put in 200 of them in one area does tend to make the ingenuity scale take a massive nose dive.

That's not to say that all fights are tedious, ooooooooh no. Let's not forget about the greatest point of the game, the Boss fights. Damn. I can't really say anything because they were so awesome! There wasn't a single battle I didn't like, and since there were something like 14+ of them, Suda did an extremely kick ass job of keeping them all different in their own way. No two bosses were alike, and every boss required a different strategy. Some bosses you had to take cover and take your time with, others you had to strangle out otherwise they would destory you in a matter of seconds. Either way, there wasn't a single bit of monotiny between these fights. Nice job, Suda 51.

Verdict:
A-
For a non-mainstream game, this one deserves it's props. Many times better than it's predecessor and definitely a contender for Wii's game of the year. It's got a lot to live up to, going against Mario Galaxy 2, Other M, and even a possible Zelda title. But I sincerely hope that NMHDS can live up to the hype. If you've got some extra cash, go get it, because this game is too damn good to put down.

~Peace
Wednesday, January 27, 2010

As CAPCOM has just released CAPCOM vs. Tatsunoko, I thought this would be appropriate news. Gatchaman, the hit series, is to be made into CGI by Imagi Studios in association with Tatsunoko productions and Warner Bros. The fabled heroes are to be on screen sometime by 2011.
Lu~kun!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Okay so I just found out that CAPCOM is putting out an anime movie for Street Fighter IV. At first I was taken back by the idea but it's directed by Fuminori Kizaki, better known for his work directing Afro Samurai. Capcom and Gonzo anime studio released a 5 minute trailer for it:



The animation looks amazing and the story seems intact so i'm looking forward to seeing a complete HA-DO-KEN by the end of April.


Another shocking development in CAPCOM, it seems they are making a live action dead rising movie, well Japan is anyway. The trailer is hilarious and upon remembering that it's a pretty funny zombie game, the movie looks entertaining just on a really tight budget. Check it out! I especially like the wheelchair with chainsaws:





Lu~kun!!

Well with our main contributor stuck in a Mass Effect 2 vortex and myself soon to follow, I figured it would be a good time as any to review a good series.

~First Off~

I have to say that Baccano had me from the beginng. The opening is very well done and the high paced jazz is a good compliment to the artwork and animation. The series follows quite a few characters and is very reminiscent of the interchanging story of Heroes.

~Synopsis~

The story of the anime focuses on the events on and around the fabled train The Flying Pussyfoot in the early 1930's and the interactions between some very peculiar people. Everything seems like a normal mob run 1930's New York until a vagrant man attacks Firo Prochainezo, a young member of the Camorra family. When he defends himself, the man cuts off his fingers. Soon after the blood returns to his hand and his fingers fly back to his hand and reform. Obviously this is not normal. Well turns out that Firo is one of the many characters of the series that are immortal. To say who, how, and why would ruin the story but the events reach a climax when two mysterious groups of people attempt to take control of the train. How can one gain immortality? What happens when the immortals find out they're not as safe as they think? Well to find out you'll have to watch or read.

~My Thoughts~

*The Bad*

I thought Baccano was good but it had a few appearant flaws. For one, it can become confusing when the year changes so often to show the characters past and , while the main story is on the train, there are many different sub-plots going on at the same time. Another BIG thing is that there are parts the are funny that can immediatly switch back to something heavy or . . . well violent. The violence, gore, and blood in Baccano is INSANE at times. There were parts (no lie) that I had trouble watching yet I had to because they were important to the story. Keep in mind that the immortals can't die by any circumstance (that YOU know of) but they can still feel pain. Torture becomes a part of the development of one character and it's gruesome. Other than this there are a few little things like the series being too short (only 16 episodes).

*The Good*

The good definatly outweighs the bad on this one. With an interesting, Original combination of both story and setting it should be hard to stop watching til the end. The characters are odd to say the least and i've counted at least ten different types of insanity or mental problem but it's those characters that i've grown to love the most (my favorite character is Vino, which is awkward cause he is the most violent and screwed up character. He was the one I couldn't watch kill people). The characters are original and the line between good and evil is thrown way out of whack. One thing I was struggling with was deciding whether the english Dub deserved to be in the good or bad section. The english is good, the accents are a little funny but believable, and overall it's better than the majority of Dubs. Finally the art is a good fit for the story. The gritty, low color animation works well with the seedy underground and decade.

~Summation~

Overall the series is good:

Story: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Animation: 9/10
Voice Acting: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Truthfully I enjoyed this series and the end is one of the best I've seen. Exactly why? You'll have to watch. The anime only consists of 16 episodes and it doesn't take long. The rewatchability is not that great like most anime on DVD so in the end, go out and rent it. You'll be glad you did!

Lu~kun!!
Saturday, January 23, 2010


Well, that was....uh...a mess.

Halo Legends continues with its (awful) third episode, detailing the attack of a Covenant ship by Master Chief and a bunch of other Spartans with regular household names. (Fred, I mean honestly?!?)

Created by Casio Entertainment, The Package is a completely CG animated episode that is heavy on action, low on just about everything else. As you, dear reader, can probably tell, I didn't enjoy this episode, not at all. While I can say I like high octane action as much as the next guy, this episode took things to the next level. We were barely a minute into the enstallment before bullets were flying and people were dying. This itself isn't a bad thing, heck Star Wars did it, but The Package makes no attempt to explain istelf or its characters. People just exist to die and to shoot nothing more. Spartans die left in right throughout the episode and we feel nothing. In fact, their deaths feel so corny and tacked on that its actually annoying to see these characters die. It doesn't even make sense. Why would genetically enhanced superhumans die in such stupid ways? There is even an attempt to include a subplot including The Arbiter from the Halo video games, which falls flat and doesn't make sense with the chronology. The dialogue is also awful. I'm going to give an actual transcript from the end of the episode (trust me spoilers don't matter here):

Dr. Hasley: "You really are lucky. You know that?"

Master Chief: "Not lucky enough. We lost two Spartans today." (Which is completely incorrect seeing as atleast three died.)"Solomon, Arthur. And that Elite we encountered...he was strong....I have to be stronger..."

Dr. Hasley: "We all have to be stronger. Something tells me this is just the beginning."

The End

I kid you not. That's how bad it is.

The action itself is fun to watch, and there are some creative sequences, but without the emotional imput or logic it falls flat. The animation is also fairly impressive, but not for an anime. My brother happened to walk in when I was watching this episode, and he asked why I was watching game cut scenes. It doesn't look or feel like an anime, just a bunch of CG super soldiers shooting and dying.

Score: D+



Unlike its predecessor, the next episode of Halo Legends follows the Elite culture and the creation of the Arbiter in the Covenant. This episode creates possibly my favorite story out of the Halo Legends anthology, but suffers form design flaws that hamper it from being the truly great piece of entertainment it could be.

Created by Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell,Blood: The Last Vampire) The Duel follows Fal an Arbiter who is accused of heresy by one of the leading prophets of the Covenant. Fal must then struggle to protect his honor and his family, and take out the leading members of the Covenant.

The story for The Duel is well done and actually quiet emotional. Touching on the best themes of the Covenant from the Halo games (especially Halo 2), Fal's story of religious heresy is accesible and engaging. My only true complaint is the ending which is on the corny side to say the least.

The design for the Duel could be called unique to say the least. Fal's struggle is depicted as a mix between CG animation, and almost water color like backgrounds. The resutl is a visually striking perspective which can be beautiful at best, and distracting at its worst. The beautiful backgrounds and stylized character designs tend to blur together in many of the action sequences and it is often difficult to comprehend.

One design decision that bothers me particularly is the design of the elites. The overtyl Japanese culture is to be expected but feels incredibly out of place. The elites have also changed in appearance. Lacking are the four hinged jaws that set them apart from generic aliens, the elites look more like velociraptors in kimonos. Its even more distracting when other elites have this feature. It makes the design feel haphazard and bizaare.

Overall, The Duel is an enjoyable episode of Halo Legends with an engaging story, and interesting visuals if you can get past its poor design choices.

Score: -A


Halo has gathered a rather massive fan following, especially for a video game. Although a majority of these fans care little for the backstory and mythos of the Halo universe, one cannot deny that the shooter series has built a rather impressive lore behind it. So when 343 Studios and Bungie announced an anime series following Halo back at this years Comic Con, fans were pretty excited. 343 announced that five different studios would produce seven different episodes following multiple areas of the Halo backstory.

The first episode The Babysitter was released last fall in order to build off the release of Halo ODST.

The Babysitter in many ways is a study of the relation between Spartans and normal marines and soldiers for the UNSC. Following a group of ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) and one spartan on an assasination mission in enemy territory, The Babysitter relies heavily on the chemistry created between the areas of humanities forces. When rivavlry and jealousy break out among the troops, the mission is put in jeopardy and is only saved by some dire circumstances.

The Babysitter is an enjoyable piece of anime, if not perfect. Lasting only around seventeen minutes in length, it is hard for anyone to truly build a connection with any of the characters shown. While the characters, especially the ODST sharpshooter are given some good character development and interesting pathos, nothing really resonates with the watcher. Like mentioned earlier,the real strength of this story comes from the relationship presented between the ODST and Spartans. The Spartans themselves are potrayed perfectly in this episode. Shown as quiet hulking behemoths who can take down gigantic enemies with ease, but can still die and have a human soul.

The animation is crisp and true to traditional anime. It is a pleasure to watch throughout the episode. The action scenes are done perfectly and are exhilarating to watch without going over the top.

However, there are problems with this first episode as well. The dialogue is bland and uninspired, which would hamper the episode if there were more speaking scenes. Another aspect that struck out was the design for the "alien" ruins the team encountered. I understand the production team is from Japan, but do they honestly expect us to believe that an alien civilization built pagoda's and Asian style temples? The inclusion of these buildings is so jarring and out of place that it ruins the immersion.

Score: B+
Friday, January 22, 2010
Just to prove my point on how awesome this game will be. I will have my own review up once I have finished my play through. Also, Tali has been confirmed as a love interest. (Listens to the thousand screaming fanboys)

We now have a brand new timeline video detailing the history behind the upcoming Star Wars mmo, The Old Republic. Enjoy, further videos can be found here:
http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/timeline/onslaught-sith-empire

Thursday, January 21, 2010
I am sufficiently hyped.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Watch at your leisure. Caution: SPOILERS!









After several weeks of chaos, we finally have a new director for the latest Spider-man film. Golden Globe nominated director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) is to direct the latest Spider-man film about the webslingers early years. Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said, "At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker's life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter's shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man's adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey."

Arad and Ziskin added jointly, "Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure."

Webb said, "This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to 'take over' from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man."

Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, "I'm excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can't wait to see what Marc comes up with next."

Added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, "The idea of re-imagining the on-screen story for one of the world's most iconic superheros is sure to deliver an exciting new dimension to Spider-Man fans everywhere. There are volumes of comics and material available to inspire fresh and compelling takes on Peter Parker and his journey as Spidey and we look forward to seeing this come alive onscreen."

Source: Comingsoon.net
Tuesday, January 19, 2010


As Avatar is now chugging along to becoming the most sucessful film in Hollywood history, George Lucas is looking to cash in on the new three dimensional world that James Cameron's epic has opened. Lucas is now looking at releasing all six Star Wars film with 3D effects similar to that of Avatar. No release dates as of yet, but it would certainly be nice to see these films on the big screen once again, and especially if done in the manner of Avatar.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Have you ever dreamed of destroying a building in real life? Maybe you thought it would be fun to strategically take down a giant bridge or to blow up a series of smokestacks. Both of these and more are possible in Red Faction: Guerrilla. But when you think of destruction in a video game, you probably think of hitting something, like a wooden crate, only to see a puff of smoke and broken pieces of wood appearing before your eyes. Soon you find another wooden crate nearby, you hit it and you see the familiar animation sequence and-- the same exact pieces of broken wood in the same exact places. The previous example is NOT the case at all with Red Faction: Guerrilla. Continue below to see why.

Also, before I continue, just to give a little story synopsis:
All of the action takes place on Mars, where the Red Faction, a union of miners, is attempting to keep Mars free from Earth Defense Force (EDF) control. The EDF is a large corporation controlled by Earth, and it is hungry for money. As Alec Mason, you help the Red Faction free 6 sectors of Mars, each with a different level of EDF control and a different level of civilization.

Also, please note that I have never played the previous installments in the Red Faction series. I note this because elsewhere on the internet I have read that the transition from the first person of those games to the third person of Guerrilla doesn't "feel right."

-<>-{ THE GOOD }-<>-

In General:
--The gameplay, which is third-person open world, is smooth and refined, and movement feels natural.
--Most weapons are either completely new or creative, futuristic versions of modern weapons. All of them feel good to use.
--The graphics are great, lots of realistic detail.
--The destruction in this game is as real as it comes for a videogame. Any man-made structure is made up of hundreds of individual pieces and will fall apart a different way every time.
--Remote charges are included. DIRECTIONS: Place on structure's vital points, grab some popcorn, and press detonate. Enjoy.
--Music composition is great.

Single Player:
--Plenty of fun missions, all of which include some sort of destruction. There is even a mission type made for destruction only.
--If you are into driving in open world games, this game has plenty of it.
--New weapons are tossed out to you like bread crumbs for a bird, drawing you in, each weapon getting progressively more fun. ... And more destruction ready, of course.
--POSSIBLE SPOILER: A certain, unmentionable gameplay element comes in when you least expect it. It may be a possible transportation substitute for walking.
--Near the end, the story can get pretty good, but not nearly as climactic as the action.
--Once you free a section of Mars from EDF control, you are free to destroy as you please without EDF interference.
--Plenty of collectibles.

Multiplayer:
--6 main modes are included, 3 of which are original, focusing mainly on destruction. Regular old deathmatches are present, as well as capture the flag.
--Not included in the single player story mode, backpacks, which give you certain super-hero-like powers, become a key element here in multiplayer.
--Some customization is included, like choosing your character in certain game modes (remember, this is all in third-person view, so you always see your character), as well as creating a custom emblem, which is always shown on game lobbies and scoreboards.

-<>-{ THE BAD }-<>-


Single Player:
--It can be pretty difficult to complete the later missions, but fortunately, there aren't any achievements or trophies for doing so.
--Driving is smooth, but doesn't seem to be smooth enough to complete some of the "Pro" timed driving missions.
--Unless you are really hooked on the destruction bit, you will probably forget about this game within a few months.
--While the voice acting might be okay for the main characters, the NPC's (computer controlled characters) will randomly shout out something irrelevant and generic in a silly voice. It can become pretty annoying.

Multiplayer:
--Some weapons are overpowered and can discourage some inexperienced players.
--Being only about 7 months since its release, I've found it extremely hard to get into an online multiplayer game. I believe this is because of the drought of players. So good luck getting the achievements/trophies involving the multiplayer at this point in time.

-<>-{ SUMMARY }-<>-


Red Faction: Guerrilla is an enjoyable game that will thrill anyone who has ever had a desire to destroy things in real life (yes, I've always thought it would be cool to smash glass and hit walls...) and even those who never thought of doing such a thing. The single player element is strong, and some additional single player DLC has been released at this point for some extra fun. About the multiplayer, however, unless there is a sudden worldwide interest in this game, you probably won't be able to play online with anyone except friends who have this game also. It is still worth the money, though, especially since you can find it at a great price at GameStop or Amazon.

-<>-{ SCORE }-<>-

Story: 12/20
Gameplay: 25/30
Graphics: 18/20
Sound: 20/20
Re-playability: 7/10

Aggregate Score: 82/100
Independent Score: 82.5/100

^Extra half-point because I like the music for the end credits. It's on YouTube if you are curious. ;)



That's right. The best selling Avengers titles (Dark Avengers, New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, and Avengers: The Initiative) will all come to an Earth shattering climax this year in Marvel's super event, Siege. What exactly this will mean is still unclear, but we do know that multiple Avegners members will lose their lives in the event. Only time will tell what is going to happen.
Well last night was the 2009's Golden Globe Awards, and regardless of what you thought aobut the show, there were some interesting winners. Avatar won Best Drama Picture and Glee best comedy series. Heres the full list.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
**Winner** Avatar (20th Century Fox)
The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment)
Inglourious Basterds (The Weinstein Company)
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire (Lionsgate)
Up in the Air (Paramount Pictures)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
**Winner** Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
**Winner** Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Tobey Maguire - Brothers

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** The Hangover (Warner Bros. Pictures)
(500) Days of Summer (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
It's Complicated (Universal Pictures)
Julie & Julia (Columbia Pictures)
Nine (The Weinstein Company)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
Sandra Bullock - The Proposal
Marion Cotillard - Nine
Julia Roberts - Duplicity
Meryl Streep - It's Complicated

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** Robert Downey Jr. - Sherlock Holmes
Matt Damon - The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis - Nine
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg - A Serious Man

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
**Winner** Up (Disney•Pixar)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sony Pictures Animation)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Coraline (Focus Features)
The Princess and the Frog (Walt Disney Pictures)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
*Winner** The White Ribbon (Germany)
Baaria (Italy)
Broken Embraces (Spain)
The Maid (Chile)
A Prophet (France)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** Mo'Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Penelope Cruz - Nine
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Julianne Moore - A Single Man

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** James Cameron - Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
Clint Eastwood - Invictus
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner - Up in the Air
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell - District 9
Mark Boal - The Hurt Locker
Nancy Meyers - It's Complicated
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** Michael Giacchino - Up
Marvin Hamlisch - The Informant!
James Horner - Avatar
Abel Korzeniowski - A Single Man
Karen O and Carter Burwell - Where the Wild Things Are

BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** "The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)"; Music & Lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett - Crazy Heart
"Cinema Italiano"; Mysic & Lyrics by Mary Yeston - Nine
"I Want to Come Home"; Music & Lyrics by Paul McCartney - Everybody's Fine
"I Will See You"; Music by James Horner and Simon Franglen, Lyrics by James Horner, Sion Franglen and Kuk Harrell - Avatar
"Winter"; Music by U2, Lyrics by Bono - Brothers

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
**Winner** "Mad Men" (AMC)
"Big Love" (HBO)
"Dexter" (Showtime)
"House" (Fox)
"True Blood" (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
**Winner** Julianna Margulies - "The Good Wife"
Glenn Close - "Damages"
January Jones - "Mad Men"
Anna Paquin - "True Blood"
Kyra Sedgwick - "The Closer"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
**Winner** Michael C. Hall - "Dexter"
Simon Baker - "The Mentalist"
Jon Hamm - "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie - "House"
Bill Paxton - "Big Love"

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** "Glee" (Fox)
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Entourage" (HBO)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"The Office" (NBC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** Toni Collette - "United States of Tara"
Courteney Cox - "Cougar Town"
Edie Falco - "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey - "30 Rock"
Lea Michele - "Glee"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock"
Steve Carell - "The Office"
David Duchovny - "Californication"
Thomas Jane - "Hung"
Matthew Morrison - "Glee"

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** "Grey Gardens" (HBO)
"Georgia O'Keeffe" (Lifetime Television)
"Into the Storm" (HBO)
"Little Dorrit" (PBS)
"Taking Chance" (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** Drew Barrymore - "Grey Gardens"
Joan Allen - "Georgia O'Keeffe"
Jessica Lange - "Grey Gardens"
Anna Paquin - "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler"
Sigourney Weaver - "Prayers for Bobby"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** Kevin Bacon - "Taking Chance"
Kenneth Branagh - "Wallander: One Step Behind"
Chiwetel Ejiofor - "Endgame"
Brendan Gleeson - "Into the Storm"
Jeremy Irons - "Georgia O'Keeffe"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** Chloe Sevigny - "Big Love"
Jane Adams - "Hung"
Rose Byrne - "Damages"
Jane Lynch - "Glee"
Janet McTeer - "Into the Storm"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** John Lithgow - "Dexter"
Michael Emerson - "Lost"
Neil Patrick Harris - "How I Met Your Mother"
William Hurt - "Damages"
Jeremy Piven - "Entourage"
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wow. More Mass Effect? Does Bioware want me to die from a nerd induced coma? Here we go. This new developer diary focuses on the character costumization and planetary exploration in the game, but also offers several new interesting story bits. We also get our first shot of Ashley Williams for the new game. Fanboys once again rejoice.
As Avatar has now reached the fourth highest grossing movie domestically (behind only Star Wars, The Dark Knight, and Titanic) and the second highest grossing internationally (behind only Titanic) it is only natural that there is sequel buzz in the air. James Cameron has gone on record saying that there may be two more Avatar films, which may or may not take place on Pandora. "I've had a storyline in mind from the start - there are even scenes in 'Avatar' that I kept in because they lead to the sequel," Cameron said. "It just makes sense to think of it as a two or three film arc, in terms of the business plan. The CG plants and trees and creatures and the musculo-skeletal rigging of the main characters — that all takes an enormous amount of time to create. It'd be a waste not to use it again." So whether you liked, loved, or hated James Cameron's Avatar, looks like we'll be seeing alot more of it.
As release date nears, we get more and more hype for Bioware's newest magnum opus. Syfy is now airing a special for the game due out on the 19th. We have a short clip of it below. Looks pretty interesting if you ask me, even if it is just one long commercial.

Thursday, January 14, 2010
An interesting little interview regarding Mass Effect. Hints at a Tali romance? Fanboys around the world rejoice.


Development hell is a word that is often associated with the dinosaur packed sequel. Originally announced in 2002, Jurassic Park IV has jumped through directors, rescripts, recasts, and states of existence. In fact, after the death of Michael Chrichton, the author of the Jurassic Park novel, many assumed the series was dead for sure. However, Joe Johnston (The Wolfman) has reportedly said that the project is in the works, and that it will be the first of a new trilogy. He had the following to say: "Well, there is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it's going to be unlike anything you've seen. It breaks away from the first three—it's essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It's going to be done in a completely different way. That's pretty much all I can tell you."




Also when asked about his involvment on the Captain America movie, The First Avenger: Captain America, he said: "It's not going to be a Captain America that you expect. It's something different. It is influenced by the comic book, but it goes off in a completely different direction. It's the origin story of Captain America. It's mostly period—there are modern, present-day bookends on it—but it's basically the story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. The great thing about Captain America is he's a super hero without any super powers. Which is why this story, among the hundreds of super hero stories, appealed to me the most. He can't fly, he can't see through walls, he can't do any of that stuff. He's an every man who's been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen—the pinnacle of human perfection. How does that affect him? What does that mean for him emotionally and psychologically? He was this 98-pound weakling, he was this wimp, and he's transformed instantly into this Adonis. You'd think he got everything he wanted. Well, he didn't get everything he wanted. The rules change at that point and his life gets even more complicated and dire. For me, that's the interesting part of the story. It's got some great action sequences in it and some incredible stuff that we've never seen before. But at the heart of it, it's a story about this kid who all he wants to do is fit in. This thing happens and he still doesn't fit in. And he has to prove himself a hero—essentially go AWOL to save a friend..."
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A new Transformers game, based on the original G1 toy line and cartoon, is due out for release later this year. It looks pretty cool, and I'm not a huge Transformers fan. Hopefully, this will make some of you nerds out there happy.



That's right. We already have confirmation that Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) and Ian Somerhalder (Boone) would be returning for this final season of Lost, but now we have confirmation that actors Harrold Perrineau (Michael) and Cynthia Watros (Libby) will also be joining us for one final year of island hopping fun. It will be great to see so many old faces returning. Also, all Lost fans will breath a sigh of relief knowing that President Obama has decided NOT to have his State of the Union address the same night as the premiere. Whew.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Heres the new improved version of the class 90% of the people who played Mass Effect 2 used.




With yesterday's Earth shattering news that Spider-man would now be released as a reboot, lots of rumors have been shooting around about the director for this new enstallment. One infamous name has already been whispered to be attached, explosion obssesed filmmaker Michael Bay. On a more positive note we also have the Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) and Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) rumored to be interested.

Sam Raimi, now gone from the Spider-man franchise, is now moving foward with his adaptation of the Warcraft video game series. No release date has been released so far.


Well, Star Wars fans. We have a long wait ahead of us. Looks like we won't be getting Bioware's highly anticipated Star Wars MMO for a little over a year according to EA CEO John Riccitiello. While it is nice to know that they have time to fix up the final product, looks like we will be speculating about Bioware's latest magnum opus for many future podcasts to come.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sony is now rebooting the spider-man franchise. Raimi is gone and so is Tobey McGuire. Now Peter is returning to High School in a brand new spider-man film. The details are still tentative, but it appears we are getting a 2012 release. I want to stay optimistic, but I am really disappointed. It's like One More Day all over again. Instead of working with what we have we take three steps backwards. Ah whatever, maybe it'll be more like Spectacular Spider-man, which would be nice.


John Malkovich has been rumored for weeks now to be plaing Adrien Toomes , aka The Vulture, in Spider-man 4 and when recently asked about the situation a representative for Malkovich said:"He's waiting for the final script to be sent to him, and that the movie has been delayed. He also hopes that shooting will begin as soon as possible." Could this mean that we'll be seeing a bald bird man for the fourths films anatgonist? Who knows.


Well, looks like Star Trek 2 will be out in two years, as announced today by Paramount Pictures. Personally I'm rather excited, the first film was enjoyable and one of my personal favorite movies of 2009. No news has been released other then the release date, but it has been confirmed that the writers and cast of the original film will be returning for the sequel.
Friday, January 8, 2010
That's right, a new decade, a new Iron Man armor. The details surrounding Stark's new upgrade are still mysterious, but apparently it deals with the end of the upcoming Stark Disassembled arc.

Thursday, January 7, 2010
Well not really. Apparently, Spider-man 4 has once again reached trouble when it comes to scripting. Sam Raimi apparently "hated" the draft given to him by writer Gary Ross, and has demanded a total rescripting of the project. He has instead rehired scriptwriter for Spider man 2 and 3, Alvin Sargent. Possible villains are still up in the air, but the name John Malkovich keeps getting tossed around with the idea of the Vulture. (Fans prepare their shotguns).

Now how does Thor factor in? Well apparently, Thor has now taken Spider-man 4's previous release date May 11, 2011, with Spidey being pushed back to July. Now, what happens if Sony does manage to get Spidey back on line for its original date? Will we see a battle of superhero films? Stay tuned.
Remember that Halo anime Luke and I were nerdgasming about during the second podcast? Well release date is nearing, and we are starting to get some clips. I have to say while this snippet of Spartan packed action is fun, I have my concerns as well. I don't like the switch to first person view that it tends to do. It reminds me too much that this is based off a video game, something the series would hopefully try to avoid. And honestly, one of the Spartans is named Fred? That's really funny.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010



Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has confirmed that newest Zelda game, which was revealed at last years E3, will infact be released later this year. Maybe Wii will finally be fun to play again with this and Metroid Other M due out for release.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Damn you Bioware. Damn you for sucking away every last inch of free time that I have. You draw me in with your Mass Effect 2 just as I am about to finish Dragon Age, and then you post this?!?



Well, anyways. It looks pretty cool. The story takes place after the events of Dragon Age Origins and follows your character, or new Warden, as they try to rebuild the ranks of the Grey Wardens and defeat the remaining Darkspawn. Offering a new 15 hour campaign this looks like it'll be well worth the price.
Not planning to play this, but looks like enough fun to me. Hopefully this will make some of you nerds out there happy.

Sunday, January 3, 2010
Hey faithful 20 readers. It's been an interesting holiday break, and not a single podcast has been uploaded. Well, remember that big holiday party podcast that we were doing? We ended up getting about 12 people to come record with us, and we had every podcaster ever featured on our show. Well, we recorded for almost three hours, and we lost it. Yeah, we kind of lost the whole thing. So that was a heart breaker. However, we do have a rather funny video of the Artificial Continuum crew singing "Still Alive" from Portal, which I will try to upload at some point. Knowing me, not any time soon. Also what about those AC awards? They're still planned, but chances of having a video aren't as high as earlier. Maybe a podcast? We'll see. Hope you all had a happy holiday!

-Nick

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