EA and Random House Team Up for Dante’s Inferno TPB

Electronic Arts has announced that it will be teaming up with Random House for a special trade-paperback of Dante’s Inferno in order to promote the videogame of the same name. (Hit the full story for a picture of the cover!) Today’s press release stated:

Electronic Arts and Del Rey Books, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group announced that a trade-paperback edition of the classic poem Inferno, part one of The Divine Comedy, will be distributed to booksellers nationwide on January 19, 2010. This special edition of the canonized poem commemorates the launch of the highly-anticipated Dante’s Inferno video game from Visceral Games. The new edition features an introduction written by Dante’s Inferno Executive Producer, Jonathan Knight, who offers insight into the process of adapting the dark masterpiece into the interactive medium. The book also features a 16-page, full-color art insert showcasing the evolution of characters and environments from the classic poem to the video game.

I know some of you are irked by Visceral’s…unique take on Dante Alighieiri’s work, but if the game gets kids to The Divine Comedy then that’s totally cool. That said, it is kind of weird that a classic will come with 16 pages of pictures. *shrug*

Simon Cowell Confirms That He’s Leaving American Idol

As I mentioned last month, Simon Cowell’s brother revealed that the smarmiest judge on America Idol will be leaving the show after this season. That news has be confirmed by Simon himself. People has reported:

At the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., American Idol judge Simon Cowell announced that he is leaving the show to focus on a new talent search, The X Factor.

“The X Factor will launch in 2011,” Cowell told reporters Monday. “Because of that, this will be my last season on American Idol.”

The shows won’t be in direct competition, as American Idol is slated to run in the first half of the year and The X Factor in the second. Cowell also revealed that he’s anxious to work with Paul Abdul, who was recently replaced on AI, once again:

“I adore Paula. Whatever happens, I will be working with her in some capacity. Because I miss her.”

Even though the shows will not be on at the same time, I’m pretty sure I’m dropping Idol for X Factor.

Source

Nintendo Confirms Pokewalker for Heart Gold and Soul Silver

Nintendo of America has confirmed that the Pokewalker accessory will be bundled with copies of the upcoming Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver for Nintendo DS. The game is slated for a March 14, 2010 release. And no, the Pokewalker isn’t a walking device for your 70-year old charmander. Here’s some official info on the accessory:

In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, players can wirelessly transfer any one of their Pokémon from one of the two games to the Pokéwalker and walk them through virtual routes as the player walks around in real life. By walking, players earn Watts, which are used within the Pokéwalker to encounter and catch wild Pokémon or search for hidden items, and can be transferred into Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions to unlock new routes. There are even special versions of certain Pokémon that can only be found within routes on the Pokéwalker, giving players added incentive to keep their Pokémon with them wherever they go. The Pokémon in the Pokéwalker will gain experience points as the player walks, and can even go up one level when they are transferred back into the game. Players also can wirelessly connect two Pokéwalkers to trade items.

My March is so screwed. Between this, Final Fantasy XIII, and Dragon Age: Awakenings…I might have to skip this year’s Game Developer’s Conference. Perhaps one of you can take over the site for me when the ides of March hits. Ha!

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s still a light week in the videogame-release department, but there are a few titles of interest that you might want to keep an eye on. EA brings back its brothers of destruction in Army of Two: The 40th Day. That is, by far, the biggest release of the week. Outside of that, there’s an interesting DS RPG and a game for fans of winter sports…and that’s about it. As always, let me know if you’re picking up any of this week’s video releases.

PlayStation 3
Army of 2: The 40th Day — I’m pretty sure Kane and The Undertaker would wreck these guys.
Vancouver 2010: Offivial Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games — I totally forgot that the Olympics are happening this year. I guess I pay more attention to the summer games than the winter games.

Xbox 360
Army of 2: The 40th Day
Vancouver 2010: Offivial Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games

Nintendo Wii
Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
Walk it Out — Base on the hit song by The Beatles…oh wait, it’s not.

PlayStation Portable
Army of 2: The 40th Day

Nintendo DS
Daniel X — A interactive retelling of one of the most powerful civil rights leaders in America. Okay, I totally made that up.
Sands of Destruction

Coffee Talk #62: The Videogame Movie of Your Dreams

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, those amazing Cardinals, Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, or your favorite CES 2010 gadget, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Videogame movies…so many of them are embarrassing. Whether you’re talking about Uwe Boll’s numerous offenses, Raul Julia going out with a psycho crusher in Street Fighter, or Dead or Alive sucking despite having some truly beautiful women running around half-naked for 90 minutes, movies based on videogames haven’t been the best.

Some gamers don’t see the point. Games are a form of interactive storytelling, so why do they need a linear and traditional way to tell a story? Doesn’t that take away the uniqueness of the medium? I’m all for videogame movies, just like I support videogame books, comics, lunch boxes, etc. If it helps expand the world of a game I enjoy and expand the business in general, that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, the execution if often…off.

Today I wanted to ask you about the videogame movie that’s playing in your head. What gaming franchise to you want to see on the big screen? Do you have any actors or actresses you want to attach to your dream project? Kindly channel your inner director and tell me all about the videogame movie you want (please)!

Ron Jeremy Says Videogames are Worse Than Porn for Kids

Speaking at “The Great Porn Debate” panel at CES 2010, sponsored by InternetSafety.com, adult actor Ron Jeremy said that videogames are worse for children than porn. The man known as The Hedgehog declared:

We don’t want kids to watch porn. [Studies have] found that violent video games are much bigger a negative influence on kids.

Connoisseurs of adult movies might remember that Jeremy starred in a Super Mario Bros. parody called Super Hornio Brothers. (Would that make this a case of biting the schlong that feeds you?) While it’s annoying that another public figure is denouncing videogames, Jeremy’s comments will be unfairly dismissed simply because of his profession.

Source

Today’s Poll: Do You Care About 3D Gaming?

3D televisions are getting a ton of coverage at CES 2010 and a lot of companies are using games to demo the new models. The reactions have been all over the place. Mainstream outlets are all over it — it actually weirded me out to see CES coverage on The Rachel Maddow Show — while enthusiast-gamer outlets are downplaying the trend.

A few of you mentioned that you aren’t big on 3D gaming, but I wanted to make it more formal and start a poll/discussion about the topic. As for me, I’m clearly in the “who gives a crap?” category when it comes to 3D gaming.

[poll id=”18″]

Google Nexus One Unable to Hold 3G Signal?

By most accounts, Google’s Nexus One is a fantastic phone that’s clearly the best Android handset on the market, but several users have been complaining about its ability to hold 3G signal. Numerous users on the Google Mobile Help Forum have been reporting that the Nexus One keeps bouncing between 3G and Edge signals. This leads to lower data throughput and decreased battery life. Several users have noted that they’re getting much better 3G data speeds on older T-Mobile phones, so it appears to be a hardware issue and not a network issue.

The problem can likely be fixed through a firmware update. Still, it’s not good that Google’s debut “superphone” has been problematic. The company is trying to change the way mobile phones are sold in America and a flawless review would have helped the effort.

Anyone happen to pick up a Nexus One? Are you having issues? If you were considering the phone, are you going to wait for a firmware update before buying?

CES 2010: AT&T Set for Life After iPhone Exclusivity?

It looks like AT&T is preparing to lose its exclusivity deal with Apple for the insanely popular iPhone. Just take a look at what went down at CES 2010 — the company announced that it will soon be carrying at least five phones using Google Android and at least one using Palm WebOS. In 2009 AT&T could afford to ignore both operating systems, simply because the iPhone was far more mature and popular than either. As WebOS and Android have matured — and presumably because AT&T knows that Apple will not be renewing its exclusive contract — AT&T has decided to round out its catalog with other smartphones.

Most rumors indicate that Apple and Verizon will be partnering in the second half of 2010 for a new iPhone. Verizon is the largest network in America and far more reliable than AT&T. It seems like a win-win situation for Apple, Verizon, and iPhone customers that want better service. Should this happen, AT&T would still be an Apple partner, but you can bet that a large number of its customers would jump to Verizon.

If you’re a current AT&T customer with an iPhone, would you jump to Verizon for the better service? If you’re in the market for a new phone, are you willing to wait to see if Verizon and Apple will team up? As for me, I’m seriously considering the Google Nexus One, but an iPhone on Verizon seems brilliant.