Joystiq

Angry Birds movie tags Despicable Me, Iron Man producers, out in 2016

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST

The Angry Birds movie is happening. Despicable Me producer John Cohen has signed on to produce, and Iron Man executive producer David Maisel is taking the same role in Rovio's feature film. The Angry Birds movie is set to hit theaters in summer 2016, and it's fully funded and produced by Rovio outside of the standard studio system.

"John's an exceptionally talented producer, and we're delighted to have him join the flock," says Mikael Hed, Rovio CEO. "With John's hands-on producer background and David's expertise in establishing and running his own successful studio, these two are the dream team for making a movie outside the studio system. Both professionals have the ideal skills and vision to achieve incredible things."

Rovio held meetings with Hollywood advisers in 2010 and was rumored to have sought funding to the tune of $1.2 billion in 2011 to expand its entertainment offerings. As this film takes off, keep one thing in mind: Cohen is the guy who thought 2007's Alvin and the Chipmunks was a good idea.

Continue reading Angry Birds movie tags Despicable Me, Iron Man producers, out in 2016

Angry Birds movie tags Despicable Me, Iron Man producers, out in 2016 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Civil War' table coming to Marvel Pinball

Mike Suszek — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 19:30:00 EST

Zen Studios announced standalone DLC for Marvel Pinball called Civil War at a New York Comic Con panel. The theme for this pinball table was taken from a multi-part comic event from 2006 of the same name that pitted Iron Man and Captain America against each other.

No specific release date was given for the DLC, though the trailer above teases that it's "coming soon" to PSN, XBLA, Apple's App Store and the Google Play store.

Gallery: Marvel Pinball (Civil War)

'Civil War' table coming to Marvel Pinball originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Co-opinion: Avengers: Battle for Earth

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST

Mike Schramm: I'm sure at some point in this writeup, we'll probably talk about how Avengers: Battle for Earth is a Kinect game, and that means, like most Kinect games, it works much better in theory ("A fighting game where you control Marvel characters by making moves on Kinect") than it does in actual practice.

But I don't want to get to that point yet, because here's the thing: I had a lot of fun playing it. There's something awesome about sticking your hand up in the air and then pushing it forward to make Thor fling electricity from his hammer, or crouching down and then bringing your arms up high to make the Hulk chuck some ground at his opponent. These are iconic characters from my childhood all the way up to the popular movie, and this game portrays them in a really colorful and fun way.

Jess Conditt: Let it be known that Mike Schramm makes an impressive (nay, an incredible) Hulk. I wasn't so bad either, I think. Especially for rippling-muscle-challenged people like myself it's wonderful to embody the larger-than-life heroes in Marvel's repetoire, as Mike suggested. I played our multiplayer battle as Venom and Iron Man, two of my personal favorite characters, and they didn't disappoint.

Most motions are shared by each character - punch, knee up, arms out and clapped together, etc. - but the resulting moves are different. With the same punching move, Iron Man shoots a beam of light from his palm and Hulk rushes the player, fists-first. It's a powerful feeling to throw a punch "at" your friend and watch his hero respond on-screen.

Gallery: Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth (Comic Con 2012)

Continue reading Co-opinion: Avengers: Battle for Earth

Co-opinion: Avengers: Battle for Earth originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If The Avengers ever has a video game tie-in, we hope it's not like this

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 06 May 2012 21:30:00 EST

We're warring with ourselves over the lack of a movie tie-in game for The Avengers, much like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers fight with each other in the beginning of the Avengers initiative, each representing opposing yet valid spectrums of morality, society and technology. And that's the problem - The Avengers movie is so good that we can relate everything in our daily lives back to the most faint of plot points and imagined superhero thought processes. It's also the reason we're disappointed that there's no Avengers video game.

But movie games are always terrible, right? It probably would have been rushed, stilted and dumbed-down for a (much) wider audience.

Actually, Steve, it probably would have been fantastic, as this pre-alpha footage from a canceled THQ game demonstrates.

Well, Tony, that could merely be programmers editing the computer-generated graphics with software and codes to make the game appear better than it actually is.

Steve, stop quoting Bruce. You sound like a man who's been frozen for 70 years. Oh wait.

Shut up. At least the humorous video at the top of this page isn't real.

For once, Cap, we agree on something. And there's always this potential Ubisoft title, Avengers: Battle for Earth. But it's not called Avengers: Iron Man is Obviously the Best, so I'm ignoring that one too. Cheers.

...Cheers.

If The Avengers ever has a video game tie-in, we hope it's not like this originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 May 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel Universe Online shows off some (back)sides of its superheroes

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:30:00 EST

Developer Gazillion and Marvel have been showing off some superheroes for the coming MMO Marvel Universe Online, and with the inclusion of Iron Man, we think it's about time you took a good look at these guys. So far, the MMMSociety has released renders of Deadpool, Wolverine, Cable, Captain America, Thor, Thing and Iron Man, all in fairly traditional spandex and ironclad garb. Iron Man, for example, looks a bit like Robert Downey Jr. under that sleek armor design -- trust us, we would know that rear end anywhere.

Gallery: Marvel Universe Online (12/3/11)

Marvel Universe Online shows off some (back)sides of its superheroes originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You really should have seen this amazing footage from The Avengers video game

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST

Earlier this year THQ shuttered the Australian studio most likely working on The Avengers: The Video Game, and until now we didn't know how far along the game was, or how awesome it was turning out to be. A freshly leaked video shows The Avengers in a pre-alpha build, highlighting the game's sweet FPS mechanics -- unfortunately THQ has pulled the footage from YouTube, meaning you'll never get to see how amazing this thing was. Your life sucks.

Not to rub it in your face, but we saw it and boy, was it good. The video showed the first-person perspectives of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America, all using unique fighting styles to destroy their enemies -- or get obliterated by them, as was the case against the X-Men and Fantastic Four Super-Skrulls. The art style appeared sophisticated, especially for a pre-alpha build, and it contained just the right amount of superhero violence, including an active input scene where Hulk slowly snapped the neck of a Super-Skrull. Seriously, it's a shame you'll never see this footage. Ever.

Unless you see it here. We hope you appreciate it more this way.

You really should have seen this amazing footage from The Avengers video game originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Avengers: The Video Game leaks, cancelled by THQ

Mike Schramm — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST

Early last month, THQ shuttered a few Australian studios that were working on licensed titles. A leak seems to reveal what one of those titles could have been: A video game tie-in to the upcoming Avengers movie. WouldYouKindly poked around on a few websites of concept artists formerly employed by THQ, and found some concept art and even a test animation (which has since been hidden) showing off Thor, Captain America, and Hawkeye all beating up on some Skrull enemies. One concept also shows Hulk and Iron Man in the mix.

The Avengers: The Video Game was at least being pitched, if not actually developed, for PS3, Xbox 360, and the PC. According to the LinkedIn profile of at least one developer, the game has been completely canceled, though we're not sure about the status of the license -- presumably, if THQ isn't making the game, Marvel could try shopping it to another developer or publisher.

The Avengers: The Video Game leaks, cancelled by THQ originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You'll be way into this custom Shy Guy figure

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:00:00 EST

As if there weren't enough Shy Guy permutations in various Mario games haunting your dreams as it is, custom action figure crafter Jin Saotome has gone and created an even more terrifying one than normal. As seen above and more thoroughly on his personal site, Saotome's interpretation of Shy Guy is just a tad darker than Nintendo's version.

Naotome's site details the figure's composition, a careful combination of a PVC Shy Guy character mask, the body of DC Comics' Desaad and the hands of The Spirit, and a gatling gun composed of an Iron Man weapon and a Spawn weapon. The piece is currently up on eBay, fetching around $60 as of midday Friday EST, but it's also really sweet and one-of-a-kind, so you may wanna jump on that soon if Dark Shy Guy is for you.

You'll be way into this custom Shy Guy figure originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 May 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Copyrighted characters dominate ModNation Racers' top creations

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:15:00 EST

Give gamers creation tools, and they'll immediately recreate icons from other famous franchises. Like LittleBigPlanet before it, ModNation Racers' extensive character and car editor has been used to pay homage to a number of high-profile games and films -- and these creations are the most beloved by the MNR community.

In addition to Peto-Mad's Mario (above), the top downloaded creations include Iron Man, Spider-Man, and a Transformer to boot. The accuracy of these creations have us wondering: will Sony take these user-submitted Mods down before another company threatens a lawsuit?

Continue reading Copyrighted characters dominate ModNation Racers' top creations

Copyrighted characters dominate ModNation Racers' top creations originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel vs. Capcom 3 screens are light on the curleh mustaches

David Hinkle — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:15:00 EST

Click image to jump into our gallery

Capcom has finally released some in-game shots of Marvel vs Capcom 3. The screens are missing HUD elements, but that's fine -- we just wanted to see how the game would "blur the line between 2D and 3D graphics." Frankly, we're surprised it doesn't look more like Super Street Fighter IV. And not a single curleh mustache in sight? How will the fans react?

Head into our gallery below to check out the new screens, which feature a Ryu vs Wolverine match-up, Iron Man shooting Morrigan in the face and a trigger-happy Chris Redfield taking on The Hulk.

Gallery: Marvel vs Capcom 3 (5.27.2010)

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 screens are light on the curleh mustaches originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 May 2010 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sam Jackson and Don Cheadle rock the voiceover for Iron Man 2

Mike Schramm — Wed, 05 May 2010 06:30:00 EST

Putting Sam Jackson in the same room as a bunch of video game developers is just unfair -- the guy's awesome when he's fighting reptiles on aircraft, but when he's surrounded by engineers and programmers, he turns into a legend. Don Cheadle, too -- you get the feeling that his Academy Award-nominated dedication to the acting craft might be somewhat wasted on lines like, "Hey, you're Tony Stark, right?" and "War Machine out," but he's so talented that he throws himself into it anyway.

Also, we hear there's a game of some kind out now with these voices in it. But it's doubtful that playing the game could be any more fun than watching these guys work.

Sam Jackson and Don Cheadle rock the voiceover for Iron Man 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 May 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man 2 'Prologue' trailer eases us into the plot

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:15:00 EST

Thank goodness for the latest trailer for Sega's Iron Man 2 -- we're not sure we'd be able to wrap our minds around the game's complex plot without the helpful backstory in the video, which we've posted after the jump.

Stick with us, here: Iron Man and his best friend War Machine have to fight robots belonging to another mega-corporation, which was commissioned by a Russian general for undoubtedly nefarious purposes. Also, a very convincing Samuel L. Jackson impersonator is there, and he's on a flying boat.

Do you understand, now? What? You do? Great. Could you explain it to us?

Continue reading Iron Man 2 'Prologue' trailer eases us into the plot

Iron Man 2 'Prologue' trailer eases us into the plot originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Become Iron Man with new flying game on PlayStation Home

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:29:00 EST

This may be the greatest thing to ever happen to PlayStation Home ever. To promote the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie, Paramount Pictures and Audi have partnered up to create a brand new Iron Man-themed mini-game, exclusively for PlayStation Home. Debuting on Thursday, April 29th, the Audi Space will be updated with a game that has your avatar donning an Iron Man suit, flying through an aerial obstacle course.

The best times will be recorded on a leaderboard, and the top 10 scores by the end of June will be awarded with a virtual Iron Man suit to keep, making this one of the rarest virtual items ever offered for Sony's online community.

Unfortunately, this game is exclusive to the European PSN, meaning those of you outside of SCEE's domain won't be able to partake in the fun. To see what you're missing out on, check out the trailer after the break.

Gallery: PlayStation Home: Iron Man 2

Continue reading Become Iron Man with new flying game on PlayStation Home

Become Iron Man with new flying game on PlayStation Home originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega confirms closure of Iron Man dev Sega Studios San Francisco [update]

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:31:00 EST

The word-of-mouth we reported on last week was proven accurate this morning, when Sega confirmed that it has shut down Sega Studios San Francisco (formerly Secret Level), developer of Iron Man and Golden Axe: Beast Rider. An unnamed Sega representative issued a statement to IndustryGamers, offering condolences to the recently unemployed developers, while promising to "continue to pursue external development opportunities all over the world," a fact we're sure the aforementioned jobless truly appreciate.

The only unknown in this scenario is the fate of the studio's swan song, the video game adaptation of Iron Man 2. Rumor has it that the game was finished, but Sega's yet to issue a statement on its completion. We've contacted Sega to find out the game's status, and to find out how many naughty Easter eggs its disgruntled developers embedded within it after being informed their jobs were forfeit.

Update: A Sega representative has confirmed that Iron Man 2's May 4 release date hasn't been affected by the studio's closure.

Sega confirms closure of Iron Man dev Sega Studios San Francisco [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man 2 flying into stores on May 4 to 'exclusive' Lamb of God tune

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

With a previous appearance in Rock Band as DLC, it's no surprise that known face melters Lamb of God are apparently creating an original song for the upcoming Iron Man 2 game, now scheduled for release on May 4 (just three days before the film's release).

"The music of Lamb of God definitely evokes the intensity of Iron Man action," explains Sean Ratcliffe, veep of marketing for Sega. Meanwhile, Lamb of God's drummer Chris Adler says that some of the band's members are "real game and comic fans," making them all the more excited "to play the game and hear our music as Iron Man kicks a**." Us, on the other hand? We're going to take full advantage of the soundtrack swap function and rock out to some even edgier P.O.D. jams upon the game's release. It just really makes us feel so alive, ya know?

Iron Man 2 flying into stores on May 4 to 'exclusive' Lamb of God tune originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2009: Ozzy Osbourne closes show down, injures no bats

Kevin Kelly — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:30:00 EST

Blizzard fittingly chose Ozzy Osbourne to close down BlizzCon last night, since he's been in a fairly funny World of Warcraft commercial arguing about who is the true Prince of Darkness. He put on a fairly deafening, rocktastic show -- some of his setlist was appropriately composed of tracks off his 1980 "Blizzard of Ozz" album -- though he did stumble a bit through the words to "Iron Man." However, he made up for that by maniacally turning a hose on the audience, and I kid you not -- some women actually threw their panties on stage.

Opening up for him was Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, although they've now changed their name in protest over their own name changes to a familiar Prince-esque symbol, or The Artists Formerly Known As Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain (TAFKAL80ETC). They put on a good show as well, although they really need to write some new songs.

Browse the Ozzrific gallery below, and you can also check out one of Ozzy's classics below without the need for earplugs and a raincoat. Even though the show is over, we'll have more BlizzCon news soon. All aboard!

Gallery: BlizzCon 2009: Ozzy Osbourne and L80ETC

BlizzCon 2009: Ozzy Osbourne closes show down, injures no bats originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressions: Iron Man 2

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Last year's summer blockbuster, Iron Man, was a surprising hit. The game? Not so much.

The next film in the franchise isn't due for another year, meaning Sega's internal San Francisco studio has a lot of time left to work on Iron Man 2. Already six months into development, Iron Man 2 will have nearly two years of development by the time it releases, benefiting from some recycled tech and assets from the first game. Certainly, the team should have a much easier road for the sequel than the first -- but will it produce a good game? We're not entirely sure.

There are certainly some good ideas being worked into the sequel. For example, the game now features indoor environments, something that was apparently absent in the first game (seriously?). Sega's also adding on-rails flying sections to the game. In one scene, we saw the titular hero flying out of (what else?) an exploding factory. Finally, Sega's promising some ridiculously large bosses. A "mini-boss" that we saw was about the size of a small warehouse. The main bosses, we're told, will tower above that.

Continue reading Impressions: Iron Man 2

Impressions: Iron Man 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel not doing 'crappy' movie games anymore, says exec

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:00:00 EST

Marvel Executive Vice President of Global Digital Media Group (wow, long title) Ira Rubenstein tells Joystiq that Marvel is done making "crappy" movie-based games. The executive told us that while the company would like to have games tied to the release of movies, each character should stick to their own worlds. He used the recent X-Men Origins: Wolverine game as an example of what the company is looking to do. The M-rated Wolverine game was clearly not based around the PG-13 escapade in theaters.

"We are not doing movie-based games anymore," Rubenstein said following yesterday's announcement of Digital Comics for PSN at Sony's GamesCom press conference. "Actually, wait ... we are not doing crappy movie-based games anymore. You can quote me on that." Oh, we did.

Rubenstein tells us that work on Iron Man 2 has been in process since the first game wrapped. He wasn't involved in the first one, so he asked us not to blame him for that wreck. However, he swears the second one is going to be good. He's also really excited about the Thor game and seems proud with the team working on it. If Wolverine is any indication of future Marvel games, it seems that Rubenstein is doing his best to make sure fans of the comics won't be served watered-down Hollywood entertainment.

Marvel not doing 'crappy' movie games anymore, says exec originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adorable Marvel superheroes coming to LittleBigPlanet

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EST

What does the future of Marvel video games hold? According to the aptly titled "The Next Generation of Marvel Video Games" panel at San Diego Comic Con, the future holds ... LittleBigPlanet costumes! Kotaku nabbed pictures of concept art for three different superheroic costumes that were previewed: Captain America, who is pictured above, and Wolverine and Iron Man, who can be viewed after the jump.

Marvel was non-committal about when the costume pack would be released, or even whether these three heroes would be the ones that would receive the DLC treatment. We've contacted Media Molecule to try and discern some concrete details. Personally, we've got our stuffed burlap fingers crossed for an appearance by Howard the Duck.

Continue reading Adorable Marvel superheroes coming to LittleBigPlanet

Adorable Marvel superheroes coming to LittleBigPlanet originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's your first look at Iron Man 2 in action

Justin McElroy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST

There, that was the first trailer for Iron Man 2. Now, here's a brief history lesson, courtesy of "Iron Man's new trailer looks unexpectedly awesome":

"We know, we know, it's just a video clip. And yes, we know that we've been burned by sexy trailers for mediocre licensed games before. But this new trailer for Iron Man (shown during last night's Spike VGAs) is just so freaking good, we're finding it hard to keep our cynical composure.
How about when Iron Man throws a fighter jet, or when it grabs a missile and redirects it? How about the original gray armor? Awesome. Everything here is."

Never, ever forget this lesson: You can believe what we're saying 99.9% of the time. But when it comes to pretending to be a man in a robot suit, we are frail, weak, and, above all, not to be trusted.

Here's your first look at Iron Man 2 in action originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Songbird takes flight in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:05:00 EST

It's been quite some time since we last heard anything on the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 front, aside from a trailer loosed at last month's NY Comic Con. Today, however, Marvel has revealed a new character in "Songbird," an ex-female wrestler turned supervillain turned superheroine, whose main superpower is -- and we're not kidding -- "enhanced vocal cords."

Pictured above, Songbird "fuses" with Iron Man to produce ... what precisely, we're not sure ... though Marvel's Steve Nelson assures us that "fusions are BIG," (his caps, not ours). Mr. Nelson continues on the Marvel website, saying, "Songbird solidifies sound waves into objects, which she can use for a number of purposes on the battlefield ... one of our concept artists, Dave Phillips, came up with a really stunning piece of art for her 'wings,' and we ended up basing the look of her powers largely on that." Looks as though Songbird will not only be able to solidify sound waves and toss 'em at foes but also do so while flying high above their heads. Who knew strong vocal cords could do so much?

For more on MUA2, check out our (limited, we know) gallery below and the most recent trailer, after the break.

Gallery: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Continue reading Songbird takes flight in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Songbird takes flight in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paramount searching for new games pimp

Xav de Matos — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

Dear Mr. Paramount,
Recently it has come to my attention that Paramount is looking for a new executive to lead its gaming initiative. Although I assume that holding the lucrative Saturday Night Fever and Mean Girls gaming licenses means you've received a countless amount of quality resumes, the chance to work with Lindsay Lohan was too great an opportunity to pass up -- we actually almost worked together once, as I regularly volunteer at various rehab facilities throughout the Bay Area but she had supposedly "got all better" and checked out by the time I started at three of the nine centers she has "visited" in the last four months -- but, I digress. I humbly throw my hat into the ring of "exciting executive possibilities."

Continue reading Paramount searching for new games pimp

Paramount searching for new games pimp originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ohio library now loaning video games

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360

Eager bookworms visiting the Washington-Centerville Public Library in Centerville, Ohio, will face exposure to the new-fangled "video game" entertainment medium, as the library will now be loaning PS2, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 games. According to the Dayton Daily News, the library will carry two categories of games: Titles aimed at families, and ones aimed at players aged 10 and up (sans adult-only games). Each game will be available for one-week loan with the option of one renewal.

You can check for yourself which games are available in the library's online catalog, though the Dayton Daily News has gone and confirmed the presence of Guitar Hero, Kung-Fu Panda, Madden NFL 08 and, err, Iron Man. That one's probably meant to frighten the kids into reading books again.

[Via Shacknews]

Ohio library now loaning video games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Summer movies raise demand for associated classic games

Kyle Orland — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Business

Summer blockbusters aren't just good for propping up the sales of crappy new movie-based games ... it turns out they're also good for pumping up the prices of crappy old games based on the same characters. For proof, look no further than the always interesting Video Game Price Charts blog, which shows a distinct and recent uptick in the selling prices for older games based on the Speed Racer, Iron Man and Indiana Jones franchises. Never mind that these games aren't directly related to the new movies, or that the games are universally awful (well, almost) -- once that old clunker of a game gets attached to a hot new movie, the asking price can get inflated by up to 170%.

We can almost see the logic behind the increased demand, from the average consumer's perspective. After all, why waste $50 on the crappy new Iron Man game that junior is begging for when you can pick up a crappy old Iron Man game for half the price (even after accounting for the recent uptick). The little punk won't know the difference anyway, and the game will get him out of your hair so you can get back to having an affair with the pool boy. It's win-win!

Summer movies raise demand for associated classic games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo Channel: New week, new demos

Alisha Karabinus — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

Will the line-up of DS demos available on the Wii's Nintendo Channel change every week? We're not sure, but it's starting to look like it; at least, some of the demos available have been rotated out in favor of fresh meat. If you were looking for something that was previously available, it might just be gone. Lesson? Download quickly rather than putting it off, because the demo you want may just disappear!

Peek past the break for the current list of available demos -- you may be surprised at what you'll find!

Continue reading Nintendo Channel: New week, new demos

Nintendo Channel: New week, new demos originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 May 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Counting Rupees: GTA IV vs. Iron Man

Jeff Engel — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Business

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:

According to several "analysts" last week, the successful launch of Grand Theft Auto IV threatened to sink the box office returns for Iron Man. The thinking went that since the game and the movie both target primarily the same demographic (males 18-29), that demographic would stay home and play the game instead of going to see the movie. While it's impossible to declare with complete certainty, as Variety did, that GTA IV had absolutely no effect on Iron Man's opening (with $104.2M in domestic receipts, $201M worldwide, and a release date for a sequel already announced), whatever effect it may have had was clearly not enough to significantly impact the movie. But clearly, many had predicted that the game could adversely affect box office receipts. It makes me wonder -- have we ever seen this sort of effect before?

Continue reading Counting Rupees: GTA IV vs. Iron Man

Counting Rupees: GTA IV vs. Iron Man originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 May 2008 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buy Iron Man, score a free gift card

Dustin Burg — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Deals and Bargains

Thanks to Iron Man cleaning up at the box office this weekend (an estimated $100 million weekend), we're sure sales of the Iron Man video game will also be rather high. And even though we can't guarantee the game will equal that of the movies' enjoyment, we can guarantee your Iron Man video game purchase will score you a free gift card.

Over at Circuit City and Best Buy, you can score a $10 gift card with the purchase of Iron Man for the Xbox 360. Not too shabby of a deal, especially if you are or know someone who is a gamer hell bent on owning everything Iron Man after experiencing Iron Man excitement at the box office. Just be careful with your purchase.

Read - $10 Gift Card at Best Buy
Read - $10 Gift Card at Circuit City

Buy Iron Man, score a free gift card originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 May 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No GTA IV effect on Iron Man opening

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:25:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

Talk of Grand Theft Auto IV possibly hurting Iron Man's opening was clearly wrong. According to Variety, the movie made $104.2 million during its opening weekend, proving Paramount's Rob Moore right when he said that young males can carve out two hours to see Iron Man.

Variety did explore GTA IV's impact on the home video market recently, which showed no major releases targeted at the young male demo for the week. Probably the best comparison would be to see how the Iron Man video game did in sales when NPD comes out next month, and we know we're going out on a limb on this one, but we're pretty sure GTA IV won that battle.

No GTA IV effect on Iron Man opening originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 May 2008 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WRUP: Is it Iron Man? edition

David Hinkle — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: What are you playing?

Uh, no post title, it is in fact not Iron Man (although, we should say the prospect of seeing the film this weekend sounds nice). What we're all going to be playing, no doubt, is Mario Kart Wii. With its multitude of tracks, online play and plethora of control schemes available (got to love that wheel!), it looks like it's a shoe-in for this weekend's down time. What about you all?

Will you be racing it up in Mario Kart Wii, or are you playing something else? Maybe you're still chipping away at Okami? What are you playing?

What are you Playing? is a weekly feature where we ask what it is that you're, well ... playing! Every Friday, look for a new topic and a new chance to converse with the community about what games you're enjoying and which games are disappointing. So tell us already!

WRUP: Is it Iron Man? edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shipping this week: good luck Iron Man edition

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Shipping this week

Remember when an analysts predicted that the release of Grand Theft Auto IV could derail the ticket sales of the Iron Man movie that releases this week? While the idea that big video game launches hindering movie releases is nothing new -- they said the same thing about Halo 3 -- we have one more prediction to make about the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV: it's going to put a serious damper on sales of the Iron Man video game. You see, they both come out this week. Sure, a game might steal money from a film, but a big game will definitely steal money from a smaller game. They will be competing for the same shelf space after all.

Well, competing might be too kind a word.

[Via Joystiq]

Shipping this week: good luck Iron Man edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii releases this week: Mario Kart Wii edition

David Hinkle — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

It's been one big week leading up to here and this week is also bound to be a big one for the lot of you. That's right, Mario Kart Wii is on shelves right now, and likely many of you did the right thing and picked it up yesterday. Did you get a new Wii with it? Did you race Jason Priestley at the Nintendo World Store?

This week's releases are:

Mario Kart Wii
Iron Man

Also, in case you might have missed it, don't forget to check out our off-the-wall features and fun we had up until the game's release to retail locations nationwide. It's been a fun ride, now we look forward to taking the turns and bumps with you all at Game Night. See you Thursday!

Wii releases this week: Mario Kart Wii edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of April 26th

Jem Alexander — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: New Releases

Calm down, calm down. The waiting is finally over. The game you've all been waiting for finally gets unleashed onto the public this week. That's right, it's Iron Man week. What's that? Grand Theft who? Never heard of it. If that's your thing, though, you can pick it up on Tuesday. After you've seen Iron Man, that is. Here's the full release list:

US Games

Grand Theft Auto IV [Get a $10 gift card at Circuit City]
Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition
Iron Man

EU Games

Asian Games

No new releases

That's pretty much it, this week. Two games worldwide, but what more do you need? GTA IV should very well tide you over until the next major release. Depending on what you're excited for that's either Haze or Metal Gear Solid 4. With both of these games due within the next month and a half, now really is a great time to own a PS3.

Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of April 26th originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man demo hitting Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Sega has kindly informed us that an interactive snippet of gameplay from its upcoming Iron Man game will become available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace sometime tomorrow. Players are invited to become literal cans of whoop-ass, with Marvel's metal-clad superhero aiding them in the destruction of tanks, jets and other things that explode when you punch them a lot.

PlayStation 3 owners will have to make do with our impressions for now, though a PSN demo is scheduled to arrive "soon." Iron Man is out for every console ever on May 2, the same day they release a movie of the same name. What a coincidence!

Gallery: Iron Man

Iron Man demo hitting Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man Demo on XBLM tomorrow

Terrence Stasse — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Marketplace

Thanks to an earlier press release from Sega we can report that the demo for the upcoming Iron Man game will be going online sometime tomorrow. With the movie and game both set to be released on May 2, it was rather important for Sega to get this out there a few weeks in advance to garner more mindshare. Especially with analysts saying that the movie could be upstaged by GTA IV. Whether or not the movie is a success, we just wish the gods of exclusive content had seen fit to give us the cooler armor. Oh well, at least we've still got the demo tomorrow, the PS3 demo has no definite release date at all.

Iron Man Demo on XBLM tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest Iron Man trailer: Keep the mask on, please

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

There's a new trailer for upcoming Sega movie tie-in Iron Man. Rather than focus on the core of the game (you know, blowing stuff up, tossing missiles back at planes, that kind of thing), the trailer highlights the game's story. That's all well and good, but the character models, well, they could use a little work. There's just something odd about seeing a rendering of Robert Downey Jr. that just isn't quite right. The same goes for the other unfortunately wooden models shown in the trailer. Still, we'd say it's safe to assume that the game's storyline is window dressing at best. As long as the "blowing stuff up" part holds up its end of the bargain, the game should at least be worth renting before seeing the movie.

[Via Joystiq]

Latest Iron Man trailer: Keep the mask on, please originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Iron Man trailer is creeping us out

Justin McElroy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

After watching the above trailer we were thrilled, because we figured a hilarious joke about Iron Man and the Un-can-ny Valley was well within our grasp. You know, because cans are metal and Iron Man, he's ... well, the short version is that we stared at the keyboard for minutes and nothing came. Honestly, looking at it now, we're not all that surprised.

But hey, we figured, we already had it embedded and everything, so we might as well pass it along with our (not as hilarious) response. This old video: Good. This new video: Creepy.

New Iron Man trailer is creeping us out originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Go behind-the-scenes with Secret Level's Iron Man

Majed Athab — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Videos and Screenshots

This video goes behind-the-scenes with San Francisco developer, Secret Level -- the dev studio working on PS3 and 360 versions of Iron Man. The crew talks about the challenges and techniques involved with making the game, but also focus on how they harnessed Iron Man's flying abilities. Not only that, but the video also displays tasty in-game footage and concept art.

So far, we like what we've seen of the game. We need to pat Secret Level on the back. The flight gameplay looks glorious, as does the environments when flying. We hope it will remain this way once we play the game for ourselves.

Go behind-the-scenes with Secret Level's Iron Man originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq impressions: Iron Man (Xbox 360)

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Of course Iron Man is yet another movie cash-in, a title that will sit on the shelf and call to you as you march out the cinema with glitzy, superhero shenanigans still fresh in your memory. But aside from all that, wanting to play as the eponymous, metal-clad cad is a desire that doesn't just come from the foul wells of corporate synergy and marketing. Nigh indestructible and capable of dishing out destruction from the palm of his hand, it's no challenge to see the appeal in controlling Iron Man -- a literal can of whoop-ass.

It does come as a major concern then, when his in-game movements display more than a little clumsiness. It's not entirely Iron Man's fault -- he's a flying tank that performs best when it maintains momentum and moves in a straight line -- but the 3rd-person action shown to us by a Sega representative seemed hampered by the controls and camera. While there's a great sense of speed and freedom conveyed by soaring across a desert, it's only when Iron Man cools his jets and starts punching things that issues arise.

Gallery: Iron Man

Continue reading Joystiq impressions: Iron Man (Xbox 360)

Joystiq impressions: Iron Man (Xbox 360) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man: Stark Weapons gameplay footage

Xav de Matos — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: News, Videos

A few days ago Game Trailers nabbed the world exclusive first look at the movie adaptation game of The Incredible Hulk and gameplay footage of the Iron Man movie adaptation game as well. Our indifference to the Hulk trailer made us completely glaze over the latest footage of Iron Man. While, so far, the game looks nice we did notice how barren the world is. We've seen very little outside of the desert environment and, even though they're pretty, we'd like to see more before we decide what to think about SEGA's upcoming movie tie-in. So X3F Army, after checking out the footage we ask you ... what do you think?

Iron Man: Stark Weapons gameplay footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hollywood talent lend voices to Iron Man game

Xav de Matos — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: News

On Thursday Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and SEGA of America, Inc. announced that the Iron Man video game, based on the upcoming comic book adaptation due out on May 2, will feature the voice talents of film stars Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Terence Howard (Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes) and Shaun Toub (Yinsen).

Iron Man is the story of billionaire Tony Stark who, during a routine weapons test in the Middle East, is captured and forced to create the ultimate weapon for terrorists. Fearing for his life, Stark decides to create a suit or armor instead and uses it to twart the plans of the evil doers. Upon returning to his normal life Stark decides to upgrade his suit and use it to fight crime as the legendary Iron Man.

2008 seems to be the year of the aniticpated licensed game as the game based on Iron Man looks shockingly good along with our previous love for the upcoming Bourne title. The Iron Man game is set to hit stores day-and-date for pretty much any console around with the film later this year on May 2.

Also, anyone else think it would be funny if the death animation of Iron Man in the game included his chest plate red ringing?

[via SuperHeroHype]

Hollywood talent lend voices to Iron Man game originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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