Gearfuse

Hmmm. LEGO Rock Band. Seems like a good idea, given the plethora of other LEGO-based video games available, right? Maybe. Joystiq spent some quality hands-on time with the new Rock Band title and had this to say about it:

It’s tempting to just take a review of Rock Band 2 and stick it under here and label it Lego Rock Band, because that’s pretty much what it is, albeit with a few family-friendly tweaks. They’re mostly aesthetic, and Harmonix is working with Lego, who has approval over all of the songs in the game, to make sure it’s an experience that little kids can enjoy with adults. It might be a bit jarring to see Suzie, age 6, gyrating along to “Sex Bomb,” for instance.

Makes sense. A kid-friendly game with kid-friendly tunes. The problem is, Harmonix is getting lazy. Instead of just spewing out new titles with different themes and different songs, I’d like to see it innovate and bring all new features and devices to its popular franchise. Add a keyboard player to Rock Band and then I’ll get excited about your upcoming games.

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Finally a confirmation! And even more than we expected! A 20th Century Fox rep has confirmed that Futurama will return for at least 26 more episodes. The show’s return is planned for early 2010.

The show didn’t hit its massively popular peak until DVD sales skyrocketed and Comedy Central’s reruns brought in the ratings. While the money is surely the reason Futurama has been picked back up, the details mean little to me. Your favorite animated series from the future is back! And as you can see from the photo above, the crew is mighty excited as well. Can the series live up to its first four seasons?

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Capcom, maker of Metal Gear Solid and Street Fighter, loves the iPhone. So much, in fact, that in the next year, Capcom will release 10 new titles for the device on the Apple App Store. No details are available on whether or not current titles will be ported to the iPhone/iPod Touch, but keep your eyes peeled for titles relating to Resident Evil as I think we could see a touch-version of the original drop sometime this year. Or at least, one can hope, right?

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Whether you’re a fan of Lara Croft or just get a boner for anything Final Fantasy related, you’ll now be pleased to know that Eidos has accepted a bid of about $118 million from Square-Enix. This could very well mean that in the not-too-distant future, Square characters could be making their way to Eidos titles and vice versa. Actually, fat chance, but I’m sure the combined resources of two top-notch gaming studios will lead to some creative titles in the next five years.

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Have you played any of the games in the Resident Evil series? No? Then skip to another post.

For the rest of us, ThinkGeek is offering up an umbrella that would make Leon shit his pants with fear any day of the week. It’s a sturdy red and white umbrella that resembles the logo of the Umbrella Corporation. You know, the same one that created the T-Virus that wiped out Raccoon City. Classy. It can be yours for a mere $15 but the sex you’ll get from using it is priceless. And by priceless, I mean nothing.

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Sony unveiled the P-series VAIO at the International CES this year, stunning laptop users everywhere. This netbook is nothing like others on the market. For starters, the form factor is long and thin, like a baguette of bread. It has a badass display, full-size keyboard, Vista, Verizon built-in 3G and the coolest part, an instant-on OS. Want to just browse the ‘net quickly or view a video? Open up the VAIO and an XMB-esque menu pops up awaiting your command.
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Just because you don’t have HBO on your tube doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the premiere programming HBO has to offer like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Entourage, Rome and The Wire.

HBO and Apple are teaming up to offer HBO shows for download on the iTunes Music Store in the UK. Each individual episode will only cost you around $3.37 but buying the entire season is also an option.  It’s exciting to see how the iTunes store is expanding everyday, but if they are going to sell HBO series’, why not do it in the USA?

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Today, we point out the obvious: a series that tries so desperately to make money that it ruins the artistic vision of the game. These are the franchises that I admire for their enjoyable originals and also loathe for what they’ve become. Let’s face it, The Godfather: Part III sucked. That’s where these games are going.

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Seriously, is anyone really excited for Mortal Kombat vs. DC? What a dumb idea. Regardless, Nick Deleon over at CrunchGear mentioned Kotaku’s interview of Ed Boon (he puts the “Noob” in Noob Saibot) regarding a mature return of the Mortal Kombat series. Now in its ninth installment, Ed Boon states that the newest Mortal Kombat:

“…may strive for more blood, more violence, more of everything that warrants an M-rating”

We’re hoping that “may” means “will”. By the sound of things, the next game in the series should be the one we’ve all been waiting for. And yes Nick, we all agree Mortal Kombat II was a great sequel. However, I thought I was the only one who liked Mortal Kombat 4.

Oh right, that reminds me – I still owe Nick a drink. Perhaps we can settle this in a match of Mortal Kombat II on the ultimate gaming system?

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No one likes hauling ridiculously heavy bags around the airport. LiveLuggage’s Power Assisted series uses a special wheel to make your traveling a heck of a lot more lightweight. This luggage is designed to distribute 85% of the total weight directly upon the wheels, making you feel you’re only carrying a fraction of it.

The intelligent torque control powers the wheels and the pressure is applied to the handle, leading to the concentration of force sensors at the base. The tilt switch/sensors power the wheels at specific angles between 15% and 35% incline.

This torque control activates manually or automatically when necessary and in the event that you drop your luggage, it’ll automatically deactivate so your stuff won’t resist gravity and fly away.
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