Don’t drag my best friend, TV, into this.
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Tuesday 30 October 2012
RPS’s Position On The Eurogamer/Florence Debacle
Drama!
RPS’s Position On The Eurogamer/Florence Debacle:
Last week, as some may have noticed, Robert Florence wrote a piece for Eurogamer, criticising the appearance of corruption amongst some in the gaming press. Stressing that he believes the vast majority of writers are good and honest, he pointed out – inspired by an image of Spike’s Geoff Keighley sat surrounded by Doritos and Mountain Dew – that writers could do a lot more to put themselves above suspicion.
In doing so, he mentioned by name other games journalists who that morning had been on Twitter defending a dubious competition held for journalists attending the Games Media Awards. In particular he pointed out how Dave Cook had told me – as it happens – to get off my pedestal in criticising the competition. And Lauren Wainwright (employee of Intent Media, organisers of the GMAs) who had most vociferously been defending the competition, while, he observed, tweeting from a Twitter homepage so decorated in Tomb Raider images that it could be mistaken for a Tomb Raider advert. Wainwright, a self-confessed Tomb Raider fan, strongly objected to this, and issued a legal threat to Eurogamer to have the article changed. And then all hell broke loose.
(more…)
RPS’s Position On The Eurogamer/Florence Debacle:
Last week, as some may have noticed, Robert Florence wrote a piece for Eurogamer, criticising the appearance of corruption amongst some in the gaming press. Stressing that he believes the vast majority of writers are good and honest, he pointed out – inspired by an image of Spike’s Geoff Keighley sat surrounded by Doritos and Mountain Dew – that writers could do a lot more to put themselves above suspicion.
In doing so, he mentioned by name other games journalists who that morning had been on Twitter defending a dubious competition held for journalists attending the Games Media Awards. In particular he pointed out how Dave Cook had told me – as it happens – to get off my pedestal in criticising the competition. And Lauren Wainwright (employee of Intent Media, organisers of the GMAs) who had most vociferously been defending the competition, while, he observed, tweeting from a Twitter homepage so decorated in Tomb Raider images that it could be mistaken for a Tomb Raider advert. Wainwright, a self-confessed Tomb Raider fan, strongly objected to this, and issued a legal threat to Eurogamer to have the article changed. And then all hell broke loose.
(more…)
Staff cuts as Ghost Recon Commander cancelled
The shocking news here is that she thought it was a good idea to be known professionally as Brenda Romero now. As if marrying the guy wasn't a poor enough decission on its own.
Staff cuts as Ghost Recon Commander cancelled: Brenda Romero's Ubisoft project closes, takes to Twitter to help staff
Staff cuts as Ghost Recon Commander cancelled: Brenda Romero's Ubisoft project closes, takes to Twitter to help staff
Monday 29 October 2012
Wargaming.net fund quest for lost Spitfires buried in Burma
Wargaming.net fund quest for lost Spitfires buried in Burma:
Earlier this year the Telegraph ran a story on a British man’s 15 year quest to recover Spitfires buried in Burma at the end of World War 2. Farmer, David Cundall, started the search when his friend Jim Pearce, an aviation archaeologist, met a group of US veterans who listed burying Spitfires in Burma as one of the silliest jobs they’d ever done.
The Spitfire parts were tarred and waxed, bundled into boxes and buried to stop enemy forces from finding them. Two weeks after burying the parts, the atom bomb hit Hiroshima, the Japanese surrendered and the Spitfires were abandoned and forgotten, until now.
Cundall earned the trust of the military Junta in Rangoon and used ground radar imaging and boreholes to search for the stash. It’s an an expensive project, but Cundall has received backing from an unexpected source. The Telegraph report that World of Tanks creators, Wargaming.net, are funding the dig.
CEO Victor Kislyi estimates that the first phase of the excavation, which involves using massive electrical shocks to scan at great depth, will cost around $250,000. If the Spitfires are found, the cost of recovering them will rise to $1m. The dig can only happen between monsoons, and must proceed slowly to avoid damaging the crates.
Kislyi told the Telegraph why Wargaming.net decided to fund the project. “For our most loyal players, who are so evangelical about the game and who spread the word, historical accuracy is all-important. This way, the guys can see that we don’t just talk about historical accuracy, we act on it.”
There are thought to be as many as twenty Spitfires buried in Burma. If they can be restored to working order, the find will almost double the number of operational Spitfires. There’s no way of knowing what condition the parts are in without recovering the boxes and opening them.
If the planes are found, the final say as to where they’ll end up lies with the Burmese government. David Cameron discussed the dig with President Thein Sein of Burma earlier this year, seeking permission for the excavation. International sanctions that prohibit the transport of military materials in or out of Burma could also prove problematic, but Wargaming.net were too taken with the romance of the dig to let that put them off.
“When the shovel hits that wooden box, when you go to open in it, in a land of jungles and temples, and you wonder ‘What’s in there?’ – it’s an Indiana Jones adventure,” Kislyi explained.
“It’s about legends, rumours, fragments of recollections. It tickled our nerves a little bit.”
The success of World of Tanks has enabled Wargaming.net to pursue historical projects around the world, and they’re currently working on polishing up World of Warplanes. Read all about the studio’s 12 year battle for success in our piece on the rise of Wargaming.net.
Earlier this year the Telegraph ran a story on a British man’s 15 year quest to recover Spitfires buried in Burma at the end of World War 2. Farmer, David Cundall, started the search when his friend Jim Pearce, an aviation archaeologist, met a group of US veterans who listed burying Spitfires in Burma as one of the silliest jobs they’d ever done.
The Spitfire parts were tarred and waxed, bundled into boxes and buried to stop enemy forces from finding them. Two weeks after burying the parts, the atom bomb hit Hiroshima, the Japanese surrendered and the Spitfires were abandoned and forgotten, until now.
Cundall earned the trust of the military Junta in Rangoon and used ground radar imaging and boreholes to search for the stash. It’s an an expensive project, but Cundall has received backing from an unexpected source. The Telegraph report that World of Tanks creators, Wargaming.net, are funding the dig.
CEO Victor Kislyi estimates that the first phase of the excavation, which involves using massive electrical shocks to scan at great depth, will cost around $250,000. If the Spitfires are found, the cost of recovering them will rise to $1m. The dig can only happen between monsoons, and must proceed slowly to avoid damaging the crates.
Kislyi told the Telegraph why Wargaming.net decided to fund the project. “For our most loyal players, who are so evangelical about the game and who spread the word, historical accuracy is all-important. This way, the guys can see that we don’t just talk about historical accuracy, we act on it.”
There are thought to be as many as twenty Spitfires buried in Burma. If they can be restored to working order, the find will almost double the number of operational Spitfires. There’s no way of knowing what condition the parts are in without recovering the boxes and opening them.
If the planes are found, the final say as to where they’ll end up lies with the Burmese government. David Cameron discussed the dig with President Thein Sein of Burma earlier this year, seeking permission for the excavation. International sanctions that prohibit the transport of military materials in or out of Burma could also prove problematic, but Wargaming.net were too taken with the romance of the dig to let that put them off.
“When the shovel hits that wooden box, when you go to open in it, in a land of jungles and temples, and you wonder ‘What’s in there?’ – it’s an Indiana Jones adventure,” Kislyi explained.
“It’s about legends, rumours, fragments of recollections. It tickled our nerves a little bit.”
The success of World of Tanks has enabled Wargaming.net to pursue historical projects around the world, and they’re currently working on polishing up World of Warplanes. Read all about the studio’s 12 year battle for success in our piece on the rise of Wargaming.net.
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0h Game Jam: British Summer Time inspires indie devs, renders clocks meaningless
0h Game Jam: British Summer Time inspires indie devs, renders clocks meaningless:
The end of British Summer Time was the start of something great, as a bunch of indie developers used the twilight un-hour between 02.00am and 02.00am to make some games. Well, 57 games to be precise. These include KITTEN PAPER (“Kitten wants to kill toilet paper”, reads the description), Fight Against Evil Turquoise Cubes (“Those cubes are evil and probably also kill puppies”), and Super Afro High Five (“A game about afros, giving high five”). You can find the full selection here, as pointed out by IndieGames.
It’s an excellent idea for a game jam – so excellent that it’s happening again in five days, when the US and Canada have their own clock-a-mamey things going on. You can catch that event on November 4th, or as the Americans write it, 04/11/3/26/Q. In the meantime, there are 57 wonderfully strange games waiting to be played.
The end of British Summer Time was the start of something great, as a bunch of indie developers used the twilight un-hour between 02.00am and 02.00am to make some games. Well, 57 games to be precise. These include KITTEN PAPER (“Kitten wants to kill toilet paper”, reads the description), Fight Against Evil Turquoise Cubes (“Those cubes are evil and probably also kill puppies”), and Super Afro High Five (“A game about afros, giving high five”). You can find the full selection here, as pointed out by IndieGames.
It’s an excellent idea for a game jam – so excellent that it’s happening again in five days, when the US and Canada have their own clock-a-mamey things going on. You can catch that event on November 4th, or as the Americans write it, 04/11/3/26/Q. In the meantime, there are 57 wonderfully strange games waiting to be played.
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Wot I Think – Medal Of Honor: Warfighter Singleplayer
Wot I Think – Medal Of Honor: Warfighter Singleplayer:
Medal Of Honor: Warfighter came out around the world last week. Review code wasn’t offered to us, hence no review for release. We bought a copy, and I’ve spent the weekend trudging through it. Despite discovering I didn’t even want to start playing, I’m now ready to tell you wot I think.
(more…)
Medal Of Honor: Warfighter came out around the world last week. Review code wasn’t offered to us, hence no review for release. We bought a copy, and I’ve spent the weekend trudging through it. Despite discovering I didn’t even want to start playing, I’m now ready to tell you wot I think.
(more…)
Joss Whedon endorses Mitt Romney for president of the zombie apocalypse
Joss Whedon endorses Mitt Romney for president of the zombie apocalypse:
With less than two weeks until the US presidential election, director Joss Whedon decides to toss in his two cents. But what starts as a Mitt Romney anti-endorsement quickly morphs into a parody of hyperbolic political ads. Which candidate will put us on the fastest path to the zombie apocalypse? And which candidate will mandate parkour in public schools?
[via Comic Book Movie]
With less than two weeks until the US presidential election, director Joss Whedon decides to toss in his two cents. But what starts as a Mitt Romney anti-endorsement quickly morphs into a parody of hyperbolic political ads. Which candidate will put us on the fastest path to the zombie apocalypse? And which candidate will mandate parkour in public schools?
[via Comic Book Movie]
Introversion: Consoles are "second class customers"
"But Microsoft and Sony come along and they say, 'well we don't want to have your game second, we want to be first.' Well, they can't be first. We're on PC because they've made it too hard. Also, they want exclusive content, well piss off."
Introversion: Consoles are "second class customers": Co-founder Mark Morris on prohibitive development costs
Introversion: Consoles are "second class customers": Co-founder Mark Morris on prohibitive development costs
Anonymous threatens Zynga
Hahahahahahaha. This is the problem with having being anonymous as the identifying feature of your activist group.
Anonymous threatens Zynga: The hacker group plans to act November 5 unless Zynga changes course
Anonymous threatens Zynga: The hacker group plans to act November 5 unless Zynga changes course
Sunday 28 October 2012
Saturday 27 October 2012
Single player is a "gimmick" says mid-core developer
No.
Single player is a "gimmick" says mid-core developer: Gogogic CEO Jonas Antonsson says games are meant to be played with others, whether simultaneously or not
Single player is a "gimmick" says mid-core developer: Gogogic CEO Jonas Antonsson says games are meant to be played with others, whether simultaneously or not
Friday 26 October 2012
Gorgeous photograph captures a moonbow, waterfall, meteor and the Milky Way. In one image.
Gorgeous photograph captures a moonbow, waterfall, meteor and the Milky Way. In one image.:
For those who like to start their day with something mindblowing: here's your chance to start today with four.
The image you're looking at was shot by Thierry Legault, one of the world's most celebrated amateur astrophotographers. We've featured work of his here before, but never anything quite like this.
Legault captured this scene while visiting Wallaman Falls in Queensland, Australia. The Falls, of course, are breathtaking — but upon closer inspection, other phenomenon begin to come into view.
Where to begin? In the far background, the Milky Way dominates the depths of the night sky. In the foreground, mist suspended near the base of the waterfall is limned with moonlight, giving rise to a rare lunar rainbow (also called a moonbow). And to top it all off there's a meteor, disintegrating in a violent blaze as it rips through the atmosphere.
Check out more photos from Legault's Australia trip over on his website. Warning: all-out wonderment awaits you.
For those who like to start their day with something mindblowing: here's your chance to start today with four.The image you're looking at was shot by Thierry Legault, one of the world's most celebrated amateur astrophotographers. We've featured work of his here before, but never anything quite like this.
Legault captured this scene while visiting Wallaman Falls in Queensland, Australia. The Falls, of course, are breathtaking — but upon closer inspection, other phenomenon begin to come into view.
Where to begin? In the far background, the Milky Way dominates the depths of the night sky. In the foreground, mist suspended near the base of the waterfall is limned with moonlight, giving rise to a rare lunar rainbow (also called a moonbow). And to top it all off there's a meteor, disintegrating in a violent blaze as it rips through the atmosphere.
Check out more photos from Legault's Australia trip over on his website. Warning: all-out wonderment awaits you.
Image used with permission from Thierry Legault
Matthew Vaughn bails out of the X-Men: First Class sequel
Matthew Vaughn bails out of the X-Men: First Class sequel:
Seriously distressing news. Matthew Vaughn, the director behind X-Men: First Class will no longer return to shoot the sequel, Days Of Future Past. Instead, Fox is looking to replace Vaughn with long time mutant producer and director Bryan Singer. And we're not sure how to feel about that.
Deadline is reporting that Vaughn has opted out of Fox‘s next X-Men movie. We're not sure why, given that Vaughn has been an integral part in the crafting of the sequel — but now, Fox is hoping Singer and Vaughn will swap roles of producer and director. Fingers crossed Vaughn's absence from the director's chair is not due to studio meddling. Instead of Future Past, Vaughn will direct another film at Fox, based on Mark Millar's comic book series Secret Service.
Does this news strike fear into anyone else's hearts? Vaughn's movie was outstanding. It's not that we dislike Singer's past mutant films, X-Men and X2 were fine. But his latest project Jack The Giant Killer has been plagued with mysterious issues and it's been a very long time since we've seen anything we've liked from Singer. Then again, Singer has been working with the mutant franchise for years and years, and maybe a return to the X-Men is what he needs to get his mojo back.
It's worth noting that this is the second Fox project where the original director has dropped out of the sequel, the first being Rise of the Planet of the Apes, whose director (Rupert Wyatt) is being replaced by Cloverfield's Matt Reeves.
Seriously distressing news. Matthew Vaughn, the director behind X-Men: First Class will no longer return to shoot the sequel, Days Of Future Past. Instead, Fox is looking to replace Vaughn with long time mutant producer and director Bryan Singer. And we're not sure how to feel about that.Deadline is reporting that Vaughn has opted out of Fox‘s next X-Men movie. We're not sure why, given that Vaughn has been an integral part in the crafting of the sequel — but now, Fox is hoping Singer and Vaughn will swap roles of producer and director. Fingers crossed Vaughn's absence from the director's chair is not due to studio meddling. Instead of Future Past, Vaughn will direct another film at Fox, based on Mark Millar's comic book series Secret Service.
Does this news strike fear into anyone else's hearts? Vaughn's movie was outstanding. It's not that we dislike Singer's past mutant films, X-Men and X2 were fine. But his latest project Jack The Giant Killer has been plagued with mysterious issues and it's been a very long time since we've seen anything we've liked from Singer. Then again, Singer has been working with the mutant franchise for years and years, and maybe a return to the X-Men is what he needs to get his mojo back.
It's worth noting that this is the second Fox project where the original director has dropped out of the sequel, the first being Rise of the Planet of the Apes, whose director (Rupert Wyatt) is being replaced by Cloverfield's Matt Reeves.
Magician scares the masses by sneezing his head off his shoulders
Magician scares the masses by sneezing his head off his shoulders:
We love a good magic trick, and magician on the street Rich Ferguson has the ultimate Halloween prank. Watch as Ferguson sneezes his head right off his shoulders to the horror of everyone around him. One up that, internet. [The Icebreaker via The Laughing Squid]
We love a good magic trick, and magician on the street Rich Ferguson has the ultimate Halloween prank. Watch as Ferguson sneezes his head right off his shoulders to the horror of everyone around him. One up that, internet. [The Icebreaker via The Laughing Squid]
Let’s Not Lose Sight Of The Future
Let’s Not Lose Sight Of The Future:
Last week I found myself in two conversations about resurrecting dead games. One was about Homeworld: I’d made a flippant comment about pressuring Relic to do a Kickstarter to make a sequel, and other people agreed. If Double Fine can raise millions for a point ‘n click, then why not millions for our lost and beloved space RTS? The other was about Syndicate. Wouldn’t it be great if we got a Syndicate sequel, finally, in the way we got a “proper” X-Com remake? No right-minded gamer would disagree. Hell, Paradox even seem to be planning to do so.
But I got to thinking about how this turn to “how games used to be” shouldn’t be about nostalgia, or the past at all, really. It should be about the future. The point of looking back must be to identify, rescue and save the futures we were promised.
(more…)
Last week I found myself in two conversations about resurrecting dead games. One was about Homeworld: I’d made a flippant comment about pressuring Relic to do a Kickstarter to make a sequel, and other people agreed. If Double Fine can raise millions for a point ‘n click, then why not millions for our lost and beloved space RTS? The other was about Syndicate. Wouldn’t it be great if we got a Syndicate sequel, finally, in the way we got a “proper” X-Com remake? No right-minded gamer would disagree. Hell, Paradox even seem to be planning to do so.
But I got to thinking about how this turn to “how games used to be” shouldn’t be about nostalgia, or the past at all, really. It should be about the future. The point of looking back must be to identify, rescue and save the futures we were promised.
(more…)
Call of Duty MW3 dethroned by Minecraft on Xbox Live
Wow.
Call of Duty MW3 dethroned by Minecraft on Xbox Live: Minecraft becomes the top Xbox Live title in unique users
Call of Duty MW3 dethroned by Minecraft on Xbox Live: Minecraft becomes the top Xbox Live title in unique users
Thursday 25 October 2012
This is how you exorcise a "gay demon"
This is how you exorcise a "gay demon":
You may remember Bob Larson, the exorcist-for-hire who conscripted his karate-chopping teenage daughters into his for-profit war with Satan. But did you know that Reverend Larson has experience expelling the dreaded "gay demon"?
Obviously, everything about this is sad and weird and depressing, but it does lead one to wonder what the heck the warning signs of gay demonic possession are. Do you think one of these actual grown-ups has cobbled together a gay demonology codex in a Lisa Frank binder or something? ("WARNING SIGN #58: Victim has 'New York City Boy' by the Pet Shop Boys stuck in his head. Induce therapeutic elephant seal mating calls immediately.")
[Via Buzzfeed]
You may remember Bob Larson, the exorcist-for-hire who conscripted his karate-chopping teenage daughters into his for-profit war with Satan. But did you know that Reverend Larson has experience expelling the dreaded "gay demon"?
Obviously, everything about this is sad and weird and depressing, but it does lead one to wonder what the heck the warning signs of gay demonic possession are. Do you think one of these actual grown-ups has cobbled together a gay demonology codex in a Lisa Frank binder or something? ("WARNING SIGN #58: Victim has 'New York City Boy' by the Pet Shop Boys stuck in his head. Induce therapeutic elephant seal mating calls immediately.")
[Via Buzzfeed]
An entire genus of fern was just named after Lady Gaga, and the similarities are uncanny
Biologists in struggling to make their work sound interesting shocker.
An entire genus of fern was just named after Lady Gaga, and the similarities are uncanny:
When most plants and animals get named after a celebrity (and believe us, this happens often), it's rarely for anything more significant than a poorly-imagined resemblance, or a shared country of origin. Such is not the case with Gaga germanotta and the 18 other species in the newly dubbed "Gaga" genus.
As biologist Kathleen Pryer explains, the similarities between Lady Gaga and her leafy counterparts are actually kind of uncanny, and range from striking physical similarities right down to compelling coincidences in genetic code. Check out the video up top, courtesy of Duke University, for all the details
An entire genus of fern was just named after Lady Gaga, and the similarities are uncanny:
When most plants and animals get named after a celebrity (and believe us, this happens often), it's rarely for anything more significant than a poorly-imagined resemblance, or a shared country of origin. Such is not the case with Gaga germanotta and the 18 other species in the newly dubbed "Gaga" genus.
As biologist Kathleen Pryer explains, the similarities between Lady Gaga and her leafy counterparts are actually kind of uncanny, and range from striking physical similarities right down to compelling coincidences in genetic code. Check out the video up top, courtesy of Duke University, for all the details
The Most Expensive B-Movie Ever Made?
Awesome! If this ever comes out I will fly back from Sweden for a movie night watching it :)
The Most Expensive B-Movie Ever Made?:
Empires of the Deep reportedly cost a whopping $130 million — but a leaked trailer that came out two years ago had effects that were laughably awful.
Empires was originally announced in 2009. But little, beyond that bit of leaked video, has been heard from the production. There have been changes both behind and in front of the camera but Chinese real estate giant Jon Jiang, who is said to have financed the movie out of his own pocket (if you have the money, anything's possible), has kept the wallet open and production moving. The result is this new trailer, above — which looks remarkably like the leaked footage from two years ago, bad quality and all.
Could this be the most expensive B-movie ever made? If this video is any indication, that could well be the case. Even Olga Kurylenko as a mermaid won't be enough to rescue this sunk ship.
It's unlikely this will ever see the light of day in North America but Empires of the Deep could be fun after a night of excessive drinking or maybe as part of a night of excessive drinking. I'm actually curious to see just how bad $130 million dollars actually looks on screen.
For comparison purposes, here's the leaked trailer from two years ago:
Via Twitch
This article by Marina Antunes originally appeared over at Quiet Earth
The Most Expensive B-Movie Ever Made?:
Empires of the Deep reportedly cost a whopping $130 million — but a leaked trailer that came out two years ago had effects that were laughably awful.
Empires was originally announced in 2009. But little, beyond that bit of leaked video, has been heard from the production. There have been changes both behind and in front of the camera but Chinese real estate giant Jon Jiang, who is said to have financed the movie out of his own pocket (if you have the money, anything's possible), has kept the wallet open and production moving. The result is this new trailer, above — which looks remarkably like the leaked footage from two years ago, bad quality and all.
Could this be the most expensive B-movie ever made? If this video is any indication, that could well be the case. Even Olga Kurylenko as a mermaid won't be enough to rescue this sunk ship.
It's unlikely this will ever see the light of day in North America but Empires of the Deep could be fun after a night of excessive drinking or maybe as part of a night of excessive drinking. I'm actually curious to see just how bad $130 million dollars actually looks on screen.
For comparison purposes, here's the leaked trailer from two years ago:
Via Twitch
This article by Marina Antunes originally appeared over at Quiet Earth
First Trailer for Evil Dead Reboot: Behold the New Necronomicon!
First Trailer for Evil Dead Reboot: Behold the New Necronomicon!:
Here's your first taste of the brand new, super dark Evil Dead reboot. If it's good enough for producers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, is it good enough for you? Do you like the gory green Saw-esque tint? It certainly does make all the blood pop on screen. Directed by Fede Alvarez, this new movie has the original team's blessing — but does it have yours?
Here's your first taste of the brand new, super dark Evil Dead reboot. If it's good enough for producers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, is it good enough for you? Do you like the gory green Saw-esque tint? It certainly does make all the blood pop on screen. Directed by Fede Alvarez, this new movie has the original team's blessing — but does it have yours?
Games Aren’t Best When Things Go Wrong
Games Aren’t Best When Things Go Wrong:
Yesterday Jim wrote a superb piece arguing that games are best when everything is going wrong. That the measure of a game’s potential for generating anecdotes, and its depth of connection to the player, is based in the amount of peril it’s able to generate. Citing games like Day Z, FTL and XCOM, Jim’s argument made one small mistake: it was all wrong. Games aren’t best when they’re stressing you out, piling on the pressure, raising your anxiety levels to breaking point! Games are best when they embrace you into their wonderful worlds, telling you great stories, and letting you get away from the incessant worries of real life.
(more…)
Yesterday Jim wrote a superb piece arguing that games are best when everything is going wrong. That the measure of a game’s potential for generating anecdotes, and its depth of connection to the player, is based in the amount of peril it’s able to generate. Citing games like Day Z, FTL and XCOM, Jim’s argument made one small mistake: it was all wrong. Games aren’t best when they’re stressing you out, piling on the pressure, raising your anxiety levels to breaking point! Games are best when they embrace you into their wonderful worlds, telling you great stories, and letting you get away from the incessant worries of real life.
(more…)
Wednesday 24 October 2012
Zynga CEO confirms 5% staff reductions, studio closures
Shared for Fran Mulhern's excellent zing in the comments. That guy really is a dick, as evidenced by the actual comment he made later.
Zynga CEO confirms 5% staff reductions, studio closures: Zynga "sunsetting" 13 games and closing Zynga Boston; UK and Japan studios may close
Zynga CEO confirms 5% staff reductions, studio closures: Zynga "sunsetting" 13 games and closing Zynga Boston; UK and Japan studios may close
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Breaking Bad's Walt and Jesse get a catchy break-up song, à la Taylor Swift
Breaking Bad's Walt and Jesse get a catchy break-up song, à la Taylor Swift:
Meth-making partners Walt and Jesse have had their ups and downs, but you know their relationship is really on the rocks when they get their own break-up song to the tune of Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." Teddie Films (also of "Star Wars I Used to Know" fame) does a stellar job recreating the show's costumes and sets and hitting a few key on-screen moments. Just be warned: there are spoilers in both the lyrics and the video.
[via Metafilter]
Meth-making partners Walt and Jesse have had their ups and downs, but you know their relationship is really on the rocks when they get their own break-up song to the tune of Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." Teddie Films (also of "Star Wars I Used to Know" fame) does a stellar job recreating the show's costumes and sets and hitting a few key on-screen moments. Just be warned: there are spoilers in both the lyrics and the video.
[via Metafilter]
FameDaddy 'celebrity sperm bank' revealed to be an elaborate hoax
FameDaddy 'celebrity sperm bank' revealed to be an elaborate hoax:
A comedy show in the UK has just pulled off a rather well executed prank. It all got started earlier this week when Dan Richards, the "CEO" of a fake company called FameDaddy, appeared on a major morning television show. Richards, who is an actor in real life, spoke on live TV about his company, what he described as the world's "first celebrity sperm donor service." But after the airing, it quickly became clear that ITV wasn't alone in being duped; the story was subsequently picked up by the Telegraph and numerous media publications around the globe.
Eventually ITV and the Telegraph got the memo; it was all a prank, part of a satirical comedy program that is being produced by 2LE Media for Channel 4.
To their credit, the comedy troupe went to quite an extent to pull it off. In addition to having one of their actors appear on ITV's This Morning, they faked company records, set up a website, created a video, and provided a "company representative" to assure Telegraph journalists that the company was legit.
The story was subsequently picked up by media outlets in the US, Australia, China, and Canada.
The Telegraph has since removed their article, but the Globe & Mail still hasn't got the hint.
As for FameDaddy, the whole thing is actually quite funny. From their "official" website:
Commence the slow clap.
A comedy show in the UK has just pulled off a rather well executed prank. It all got started earlier this week when Dan Richards, the "CEO" of a fake company called FameDaddy, appeared on a major morning television show. Richards, who is an actor in real life, spoke on live TV about his company, what he described as the world's "first celebrity sperm donor service." But after the airing, it quickly became clear that ITV wasn't alone in being duped; the story was subsequently picked up by the Telegraph and numerous media publications around the globe.
Eventually ITV and the Telegraph got the memo; it was all a prank, part of a satirical comedy program that is being produced by 2LE Media for Channel 4.
To their credit, the comedy troupe went to quite an extent to pull it off. In addition to having one of their actors appear on ITV's This Morning, they faked company records, set up a website, created a video, and provided a "company representative" to assure Telegraph journalists that the company was legit.
The story was subsequently picked up by media outlets in the US, Australia, China, and Canada.
The Telegraph has since removed their article, but the Globe & Mail still hasn't got the hint.
As for FameDaddy, the whole thing is actually quite funny. From their "official" website:
Most girls fantasise about dating their favourite boyband star, or having a fling with a Hollywood actor. Some will even wonder what a child from that union would be like, both its physical characteristics and potential for success. Fame Daddy is the only premium insemination service to now offer this unprecedented level of intimate VIP access.And when speaking to the Telegraph, Richards told them, "Whether it is talent on the stage or pitch, having a world-beating voice, or just being very beautiful, Fame Daddy will have the perfect celebrity surrogate daddy."
Donor profiling is not new to the private fertility industry. Matches can be found according to preferences on race, eye colour, hair colour, religion, skin tone, nationality and education. Now, Fame Daddy goes one step further.
This soon-to-launch service will boast a top-flight client list of celebrity donors from the worlds of sport, entertainment and finance – all leaders in their fields, with a proven track record of success.
Commence the slow clap.
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