WANTED on DVD Dec 2, 2008

Yes! Finally! WANTED Blu-Ray and DVD coming out Dec, 2 2008. Only thing is what is this crap about alternate ending only on the Blu- Ray version? Hello, many of us still do not own a Blu-Ray player. Now you are forcing me to watch this on Youtube when it is posted. Stupid move but I definitely want the collecter set.

Exclusive: Wanted DVD and Blu-ray Details
Explosive new details on the action ballet.
by Christopher Monfette
October 10, 2008 - James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman star in the sexy, visually stunning, action thrill-ride Wanted, coming to DVD and Blu-ray on December 2, 2008 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, creator of Day Watch and Night Watch, two of the most successful films in the history of Russian cinema, brings his incomparable imagination and innovative cinematic style to bear on the explosive story of an ordinary man transformed by destiny into a powerful assassin. Based on Mark Millar's explosive graphic novel series, Wanted blazes new cinematic trails with double-barreled surprises around every corner.

With its visually inventive effects, picture perfect visuals and flawless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound, Wanted gives fans an get an exclusive look at the film's never-before-seen alternate opening and goes deeper into the making of the film's mind-blowing effects in crystal clear high definition. And via the power of BD-Live, fans can host a text chat with friends while watching the movie in synchronization.

Wanted is available in several home entertainment versions, including single-disc widescreen and full frame DVD editions, 2-disc Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray versions, and deluxe collector's sets. The limited edition 2-disc versions and collector's sets include a digital copy of the film. Perfect for holiday gift-giving, the deluxe collector's set features collectible packaging pierced with a bullet, creating a shattering effect to the outer case. Fans will also enjoy the gift set's photo book of assassins, collectible postcards and acrylic frame motion 3-D film cell. Wanted is priced at $29.98 SRP for the single-disc DVD, $34.98 SRP for the 2-disc Special Edition DVD, $39.98 SRP for the Blu-ray, $64.98 SRP for the DVD collector's set, and $69.98 for the Blu-ray collector's edition set.

The 2-disc Special Edition DVD, Blu-ray Hi-Def and collector's sets are packed with over an hour of exciting bonus features, including:



Extended Scene – Be the first to view this killer extended scene from Wanted.

Cast and Characters – Go behind the scenes with Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann and Common as they discuss their roles in the film and their experiences on set.

Stunts on the L Train – Stunt coordinators Nick Gillard and Mic Rodgers explain how cast members Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy performed the astounding elevated train stunt sequence.

Special Effects: The Art of the Impossible – Special effects supervisor Dominic Tuohy explains how his team pulled off the stunning special effects throughout the film and how Angelina Jolie contributed to the action.

Groundbreaking Visual Effects: From Imagination to Execution – A look at how the spectacular visual effects in the film were pre-visualized and executed.

The Origins of Wanted: Bringing the Graphic Novel to Life – Creator Mark Millar, producer Marc Platt, director Timur Bekmambetov and screenwriters Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chris Morgan discuss the original graphic novel and the process of adapting it for the big screen.

Through the Eyes of Visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov – A video portrait of director Timur Bekmambetov, featuring interviews with Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Common, producer Marc Platt and the director himself.

Wanted: Motion Comics – Watch as the graphic novel comes to life on screen with narration and sound effects.

The Making of Wanted: The Game

"The Little Things" Music Video Mash-Up


In addition to the aforementioned bonus features, all shown in high definition, the Wanted Blu-ray will also include the following bonus content:


Alternate Opening – View this exclusive alternate opening, only on Blu-ray Hi-Def.

Exclusive U-Control: Universal's exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie.

Wanted: Motion Comics: See how the graphic novel compares to the movie in this real-time, side-by-side BD exclusive

Scene Explorer: Explore the onscreen action from up to three different perspectives in this multi-angle feature.

Assassins Profile: Get the high-tech low-down on each assassin's strengths, weapons, and position with your own in-movie surveillance system.

Picture in Picture: Access cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes moments while you watch the film.

BD-Live – The new technology that allows viewers to connect to the Internet and access new exciting exclusive online and interactive features.

My Chat: Using your internet-connected player, host a text chat with your friends who also own Wanted on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def while you watch the movie in synchronization!

My Wanted Commentary: Connect and Create. Ever wish you could create your own play-by-play movie commentary to share with friends? Here's your chance. UniversalHiDef.com and the BD-Live Center combine to offer you the opportunity to create your own video, audio, or text commentary that you can share with all of your Buddies in the BD-Live community.

My Scenes Sharing: Show your friends your favorite scenes from Wanted via BD-Live.

Music Friday - Tettix

He use to be called Cicada but changed name due to legal reasons to Tettix. Anyways, found him on the WeeklyGeekshow.com website. If you like electronica mixed with old skool 8-bit sounds then check this out. Vocals aren't bad either.

http://www.myspace.com/cicadacom

Oh yeah his real site is

http://www.tettix.net/

Music is free but he takes donations.

Gal Civ II

Well I know this game has been out awhile but I just had to give my two cents on why Galactic Civilization II and all the expansion packs included make this a great gaming experience.

First off, you have to love turn based strategy games such as Civilization to really appreciate this genre. Gal Civ II does so many things right. Here is a short list of points...

1) No DRM( Digital Rights management )! No copy protection BS installed progs or security systems whatso ever. Just look to the mess EA is in right now with the Spore DRM to see how this can negatively impact gaming market.
Gal Civ II lets you install directly to the PC and as many times as you want with no CD. It's so nice to just load up a game immediately without it having to initialize through the internet or read a CD/DVD.

2) Gameplay over graphics. Someday developers will heed these words. Pac Man is still as popular as ever. Simple games still get the public's attention. The graphics are not going to win any awards but I'll take an enjoyable gaming experience any day over normal mapped polygons. Plus the turn based design allows me to get up from the computer at any time when the wife calls for certain honey-do's or needs assistance. I don't feel pressure to save or lose my progress. I can just let the game run as is.

3) Make a single player experience the main focus. Or don't try and do a single player game with multiplayer experience and expect both to be enjoyable. Developers like Stardock need to focus on one or the other. Trying to do both is like designing two games rather than one in the same condensed schedule. End result is usually a sub par experience in both formats or one. CoD4 pulls this off but only a very few handfull of developers can like Infinity Ward. Do what you do best and don't cave into what the public thinks they want. If your games is BF2 then focus on multiplayer only. If it's Bioshock focus on single. Simple as that.

4) Each game I play is a different experience. The AI is exceptional and I play on very basic settings. I love the ability to win on different levels, be it technology, combat, or influence. Very cool stuff. It's nice to have those options without having to resort to the same tech tree paths each time.

5) Steep learning curve but once you get passed it, your in for a treat. This game is extremely complicated in some regards. I had to read an FAQ to figure out how not to go in debt all the time ( Something even our financial instutions cannot seem to get right these days ). Luckily one player broke it down simply for me, make 1 planet mostly your factory planet and another planet your resarch planet. This has been pretty successful for me thus far. A better tutorial system on the inner workings and nuances of the game might help the newbs out like me get started and be less intimidated.

So just wanted to throw my opinion out there on what makes this game so great and addictive to me. Definitely check it out if you can. The demo is worth a try in itself as I played it purely for months before getting the game.

Check their website here...

http://www.stardock.com/products/?tab=mygames

And hopefully this all makes sense as it's late and I just wanted to get this out there for discussion.

Jane Jensen - Greatest Adventure game writer new project

Don't have alot of time but wanted to post this quickly. Jane Jensen of the famous Gabriel Knight series fame ( one of my all time favorite adventure game series ) is working on a new project called Gray Matter. While I only now learned of this recently, it sounds like the project has had some issues. But good news is it's still on track. I'm definitely going to keep my eye closely on this title....

http://blog.graymatter-game.com/

Mission Impossible Dog

Wow. This is a REALLY smart pup!

Ensemble Studios closing doors due to Microsoft decision

This is truly shocking news. One of the best developers in the industry with a huge line of successful titles and IP ( Age of Empires anyone? ) is getting closed down from Microsoft. This is why I think selling to the large publishers is just as risky as making an independent studio. Well, I feel for the people I know at Ensemble. Here's to hoping it all works out for the best in the end cause I think they are definitely getting the shaft on this one....

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/phil-spencer-ensemble-closure-is-right-thing-for-our-business

G-Force: Battle of the Planets game - or Gatchaman

Use to watch this as a kid. It was a Japanese cartoon called Gatchaman. Then Sandy Frank got a hold of it and turned it into a US cartoon called Battle of the Planets. Funny clip here to watch...the audio is priceless. Not sure how you actually play the game though. At the bottom is a teaser clip for the new CGI Gatchaman movie coming out.