Category: Music

The OneUps: Intergalactic Redux

from OneUp Studios:

The new album from The OneUps — straight from outer space and into your CD player (or digital player if you prefer). You can purchase the CD from our Web site** or buy it either digital-only or digital AND CD from Bandcamp!

I recommend Bandcamp. You’ll be able to:
– Buy the physical copy of the CD
– Get an immediate digital download in whatever format you wish (MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, etc.)
– Pay a minimum of $5.94 (for digital only)
– Get to hear the whole album for free before you buy to make sure you’re making a smart purchase.

It’s the future. And this album is the future. Check out the amazing new sound from The OneUps. Classics like “Contra”, “Super Metroid”, “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” and more — in ways you’ve never heard them before.

But don’t take our word for it:

“It’s solid. It hits you like a truck. A funk truck.” ~ Patrick Gann, OriginalSoundVersion.com

“I love the music that this outfit puts together and, having listened to this album a few times this evening, think it’s some of their best work.” ~ Conrad Zimmerman, Destructoid.com

“…if you’re looking for an interesting take on video game music that doesn’t fall into the same pitfalls that much of it does, The OneUps are a truly unique band deserving of your attention.” ~ Eric Stuckart, PrimaryIgnition.com

For those of you who want digital but don’t want to use Bandcamp:
iTunes
AmazonMP3
TheOneUps.com

Bad Dudes vs. OCReMix — Heroes vs. Villains
Heroes vs. Villains is a free album from both the Bad Dudes and OverClocked ReMix, bringing opposing hero and villain themes together as remixed by “opposing” Bad Dude and OverClocked ReMix artists. The OCR peeps took on the hero themes, and the Bad Dudes, appropriately, handled all the villains. This album marks the first official collaboration between these two factions in the video game remixing world, and the end result can only be called incredible. To think, one project that includes top-notch arrangements from classics such as The Legend of Zelda, The Secret of Monkey Island, Super Metroid, Mega Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, God of War, and more. You can download the entire album as a torrent, complete with both MP3 and FLAC versions of each track, or grab each of the 20 tracks individually.

New The OneUps Shirts
New shirts! We have a new “legendary” shirt for boys and for girls, and also a new shirt with our logo “icon” (designed by Mykola Dosenko) — the logo shirt GLOWS IN THE DARK! We hope you’ll check ’em out and snag you one. Show your love for the band. Visit the store and pick OneUp.

You Can Find Us on the Internet
Twitter
Facebook
TheOneUps.com

A.D. After Disclosure

A.D. After Disclosure: The People’s Guide to Life After Contact is a new book about what happens after the powers-that-be acknowledge ET/UFO reality. Written by Richard Dolan and Bryce Zabel, it is a work of speculative non-fiction, published by Keyhole Publishing. The trailer is set to the tune of “Need-to-Know: The UFO Disclosure Song” by Cherish Alexander.

VIZ Pictures & NEW PEOPLE Rebrand and Launch New Corporate Divisions

from NEW PEOPLE:

VIZ Pictures, Inc., the film distributor and producer behind the Japanese pop culture venue in San Francisco known as NEW PEOPLE, has announced that it will now operate as a newly established company, NEW PEOPLE, Inc., to re-brand and create synergy between all corporate divisions. The company’s film distribution and licensing division will now operate as NEW PEOPLE Entertainment.

NEW PEOPLE Entertainment is complemented by the launch of another dedicated film and event production division — NEW PEOPLE Productions — that will organize and manage the annual J-Pop Summit Festival as well as future film premieres, live events, and the development of original programming. The J-Pop Summit Festival takes place in San Francisco every summer and has become one of the largest events in the U.S. devoted to Japanese pop culture, film, fashion, food, art, and music. The 2010 festival attracted over 40,000 people. The 2011 J-Pop Summit Festival is currently being planned for August. More information on NEW PEOPLE Entertainment is available at: NewPeopleEnt.com.

“The re-branding and launch of these new divisions within the NEW PEOPLE organization will allow us to better execute our core mission to bring Japanese and Asian pop culture in a variety of forms to U.S. audiences,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of NEW PEOPLE Inc., and the founder of the NEW PEOPLE venue. “We’ve also expanded our corporate operations to include a recently opened office in Tokyo that will act as a channel to help facilitate future creative endeavors and partnerships with Japanese-based artists and film and media companies, as well as work to bring select U.S. brands to Japan.”

Horibuchi has spent his career working to popularize Japanese pop culture throughout North America. He founded VIZ Media in the 80s to distribute anime and manga comics for English audiences, and the company has become one of the largest and most successful publishers of Japanese entertainment media based in the U.S. In 2005, he founded VIZ Pictures, Inc., a company dedicated to bringing Japanese live-action films to the American audience. In 2009, he founded NEW PEOPLE as a first-of-its-kind destination devoted to film, fashion, art and unique retail brands and a company to foster creative collaboration among artists, filmmakers, fashion labels, and retail brands influenced by Japanese popular culture.

Monster High

Monster High — “Freaky Just Got Fabulous!”

Universal Monsters are very popular amongst sci-fi afficionados, and there have always been Universal Monsters-based toys that have allowed them to share that interest with their sons, but, until recently, their daughters have been largely left out. The launch of Mattel’s Monster High franchise gives the classic screen icons a “freakishly fabulous” make-over that finally welcomes girls into the monster club. Monster High’s characters are the trendy teenage offspring of monster legends, and attend a school full of students whose supernatural heritage has resulted in such unusual physical traits as green skin, fur, fangs, and pointed ears.

Monster High Plush Dolls

The highlight of the Monster High toy line is a collection of plush dolls, its first and second waves including a selection of the most popular Monster High students:

The dolls come in “Friends” box sets with their signature pets: Frankie Stein & Watzit (franken-dog), Draculaura & Count Fabulous (bat), Clawdeen Wolf & Crescent (kitten), Cleo De Nile & Hissette (Egyptian cobra), Deuce Gorgon & Perseus (two-tailed rat), and Lagoona Blue & Neptuna (piranha). Cute profiles on the boxes’ back panels give background info on each of the pets, written from the pets’ point of view.

If you’ve read Coraline, Neil Gaiman’s creepy children’s novel, then the Monster High plush dolls, with their big button eyes, will immediately remind you of the book. Their sewn-on eyes are friendly looking, though, unlike the Other Mother’s sinister black buttons. Also, instead of being made of hard and shiny plastic, they’re sculptured on with soft, embroidered thread, as are the entire faces of all the dolls and pets. The embroidery adds to the folksy charm of these ragdoll-style toys, and the stitched-together look seems appropriate to monsters, especially since one of them is a Frankenstein’s Monster. While traditional ragdolls are usually fairly basic in design, the Monster High dolls are lavished with detail. They have full heads of thick, multicoloured yarn, the strands tacked into place for some of the more elaborate hairdos. Their outfits, which look like miniaturized sets of real clothes, are made of a variety of materals, trimmed with fur and other accents. Clawdeen Wolf even has tiny loops of ribbon sewn into the edges of her ears to recreate her gold hoop earrings. These dolls are almost as enjoyable to touch as they are to look at, and the only real complaint to be made is that Deuce Gorgon’s snake-hair is reduced to a tuft of green yarn instead of recognizable snakes. (Granted, plush micro-snakes are probably difficult to produce.) At ten inches high, the dolls are big enough to be huggable, yet still small enough to be easily toted around. The pets are a fair size, but if you’re giving the toys to younger children, you may want to tether the pets to their friends with a yarn leash so that they don’t go astray.

Monster High Fashion Dolls

In addition to the plush dolls, Monster High features a line of fashion dolls that are similar in appearance to Bratz dolls, their articulated limbs removable to allow for quick and easy fashion changes. Each doll comes with a plastic pet figurine, spooky fashion accessory, skull hairbrush, doll stand for posing and display, and a diary written by the character. Wave 1 consists of the same six monsters that appear in plush form, with couple Cleo De Nile and Deuce Gorgon paired together in a gift set. Wave 2 adds two new characters: Ghoulia Yelps (daughter of Zombies) & Sir Hoots A Lot (owl), and Holt Hyde (son of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde/alter ego of Jackson Jekyll) & Crossfade (chameleon). As in all fashion doll lines, there are themed variants, such as “Dawn of the Dance” (Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf, Cleo De Nile) and “Gloom Beach” (Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, Cleo De Nile, Jackson Jekyll); separate fashion packs, such as the “School Spirit Uniforms” (Clawdeen Wolf — soccer, Deuce Gorgon — casketball, Frankie Stein — fearleading, Lagoona Blue — surfing); and playsets, like Frankie Stein’s Mirror Bed and Draculaura’s Jewelry Box Coffin. Every bit as detailed and elaborately dressed as their plush versions, the Monster High fashion dolls will appeal to both adult collectors and mini-geeks.

In the age of the Internet, Monster High isn’t just about the toys, of course. An immersive, sign-up website at monsterhigh.com allows junior monsters to register at Monster High, meet and interact with its famous students, explore the campus, participate in school activities, play several games, and download music, wallpapers, buddy icons, and a ringtone. Special codes, obtained from toy packaging or hidden locations on the website, unlock even more content. Best of all, the website hosts an animated Monster High web series. The webisodes are brief but very entertaining, and can be viewed on the Monster High YouTube Channel, as well. Of higher quality than a lot of cartoons on TV, this is a show that parents can actually enjoy watching with their little ghouls. (Episode 1 is “Jaundice Brothers”.) The Monster High Fright Song music video is also posted on YouTube, its upbeat lyrics encouraging everyone to embrace their “freaky chic ‘n’ fly” differences.

Perhaps of greatest importance to geek parents is that Monster High promotes reading, with a tie-in series of novels that’s fun and prepares geeks-in-training for when they’re old enough to read Dracula and Frankenstein. The debut book, simply titled Monster High, deviates somewhat from the web series, but since it’s a prequel of sorts, chronicling Frankie Stein’s creation and arrival at school, it may eventually synch up with the web series in future volumes. The book’s reading level is aimed more at teens than the tweens that the toys are primarily targeted at, so it’s recommended that you preview it before giving it to young readers, to make sure that it’s appropriate for them. Monster High: The Ghoul Next Door continues right where the original story paused at a frightful cliffhanger, and is set to be published on April 5.

Order now at Amazon.com:
Monster High Plush Dolls
Monster High Fashion Dolls
Monster High Frankie Stein Mirror Bed
Monster High Draculaura Jewelry Box Coffin
Monster High (Book)

Pre-order at Amazon.com:
Monster High: The Ghoul Next Door (Book)

Monster High is distributed by Mattel. For more Monster High information, please visit the official Monster High website and the Monster High Wiki.

Nintendo 3DS Brings a Dimensional Shift to the World of Entertainment on March 27

from Nintendo of Canada:

The company that changed the world of video games with touch-screen gaming in 2004 and motion-controlled gaming in 2006 now pioneers the next dimensional shift. On March 27, Nintendo introduces portable entertainment in 3D — without the need for special glasses. The Nintendo 3DS system will be available in either Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue, and will have a suggested retail price of $249.99.

“Nintendo 3DS is a category of one — the experience simply doesn’t exist anywhere else,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “You have to see Nintendo 3DS to believe it. And it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”

Nintendo 3DS includes two screens. The bottom touch screen makes use of a telescoping stylus that is stored in the unit itself. The top screen displays 3D visuals to the naked eye. Looking at the screen is like peering through a window into a world where characters and objects have true depth. The system also has a 3D Depth Slider that lets players select the level of 3D they enjoy the most. The 3D effect can be ratcheted up to the highest level, scaled back to a more moderate setting or even turned off completely, depending on the preference of the user.

In addition to the familiar + Control Pad and button controls found on previous Nintendo hand-helds, Nintendo 3DS now also includes a Circle Pad, which provides a full 360 degrees of direction, giving it the freedom and precision needed to play games in 3D worlds. It brings the same degree of responsiveness that gamers enjoyed when Nintendo introduced an analog control stick to navigate Mario through Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64 system.

A built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor can react to the motion and tilt of the system, so whether players are twisting their systems side to side or moving them up and down, their motion-compatible Nintendo 3DS games respond instantly. No other system includes so many tools for game developers to create new and fun experiences for players.

Two features will allow owners to stay connected in new ways. Both deliver bonus content to owners as they move around during their daily lives, so users might open up their systems at any moment to find new surprises. For owners who choose to activate it, the StreetPass feature is capable of exchanging game information with other Nintendo 3DS systems as owners pass one another. Small packets of information can be exchanged using this data-transfer method, such as Mii character data, maps for games or high scores and custom character data for different games. The SpotPass feature can connect to compatible public hotspots and through a wireless broadband Internet connection at home, even if the system is in Sleep Mode. Once connected, the Nintendo 3DS system will receive new content and updates on a regular basis.

Each Nintendo 3DS system comes pre-loaded with a variety of fun games, applications and features, such as Nintendo 3DS Camera. Nintendo 3DS has three cameras. One camera points at the user, while two additional cameras point outward. These two outer cameras take photos in 3D. The fun, built-in game Face Raiders asks users to shoot at funny depictions of their own faces. Nintendo 3DS, when put into Sleep Mode, can act as a pedometer, while letting users earn Play Coins for the steps they take that can then be traded in for additional content in compatible games and applications. By accessing the Activity Log, users can check their steps as well as their play time. With Nintendo 3DS Sound, users can enjoy sound-manipulation tools or rock out while listening to their MP3 or AAC music files. An upgraded Internet browser will also be available via a system update.

The Mii Maker application gives users new tools to create Mii characters even more easily. Users can either import Mii characters from their Wii systems using an SD memory card or use the camera to take a picture of a person and have an automatic Mii character created. Users can even save their Mii characters to an SD card as pictures, which enables them to be used any way a digital photo would for personal use, such as a profile picture on social-networking sites.

The Nintendo eShop, through a system update, will offer access to downloadable games, including Nintendo DSiWare and ones specifically made for Nintendo 3DS. Also, just as the Virtual Console service on Wii makes retro games available for download, the Virtual Console games on Nintendo 3DS will be pulled from classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Players will be able to view game videos, download demos for select games and see how other consumers rated the games. The Nintendo eShop will use a cash-based system. Users can either input credit card information in the shop or purchase a Nintendo 3DS Prepaid Card at retail locations.

Nintendo 3DS comes with six augmented-reality cards, called AR cards. When the two outer cameras are pointed at the cards, they read the cards and superimpose images and animations onto the scene. So users shouldn’t be surprised if they see a dragon popping out of their kitchen tables. Developers can also use this technology to add creative new experiences to their games.

Built-in parental controls can be used to limit Internet access or some of the wireless functions. By using a PIN code, parents also can turn off the 3D function altogether, or limit the ratings of the games that their kids can play.

Fans of online play will be happy to learn that the friend codes for Nintendo 3DS are specific to each Nintendo 3DS system, not each game. Once friends trade hardware codes, at any time they can check their friends list to see which of their friends are online and what they are playing.

Nintendo 3DS can also play Nintendo DS game cards with their original 2D visuals. The system also includes a slot for an SD memory card. To help users get started, every system comes with a 2GB SD memory card (though owners can provide whatever size they like). Using a service that will be provided after the hardware’s launch, Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL owners will be able to transfer games downloaded from the Nintendo DSi Shop onto their new Nintendo 3DS systems.

During the launch window (between the March 27 launch date and the E3 Expo in early June) more than 30 games will be available to Nintendo 3DS owners. These include Nintendo-created games like Pilotwings Resort, which has players soaring acrobatically over iconic Wuhu Island; nintendogs + cats, a new version of the Nintendo DS classic with a feline enhancement; and Steel Diver, a side-scrolling submarine adventure that gives the illusion that the player is peering into an aquarium. Other Nintendo 3DS games in the works include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and new installments in the Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Paper Mario series.

Nintendo 3DS also enjoys some of the strongest third-party support of any system launch. A partial list of titles coming soon to Nintendo 3DS includes Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked from Atlus; Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D from Capcom; Madden NFL Football from EA SPORTS; The Sims 3 from Electronic Arts; Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami; LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars from LucasArts; Ridge Racer 3D and Dual Pen Sports from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.; Super Monkey Ball 3D, Thor: God of Thunder and CRUSH 3D from SEGA; BUST-A-MOVE UNIVERSE from Square Enix, Inc.; Samurai Warriors Chronicles and Dead or Alive: Dimensions from Tecmo Koei America Corp.; and Asphalt 3D, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D, Rayman 3D and Rabbids: Travel in Time from Ubisoft.

For more information about Nintendo 3DS, visit nintendo3ds.com.

Enter the RiffTrax Remix contest and win some dough!

from RiffTrax:

Pull out sound clips from RiffTrax MP3s and create your own remixed video! It can be a movie, TV show, video game cut scene, virtually anything will work! You have until the end of January to upload your clip to YouTube and tag it with “rifftraxremix2011”. (You must use this tag for your video to be eligible!)

There is no minimum length requirement, just make it funny!

Our favorite video will win a prize of $100 cash and $100 credit for purchases at RiffTrax.com! For more info, visit RiffTrax Remix Contest!

DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie

DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) fans (or MSTies for short) have been waiting a long time for this game, and I think I speak for all of them when I say it was well worth the wait. When J. Allen Williams first came up with the idea of creating a game, he called in his friends and started the decade-long labor of love that is DARKSTAR. It’s not just a game though, it’s an interactive movie, with your decisions leading to various outcomes, some continuing the story and others bringing you to a dead end (sometimes literally).

As Captain O’Neil, you’ve just awoken from a 312-year sleep that has robbed you of all of your memories, including your identity. You immediately discover a gruesome murder, a sleeping beauty and a missing shipmate. As you begin to explore your surroundings, you discover things about yourself, your crewmates and your mission. You also discover something has gone very, very wrong.

DARKSTAR is similar to the King’s Quest or Myst games in feel and style of play, and features high-quality graphics and textures. There is a mixture of interactive environments, exploration and puzzles, but it’s the video that really sets it apart from traditional adventure games of this style. Hours of video woven throughout turn it from a game into an interactive movie. One of the key parts of the story is a series of short, historical films that have been created for your mission, to be presented at your final destination. These films document the reason for your mission and stress the importance of your success. I can’t give much more information than that without providing spoilers, but I can say that the films are broken up into pieces and you can only access it as you unlock different parts of the game, typically by activating or restoring power to a part of the ship. Each of these, if you pay close attention, will provide hints and clues that will help you with the next step of your exploration.

At first, I found myself spending a lot of time exploring, but not accomplishing much. Then I realized I wasn’t looking hard enough. There are many hidden items, hidden clues and hidden panels. Once you find a few, you start to know where to look and will progress faster. Because there are so many variable outcomes of the game, based on where you explore and in what order, you may miss a large amount of the game without realizing it the first time around. I took a look at the All Revealed Guide (which is in PDF format) and realized that there are several videos I missed out on, especially relating to SIMON, the ship’s smarmy maintenance robot. I was having a bit of a problem with my video being choppy (more on that later) and at one key point, I missed out on an interaction with SIMON that affects his appearances throughout the game. The lesson I learned was that if the game seems to pause, don’t start clicking right away; give it a moment just in case it’s changing from a stationary scene to an animated one.

On that note, I should point out my video-related issues with the game. Here’s my specs:

  • Windows XP Pro, Service Pack 3
  • NVidia GeForce 8200 Motherboard with integrated graphics
  • AMD Athlon 64×2 Dual Core 5000+ (2.6Ghz)
  • 3.25 GB RAM (XPs limit)

When I first installed the game, I couldn’t play it. I would receive an error message during the splash screen that informed me that iShell had crashed. I tried visiting the website for help but, at the time, there wasn’t any information there or patches available to fix the issue. I spent a few days off doing some web searches and the best suggestion I found was to roll back Quicktime. I uninstalled Quicktime (I was running 7.6.8) and reinstalled 6.0, and then installed updates up to version 7.6.5. The game finally ran properly but still had a few hesitations when switching to a video or animated scene. I saved the game frequently and it helped relieve the stress of lost progress in case of game crashing. I did discover that Quicktime tries to automatically update to the newest version, so while you are playing the game, it may interfere with your iTunes account. Hopefully they will be able to patch this soon, as I did have to go through the process of rolling back Quicktime several times because I had other multimedia programs that required the latest version.

Other than the video issue, which I finally figured out, I had no problems with the game and truly enjoyed playing it. It took me a little longer than I thought it would, but part of that is because I took the time to zoom in on what I’d consider Easter Eggs in the game, such as the bookshelves and personal items in the crew’s cabins. While SIMON’s room is blatantly an homage to MST3K, as is SIMON himself, there are lots of other more subtle touches throughout the game, but if you have no previous knowledge of the MST3K universe, you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything. Well, maybe you will a little bit, but hopefully that will just encourage you to learn more about the DARKSTAR folks and their previous and current projects.

There are great performances from the cast, including the final performance of Peter Graves as the narrator. DARKSTAR features Clive Robertson, Beez McKeever, Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff as the ship’s crew, and Joel Hodgson as the primary villain, though the cast includes nearly 40 performers in all.

In addition to the 13 hours of video, the soundtrack includes 38 compositions featuring several genres of music. Much of the music is ambient with a dark, brooding and ominous feel, but you’ll also find classical piano scores in a few “scenes”, and the battles and other action sequences are backed by high-power rock. As my cohort here at ÜberSciFiGeek said, “The soundtrack is great! It has a hint of heavy metal sound that gets the adrenaline pumping, without being distracting.”

For this review, we played the DARKSTAR Captain’s Box Special, which includes:

  • DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie for PC and Macintosh
  • 2-disc Sountrack Album with 38 songs by Progressive Sound and MetalWorx
  • PDF downloads of the All Revealed Guide and DARKSTAR Coffee Table Book
  • Pre-printed (not hand-signed) Cast Glossy
  • XL DARKSTAR T-Shirt

The All Revealed Guide definitely came in handy. While I tried playing most of the game without it, I did have to check through it a few times to see what I was doing wrong. It listed events out of the order in which I explored the ship, so I did get a few spoilers that I wasn’t looking for. Since it’s a PDF picture format, you can’t search for keywords, so be careful because you may see something you don’t want to know yet! If you stumble through DARKSTAR the first time around without the guide, check it out for your second round of gameplay to make sure you get to see all the cool death scenes and Easter Eggs you may have missed.

The DARKSTAR Coffee Table Book may be a PDF file, but it looks like one of those “The Art of…” movie books you see for Hollywood blockbusters. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of DARKSTAR and includes some beautiful images that I can imagine on high-gloss, archive quality paper. I think some of them should be available as prints, they are so impressive. In addition to images of the creation process, you’ll find information about the cast and crew and all the hard work that went into creating DARKSTAR. I think maybe they should make this available on Amazon or some other Print-on-Demand service. It’s really a gorgeous book and, as much as I love my computer, nothing beats holding a real book in your hands.

The Cast Glossy and T-Shirt are a nice bonus. The photos are high-quality photos printed on heavy card stock and the black t-shirt is made of 100% cotton, nice and thick — not the flimsy stuff you often find printed shirts made of. It’s sure to stand up to lots of wear and washing.

The only thing about DARKSTAR that needs improvement, as my cohort pointed out, is that the game is packaged in a large, bulky case with both discs on one side, resting directly on each other, instead of a 2-disc streamline case. While most games include printed material, and the larger case would be perfect for holding that stuff, everything is digital with this game so it takes up more space on your bookshelf than it really needs to and you have to be a bit more careful not to scratch a disc while removing one to get to the other.

Overall, DARKSTAR is a fun and funny game, and a fabulous addition to any adventure gamer or sci-fi geek’s collection. Unlike most games where, once you play it, you put it away, the film-like aspect, hours of footage, and multiple outcomes, death scenes and other scenarios ensure that you’ll most likely play this game several times and, rather than give it away, tell your friends to get their own copy.

Order now at Amazon.com:
DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie
DARKSTAR Captain’s Box Special

Or order directly through the DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie Official Store.

DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie is distributed by Parallax Studio. For more information about DARKSTAR, please visit the DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie Official Game Site. Parallax Studio may also be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

“The Guild” Season 4 on DVD and iTunes

from The Guild:

The Guild is pleased to announce that as of today, Season 4 is out on DVD and iTunes. The DVD is out now exclusively via Amazon.com (with a retail store release coming February 22, 2011).

The DVD is packed with tons of bonus features, including many DVD-only extras. Bonus features on the DVD include the “Game On” Music Video, The Making of the “Game On” Music Video, Back to Cheesybeards featurette, Oh Mommy! featurette focusing on Avinashi (Zaboo’s Mom), the Cheesybeards commercial, Season 1 and 2 recaps, Season 3 recap by Auto-Tune the News, Table read by the cast, Audio Commentary with the Cast, Audio Commentary with the Creator, Director and Producer, Axis of Anarchy Interviews, Gag Reel, PDF of Script, Play All Feature and English Subtitles. The Amazon.com DVD release comes on two DVD-R discs by Amazon’s Create Space, and is NTSC format, region-free. Buy Season 4 of The Guild on Amazon.com now.

Season 4 also hits iTunes today, available in HD and in standard definition. As with previous iTunes releases, The Guild episodes are bundled into two episodes per iTunes download — so even though it looks like there are only 6 episodes, that’s just an iTunes thing, you’re getting the full season. This season there is an iTunes exclusive 9-minute bonus feature “The Making of the Team Cawkes Painting” included when you buy the entire season. Each two-episode iTunes bundle is $2.99 for HD or $1.99 for standard definition, while the entire season is $9.99 for HD or $5.99 for standard definition. Buy Season 4 of The Guild on iTunes now.

Thanks so much for your continued support of The Guild! We couldn’t do it without such dedicated fans. Many of you have asked “What about Season 5?” and we have nothing to announce at this time but we’ll update you as soon as we know something. Microsoft and Sprint have been wonderful partners and sponsors, funding seasons 2 through 4 and helping bring the show to many new fans, and we hope this great relationship continues for Season 5 (and there’s no indication that it wouldn’t — no campaigns need to be launched, loyal Guildies!). Fans always ask what they can do to help support the show, and purchasing Guild merchandise including the DVDs and iTunes downloads are one great way. Introducing the show to new fans is another powerful force that has helped us so much — so thank you for doing that for 4 seasons! And best of all, that doesn’t cost a penny!

Discuss the Season 4 DVD and iTunes release on our forums, and talk to us on Facebook, Twitter or by leaving a comment here!

Thanks so much for your support, and happy holidays!
The Guild Management

Shout! Factory: A Little DARKSTAR for the MSTies

from Shout! Factory:

Last month we told you all about the release of Darkstar: The Interactive Movie starring Mystery Science Theater 3000 cast members Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, J. Elvis Weinstein and Beez McKeever. Well, guess what? You can soon order it directly from ShoutFactory.com. And while you’re visiting the site, check out the newest addition to our contest page. Enter to win the Darkstar: Special Edition Captain’s Box plus MST3K: Volume XIX. This absolutely unique Darkstar package features five hand-autographed glossies of the cast (including Beez McKeever, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff and Clive Robertson); a Darkstar flash drive preloaded with the All Revealed Guide and Coffee Table Book (PDFs); a Darkstar T-shirt autographed by Joel Hodgson, J. Elvis Weinstein, Trace Beaulieu, Mary Jo Pehl, Frank Conniff and creator J. Allen Williams; a copy of Darkstar: The Interactive Movie autographed by all of the above; and the Darkstar soundtrack album. Three runners-up win MST3K: XIX, Darkstar: The Interactive Movie and soundtrack.

Deals And Schpeals
We plan to be fat and sleepy come Friday morning, but not too groggy to miss out on treating you to some great deals. Check ShoutFactory.com on Friday morning to see what we have up our sleeves. You’ll be glad you did!

Keep up with the latest Shout! news throughout your day by following us on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, visit our YouTube page for trailers, clips and music videos.

Factory Entertainment: The Green Hornet, The Ring of Dracula and The Beatles Die-Cast Buses ALL shipping now!

from Factory Entertainment:

We are pleased to announce that a TON of great collectibles will be arriving in our warehouse over the next few weeks. First up this week are a selection of Green Hornet fashion accessories and gift items sporting the distinctive hornet logos featured in the classic 1966 television series and in the upcoming major motion picture. Also in stock are our fabulous Universal Monster Dracula Rings, in both the popularly priced Collector’s Edition and the ultra limited Elite Edition. Halloween may be over, but these icons of cinematic vampire style never go out of season! Last, but not least, Wave 1 of our Beatles Album Cover die-cast London buses is now in stock and available for immediate shipment. Be sure to place your order soon — the holidays are just around the corner!

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