Category Archives: News

Microsoft revamps Games for Windows Marketplace next month

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Having updated Xbox.com for Xbox 360 gamers, Microsoft is readying a relaunch of their Games for Windows Marketplace online portal for PC gamers.  The gaming on-demand online distribution site “will offer PC gamers a robust lineup of games they love, easier navigation and purchase, and recurring specials such as Deal of the Week.”  The new streamlined experience promises fewer clicks to purchase and download games and better search functionality.  The Marketplace will launch with a portfolio of 100 “top-quality titles” including Fable: The Lost Chapters from Microsoft and Grand Theft Auto III from Rockstar.  As long as you’ve got a Windows Live ID (that emcompasses Windows Live, Xbox LIVE, Games for Windows – LIVE and Zune accounts) you will have access to the store and all that it offers.  Microsoft Points are accepted as currency.  Expect the site to undergo core and aesthetic changes November 15.  In a recent interview with Kotaku, Microsoft’s Peter Orullian says that the company is “doubling down” on PC gaming”, so you can expect the revamp of the Marketplace the beginning of a chain of events in the PC gaming realm as far as Microsoft is concerned.  Better Windows/Xbox 360/Windows Phone 7 integration?  Fingers crossed.  PR after the break.

[Via Engadget, here & here] Continue reading Microsoft revamps Games for Windows Marketplace next month →

Kanye West x Jay-Z EP ‘Watch the Throne’ is now a full length album

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Told you the Kanye West news was far from over.  In an interview with MTV, Kanye West revealed that the upcoming collab EP with big brother Jay-Z will in fact be a full length album.  ‘Ye said, “We did like five [songs] so far, and then a few of them kind of were out there, and I put them on my album. Sorry, Jay!”  He’s most definitely talking about G.O.O.D. Friday turned My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy tracks “Monster” (Featuring Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver) and “So Appalled” (Featuring Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz & CyHi Da Prynce).  West continued, “But we’ve got some more, and we’re going to the south of France at the end of this month just to record our ideas.”  See Kanye fans?  Fantasy may contain a bunch of songs we’ve already heard, but ‘Ye and Jay-Z have many more tunes up their sleeves.  Looking forward to it.

[Via MTV; EW]

Single: The Black Eyed Peas – “The Time (The Dirty Bit)”

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The Peas are pumped to unleash the follow-up to their 2008 hit album The E.N.D. The new record is appropriately titled The Beginning and it drops November 30.  Says frontman will.i.am: The Beginning is our departure to the new…always pushing new sounds and technology…I can’t wait till you experience all that we have been cooking up…”

Can’t wait that long for new BEP music, huh?  Well here’s a treat!  Take a listen to their brand new single called “The Time (The Dirty Bit)”.  The song covers the Dirty Dancing hit “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” originally recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes in 1987.  And you know its got that signature BEP electro hip-hop headbanger twist to it.  Will it resonate with fans, radio listeners, and party-goers as loud as “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling”?  I don’t think it’s as catchy as those two, but nothing will keep this new single from quickly becoming a chart-topper.  A music video has already been made to accompany the single and it should drop sometime soon.

[Via Rap-Up; Dipdive]

‘Ye’s ‘Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ tracklist enclosed, album up for preorder

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The not-really banned album cover has made its way into iTunes all pixelated, along with the tracklist for Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and here it is:

1. Dark Fantasy
2. Gorgeous (Featuring Raekwon & Kid Cudi)
3. POWER
4. All Of the Lights
5. Monster (Feauting Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver)
6. So Appalled (Featuring Jay-Z, Pusha T, CyHi Da Prynce & Swizz Beatz)
7. Devil In a New Dress
8. Runaway (Featuring Pusha T)
9. Hell Of a Life
10. Blame Game (Featuring John Legend & Pusha T)
11. Lost In the World
12. See Me Now (Bonus Track)

Right off the bat what do you notice?  That’s right–we’ve already heard half the album already!  “Power” and “Runaway” served as the first two singles, and “Monster”, “So Appalled”, “Devil in a New Dress”, and “See Me Now” were all included in Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Friday collection.  Bummer, eh not so much.  I was definitely expecting an epic, lengthy album, but you have to take into consideration what Kanye has provided fans for the past few months.  The G.O.O.D. Friday collection has us anticipating a new Kanye track every single Friday–and this series will continue past the album’s release until Christmas time.  The album may be lacking in new content, but it cetainly contains the best of G.O.O.D. Friday along with hotly anticipated tracks like “All of the Lights” and “Lost in the World.”  If you don’t play into the leak game, half of this album will be brand new for you to take in and enjoy.  And take note that the contents of the album are subject to change before the release date.  Lost tracks like “Mama’s Boyfriend” and “Chain Heavy” might just find their way onto it.  For now, preview a bunch of the songs by watching Runaway again and look forward to this week’s G.O.O.D. Friday track.  The fifth studio album from Kanye West drops November 22.  His collab EP with Jay-Z called Watch the Throne will follow soon after.  There really is no end in sight.

Preorder information!  The standard version includes all 12 tracks (iTunes) and the deluxe version (iTunes/Amazon) packs all 12 tracks plus the Runaway short film.  (FYI — “Monster” has turned up as the third single.  Preorder on iTunes today to instantly download it.)  You might want to opt for the physical in-store copy; Kanye promises there are five different album covers (including the “banned” one) and they will all ship inside the CD case.

Kid Cudi drops third single, reveals MOTM2 tracklist + posters

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Cudder’s sophomore slam is nearly here.  Want a peek at the 17 song ‘scenelist’ for Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager?  Force your eyeballs slightly downwards.

Act 1: The World I Am Ruling
1. Scott Mescudi Vs The World feat. Cee-Lo (Producted by Emile)
2. REVOFEV (Producted by Plain Pat)

ACT 2: A Stronger Trip
3. Don’t Play This Song feat. Mary J. Blige (Producted by Emile)
4. We Aite (Wake Your Mind Up) (Producted by Emile)
5. Marijuana (Producted by Dot Da Genius)
6. Mojo So Dope (Producted by Emile)

Act 3; Party On
7. Ashin’ Kusher (Producted by Chuck English)
8. Erase Me feat. Kanye West (Producted by Jim Jonsin)
9. Wild’n Cuz Im Young (Producted by Plain Pat)
10. The Mood (Producted by Emile)

Act 4: The Transformation
11. MANIAC feat. Cage & St. Vincent (Producted by Anthony Killhoffer)
12. Mr. Rager (Producted by Emile)
13. These Worries feat. Mary J. Blige (Producted by Emile)
14. The End feat. GLC, Chip Tha Ripper & Nicole Wray (Produced by Blended Babies)

Act 5: You Live & You Learn
15. All Along (Producted by Emile)
16. GHOST! (Producted by Emile)
17. Trapped In My Mind (Producted by Dot Da Genius)

As you can see, Cudi organized the tracklist here the same way he did for the original MOTM; it flows more like a “scenelist” where the tracks are bunched into individial scenes and they bleed into each other very much like a movie.  Cudi managed to scoop up some impressive featured artists; there’s Cee-Lo, Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Cage, St. Vincent, GLC, Chip Tha Ripper, and Nicole Wray.  Dot Da Genius, Emile, and Plain Pat return as producers along with new recruits Jim Jonsin, Chuck English, Anthony Killhoffer, and Blended Babies.

You’ve already seen the album cover for the regular and deluxe versions, so how about we detail how they differentiate.  The regular version comes complete with all 17 tracks; the final song “Maybe” is an iTunes bonus track (produced by Dot Da Genius and Rami Beatz).  The deluxe versions comes with all 17 songs plus the “Erase Me” music video and a 30 minute documentary titled “Journey of Mr. Rager.”  If you want that bonus track, preorder MOTM2 in iTunes: standard / deluxe.  And if you preorder today, you will instantly receive a copy of single #3 that is “Mr. Rager.”  Prefer a physical copy?  Amazon’s got you covered: standard / deluxe.

Curious about the movie poster hanging above? Continue reading Kid Cudi drops third single, reveals MOTM2 tracklist + posters →

Rihanna is ready to get LOUD

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After dropping the single Only Girl (In the World) back in September, Rihanna is nearly ready to release her fifth studio album.  Album cover: check (see above).  Tracklist: check (see below).

  1. S&M
  2. What’s My Name (Featuring Drake)
  3. Cheers (Drink To That)
  4. Fading
  5. Only Girl In The World
  6. California King Bed
  7. Mad Down
  8. Raining Men (Featuring Nicki Minaj)
  9. Complicated
  10. Skin
  11. Love The Way You Lie Part II (Featuring Eminem)

That’s right–RiRi is hooking up with Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem in her latest effort to deliver the pop sound that made her so successful.  After watching her new music video for Only Girl, it’s plain to see Rihanna is ready to walk away from the darkness and back to her fun, cut loose dance anthems.  Get Loud November 12.

[Via Rap-Up]

Prepare for the ‘Walking Dead’ zombie invasion, coming to a city near you! [Update: video compilation]

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Can you believe it!?  The highly anticipated TV adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s comic book The Walking Dead is set to premiere this weekend!  To promote the upcoming series premiere, AMC and Fox International Channels have teamed up to stage real live “zombie attacks” in 26 cities around the world over a 24-hour period.  Inspired by the show’s makeup artist Greg Nicotero, hundreds of undead extras will begin the invasion tomorrow, October 26 at daybreak in Taipei and Hong Kong.  After speading the outbreak to major landmarks including the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Big Ben in London, the Prado Museum in Madrid, the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, and the Acropolis in Athens, the zombies will end their spree in Los Angeles, just in time for the big LA premiere event.  Look after the break for a full listing of the promotional zombie tour stops.

The Walking Dead premieres this Sunday, October 31 at 9PM on AMC.

Update: Jump after the break to watch an “Invasion Compilation” of the day’s events.  Hundreds of zombies literally roamed cities all around the globe–and they looked very convincing!  Unfortunately no one was harmed in the filming.  Want to see more?  Head over to the FICTheWalkingDead YouTube channel to watch more footage categorized by city and time of day.

[Via THR; IGN] Continue reading Prepare for the ‘Walking Dead’ zombie invasion, coming to a city near you! [Update: video compilation] →

ABC picks up ‘No Ordinary Family’ & ‘Better With You’

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Another network drama and comedy can breathe a sigh of relief.  ABC has decided to grant full season orders to No Ordinary Family and Better With You.  Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, and the rest of the Powell gang  average 9.5 million viewers per week and Better gets 7.3 million viewers.  The latter show remains the lowest rated comedy in ABC’s comedy Wednesday block (no surprise there with powerhouse Modern Family plus The Middle and Cougar Town drawing in larger audiences).  ABC has picked up five additional scripts for the cop drama Detroit 1-8-7 and four for returning drama Brothers & Sisters (rounding out the episode total to 22).  No word on the fate of The Whole Truth, starring Rob Morrow and Maura Tierney; the freshman legal drama is receiving a dismal average of 5.3 million viewers per week.  Truth will likely join ABC’s ill-fated My Generation in the cancellation bucket.

Update: Well that was quick.  Shortly after announcing the back nine for Ordinary and Better, ABC axed The Whole Truth.  A producer shared the somber news via Twitter and reports that they will only produce 13 episodes and then close up shop.

[Via EW, here & here; THR]

The CW wants more ‘Hellcats’ & ‘Nikita’

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The CW is following in its sister network’s footsteps (that’s CBS) by ordering full seasons of all their freshman series.  All two of them: Hellcats and Nikita.  The cheerleading drama averages 2.5 million viewers per week, and the Maggie Q-starrer sees 3.6 million viewers.  Also veteran One Tree Hill, which started its eighth season this year, has also been given the back nine.  No word on a Life Unexpected pickup, though two additional scripts have been ordered.

Michalka fans–this is a time of celebration, is it not?

[Via Deadline]

All 5 CBS freshman series get the full season order treatment

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Today CBS followed direct competitor NBC in announcing which of their new fall shows will tack on an additional nine episodes.  Spilling the news was easy and why?  CBS has granted all five CBS freshman series a full season order.  Hawaii Five-O, The Defenders, Blue Bloods, Mike and Molly, and $#*! My Dad Says are safe and won’t have to worry about cancellation for the remainder of the ’10-’11 TV season.  Deadline reports some fascinating figures.  These five shows are the five most watched new shows on TV right now and Hawaii, Mike & Molly and $#*! claim to be the top three new series in the adults 18-49 demographic.  And here’s some hard data for ya.  Hawaii averages 14.2 million viewers per episode and happens to be DVR king raking in an additional 3.4 million viewers in recordings.  Defenders averages 11.3 million viewers;  Blue Bloods 12.7 million; Mike & Molly 12.3 million; and $#*! 11.3 million.  CBS is America’s most watched network and now you know why.  Crime prodedurals draw huge audiences and people are really digging all this new programming.  Hawaii Five-O is my favorite new fall series, just sayin’.

Says CBS Entertainment prez Nina Tassler: “Everything has clicked so far this year–from development in January, to scheduling in May, to production over the summer, to marketing and publicity in the fall.  It’s all testimony to the executives in our halls who remain restless for more success, and the amazing creative talent on our sets who continue to deliver the goods.”

[Via Deadline]

HP gives in, officially unveils Windows 7 powered HP Slate priced at $799

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After almost an entire year of teases, demos, random resurfaces, and handlings on YouTube, the once mysterious HP Slate has been formally announced and detailed.  What was originally intended for the consumer market has been tailored and made destined for “business, enterprise and vertical customers.”  (You can thank HP’s aquisition of Palm and their current plans of designing webOS tablets for this slight shakeup in marketing.)  By now you should know the Slate’s specs by heart, but let’s run through them anyway, you know, for fun.  Weighing in at 1.5 pounds, the Slate features a 8.9-inch (1024×600) capacitive multitouch display, 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, 2GB of RAM, 64GB SSD, 802.11n WiFi, rear-facing 5 megapixel camera (for taking still images and video), front-facing VGA camera (for video chat), and a Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator to help provide 1080p video playback.  Ports-wise there’s 1 USB, a headphone jack, an SD card slot, and a mic.  A myriad of buttons surround the bezel; there’s a home button, a keyboard button that brings up and hides the on-screen keyboard, volume up/down buttons, and a Ctrl-Alt-Delete key.

The Slate 500 runs a clean version of Windows 7 Professional; you won’t find any kind of HP skin here, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences.  Unlike Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android Froyo platform, Windows 7 was not designed from the ground up for touch input.  A capacitive screen and a fairly speedy Intel processor will get the job done, but just barely.  If you are willing to learn how to navigate a made for mouse-and-keyboard OS using your fat fingers, go for it.  All I’m saying is that it might be hard to justify dropping $799 for a tablet of this kind.  A worthy iPad contender this is not.  If you’re anti-Apple, I’d recommend purchasing the Samsung Galaxy Tab over the Slate any day.

But enough of my gripes.  Let’s talk Slate accessories and release details.  It ships with a Wacom active digital pen to use for note taking and writing emails.  It also comes with a dock fitted with an HDMI port for video out and a “portfolio” case.  Again the Slate will ship for $799 and it’s coming to the U.S. first (at an undisclosed date) and will then be “evaluated for further market expansion.”

Look in the gallery below for stills and after the break for official PR.

[Via Engadget]

Sony ships 1 million Move controllers in first month of availability

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The suits at Sony have something to smile about.  Today the company reported having shipped 1 million PlayStation Move controllers in North and Latin America in the first 30 days of availability.  SCEA CEO Jack Tretton is enthused to say the least.  “Retail demand is incredibly strong and we’re working hard to keep the product in stock”, he said.  “We believe consumers have already shown their preference for a precise, interactive game experience.  We are on target to meet our end of year goals and expect sales to increase as our publishers and developers continue to update popular titles and introduce new games.”  This is certainly great news for Sony, but Joystiq makes a solid point when they say this announcement does not help you figure the precise install base of the new motion controller.  Many PS3 owners likely purchased more than one Move for two-hand and multiplayer functionality.  Still, this does not take away the fact that Sony has something powerful in their (er, our) hands.  Right now there’s 24 Move-supported titles out, with 17 more promised before the year runs out.  I gotta get my Move on.  Full PR after the break.

[Via Joystiq] Continue reading Sony ships 1 million Move controllers in first month of availability →