A member of the Gears of War Comic-Con 08 panel supposedly made an “unofficial announcement” regarding a $130 Gears of War 2 Limited Edition bundle. Microsoft has yet to confirm anything, but the news would not surprise me if proven true.

The source who overheard the announcement added that the item will not be actual size. Really? You mean the LE box won’t be 3 feet in tall? Well that sucks.

Hey Microsoft, what the fuck are we going to do with a G.I. Joe sized miniature Lancer? Don’t answer that question. Why not crank the price up a few hundred bucks more, and give us something we can use to trim our hedges?

Something like this…

Instead, we will probably end up with some piece of shit like this…

Want to get your money’s worth? Buy the regular edition of the game, and mow a few extra lawns this summer. When you have a grand saved up, buy this, and remember, you always get what you pay for.

Source: Xbox360Fanboy

We sat down with Graham Fuchs, Senior Executive Producer on Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, to talk about some of the key elements in the latest addition to Activision’s Spider-Man videogame library.

What exactly does the game have to offer fans who grew tired of the movie based adaptations, and will it be the title that helps old webhead regain his grip, as he climbs to videogame greatness? Find out after the jump.

For those who are familiar with the camera system in the movie based Spider-Man games, how would you say your camera system is different?

We put in a new camera system for this game. There is a lock on camera now. So, as you saw in the demo, the enemy you have targeted has a red glow around it. Which means that, if you have someone locked on, you can swing all around, and no matter what you do, be it climb up a wall, or jump around in the air, your target will always remain centered on the screen.

We felt that one of the problems in previous Spider-Man games was that, since Spidey can jump and move around so much, and so quickly, you often lost site of the enemy. So this new camera system kind of fixes that.

Can you explain the yellow wisps that seem to emit from Spidey’s limbs as he moves through the air, and do they actually mean something in the game?

It’s really just a new effect system. We wanted to give the combat a little more of a visual punch and flare to it.

You have mentioned that, in other versions of the game, the swinging and fighting mechanic felt separate. Can you elaborate on that, and explain some of the things you have done to rectify that disconnect in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows?

Sure. The developer, Shaba, had a lot of experience working on Tony Hawk titles before taking on this project, and they really wanted to bring that “extreme sports” feeling to the game. Elements such as creating lines out of the environment, and always having a feeling of constant motion.

So you can actually go from swinging through the city, and then immediately — the moment you see an enemy — you can go right into an attack. In fact, one of my favorite moves in the game is called the “swing kick”. You swing through the city, and if you see a guy, you can target him, and then while you are still swinging,  just go in and kick him. It knocks him back a block, which I find pretty cool.

You guys have mentioned previously that it has been your goal for quite some time now to create a 3D battle system, and that you feel that Spider-Man is that perfect platform. Can you speak about that a little?

Sure. In making the game, we sort of worked at it a little bit backwards. We asked ourselves, what are the sort of things that we want to do in the game, and then we built the enemies and environments around that.

We wanted to be able to fight guys on the wall, fight guys in the air, etc — and that essentially helped to inspire the symbiote invasion concept. This storyline really allows Spider-Man to let loose.

So instead of just facing thugs, you are going to start facing more and more powerful enemies as the game progresses, that have the same or similar abilities as Spider-man. This really allows you to take advantage of the city’s verticallity, and adds to the games overall depth. Our lead combat designer calls it the most 3D game ever.

How will the combat system work? Can you talk about the different types of attacks that will be available to a player?

Sure. The red suit is based much more on speed and agility, and focuses on web based attacks, while the black suit is based much more on strength and power, and allowing you to perform ichor moves.

So really, gamers have the option of two different styles of combat. You should be able to play however you want, being in complete control, and feeling comfortable.

It’s similar to when you play a fighting game, some people like to get in close, others like to attack more from a distance. So depending on what suit you are playing in, you should really get the feeling that you are building the Spider-Man you want to build.

Will you start off with all the attacks, or will you essentially upgrade them as you go?

The game allows players to upgrade Spider-Man based on the style of play they choose. You complete missions and gain experience. That experience can then be used to upgrade your strength moves, or wall moves, etc. It’s really up to you, and how you decide you want to apply it.

Certain videos depict Spidey dodging several shots being fired at him in slow motion. Specifically, one features The Vulture firing his wing blades at him in funky angles. Is that an in-game cinematic, or is that actual gameplay?

Yeah. That’s actual gameplay.

What can fans expect in terms of villains? Classic Villains? Any villains created specifically for the game?

Venom is leading the symboite invasion, and Kingpin is trying to repel the invaders for his own personal reasons. We’ve shown Vulture, and there will be other villains, some of which have yet to appear in a Spider-Man game, we just aren’t talking about them yet.

What about other Marvel Heroes?

So yeah, we’ve got the Wolverine. We’ve got Luke Cage. and there are a couple other heroes that we’ll start revealing as time goes on.

You have mentioned being able to change suits on the fly. How is that being worked into the actual story?

In the beginning of the story Spidey is reinfected by the alien symbiote, but this time he is in total control of it.

The caveat of the black suit is that it gradually corrupts you the longer you wear it, and its effects, along with other choices you make in the game, will dynamically effect the storyline. So that is how the suit is being worked in.

How large is the world itself compared to other sandbox type games, and even other Spidey games?

You know, I never know how to answer that questions … Big? [laughter]

How much of the game will consist of cinematics? Are you guys handling the story process in a different way? i.e. dialogue laid over actual gameplay?

There are cinematics in the game, but beyond that, I can’t really say exactly how much, or what percentage really. I can say that the game offers a lot of gameplay.

Beginning to end, how many hours can a gamer expect to get out of this game?

You can play for a while. Not only are there the missions, but you have the sandbox gameplay, fighting crime in the city, and other things to do. Also, the more you fight crime, the more experience you gain. In other words, if you the type of gamer that really wants to max out Spider-Man, you can go around and fight crime, racking up experience to upgrade your character. It could take you a while.

Previous Spider-Man games involved saving a small child’s balloon, etc. What types of side-quests do you have planned?

In Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, the city gameplay really revolves more around fighting crime in the city — there wont be any saving balloons or anything like that.

Any notable voice actors in the game?

Being that this is a comic book based game, and not a film based game, we sort of just went for quality voice acting.

There is a lot of buzz right now circulating around the Dark Knight movie. Lots of people are saying it crushes all of the Spider-Man films. Who do you think would win in a battle between Spidey and the Caped Crusader?

Wow — that’s one for the ages. Since we are working on a Spider-Man game, I would have to say Spidey. [laughter]

Finally, we have something here at Ripten we are trying out called “Ten Second Rip”. This is your chance to explain what makes your game great in ten seconds or less. Ready?

This is the best combat system that has ever been in a Spider-Man game. I think that people are really going to dig it because it allows you to actually fight the way you see Spidey fight in the films and in the comics, which hasn’t really been done before.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Continuing our coverage of Comic-Con 2008, during a Gears of War panel, the developer formerly known as CliffyB was asked about the upcoming film adaptation of his beloved shooter. Read what he had to say after the break.

Everyone knows that videogame-to-film adaptations have a pretty awful track record, so Cliff started off by addressing just that.

“Look, we know that video game movies have been pretty bad, but just think how bad comic book movies were for such a long time.”

With The Dark Knight getting rave reviews and smashing box office records left and right, it’s a great time to point that out. Cliff then goes on to say that they aren’t just looking at any buff, meaty guys to fill the roles.

“I know people have ideas where they want to see some wrestler, some huge buff guy. The thing we care most about is charisma, someone you’d want to watch for two hours.”

It’s an odd choice of words, as professional wrestlers are very charismatic. Still, I get what he’s saying.

Gears of War is currently set to hit theaters Summer 2010.

If you remember way back to December of 2007, we brought you the teaser trailer for Capcom’s upcoming CGI Resident Evil movie. Well today at Comic-Con 2008, we were shown a full blown trailer. Hit the jump to check it out.

I gotta say, it gets me pretty pumped up. As a kid, I flipped my shit (in a good way) at the Resident Evil 2 cutscenes. With Leon and Claire returning, and even the original voice actor for Claire reprising her role (and Leon’s voice actor from Resident Evil 4 reprising his), I’m looking forward to a pretty nostalgic experience. On top of that, the movie may even be good! It sure as hell can’t be worse than the franchise’s live action adaptations.

Resident Evil: Degeneration will hit theaters in Japan this fall and be released on DVD and Blu-Ray in America later this year.

Midway’s Comic-Con 08 panel revealed several new MK vs DC characters today. Shazam, the Green Lantern, and the king of “why so serious?” himself – the Joker surfaced as DC additions, with Shang Tsung, Liu Kang, and Kitana rounding things off on the MK side.

We had a chat with Hector Sanchez, the game’s producer, at E3 just a few weeks ago, and were surprised to see that his childhood favorite has yet to be announced.

While the panel did not showcase any specific footage of the characters announced, it treated everyone to news of a comic (imagine that) related bundle.

The bundle, titled ” The Mortal Kombat: Kollection”, is specifc to the PS2, containing the previous three installments of the MK game, and a DC published comic. Due to hit stores in September, the bundle will kost you $29.99 in kold-hard-kash — or kredit.

What are your thoughts on the kurrent list of kharacters? Ok, no more puns, I promise — are you happy with the direction the game seems to be heading?

Ripten’s own Michael Geslani is down in San Diego for Comic-Con 2008, where Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner discussed the upcoming film adaptation during a panel. Read all about it after the break.

According to Mechner, who is writing the screenplay for the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time movie, he had to start from scratch when adapting the game into a film. While that could be a great thing, it could also lead to a movie that strays quite a bit from its source material. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Mechner also discussed the film’s cast, saying that he was “delighted” with the casting choices. The core cast includes Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, and Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan, the titular Prince of Persia. Someone asked if they had looked into Persian actors for the role, to which Mechner responded that they looked at a wide range of actors, but in the end, you can only pick one.

He also commented on Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, Sands of Time’s less-than-popular sequel.

“I don’t like to criticize a particular game, basically what I meant to say was that the style wasn’t my style. It wasn’t what I would’ve done, but it is what it is,” he said, addressing previous statements. “I’d rather focus on the positive and hope that the [new Prince of Persia game] is really awesome.”

Asking yourself why a porn star is taking the reins as a “special producer” on the Saints Row sequel? The answer — why the hell not?

The press release itself keys in on her “finishing” skills as an actress in the adult film world, and as we all know, producers (especially the special ones) are counted on to ensure things go as planned, and that every project ultimately has a “happy ending”.

It only took me about 5 seconds to picture Tera running around servicing the team at their cubicles, however I am pretty sure that her “special” role will not entail such tasks — at least not on paper.

Hey, maybe next year Rockstar will allow the filming of pornos at their development studios while they work on their next big project. That would surely motivate the team at Volition to raise the bar yet again.

The throbbing press release is available after the hump…err jump.

Los Angeles, CA – July 25, 2008 – Teravision today announced that world famous adult film star Tera Patrick will be working as ’special producer’ on the highly anticipated open-world action video game Saints Row 2. Known as one the best “finishers” worldwide, Patrick’s role as “special producer”, will bring her one-of-a-kind special touch to the project as the game nears release on October 14th. More details will be revealed July 30th exclusively on IGN.com. Tera will also be making a special appearance at THQ’s Comic Con booth this Saturday, where she’ll meet with fans and sign exclusive Saints Row 2 art.

Further details on Tera’s involvement with Saints Row 2 will be released leading up to the game’s October 14th launch on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For now, check out all the latest Saints Row 2 information at http://community.saintsrow.com/.

Tera will be signing autographs at Comic Con this Saturday July 26th from 2:30pm – 4:00pm at the San Diego Convention Center.

About Tera Patrick

Tera Patrick is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and in-demand adult film stars in the world and her popularity continues to increase. Born the daughter of a Thai mother and an English father, Tera has been featured in over 100 adult films since her entry into the industry in 1999 and has appeared on more magazine covers than any other adult star in history. Since winning the coveted “Best New Starlet” award she has gone on to win virtually every major award in the medium and she continues to set records on the adult charts. Tera’s superstar status has also been furthered by countless appearances in the mainstream media, including a cameo in the blockbuster comedy Blades of Glory, and radio and television shows such as E!’s “Wild On” series and the “True Hollywood Story,” “The Howard Stern Show,” VH1’s “40 Hottest Rock Star Wives and Girlfriends” and “Supergroup,” and she served as a hostess on Spike’s “Guy’s Choice Awards. ” To see Tera Patrick’s Official website, visit www.terapatrick.com.

Since winning the coveted “Best New Starlet” award at the AVN Awards Show, dubbed “the Oscars of Adult” by Entertainment Weekly, Tera has gone on to win virtually every major award in the medium and continues to set records on the adult charts. Tera Patrick is along with her husband Evan Seinfeld host the Rockstar, Pornstar show on SIRIUS’s Playboy channel. To see trailers of Tera Patrick’s movies, visit www.teratrailers.com

About Teravision

From the mind of adult megastar Tera Patrick comes Teravision – a top adult studio where glamour meets hardcore. Teravision produces high-end glossy vignettes and features in high-definition. Content is available in every conceivable medium from DVD, Blu-ray, Television Broadcast, Pay Per View, Internet, mobile phone downloads, video on-demand, and remains on the cutting edge of emerging formats.

Tera Patrick is the number one active star in adult and has received every important award in the adult industry. Teravision employs and retains the top directors in the industry, and is best known for constantly blurring the lines between the adult and mainstream worlds. For more information please contact Teravision, the next level in star-powered erotica.

God of War fans looking for some sort of film confirmation at this years Comic-Con, had a bone thrown their way in the form of a tiny leak courtesy of MGM’s “Robocop Reboot” press release. Below is a snippet from the release:

“David Self’s credits include 13 Days and Road To Perdition. He wrote God of War for Universal, to which Brett Ratner is attached to direct, and was a writer on Universal’s Wolfman currently in production.”

Brett Ratner’s previous directorial works include Rush Hour 2 and 3, X-Men: The Last Stand, and the pilot episode of Prison Break. I could live without his X-Men adaptation, and while his style worked for Rush Hour, I can’t picture Jackie Chan as Kratos.

Like it or not, based on the facts above, it appears that Universal and Ratner are attached to any hopes of a God of War film.

Source: Slashfilm