Afternoon Dubloons – Links In Brief(s)

Stuff which what we found interestin'.

 

South African teenager to be caned for posting a mildly offensive Facebook photo caption – (Straits Times)

Tim Burton has zero respect for director Kevin Smith – (Buzzfeed)

Crispin Glover directed a movie about a man with cerebral palsy who has sex with hot women and then murders them shortly after. Feel good movie of the year? – (Film Drunk)

Just in case you thought Whitney Houston was overrated here’s her isolated vocal track on ‘How Will I Know’ – (Jake Fogelnest)

If you’re playing Ragnarok Odyssey on Playstation Vita here’s a comprehensive guide to help you through – (Past The Pixels)

An ‘on the money‘ review of the first episode of HBO’s drama series Luck – (Tachyon TV)

Brace Yourself! There’s to be a sequel to I Am Legend – (Den Of Geek)

Netflix Is Now Available In The UK.

If you happen to own a PS3, Xbox 360 or even a Nintendo Wii you might have noticed an unfamiliar addition to your dashboard, the Netflix streaming app, which allows you to watch movies instantly through your games console or PC.

Basically Netflix is like Lovefilm except for the fact that they don’t let you rent DVDs by post, instead you can watch them instantly through their streaming service on your TV or PC for as little as £5.99 a month. Like most new company start ups in this country your first month’s subscription is free so we jumped at the chance to try out their service. We could write an article reviewing exactly what kind of game changing elements Netflix are bringing to the table and that the days of renting DVDs may well and truly be a thing of the past, but our good friend Grahame Gallacher has already penned an in-depth article.

If you want to know exactly what Netflix are offering and how their service holds up against other established UK movie rental services then head over to Past The Pixels and read Grahame’s excellent online article.

 

8 Things We Noticed In The GTA:V Trailer.

So the countdown is over and Rockstar have allowed the gaming world a sneak peak at their latest addition to the Grand Theft Auto franchise, GTA:V. It’s quite obviously a revamped and highly polished San Andreas, no doubt a lot larger and more detailed than the original and as fanboys clash with one another on forums across the Internet let us take this opportunity to highlight some interesting things we found in the trailer. Don’t worry we’re only highlighting eight elements of the trailer which caught our interest, if you want a full clinical autopsy head over to Past The Pixels, where our good friend Grahame has meticulously picked apart every frame.

1. Animals.

The very first shot of the trailer reveals a stereotypical LA/Californian setting, but on closer inspection we can clearly see a dog. Does this mean for the first time in the GTA franchise players will be able to have domestic pets? Will you be able to set your dog on characters or in contrast escape from dogs which have been set on you? Notice the seagulls will be making a welcome return too, will there be a similar pigeon, (flying rat), trophy to be earned and is that a Kayak propped up against the lifegaurd station? Kayaking out on the open ocean? Sounds good to us.

2. The Pleasure Beach.

In amongst the scantily clad joggers there’s a banner sign on the boardwalk which reads: ‘Pleasure Beach.’ Will this mean that players can have all the fun of the fair? Roller coasters, Ferris wheels, ghost trains and stall games are certainly features we would love to have in the game.

 3. That Jet Ski.

Rockstar have always been known for their black, twisted humour which plays a major part in their games. So it’s comforting to know they’ve continued with that tradition, just look at the name of this Jet Ski: “Speedo Phile 2000.”

 4. Character Customisation & Body Modification.

In the original San Andreas one of the unique elements of the game was the ability to modify your character either aesthetically with jewellery, clothing, tattoos and hair stylings or physically by hitting the gym and piling on the body mass. During the trailer we see a female cross a street, she has a large tattoo on her upper arm and in the background their are shop signs for ‘piercings’ and ‘wigs’. Later we see a beach front open-air weights gym. Could these features be a hint that the customisable character elements of the game are back?

5. The Return Of Planes.

One missing element of GTA: IV, (Liberty City), which disappointed a lot of players was the lack of planes, but hopefully, judging by the trailer, that particular type of aircraft will be making a welcome return with shots of a bi-plane, military jet and private jet. Helicopters were also featured and could it be that Rockstar have also thrown in Zeppelins? Check the top right of the golf course picture.

  6. A Mixture Of Terrain.

One of the greatest things about San Andreas were the diverse locations, from stifling city streets to the open beach and towering mountainous countryside, players had a massive sandbox to play in. The snap above shows some spectacular scenery, some contrast to the grubby city streets featured throughout the trailer, but will it be included as playable terrain in the game?

  7. Customisable Pads

Check out the lush crib above situated in what looks like the Vinewood Hills. There’s a lot of furnishings on both floors, will this mean that you can design your house to suit the tastes and personality of your playable character? Yes, it would be verging on Sims territory but the original San Andreas was all about customisation so will Rockstar not only continue that theme but expand upon it?

 8. Boozing.

In one of the final shots of the trailer we can see a drunk gentleman being unceremoniously booted out of a nightclub which would suggest that being able to consume alcohol and getting into a right old state will once again be a feature of the game. Rockstar included the ability to booze in GTA: IV and more recently Red Dead Redemption, so it would make sense that they would carry it into GTA:V.

There you have it eight simple possible features we noticed in the trailer which might or might not be included elements of the game. One thing’s for sure Rockstar really do know how to whip up a frenzy in the gaming community and no wonder, just look at it!

Mac Book Gaming Decals.

Our good friend Grahame over at Past The Pixels recently posted up an article highlighting the trend of gaming decals for sale on Ebay for MacBooks.

Simple vinyl transfers incorporating the illuminated apple logo on the back of the laptop with some of your favourite gaming characters throughout the years.

For more examples and info on these delightful little decals chart a course for HERE.

 

HMS Friday’s Link Booty.

Stuff which what we found interestin'.

 

A mesmerising 13 minute video teaching you how to make your very own Stormtrooper helmet. (via Gamma Squad)

Great piece on how the private Blackberry messaging service played a massive part in the London riots. (via Tech Crunch)

An i-Phone app which allows drivers to be even greater dick heads and auction off public parking spaces. (via Wired)

Fans of Max Brook’s book World War Z might get a tad angry when they read about the changes Hollywood has made for the film adaptation. (via Film Drunk)

Looters looting a looter.

This gamer has called it quits with online gaming for one simple reason – other gamers. (via Past The Pixels)

Riots have finally broken out in Scotland. It was only a matter of time.

Drug smugglers may have wiped out an ‘uncontacted‘ Amazon tribe. (via The Slatest)

Female artist is injected with horse blood to feel more like a horse…just shit in a field and chew a carrot. (via We Make Money Not Art)

Here’s the entire pilot of episode of Adult Swim’s new animated series Black Dynamite.

http://i.adultswim.com/adultswim/video2/tools/swf/viralplayer.swf

Avast! Overstrike Trailer. E3 2011.

E3 is currently underway over in Los Angeles where the latest games and software for consoles and PCs are showcased to a throbbing crowd of sweaty virgins gaming enthusiasts.

Our good friend Grahame over at Past The Pixels gave us the heads up on this trailer for  Electronic Arts latest game Overstrike, a first person shooter from developer Insomniac Games, (Ratchet & Clank, Resistance), which, as Grahame as already hinted, looks like a Quentin Tarantinoesque version of Pixar’s The Incredibles.