New Grand Theft Auto 5 Trailer Confirms Land, Air and Underwater Gameplay

May 9, 2013 By

New Grand Theft Auto 5 Trailer Confirms Land, Air and Underwater GameplayGrand Theft Auto 5 is no more than a couple of months from launch, but to be honest this feels like an unacceptable eternity to die-hard fans of the franchise. That’s exactly why Rockstar Games seems more than happy to keep teasing us all with little GTA 5 snippets, screenshots and trailers here and there just to keep us sane, as it’s really not like they need to generate more hype than there already is.

So after recently being fully introduced to the three main characters, another GTA 5 trailer has hit the web this week and gives a further insight into actual gameplay. And while the formula will of course closely follow that of the prior four installments, it looks like with GTA 5 we’re in for a vastly richer experience in terms of…erm, transport?

Yep – along with the usual array of cars, GTA 5 will also heavily involve the use of motorbikes, parachutes, various aircraft and apparently scuba-diving to boot.

As far as the visuals and overall quality of the clips go, it looks like Rockstar has somehow managed to go way beyond what we were praying for – GTA 5 looks to die for in every way. However, there’s still a glaringly prevalent lack of clips and videos depicting actual gameplay, which to be honest at this stage is the main thing everyone’s holding out for.

But then again, chances are they’ll have to keep at least a few things up their sleeves to make sure the GTA 5 launch goes with as big a band as possible later this year, so don’t expect the game in its entirety to be laid bare any time soon.

GTA 5 is scheduled for a PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 release date of September 15th, for which preorders are already being taken globally.

BlockBuster is Dead – Long Live Netflix – Stock Set to Stream Upward Today

April 23, 2013 By

BlockBuster is Dead – Long Live Netflix – Stock Set to Stream Upward TodayPeople once rented millions of movies per month and now people stream tens of millions of movies per month, many of them from Netflix. Netflix announced that its subscriber level reached a worldwide level of 36.3 million streaming customers through March of this year. The company’s revenue was better than expected by most stock watchers and the stock is up in pre-market trading and sure to continue upward after the bell.

Up meaning 24%.

The stock is trading at $216 in pre-market. Investment firms Janney Capital Markets and Cantor Fitzgerald have raised their stock projections to $250 and $230 per share respectively.

This isn’t a high for the company though. In July 2011 the stock was about $100 more expensive than it is today. The company made a pricing move shortly after that costing it millions of subscribers and a slow return to where it is today.

Investors are excited about new potential media content agreements that would allow Netflix to show movies from Walt Disney and others.

Kenny Rogers, Jack Clement, Bobby Bare Lead Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

April 11, 2013 By

Kenny Rogers, Jack Clement, Bobby Bare Lead Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Three of the most revered names in country music – Kenny Rogers, Cowboy Jack Clement and Bobby Bare – were inducted yesterday morning to the Country Music Hall of Fame, in a special ceremony hosted by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tenn.

Rogers, 74, is best-known for ‘70s hits such as “The Gambler” and “Coward of the County”, yet has crossed over several times to the pop charts, most notably on his 1980 pop number one single “Lady.”  Aside from his decades-long career as a performer, Rogers has also worked as a producer and actor, and is the co-founder of the world-famous Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurant chain.  Speaking at the induction ceremony, Rogers commented that all the accomplishments he’s achieved to date “pale by comparison to this one.”

In a later interview with Rolling Stone, Rogers acknowledged his influence in the country music scene.  “I feel, right or wrong, that I brought a lot of people to country music who would’ve come otherwise,” said Rogers, who referred to “all the (female modern country music performers) that are out there doing this cool stuff”, as well as the genre’s younger listeners.  He will be inducted in the Modern Era category.

The 82-year-old Clement, who is currently suffering from liver cancer, was a house producer and engineer in Sam Phillips’ legendary Sun Studios, as well as the man who discovered rock ‘n’ roll and country legend Jerry Lee Lewis.  Clement, who will be inducted as a Non-Performer, has also produced songs by the likes of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison.  As a songwriter, he wrote some songs made famous by this year’s third inductee, Bobby Bare.

Bare, who  turned 78 on April 7, started his country music career in the 1950s, and went on to become one of the genre’s biggest stars in the ‘60s and ‘70s, later on hosting the Bobby Bare and Friends variety show in the ‘80s.  And in another link to a 2013 Hall of Fame co-inductee, Bare had also recorded his own version of Rogers’ “The Gambler”, two years before it became a much bigger hit for the latter.

Rumor – Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton Wants to Name Royal Baby Philip if it’s a Boy

April 9, 2013 By

Rumor - Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton Wants to Name Royal Baby Philip if it's a Boy

Several sources close to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, claim that the royal couple will choose the name Philip if the baby turns out to be a boy.

Rumor has it that Will and Kate will be naming their child after the Prince’s grandfather Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.  According to The Daily Star’s source, “The name Philip is in the frame for a boy. It will certainly have it somewhere in his name.”  The source added that Prince William will be have the last word on what the couple’s baby’s name would be.  If it’s a girl, Hollywood Star says that chances are the couple will be naming her after the Prince’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth, with Diana and Carole as the girl’s middle names, in honor of Will and Kate’s respective mothers.

Kate herself claims that the choice of baby names is a difficult one.  Last week, she told U.S. Weekly that she and will “have a shortlist for (boy’s and girl’s names), but it’s very difficult.”   The Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth in mid-July, as previously confirmed.

On a totally unrelated note to baby names, but definitely connected to Kate’s due date in July, is another rumor that claims Prince William wants to film the birth of the child, which Kate reportedly objects to.  ”Deep down she’s dreading the idea of a recording being in existence and then getting into the wrong hands,” claimed an unidentified friend of the royal couple in an interview with The Daily Star.

Miley Cyrus former Hannah Montana Acting “All Grown Up” in Recent Sightings

April 8, 2013 By

Miley Cyrus Continues Acting "All Grown Up" in Recent Sightings

“Now my buzz is gone / I need to re-up on reality.”

These lyrics are from Miley Cyrus’ recent team-up with Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dogg) on the track “Ashtrays and Heartbreaks.”  Could this have a hidden meaning of sorts for the 20-year-old star who first hit it big on the squeaky-clean Disney teen show Hannah Montana?

On Saturday, Cyrus was spied by photographers on the balcony of a Miami hotel room, smoking something that didn’t look like a conventional cigarette.  She was with a few other friends, and on one of the “spy” photos, it appeared as if she was wearing a long t-shirt…and nothing underneath.  Another interesting observation was the fact she didn’t have her engagement ring on, further fueling rumors that she and fiancée Liam Hemsworth have broken up.  Last month, while Hemsworth was spending time with family in his home country of Australia, Cyrus wasn’t wearing her engagement ring either, and when asked about it, she addressed the issue by saying the ring was being fixed at that time.  Recent reports claim that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, contrary to rumors, are “very happy” and that everything seems to be “going well” for the young couple.

Prior to the purported shots of the former Hannah Montana star getting a “buzz” with her friends in Miami, Cyrus continued her transition from goody-goody Disney cutie to “bad girl”, posing on Twitter in several edgy photos that suggest a more rebellious, rock ‘n’ roll persona.  Cyrus and her two friends posed in a variety of skimpy outfits, including a leather jacket covering up a midriff-revealing black tank top.  The three ladies were all decked out in bright red lipstick, apropos given the hashtag attached to one of the photos – “#redlipcrew.”  All in all, the informal photo shoot was dubbed “Girl(s) in boys [sic] clothing”, and got quite a good reaction from followers, including one who replied “@MileyCyrus only you can pull it off.”

New Wolverine Movie Teased with Quick Vine Trailer, Moving Posters

March 26, 2013 By

New Wolverine Movie Teased with Quick Vine Trailer, Moving Posters

A six-second trailer for the upcoming movie The Wolverine, with Hugh Jackman reprising his iconic role as the Marvel superhero, was released this week on Vine, providing a very quick teaser for fans eager to see the sequel to the 2009 blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The Vine video is a quick montage of scenes from the movie, which is mostly set in present-day Japan, where Logan (Wolverine’s real name) would engage in an epic fight with a Yakuza boss from the character’s past.   The six-second tease comes shortly after two “moving posters” for the new Wolverine movie were unveiled, with little action except for Wolverine showing his claws in the rain in the first moving poster, and Wolverine adopting a similar stance to Batman in the second.  The latter poster is the so-called “international” version, another way of teasing the fact that The Wolverine will be set in Japan.  We can expect the film’s eponymous hero to use a variety of other weapons, such as a katana, and not just his adamantium claws.  All told, it looks like another exciting installment in the X-Men franchise.

A full trailer for The Wolverine will be released tomorrow, almost four months ahead of the scheduled July 26 premier.

Denny Hamlin Okay Following Final Lap Crash with Joey Logano at Auto Club 400

March 25, 2013 By

Denny Hamlin Okay Following Final Lap Crash with Joey Logano at Auto Club 400

Hours after a dramatic crash on the last lap of yesterday’s Auto Club 400 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Denny Hamlin is in stable condition and will remain overnight at an unspecified hospital.

Following the inside wall crash, Hamlin had ostensibly recovered from the impact of the accident, but had to be transported to the hospital due to lower back pain.  The 32-year-old driver had appeared close to collapsing right after the impact, and had to be transported via ambulance to the infield care center.  Hamlin and former teammate turned bitter rival Joey Logano had been battling it out for the lead towards the end of the race, eventually wrecking each other’s cars after making contact.  Logano crashed against the outside wall, while Hamlin’s car careened inside as Kyle Busch moved past both drivers to pick up the victory.

Logano and Hamlin have been exchanging scathing comments against each other since the 2013 Daytona 500, where after the race, Hamlin sarcastically bashed Logano as a “genius teammate” on Twitter.  The feud, however, had been brewing since their days together at Joe Gibbs Racing.  According to Hamlin, the feud “never really was public, but we had times where it was like, ‘Hey, why’d you race me that way?”

Meanwhile, Logano found himself in trouble with another driver, veteran Tony Stewart, who had engaged in a shoving match with the 22-year-old upstart after the Auto Club 400’s final restart.  Cooler heads intervened after the two traded insults and shoves, though Stewart, who finished 22nd, was still upset about Logano’s racing style, which involved aggressively blocking Stewart and preventing him from getting good position in the restart.  “I’m tired of these guys doing that stuff,” said Stewart. “Especially out of a kid that’s been griping about everybody else and then he does that the next week. He sent Denny to the hospital and screwed our day up. He’s talked the talk, but he hasn’t walked the walk yet. He’s always got his crew guys walking the walk for him.”

Wii U Sales Showing No Improvement – Time for Nintendo to Throw In the Towel?

March 20, 2013 By

Wii U Sales Showing No Improvement – Time for Nintendo to Throw In the Towel?Wii U sales have so far managed to take everyone by surprise for all the wrong reasons and such is the ongoing plight of the thing that some are now questioning whether it might be time for Nintendo to hang up its gloves once and for all…in the console market, at least.

The figures on paper really do say all that needs to be said, with the Wii U having achieved sales of around 57,000 units for the month of January in the US, while February isn’t estimated to have brought much of an improvement. This would be a rather worrying low at the best of times, but considering the Wii U only saw its release date a few months back, it’s an outright disaster.

And then there’s the obvious comparisons – the Xbox 360 is now seven years old and yet managed to sell to the tune of 300,000 units in the US during February. 300,000 unit sales, despite everyone knowing that the following up in the form of the Xbox 720 is slated for a launch date sometime later this year.

Not to mention the Sony PlayStation 4, which is already perhaps the most in-demand games console in the history of history and will also see its launch this year.

What’s holding the Wii U back however is not the fact that it’s not in the same league as its rivals in terms of power – technical specs on paper might sell PCs, but they don’t see games consoles. What sells consoles is the games themselves and while there are of course a good few Wii U games out there that are not only brilliant but exclusive, they’re not even nibbling at the heels of PS3 and Xbox 360 titles, let alone the kind of games we can expect from the Xbox 720 and the PS4.

Whichever way you look at it, the Wii U is on borrowed time as it’s not as if the retailers and third-parties of the world really have its back as it stands – so how on Earth will it cope when they’re all swept away with the PS4 and the Xbox 720?

It won’t…hence the call be some for Nintendo to beat a hasty retreat, or at least rethink its 2013 roadmap.

New Iron Man Trailer Released with Further Details on Threequel’s Plot

March 6, 2013 By

New Iron Man Trailer Released with Further Details on Threequel’s Plot

A new trailer for Iron Man 3, which could be one of the summer’s biggest box-office hits, rolled out yesterday, prompting more speculation as to what may be in store for Tony Stark in the third installment of the Marvel superhero-inspired film series.

What we know thus far is that Tony Stark, who will once again be played by Robert Downey Jr., will be battling a “new” super-villain named Mandarin, played by veteran British actor Ben Kingsley.  The trailer starts off with Stark talking about who he is and what he does – in a voiceover, Stark/Downey explains, “I’m Tony Stark. I build neat stuff.  I got a great girl.  And occasionally, I save the world.”  Pausing for a moment, he then asks the rhetorical question – “So why can’t I sleep?”

And then viewers see the reasons why – we see his suits exploding, a plane getting hijacked and crashing to the ground and Stark’s house getting burned down, in no particular order.  Mostly, the video is about the suits, as Stark is somehow able to get himself some new suits to replace the old ones, with no high-tech machinery needed to get him in the suit(s).  Mandarin is also featured in the trailer, with several lines that may one day become part of superhero/super-villain catchphrase lore.

Iron Man 3 will be opening on May 3, 2013, and will also feature Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle reprising their roles as Virginia “Pepper” Potts and Col. James Rhodes respectively.

Seth MacFarlane Does Oscars Ratings Good, 2013 Event Draws Best Ratings Since 2010

February 26, 2013 By

Seth MacFarlane Does Oscars Ratings Good, 2013 Event Draws Best Ratings Since 2010

Although ratings for the 2013 Oscars telecast on ABC were up by just two percent year-over-year, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane was, to many, the catalyst for the most successful Oscars telecast since 2010.  The 39-year-old personality, who also directed the recent comedy hit Ted, hosted the 2013 Oscars and proved to be a big hit with viewers, primarily those between the ages of 18 and 49.

The decision to have MacFarlane host the Oscars was part of officials’ efforts to make the annual Academy Awards more presentable to the younger demographic.  And it appears to have been a wise decision on the Academy’s part; ratings increased 11 percent year-over-year among viewers ranging from 18 to 49 years of age.  This demographic is considered the most important and lucrative one for advertisers and entertainment executives.

However, MacFarlane’s showing as 2013 Oscars host was not unanimously loved by movie and television critics.  While he did entertain a lot of viewers with his controversial sense of humor and a hilarious song referencing nominees who had never won an Oscar award to date, some weren’t as pleased with his presence as host.  USA Today, for instance, described MacFarlane’s hosting job as “awash in self-indulgence.”  The length of the show was another bone of contention for reviewers; at 3 hours and 35 minutes, Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times said that the 2013 Oscars in general “defined new standards in dullness.”

The list of Oscar winners this year was led off by Argo, which won Best Picture, and Best Actor and Best Actress awardees Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) and Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook).

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