At Darren's World of Entertainment

Saturday, 23 February 2013

Full trailer for Game of Thrones Season 3

It's here - the first full trailer for Game of Thrones Season 3.

Game of Thrones season 3 bows end of March on HBO.

Winter...is....here.

Red Dwarf X: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment

The smegheads are back.

After years in the space wilderness, the space sitcom that launched all manner of laughs and quotable lines returns - and goes back to basics with great effect.

Rimmer, Lister, Cat and Kryten return as they continue to chart the wastelands of uncharted deep space with six new adventures.
From receiving an SOS from an old foe, to dealing with a love triangle with a couple of snack dispensers, this latest series traverses the line between insane and insanely funny.

For most of the time, the laughs are thick and on the mark. Granted, there are a few occasional misses, but overall, it's a welcome return to form thanks to sharp writing, amusing gags and the core dynamic between the four main actors. One of Red Dwarf's strengths has always been the capacity to mine a great situation for gags as well as the ability to thread a joke at the start of the episode and get a deadly pay off at the end.

It's a shame it's only 6 episodes long because, despite a slightly weak ending, you're wanting more.

Here's hoping there will be.

Extras: An extended warts and all doco, deleted scenes and outtakes.

Rating:

New Iron Man 3 poster shows the Mandarin

A Brand new poster for Iron Man 3 has given us more of a look at Ben Kingsley's Mandarin.

Iron Man 3 hits NZ cinemas towards the end of April.

Oscars 2013 predictions

With the Academy Awards just days away, it's always a fun time to spin the wheel and see if you can predict the winners of the 2013 Oscars.

It's an interesting list of Oscar nominations, and with other award ceremonies setting the pace and trend, there could be some surprises on the night.

So, with fellow critics ringing in, it's about time I cast my hat into the ring - and put what credibility I have on the line as I look at the main categories.

Best picture - Not quite the clear picture this one; early betters were going with Lincoln, but the rash of snubs for it elsewhere mean the race has become a little more interesting. Zero Dark Thirty was hit by controversy over the torture, but I'd still not rule that out. I also think Argo's strong showing on the pre-awards circuit mean it could be a contender.

Best picture winner prediction- Argo - though don't rule out Zero Dark Thirty or Lincoln at an outside shot. Particularly as those two films celebrate what it means to be an American and make a difference in some ways. (Though Argo does that as well)

Best director - This one is a really interesting category with no real strong forerunner. I'm wondering if Ang Lee will take it for Life of Pi; while the film didn't do it for me, I think Ang Lee brought something wonderful to the screen visually and turned a previously unfilmable novel into a worldwide hit.

Best director winner prediction - Ang Lee - though this category could offer up a surprise or two.

Best actor - Easily, by a small pointy beard, this will go to Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln. While that film didn't hit any of the right notes for me, being a long worthy but dull fest, there's no denying his portrayal of the role is sensational. He's won elsewhere too so I reckon he will take it for the third time.

Best actor winner prediction - Daniel Day-Lewis.

Best supporting actor - This could be one of two here I reckon. Alan Arkin and Christoph Waltz rightly were nominated for Argo and Django Unchained and while Waltz has already won, I do wonder if there could be a smattering of love for Arkin's Hollywood mogul in Argo. My head says Waltz, but my heart reckons there could be an upset here.

Best supporting actor winner prediction - Christoph Waltz

Best actress - I think Jessica Chastain will take this one. And rightly so, for the work she did in Zero Dark Thirty was blistering. The only other threat is potentially Jennifer Lawrence, but I wonder if the Academy will wait to honour her again at another time. Chastain's had a stunning recent run and has impressed in every role so she's building up quite the body of work.

Best actress winner prediction - Jessica Chastain.

Best supporting actress - This is clearly Anne Hathaway's for the unending misery of Les Miserables. She's won already in other awards and while the film hit no emotional notes for me, I can't deny the power of her I Dreamed a Dream. No one else stands out in this category, purely in terms of buzz - which is a shame. Though it could be worth seeing if she cries if she doesn't win....

Best supporting actress winner prediction - Anne Hathaway.

Elsewhere, I think there will be awards for Amour for best foreign film, Quentin Tarantino will get something for Django in terms of screenplay, and Life of Pi should pick up a few here and there.

Check back on the blog for the full list of the Oscars 2013 winners and any notable action from the show!

Here's some additional predictions if it goes the way I suspect it could:

Best film - Lincoln (hoping not)
Best director - Steven Spielberg (hoping not)
Best actor - Daniel Day Lewis
Best actress - Jessica Chastain
Best supporting actress - Anne Hathaway
Best supporting actor - Christoph Waltz
Best animated film - Brave
Best adapted screenplay - Argo
Best original screenplay - Django Unchained
Best cinematography - Life of Pi
Best costume design - Les Miserables
Best documentary - Searching for Sugar Man
Best foreign film - Amour
Best makeup - Les Miserables
Best original song - Skyfall
Best animated short - Paperman
Best visual effects - Life of Pi (though I want the Hobbit to win)

Friday, 22 February 2013

Moone Boy: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment

Chris O'Dowd's slightly autobiographical comedy is a joyous piece of television.

Set in Ireland in the 1980s, O'Dowd plays the imaginary friend of 12 year old schoolboy Martin Moone, who's growing up in the Irish county of Boyle. He's got three sisters, a henpecked dad and a mother who's not a strong presence in the house.

The six part series follows the daily life of Moone as he charts school and various problems caused by his family. Once in a while, animations spring forth from the screen, based on his drawings. It's slightly surreal in places but it's a beautiful piece of nostalgic sitcom which has a warm heart and a wonderful centre.

David Rawle is perfect as Moone, whose wide eyes and general naivete help him - and O'Dowd's his usual gentle self effacing, deadpan self as the imaginary friend.

It's an easy, life-affirmingly funny watch - and I devoured it all in one sitting. Which is something of a rarity for a sitcom these days.

Extras: Behind the scenes, photo gallery

Rating:

Thursday, 21 February 2013

PlayStation 4 press release

It can't have escaped your notice that PlayStation announced the PlayStation 4 console today.

Here's the official word from Sony about what to expect on the console.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today introduced PlayStation®4 (PS4™), its next generation computer entertainment system that redefines rich and immersive gameplay with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalization, deeply integrated social capabilities, and innovative second-screen features. Combined with PlayStation®Network with cloud technology, PS4 offers an expansive gaming ecosystem that is centered on gamers, enabling them to play when, where and how they want. PS4 will be available this holiday season.

Gamer Focused, Developer Inspired

PS4 was designed from the ground up to ensure that the very best games and the most immersive experiences reach PlayStation gamers. PS4 accomplishes this by enabling the greatest game developers in the world to unlock their creativity and push the boundaries of play through a system that is tuned specifically to their needs.

PS4 also fluidly connects players to the larger world of experiences offered by PlayStation, across the console and mobile spaces, and PlayStation® Network (PSN).

The PS4 system architecture is distinguished by its high performance and ease of development. PS4 is centered around a powerful custom chip that contains eight x86-64 cores and a state of the art graphics processor.

The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has been enhanced in a number of ways, principally to allow for easier use of the GPU for general purpose computing (GPGPU) such as physics simulation. The GPU contains a unified array of 18 compute units, which collectively generate 1.84 Teraflops of processing power that can freely be applied to graphics, simulation tasks, or some mixture of the two.

PS4 is equipped with 8 GB of unified system memory, easing game creation and increasing the richness of content achievable on the platform. GDDR5 is used for this memory, giving the system 176 GB/second of bandwidth and providing a further boost to graphics performance.

The end result for gamers is new games with rich, high-fidelity graphics and deeply immersive experiences that shatter expectations.

Shared Game Experiences

Social interaction is central to PS4 experiences, so new features were built into the actual foundation of the system’s hardware architecture. PS4 provides dedicated, “always on” video compression and decompression systems that enables seamless uploading of gameplay. For the first time ever, gamers can share their epic triumphs with the press of a button. Gamers simply hit the “SHARE button” on the controller, scan through the last few minutes of gameplay, tag it and return to the game—the video uploads as the gamer plays. Gamers can share their images and videos to their friends on social networking services such as Facebook.

PS4 also enhances social spectating by enabling gamers to broadcast their gameplay in real-time to friends using live internet streaming services such as Ustream. During live broadcasts, friends can make comments on the streamed gameplay and, if a gamer gets stuck on a challenging level, friends can also join the game in completely new ways. For example, friends can offer health potions or special weapons when a player needs them most during actual gameplay.

Furthermore, users can connect their Facebook account with Sony Entertainment Network account. Through PS4, users are able to deepen their connections through co-op play or “cross-game chat”.

PS4 Second Screens

PS4 integrates second screens, including PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita), smartphones and tablets, to wrap gamers in their favorite content wherever they are. A key feature enabled by second screens is “Remote Play” and PS4 fully unlocks its potential by making PS Vita the ultimate companion device. With PS Vita, gamers will be able to seamlessly pull PS4 titles from their living room TVs and play them on PS Vita’s beautiful 5-inch display and intuitive dual analog sticks over Wi-Fi networks^*1. It is SCEI’s long-term vision is to make most PS4 titles playable on PS Vita^*2.

A new application from SCE called “PlayStation®App” will enable iPhone, iPad, and Android^TM based smartphones and tablets^*3 to become second screens. Once installed on these devices, users can, for example, see maps on their second screens when playing an adventure game, purchase PS4 games while away from home and download it directly to the console at home, or remotely watch other gamers playing on their devices.

Immediate Gameplay

PS4 radically reduces the lag time between players and their content. PS4 features “suspend mode” which keeps the system in a low power state while preserving the game session. The time it takes today to boot a console and load a saved game will be a thing of the past. With PS4, gamers just hit the power button again and are promptly back playing the game at the exact point where they left off. Additionally, users can boot a variety of applications including a web browser when playing a game on PS4.

PS4 also enables games to be downloaded or updated in the background, or even in stand-by mode. The system takes it one step further by making digital titles playable as they are being downloaded. When a player purchases a game, PS4 downloads just a fraction of the data so gamers can start playing immediately, and the rest is downloaded in the background during actual gameplay.

Personalized, Curated Content

On the newly designed PS4 menu screen, players can look over game-related information shared by friends, view friends’ gameplay with ease, or obtain information of recommended content, including games, TV shows and movies. The long-term goal of PS4 is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero: if the system knows enough about a player to predict the next game they will purchase, then that game can be loaded and ready to go before they even click the “buy” button. PS4 will further enrich users’ entertainment experiences, by meeting their potential needs.

Gaming in the Cloud

Launched in November 2006, PlayStation Network, a network service for PlayStation users, now operates in 67 countries and regions^*4 around the world with the total number of downloaded content of more than 2.8 billion^*5. In addition to a variety of games available in PlayStation®Store, PS4 users will be able to enjoy a variety of services offered by PSN, such as Sony Corporation’s Music Unlimited, a cloud-based music subscription service and Video Unlimited, a premium video service, as well as various content distribution services.

By combining PlayStation Network with Gaikai Inc’s cloud technology, it is SCE’s goal to make free exploration possible for various games. In the future, when a gamer sees a title of interest in PlayStation Store, they can immediately start playing a portion of the actual game — not a stripped down version of the game. With Gaikai and PlayStation Store, gamers will be able to experience appealing games and only pay for the games they actually love. PlayStation Network and the cloud will offer additional value to PlayStation gamers. SCE is exploring unique opportunities enabled by cloud technology with the long-term vision of making PlayStation libraries including an incredible catalog of more than 3000 PS3 titles^*6 that is unmatched in the industry, mostly ubiquitous on PS4.

SCE will announce new details of PS4 and its robust lineup of games from 3rd party developers and publishers, the independent gaming community and SCE Worldwide Studios, as well as further enhancements to the entire PlayStation ecosystem between now and the holiday 2013 launch.

And a second release:

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today introduced PlayStation®4 (PS4™), its next-generation gaming platform for the home, alongside the videogame industry’s brightest and most creative minds at PlayStation®Meeting 2013. With unprecedented power, deep social capabilities, and instant accessibility, PS4 allows game creators to unleash their imaginations and deliver new play experiences to gamers that were never before possible. The live audience at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, along with millions of fans streaming the event around the world, were also provided with a sneak peek of some of the games that will ultimately define the PS4 experience.

Andrew House, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. officially announced PS4 and presented the broader vision for PlayStation® evolving from a console in the living room into the best place to play wherever gamers are: “Our vision for the future is consumer-centric, developer-inspired, and characterized by an unwavering commitment to phenomenal play experiences,” House remarked. “Today we are revealing the genesis of an expanding ‘idea’ about the future of play – an idea with enough potential to satisfy the insatiable appetites of our creative community of developers and gamers.”

Acclaimed game designer and industry veteran Mark Cerny then took the stage to discuss PS4 in more detail, including the powerful system components that will give developers the canvas to fully express their creative ideas and deliver more immersive gaming that transcends today’s expectations. Cerny, the lead system architect for PS4, also talked about the five key principles guiding the design of the consumer experience that will surround all games: simple, immediate, social, integrated, and personalized.

“We wanted to ensure that nothing would come between the platform and the joy of play,” Cerny said. “We also wanted to be sure that the system architecture could fluidly connect the player to a larger world of experiences, and provide easy access to everything PlayStation® has to offer – across the console and mobile spaces, and PlayStation®Network. And we were able to create, in PS4, a platform by game creators for game creators.”

David Perry, noted developer and CEO of Gaikai Inc., which joined SCE group last year, announced the ambitions for PlayStation®Network and how PS4 will leverage Gaikai’s cloud technology to deliver a sea change in how consumers discover, access, share and enjoy games. Whether that’s connecting PSN more deeply into social networks or broadcasting the game a user is playing in real time or getting help from friends in new ways, the gaming experience on PS4 is rooted in social interaction. Perry also discussed the company’s goal to make free exploration possible for various games, a concept he described as, “Try it for free, share it if you like it, only pay for games you fall in love with.”

PS4 integrates second screens, including PS Vita, smartphones and tablets, to wrap gamers in their favorite content wherever they are. SCE’s long-term goal is to make almost every PS4 title playable on PS Vita by using Remote Play over Wi-Fi networks. “PS Vita is the ultimate companion device for PS4, enabling gamers to pull their games from their beautiful HDTVs to PS Vita’s beautiful 5-inch screen,” Perry noted.

The spotlight moved toward some of the most creative individuals in the development and publishing community, highlighting how PS4 brings a new synergy between hardware and software to enable new emotional states of play never before possible. “The future of PlayStation is about great games – inspiring, new experiences from the imaginations of the world’s best creators,” said Michael Denny, SVP, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios.

Denny introduced developers behind some of the first-party titles being created exclusively for the new platform, including Guerrilla Games’ Hermen Hulst, Sucker Punch Productions’ Nate Fox, and Evolution Studios’ Matt Southern.

“‘Next Generation’ no longer just means ‘more powerful hardware,’” Southern said. “We’re a next generation of gamer, we want to play great looking games but in new ways that fit our permanently-connected lives. To us, that means driving in a team. It’s such a thrill for a studio to be asked to help define new PlayStation technology, so that we can bring our vision for team based racing to life.”

Celebrated independent developer Jonathan Blow then unveiled the first official trailer for The Witness, which will be exclusive to PS4 for console and underscores PlayStation’s support of developers interested in pushing the boundaries of play.

PlayStation®Meeting 2013 also featured two of the gaming industry’s most talented creators providing a glimpse into the future of what’s possible on PS4. David Cage from Quantic Dream explored narrative-driven gaming and how PS4’s powerful hardware lets developers forget about technology and focus on creating experiences that trigger emotions. “We can concentrate on what amazing stories we want to tell and what incredible worlds we want to create,” Cage said. “We can take you to places you have never seen before and make you feel emotions that you have never felt in real life, without having to wonder if we will have the horsepower to do so. We are now only limited by our imagination.”

Alex Evans from Media Molecule then re-imagined the concept of user-generated content and creativity. Armed with a PlayStation®Move motion controller, he demonstrated the freedom of expression that PS4 offers to creators, whether they’re professional developers or gamers of all levels. Evans remarked: “PS4, in our eyes, should be 'the creative console'. It’s the place you go to be inspired; It's the place to experience other's dreams, or make your own: it's the place you go, to make. With PS4, with the creative console, we want to change making in every way: from music to gaming to story-telling.”

Building on PlayStation’s long-standing history of collaborating with third-party partners, PS4 will have software support from virtually every major developer and publisher across North America, Europe and Japan. At PlayStation Meeting 2013, titles in development and technology demos were presented by partners including Activision Publishing, Inc., Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., Bungie, Inc., CAPCOM, Epic Games, Inc., Havok, SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd., Ubisoft Entertainment, showcasing how the development community has already embraced PS3’s ability to make their imaginations become reality.

Ubisoft Entertainment Co-Founder and CEO Yves Guillemot announced that Watch_Dogs, introduced at E3 2012 to critical acclaim, will launch with PS4. “Today, with PS4, Sony Computer Entertainment is introducing an amazing new platform,” Guillemot said. “It will let developers like ours deliver games that surpass anything previously possible on a home console. PS4 will also help us deliver on what we believe to be the future of gaming.”

Chris Metzen, Senior Vice President of Story and Franchise Development of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., unveiled that the award-winning Diablo franchise would make its console debut with PlayStation. Diablo III will be adapted for PS4 with an interface custom-designed to work naturally on controllers.

Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc., announced full support from its developers for PS4. Hirshberg then introduced Bungie, Inc., which is working on “the next great video game franchise – Destiny.”

Harold Ryan, President of Bungie, Inc., announced that Destiny will have exclusive content for PlayStation gamers. Ryan said: “Like PS4, Destiny is an online, connected experience. Like PS4, Destiny lets you access the content you love from multiple devices. And like PS4, Destiny is designed to entertain you for years to come.”

The lineup of PS4 games shown at PlayStation Meeting 2013 include:

Driveclub (WWS Evolution Studios)

inFAMOUS Second Son (WWS Sucker Punch Productions)

Killzone: Shadow Fall (WWS Guerrilla Games)

Knack (WWS Japan Studio)

Deep Down (working title) (CAPCOM)

Destiny (Activision Publishing, Inc./ Bungie, Inc.)

Diablo III (Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.)

The Witness (Jonathan Blow)

Watch_Dogs (Ubisoft Entertainment)

Additional titles that will be available for PS4 will continue to be announced, demonstrating the full support of SCE Worldwide Studios, third-party developers and publishers, and the independent development community.

“The arrival of PS4 is a critical initiative that presents an enormous opportunity to dramatically evolve the game play experience into something far grander than ever imagined,” House said, as he concluded the event. “From enhanced social capabilities to intensified power to realizing bigger, better, and more immersive game play, to the evolution of our ecosystem to meet the requirements for a simpler, more adaptive interface, we believe PS4 proves we have more to offer than ever before.

PlayStation 4 announcement

PlayStation 4 confirmed

There's a news conference happening at midday today for PlayStation.

It's rumoured to be an announcement of PlayStation 4. PS4 will release during the 2013 holiday season, but no price yet.

You can follow the very latest from the PlayStation Meeting 2013 here.

Sony Boss Andrew House has confirmed the launch of PlayStation 4.

Supercharged PC architecture with 8GB of RAM. Developers are going to be happy about that RAM.
Dual Shock 4 controller revealed too. It has a touch pad, headphone jack, a share button

First game revealed for PS4 - Knack.

PS4 digital games can be played while they are being downloaded. The system will download a section of the game to get it started then download the rest in the background while you play.

"Pay only for the games you fall in love with" with PS4

Share button a major plus for the DualShock 4 controller.

You can enjoy Remote Play for PS4 games via PS Vita.

PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS Mobile games on any system, including PS4 using the streaming technology. Not confirmation yet.

Games announced include: Killzone: Shadow Fall, Drive Club, Infamous:Second son, The Witness, Deep Down, Watch Dogs, Destiny, Diablo 3

Killzone Shadow Fall revealed on PS4