Throughout gaming lore there have been certain games that come in and out of development and dodge deadlines to the dismay of their loyal fans. Starcraft Ghost, Half-Life 3, the mythical Duke Nukem Forever; all these titles have taken their fans heartstrings and thrown them across the room throughout development. Among these titles lies Max Payne 3. When its predecessor ended back in 2003, fans were expecting a swift turnaround for the sequel. However, problems with developer Remedy and publisher Rockstar eventually lead the two teams to split and for Max Payne 3 to be continually delayed. Thankfully, the release date was not a joke thistime around. Max Payne 3 is out and it delivers on the famed action, while providing a dark story sure to satisfy fans of the series.

The game picks up several years after the end of the last game. Max has fallen into a deep hole in his life and the only way to get out is to take on a private security job in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As one would expect, the 8-10 hour story has its share of backstabbing and vendettas, all narrated by Max himself in classic film noire fashion. While the writing is as strong as ever, the game switches between bad guys too quickly near the end of the game. By the time the person who you are really after is revealed, there isn’t that strong a connection or hatred for them considering they weren’t even important earlier in the game. Nonetheless, Max’s constant monologuing and heavy handed use of metaphors is much better penned than before, characterizing him as a much more cynical, yet likable character than in earlier games. His remarks are actually witty and longtime fans of the series are likely to chuckle when they hear Max’s comments on techno music or Facebook statuses. While the story does get needlessly complicated near the end game, Max’s reasons for mass murder are always clear and it delivers a satisfying conclusion to this new chapter in his life.

Either way, as it was in both games before hand, the meat and potatoes of the experience lies in the ridiculous gunplay. Rockstar has implemented a cover system to the game, leading to a more tactical approach than before. The patented Bullet Time system is back, allowing Max to fall into a trance where he is faster than his enemies and has the ability to dodge bullets with ease. Every bullet is individually modeled, leading to a much higher level of realism to this unrealistic mechanic. Unfortunately, the difficulty within the game cancels out some of the overpowering action many fans are used to. Enemies take cover intelligently and have deadly aim, even from long distance. Not to mention that near the end of the game most bad guys will be covering every inch of their body in body armor, turning them into frustrating bullet sponges. While bullet dodging out of cover and through a window is as awesome as it ever was, when it is over you find yourself awkwardly laying on the floor and struggling to get up with a middle aged groan as bullets smack you across the face. Throw in the fact that your health does not regenerate and you need to be in constant search for painkillers and it can seem unfair at times. It is a problem of new meets old that can hold the game back. Enemies have gotten smarter, and the reckless style of play so suited for this kind of game just does not fly anymore.

Yet, when breaking down the mechanics of the action, it is a beautifully made game. The transitions between animations are extremely smooth, such as when you are left on the ground after a bullet dodge and can rain hell on your enemies. Despite the sometimes frustrating painkiller health system, the game finds ways around it with style. If you have a painkiller on you when you are fatally shot, the game will slow down into Bullet Time and direct your aim towards the guilty goon. If you dispatch him then Max will take the painkiller and give you a second breath of health.

Max Payne 3 is powered by Rockstar’s Euphoria physics engine that mixes Havok-style physics with artificial intelligence. This makes empting a clip on someone more realistic than in any other game in recent memory. Add in the fact that bullets damage enemies without censor, making an entry wound that quickly fills with blood and stains anything it touches, and killing someone in Max Payne 3 looks alarmingly close to the real thing. While the game is not the best looking around, the small details are what sell you on the package. Painkillers will not just be littered around the level, you will have to look for them in logical places such as bathrooms and behind some depressed secretary’s desk. Even the fact that every weapon Max is carrying is shown on his person, and when you reload a side arm he will stick the two handed weapon in between his chest and arm so that it won’t fall on the ground, is enough to convince you of the attention to detail Rockstar has put into this. Cutscenes are all done on the game engine and will often lead directly into gameplay, never taking you out of the experience. Max is suffering from a heavy drug addiction and the game will use some distortion effect in the cutscenes to remind you of that. It can get old quickly, but it successfully captures just how out of whack Max’s life is.

In a first for the series, Rockstar has added a full multiplayer suite with a dozen different game modes and fully integrated character customization. Standard modes such as deathmatch and king of the hill serve their purpose but the real bones of the experience lies with the Gang Wars mode. Players are sorted into teams and dropped into scenes ripped from the single player story. The game mode is always random but it will evolve according to who won the last match, linking together each round with cutscenes and voice over. There are five rounds in each match and the variety of game modes makes this some of the most fun you can have with the game. Bullet time is integrated beautifully into the experience. When you activate it any player in your line of sight will slow down until they break that line of sight. This goes without mentioning the implementation of Bursts (read: COD perks) as little additions to your arsenal. Each burst has 3 levels that you build up the same as you would Bullet Time. If you hold off from using it, and can stay alive, long enough to reach level 3 then the payoff is more than worth the wait. Overall, the multiplayer suite is fully stocked and has just as much attention put into it as the single player story.

Blast Factor: What is probably Max Payne 3’s biggest problem is that it does not always feel like a Max Payne game. You will often be forced into cover and have to pick off enemies like in Gears of War or Uncharted. While there is nothing wrong with this, it is sure to strike a nerve for fans that have been waiting years for this sequel. Nonetheless, when it does feel and play like it should, the experience is bar none some of the best action you can find in a game this year. Throw in the fantastic multiplayer offering and the return of the high scoring arcade mode and the game comes stocked with quality features. Much like Max himself, this game can stumble out of the gate and many of its mechanics have not aged gracefully, but at the end of the night, it is one hell of a good time to hang out with.

A QA tester at TT Games, the makers of various Lego titles, tweeted a picture of a Wii U tablet controller that looks a whole lot different from what we saw at last year’s E3.

As you can see from the image to the right, the controller now has analog sticks that have replaced the 3DS Circle pads. The Select and Start buttons have been moved from the bottom of the controller to below the face buttons on the right side. There also now seems to be two additional square-shaped buttons below the D-pad and next to the power button. Click on the image for more detail and compare it to last year’s model below.

Source: Twitter

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I was a good attempt at giving players a continuation of the original Genesis titles, but its wonky physics and gimmicky stages kept it from achieving true potential. It looked like a classic 2D Sonic game, but the game lacked that special essence that made its 16-bit predecessors so much fun. Luckily, Episode II is the better of the two installments and gives fans a Sonic they’re more familiar with, even if does come with a few misses.

One of the biggest additions to Episode II is the inclusion of Tails, who now brings two-player co-op to the table. Like in the classic games, Tails can pick up and fly Sonic to places he can’t reach for a short amount of time, but players have a lot more control over him this time. By simply pressing a button, the action will pause, and Tails will teleport to where Sonic is and help him out. I found this too convenient sometimes because while it gets you out of sticky situations right away, after a while, it becomes too easy to press a button and save Sonic from a misstep. Tails and Sonic also have another combo ability that turns them into a giant ball, faster and stronger than the average spindash. The duo will always be joined by one another, so levels integrate these two abilities in unique ways that create a different experience. The game may feel like Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but this is a new game, after all.

Co-op mode lets two people play together offline or online, but it does come across a few problems, one of them due to the game’s fast-paced action. If you fall behind your friend, the game will respawn you right behind him, but you’ll need to press a button to pop out of your protective “bubble” like in New Super Mario Bros. The problem here, though, is that this happens a lot when going down slopes or slides, even when you don’t intend to leave someone behind. Another thing I noticed is that the person playing as Tails will have an advantage and can easily exploit certain situations by flying; this is especially evident during boss fights. Let’s just say, playing with someone else is easier than playing solo.

Controlling Sonic and dashing through the many colorful worlds feels quite good. Episode I’s physics engine has been overhauled, and the blue hedgehog runs a bit more like he did back during his Genesis years. Sonic’s homing attack is back, but aiming feels more accurate and is easier to pull off. He is also less shiny and doesn’t look out-of-place amid his colorful backdrops, which have layered textures that often give the game a great pseudo 3D effect. Considering the game is supposed to feel like Sonic 2, it’s great that controls and graphics don’t distract you from the game’s speed, a problem that often plagued Episode I.

Stages, too, are a lot more reminiscent of the original games and are designed to keep you always in motion. While it’s a bit apparent that the themes of past stages have been recycled into “new” zones – expect to see a sky fortress and a snowy amusement park, for example – the game does have its unique charm that is complemented by its soundtrack reminiscent of Sonic’s 16-bit days. There is, however, one section of an underwater level that requires you to swim past enemies that freeze the way forward. If you’re too slow or your aiming is off, you’ll be blocked from all sides, and all you can do is wait until Sonic and Tails drown to try again. Frustrated, I tried (in vain) to find a solution, and can only wonder why the developers wouldn’t provide one that doesn’t require losing a life.

Like classic Sonic titles, Episode II is great the first time you play it, but you may question playing through it several times. To extend playtime even further, the game includes chaos emeralds and red rings to collect in each act. As expected, collecting these emeralds lets you turn into Super Sonic, but it doesn’t really affect the game’s ending that much. Also, while finding each act’s red ring is supposed to provide a challenge, they are simply in areas you’ll explore anyway, and their presence simply serves to unlock an achievement. The developers did include a score attack and time trial mode for each act, so players can at least compete with each other via the game’s leaderboards.

While I didn’t particularly enjoy Episode I that much, Episode II rewards players who played the first game and unlocks Episode I stages playable as Metal Sonic. This feels almost like an apologetic thank you to fans that played through the first game, but this expansion gives you some backstory to the character and lets you play through the first game in a whole new way. Plus, it’s great to see Sega implement a similar lock-on technology it did back when Sonic & Knuckles came out.

Episode II has some obvious gameplay issues and provides a lackluster ending, but the experience playing through each stage is very nostalgic of the fun I had playing through the Genesis games. I also appreciate the improvements the developers made to the game and that they listened to and fixed what fans disliked about the first one. At this rate, let’s hope Episode III is made and becomes something truly worth raving about.

The financial struggles of 38 Studios, the development house behind Kingdom’s of Amular has been well documented this week, but you couldn’t tell by the first look at their long in development title — a MMO dubbed Project Copernicus. 

“When you play single player games, you have to rely on computer programming and artificial intelligence, but when you add the human element to it, a lot of different things can happen and I think that that variable is what has made this space (online gaming) so big,” Shilling said in a recent interview. “We’re looking at a Hollywood Production here, roughly $60 million dollars to put this out and a multi-year development cycle.”

38 Studios, headed by former Redsox Pitcher unveiled a short fly over video of the project’s world today, and it’s impressive. Just today, the Governer of Rhode Island announced that the game would release in June of 2013.

Stay with Blast for more on 38 Studios, their financial situation and Project Copernicus as we approach this year’s E3.

Kim Raver, left, will not return next season

Full Disclosure: I quit on “Grey’s Anatomy” a few episodes into Season 7. While the gunman at the conclusion of Season 6 offered hope that the show was getting back onto the right track, it didn’t capitalize, and I finally gave up on a show that I loved.

To be fair though, “Grey’s Anatomy” quit on me years before that. Season 4 to be exact. Not suggesting correlations here, just offering up facts–the moment that Addison and Burke left and Lexie waltzed in, this show starting getting really bad. Remember Izzie operating on a deer? Yeh. It was a shame–this was THE BEST SHOW on television for a solid 2 years (during that crappy Sopranos Season 6 Part 1 plus break period); it was far better than 24 in 2006, and should have won Outstanding Drama instead of Jack Bauer’s really long day.

But since then, the show has had intermittent ups, with lots of downs. Season 4 closed out strong, and season five was a monumental back and forth, aided by Izzie’s cancer turn, Derek’s mom and the serial killer arc. Season 6 was mostly a mess, with the typically lovable Kim Raver offering nothing, and Arizona and Owen existing as purely dead weight, there for romantic intrigue of more interesting characters.

All of this said, I’m a thoroughly read guy, so I’ve been catching the highlights since I bailed on the show, and in recent weeks, I’d been turned onto Shonda Rhimes warning of a major shift ahead. She even tweeted yesterday, warning viewers it would not be a good night.

And she was right. It was a disturbing, maddeningly sad episode, that featured many unsightly surgical shots and some slit-your-wrists moments. But in many ways, it was a return to form for the uneven once-great soap.

Lexie’s death was not surprising, in that it had been predicted by many sites leading up to the episode. But boy was it shocking, whacking a character with the title in her last name. And what a number this one will do on the rest of the characters next season no?

Giving Teddy the boot was also startling, ending yet another cardio run that was less than favorable. While it opens Christina to take the position, giving the revolving door that one has been, I’m not sure she should want the job.

Which brings us back to the core group–mainly Derek, Meredeith, and Christina, out there trying not to die from their latest malady–a friggin plane crash! Christina, in a vintage performance by Sandra Oh, even lamented the constant misfortune that befalls her erstwhile family at Seattle-Grace-Mercy-Death.

And Meredith. Just when it seemed her life was getting cushy and dark twisty Meredith was gone, bam, it’s time for a reprise.

There were more shockers–it was a “Grey’s Anatomy” season finale afterall–but for me, I’m more concerned with what it means.

Lexie’s emergence coincided with the shows fall from grace (again, not suggesting correlation), and Teddy has been an awful presence on the show for years now. And with both of them exiting and the residents moving into legit surgeon status, it leaves me wondering if the show has the wherewithal within to return to prominence for what is likely to be two final seasons (the main cast signed two year deals, which would bring it to a nice, round, ten seasons).

Beyond that, Private Practice is looking to end its run next season, and there’s hope that Addison could return to the mothership for a final season.

So, believe it or not–through last night’s death and mayhem, is it possible that “Grey’s” has turned the corner of a very painful middle chapter in its history, and could be staring down a graceful final run, befitting the greatness of its early years?

Who knows. Time will tell–and I think I’ll be watching.

Google search has always relatively lead to the thing people look for on the first page results. After the announcement on Wednesday, Google would like to refine those results even more.

Knowledge Graph is said to help with this by understanding more about the relationships and deeper connections of search terms . For example, looking up “basketball” in Google sends back the traditional links to the generic term but now with Knowledge Graph, people, places or things that are closely associated with the search term will appear in a column on the right side. For basketball, we get back the people related to the term like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, each with a little blurb about their bio.

In the blog posting, we also get info that Google’s Knowledge Graph pulls from sources such as Freebase, Wikipedia, the CIA World Factbook and hints at another source but doesn’t say much about it. The easy guess would be the numerous amounts of data collected over the years from everyday usage of searching on Google. Impressive numbers such as Knowledge  Graph containing over 500 million objects and more than 3.5 billion facts about and relationships between those objects leads us to believe so.

Some U.S. English users should start seeing Knowledge Graph in action as early as today. More users and languages should be rolled out gradually although we don’t know how soon. It will also be available on smartphones and tablets.

Tehrene Firman is the editor in chief of the popular website Love Twenty. Here at Blast, we know a little something about 20-somethings who run websites and magazines. Get to know this editor’s hopes, dreams and goals for the future.

BLAST: Tell us about yourself.

TEHRENE FIRMAN: I’m a 22-year-old communication major and journalism minor at the University of Northern Iowa who’s pretty much a magazine fanatic. I’m the editor-in-chief of Love Twenty (www.lovetwenty.com), an online magazine for twenty-somethings, am the campus life editor of my college’s newspaper, and the president of She’s the First*{UNI}, a not-for-profit that raises money for girls’ education in the developing world.

BLAST: You have a personal blog called Crazy Stupid Love — where did that come from?

TF: Crazy Stupid Love is the place where I write about everything from style to relationships to my personal adventures. I’m also really into web design so it’s also a fun outlet to try new things and let loose some creativity throughout the week.

Having a personal blog is nice because it’s an outlet where I’m able to write about whatever topic I want to write about. If I want to write something about a certain celebrity relationship, I can do just that. Or, maybe one day I feel like posting a make-up tutorial. Having a blog allows me to take something I’m passionate about writing about and run with it.

BLAST: When you’re blogging, how do you know what will make an interesting post?

TF: If I’m interested in it, I figure there will be someone out in the blogosphere that will be interested in it as well. I enjoy writing about current trends and pop culture, so those who like to keep up on all of the latest will definitely enjoy the posts I put up.

BLAST: So you’re a blogger, you are editor-in-chief of the Gen-Y girls magazine, Love Twenty, and a student? How do you manage all of this?

TF: It’s tough! It’s hard having a full load of classes and also having the time to run Love Twenty, do everything else I’m involved with, and still be social. Although I am very busy, the experience I’ve gained from not only running an online magazine and working with people from all over the world, but also learning to manage my time, has been so beneficial. It’s taught me so much.

BLAST: How did Love Twenty come to be?

TF I was lounging around at home during Spring Break last year when the idea came to me. I had been investing a lot of my time writing for numerous other online magazines, so I figured why not start one myself? I came up with the name, what I wanted it to be, created the design of the website, and built it that weekend. The following week, Love Twenty launched and has been becoming increasingly popular since! It’s really been a dream come true. I never expected it to go as far as it has.

BLAST: What is it like to be an editor in chief?

TF: It’s amazing. It’s hard work managing all of the writers, interns, and our partnerships, but it’s so worth it. I’ve met so many wonderful people, have gotten to gain an unbelievable amount of experience, and have gotten to see just how much Love Twenty has changed twenty-something’s lives, as well as my own.

BLAST: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

TF: I see myself working as an editor at a popular women’s or teen’s magazine in the Big Apple. It’s been my dream for a very long time now and I can’t see myself doing anything else.

Happy weekend Blast community! Friday brings fun,  sleeping in and of course — Free Games!

This week, we’re bringing you a classic with a new twist. Arcade classic Dragon’s Lair launches today on the Xbox 360 and this time features full Kinect support. Want to play it for free? Here’s what you’ll have to do:

-Follow Blast Magazine on Twitter @BlastMagazine

-Mention us in a Follow Friday (#FF) post

-Use the hashtag #FGF

That’s it! We’ll pick one random winner later on in the day, and who knows — we may have some extra goodies to give out during the weekend too.

REVERE — Comedy came instinctively to Jennifer Zigrino when she was a kid.

“I was the overweight chubby girl. My only defense was to make people laugh,” she said. “People tend not to pick on you if you can make them laugh.”

The now 25-year-old recently won a Community Auditions comedy competition and a chance to perform at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York.

“It’s great. I’m really excited about it,” she said about her win.

Zigrino started performing comedy when she was a teenager and started to take it seriously when she was in her early 20s.

“I always like making people laugh so it was sort of a natural progression for me,” she said.

She took a comedy class when she was a teenager and her first performance was the at the completion of the class and her teacher made her the headliner.

“I guess my teacher really liked me,” she said modestly.

Her first performance was certainly a memorable one.

“It went great. However, my dad’s friend’s wife got really drunk and started heckling everyone else. She eventually got kicked out,” she joked.

The young comedian described her comedy as “observational story telling.”

“I tell stories about my life and the funny things that happen to me,” she said.

While a date hasn’t been set yet for her Gotham Comedy Club debut, she is still excited about the opportunity.

“It’s a great comedy. There have been so many famous people that have performed there,” she said.

She also feels this is the right step for her comedy career.

“I think this is the right direction for breaking into New York. All you need is for one person to see you and everything can change,” she said.

Zigrino would eventually like to move to Los Angeles and be doing sketch comedy as well as starring in some independent films.

“Saturday Night Live is the ultimate dream,” she said.

When she is not performing, she works as Boston Freedom Trail tour guide and sells her own line of jewelry.

“I do a little bit of everything,” she said.

Zigrino moved to Revere after her parents divorce and credits the city for being an inspiration.

“Revere gives me endless material,” she joked.

It appears that 38 Studios didn’t make payroll this week, but is in the process of making its late loan payment of $1.125 to the state of Rhode Island this week, confirmed a spokesperson for the state’s Economic Development Corporation.

Keith Stokes, EDC’s executive director who was involved in devising the $75 million loan the state granted 38 Studios also resigned last night. Former Gov. Donald Carcieri who was also responsible for the loan during his term in office has not responded to comments, but House Speaker Gordon Fox states “he has no regrets.” Taxpayers could end up paying over $100 million dollars to make up for the loan.

A source also told Joystiq that Curt Schilling’s company has fired all of its temps and contractors this week.

We have contacted 38 Studios for more comment, but the company has not responded to our questions.

Update: The check that was hand-delivered to the EDC has bounced because “there were insufficient funds to cover it.” The check was returned.

Source: WPRI, Joystiq

You can now add “renounce my U.S. citizenship” to the list of ways to avoid paying taxes but maybe not for long.

Reuters is reporting that Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has two US senators accusing him of dodging taxes on Facebook stock-market profits. With the plans that Facebook has to raise billions of dollars in an initial public offering on Friday, Saverin would have to pay a hefty sum estimated to be $67 million.

Saverin relocated to Singapore for “business reasons” (Singapore has no capital gains tax)

We’re sure once we hear Saverin’s side, through his spokesman of course, we will still find that he is avoiding taxes, plain and simple. Even if he is being truthful about all of this, everything points to Saverin wanting to avoid cutting a multi-million dollar check to the US government.

One could say that since he was given a college education here and that he would have never meet Mark Zuckerburg if it wasn’t for the government letting him become a citizen here, thus having the good life with his millions billions. One could also say that the government is too hard on its citizens and taxes are too high. Either way, Senator Bob Casey (D-Penn.) said Thursday, “We simply cannot allow the ultra-wealthy to write their own rules.”

Not to be outdone, Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “It’s infuriating to see someone sell out the country that welcomed him and kept him safe, educated him and helped him become a billionaire.”

Of course that says nothing about the banks that took taxpayer bailouts so they could lay off workers and levy new fees against account holders. We’ll leave that one alone, right senator?

I seem to know a lot of people that send me cute pictures of cats with a funny caption or some new recipe that I will end up ruining in the kitchen anyhow. All of these come from the site Pinterest.com. Apparently, numerous people love the cat pics so much that Rakuten, a company that has the largest e-commerce site in Japan and among the world’s largest by sales has raised $100 million in a funding round that had existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, and FirstMark Capital and a number of other angel investors participating as well.

Over at AllthingsD, they’re reporting that Rakuten will invest upwards of $50 million and that this funding will bring Pinterest’s value to $1.5 billion.

That is a huge step up from $200 million the company was worth last October.

“Our goal is to help people discover things they love, by connecting people through their shared interests. Bringing Rakuten on board gives us an amazing opportunity to move a step closer to this goal.” co-founder and CEO of Pinterest, Ben Silbermann, said in a statement.

Having the backing of an e-commerce company as large as Rakuten, we will likely see monetization of most functions of Pinterest, which is good for me since I can finally purchase a frameable picture of the cat who loves his couch.

While most simulation video games strap you behind the cockpit of military fighter jets or even high-speed race cars, TML Studios wants you to ease into the world of a professional bus driver in its upcoming title European Bus Simulator.

European Bus Simulator recreates all the miniscule tasks bus drivers need to be mindful of during their workday and brings it to you on the PC. These include preparing the day’s schedule, monitoring your fuel and engine levels, and even clearing up those steamy windshields. Because the game captures things in crisp detail, the passengers you pick up and drop off will range in appearance and personality and the city you drive through will be bustling with life. When you’re done driving people around, you can also walk around and explore the city you so enthusiastically serve.

This isn’t the first time TML Studios has decided to make a game about driving jobs. The studio also released New York City Bus Simulator and even Tow Truck and Delivery Truck titles.

These games are great when you want to get a glimpse at the daily lives of many citizens. Just take a look at the trailer to see how a bus driver’s life isn’t as easy as it looks.

Ever dream of being a bus driver when you were little? European Bus Simulator is available worldwide on May 31.

As the economic recovery slogs from the worst recession since the Great Depression, businesses struggle to innovate, or else risk bankruptcy. Case in point: The Fawlty Towers Motel in Cocoa Beach, Fla. allowed its guests to take it all as of May 1.

After years of declining revenues, owner Paul Hodge was in a “make-or-break situation,” he told Florida Today. Rather than lose his motel, he was able to convince his wife that going nude was the best option.

Hodge hired a lawyer and consulted the American Association of Nude Recreation. He found nothing prohibitive in his state’s laws. In Texas, however, a nudist maid service had to reclassify the business as “sexually oriented,” which requires a permit.

“Nudity offers a potentially lucrative edge for several types of businesses trying to tough out the anemic market,” says historian Mike Foster, co-author with his wife, Barbara, of the biography, A Dangerous Woman: The Life, Loves, and Scandals of Adah Isaacs Menken (www.TheGreatBare.com). “Recession has people rethinking some of their long-held prejudices.”

Nudity is not the only issue being reconsidered, he says. To ease government spending and increase tax revenue, some conservative pundits, including broadcaster Pat Robinson, are reconsidering their stance on marijuana’s illegality.

Whether in recent or not-so-recent history, nudity can make people rich. Foster gives the following examples:

• Hugh Hefner: The founder and chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises was worth $43 million in 2009, according to divorce papers filed that year.
• Lindsay Lohan: She earned $1 million for a nude spread in Playboy.
• Janet Jackson: Now synonymous with terms like “wardrobe malfunction” and “nipplegate,” Jackson’s flashed breast earned her an incalculable amount of free press.
• Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus: Although often valued as priceless, some estimate the most iconographic nude portrait to be worth half a billion dollars.
• Adah Menken: dubbed “The Great Bare” by writer/admirer Mark Twain, Foster says Menken single-handedly created the first celebrity bombshell in the Civil War era, earning her fame and money.

Menken was a singer and actress who became famous as “The Naked Lady” for her starring role in “Mazeppa.” In this drama she rode a stallion up a four-story stage mountain, apparently in the buff. She actually wore a flesh-colored body stocking, but audiences were shocked, horrified and intrigued by this blend of danger and sex appeal, Foster says.

“If you were a young woman and didn’t have a father or a husband to take care of your cost of living, then times were always rough back then,” Foster says. “She used her body for independence, ambition and money.”

To this day, part of the appeal of nudity is the fact that it’s still a salient taboo in our society – a relic from the Victorian era, Foster says.

“For the business owner struggling to keep his or her business afloat, going nude can be among the most cost-effective rebranding that comes to mind,” he says. “Besides a possible need for permitting, a nudist business simply needs some patrons to go semi-nude or nude, which is after all our most natural state.”

Starting today, CCP games is letting players sign up for open beta access to its upcoming free-to-play first person shooter DUST 514. Players looking to participate can sign up on the game’s website and cross their fingers they get an acceptance email.

Releasing exclusively on PlayStation 3, DUST 514 combines the world of EVE Online with large-scale warfare and intense military combat. Select EVE Online players will also be selected to join in on the beta this week.

The game was announced at last year’s E3, so expect to see more news and our preview of the game next month. Dust 514 is expected to release later this year.

When Microsoft made Forza Horizon official earlier this year, all we got was a trailer of people and cars — not in game cars mind you. But now hey — look an in game screen shot — and there’s a car!

We’re expecting to hear more about Forza Horizon at this year’s E3 convention in L.A., which is less than three weeks away.

Also, I’d just like to point out, the screen looks awfully familiar to a certain automobile themed Disney movie…I’m just going to leave this right here…

Donna Summer, known by many as the “Queen of Disco,” died this morning following a battle with cancer, TMZ reports. She was 63.

The 5-time Grammy winner was best known for her ‘70s and ‘80s hits “She Works Hard for the Money”, “Last Dance,” and “Hot Stuff,” among others. Her work with producer Giorgio Moroder helped shape the dance music of the era and proved influential on many artists, electronic and otherwise, who came after her.

She was reportedly working on a new album at the time of her death.

This is a developing story, and details remain unconfirmed by those close to the singer.

The following is our list of the Top 20 episodes of “How I Met Your Mother” as of the end of the seventh
season. The list is chronological by season, starting with the first. Enjoy!

1.  Season 1, Episode 3:  Sweet Taste of Liberty

Ted: "Fine, we'll go lick the Liberty Bell"

Summary:

Barney convinces Ted that he needs to break his normal routine of going to the same bar
every night. He takes Ted to JFK to pick up girls, using a fake story about being businessmen
returning from a trip to Japan. They eventually end up in Philadelphia, where Barney persuades
a reluctant Ted to lick the Liberty Bell.

Why it Made the List:

“Sweet Taste of Liberty” really sets up how crazy Barney is, how he has the ability to pull Ted
into his misadventures, and to what lengths Barney is willing to go to in order to get laid. The
episode explores the Ted / Barney relationship and helps explain why Ted keeps Barney around,
despite his various flaws.

2.  Season 1, Episode 14:  Zip, zip, zip

Robin teams up with Barney for some laser tag

Summary:

Ted and Victoria are hitting their stride as a couple. After initially waiting, Ted and Victoria
pick a night to have sex before she leaves town for awhile. They go to Ted’s apartment, which
is supposed to be empty, and get busy. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Ted, Lily and Marshall
bailed on their nine-month anniversary trip plans and stayed home instead. They hide in the
bathroom to avoid being found out, and must stay there while Ted and Victoria get hot-and-
heavy in the living room.

Meanwhile, Robin decides to be Barney’s “bro” for the night, joining him for a cigar and a drink
at a bar (suited up, nonetheless), and for a game of laser tag later on. When they head back to
Robin’s apartment, Barney mistakes Robin’s excitement for playing the board game “Battleship”
for a sexual euphemism and starts getting undressed. In the awkwardness that ensues, Robin
admits to Barney that she has feelings for Ted.

Why it Made the List:

“Zip, zip, zip” packed a whole lot of important material into one episode. First, we get to see
how great Robin and Barney are together (setting up their future relationship). Then, Robin
reveals that she actually does have feelings for Ted, which is sure to complicate his recently
blossoming relationship with Victoria. Plus, Lily and Marshall wrestle with the problem of
being out of “firsts” in their relationship – certainly something that every long-term couple can
relate to. Lily and Marshall being locked in the bathroom leads to some great comedy, as does
Robin being Barney’s “bro”. This one is an all-around solid episode.

3. Season 1, Episode 15: Game Night

Barney gets an origin story episode, and not all of it is pretty...

Summary:

The gang gets together for game night, in which Marshall introduces a new game that he created – Marshgammon. Marshall uses the game to find out more about Victoria, who Ted brought along. Lily reveals that someone gave her a tape to give to Barney, who tries to destroy it upon finding out who it’s from. Despite Barney’s protests, the group watches the tape, which reveals a long-haired, hippy-looking Barney crying into the camera.

Later, at MacLaren’s, Barney tells the sad tale behind the videotape, but only in sections as each friend reveals their most embarrassing stories. We find out that Barney became the playboy he is today because of a failed relationship with a girl named Shannon, who left him for a suited alpha-male named Greg. Also, just recently Barney reunited with Sharon, who is now raising Greg’s kid on her own. In an ending fit for Barney’s character, he gets closure on the whole tragic storyline by having sex with Shannon.

Why it Made the List:

“Game Night” was the episode that really turned Barney into a dynamic character. Up to this point, he’d been a monotonous player who only had one agenda – to get laid as much as possible. But here we find out that there is actually a reason for the way he is, and that he wasn’t always how he is now. Seeing the way that Barney was with Shannon gives us hope that someday he may be able to ditch his womanizing ways and settle down with the right girl.

Another reason “Game Night” made the list: Marshgammon. Marshall’s complex creation has the entire group confused, and to make matters worse, one of the rules is that a player has to drink if they ask, “What?” Hilarious.

4. Season 2, Episode 9: Slap Bet

Barney reacts to being slapped across the face by Marshall

Summary:

When Robin makes it clear that she does not want to go to the mall, the rest of the gang try to figure out why. Marshall hypothesizes that she was married at a Mall in Canada, and Barney suggests that Robin did pornography in Canada. They agree to a Slap Bet, in which the winner of the bet gets to slap the loser, and appoint Lily as Slap Bet Commissioner.

Eventually, Robin admits that she did get married in a mall, so Marshall slaps Barney. But it is later revealed that Robin lied, so Lily awards Barney 3 slaps on Marshall (for being prematurely slapped). Barney gets a hold of a video of Robin who appears under the alias of Robin Sparkles. He plays the first few minutes of the video, which seems to suggest that it is a porno. Barney pauses the video before anything risqué can happen and slaps Marshall for having won the bet. But Robin continues playing the video, and it turns out that it is not porn but in fact an embarrassing music video. Due to Barney’s erroneous slap on Marshall, Lily gives him two choices: to be slapped 10 times in a row right now, or to be slapped 5 times from now until eternity at whatever time Marshall chooses. Barney chooses the latter, setting up the long-running Slap Bet joke for future episodes to come (in which it is wonderfully revisited).

Why it Made the List:

“Slap Bet” is easily one of HIMYM’s greatest episodes. The Slap Bet ends up being a long-running joke that they excellently revisit in future episodes with phenomenal timing. This episode gave birth to “Slapsgiving”, the Slap Countdown, Marshall’s “You Just Got Slapped” song, and many other well-placed slaps randomly scattered through the following seasons.

“Slap Bet” also introduced us to another HIMYM classic: Robin Sparkles, and her hit song, “Let’s Go to the Mall”. The show revisits the Robin Sparkles joke a number of times, most notably for her follow-up song, “Sandcastles in the Sand,” which appears in the Season 3 episode of the same name. “Let’s Go to the Mall” was so popular with the show’s viewers that it actually made it onto the real-life videogame “Just Dance 3”. Two classic HIMYM jokes in one episode means it has to make the Top 20 list.

5. Season 2, Episode 21: Something Borrowed

Barney finally weds Marshall and Lily after a long day of wedding disasters

Summary:

On Lily and Marshall’s wedding day, a number of unfortunate events occur that ruin any chance of having the perfect wedding. Lily’s problems include her ex-boyfriend, Scooter, showing up to the wedding (her family invited him), her veil being ruined, the flowers not showing up, and the harp player going into labor. Marshall’s mishaps include accidently getting his hair bleached (the tips) and then shaving off a long strip of his hair in a sudden panic.

Marshall and Lily are ready to call off the wedding, but Ted saves the day by suggesting they have the small ceremony they always wanted outside, away from all of their guests. Barney was recently licensed to marry people, so under a tree outside, Barney weds Lily and Marshall in front of just two people – Ted and Robin. The wedding reception at the very end of the episode carries into the season 2 finale, “Something Blue.”

Why it Made the List:

“Something Borrowed” marked the marriage of a legendary couple, one of the greatest TV has ever seen. I also liked that the episode redefined a “perfect wedding” to be a simple ceremony in front of best friends, minus all the commotion of the big event in front of the whole family.

“Something Borrowed” also established Ted’s leadership role, and how at the worst of times he has the ability to pick up the rest of the group and right the ship, which is seen in future episodes. All-in-all, this was just a feel-good episode that focused on Lily and Marshall and temporarily put aside the relationship drama of the other group members.

Not wanting to be overshadowed by two other special edition pre-orders announced this week, 2K Games has announced not one but two deluxe editions for Borderlands 2.

As of today, players can pre-order the Deluxe Vault Hunter’s Collector’s Edition, which includes an authentic Marcus Kincaid bobble head, hardbound art book, map of Pandora, a comic book download, and a four sticker set. This set costs $99.

If you want to get an even better package, why not spend $50 more for the Ultimate Loot Chest Limited Edition, which comes in a replica loot chest and includes everything from the Deluxe version plus a SteelBook case, a creatures of Pandora identification chart, lithograph postcards, field notes from Sir Hammerlock, a cloth map of Pandora, and a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Even if you decide to forego the above sets and simply want the game, pre-ordering it from participating retailers will grant you access to the Borderlands 2 Premier Club, allowing them to download the Gearbox Gun Pack, a Golden Key to unlock an in-game race, the Vault Hunter’s Relic to boost your fortune, and an all-new fifth character class: the Mechromancer.

Borderlands 2 hits the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on September 18, 2012.

Vampires and Kirby. What do these two have in common? Well before you say they both have done their share of sucking in the past, how about also being the stars of this week’s Nintendo Downloads?

3DS eShop
Kirby’s Block Ball (Nintendo, $2.99)

Kirby’s Block Ball is one of those games that let players do something more than simply suck in their enemies with the pink puffball. Think of the game as Nintendo’s version of Breakout, so not only will you be moving a paddle around to bounce brick-breaking balls around, but you’ll also find Kirby-themed power-ups like Maxim Tomatoes and absorb enemy powers.

Rayman Origins (Ubisoft, DEMO)

If you haven’t tried out Ubisoft’s platforming gem, you can now download the game’s demo for free. With over 60 levels, nostalgic Rayman controls, and lush graphics, you just may be sold on adding this game to your collection.

DSiWare
Chronicles of Vampires: The Awakening (Teyon, $4.99/500 pts)

Vampires merely set the tone for this game, so don’t expect any gushy love story. In fact, this hidden object game will have you traveling to 20 different locations in order to stop a sinister plot from happening and destroying the living world.

One Trekkie who grew up to become a systems engineer is hoping to bring the Starship Enterprise into the 21st century.Through a website launched this week, a shadowy figure going by the name BTEDan has proposed a 20 year outline to build a full-sized, ion-powered version of the famed fictional ship complete with 1G of gravity on board.

The Christian Science Monitor reports that this “Gen1” Enterprise could get to Mars in 90 days, to the Moon in three, and “could hop from planet to planet dropping off robotic probes of all sorts en masse – rovers, special-built planes, and satellites.”

The site — buildtheenterprise.org — showcases conceptual designs, ship specs including a gravity wheel to retain the classic shape while making the craft functional,  and almost every other detail imaginable, the newspaper says, down to the rather important problem of how to fund such a project in an era where government officials are taking a “been there, done that” approach to funding NASA and space travel.

Though in a quick perusal this fangirl was surprised to find that the creators did not have a thorough editor. What I lack in engineering know-how I make up for in basic fan knowledge. “Live long and proper.” BTE Dan writes on the FAQ page. Come now, Dan. You can hatch an entire $1 trillion plan to build Scotty’s beloved ship, but you bungle Spock’s signature phrase?

Trying to get in shape isn’t the only reason to skip dessert: consuming high-fructose corn syrup is bad for your brain, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of Physiology, the AFP reports.

In the six-week study, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient found in soft drinks, candies and other processed foods.

One of the groups was also fed omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in foods such as salmon and walnuts and which are known to promote heart and brain health. This group of rats was fed the fatty acids via flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The other group of rats did not consume omega-3s.

For five days before the study, both groups of rats practiced running through a maze. After the six-week study, both groups were observed in the maze again.

“The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity,” said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. ”Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the route they’d learned six weeks earlier.”

Scientists also discovered that the brains of the omega-3-deprived rats had begun to resist insulin, a hormone critical to brain function and to blood sugar regulation.

“Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss,” said Gomez-Pinilla. ”Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes upwards of 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup a year. But a diet rich in omega-3s can help keep your brain sharp, says Gomez-Pinilla.

“Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information,” said Gomez-Pinilla. ”But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage.”

38 Studios met today with Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to discuss its current financial situation, which at the moment isn’t looking so good. During the meeting, studio founder Curt Schilling asked the state for more money, even after his studio defaulted its latest loan payment this month, leaving many to wonder what will end up happening to the Providence-based company.

Attorney and Game of the Law Editor Mark Methenitis told Joystiq that based on documentation and information he has reviewed, the state’s $75 million loan was secured by studio assets including all of 38 Studios’ intellectual property. This includes rights to Kingdoms of Amalur and any other unannounced games currently being worked on.

“What that means, in brief, is if they default on their obligations to the RIEDC, then the RIEDC can turn around and take possession of as much of that as is necessary to pay off the debts owed, Methenitis told Joystiq.

Remember that Rhode Island taxpayers may end up paying upwards of $112.6 million to pay up the studio’s loan. The state could bring in more money by auctioning off rights to Kingdoms of Amalur to the highest bidder, though it’s not likely anyone will want to pay $100 million for a relatively new IP that has only seen one game so far.

Source: Joystiq

Sniping games seem to form their own sub-genre in the crowded first person market. From the disastrous Sniper:Ghost Warrior to the original Sniper Elite, it is a genre that does not seem to have too many supporters. Nonetheless, Rebellion Software has seen it fit to revive it’s cult classic series and bring it to the next generation. Unfortunately, despite the shiny new coat of paint, the game suffers  from a major identity crisis, leading the once promising series deep into the path of mediocrity. Sniper Elite V2 acts as a sort of “revamp” for the original game.

Once again, you take control of American OSS agent Karl Fairburne who has been sent deep into war torn Berlin in 1945 to single-handedly stop the German nuclear secrets from getting into Soviet hands. Predictably, the story has you track down the most evil fictional Nazi’s ever imagined, complete with scars and ugly snarls. There are no notable secondary characters and you are literally alone during every mission. The roughly six hour story does not do enough to satisfy any narrative nerve and only drives this game deeper into the mediocrity hole. The main problem with Sniper Elite V2 is that it completely misses the point of what a sniper game should be. Instead of creating a decent stealth game with some cool sniping opportunities, the game forces you to engage all enemies in the room in order to continue.

The average level will involve some sort of artificial hallway, be it a bombed out street in Berlin or a V2 rocket facility, littered with enemies and a sniper or two perched in a building. You would think that the best approach would be  to sneak your way around the patrol, by either not being noticed or quietly picking out enemies. However, the linearity of the game prevents you from taking any other routes other than where the patrol is. You cannot traverse through broken down buildings and flank you enemy, you cannot sneak your way into a sniper’s nest, or even find any alternate routes to your objectives. Sneaking past the patrols is out of the question since the enemy snipers are guaranteed to see you  and shooting them will get the attention of every enemy in the area. There are times where background noise can be used to cover the sound of your shot, but it is few and far between. The game is built so you have to become a one man army and dispatch all of the enemies as quickly as possible.

Now, to say that a game fails at one thing does not mean that it does not succeed at another. You would think that when taking away the useless stealth, Sniper Elive V2 would be a half decent action game, but it even fails at that. Bullets are realistically impacted by gravity and wind meaning lining up a shot can be more difficult than anticipated. There is a focus system that is activated by how calm the sniper’s heartbeat is, meaning that is you were sprinting to knee high wall you are using as cover you will have to wait a minute to have a super slowdown effect. One of the few redeeming features of Sniper Elite V2 are the gruesome killcams that follow the trajectory of your bullet and show an x-ray effect as it breaks bone and  pierces internal organs. It rarely gets old and can bring about a few macabre chuckles.

Not everything in Sniper Elite V2 is horrible. There are a few cool features in place that make setting up a good shot enjoyable. If you wound an enemy they will lay on the ground screaming for help until another enemy comes by and helps them up, in which case you can finish him as well. The game encourages you to lay traps, such as using a trip mine on a door or setting a landmine on a dead body, in order to make your escape easier. However, the game will often make you escape through a different path than the one you came from, making any premeditation useless.

The amount of complaints toward this game keep stacking up. There is no Nazi swastika in the game for whatever reason, making the red and black flags in its place stand out like a sore thumb. The graphics do not fare well, with character models in the Xbox 360 version looking like Ken dolls and a horrible draw distance that makes one wonder why Rebllion used such a limited engine for a game that requires a good draw distance. To add insult to injury, the enemy AI did not graduate from kindergarten, leading them to get stuck behind walls and unable to notice you when you are right next to them. Even more annoying is the fact that they seem to have ridiculously good aim while blindly shooting a fully automatic machine gun from behind cover, hitting you in the face when you are 500 meters away in a watchtower.

To put it simply, Sniper Elite V2 is a broken game. There are cool ideas in place but the game containing them is a waste of time. The poor game design completely misses the point of a sniper game and manages to make this a painful exercise in patience.

While anyone can pre-order Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] and get a few AR cards, serious Kingdom Hearts aficionados will want to feast their eyes on the game’s Mark of Mastery box set.

Commemorating the franchise’s 10th anniversary, the special edition of the game will come in a snazzy magnetic box and will include a branded clear hard case skin cover and 12 art cards. The game will also come with five AR cards that will unlock creature companions known as Dream Eaters in the game.

The Mark of the Mastery box set is priced at $54.99

Brace yourselves, Halo fans. Microsoft today revealed the contents of Halo 4‘s robust, sleek-looking Limited Edition.

Available for pre-order now, the $99 game package grants players access to nine future DLC multiplayer maps, early access to six Specializations for their Spartan career character, and a UNSC Infinity Briefing pack, which includes some collectible documents and a neat blueprint of the game’s ship.

Players will also gain extra content through Xbox Live including,

• Unique in-game Spartan-IV armor skin
• Unique in-game weapon skin for the Assault Rifle
• An exclusive in-game emblem
• Xbox LIVE Avatar prop
• Xbox LIVE Avatar Spartan-IV armor set

Finally, the Limited Edition will also include lots of exclusive videos and featurettes including an extended 90-minute version of the live-action digital series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. Even the box for the Limited Edition looks like it means business.

During a meeting with the Economic Development Corporation to discuss his studio’s financial situation, Curt Schilling asked the state of Rhode Island for more money.

The meeting was called days after officials were notified that the studio failed to make its latest loan payment of $1.125 million this month. 38 Studios was given a $70 million loan from the state of Rhode Island to move from Massachusetts to Providence.

The EDC took no action on Schilling’s request, nor was the amount he asked for revealed. WPRI reports that the “state is still trying to decide whether it’s worth risking more to help the company.”

Schilling quickly left the meeting this afternoon and simply told reports that his priority was to get back to his team.

If 38 Studios doesn’t receive assistance, Rhode Island taxpayers could face paying back upwards of $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments.

Source: WPRI

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is all about teamwork. The game takes Mickey back to the Wasteland where he discovers that things are not as peaceful as he left them. The game will include new co-op features that will enable two players to venture forth in the Wasteland together. While one player controls Mickey and his magic paintbrush, the other can take on the role of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and use his remote controller to electrocute enemies.

In a new behind the scenes video, Warren Spector and his team discuss the making of The Power of Two and the important role of working together. The video below also showcases the game’s lush updated graphics coming to Xbox360, PlayStation 3, and Wii later this year.

Since 1983, the Boston radio station marketed as “true alternative” has rocked the airwaves, but for the last few years it really hasn’t been the alternative to anything — it’s been the only game in town.

And now it’s gone.

Phoenix Media has sold 101.7 FM, the home of WFNX, to radio conglomerate Clear Channel.

Not the station, the frequency.

Phoenix Media, in a statement Wednesday, said the company will retain “the call letters, the archives, interviews, videos, etc.,” meaning that soon, the radio station 101.7 WFNX will cease to exist, and may only live on as an Internet or HD radio station.

The Phoenix, reporting on its own company, says that Clear Channel may have plans to turn 101.7 into either a country or a Spanish language station.

Bolstering that argument, the Boston Business Journal is reporting that longtime radio personalities Julie Kramer and Henry Santoro were laid off today.

The move will leave Boston without an alternative radio station and with only one option for FM rock music. WAAF (97.7 and 107.3) attracts a “harder” audience and does not share much of an audience with the indie-heavy FNX crowd.

Blast interviewed Santoro in 2009 in a lengthy a profile of the Sandbox morning show, which shut down just four months later.

Boston.com reported Wednesday afternoon that 15 other WFNX employees were laid off. The station, which started the week with 21 employees — 9 full-time and 12 part-time — is left with three full-timers and one part time employee, Boston.com reports, citing Boston Phoenix editor Peter Kadzis.

WFNX has struggled in ratings for years, even after longtime rock competitor WBCN went off the air when CBS Radio launched its 98.5 The Sports Hub sports talk channel and moved a top 40 station to WBCN’s 104.1 dial position.

“Because this is an emotional announcement to make, let me cut right to the chase. This morning I met with the staff of WFNX to announce the pending sale of the station to Clear Channel Communications,” Phoenix Media founder Stephen M. Mindich wrote in a memo to staff. “It was a great run and I will miss the station.”

Mindich cited the economic downturn as a contributing factor in the sale.

“Despite its celebrated history, its cutting edge programming, its tradition of breaking new music, its ardent fans among listeners and advertisers, for some time it has been difficult to sustain the station – especially since the start of the Great Recession,” he wrote.

WFNX will remain on the air during the time it takes to complete the FCC transfer process.

Mindich said that events and concerts like the Best Music Poll (June 13) and the Seaport Six (June 14) will go on as scheduled.

The Dictator arrives at the Carlton Hotel during the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 16 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

The Boston public had a rare chance to support the great Republic of Wadiya yesterday, as AMC Boston Common Theater hosted a paid sneak preview of film “The Dictator.”

Paramount Pictures credited the preview to an “uncharacteristic stroke of generosity” by the film’s title character, General Aladeen of the Republic of Wadiya (played in the movie by Sacha Baron Cohen). The General’s “Virgin Guards” were on hand to greet supporters and offer complimentary snacks, t-shirts, posters and photos.

The film, which opens today, centers on Aladeen’s trip to America to ensure that his country can remain “lovingly oppressed” and free of democracy. Cohen’s character has made several public appearances in preparation for the film’s release, including on the 2012 Academy Awards red carpet when he accidentally spilled the ashes of deceased North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il on Ryan Seacrest.

Starting today, players who want to partake in online Mario Kart 7 races need to download the free patch for the game released a couple of days ago on Nintendo’s eShop. The Mario Kart 7 Version 1.1 patch removes three notable shortcut exploits in the Maka Wuhu, Wuhu Loop, and Bowser Castle 1 race tracks when the game is played online. These glitches allow players to skip entire laps or get transported too far ahead, giving them an edge over their competition, forcing many to either join in on the shortcut or wind up in last place.

This update is the first one of its kind Nintendo has rolled out since it announced plans to do so earlier this year. In Japan, the next batch of games to be patched include Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance and New Love Plus. Its latest 3DS firmware update now allows Nintendo to update individual software over the internet, something its competitors have been doing for years.

More bad news for 38 Studios. It seems the studio founded by former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling failed to make its latest loan payment of $1.125 million, causing the state of Rhode Island to investigate the studio’s sketchy financial situation, WPRI reports after confirming the news with Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox.

38 Studios was to provide payments to the Economic Development Corporation, but the EDC has now scheduled “an emergency meeting” tomorrow morning to discuss “an unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action to protect the public regarding the 38 Studios LCC financing.”

As was reported earlier, 38 Studios has already used up $49.8 million of the $75 million loan that it was given to move to Rhode Island. Fox didn’t comment on what would be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting, but it’s a safe bet the first thing on everyone’s minds will be how the money will be made up. If the burden falls onto taxpayers, Rhode Island citizens may wind up paying upwards of $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments.

38 Studios has yet to make any statement.

Source: WPRI

Yes, we know Max Payne and Diablo III are out today, but Sega wants you to put down your AK-47 and gaming keyboard for a bit and take a minute to relive your childhood with Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode 2, which spindashes its way onto consoles and mobile devices this week.

Sega has been listening to fan feedback following the release of Episode 1, so expect to see some enhanced gameplay features such as two-player co-op, better physics, and the addition of the challenging red rings introduced in Sonic Colors.

Also, those who currently own Episode 1 will be able to replay the original game from the perspective of Metal Sonic and learn more about his backstory and how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode 2 is out today on PlayStation and Steam and will be out on Xbox 360 tomorrow. The game will also be available for iOS devices on May 17. Be sure to check out our upcoming review of the game once it posts!

Fans have been waiting over 12 years for the release of Diablo III, and today they finally go their hands on Blizzard’s latest offering. The game not only set a Blizzard pre-order record of 2 million copies and became Amazon’s most pre-ordered PC game of all time, but just last night, over 8,000 midnight launch events were held across the country.

“This launch is a culmination of many years of hard work by our development team, and many years of passionate, dedicated support from gamers around the world,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re grateful for the enthusiasm of our players, and for the help of our beta testers in getting the game ready for release. Now that Diablo III is live, we hope everyone’s ready to have a hellishly good time slaying demons and collecting loot in Sanctuary.”

But before you relish in the hellishly new adventures you’ll be playing through in Diablo III, be aware that the game does come with a few bugs, and one in particular may lock you out of your game.

Here’s a list of the currently known bugs and errors players have experienced in the game and possible solutions. Blizzard is looking into correcting all these errors, but in the meantime, be careful who you trade with!

Error 37
This error indicates that the Diablo III server is full and is likely the result of high login traffic. If you receive this error message, please wait and try again.

Error 3005 and 3006 (time outs)
If you receive either of these messages while playing, please wait and try again.

Error 3006 (affects Demon Hunters)
When playing a Demon Hunter, giving a shield to your Templar before you kill Jondar and hire him can disconnect you from Battle.net and give you an Error 3006. Blizzard is working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and may address it via hotfix.

Error 14009 and 315300
If you are experiencing either of these issues and are using Windows, create a new user account with administration powers (http://www.wintuts.com/Manage-User-Accounts). From there, log into Diablo III.

Grayed-Out Login Button
Please make sure that you are using your Battle.net email address and password to log in to the game. Do not attempt to log in with your BattleTag.

Character Creation Issues
While most of the character creation issues have been resolved, it’s possible that if you attempted to create characters previously and did not log out, you may have actually maxed out your character list with “invisible” characters. If you are still receiving an error creating new characters, log out and log back in and then check your character list.

In conjunction with the release of Max Payne 3 today, Marvel Comics and Rockstar Games have released a brand new comic based on the grizzled detective — and you can get the first issue right now, for free without leaving your favorite chair.

Max Payne: The Fall, written  looks into Max’s troubled past, as well as tells a bit of the story leading up to the new game.

Head over to the official Max Payne webpage to download the first issue now, as well as enter to win a printed copy of the book.

BORDEAUX, France — In a city with a mix of students, the weekend starts on Thursday in Bordeaux. A night of drinking and dancing begins in the Place de la Victoire, where the crowd tends to be younger and livelier. Very popular with students is Le Titi Twister (76 Rue Leyteire), which as one insider described as “cozy inside with a Belgian/Dutch pub feel to it…and a good selection of world beers.” Other spots for entertainment include Place St-Pierre, Place du Parlement, and Place Gambetta.

Also in the vicinity is Café des Moines (12 Rue Menuts), a great place with a wide selection of beers and wines, and live music nearly every night. Nearby is Au Chat qui Peche (50 Cours de la Marne), something of a speakeasy where they play live music of jazz, rock and blues until midnight. However, the place is almost always packed until 4 or 5 a.m.

Bordeaux’s nightlife has a funky sophistication and its own chic that cannot be compared with Paris. Really, Bordeaux is the center of the world in wine commerce. These Frenchies know how to drink, and they know the quality of what they drink.

But don’t think you won’t be able to find a beer in this city: the Chartrons district has a rich Irish history, and there are plenty of Irish and British Pubs, such as The Cambridge Arms (27 Rue Rodé). At Connemara (14-18 Cours d’Albre), one can enjoy open-mic nights, karaoke, games and good pub food.

If gambling, drinking, dining and people-watching is more your ticket, then check out the Casino de Bordeaux, in the Hotel Sofitel Bordeaux Lac (rue Cardinal Richaud). If anything, the free admission is great if all you want to do is have a look around. To enter the formal gaming rooms, you will have to present your passport or identity card. Usually Fridays around 8 p.m. there is live entertainment. A brasserie on the street level is informal and has a fixed price menu of 25€. The restaurant above has menus beginning at 35€.

Or, if you’re the cultured type, a play or an opera at the Grand Theatre, place de la Comedie, could start your evening. Formal attire is required, and the cheapest tickets are best bought in advance. If jazz is what your soul is feeling, head over to Le Comptoir (14 Rue Temple), which is located near Gare St. Jean. For sure, this club attracts the 30-something crowd who have a taste for a little more sophistication and less wildness.

If you are looking to schmooze and network while listening to good music, Chez Pom-Pom (4 Cours Verdun ) is respectable, if not charming. The loud music and close space will lead to intimate conversations with handsome strangers (only the good looking people seem to go here).

Place Camile Julian is where the entertainment is, though. Cinema Utopia is “the best thing since sliced bread!” says an English teaching assistant living in Bordeaux.

If you are interested in salsa dancing, head to La Casa Latina Bar (59 Quai Chartrons ) in the Chartons. Another trendier bar is L’Absolute Lounge (rue de la Devise). There, you will be able to twist and shake to merengue and bachata, and occasionally enjoy live electro-jazz concerts.

Along the quai du Paludate or the old abandoned Wet Docks (Bassins-a-Flots), night owls can hibernate in bars and clubs until the early morning while listening to techno dance beats.

Iboat (Bassin à flot n°1, Quai Armand Laland) is located along Bassin-a-Flots with other major nightclub players like Pier 6 Deck (Rue Lucien Faure, Bassin à flot n°2), Dame de Shanghai (1 Quai Armand Lalande ) and Ice Room (19 Quai de Bacalan). Be prepared for a selective bouncer who will judge you on your guy-to-girl ratio and heel size. This is a crowd of 20-somethings in their first professional jobs or blowing off some end-of-the-week university steam.

As the parties end and dawn breaks across the quai, be certain to make one of your final stops at a street kebab stand, a portable late night food perfect for sharing with friends. Or if you feel like lingering, rest a little at a smaller café. If there’s anything the French know better than their food and wine, it is their coffee. And after a night of dancing, drinking, singing and dancing some more, a fresh cup of coffee and some talk will begin your Sunday morning.

(Images are original photography for Blast. Image credits: JenniferRose Photography; model, Alena Karabina; hair and makeup by Janeen Jones; styling by Nicoletta Marie Lyons; clothing provided by Conrad Lamour).

Heroes of Ruin impressed us with its mission-based gameplay at PAX East last month, but the game is also coming with some features that are not too common on the 3DS including voice chat and a fluid drop-in-drop-out campaign mode.

This bustling RPG encourages players to play it with others and will come with daily Spot Pass challenges, Street Pass item trading, and other features that will make you reconsider playing it solo. Check out our preview to learn more about the game and watch the trailer below to see some of these multiplayer features in action.

A local Rhode Island NBC station reported on Monday night that Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios is now facing insolvency issues, just three months after the release of their first major title Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

Back in 2010, 38 Studios moved to Providence from Massachusetts after Rhode Island offered the company a $75 million loan with the hope of bringing 450 employees and tax revenue to the state. WPRI reports that the studio has received $50 million and currently has 288 employees.

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee has been in talks this past weekend with company executives regarding the future of 38 Studios.

“We’re concerned and just doing everything possible to ensure that 38 Studios stays part of the Rhode Island community,” Governor Chafee told WPRI on Monday night. “We’re working on different issues with them.”

The massive taxpayer-backed loan is actually funding the studio’s “Project Copernicus,” a massively multiplayer online game that is supposed to be released this September. 38 Studios has not announced plans to showcase the game at E3, nor has it planned any booth for the show.

If the former Red Sox pitcher can’t find a way to pay off his studio’s loan, Rhode Island taxpayers could be forced to pay up to $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments, according to bond documents reviewed by WPRI.

Source: WPRI, WPRI

Former lead anchor for San Diego’s Channel 4 –  and all-around “big deal”  - Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) demanded that his legion of fans stop what they were doing yesterday and listen to his latest announcement: starting today, the first look at the long-awaited sequel to 2004′s Anchorman, Anchorman 2, will debut in the form of a teaser trailer.  The trailer will air before the latest Sascha Baron Cohen flick The Dictator.

Burgundy took to Twitter to drop the bombshell, in his own inimitable way. “Don’t know what a teaser is,” he wrote. “World is crazy? Having a scotch.”

News of the sequel officially broke when Burgundy made an appearance on “Conan” in late March and announced that Paramount had given the project the green light.

This is the first real look at the film, the plot of which has only been teased by writer and producer Adam McKay: “Keep in mind we’re still writing the story, but I’ll say one phrase for you: custody battle,” he told Salon.com in April.

We have a handy giveaway for you this week — something that we know everyone wants, needs, and continually buys.

Verbatim, the global leader in data storage, is allowing Blast to give away two of its brand new 16GB New Store ‘n’ Go V3 USB 3.0 Drives.

The V3 drives are twice as fast as an older USB 2.0 solution, though they still work in any USB port.

All you have to do is comment on this story, follow @blastmagazine on Twitter, and Tweet a shout out to us in order to be entered. We’ll pick TWO winners on Friday morning, before we start #freegamefriday up all over again!

Product Features and Specifications

• USB 3.0 Interface for faster data transfer on USB 3.0 equipped pc’s.
• New retractable design, shields USB connector in transit
• Compatible with all USB ports (including USB 2.0/1.1)
• 8GB -64GB Capacities
• Available in 7 trendy colors
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