Team Ohai followed this architecture and created the click based games called Vampires/Zombies/Slayers/Werewolves. The objective of the games are simple, recruit as many of your friends as you can to become a more powerful being while ranking up and fighting your way to the top of the leaderboards. This is fun to do however it becomes a bit daunting because of the repeated amount of clicks you must perform day in and day out with resulting in little momentum of skill levels.

Ohai’s answer to the boring aspects of the click based game is a flash based MMO called City of Eternals. Currently, the game is still in its early Alpha stages and is perceived as an add-on to the click based game however you can expect a stand-alone version in the near future or at least that is what the developers at team Ohai have lead me to believe. Essentially there will be two versions within facebook, the hip joined click based vamps with CoE and then CoE on its own. Don’t worry, people from both version will see each other in the same world.

City of Eternals is really an MMORPG in nature. Essentially everyone plays the same role and performs all the same missions resulting in the same outcome however along the way you can trade & sell with other players, make items and rank up in skill level for every aspect of the game. You can even create groups in which all members get the same experience as you do and vice versa. More recently a minion concept has been introduced in which you assign your friends to do time based quests (the friend doesn’t actually have to do anything) which will gather booty and occasionally rare items like a fanny pack that adds two extra slots in your inventory or Ohai’s (most valuable currency in CoE). Minions, much like grouping will earn you experience points while you are way. In my experience, this is the only way to rank up minions at this time and I believe there is still a lot of work planned around this functionality.

Unfortunately the game doesn’t allow combating with other players however I assume in the near future it will. You can also expect features like the addition of slayers, werewolves and zombies. Currently, the game is solely based on vampires and this is probably because of the larger following of the genre and the constant blockbuster releases of vamp movies. Too get the latest news on City of Eternals, check out Ohai or the Vampires Digest.

As a little bonus to this article, I have created an evolving world map of CoE so that you can see how large the game is and refer to it on the occasion you decide to join me in my quest for world domination in the New Valencia.

Modern Warfare 2′s launch beat all previous first-and five-day entertainment industry box office, book and video game sell-through records*:

- The largest reported five-day opening worldwide box office gross figures, held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million) – The largest reported five-day opening domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($203.8 million) – The largest reported five-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (6 million units, $500 million) – The largest reported opening first-day domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($66.4 million) – The largest reported first-day book sales in dollars, held by Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows ($220 million) – The largest reported first-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (3.6 million units, $310 million)

Modern Warfare 2′s blast radius also extends to Xbox LIVE, in which the blockbuster title’s epic release established the following new standards, according to Microsoft:

- More than 5.2 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone. – More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in one day on November 10th. A new one-day record for Xbox LIVE. – More than 11 million achievements were unlocked on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day.

"In just five days of sell through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has become the largest entertainment launch in history and a pop culture phenomenon," said Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc. "The title’s success redefines entertainment as millions of consumers have chosen to play Modern Warfare 2 at unprecedented levels rather than engage in other forms of media."

Despite the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Activision Blizzard remains cautious about the U.S. and global economy as well as other variables that can affect industry fundamentals and our own performance, including consumer spending which remains a significant concern.

*All references cited are sourced according to www.boxofficemojo.com or www.guinnessworldrecords.com

The first Apple Macintosh Plus computer, given to Gene Roddenberry by Apple Computer, Inc. Bearing the serial number F4200NUM0001, this wonderful association between the visionary computer designer/manufacturer and legendary Star Trek creator is a stellar example of the powerful synergy between technology and entertainment. This amazing artifact, which is accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from Gene Roddenberry’s son, Rod, will be a special addition to Profiles in History’s October 8-9, 2009 auction of Hollywood memorabilia. It has an estimated sale price of $800-$1200.

About the Macintosh Plus
This is the very first Macintosh Plus 1Mb personal computer to come off the assembly line at Apple Computer in Fresno, California. It was presented to Gene Roddenberry as a gift by Apple Computer, Inc. and bears the serial number F4200NUM0001. The Macintosh Plus was a revelation among personal computers when it came on the market in 1986. With 1 Mb RAM (upgradeable to 4Mb), it supported the double-sided floppy disk format and was the first Mac with a SCSI port for fast data transfer to and from an external hard drive.

The Macintosh was the first mass produced computer to utilize the mouse and the Macintosh Plus was the longest-lived Macintosh with production until 1990. It features the beige-colored case with 9 in. display, 3.5 in. floppy drive and includes the short keyboard, external floppy drive, mouse and Apple logo deluxe padded carrying case. An incredible artifact with a wonderful association between the visionary computer designer/manufacturer and legendary Star Trek creator. Accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from Gene Roddenberry’s son, Rod. For more information about Profiles in History and to download complete catalogs from previous auctions, please visit http://www.profilesinhistory.com.

This morning, Massiverse, Inc. is announcing the launch of their first original transmedia property for kids: Dragons Vs Robots. Dragons Vs Robots is an expansive sci-fi / fantasy narrative that will be told across a number of formats, starting today with an online battle game and the first installment of the Dragons Vs Robots: Blade Guardian manga series, both of which are available for free at www.dragonsvsrobots.com.

Sure, sure, the kids are all excited about iTunes LP and their fancy “lyrics” and “album art.” You know what we’re psyched about? Finally being able to manage our iPhone apps directly from iTunes 9. It works pretty much exactly as you’d expect, although we were able to make it do some minorly wonky things — and we’re psyched about the AutoFill-esque music sync feature that fills any remaining space on your phone with music.

We’re also pumped about the new Home Sharing fearture in iTunes 9, which lets you transfer content between five different machines directly without screwing around with network shares or USB drives. We’ve seriously been waiting for a feature like this since iTunes sharing was first launched — it also works exactly like you’d expect, and we think it’ll make managing media across multiple machines much, much easier.

Once upon a time, playing video games was about as socially acceptable as owning a 12-sided dice (i.e. you didn’t get invited to many parties). It was something that nerds did in-between zit-popping and Star Trek marathons — or at least, that was the popular perception in the playground at the time. To talk incessantly about videogames was to invite wedgie annihilation from all directions. Needless to say, it was a dangerous time to be a gamer.

Thankfully, things have come along in leaps and bounds since then. Gaming has become one of the premier forms of entertainment, with game sales consistently outperforming movies and DVDs. These days, it’s kind of uncool not to be a gamer.

Occasionally however, the industry descends back into the tissue-strewn basement from its inglorious past. You know the sort of stuff we’re talking about. It could be a YouTube clip of a gamer in the throes of a berserker-like rage, or a ‘sexy-time’ video game consisting solely of poorly rendered nudity. No matter how hard we try to quell it, the spectre of the ‘nerdy gamer’ still lingers in the national consciousness. Sometimes, it’s the press’ fault, but usually, we only have ourselves to blame.

This shouldn’t really come as too much of a surprise, but anyone wanting to enjoy Twitter and Facebook on Xbox Live will have to pony up for Gold member subscription, the same premium prerequisite currently needed for Netflix Instant Watch and pretty much all online gaming. Silver membership will be given a “free trial,” but exactly what limitations that entails, or if they’ll be an option to “upgrade” to the full version, is anyone’s guess.

Iomega just expanded its StorCenter NAS line with the new-four bay StorCenter ix4-200d. Just like the smaller ix2, the ix4 can handle pretty much whatever you throw at it: filesharing over a laundry list of protocols, streaming to iTunes, an Xbox 360, handling your Time Machine backups — it can even take video directly off Axis-brand IP surveillance cameras. On the hardware side, you’re looking at dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, three USB ports for printer sharing and additional storage, and a “QuikTransfer” button that’ll let yo copy files directly from a flash drive to the NAS without a computer. The downside? You’ll have to pay for all that power: the 2TB version costs $700, and the top-of-the-line 8TB model will set you back a whopping $1,900. Yes, you can just get a dedicated server for that kind of money, but then you wouldn’t be able to say you were rolling with NAS, now would you?

The hardcore modders in attendance need not apply unless they’re looking for a quick jaunt down easy street, but those terrified of solder guns, glue and screwdrivers best listen up. A newly formed company, BGRMODS, has just introduced its very product, and it’s pretty much a must-have for Xbox 360 owners. IntensaFIRE is an easy-to-install chip (we’re talking five minutes, tops) that modifies the Xbox 360 wireless controller in order to enable 5-mode sleeper settings (including a customizable user programmable mode) as well as a rapid-fire mode that should finally compensate for your lack of skill in Call of Duty 4. Hit the read link for the specifics on installation (trust us, there ain’t much to do), and get ready to upgrade your game on September 7th for $29.99.

Microsoft just announced the details of the next Xbox Live dashboard update, which should start rolling out in waves later this summer. Highlight features include support for Games on Demand (coming in August), a slew of Netflix updates including the ability to browse the library and manage your queue, the long-awaited Movie Party system that allows Gold members to share a flick in a virtual theater, and a ton of other little tweaks like user ratings, avatar enhancements, friends list sorting, and a streamlined Party invite system. Yeah, we think we’ll take it. Full release after the break.

What does this Xbox LIVE Update include?

Netflix Updates

Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.

• Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
• Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.
• Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
• Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.

Avatar Marketplace

Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises. Please note that only limited content is currently available in the preview.

Clothing

Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as “Halo.”

• Props – You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
• Awardables – The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.

Games on Demand — Please note that Games on Demand will be available in the preview beginning early August.

Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.

• Purchase Options – Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.
• Game Manuals – Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.
• It’s Yours Forever! – As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.

User Ratings

User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!

• Rate it – You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.
• Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone’s been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.

Xbox LIVE Parties

Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.

• Party Reconnections – If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.
• Streamlined Party Invites – Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.

Video Display Options

We’ve made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.

• Display Discovery – Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.

Other Improvements

We’re always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.

• Gold Member Veterans – Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you’ve been a Gold member.
• Indie Games – Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.
• Achievement Browser – We’ve revamped the Achievements browser so it’s now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.
• Achievements Tracking – A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.
• Streamlined Navigation – Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more.
• Voice Messages – No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.
• Friends List Sorting – It’s now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.
• Memory – Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.

Account Management

We’ve made some changes to make your life easier.

• Subscription Notification – If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.
• Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs – If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.
• Account recovery – We’ve enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.

What does this Xbox LIVE Update not include?

The following features will be coming in future Xbox LIVE updates, which we’ll be sure to let you know about.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Zune video and 1080p Instant On
• Last.fm

Check out screenshots here:

I may be a little late to the party on this one but it is still very noteworthy for us to mention since we have too many articles relating to both the iPhone and TomTom. TomTom announced at the last WWDC of an iPhone app and after many rejections from Cupertino for one reason or another, Apple has finally agrees for to third part gps navigation apps with the release of OS 3. Check out the cool little video from TomTom after the break.

Firefox 3.5 — code-named Shiretoko — is set to launch on Tuesday, June 30th! How cool would it be if we could set off fireworks worldwide to celebrate? Just like New Year’s, only better — since you get to see who “launched” the fireworks. Mozilla is once again attempting to set record downloads for a single launch. See when it releases in your timezone after the break

And you thought it was complicated… apparently Mozilla intends to release it in all timezones at 3:50pm instead of one zone that you’d have to figure out what timezone in your area.

3:50 PM in Brazil (BRT)
3:50 PM in New York (EDT)
3:50 PM in Chicago (CDT)
3:50 PM in Denver (MDT)
3:50 PM in San Francisco (PDT)

Isn’t it a little sad to be living out your boyhood fantasies of excitement and danger vicariously, behind the wheel of your ’92 Buick Roadmaster station wagon? On the other hand, perhaps you’re ready to put away your childhood dreams and hit the road in a manner more befitting your average schlub.

The official Homer Simpson voice skin for the TomTom GPS features the voice of the iconic cartoon dad, including such gems as “Take the third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm…ice cream.” Psyched? We bet you are. Hopefully, there is a “Doh!” when you miss that turn on a one way street without another turn for a quarter mile.

A few minutes ago, Xboxlive.com and Xbox Service became available again. I have yet to boot up the 360 console, however I can tell you that drastic changes have occurred at xboxlive.com.

Immediately after logging in, your account landing page has completely changed. Along with it, a quick display shows online friends with nice rollovers and quick messaging features. Also the friends list has completely changed.

Check out some screenshots below. I’ll try to add some more tomorrow when it isn’t 12:00am. Cheers for now.

Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu” who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room and was believed to have committed suicide.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.

The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room.

It said Carradine was in Bangkok to shoot a movie and had been staying at the hotel since Tuesday.

The newspaper said Carradine could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the rest of the film crew on Wednesday, and that his body was found by a hotel maid at 10 a.m. Thursday morning. The name of the movie was not immediately available.

It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the room’s curtains. It cited police as saying he had been dead at least 12 hours and there was no sign that he had been assaulted.

A police officer at Bangkok’s Lumpini precinct station would not confirm the identity of the dead man, but said the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel had reported that a male guest killed himself there.

Update
David Carradine’s representative claims the actor’s death was not a suicide.

The rep said David’s death was “accidental.” And there’s this … the BBC is now reporting that David’s body was found hanging with a rope around his neck and “other parts of his body.”

Carradine’s body was found nude, hanging in a closet.

David’s rep added, “We can confirm 100% that he never would have committed suicide. It was an accidental death. Everybody is in shock.”

Facebook has just announced integration with Xbox Live at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Now, users can can update their status, post photos, and play games with friends directly within Xbox Live.

In addition, Electronic Arts announced that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 would integrate Facebook Connect on Xbox when it is released this fall, marking the first Facebook Connect integration on a gaming console ever. Now, users can link their Xbox Live GamerTag to their Facebook profile and play Xbox games with Facebook friends through Facebook Connect, as well as easily post screenshots from the game directly to Facebook.

]]> http://www.villaintech.com/2009/06/04/facebook-twitter-on-xbox-live-this-fall/feed/ 0 http://www.villaintech.com/2009/05/29/the-torch-scalped-and-more-comic-reviews/ http://www.villaintech.com/2009/05/29/the-torch-scalped-and-more-comic-reviews/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 09:05:55 +0000 Dave Bergschneider http://www.villaintech.com/?p=2066

Blair Butler discusses Alex Ross and Mike Carey’s new limited series, ‘The Torch,’ and explains why you should read her top three new comic releases: ‘The Dylan Dog Case Files,’ ‘Scalped’ and the ‘Rising Stars’ Compendium. Checkout the video G4 has provided us after the break, it explains it all.

If video doesn’t work, visit this link. G4TV player is acting kind of funny.

Video Game – E3 2009 – Attack of the Show

]]> http://www.villaintech.com/2009/05/29/the-torch-scalped-and-more-comic-reviews/feed/ 0 http://www.villaintech.com/2009/05/28/brandissimo-strengthens-production-team/ http://www.villaintech.com/2009/05/28/brandissimo-strengthens-production-team/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 09:30:12 +0000 Dave Bergschneider http://www.villaintech.com/?p=2051

To meet the growing demand for the company’s online games and virtual worlds business, Brandissimo! is adding three new hires to its production team, it was announced by Executive Producer and Vice President of Content Josh Fisher.

Sean McKenzie joins the company as Web Developer, responsible for managing flash and Web programmers as well as designing and programming games. He comes to Brandissimo! from The Sean James Company, LLC., a boutique Flash games design and programming firm he owned and operated for the past three years. Sean James Company produced flash games and widgets for NFLRUSH Zone in addition to designing and producing new features for Brandissimo!’s ultra funky online social community and game site, Urbaniacs.com.

“For a guy who creates and plays games for a living, Sean takes his work very seriously. From Newgrounds to Kongregate, he is a student of the casual gaming industry and remains an active and well respected member of the gaming community. Having worked with Sean on a number of projects, I am thrilled to bring him on board, even if I can’t beat him at Disco Balls or any of the other games we’ve created together,” said Fisher.

Mat Segal joins Brandissimo! as Producer, with responsibility for managing the production of a yet-to-be-announced massively-multiplayer virtual game world. Most recently, Segal served as Web and server product manager at Juice Wireless, where he was responsible for the ongoing development of Web, WAP, CMS, Flash player and servers. Prior to Juice, he was senior coordinator of site policy and enforcement at MySpace/Fox Interactive Media.

“Mat has quickly established himself as a social networking expert. He’s not only active in the space, but constantly seeks new approaches to social networking with a keen eye for new applications and experiences in the social networking and kids space,” said Fisher.

Drafted from the throng of young gaming aficionados who graduated college this spring, Iowa University graduate Todd Schultz joins Brandissimo! as Community Manager of the NFLRUSH Zone virtual games world. Reporting to Fisher, Schultz is charged with making the hugely successful NFLRUSH Zone world even more engaging and fun for the site’s 1.5 million registered users, in addition to maintaining the spectacular growth in new users NFLRUSH Zone has experienced since its launch.

“Todd’s creativity, energy and enthusiasm for entertaining kids made him our top draft pick to bring NFLRUSH zone to the next level of virtual NFL excitement,” said Fisher.

]]> http://www.villaintech.com/2009/05/28/brandissimo-strengthens-production-team/feed/ 0 http://www.villaintech.com/2009/04/30/ghost-recon-4-revealed-in-ubisoft-financial-report/ http://www.villaintech.com/2009/04/30/ghost-recon-4-revealed-in-ubisoft-financial-report/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:47:09 +0000 Dave Bergschneider http://www.villaintech.com/?p=1946

Many FPS gamers will rejoice when they can reak havoc again in the 4th installment of the GRAW franchise. Ubisoft’s 2008-09 financial report reveals plans to release Ghost Recon 4 before April 2010. No further details were provided, but there have been rumors that Ubisoft plans to cross over the stories featured in all its upcoming Tom Clancy’s games so fans of the series feel inside a single plotline that spands multiple games.

]]> http://www.villaintech.com/2009/04/30/ghost-recon-4-revealed-in-ubisoft-financial-report/feed/ 1 http://www.villaintech.com/2009/04/20/marvel-vs-capcom-2-is-coming-soon/ http://www.villaintech.com/2009/04/20/marvel-vs-capcom-2-is-coming-soon/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:08:04 +0000 Dave Bergschneider http://www.villaintech.com/?p=1915

An updated ESRB database has revealed Capcom’s plans to bring its number one arcade hit, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 to Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360. The game has received a “T” (for Teen) rating.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 pits Capcom’s legendary characters and Marvel’s world famous super heroes against each other for dream matches of epic proportions. The game features more than 50 playable characters. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 also delivers new innovations with real three-on-three tag team matches and numerous modes of play.

In 2002, the game was released for the Xbox and it included all the features from the arcade version. We expect the XBLA version to take advantage of 1080p visuals and other Xbox 360 features.

]]> http://www.villaintech.com/2009/04/20/marvel-vs-capcom-2-is-coming-soon/feed/ 0