Celebrating All Things Geek

MP Shows How Clueless Canada Is Regarding Copyright Law

2012-05-23T02:37:16Z

It would seem logical that Canadians would elect their best and brightest to make important government decisions on a national level. Sadly, that never seems to be the case, and that unfortunate reality was reinforced last week by MP Dean Del Mastro (Peterborough, Ontario). During discussion of C-11, Canada's new copyright legislation, Del Mastro compared ripping a CD to stealing a pair of shoes. Either this guy is a first class idiot, or he's deep in the pockets of the media industry. Frankly, I don't know which one is worse.

Predict Facebook's IPO Price

2012-05-17T22:59:13Z

Facebook is finally going forward with its initial public offering tomorrow. The initial sale price of $38/share values the company at $104 Billion USD, and makes Mark Zuckerberg the 29th richest person on earth after a $16 billion cashout. Do you want to join in the fun and speculation, but don't have the money or nerves for the ever so risky stock markets? By visiting FacebookIPODayClosingPrice.com you can submit your own prediction of what the share price will be when the markets close at the end of trading tomorrow. So far the speculators seem pretty optimistic, placing the average share price at $55, valuing Facebook at over $138 billion. However, it's even possible for the share price to dip over the course of the day. Make sure to lock in your prediction before tomorrow so we can see who was closest on Friday afternoon! I opted for the comparatively conservative $51/share.

Feast Your Sex Panther Eyes on the First Anchorman 2 Poster

2012-05-17T08:53:56Z

Ever since it was announced on Conan, Anchorman 2 has been a topic of pure excitement at Hex19.com. Paramount has just released the first poster for the film, which is set for release sometime in 2013. The promotional image features four pairs of legs, kind of. Two pairs and two singles, to be precise. It's unclear whether this is an unintended illusion or a desired effect. The severing of limbs isn't something the first film shied away from. The poster also features a tagline - The Legend Continues. Even though it isn't much, just the combination of shoes and pants has me a little bit more excited for the film. It definitely helps solidify our assumption that the four main male cast members would be returning. You can check out the full res image after the break.

Calling Canadian Podcasters: PAB 2012

2012-05-17T08:16:12Z

Unfortunately for the Hex19 crew, we live on the "wrong" side of Canada for keeping in touch with our fellow Canadian podcasters. Travelling to cool events in Eastern Canada from Alberta is too expensive for our student sized budgets. However, it's still our duty to let you know about cool geek events that are happening all across Canada. One such event is the annual Podcasters Across Borders (or PAB) conference that is happening on June 7-10 in Ottawa. PAB is a gathering for any Canadian podcasters or new media producers looking to connect with other enthusiastic people. If you live nearby and have even had a passing interest in starting a podcast, I'd highly recommend attending. The conference puts a unique emphasis on community; you won't find any monetization schemes or vendor tables. It's all about connecting with other like-minded new media enthusiasts. Plus, it's put on by Bob Goyetche and Mark Blevis - two of the most prominent evangelists of podcasting in Canada. You can check out program details for PAB 2012, as well as videos from previous PABs on the official PAB website.

Minecraft Video Spoofs Halo 3 Diorama

2012-05-17T06:16:46Z

Remember the series of Halo 3 Believe advertisements featuring a giant diorama dedicated to the Human/Covenant war? A group of French YouTubers and Minecraft aficionados called TeamKigyar69 has released a spoof of the famous advertisement recreated within Mojang's blocky world. The shot-for-shot remake features Minecraft player characters as UNSC marines and various monsters as the races of the Covenant. Master Chief appropriately dons a full suit of diamond armor. This isn't the first time the now famous ad has been parodied. Bulletstorm also poked fun at the ad with a hilarious spoof last year. Check out both the spoofs as well as the original after the break.

(via TheHaloCouncil)

Halo 4 Limited Edition Details Released

2012-05-17T03:10:34Z

As we inch closer to the start of a new Halo trilogy, new details are emerging regarding the ways we can give our hard earned money to 343 Industries and Microsoft. The full details of the Halo 4 Limited Edition were released on Halo Waypoint today, and the package doesn't look too shabby. For $99 dollars it promises a collector's case, a 90-minute live action Halo series, a bunch of bonus downloadable items. The most notable part of the announcement is that there will be no legendary edition for Halo 4. 343 Industries decided to focus their efforts on creating a single package that will be a no brainer for all fans. This means that we won't be saddled with paying 50 extra bucks for a plastic statue we don't want in order to get a fancy helmet that we actually want. Check out full details of the Halo 4 Limited Edition after the break!

The Top 10 Characters That Need To Be In 'PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale'

2012-05-17T00:00:59Z

Just a few weeks ago, Sony officially announced their new 4-player brawler - PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. However, they have only officially confirmed six characters for the game - Sweet Tooth, Mael Radec, Fat Princess, Parappa, Kratos and Sly Cooper. Sony has teased that even more familiar faces will show up in the game, both from first party and third party titles. This has PlayStation fans everywhere hoping that their favorites will make an appearance. Here are 10 other characters that need to be in this game, as picked by Hex19.com.

New Images of Bane and Catwoman Emerge

2012-05-11T18:11:17Z

We got to take a closer look at some of the secondary characters of The Dark Knight Rises today. Totalfilm has an exclusive of a new Bane snapshot, while /r/movies has a new photo of Anne Hathaway dressed as Catwoman. To be honest, I'm still concerned about Bane. I've found his voice to be difficult to understand and bordering on annoying in the trailers, and the mask itself seems like a bit much. The only good thing about the character that I've noticed is that it looks nothing like Tom Hardy, so I won't have the problem of recognizing him from other films. I feel a lot more confident with the Catwoman design for the new Batman flick, although it feels much more traditional. Putting some skin tight leather on a lady, along with a mask and some little ears puts you well on your way to perfecting the character for young men everywhere. You can check out the two new photos in their full res glory after the break.

Minecraft Explodes XBLA Sales Charts As Expected

2012-05-10T19:59:21Z

Last month, we got the news that Trials Evolution had broken the 24 hour record for gross sales on an Xbox Live Arcade title. We speculated that Minecraft may perform even better, and that has now been confirmed. Based on leaderboard data, over 400,000 unique gamertags have already played the game. Although this doesn't necessarily equate directly to sales figures, Major Nelson has blogged that the game is indeed the new 24hr sales champ. This is especially impressive considering the game's relatively high price point of 1600 MSP (roughly $20). Hopefully the already large player base will encourage 4J Studios to continually update the game with new features that Mojang has been working on for the PC version. The game is currently limited to the features of Minecraft beta 1.6 on PC, and only supports a limited world size. However, some new features are in tow, like splitscreen multiplayer and a streamlined crafting system.

Stan Lee is a Playable Character in 'The Amazing Spider-Man'

2012-05-10T18:30:35Z

This year's Spider-Man movie tie-in game, The Amazing Spider-Man will have more than just your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man as a playable character. Information from Amazon.com boasts that if you pre-order the game from them, you'll be able to play as Stan Lee for the first time ever in a video game. Players take control of Stan as he sets out on a quest to recollect pages from his most recent script. A different pre-order bonus from GameStop unlocks a Rhino mini-game where you smash as many things as possible. Even though they probably won't compare to the classic web slinging fun of the core game, these bonuses both sound like worthy distractions. I expect to hear some hilarious Stan Lee quips throughout the mission (and apparently there's a special surprise at the end of it to celebrate Spidey's 50th anniversary). I'm guessing that both pre-order bonuses will be made available to everyone sometime after the launch of the game on June 26th, 2012. They sound like too much fun to miss out on, and Activision will never skip a chance to take some more of our money.

(via PRNewsWire)

Reminder: Free Comic Book Day is Tomorrow

2012-05-05T05:46:28Z

This is just a reminder that tomorrow, May 5, 2012 is Free Comic Book Day in North America. On the first Saturday of May every year, comic book retailers band together in an attempt to garner attention for their favorite medium. The result is quite favorable for comic loving fans who are able to score some issues for a price as cheap as free. If you don't consider yourself a comic book reader, tomorrow is a fantastic day to start. If you do head out tomorrow, be sure to show your gratitude to your friendly neighbourhood comic book seller. Whether that means supplementing your free comic with a little cash purchase, or just a friendly smile and "thank you", your kindness will go a long way in making tomorrow a fun day for everyone. Happy reading!

Tamriel's Population Set To Increase As Bethesda Confirms Elder Scrolls MMO

2012-05-04T04:42:09Z

The long rumored massively multiplayer game set in the Elder Scrolls Universe is finally here. Well, at least it's officially on the way, according to a reveal on the cover of GameInformer Magazine by Bethesda Softworks(publisher of TES). The Elder Scrolls Online is currently under development by ZeniMax Online Studios, a new developer put together by Bethesda Softworks specifically to create MMO games. Details on the game are vague, but we do know that the game will take place in the land of Tamriel long before the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as the Daedric Prince Molag Bal attempts to conquer all. The entirety of the continent will be traversable by players who join one of three separate factions, which are each vying for the throne. I think it's safe to say that most of us saw this coming. Bethesda is attempting to establish itself as a major video game publisher, and every other video game publisher has a marquee MMO. It only makes sense for them to use their most beloved and best selling IP in an attack on the impossibly difficult to solve genre. The game is scheduled for release some time in 2013, on both the PC and Mac.

Canada Continues Switch to Polymer Bank Notes

2012-05-02T23:08:02Z

Just like anything else, currency is drastically affected by the constant march forward of technology. Earlier this year we learned that the Canadian penny's days are numbered. Paper bank notes are also becoming a thing of the past in Canada, and today the design was revealed for the polymer replacement to the very useful 20 dollar bill. Like the previously introduced $50 and $100 notes, this bill is produced out of a single piece of polymer. It sports really advanced security features, like raised ink, transparent windows, metallic holograms of various intensities and numbers that only appear when the bill is held up to the light. The design of the bill honours one of Canada's greatest achievements - the victory at Vimy Ridge during the First World War. Although non-paper bills still feel "wrong" to me, I greatly appreciate the sentiment behind them. They last much longer than traditional bills, and they're much harder to counterfeit. Clinging to something that is objectively worse isn't wise in today's economy. The new $20 bills will be launched into wide circulation this November, but until then you can check out a video of the design and advanced security features after the break.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 Fast Forwards to Future Combat

2012-05-02T06:15:35Z

We all knew that Activision would be pumping out a new Call of Duty game this fall, we were just waiting for official word. That word came today in the form of a 2-minute long trailer for Call of Duty Black Ops 2. Taking place in 2025, the game depicts a world where our robotic armies have been taken over by the enemy, so you have to go kick some ass the old fashioned way (well, as old fashioned as you can get in the future). As a person who has grown tired of the Call of Duty franchise after Modern Warfare 2, it's difficult to gauge my reaction to this news. My instinct is to instantly hate any further milking of the Call of Duty cow, but there's nothing specific regarding the trailer that makes the game look bad. If it had a different name plastered on it at the end, I would probably be pretty excited about the game. A trip to the future may be what this franchise needs to pull itself out of its current rut. Also, horses are totally the new snowmobiles. Check out the announcement trailer after the jump.

Minecraft Clone 'FortressCraft' Downloaded 750k Times

2012-05-02T05:46:32Z

Adam Sawkins, developer of the Xbox Live Indie Games title FortressCraft tweeted today that his game has surpassed 750k downloads. It was already previously known that FortressCraft was the best selling Xbox Live Indie Game, but this new announcement means it has had larger distribution than even some actual XBLA titles. While part of me feels bad that someone is prospering off a very similar clone and not true innovation, you also have to give the guy props. Although the similarity in name is pushing it, he recognized a lack of the creative Minecraft style of game on console, and remedied that with XNA (which would have been no easy task). Since release, the game has also been updated with features that differentiate it from Minecraft. There's also the arguement that every game is derivative of something else, and you need to start somewhere. Regardless, I don't think we'll be hearing too much about FortressCraft once Minecraft officially lands on XBLA next week.

Skyrim's Dawnguard Expansion Coming This Summer

2012-05-01T20:32:12Z

Nearly 7 months after release, Bethesda has finally announced that the first DLC expansion pack for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be coming this summer. Unfortunately, no official information about the content of the DLC has been announced and most likely won't be until E3 in June, but the community has found some interesting files hidden in the latest patch. A number of animation files for a snow elf prince point towards a heavy focus on the Falmer and their role in Skyrim with another batch suggesting that crossbows may be added to the game in the near future. While an exact release date hasn't been announced, Bethesda has stated that it once again has a 30 day exclusivity deal with Microsoft, meaning that the DLC will come out on Xbox 360 at least one month before any other console. This news and the recent arrival of Kinect support means that 360 users must be feeling a lot of love from Bethesda right now. For those of you who play on PC and are itching to dive back into the frozen tundra like me, I'd recommend browsing the Skyrim Nexus for a few mods to tide you over, but unfortunately PS3 users are going to be out of luck for a while longer. Stay tuned for more Dawnguard news as it's announced.

Magic Monday: Lightning Helix

2012-05-01T05:22:06Z

With the recent announcement of Return to Ravnica, it seems fitting that this week's Magic Monday takes a look at a card from the original City of Guilds - Lightning Helix. This card is a fantastic example of how simplicity can benefit card design. Multicolor (or gold) cards are often over complicated and confusing monsters, but Lightning Helix just takes a standard effect from each color and mashes them together.

Gotham City Impostors Turns into a Pirate Pizza Party

2012-04-30T04:24:03Z

A new piece of downloadable content for Gotham City Impostors has brought some new influences to the zany action of the game. The Rodeo Pirate Pack adds new weapons and costuming that would fit better on the high seas or in the old west. My favorite addition is the Boarding Party - a gun that shoots a live parrot that lands on the face of your enemy and claws them to death. The pack also inexplicably adds a "Pizza" paint job for all of the game's weapons. This new content supplements the free update that was released last week - which included a new map, new gametype and international voice customization options. Many consumers lambasted Monolith for filling their game with so many micro-transactions, but I think they're doing a great job of adding new content to Gotham City Impostors, keeping it fresh and fun. Both pieces of DLC are available now on Xbox 360, and will soon be making their way to the other platforms.

Halo Gets Hammered Off of MLG Circuit

2012-04-29T01:49:09Z

Halo has long been a mainstay of professional gaming. In fact, MLG has picked Halo as a main event for every one of their Pro Circuits, starting in 2002. However, it has been announced that this streak will now end. Halo: Reach will not be played live at the Spring MLG championship, and will instead receive an online tournament treatment. It's unfortunate news for enthusiasts that like to watch or play professional Halo. The prize purses for the game will now shrink, and it will be less prominently featured for spectators. I believe that the pro Halo community assisted in burying itself. MLG reactions towards Halo: Reach were negative, but rather than adapting to the new game, they just demanded updates to make it more like Halo 3. Arguments over what pro Halo should look like fragmented the community and helped to decrease fan support. At the end of the day, people want to watch the pros play Halo, not fight over the details of game settings. I hope that the same type of disagreements don't arise over Halo 4, but I'm not confident that they won't.

PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale Confirmed

2012-04-28T01:02:06Z

Way back in November of 2011 we discussed the possibilty of Sony PlayStation developing their own answer to Nintendo's wildly popular Super Smash Bros. series. Today we learned that this is more than a possibilty; PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale will be coming to the PS3 later this year. New screenshots and videos released for the game feature characters like Fat Princess, Sweettooth, PaRappa the Rapper and Sly Cooper doing battle over a serier of familiar environments. Kratos from God of War and Mael Radec from Killzone have also been confirmed by developer SCE Santa Monica (the studio responsible for God of War and Warhawk). Regardless of how big a knock-off this game is, I think it will be a total blast. I'm looking forward to four-player brawling action with characters that have never had the honor of being portrayed in Super Smash. I can't wait to get my hands on this later this year. Check out a video embedded after the break.