Sunday 30 September 2012

Now TV on Xbox 360



Last August Sky launched Now TV for Xbox 360.

Already available for PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices. This rival to Netflix and LOVEFiLM grants full access to all 11 Sky Movies live channels for those taking the Sky Movies Pass subscription.

A 30-day free trial of the Pass is available now, after which it costs £15 per month. You could subscribe to both LOVEFiLM Instant and Netflix for £11.

Where does this leave the excellent Sky Go?

Do you use Now TV and is it worth £15 per month? Let me know in comments...

Thursday 27 September 2012

Mass Effect Trilogy



No sooner has BioWare confirmed Mass Effect 4 for next generation consoles, EA has announced an expansive Mass Effect Trilogy box set this holiday season. The company makes no mention of including any DLC.

A post on the official BioWare blog, reads, “We are very excited today to announce the Mass Effect Trilogy coming to PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. All three award-winning games from the series will be available together in one premium package, complete with foil box and exclusive artwork. Mass Effect Trilogy will also mark the long-awaited debut of the original Mass Effect on the PlayStation 3 console!”

The PS3 version will be released at a later date. The original Mass Effect was an Xbox 360 exclusive in 2007.

To coincide with the launch of the Mass Effect Trilogy, EA has declared November 7th to be “N7 Day.” The company stated that there will be a “worldwide celebration of the Mass Effect franchise, and that there will be in-game, online, and live events at which “fans can congregate and fly their N7 colours.”

Will you be celebrating N7 Day?

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Eggs and Daleks: Soufflé Girl's winning recipe



I've been most remiss in not posting my thoughts on Doctor Who series 7, which is about to conclude its first half-season run with this weekend's The Angels Take Manhattan! A potentially infamous storyline witnessing the departure of longterm companions the Ponds. I'll shed a tear for the girl who waited...

Back to the present. Series 7 opens audaciously with Asylum of the Daleks, the Ponds estranged, and an unexpected cameo from forthcoming new companion Oswin Oswald, played with chutzpah by Jenna-Louise Coleman. The best-kept secret since the Cybermen's surprise return in Earthshock steals the show in a riveting, scarlet-lipped, performance as the girl trapped in a haunted house.

A haunted house filled with menacing, dysfunctional, Daleks. Note the use of the words menacing and dysfunctional. Terry Nation's creations are always best served in a shadowy world and here we're treated to an inspired mashup of The Dead Planet and Genesis of the Daleks: set within the walls of an asylum.

These Daleks are the rejects; broken; too dangerous to control; nightmarish. All the better for it. A rare return to the Daleks home planet of Skaro provides the icing on a deliciously dark cake.

An epic exchange between the Doctor and a Dalek culminates in the chilling revelation: "We have grown stronger in fear of you!" A line worthy of Star Wars' Darth Vader.

Bravo, Mr Moffat.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Star Wars Origami at MCM Expo



In July I wrote about Chris Alexander's upcoming Star Wars Origami book. Martin Hunt is a homegrown talent and recently connected with me on Twitter...

Martin is a Maths graduate and software engineer, currently living in London with his wife, son, and two enormous cats.

He started designing his own origami models while at university and has never looked back. You can see his stellar designs atStarwarigami.

Martin's work was most recently exhibited at the London Film and Comic Con this year, courtesy of the British Origami Society, and will be on display again at the upcoming MCM Expo at ExCel London in October.

Monday 17 September 2012

LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 2012



Get Christmas off to a galactic start with the LEGO® Star Wars Advent Calendar!

Featuring 24 gifts, including iconic starships, minifigures, and accessories:

Mini-figures include Santa Darth Maul, Snowman R2-D2, Gonk Power Droid, Gungan Warrior, Hoth Rebel Trooper, Imperial Officer (Hoth), Rebel Trooper, Snowtrooper, Security Battle Droid, and Super Battle Droid.

Models include AT-AT Walker, Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator, General Grievous' Starfighter, Gungan Shield Set, Gungan Submarine, Guns and Lightsaber, MTT, Naboo Flash Speeder, Naboo Royal Cruiser, Naboo Starfighter, P-Tower Turret, Separatist Shuttle/The Lapiz Cutter, Super Star Destoyer, and Vulture Droid.

This great advent calendar is the perfect gift for Star Wars fans of any age.

Last year's sold out quickly due to demand. Buy yours today.

Friday 14 September 2012

Wii wish U you a merry Christmas



For the first time in sixteen years a new Nintendo console will launch with a Mario title!

Wii U launches in Europe and the US this November ahead of December's debut in Japan. New Super Mario Bros. U is a day one title and Bayonetta 2 a surprise platform exclusive. She'll shift additional units to hardcore gamers.

Three UK bundles have been announced: Basic Pack (8GB), Premium Pack (32GB) and ZombiU Premium Pack (32GB).

Here's a breakdown of each bundle:

Basic Pack (8GB)
Wii U GamePad
GamePad stylus
Wii U AC adapter
Wii U GamePad AC Adapter
HDMI cable

Premium Pack (32GB)
As Basic Pack
Wii U Sensor Bar
Wii U stand
GamePad stand and charger
Nintendo Land
Nintendo Network Premium

ZombiU Premium Pack (32GB)
As Premium Pack
Wii U Pro Controller
ZombiU replaces Nintendo Land

Prices are at the discretion of retailers and wildly fluctuate from £250 for the Basic Pack to £330 for the ZombiU Premium Pack and that's before any shortages this holiday season. Best Buy, Toys "R" Us and Target have stopped taking pre-orders in the US. Amazon maybe your best bet!

“The standout feature is the quality of the software line-up – the strongest we have seen on a new Nintendo console,” said Tesco’s games buying manager Jon Hayes.

GAME boss Martyn Gibbs added: “It is safe to say that anybody that gets their hands on it and plays it for half an hour will see exactly why they should be excited.”

I've pre-ordered a Premium Pack for £264, which is less than a N64 sans game pak in 1998. We're in a double-dip recession and new games consoles are not a priority for most consumers. However, the pack-in is excellent value when you factor-in a bundled game (Nintendo Land), accessories, Nintendo Network Premium and increased memory. It's worth noting there's no sensor bar included with the Basic Pack! There'll be a few unboxing faux pas on Christmas Day!

The Wii U is backwards compatible with most Wii games and accessories. However, there is no native GameCube support (including WaveBird controller). Storage space is expandable via external HDD, SD card and USB flash drive.

What do you think of the Wii U? Are you interested in pre-ordering one before its release? Let me know in comments.

Monday 10 September 2012

Star Wars collection for sale!



A friend is selling his vintage Star Wars collection, which includes loose action figures, vehicles and playsets from the original trilogy!

Highlights include the Palitoy Death Star playset, which was only released in the UK and differs to the US edition, and boxed Slave I.



Any readers interested in making an offer for all (or parts of) this collection, please email for further details.