Get ready to be teased as Ubisoft has just rolled out the latest teaser video of one of today's most highly-anticipated FPS sequels, Far Cry 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360). While there's not quite a lot to take in, there's definitely something to take note of. Check out the video in the full article.

If you were teased by Resident Evil: Degeneration's screenshots, this trailer should get you off your feet in anticipation of Capcom and Sony Pictures' upcoming CGI film. You'll find the trailer at the full article, so hurry and make that jump!

We've just heard that music composer Inon Zur has created an original musical score for Electronic Arts' and Crytek's technological masterpiece, Crysis. The music will be tied around the modern cinematic theme for the PC first-person shooter, soon to debut on PCs worldwide on November.

 

If Zur doesn't strike you with a hint of familiarity, he was the composer for SOCOM II: U.S. Navy Seals soundtrack. That same soundtrack snagged a finalist position in the Game Audio Network Guild (GANG) Awards at the Game Developers Conference. In a surprising turn of luck, his Men of Valor theme had to snag the Best Original Instrumental award away from the SOCOM II track.

He has diverse composing experience across CGI movies and games, including Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. And he never shied away from Hollywood either; orchestral scores to the likes of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," "Kingdom of Heaven," "The New World," "The Pacifier," "Fantastic Four," and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" are all chalked up to his name.

Keeping in theme with Zur's dynamic orchestral taste, Crysis' original score was recorded together with the Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra in Seattle. The game's musical scoring is also featured in PLAY Magazine's August 2007 issue, where Zur talks all about the musical scoring process and the score's inspiration.

But Crytek's audio director, Joseph Zajonc, could only hint at what avid gamers and gaming critics could expect with the Crysis soundtrack:

Inon’s ability to describe a complex situation through music is uncanny. [He] has such an enthusiasm for composing, it’s a joy to work with him. He really wants to provide exactly the right material for a given game moment, often coming up with an approach that surprises.

And the E3 madness continues, with the other big players in the industry giving the public a sneak peek at the heat they're currently packing (or about to pack). This time, it's all about Take-Two, publisher of this and last generation's most controversial franchises, namely Bully, Manhunt, and Grand Theft Auto. We give you the skinny on what went down in the legendary company's E3 2007 Briefing.

The entire E3 update after the jump!

In an email conversation between 1Up's Patrick Kepleck and Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor, the industry rock star defended his stance on his opinion editorial published on GameDaily. Entitled "Reward Players, Don't Punish Them!" the piece talked about breaking away from the mindset of complex gameplay and return to the roots of gaming.

Fun, according to Taylor, is the reason why people actually engage in gaming. Punishing players may be a tad frustrating, especially if a game balks at the less-skilled players. "I'm impressed that the industry made it this far with our carnival-style punishment system," said Taylor at one point of his editorial.

Although his ideas have already been proven with the likes of Electronic Arts' The Sims and arcade-ish titles like RailRoad Tycoon, the impression he left was a confusing one. It's no secret that THQ's Supreme Commander was a title created for the "core" of the gaming market - albeit more likely the fans of Total Annihilation. And when 1Up asked the game's executive producer about this, he replied:

You are correct in that Supreme Commander is a "hardcore" game, but for the most part, it doesn't quite lineup with the kinds of games that I was referring to. The theme and style of play is what makes it inaccessible in my mind, at least more so than the complexity of the rules and learning curve. Having said that, I don't disagree, and personally will be working on a lot more titles that do precisely what my op-ed piece describes... rewards players and provide a highly entertaining experience, with little or no punishment.

I just want you to know that in no way am I contradicting myself... Supreme Commander was designed almost 4 years ago, and it's just hit the market now. We have new titles in development that we haven't announced that reflect this new philosophy that I can't quite talk about yet... which I know you probably have figured out.

Does this mean Gas Powered Games might go casual soon? While likely, there's no indication that they are going to drop the whole hardcore following just yet. According to some reports, there won't just be another follow up to Supreme Commander, but a CGI motion picture (egads!) based on the franchise, too!

There's never a dull moment when video trailers of next-gen games are concerned: more often than not, you get to see absolutely gorgeous graphics and gameplay that makes you want to run out and thank God you were born in this age, where games are continuously trying to break the barrier between CGI and reality.

It's the same with the latest Developer Interview of id Software's Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, as uploaded by user Vamatt99218 into the treasure trove of full-3D animated eye candy, Gametrailers. Watch the 3-minute video and see how amazing the game's looking so far, as well as the developers' thoughts about the game itself. Also, you'll get to see just what the Strog has in store for the hapless human race (to be fair, we've got a lot going for us, like tanks and heavy armaments, but them Strogs have Walkers!).

Don't wait for us to spoil it all for you! Watch the video!

Here we go again with videogame movie adaptations. MSNBC has a poll about the top five videogames that should be ported to the silver screen.

Metroid and Prince of Persia took top spots. Various reactions could be gotten from those titles alone. Prince of Persia has been announced to be set for a Summer 2008 release via Jerry Bruckheimer. But Metroid? First questions that come to mind would be: Is it going to be a live action movie or would it be better off as CGI? If it's a live action movie, who'd play Samus Aran?

We've seen countless movie adaptations that simply fell flat both on the box office and in the eyes of the videogame fans. And we're sure that fellow gamers haven't forgotten BloodRayne, Doom, Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, and the list just go on and on. There are a number of promising upcoming movie adaptations like Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid, and even a World of Warcraft movie. Let's hope they don't disappoint.

What games do you think deserve a movie adaptation?

Green is "in" as the heroes in a half-shell let loose in their upcoming CGI movie and adventure game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for the PC, X360, Wii, DS and PSP. Set in a New York City besieged by bizarre beasts and shadowy figures, the fearsome foursome embark on their toughest mission yet as they struggle to maintain the ties that bind them as a unit.

The movie delves into the subject of adolescent angst as Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael do everything to maintain their focus emotionally while trying to deal with all the ruckus in their hometown. Now, more than ever, Leonardo must step up on that leadership plate with the assistance of the fatherly Master Splinter to get things back in line again.

Meanwhile, Ubisoft promises a game that will appeal to everyone by delivering good graphics, explosive ninjitsu driven gameplay, tag-team moves and interesting enemies. The Montreal-based game maker draws the plot straight out of the movie with the addition of a few twists.

Download: [TMNT Trailer]

More screens await after the jump!

 

As announced earlier, Ubisoft is opening up a CGI  movie-animation studio in Ubisoft Montreal. When we posted about it, a couple of you were quick on expressing your sentiments (as the real mii says: "RABBIDS MOVIE!!!"). True. However, for those with a keen eye (and a listening ear) like hush404, who've heard about the Assassin's Creed movie rumor circling around, it's time for some confirmation.

While the game is set to come out on the PS3, 360, and PC, you'll be glad to find out that the very first project of the new animation studio division of Ubisoft is an 8-minute short film based on AC. As far as the story of the short goes, nothing has been revealed. We don't even know yet if Altair will be the main character for the short film - it could be someone else, for all we know. More than this, could it even explain more about that certain sci-fi twist/spoiler mentioned by Kristen Bell last December?

It's anyone's guess. But if this is any indication, we could see more shorts coming from Ubisoft, based on their existing titles. So, to the real mii, maybe Raving Rabbids is more than possible now. Anyone else wanna send in their bets for the next short film project?

In the latest interview which Mike Verdu has granted the press (in this case, Game Daily), he talks about the live-action cast that is assembled to flesh out the backstory to Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. It should be interesting to see how this sort of treatment holds up in the face of CGI and gameplay, as that has always been the challenge of pairing live-action cutscenes to the game.

Mike promises a fully-developed storyline with characters that grow as the game progresses. He notes that "The game is a satisfying military science fiction spectacle with a future world war as the backdrop for its story, but the story itself has layers and tackles some big themes." Quite intriguing, considering that the live-action treatment in the first C&C (Or in Red Alert, for that matter, which was very much tongue-in-cheek. I miss the Kari "Tanya"...), while it did serve to advance the story, did not really go into this deep narrative business.

For example: the ever familiar Lando Billy Dee Williams plays a politician with deep character flaws. Flaws which grind him down as the war grinds on. The ever alluring Tricia Helfer (what, you guys don't watch Galactica?), on the other hand, plays a "conflicted" Nod officer, and if she can hold up to Kane (Joe Kucan), then it's a job well done in this veteran's book. Mike says that all six principal characters will experience growth, perspective, understanding, and all the stuff that deep narratives are made of.

We'd just like to ask, though: What's Michael Ironside's role in all this? Super-secret special agent? Lemme guess: he gets to bring over a special pair of NVG goggles to the role. Wikipedia does say that he's playing the role of a GDI general (well, that rules "commando" out. At least it didn't say "GDI Navy," or we'd think he'd be bringing a special submarine along...).

I miss the Kari "Tanya."