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 game starts off with a pretty cool cutscene about the world you find yourself in, basically a pseudo-post-apocalyptic world with a hidden secret. You are with a group of vagabonds searching for a treasure on the planet, and get to choose which one of the four player types you want to be. (I’ve been the soldier and the sniper so far, but will at least play one more I’m sure). The game starts out by slowly walking you through the basics, and if you dont wander too much at the beginning, you get up to speed and start collecting skill points pretty quickly. Stay on track at the beginning so you can do this, the game gets hard very quickly, especially the bosses. Pay attention to what you pick up, especially weapon mods, they will be very helpful in your questing!

Couple of awesome things about the game. The cartoony textures give it a unique appeal, very absorbing in my opinion. The enemies and playable characters are also very innovative, and a fresh approach to the shooting genre. The amount of weapons is killer, along with weapon mods. The flaming bullets. The grenade mods (I’ll leave it as a surprise). The ‘fight for your life’ feature is awesome. Love the self-healing shields. Advancement is pretty quick if you stay focused and do quests. LOTS of loot. The list goes on.

A few things I don’t like:

1. Too much walking in the beginning
2. Too many of the same types of critters to kill (at least in the beginning).
3. Item pickup is slighly cumbersome.
4. “Fight for your life” sucks if everything is dead: you die anyway! so just respawn.
5. Paying for dying sucks, exp when it costs more the more you have.

Haven’t played coop, arena, or one on one battles yet but I’ll save that for part II (if there ever is one… if there isn’t… just buy it already!!!!)

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.

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 title recieved game of the month according to to GameInformer Mag; I have to agree, the interface, display, and gameplay are phenomenal. Games like this should really be the measuring bar for ANY game that comes out – why are studios still putting out titles on the newest consoles with less than perfect rendering, clunky interfaces, terrible gameplay, etc? There are not excuses anymore, if you’re going to spend $50M on a title, do it right or get out of the game.

This title aptly takes you into the DC universe, the mind of batman, and specifically Arkham Asylum. The attention to detail here is spectacular, the special sensing mode you have available is very fun to just poke around your environment with an notice amazing things like the heart rate of characters around you, secret areas, breakable items, etc. This kind of ‘enhanced reality’ should really be leveraged more in games, I’ve been seeing it more in well done tittles, it should really become more of a standard.

I did not play this game too far in, but it is well worth a solid rental and playthrough for any DC fan, or really anyone who likes a superbly constructed action based title.

I myself am so addicted to Sacred 2 right now that I only have time to check other games out right now, unless i quite my job

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.

This is a very well done game, immensely satisfying on many levels. Very cinematic, perhaps not as well as Metal Gear Solid, but nonetheless exceptional. The constant action is very absorbing, and the advancement ladder is very well done.

I’m not always a big fan of games designed around movies, but this title is by far an exception, notwithstanding the Xmen franchise, which I’m sure helps its case – the marvel universe has been very well implemented into the video game world for years now. The maps call to mind drakes fortune / heavenly sword feel to them, and add an element of mystique to them that is enjoyable. The feral senses are also great when you get lost I’m about 1/3rd the way through the game and have already fought a few bosses – on the easiest difficulty the challenge is just enough to give you a run for your money, but not overwhelm you with complexity. This is undoubtedly one of the best rentals I’ve played, though I’m not sure it has too much replay value. That’s really up to you though, if you’re a wolverine fan you will love this title.

Like a few of Enya’s albums, a lot of people form the idea that a lot of her music is very similar and redundant a lot of the time. Even though I do not share that narrow view, I do find parts of the album Shepherd Moons to be rather repetitively similar. Like her first album, there is a various assortment of fast beat songs and slow beat songs (granted the slow beat ones are more prevalent) as well as very memorable pieces like Caribbean Blue, How Can I Keep From Singing?, Lothlorien, and Book of Days.

Despite how similar a lot of the songs are in this album, like Enya’s first album it achieved a great deal of success when released. Three hit singles were released in its success which are the three bold songs stated above. In the United Kingdom, Shepherd Moons reached #1 album, while in the United States it was in the Top 20 Musical Hits, coming in at #17. Conveniently the album was a major success and managed to sell at least 12 million copies world wide!

Due to the songs in this album being more laid back and slow as compared to her previous, I prefer listening to this batch of music on rainy days where everything seems almost slow and sleepy—in fact, it is fairly good meditation music if you enjoy that sort of thing.

So all in all, I give this album a rating of 4.0/5.0. While it is not my favorite, it is a very relaxing CD to listen to—but then again, Enya’s voice is always relaxing to listen isn’t it?

Once again, the good people at You Too Can Cthulhu! allowed me to sit in on a few of their events. An awesome time was had by all.

The first event I attended was a brand new campaign this year entitled, “A Time of Crisis.” It takes place in Revolutionary France, where the head of the Committee for Public Safety has collected a team of individuals to track down a formerly well-respected doctor and philosopher. The team travels to a picturesque village, chasing the now mad doctor to arrest him, but find unspeakable horrors instead.

Six players participated in the campaign, including an actual medical doctor and his bookish companion, a coquettish spy, a ladykilling (allegedly) actor, a former soldier, and a no-nonsense inspector. Everyone did a fabulous job, and I was entertained the entire time.

Listen to some of the audio from the event here*:

1.) Introduction
2.) Thomas
3.) Afflictions
4.) Thomas (Again)
5.) Inspector
6.) Mysterious Boils
7.) Identifying Gustav
8.) Back at the Inn
9.) Climax/Big Finish!
10.) Black Letter Winner

*You may need to turn your speakers up or down accordingly. Pictures to follow.

Stay tuned for audio and character interviews from Sunday’s “Black Letter Game.” Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

Had a fun-filled day full of interviews, booth-scoping, talking with authors and artists, and participating in writing seminars. Listen to some of my thoughts after the jump!

1.) An introduction to Day One of Gen Con Indiana.

2.) My thoughts on the population of the convention.

3.) Interview with Atari games about their upcoming release Champions Online and soon to be announced Star Trek Online.

I’ve brought you full pre-convention coverage of new events, interviews with event holders and booth dwellers, and breaking news. Now it’s time to experience GenCon ’09! I’m currently traveling to Indianapolis, Indiana for five days (well, four and a half) of gaming goodness.

Throughout the weekend, I’ll be bringing you interviews, opinions, and reviews of games and those who play them. Stick around for the juicy scoop!

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.

At Comic Con this year I got to slide past the Tomy Corporation booth for a peek at the upcoming Wii Title Naruto Shippuden Clash of the Ninja 3. Now I’ve been a particular fan of this series sense the days of the Gamecube but have found the transition to the Wii to be a little less then top notch. This game though seems to deliver in almost all the right areas.

First lets start with the Graphics, they’ve been completely refined for the Wii and they look a lot cleaner. Characters are no longer blurry and look good far away along with the close-ups. The Game doesn’t lack in characters either, one of the neat things about this title is that there is going to be Over 35 characters. Including Grandma Chiyo Another interesting addition is how to unlock characters, I recently played through number Clash of the Ninja 2 and I wasn’t to keen on the whole mission based unlocks. This time around you collect money from battling and then use it at the store. They also seem to be refining the fighting a bit for the hardcore crowd. While the game is really easy to pick up and play there were a couple of areas that needed some help. One was having a Wake Up, essentially when your character hits the ground how do they respond. Do you roll backwards or do you strike. Of course there is still the substitution jutsu that makes the game really strategic. Kakashi has also been reworked and now has the ability to copy Supers for whomever he is playing against.

Overall I’m quite impressed with the game, even with it not being polished the game looks great. It seems they addressed most of the issues that I had with past versions. That being said there will be no Japanese Audio so it’s entirely English Dub. That’s not to much of a killing blow considering how good the English Voice actors are in this series. Look for this game dropping around Fall of 2009.

The teaser trailer for Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” has just found its way online. Catch it here, after the jump!

There are quite a few really cool things about this trailer. One is that most of the CG looks amazing and completely in keeping with the overall theme and look of the story. For the most part it doesn’t look too overdone (except for the Cheshire Cat. I have my reservations about him.) Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum look awesomely weird, as does the Red Queen with her gigantic forehead.

Johnny Depp, as always, will be brilliant. But I’m more interested in a dream pairing that I’ve had forever: Tim Burton has finally hooked up with my main man, Crispin Glover, and the results look to be nothing less than epic. Check out some screencaps of Crispin as the Knave of Hearts below:

The original Boondock Saints is something of a cult classic. It bombed in theaters, but has since gained a considerable following, mostly for its dark comedy. The sequel has long been in the works, and finally some information will be made available to the fans at Comic Con this year.

In addition to the film’s stars, CC will be premiering the trailer. The film’s promoters issued this press release about the film:

The following talent will be available at Comic-Con for press junket
style interviews from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, July 25th at the Westin
Hotel.

Talent in attendance:

* Troy Duffy (writer/director)
* Billy Connolly (Noah ‘Il Duce’ McManus)
* Norman Reedus (Murphy McManus)
* Sean Patrick Flannery (Connor McManus)
* Julie Benz (Eunice Bloom)
* Clifton Collins, Jr. (Romeo)
* David Della Rocco (Rocco)

Additionally, at 3:30 pm, they will be holding a panel discussion which
will feature the world premiere of the film’s trailer.

The eagerly anticipated television adaptation of “A Game of Thrones” has added several faces to the cast, including some great actors. Find out which parts have been cast after the jump!

Sean Bean (Boromir from “Lord of the Rings”) will be portraying Eddard “Ned” Stark, the stalwart patriarch of the Stark clan. This is fairly exciting news, as Sean is a classic choice for the role. He is a good actor, ruggedly handsome, fatherly, and I feel he will do a fantastic job.

The hilarious Mark Addy (of “The Full Monty” and “A Knight’s Tale”) has been cast as King Robert Baratheon, the portly jerk who rules Westeros. Great casting.

Two relative unknowns have been cast in the roles of Rob Stark and Prince Joffrey Baratheon, but they each look like their respective characters.

As more updates become available, I’ll bring them to you!

Two great shows on the USA Network, “Burn Notice” and “Psych,” will be having interactive panels at Comic Con this year. None other than Bruce “The Man” Campbell will be present!

USA issued this press release for more information about their panels:

WHAT:

USA Network, the #1 cable network, will participate in Comic-Con with talent and creators from two of its critically acclaimed and top rated shows – BURN NOTICE and PSYCH.

WHO:

Bruce Campbell, star of BURN NOTICE, the #1 scripted show on cable, will be on the panel along with notable guest cast members Seth Peterson; Ben Shenkman; Jay Karnes; along with creator/writer/ executive producer Matt Nix and co-executive producer/writer Alfredo Barrios Jr. The panel will give an insider’s look at the writing process and share behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Fans of BURN NOTICE will be also treated to an exclusive sneak peek at an upcoming episode from season three. Michael Shanks, who starred in “Stargate SG-1,” and who guest starred as “Victor” last season, will moderate.

Making its Comic-Con debut is the hit original series PSYCH, which will have the entire cast present including James Roday; Dulé Hill; Corbin Bernsen; Maggie Lawson; Timothy Omundson, along with creator/writer/executive producer Steve Franks. Executive producers Chris Henze and Kelly Kulchak will also be on the panel. The panel will be moderated by E! Entertainment’s Jennifer Godwin. PSYCH fans will have their chance to ask the panelists what it really takes to put together a show about a fake psychic, with never-before-seen footage.

WHEN/WHERE:

Thursday, July 23, 2009

San Diego Convention Center

111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego

* The panels will take place in Ballroom # 20

* The press interviews will take place in Press Room # 33B

BURN NOTICE Panel – 2:30-3:30

BURN NOTICE PRESS ROOM – 3:30-4:30

PSYCH PRESS ROOM – 2:30-3:15

PSYCH Panel – 3:45-4:45

]]> http://www.villaintech.com/2009/07/20/comic-con-09-usa-network-panels/feed/ 0 http://www.villaintech.com/2009/07/17/xbox-live-update-details-announced/ http://www.villaintech.com/2009/07/17/xbox-live-update-details-announced/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:59:15 +0000 Dave Bergschneider http://www.villaintech.com/?p=2363

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:

]]> http://www.villaintech.com/2009/07/17/xbox-live-update-details-announced/feed/ 0 http://www.villaintech.com/2009/07/01/lucy-lawless-returns-to-comic-con/ http://www.villaintech.com/2009/07/01/lucy-lawless-returns-to-comic-con/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:44:08 +0000 Anna Daugherty http://www.villaintech.com/?p=2323

Lucy Lawless, the butt-kicking feminist icon Xena, will be returning to Comic Con this year as part of Starz Entertainment’s panel on their upcoming series, “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.”

The series is produced by Sam Raimi, and is inspired by comic books and graphic novels such as 300. Starz issued a press release about this event, and you can read all about it here:

ON JULY 24th, STARZ PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON

HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED ORIGINAL DRAMA

‘SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND’ AT COMIC CON

Cast And Crew Including Lucy Lawless, Rob Tapert and Steven DeKnight Host Exclusive First Look of Action Series Premiering January 2010

PANELISTS INCLUDE LUCY LAWLESS (“XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS”), PETER MENSAH, ROB TAPERT (EVIL DEAD 1-2, DRAG ME TO HELL), STEVEN S. DEKNIGHT (“BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER,” “ANGEL”) AND INTRODUCING ANDY WHITFIELD AS SPARTACUS

DEVIL’S DUE PUBLISHING & STARZ ALSO TO UNVEIL EXCLUSIVE COMIC BOOK MINI-SERIES INSPIRED BY “SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND”

WHO: Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), Andy Whitfield (Spartacus), Peter Mensah (Doctore), Rob Tapert (Executive Producer), Steven S. DeKnight (Executive Producer and Show-runner)

WHAT: Exclusive ‘First Look’ at the anticipated original drama “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” PLUS interview opportunities with cast and production team AND Unveiling of the Exclusive First Edition of series-inspired comic w/ special Comic Con cover.

The world of gladiators comes to life as the Roman Republic’s most brutal fighters clash in the ultimate arena. “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” is an entirely new vision of the ancient legend and will utilize virtual environments giving it a unique graphic novel look and style, along with a fresh narrative approach. Debuting exclusively on Starz, “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” in January 2010 is produced by Starz Media with Executive Producers Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi and Joshua Donen. Starz’s new “Spartacus” series was inspired by the actual slave of the Roman Republic who in 73 BC led a slave revolt that grew to more than 120,000 fighters. Defying the Roman Republic’s legions of soldiers, they campaigned for two years through much of what is now Italy before succumbing to a much larger army. The new series will tell a new set of stories rich in character, action, sex and combat.

This series, including 13 one-hour episodes, is executive produced by heavy-hitters Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and Evil Dead), Rob Tapert (The Grudge, “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”) and Steven DeKnight (“Smallville,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). Production, based in New Zealand, runs through the end of October.

WHERE: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA

WHEN: Friday, July 24th

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