Inside Out Trailer Starring WWE Triple H (Paul Levesque)

Hot on the heels of his award-winning (not really) performance in The Chaperone, Paul Levesque (Triple H) is set to star in Inside Out. Costarring Michael Rapaport, Parker Posey, and Bruce Dern, Inside Out looks slightly better than Hunter’s last movie…but that’s not saying much, is it?

Anyway, check out the trailer, try not to laugh at the unintentional comedy, and let me know what you think (please)!

Radiant Silvergun Hitting XBLA in September

I know that I normally don’t post articles about release dates for a single game and I know that some of you feel that classic shooters all look the same, but this is Radiant Silvergun! Originally released in arcades and for the Sega Saturn, a lot of people think that this is the best shooter Treasure has ever made (and the company has made a bunch of great ones). I’m a mark for this game, Treasure, and the Sega Saturn, so I’m triply excited for this release. According to AndriaSang, it will hit Xbox Live Arcade on September 14, 2011. That’s the Japanese launch date. Hopefully the U.S. launch is within the same timeframe.

Are there any other Treasure marks out there looking forward to Radiant Silvergun on Xbox Live Arcade?

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HTC Sense 3.5 Walkthrough

XDA.cn has posted a video walkthrough of what’s allegedly HTC Sense 3.5. Most people believe that Sense is the best Android skin on the market and this video shows that HTC is committed to staying on top. I’m a huge fan of Sense and I love many of the enhancements it provides. The active lock screen and excellent widgets are some of my favorite features of Sense 3.0. Those features are still intact, but there are a number of nifty additions to be found in this five-minute video. It’s a little slow and could use some music, but there are some moments that will make you say, “That’s pretty slick!”

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Kevin Butler Kicks Off “Long Live Play” Ad Campaign

Here’s another excellent Sony PlayStation commercial featuring Kevin Butler. This time around he’s kicking off Sony’s “Long Live Play” ad campaign. The spot has Butler working at a company called Economy Flooring when he’s called back to the Sony Defense Force by Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton. As expected, it’s a cute and witty commercial. I love that it celebrates gaming as something fun and cool. My favorite moment was when Butler looked at his framed 8 x 10 of Tretton and said, “You are the boss of me.” Ha!

Check out the spot and let me know what you think (please)!

I Want Quantum Conundrum Now!

I’m totally charmed by these screens of Square Enix’s Quantum Conundrum. This puzzle-platform game is being made by Airtight Games. Some of you know that Airtight’s creative director is Kim Swift, co-creator of the outstanding Portal…

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I’m totally charmed by these screens of Square Enix’s Quantum Conundrum. This puzzle-platform game is being made by Airtight Games. Some of you know that Airtight’s creative director is Kim Swift, co-creator of the outstanding Portal. Quantum Conundrum looks like a wonderful blend of creative gameplay and a cute art style. Here’s some info from the press release:

In Quantum Conundrum, players take on the role of a young kid dropped off on his uncle’s doorstep for the weekend; his uncle just so happens to be the brilliant, eccentric inventor, Professor Fitz Quadwrangle. Upon entering the Professor’s vast manor home retrofitted with crazy technology to test his latest hypotheses, players quickly realize their uncle has gone missing. Fortunately, players soon gain access to Professor Quadwrangle’s latest invention, the Inter-Dimensional Shift Device, which, at the press of a button, will shift the world around them to an entirely new dimension. In order to find him, players must use the newly found IDS Device to dynamically change the world to and from a variety of different dimensions to progress through the complicated Quadwrangle Manor. While on the journey, becoming adept at utilizing the various dimensions will help them trek from one bizarre and challenging room to the next. It might sound easy enough, but it is a tall order for a kid in a giant puzzle of a manor!

Sounds awesome, hey? Quantum Conundrum will be available for download in early 2012. It’s heading to PC (via Steam), PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live.

Anyone else psyched for this game?

Are You Interested in Sony’s PlayStation 3D Display?

Sony posted a friendly reminder that its bonus program for the PlayStation 3D Display expires on September 30, 2011. This 24-inch HDTV comes with a pair of 3D glasses and Motorstorm Apocalypse. If you pre-order by the end of September, you’ll get a copy of Resistance 3 as well. The PlayStation 3D Display retails for $499.99. Here are the bullet points if you need a refresher:

  • Full HD 1080p resolution and 240hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth play
  • 3 HD inputs (2 HDMI and 1 component) so you can hook up your PS3, cable TV box, and PC
  • Built-in speakers and subwoofer for a more immersive audio experience.

Remember, the hook on this television is that it can support two players in full HD 3D. Sony calls this SimulView technology…which is almost as silly a term as Retina Display. Some argue that the the bundle is a great deal. I’m not sold just yet. I wasn’t too impressed with the display quality shown at E3 2011. That said, those were early models and were probably calibrated by hacks. The final product will likely offer a better picture. How much better? I’m curious to find out.

The PlayStation 3D Display looks like a versatile television that can support your consoles and PC, while offering superior sound and 3D gaming. It seems perfect for a game reviewer’s desk, but I wonder if any “real” people are interested.  Any of you thinking of taking the plunge?

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Lady Gaga Goes Drag as Jo Calderone at MTV VMAs

Lady Gaga shocked the crowd at the MTV Video Music Awards by appearing and performing as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone. While I loved Gaga’s performance of “You and I”, mostly because it featured Queen guitarist Brian May, everyone seems to be fixated on the Calderone character instead of the music. Check it out below and let me know what you think (please)!

 

As for me, I love the song and the guitar playing. The Jo Calderone thing seems like another way of Gaga pushing buttons. I like what she was trying to do, but it seemed a little silly to me. Calderone looks like a member of The Jets from West Side Story. I was waiting for a medley of “When You’re a Jet” and “Somewhere“.

Nexus Prime Headed to Verizon as a Timed Exclusive?

A lot of mobile tech enthusiasts were surprised and disappointed to learn that Verizon has passed on getting a Samsung Galaxy S II variant. My initial thoughts were that it was waiting for the LTE version of the Galaxy S II (probably) or it was waiting to get the Nexus Prime (less likely). According to Boy Genius Report, the Samsung “Droid Prime” will be headed to Verizon as a timed exclusive on October 2011.

For those of you not familiar with the Nexus Prime, it will be the third Google Android champion phone, following the Nexus One and Nexus S. It will be the first phone that runs the next version of the Android operating system, dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich. Other rumors indicate that it will have a Super AMOLED HD 720p (1280 x 720) screen and a five megapixel camera that raises the bar on image quality. The sweet hook on being a Verizon exclusive is that it will also use zippy LTE connectivity. Right now, there’s nothing that can touch Verizon LTE in terms of Internet speed.

It’s interesting that BGR is using the brand Droid Prime and not Nexus Prime. The Droid is a brand specific to Verizon and it seems odd that Google would dump the Nexus brand in favor of a carrier-specific one. That’s the only part of the rumor that seems suspect. Perhaps the Droid Prime isn’t a Nexus phone at all.

Are you excited about the possibility of a Google champion phone running on Verizon’s LTE network? Would you rather have this or an iPhone 5?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

Are you ready for some (American) football?!? A bunch of you had fantasy drafts yesterday and are amped for the season to start. Why not increase the anticipation with some Madden NFL 12? If you’re more about guns than balls then you should keep an eye on Bodycount, the spiritual successor to the underrated Black. Looking for something more esoteric and Japanese? How about Cladun X2 from the excellent people at Nippon Ichi Software America? You can add some (scary) spice to your life and get in shape on the Wii with Get Fit with Mel B.

Anyone buying new games this week?

Coffee Talk #391: Powerful Brands That are Dead or Dying

My tech writer friends and I were talking about brands that were powerful 10 years ago, but are dead or dying in 2011. Names like Dell, Nokia, and RIM came up. It wasn’t that long ago when Michael Dell advised Apple to…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, gratuitous use of chyrons, the scariest insect, or why my coffee beans are late, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

My tech writer friends and I were talking about brands that were powerful 10 years ago, but are dead or dying in 2011. Names like Dell, Nokia, and RIM came up. It wasn’t that long ago when Michael Dell advised Apple to shut down the company, Nokia was the leading high-end smartphone manufacturer in the world, and RIM’s BlackBerry platform was considered cutting edge. It’s crazy how much can change in a decade. These days Apple makes Dell look like a joke, Nokia is no longer a player in the high-end market, and RIM’s BlackBerry OS is considered an archaic piece of crap.

Other companies like Excite, Palm, and Yahoo! were discussed. I wanted to talk about gaming brands, but most of these guys don’t know anything about that world. That’s where you come in! Remember when the “big three” of gaming was Nintendo, Sony, and Sega?!? It’s crazy how Sega went from one of the biggest players in console gaming to a middling publisher.

What brands do you remember being juggernauts in 2001 that are dead or dying in 2011? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!