Layoffs Hit Fable Developer

Fable developer Lionhead Studios has been hit by layoffs. Microsoft confirmed the news this morning, providing the following statement to IGN:

“Following the completion of Fable: The Journey the Lionhead studio is in the process of beginning work on its next projects. As is common in the games industry, a reduced headcount is needed as projects kick-off and ramp up as development gets underway. At this time a very small number of positions have been identified as at risk of redundancy and the affected employees were notified today. We are working very closely with those people during this difficult time, to help them explore alternative opportunities within Microsoft including new roles at Microsoft Studios which is actively hiring.”

According to Develop, the layoffs represent less than 10% of Lionhead’s overall headcount and will be completed by the end of 2012. Microsoft also expects to add more than 100 new positions in the UK between now and June 2013.

Lionhead most recently released Fable: The Journey, which hit stores earlier this month. The studio was acquired by Microsoft in 2006 and led by founder Peter Molyneux until his departure earlier this year.

IGN wishes the best of luck to anyone affected by today’s news.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Warner Bros. Turns 90, Gives Wizard of Oz 3D Release

Just as Universal Studios is winding down their impressive 100th Anniversary celebration, Warner Bros. is starting their 90th Anniversary in 2013.

Warner Bros. announced their new 90th Anniversary logo today, and with it they also announced three massive box sets, not to mention their intentions to convert the beloved classic, The Wizard of Oz, into 3D. Take a look at the new logo:

The 3D version of The Wizard Oz is slated to arrive sometime next year, around September or October. No word just yet whether this post-conversion will see a theatrical release or just Blu-ray 3D.

Warner Home Video also announced a slew of box sets in anticipation for their 90th Anniversary, including a 100-film DVD collection and 50-film Blu-ray collection, out January 29, 2013. Both limited edition sets will have a suggested retail of $597.92 and feature lobby cards and a collectible poster. There will be UltraViolet cloud streaming digital copy of each included film. The sets will also include two documentaries, "Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot" as well as another documentary, "The Warner Bros. Lot Tour."

You can pre-order the Blu-ray or DVD box sets on Amazon. Both are currently selling $418.54.

More about the documentaries, according to the press release, "Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot is a full-length documentary that features some of Warner Bros.’ top talent and executives giving an inside look at the history of the studio. In on-the-lot interviews, stars including Clint Eastwood, Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Martin Sheen, along with current and former studio toppers Barry Meyer, Alan Horn, Bob Daly, and Terry Semel, and others, recount personal reflections and anecdotes about their experiences at the studio. Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot was produced by documentarian Gary Khammar (It’s So Audrey! A Style Icon) and producer Bill Gerber (Gran Torino).

Now, for the first time, home viewers can take the hugely popular Warner Bros Studio VIP Tour in this new documentary produced exclusively for the 90th Anniversary collections. In The Warner Bros. Lot Tour, an official WB Lot Tour Guide gives guests a “virtual” tram ride (of what some 200,000 annual visitors experience) — an extraordinary opportunity to see first-hand where movie magic happens at the world’s busiest motion picture and television studio. Unlike a theme park, the Tour represents a rare and intimate “behind-the-scenes” look at real Hollywood, winding through back lot streets, sound stages, sets and craft shops."

The collections will contain the following films:

The Best of Warner Bros. 100 Film DVD Collection:

The Broadway Melody (1929)

Cimarron (1931)

The Public Enemy (1931)

Grand Hotel (1932)

42nd Street (1933)

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

A Night at the Opera (1935)

The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

The Life of Emile Zola (1937

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Dark Victory (1939)

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Gone with the Wind (1939)

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Citizen Kane (1941)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Casablanca (1942)

Gaslight (1944)

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

The Big Sleep (1946)

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

A Streetcar Named Desire: The Original Director’s Version (1951)

An American in Paris (1951)

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

A Star Is Born (1954)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

East of Eden (1955)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

The Searchers (1956)

Giant (1956)

Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

A Face in the Crowd (1957)

Gigi (1958)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

North by Northwest (1959)

Ben-Hur (1959)

How the West Was Won (1962)

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Viva Las Vegas (1964)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Bullitt (1968)

The Wild Bunch: The Original Director’s Cut (1969)

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Dirty Harry (1971)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Cabaret (1972)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

The Exorcist: Extended Director’s Cut (1973)

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

All the President’s Men (1976)

Superman: The Movie (1978)

The Shining (1980)

Caddyshack (1980)

Clash of the Titans (1981)

Chariots of Fire (1981)

The Outsiders (1983)

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

Risky Business (1983)

The Right Stuff (1983)

Amadeus: Director’s Cut (1984)

The Goonies (1985)

The Color Purple (1985)

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Batman (1989)

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

GoodFellas (1990)

Unforgiven (1992)

The Bodyguard (1992)

The Fugitive (1993)

Natural Born Killers: The Director’s Cut (1994)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Seven (1995)

L.A. Confidential (1997)

The Matrix (1999)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

The Notebook (2004)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

The Departed (2006)

300 (2007)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Hangover (2009)

The Blind Side (2009)

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Inception (2010)

Best of Warner Bros. 50 Film Blu-ray Collection:

Grand Hotel (1932)

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Gone with the Wind (1939)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Casablanca (1942)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

A Streetcar Named Desire: The Original Restored Version (1951)

An American in Paris (1951)

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Gigi (1958)

North by Northwest (1959)

Ben-Hur (1959)

How the West Was Won (1962)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Bullitt (1968)

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Dirty Harry (1971)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The Exorcist: Extended Director’s Cut (1973)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Superman: The Movie (1978)

The Shining (1980)

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Risky Business (1983)

Amadeus: Director’s Cut (1984)

The Color Purple (1985)

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

GoodFellas (1990)

Unforgiven (1992)

The Bodyguard (1992)

Natural Born Killers: The Director’s Cut (1994)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Matrix (1999)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

The Departed (2006)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Hangover (2009)

The Blind Side (2009)

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Inception (2010)

Warner Bros. also plans to bring home a smaller 20-film DVD collection, as well as numerous themed-collections including a 40-film Clint Eastwood collection, a Best of Superman collection (combining live action television and animated television shows in one collection), a Best of Warner Animation collection and more!

Be on the lookout for more news regarding The Wizard of Oz, as well as the Warner Bros. 90th Anniversary celebration!

Source : ign[dot]com

ParaNorman Haunts Blu-ray

Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring the 3D stop-motion horror-comedy, ParaNorman, to Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD Nov. 27, 2012. The critically acclaimed film (review here) went on to gross roughly $85 million worldwide, not quite reaching the heights of Coraline, the last feature produced by Laika.

Here's a synopsis of the film, direct from the official press release, "From the makers of Coraline comes the story of Norman, a boy who must use his gift of seeing and speaking with the dead to save his town from a centuries-old curse about to come true. Caught in a wild race against time, the young ghoul whisperer will find his paranormal abilities pushed to their otherworldly limits as he bravely summons up all that makes a hero – courage and compassion.

Featuring the voice talents of Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In), Tucker Albrizzi (Good Luck Charlie), Anna Kendrick (The Twilight Saga), Casey Affleck (Tower Heist,), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (How to Train Your Dragon), Leslie Mann (Knocked Up), Jeff Garlin (WALL-E), Elaine Stritch (30 Rock), Bernard Hill (Titanic), Jodelle Ferland (Silent Hill), Tempestt Bledsoe (Guys with Kids), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), and John Goodman (Monsters, Inc.), it’s a hilariously spooky adventure for the whole family in eye-popping 3D, made by LAIKA in stop-motion animation."

ParaNorman will come to Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D encoded in 1080p, mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The DVD will feature an anamorphic widescreen presentation, with 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.

There will be three releases of ParaNorman on home video -- a three-disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, featuring a 3DBD, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy and UltraViolet copy of the film; a two-disc Blu-ray combo pack, which nixes the 3DBD; and a single-disc DVD.

Extras for all three releases will include the following:

• Preliminary Animatic Sequences with commentary
• “Peering Through the Veil” Behind-the-Scenes featurette
• 7 short segments showcasing Norman and his co-stars
• Feature commentary with Director Sam Fell and writer/director Chris Butler

Suggested retail for ParaNorman is set at $48.98 for the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, $34.98 for the Blu-ray combo pack, and $29.98 for the DVD. Amazon already has all three titles available to pre-order. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack is currently $34.99. The Blu-ray combo pack is available for pre-order for $23.99, and $26.98 for the DVD.

Stay tuned for artwork and more news regarding this exciting release!

Source : ign[dot]com

IGN's Dishonored Live Stream Highlights

This past Wednesday IGN headed down to London's Barbican to quiz Arkane Studios' Raphaël Colantonio and Harvey Smith, the brains behind upcoming supernatural assassination game, Dishonored.

Alongside a never-before-seen walkthrough of the game's Kaldwin's Bridge level, IGN also got the chance to host an audience Q&A where we pitched your questions to the people in the know.

We've got highlights from the event for you right here. Be sure to watch the video below, and to check out the full host of pictures, head to the IGN UK Facebook page.

Source : ign[dot]com

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita Is Finished

Ever since the PlayStation Vita debuted, Sony has been showcasing LittleBigPlanet PS Vita, and we've been waiting for the final product. Well, it's finally final. Developer Tarsier Studios posted on its blog today that LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is finished and "all that remains to be done is print the cartridges and send them off to the shops."

"All story levels are designed, made pretty and filled with bubbles for you to collect," the post reads. "All tools work as intended – though we are sure you’ll find ways to make completely unexpected things with them – and thousands of pesky bugs were squashed. In short, the stage is now set for you to play, create and share levels on the go to your heart’s content."

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita arrives in Europe September 19th and in North America September 25th. Look for the full review here on IGN.

Greg is the executive editor of IGN PlayStation, cohost of Podcast Beyond and host of Up at Noon. Follow IGN on Twitter, and keep track of Greg's shenanigans on IGN and Twitter. Beyond!

Source : ign[dot]com

Getting Rid of Leveling in Firefall

Red 5 Studios noticed a pretty major issue while beta testing its shooter MMO Firefall. Previously, Red 5 had a traditional MMO leveling curve, with initially fast leveling that gradually slowed down. As it turns out, toward the higher levels, it slowed down far too much.

“What that did, is it really disincentivized people from playing the game,” said lead designer Scott Youngblood, “because the rewards were so far out that they just gave up. So one of the things I was looking at doing was increasing the rate of reward, giving players more tangible goals to achieve in-between levels. But then it dawned on me, well if we did that, what’s the point of having levels at all?”

So Red 5 redesigned the system without levels, trading a typical approach to MMO design for a tier system for all the game’s Battleframes. Battleframes are superpowered suits of armor in Firefall that alter your ability set, functioning essentially like classes. You’re not limited to one, so it’s possible to power up a variety of different Battleframes and then switch between them at specific in-game locations.

When you first begin playing Firefall, you select a frame, which starts at tier 1 with very limited capabilities. You go out into the world and kill stuff, blasting insects and other hostile computer-controlled creatures, accumulate experience, and then spend it in your frame’s branching certification tree. Each certification in the tree represents an ability or some kind of bonus, and you’ll be able to unlock the first few very soon after starting out.

Each branch of the tree represents a different specialization. One might be more about dealing damage, one about movement, and one a blend of the two. Movement is especially important to a game like Firefall, because in addition to running and jumping it’s possible to take advantage of jetpacks, meaning like Tribes, there’s a lot more to consider in terms of positioning when heading into a fight, particularly in PvP.

Picking one path of the tree doesn’t lock out the others, so it’s possible to earn enough experience to purchase every single commendation. Or instead, you could focus on unlocking commendations along a single branch from beginning to end in order to unlock the next Battleframe tier. “This is an important distinction than previously,” said Youngblood, “where if you created an Assault, you played that Assault all the way up to level fifteen.” In this new system, the higher tier of Battleframe is an entirely different thing from the previous tier. “All experience that you earned in the first tier isn’t applicable to the second tier. It’s kind of analogous to a car racing game, where you buy that first car, you soup it all up, you win, you get access to another race, and then you get a new car that you drive in another race.”

The path you follow through each Battleframe’s commendation tree also affects the type of Battleframe unlocked at the next tier. If you unlock all the damage-focused commendations, for instance, the next Battleframe tier you unlock will be better at dealing damage. If you’d picked up movement-enhancing commendations instead, you would have unlocked at a different frame. “That provides a lot of customization options for players to really tune the Battleframes for the ways they want to play.”

The current plan is to include five total Battleframe tiers, where each higher tier isn’t only more powerful, but also allows access to unique mechanics. “You go from tier one, which has no crafting options right now, and tech up your frame to tier two, you immediately start being able to craft options for your gear. Tier three offers a different type of way to upgrade your characters called passive bonuses. Those are really cheap but scattered all around the tech tree. Even if you log on and only play for two or three matches, or one match, you could probably afford to buy one of those passives. But you want to get them all because they stack up to a pretty decent bonus. Each additional tier that we go up has more horizontal progression options as well as more mechanics that feed into this system.”

This tiered system is another way Red 5 gets around balance issues with its PvP matchmaking system for arena battles. “When you go to matchmake for PvP it’s going to look at the frame you’re currently wearing and match you for that tier. That creates some interesting scenarios. Let’s say I have a tier two BioTech, but I have a tier five Assault. When I queue for that tier two BioTech and I get into a match, my tier five Assault will no longer be accessible to switch to during combat. So that’s the way we keep the power consistent.”

Eventually you’ll unlock a large number of combat options to equip on your frame, from different ammunition types to movement boosters, but not all can be active at a time. Everything you equip consumes resource points, so you need to make decisions about which powerful items you want equipped at any one time to stay under the resource point cap.

This ties into Red 5’s recent changes to the crafting system, which according to Youngblood was modeled on what he liked about crafting in Star Wars Galaxies. By visiting crafting terminals you’re able to match up blueprints and materials you’ve collected to construct useable items. To build better weapons, you need to use rarer materials than what the weapons were originally built with, and you additionally need to pay close attention to the statistics the materials are influencing. If you want to boost a sniper rifle’s damage output for instance, not just any resource will do. Even a super rare resource type might not be the most effective way to boost damage, so there’s a lot of room to explore, collect and experiment with putting together the best components and arrive at the desired results.

In addition to adjusting the progression and crafting mechanics, Red 5 has made sweeping changes to the actual function of the classes. The Medic, which used to be a dedicated healing class, was completely scrapped and replaced with the BioTech. The BioTech has a number of new abilities and its healing is more skill-based, letting healers take a more active role in a fight. The Engineer frame, which can deploy turrets, can also now stick turrets to walls and ceilings, allowing those using the frame to set up more varied defensive perimeters.

Firefall has been in closed beta testing for some time now, and Red 5 would ideally like to officially launch the game soon. “We’re getting close,” said Youngblood. “For the previous milestones, we were focused on the character progression and the leveling, and we feel like we’ve gotten that going mostly in the right direction. We’ve still got a lot of balance work to do there. I feel a hell of a lot better about this system than I did our previous leveling system. The other thing is that we’ve really been focusing on is increasing the skill ceiling in the game. We want this to be a viable esports product. But in order for it to be an esports product, we need it to have that high skill tier.”

If you’re interested in trying out Firefall while it’s still in testing, you can sign up over on the official site. Otherwise, it doesn’t sound like it’ll be an especially long wait until Red 5’s promising free-to-play game is opened up to everyone.

Source : ign[dot]com

Universal 100th Anniversary Collection Headed to BD, DVD

For the past year, Universal Studios has been celebrating their 100th anniversary, with big releases like The Sting, Jaws, E.T., To Kill a Mockingbird and many, many more.

Culminating this impressive anniversary release schedule is the Universal 100th Anniversary Collection, out on Blu-ray and DVD November 6, 2012. This massive box set that will collect some of Universal's most memorable films, spanning the studio's first 100 years.

From the official press release, "The collection features a selection of 25 unforgettable films that helped shape the legacy of one of the most successful movie studios of all time. Featuring prestigious Academy Award winners such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Sting, genre-defining classics like Dracula and Spartacus, captivating storytelling such as Field of Dreams and Do the Right Thing, blockbusters like Jurassic Park and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and pure entertainment with franchises including The Bourne Identity and The Fast and the Furious, these movies continue to have an enduring impact throughout the world. The Universal 100th Anniversary Collection includes an exclusive “100 Years of Universal” 72-Page collector’s book chronicling the history of Universal over the last 100 years including rare photos and memorabilia from the studio’s archives."

Below is a breakdown of all the titles included in the set. Please note the DVD or Blu-ray exclusive titles.

• All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
• Dracula (1931)
• Dracula Spanish (1931) (Blu-ray Collection only)
• Buck Privates (1941)
• Pillow Talk (1959)
• Spartacus (1960)
• To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
• The Birds (1963)
• American Graffiti (1973)
• The Sting (1973)
• Jaws (1975)
• National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Scarface (1983)
• The Breakfast Club (1985)
• Back to the Future (1985)
• Out of Africa (1985)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
• Do the Right Thing (1989)
• Jurassic Park (1993)
• Schindler's List (1993) (DVD Collection only)
• Apollo 13 (1995)
• The Fast and the Furious (2001)
• The Bourne Identity (2002)
• Mamma Mia! The Movie (2008)
• Despicable Me (2010)

Each Blu-ray will include a 1080p presentation, remasterd lossless audio and hours of bonus content (anamorphic widescreen transfers on DVD, with Dolby Digital audio).

Both the DVD and Blu-ray set features an exclusive bonus DVD with the following content:

"100 Years of Universal"

• The Carl Laemmle Era: Explore the early years of Universal and its founder Carle Laemmle.
• The Lew Wasserman Era: A look at Universal under the visionary leadership of Lew Wasserman.
• Academy Award Winners: A look back at the most honored films in Universal’s history.
• The ‘70s: A look at Universal’s iconic movies and filmmakers during this dynamic decade.
• The ‘80s: Explore Universal’s legacy of groundbreaking movies and filmmakers from this memorable decade.
• The Backlot: A behind-the-scenes look at the movie magic created on the famous Universal Studios lot.
• Unforgettable Characters: Revisit Universal’s most memorable heroes, villains, comedians and screen legends.
• Restoring the Classics: An in-depth look at the intricate process of preserving the studio’s film legacy.

Vintage Cartoons:

• Spooks (1930) – A parody of Universal’s Phantom of the Opera featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
• Merry Old Soul (1933) – Universal’s first Academy Award nominee for Best Short Subject featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
• Wax Works (1934) – A spoof of Universal’s classic monsters featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
• Jolly Little Elves (1934) – A Cartune Classic nominated for Best Short Subject Academy Award.
• Hollywood Bowl (1938) – A Cartune Classic featuring caricatures of some of the most popular Hollywood stars at the time.
• Life Begins for Andy Panda (1939) – Andy Panda in his debut cartoon.
• Knock Knock (1940) – Woody Woodpecker in his debut cartoon.
• Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company ‘B’ (1941) – Academy Award nominee for Best Short Subject based off the song from Buck Privates.
• The Barber of Seville (1944) – Often considered one of the greatest cartoons from this era featuring Woody Woodpecker.
• Musical Moments from Chopin (1947) – Academy Award nominee for Best Short Subject featuring Woody Woodpecker.
• Maw and Paw (1953) – Inspired by the popular “Ma and Pa Kettle” film series.
• Chilly Willy (1953) – Chilly Willy in his debut cartoon.
• Crazy Mixed Up Pup (1955) – Academy Award nominee for Best Short Subject directed by animation legend Tex Avery.
• Sh-h-h-h-h-h (1955) – A Cartune Classic directed by animation legend Tex Avery.

Vintage Shorts:

• Runt Page (1932) – Starring Shirley Temple
• Slide, Babe, Slide (1932) – Starring Babe Ruth
• Cartoonland Mysteries (1936) – Go behind the scenes at the Walter Lantz studios as an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon is created in this vintage “Going Places” short.

The set also includes a 15-Track CD highlighting score selections from the following titles:

• The Bride of Frankenstein
• Touch of Evil
• Psycho
• Spartacus
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Airport
• The Sting
• Jaws
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
• Scarface
• Back to the Future
• Out of Africa
• Jurassic Park
• Apollo 13
• The Bourne Identity

Suggested retail for this release is set at $349.98 for the Blu-ray set, and $299.98 for the DVD. Amazon has the Blu-ray set currently available for pre-order for $244.99, and $209.99 for the DVD set.

Stay tuned for more news regarding this awesome release!

"Never recreate from your memory. Always imagine new places!" Follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook and MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

Source : ign[dot]com

Moonrise Kingdom Explores BD, DVD

Grab your scout handbook -- it's time for an adventure! Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring the Focus Features hit, Moonrise Kingdom, to Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand October 16, 2012.

The film, directed by Wes Anderson and featuring an all-star cast including Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and Bill Murray (among many others), was a surprise success, grossing nearly $60 million worldwide (on a modest budget) -- no small feat considering the crowded summer filled with big budget action flicks.

Moonrise Kingdom will arrive on Blu-ray presented in 1080p, preserving the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The DVD will include an anamorphic widescreen presentation, with 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.

Take a look at the box art for the Blu-ray:

Bonus features for the Blu-ray and DVD will include the following:

• A Look Inside Moonrise Kingdom
• Welcome to The Island of New Penzance: Bob Balaban narrates a series of guided tours from the locations of Moonrise Kingdom featuring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, and Wes Anderson
• Set Tour With Bill Murray: Bill Murray personally takes viewers on a tour of the Moonrise Kingdom sets.

The Blu-ray will also include a DVD, Digital Copy and UltraViolet cloud streaming copy of the film, in addition to Universal's standard BD-exclusives, from BD-live to pocketBlu.

Suggested retail for this release is set at $34.98 for the Blu-ray Combo Pack, and $29.98 for the DVD. Amazon has the Blu-ray Combo Pack currently up for pre-order for $23.99, and $19.96 for the DVD.

Stay tuned for more news regarding this release. Also, be sure to check out our glowing theatrical review of the film, or scroll through some interviews with the cast and crew, like this one:

Holy Social Networks, readers! Now you can follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook or MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

Source : ign[dot]com

WWE/Scooby-Doo Animated Crossover Movie in the Works

Scooby-Doo is teaming up with the gang from the WWE in a new animated movie. Yep, really!

Deadline reported the surprising news, revealing Warner Bros. and WWE Studios will coproduce this new Scooby-Doo film, which will be released via Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and digital download by Warner Bros.

The story will involve Scooby and his pals investigating a mystery at, wait for it, WrestleMania. The WWE’s Triple H, John Cena, Kane, The Miz, Brodus Clay, Santino Marella, Sin Cara, AJ Lee and Vince McMahon are all voicing animated versions of themselves in the film.

WWE Studios President Michael Luisi tells Deadline the WWE will “use its considerable resources to promote the effort,” so you can bet there are some Scooby-powered touts coming!

While WWE and Scooby-Doo meeting is a first, it’s worth noting that this won’t be the first time WWE wrestlers have been animated (see above), nor the first time Scooby-Doo has had some unusual team-ups, having already met the likes of the Three Stooges, the Addams Family and the Harlem Globetrotters… Oh, and a certain Dark Knight, both in the 1970s and more recently.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Last Guardian Still in Development for PS3

Work on The Last Guardian remains ongoing, with the title still scheduled to release on PS3.

That's according to Sony Worldwide Studios chief Shuhei Yoshida, who told Eurogamer today that the reason the game hasn't been seen recently is due to myriad technical issues.

“

It turned out the technical issues are much harder to solve. So the engineering team had to go back and re-do some of the work they had done.

"The team is still working on it very hard, there are certain technical issues they've been working on," he explained. "That's the period of time when the game, looking from the outside, doesn't seem to be making much progress. But internally there is a lot of work going into creating the title."

Despite being officially announced in 2009, information about the highly anticipated title has been thin on the ground after it missed TGS 2011 and then was absent from E3 2012. Yoshida made similar remarks last month regarding technical problems, though his words today suggest the scale of the problems are much larger than was originally imagined, with the team having to re-do past work.

He said, "We had the game playable. At one point we felt that it would be produced for a certain time period. That was the time we prematurely talked about the launch window. But it turned out the technical issues are much harder to solve. So the engineering team had to go back and re-do some of the work they had done."

There's still no word on when we'll get our hands on the game, or even see it in action, but Yoshida reiterated that "The game is developed on PS3", so hopefully we'll see it before the next wave of consoles hit.

Just last week the trademark for The Last Guardian was apparently "abandoned", leading many to fear that the game was destined to become vaporware. Thankfully, today's comments suggest this isn't the case and we will see the title on PS3...eventually.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Epic Gives Ex-Kingdom of Amalur Devs a New Home

Epic has formed a new studio comprising many of the developers who worked on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning at Big Huge Games, before its parent company 38 Studios filed for bankruptcy.

The new venture is called Impossible Studios, and will be based in Maryland. Sean Dunn will head the studio, overseeing its very first project: Infinity Blade: Dungeons, an action RPG for iOS made in collaboration with Epic and Chair Entertainment (the team behind the previous Infinity Blade titles).

Studio Logo

Dunn said, "Epic Games has truly embraced this stellar collection of developers who were displaced by the closing of Big Huge Games. They have looked after us with complete care, giving us all the tools and resources we need to make a lot of gamers happy." Meanwhile,  the president of Epic Games Mike Capps said, "We were so glad we could help keep this great team together, and we're lucky to have them."

"At the time, I said that finding a full team of superstars was 'impossible' and apparently the name stuck! Pairing the imagination and experience of Impossible with Epic's technology, IP and resources makes for a business greater than the sum of its parts."

Are you excited to see what the Amalur dev team does next? Let us know in the comments below.

Daniel is IGN's UK Games Writer. He hopes to live long and prosper. You can follow him on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Making a He-Man Movie Work

Given how massively successful Michael Bay's Transformers movies have been, it's no surprise that various studios are pursuing big-budget, live-action revivals of classic 1980s toy lines. G.I. Joe is another recent success, though its sequel has perplexingly been delayed until next year. Despite this delay, it's clear that Sony sees something in G.I. Joe: Retaliation director Jon Chu. Earlier this week we learned that Chu has been tapped to direct Sony's live-action He-Man film.

Can He-Man find the same big screen success the Autobots and Joes have? As popular as the Masters of the Universe franchise was in the '80s, the previous live-action movie didn't do He-Man any favors. Is it possible to do right by the character in live action? We say yes, and we have a few suggestions for how Chu can dust off the most powerful man in the universe for a new generation.

Blend Fantasy and Science Fiction

You want to know what the problem was with the first He-Man movie? Well, it's hard to narrow it down to just one, but one of its more significant missteps was that it tried so very hard to be Star Wars. Suddenly He-Man, Teela, and Man-at-Arms were freedom-fighting rebels seeking to free Eternia from the clutches of a scary dude in a black cape. All that kooky technology and architecture from the animated series and comics degenerated into generic sci-fi scenery. He-Man fought most of his battles with a blaster, not his sword or rippling biceps.

Yes, the He-Man franchise is more than a little inspired by the likes of Star Wars, Conan the Barbarian, and Jack Kirby's Fourth World comics, but that blend of influences results in something more unique and memorable than what unfolded on screen in 1987. Eternia is a strange place that mixes science fiction and fantasy in equal measure. Its residents wield advanced gadgets and soar through the clouds on hovercraft, yet they also dress like they're attending the local Renaissance fair. Most of them wear fur underwear outside their tights, as if they were prehistoric superheroes. The planet is crawling with dragons, monsters, and ancient demons. In short, there's no reason for a He-Man movie to feel so familiar and redundant.

This time around, we want the movie to celebrate the unique visual trappings and style of the source material. It shouldn't fall too far on either side of the sci-fi/fantasy spectrum. Nor should the movie attempt to be a gritty, realistic take on the mythos. There's plenty of room for violence and darkness in Eternia, but Eternia is also a bombastic place full of colorful characters. There's nothing realistic or plausible about any of it. The film shouldn't descend into Flash Gordon levels of camp, but nor should it pretend to be something it isn't.

The Most Powerful Man in the Universe

1987's Masters of the Universe featured Dolph Lundgren as He-Man. Physically, he fit the part well enough. But Lundgren was poorly suited to play the dual role of the burly He-Man and the bumbling Prince Adam. Perhaps it was for the best that the movie didn't even attempt to work that dynamic into the mix.

This time around, we want to see the filmmakers cast an actor who can convincingly play both Adam and He-Man. Digital effects have progressed to the point where it wouldn't be any great challenge to enhance the actor's physique for the He-Man scenes, a la Xerxes in 300. Perhaps even the reverse approach for the Adam scenes, a la Captain America. This time around, charisma and screen presence are more important than muscle mass. As with Superman's Clark Kent persona, Prince Adam is a way for viewers to identify with He-Man and provide him with more personal ties.

That said, it is possible to ditch Adam entirely depending what direction Chu and Sony want to take the film. Before the first animated series defined the He-Man mythos, the early mini-comics packed in with the figures presented He-Man as the leader of a barbarian tribe who possessed one half of the mythical Sword of Power (Skeletor being the owner of the other). Here is where the Conan inspiration was most apparent. That's another possible angle to pursue, but the result would probably be less mass market-friendly than Sony is aiming for.

We also want to see He-Man live up to his reputation as “the most powerful man in the universe” for once. The original animated series was pretty limited in what it could depict as far as violent action, but at least He-Man was prone to juggling boulders and smashing robots with his bare hands. The film, on the other hand, barely conveyed the sense that He-Man was any stronger and more powerful than your average action hero. When he finally held aloft his magic sword, there was no awesome transformation sequence, just a brief fight with Skeletor. The new movie needs to present He-Man as a Hulk or Superman-level hero and deliver action sequences that take advantage of his abilities. At the end of the day, He-Man is really just a superhero in an unusual setting, and the recent slate of superhero movies should serve as direct inspiration.

A real human being and a real hero? Works for us.

And who should play Adam/He-Man? We've felt for a while now that Ryan Gosling is overdue for some sort of major superhero role. No doubt the thought of Gosling decked out in fur underwear will help bring in a heavier female crowd than the average superhero film. But given that Chu is directing, we suspect that G.I. Joe star Channing Tatum may emerge as a front-runner. A He-Man movie with a slightly more comedic tone would probably suit him well given his recent successes in 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike.

Stick to Eternia

While the previous He-Man movie felt too similar to Star Wars in many respects, it also took an unnecessary cue from Star Trek IV. Just as that movie sent the Enterprise crew hurtling back to 20th Century San Francisco, Masters of the Universe plucked He-Man and friends away from Eternia and dropped them onto Earth for a significant chunk of the film. It's one thing to resort to that sort of plot twist in your third sequel, but for a would-be franchise that was just getting its start, ignoring the Eternia setting was unforgivable.

The only reason to showcase Earth at all is to explore Queen Marlena's past as an Earthling astronaut and her unexpected crash-landing on Eternia. The previous film was intended to acknowledge this plot point. Early script drafts even featured the reveal of a NASA space probe and American flag in the bowels of Castle Grayskull, suggesting that Eternians actually hailed from Earth originally. All of this adds an interesting wrinkle to He-Man's origins, but it may be superfluous for a debut film. As mentioned already, Eternia is an interesting, diverse planet. There are more than enough locales to keep the plot humming along without having to venture off-world.

Caste Grayskull certainly needs to be a focal point of the film. In pretty much any incarnation of the franchise, Castle Grayskull is a source of many secrets and powers, and He-Man is the hero called upon to defend those secrets from villains like Skeletor. What exact power Grayskull contains and how its origins and its guardian, the Sorceress, tie into He-Man's story tends to vary. But regardless, it's a crucial piece of the mythology.

Grayskull did appear in the last movie, though it wasn't quite the wondrous spectacle it might have been. What we didn't see were the actual kingdom of Eternia, its royal family, or Skeletor's domain in Snake Mountain. This movie needs to do a better job of establishing the scope and feel of He-Man's world and the people he's trying to defend. Meanwhile, Snake Mountain can serve as a dark counterpoint to Grayskull and the tranquility of Randor's kingdom.

No doubt the omission of all these familiar locations and elements in the 1987 film was heavily motivated by a lack of budget. He-Man is too colorful and bombastic a franchise to tackle in half-measures. This time around, Sony needs to put enough financial support behind the project for it to truly thrive.

A Larger Cast

If you've ever tried to be a serious collector of Master of the Universe action figures, you know that the franchise is home to dozens and dozens of characters aside from just He-Man and Skeletor. Sadly, only a small handful of these supporting players made it into the previous film. He-Man was joined by Man-at-Arms and Teela, but not even Orko or Battle Cat were deemed worthy enough to buddy up with Dolph. Instead, these faithful sidekicks were replaced by Gwildor. Wait, who?

Exactly.

As far as we're concerned, there's no reason this time for He-Man not to ride into battle atop a ferocious, green tiger and accompanied by a spell-casting, floating dwarf. The trick is in capturing the cooler qualities of these sidekicks and ditching some of the 1980's-era goofiness associated with them. For instance, we don't particularly need Battle Cat to talk, and we can certainly do without his bumbling alter ego, Cringer. The 2002 animated series set the right example by rendering Cringer mute and toning down his cowardly side. Similarly, we want to see less slapstick from Orko and more magical prowess.

Ideally, Teela and her father will have more central roles this time. If the He-Man/Adam dynamic is akin to Superman/Clark Kent, then Teela is the Lois Lane. Her simultaneous disgust at Adam's foppish behavior and attraction to the brawny, heroic He-Man could lend a nice touch of romantic tension to the plot.

We also hope to see He-Man's parents. King Randor and Queen Marlena. Again, Eternia was far too generic and lifeless a setting last time around. We need to see more of its residents and more of He-Man's civilian life as Prince Adam. Whether the movie brings in the more colorful He-Man allies – Ram-Man, Fisto, Zodac, etc. - is up to the filmmakers, but whatever the case, we hope to see the vast supporting cast put to better use.

Fearsome Villains

Perhaps the only thing the 1987 movie did right was casting Frank Langella as Skeletor. In both the original animated series and The New Adventures of He-Man, Skeletor was little more than a bumbling antagonist. He'd hatch a plan, and He-Man would foil it, call him “Bone-brain” or something similarly cheesy, and send him packing until the following Saturday. For a guy with dark magic powers and a skull for a face, Skeletor was about as far from scary as possible.

Conversely, Langella's Skeletor was actually fairly creepy and menacing. He had something of an Emperor Palpatine quality to him, which is one case where the Star Wars similarities paid off. Those are qualities we need to see from the villain in this new movie. We're tempted to say that Langella should reprise his role, if only so he can fulfill the promise he made in the post-credits scene, but that's probably not going to happen. Still, we want a version of Skeletor that inspires fear and dread, not laughter. We want a villain who offers a convincing threat to a guy who can shatter mountains with his fists. No matter how silly or serious the general tone of the movie, Skeletor himself should be dark and imposing.

Looking to the 2002 animated series for inspiration again, it may help the movie to build the ties between Skeletor and King Randor. Right off the bat, that series provided a full origin for Skeletor. He was revealed to be Keldor – a skilled fighter, sorcerer, and revolutionary who was driven insane after his face was scorched by acid. The original animated series also suggested that Keldor was Randor's brother. That plot twist could pave the way for a Hamlet-style showdown between family members. It also lends a more personal touch to the conflict beyond Skeletor's typical desire for power.

Any attempt to explore Skeletor's origin should also lay the groundwork for his onetime mentor and master – Hordak. Hordak's presence is best saved for a sequel, but there's no reason the first movie can't get the ball rolling. Another good choice for future villains is King Hiss and the Snake Men. This group of villains were recurring foes throughout the final season of the 2002 animated series. That series never had the chance to properly wrap up that conflict, so seeing a live-action He-Man film tackle the Snake Men would be a nice consolation prize.

To reiterate our main point, the He-Man franchise is an inherently goofy one. We think it's possible for He-Man to find the same sort of success in Hollywood that other '80s mainstays like Transformers and G.I. Joe have. But success isn't going to come by taking an overly dark and serious approach to the source material and ignoring the fun elements. He-Man offers a challenging blend of fantasy, science fiction, and adventure that's waiting for the proper director to do right by the franchise. We can only hope Jon Chu is that director.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and various other IGN channels and a lifelong fan of He-Man. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Mutant Blobs Attack Hits Steam in August

The PC version of Drinkbox Studios' quirky puzzle-platformer will be released on Steam on August 15. The title was previously released on Sony's Vita handheld and received a 9 out of 10 in a review by IGN's Greg Miller. In the review he stated, "It's visually delicious, the cutscenes ooze with humor, and the actual gameplay feels perfectly balanced."

Below you'll find a trailer Drinkbox released for the PC version of Mutant Blobs Attack.

The studio also made a blog post on MyIGN for the release date announcement.

Source : ign[dot]com

Snow White and the Huntsman Coming to BD, DVD

As if September wasn't crowded enough, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring Snow White and the Huntsman to Blu-ray and DVD September 11, 2012. Both releases will include the original 128-minute theatrical edition as well as an all-new 132-minute extended version of the film.

Here's a synopsis of Snow White and the Huntsman direct from Universal, "Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga) is Snow White, the only woman in the land fairer than the evil queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron, Young Adult). Ravenna wants nothing more than to destroy her young rival, but she doesn't know that Show White has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor, The Avengers) the queen dispatched to kill her. Together with a handsome prince (Sam Claflin) enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power, they assemble an armed force to recapture the kingdom."

Snow White and the Huntsman will be presented on Blu-ray in 1080p (2.39:1 aspect ratio), mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The DVD will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, mixed in 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.

DVD and Blu-ray Extras:

• Theatrical and Extended Versions


• A New Legend Is Born


• Feature Commentary with director Rupert Sanders, visual effects supervisor Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and co-editor Neil Smith

Blu-ray Exclusives:

• Reinventing the Fairy Tale


• Citizens of the Kingdom


• The Magic Of “Snow White and the Huntsman”


• Around the Kingdom: 360° Set Tour


• Universal’s Second Screen including Flick View, Behind the Scenes (Picture in Picture), Around the Kingdom: 360° Set Tour, Virtual Flip books, and Cast of Characters


• DVD, Digital Copy and UltraViolet

Suggested retail for the Blu-ray is $34.98. Amazon's current pre-order price for the Blu-ray is $31.48. Suggested retail for the DVD is $29.98. Amazon's pre-order price for the DVD is $26.98.

Be on the lookout for a review of the Blu-ray in September. While you wait, be sure to read our theatrical review of the film.

Source : ign[dot]com