The Wii U is coming in 2012, but it may not be until the final month. That’s the announcement that came late last night for Japan, as Nintendo livestreamed a press event to give a December 8, 2012 release in their native country. The basic console will cost 26,250 yen ($337; £210) and a premium edition will 31,500 yen ($405; £251), though those prices will likely not translate directly in the international markets. The new controller, fashioned as a tablet-gamepad hybrid, will run Japanese gamers 13,000 yen ($167; £104).

Join us for live coverage of the New York press event Thursday morning at 10am EDT where we’ll get all the release details for the US (and likely European) market. We’ll be back here then, so bookmark now and get that refresh button ready!

We’re settled in at a swanky NYC loft space amongst throngs of other journalists and industry representatives. There was some notable presence from Activision, Sega, Ubisoft, and EA here at the event alongside Nintendo.

And here we go. A sizzle reel of the WiiU going on tour was played before NoA President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime took the stage.

“Good morning everyone, and thanks for spending some time with us today.”

“Even with all that’s been said about WiiU so far, there are still some key questions to be answered.”

WiiU arrives in US stores in 66 days, Sunday November 18, 2012.

Reggie says the reaction as they took the WiiU on tour has been great, with people having genuinely wonderful, happy reactions.

There will be two configurations, the Basic Set is white, has the console, gamepad, an AC adapter for each, HDMI cable, Wii U Sensor Bar and 8gb of storage.

Deluxe Set has 32gb, a charging cradle, stands for both, and the game Nintendo Land, that includes sampling of all the new controls the gamepad offers. The Deluxe set also includes a special Nintendo download subscription with free and exclusive DLC (sounds a bit like PlayStation Plus at first).

Neither set comes with the Wii Remote or Nunchuck, Reggie says because they work with existing Wii ones.

The Basic is $299.99, and the Deluxe is $349.99.

“We deliberately put the big information out right off the bat, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy yourselves,” said Reggie. “And now, let’s talk about games.”

We’re starting with NintendoLand. Kicking off, Reggie is bringing out Bill Trinen and Corey Olcsvary to show off the new Metroid area in the game.

“We think these team attractions have the depth and fun that will keep you coming back and playing, even if you consider yourself a core gamer,” said Trinen.

“Metroid Blast” was demoed, with one Mii in the classic Samus suit, using a WiiMote and Nunchuk. The other player used the new WiiU Gamepad to control a ship floating above the battle arena, helping his friend take out a variety of enemies. The player on the ground can grapple to the ship when he needs to get away. There are powerups for both ground and air.

“This is just one mission,” said Trinen, “and this is just about 8 missions in, and that’s not even half of what you’ll find in just this mode. You can play cooperatively with more than 2 players too, but you can also play solo in the air or on the ground.”

Metroid Blast will have two other modes, as well, with a ground only MP free-for-all and a ground versus air game.

Pikmiin Adventure, another NintendoLand game will be around on the floor here as well.

New Super Mario Bros U is up next, with new powerups, of course. There is also a fully interconnected map. In new “Boost Rush” mode, which actually encourages speed runs with scrolling levels that speed up as you collect coins. Youtube, here we come.

There are also challenges in the game, and MiiVerse integration so you can discuss your achievements with friends easily from within the game.

LEGO City Undercover is next up, with a special Chase McCane minifig as a preorder bonus. Trinen promises, “comedy, adventure, and fun” in that one.

Reggie retook the stage to “break for something completely different. And I mean for Nintendo something entirely different. The most different non-gaming Nintendo innovation ever.

“Today the Wii is attached to tens of millions of households, hooked up to the big screen where the family gathers. At E3 we mentioned a third pillar we called “entertainment.” Today we give its new name, NintendoTVii. For our idea to fully come to life, we had to wait for the right technology to come along. In a minute we’re going to show you a deeper look,” but first a sizzle reel.

“Find, Watch, Engage, TV Movies Sports” said the ad. The WiiU gamepad becomes a guide. You can pull up sports scores, access Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, your DVR with Tivo, or directly on live tv, using your WiiU as the remote the whole time. Again, with TiVo integration, you can set your DVR from your gamepad. During a football game, the gamepad became an interactive device showing the plays that were just run, stats, and even replay clips, as well as integrated discussion through twitter. Wow, this is huge.

Now the head of the TVii project, Zach Fountain is out on stage with Reggie to show off a live demo.

Zach started with TV, the guide is a comprehensive one, that ties in all of your profiles and live TV as well. You can go to Popular, Live, Recommended, Channels, and Grid. Recommendations can come from Nintendo, or from friends.

Everything gives you full information right on screen. When he showed Modern Family, it gave access to episodes on Hulu, as well as showing the next live episode in 13 days. You can access IMDB-style info, favorite shows, see who of your friends has favorited it, and more, all from that one screen.

When he clicked one episode, he sees all of the options, Hulu+, $1.99 to own and stream from Amazon, plus the episode recorded on his TiVo.

For movies, you can watch the trailers on the gamepad so you don’t interrupt what’s up on the TV.

Now we’re on to Sports. Football, Baseball, and Basketball are shown. The first screen shows Football, specifically college, and has one large icon and several small, with scores and times all listed immediately.

A unified Search from the main screen will, once again, search all your services/devices simultaneously. Favorites can be customized to everyone in your family; five tabs were shown at once, all with their own Mii of course.

Also from the main homepage is a built-in remote, which directly accesses all of your favorite channels, it’s a cool series of rotary dials.

You can interact on Twitter and MiiVerse while watching a TV – individual scenes will be highlighted on the gamepad, plus polls, all sorts of little fun interactions.

Sports is up next, with an Alabama LSU game on the TV, while other scores, moments being captured on the side; you can see highlighted plays, access wikipedia and other databases from the gamepad to learn more about the game, very in-depth, seems they’ve thought of everything.

That’s all for NintendoTVii, rolling out in US and Canada, then expanding into the rest of the Americas. “NintendoTVii is included in every WiiU purchase at no additional cost, and no monthly fee,” Reggie finished off. “But now, let’s get back to the games.”

First up is a game from Platinum Games, Bayonetta 2. “It’s the sequel to the original Bayonetta, being directed by the producer of the original. It’s a WiiU exclusive, and will be published by Nintendo.”

Also coming from Platinum Games is a co-op action adventure game, Diablo-style with amazing cartoony graphics, now called The Wonderful 101.

“This team of heroes, their massive transformation, and the nonstop action of this alien invasion can only be found on WiiU. Next, we can confirm one more project you may have heard about. Capcom is bringing Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate to WiiU and 3DS in US and Europe. You can progress simultaneously between both platforms, too.”

Next is Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg.

Eric started with “It looks to us like this November Nintendo will once again bring a lot of freshness to the living room. We’re excited because we have a lot of great games that will help show it off. There’s more competition than ever before, but also more gamers than ever before. Video games have become the entertainment choice for a generation.

Nintendo has always focused on hardware and software being intertwined. At Activision we focus on making great games for fans around the world.”

Now a sizzle reel of titles available in the Launch Window. Skylanders Giants, Wipeout 3, James Bond: 007 Legends, Transformers Prime: The Game, were all shown in the reel.

Eric is now focusing on Skylanders Giants, which will have new controls and functionality from the Gamepad including character stats in realtime. in 007 Legends, gamers will play iconic sequences from all the movies.

And now “one more game we’re making for WiiU, wasn’t in the trailer, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. I think what Treyarch is making this year is nothing short of the most innovative CoD game yet,” said Hirshberg. “And it looks great on the WiiU.”

A live demo was shown with Jacob and Jason from Treyarch.

The two demoers are playing with a Pro Controller and a Gamepad. The graphics are great, nearly the same level as the 360. They’re playing a multiplayer match with bots. You can actually take control of some of the aerial drones in the game. On the WiiU, you can change your loadout midgame on the touchscreen. “Treyarch had some fun figuring out ways to leverage the second screen,” assured Hirshberg. You can also use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, so any of the three controllers.

One player can play on the gamepad’s screen in full screen while another plays on the bigscreen without any splitscreen, coop or competitively. There is of course also full online multiplayer, and a full single player campaign. And that’s it from Activision this morning.

Reggie took the stage once more. “it’s still too early to announce which games will come out on launch date and which will be in the launch window,” said Reggie, “but here’s the Launch Window from November 18 to the end of March’s lineup.”

Tons of games, 8 from Ubisoft, Sega, Namco, THQ, Activision, EA, Disney, WB Games, Majesco, D3, Tcmo Koei, Nintendo of course, and more were shown in a very quick sizzle reel. “over 50″ games in total in that nearly 5 month launch window.

“We hope you’ve enjoyed the presentation,” Reggie said, wrapping up. And that’s all for today’s live coverage. Come back to Newsarama for hands-on impressions on many of these games in the coming days. Thanks for reading!

Lightsabers, blasters, exotic aliens, space battles: they’re all components to the Star Wars Universe, but ultimately, what makes them sing is the story.

In the modern world of Star Wars, Supervising Director Dave Filoni of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the keeper of an entire era of Star Wars mythos. In the special Lecture Hall area at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, Filoni came to the convention to teach eager students how to tell a story in the Star Wars universe. The lecture hall packed to capacity before the panel began, and fans were ready to find out the intricacies of story telling in this world they all love.

Stay tuned and keep the refresh button handy as we update LIVE during Filoni’s special education.

Dave Filoni took the stage to great applause, saying “I’m wiped out! Last time I did this, I said next time I’m going to be more prepared. I am, but not as much as I’d like to be. I’ll start the first half hour with the basics of visual storytelling, and around 6 o’clock I’ll talk more about how you do that cinematically.

“Anyone that has seen me before knows I’m a talker. I may get off topic a bit, but I should be able to fill the time.

“Storytelling: we do it every day, and we’re consuming stories every day. What you’re probably not aware of is you’re doing this every day. At some point today, near the end of the day, you’ll meet up with your friends and they’ll say “what did you do today?” Then you have to tell that story, and you won’t think about it, you’ll do it naturally. There’s a way you can do that so they understand it and there’s a way you can do it that will make them say “what are you talking about?”

Filoni told a quick anecdote about a friend who uses terrible pacing in his own personal stories.

“All of it is about clarity. Clarity is the key component of a story. A lot of what I teach you today, you’ll go watch a movie and say ‘but Dave they didn’t do it that way in this movie, they broke that rule in this movie.’ But I’ll tell you what George Lucas tells me, and that’s if it’s easy to do, everyone would do it!

“There are tons of little choices that all matter.”

Filoni’s focus will, as advertised, be on telling a Star Wars story. “It’s fast, it’s clear, and hopefully it’s very original.”

After the basic introduction, Filoni started to outline his process.

“Where are we? Remember, the audience only knows what you’re showing – they don’t know anything else. The only thing that matters is what the camera sees. It’s like you have a hold of someone’s head. You see space, you see a planet, you see a little ship enter the screen, and a big ship enter the screen. The little ship is getting shot at, and suddenly you immediately feel bad for that ship and the people on it.

“Always be relating one thing to another, it’s critical. Don’t be coy. George doesn’t play those games, he’s very literal with stuff in Star Wars. Darth Vader wears black – pop – bad guy. Storm Troopers, guys in menacing suits with frown-looks on their helmets – pop – bad guys.”

Filoni talked about one of the clips from Season 5 that have been teased so far, where a bunch of Mandalorians are protecting Obi-Wan Kenobi, and they pull out these arm shields; that was just to help solve the idea of people not fighting in cover – and then he digressed.

“So clarity is key. One of the easiest examples is the establishing shot of the Senate.” Filoni drew a quick sketch showing the establishing shot, where you push in twoards a building, then can cut to that building. “The next shot then is the inside of the office, and you see people standing there. What we have to do at that point is go in, showing a shot of Palpatine, looking right to left.

“We then see him talking to the Jedi, they’re looking left to right, that shows that they’re talking to eachother. What that all tells you is Establishing, they’re in the room in this building, this guy is talking to these people. It’s also good to have over-the-shoulder shots. Yoda is hard to do that with though, because he’s so short!”

Filoni went on to talk about the individual types of shots.

“If you start on a closeup, it can be aggravating. The establishing shot is importnat.” Filoni drew a wide shot of the Jedi temple, then the wide shot of the interior where the council is sitting. “Now, again, you have the wide shot outside, then the wide shot inside, one idea goes to the next idea. After that, if we want to cut to one specific person, that’s when we can get a little more creative with our thinking.

“If I have a character, say Mace Windu in the right third of the establishing shot, then we bring that forward, but still keep him in the far right third.”

Filoni once again got on a tangent about how all the Jedi fold their hands while they sit. Then he started talking about how all the Jedi cut perfect circles with their lightsabers, and how the larger Jedi must cut out basically entire walls. He said George shakes his head when he talks about these sort of things in story meetings.

“Any time you’re watching a movie and it doesn’t cut to another angle, that’s all a single shot. If you look at Hitchcock, he did a lot of single shots. Cuaron does that too. All those relationships with those characters give you an idea of how characters relate to the scene. Does your eye want to travel. So between a wide shot where Mace is in the right third, and a close shot where he’s there, your eye doesn’t have to ping pong between those two shots.”

Next he drew three shots. Anakin is on the far left, and Obi-Wan is over the shoulder. the second panel has the left completely empty, and Obi-Wan is looking straight ahead on the right. “He can be talking or not talking, but your eye goes right to him. As a director, you’re saying Obi-Wan’s reaction to what Anakin is saying is important. One of the most important things to know is when you need to show another character for reaction. That’s a choice.” The third frame has Anakin, close up, but still on the left side of the screen.

“As long as Anakin is on the left and Obi-Wan is on the right, you’ll understand this, even if you don’t know who they are. There’s an invisible line where the characters are supposed to reside. When a character flips sides suddenly, that can be jarring. That’s not something you’ll see us do in Star Wars.”

There is something called a passing position shot, where one object or person crosses the other that allows for that kind of switch.

Filoni talked a bit about his time on King of the Hill where he introduced a three camera system to try to give a more grandiose sense to a scene.

“You have your three cameras, all focused toward a middle section. From those three cameras, you can pull them out to an A position to give you a corresponding wide shot. Then you can push them into a B position for the closer shot, say the top of a table and the torso of the character sitting there. Then the close-up is the C position with the close up. The camera never falls beyond a median line, so that you never break that screen direction line.

“It’s so simple, and it’s so easy to screw up. That’s one of the earliest things George taught me.”

Moving into composition, Filoni talked about his time with Avatar: The Last Airbender, and how he learned there that children today don’t understand three point perspective.

“Most of the time if I’m filming a character, say a dominant character like Dooku. we might do a three-quarter under look. In Avatar, we sometimes tried to do a forced perspective, close to far. What that’s imitating is a lens choice, out of something like a 16mm lens. Most of the time if you’re shooting a close-up you shoot with a 35mm camera. A lot of times because of the speed we work at, we’ll shoot a scene at 16mm for a wide screen, then do a closeup and forget to change the lens – that’s when the character faces look really weird.”

He said he pays attention to those sorts of things whenever he’s watching films. “It’s really amazing when you see how they pull it off, and it works,” and that’s what he’ll try to do in Clone Wars now. He mentioned Scorcese saying “when you start a movie, make sure that everyone working on it is trying to make the same movie.” Filoni says he has to do that in every individual episode.

“There’s so much expanded material now, but we have to say this is the version we’re making. That’s why I love having access to George, cause I can ask him directly.”

Moving to another aspect of composition, Filoni drew four panels, showing a turning head shot of Ahsoka.

In the first panel, she’s looking at us “You have a connection to her. The next, you don’t have as strong of one, the next you’re confused, then finally you are far away from her.”

He drew another example, with the wide head-on shot, then a very close shot where “your whole TV set becomes her face, and you’re right up in her emotion. I’m going to use that to devastating effect later this year,” Filoni hinted.

After the sketching, he showed a clip with no dialogue, to try to show that there’s emotion and attitude based solely off how the shot is framed and how the characters are moving through it. it’s an animatic, labled “Campfire 602.” The clip showed the screen direction of left to right, including the eye direction and where the characters are in the frame from shot to shot.

“George has always told me that any story can be a Star Wars story, it’s just the trapping of it that makes it Star Wars,” Filoni noted when a fan thought the scene was very focused on Jedi “rules,” saying that doesn’t enter the story until very late.

To close up the seminar, Filoni wanted to go into an action sequence on Clone Wars.

“I breakdown pretty much every action moment. We have action meetings where we break down every lightsaber battle, every blaster, everything.”

Talking specifically about the Season 3 two-part finale featuring Chewbacca. When the transport ship was crashing, he described to his episode director, “We have the beach low, I wanted Ahsoka and the other padawans to run up and jump onto the glass and that will get the Trandosians activated. Then she runs inside, and that starts a separate fight inside the cockpit, so now we have two action sequences going at the same time.

The Trandosians are much larger, so he can have a good hand-to-hand combat scene with these two kids. So I came up with the idea that one of them ran at him and jumped, then the other used the force to throw him and kick him.”

The staging of the shot has the three walls angled, and rotating for effect. That’s how he’d generally diagram the whole sequence. He also tries to bring in iconic moments during these initial plans, so that there are clear goal points. After the break down, they talk about individual shots and where the camera goes.

Filoni finished off by showing the final clip.

We’ll update later with some of Filoni’s sketches to give a better idea of what his descriptions here meant, but hopefully you learned something!

Today’s SWTOR Friday update is a big one, a whole new feature on the website. Through the new Galaxy Map, fans can tour the Galaxy, checking out the location of many of the planets you’ll be adventuring to within the game, from core worlds to Hutta, from wretched hives of scum and villainy to the ancestral home of the Sith.

The real fun, though, comes in exploring the 3D mode with the help of a very quick install plug-in. Here, you can zoom in on planets, watch videos that give you brief fly-by tours of actual places on the planet you’ll be able to see in-game, read detailed descriptions of the planet, what happens there, their allegiance and other facts, and even see the starships that are found commonly in that system, complete with rotating 3D models and text detail there as well.

As a note, if you have the means to hook a computer up to a big screen television for this experience, do it. With the epic Star Wars music playing in the background, it becomes a different experience at full screen in the living room.

With the game recently announced as coming out December 20th in the US, it’s nice for new features like this to be added into the site so that die-hard fans can explore the worlds of Star Wars: The Old Republic early and prepare for their journey into a long (long, long, long – hey, this takes place 3,000 years before the movies, people) time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Click here to jump directly to the new Galaxy Map!

Get your fatalities ready folks, Mortal Kombat is making it’s way back to theaters.

The Hollywood Reporter says New Line cinema has tapped the creators of the Mortal Kombat digital series, made earlier this year.

“The movie deal marks the end of a journey for Kevin Tancharoen, who will direct the new movie,” says THR, “Tancharoen, a choreographer for Madonna and Britney Spears who directed the 2009 remake of Fame and more recently the Glee concert movie, directed a short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth as a proof of concept for a Kombat movie he tried to pitch.”

Released by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, Mortal Kombat: Legacy proved very popular in part to stars like Star Trek: Voyager’s Jeri Ryan as Sonya Blade and Spawn star Michael Jai White as Jax.

“The short was viewed more than 10 million times on YouTube, and although no movie deal materialized, he was asked to direct the 10-episode web series, which debuted in April, attracting more than 15 million unique visitors,” writes THR.

The original Mortal Kombat movie, based on the popular video game franchise, was directed in 1995 by the now well-known Paul W.S. Anderson. It did fairly well at the box office but its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, directed by John R. Leonetti 1997, flopped.

THR says writer of the digital series Oren Uziel will write the new movie but that there is no actor attached and the story will not be a continuation of the video game or series.

Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. Last time I had a little something for everyone by showcasing an item for each member of the new Justice League but I’m going in a different direction this week. Princess Peach used to be relegated to the end of each Super Mario Bros. level but she’s come a long way since then, even starring in her own titles. Here’s a few fun items I found on the craft website.

Princess Peach is known for her trademark pink dress, bouncy hair and of course, her crown. Here’s an 8-Bit Princess Gold Mirror Laser Cut Necklace from user neighborhoodstory. It’s almost big enough to wear on your head and sells for $12.

The famous Princess has had a starring role in video games but none quite like this. It’s a piece of art titled “Princess Peach escapes the Castle” by user ArtbyMcKenzie. The piece was created for a Nintendo-themed art show and is being sold for $315.

Need to light some torches to see your way in that grubby castle? Why not use this Princess Peach Perler Bead Lighter Case/Sleeve on your favorite lighter and scare all the ghosts away? From user J3S13, $5.

Princesses Peach and Daisy are looking absolutely fabu in this print from user the Gorgonist, except here, they are Princes! Also check out the Mario Monster Girls, both $7 each.

And just because I can’t resist a puppster in a costume, here is a PRINCESS PEACH NINTENDO Dress Dog Costume. User YoungUrbanPuppy has will make it custom to fit your pup for $24.50. And yes, Mario, Luigi, Daisy and Bowzer costumes are also available should you wish to inflict them on your best friend.

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

We’ve talked a lot about Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare’s upcoming MMORPG, including talking about its tie-ins in novel and comic book form.

Today on the official site of the game, senior writer Alexander Freed, who has also written two arcs of the SWTOR comic for Dark Horse, has an extensive post about writing tie-ins, writing licenses, and just writing in general. Some of his writing rules definitely reach outside of just game comics, especially this one:

Assume Nothing

In addition to having connections to the game, a The Old Republic tie-in also needs to stand on its own. Not every reader is going to be intimately familiar with the game’s background and characters (especially before the game has come out!). For that matter, some may only have a broad familiarity with the Star Wars movies–perhaps they’ve only ever seen the original trilogy and don’t know Jar Jar Binks from Mara Jade.

So how do you write for an audience of casual fans along with the hardcore? You assume no foreknowledge on the part of the reader and you introduce everything he or she needs to know–and you make sure that you have characters and situations that resonate regardless of how they interact with the game.

Does a reader of The Lost Suns need to know that Theron Shan’s mother is a Jedi? Absolutely, and seeing Satele Shan in action during her youth (as we do in both the “Return” cinematic and The Lost Suns issue one) helps establish Theron’s identity and the setting as a whole.

Does a reader of Blood of the Empire need to know that Exal Kressh is the latest child of a Sith bloodline going back to Ludo Kressh (a character established in Tales of the Jedi comic series)? Absolutely not! Knowledgeable fans will spot the reference and infer its impact on Exal’s character, but it’s an extra–not an integral part of the plot.

There is one exception to the rule, however, and that is to always assume that your audience is smart. Give readers a strong story with characters they care about, and they’ll figure out what matters. There is no need to spoon-feed people. Simply make sure everything they need is there and they will put it all together.

Tons more from Freed at the link here as part of SWTOR.com’s weekly Friday updates. And just in case you don’t feel like exploring once you click over, here’s the awesome new Smuggler class progression video for you, too, right after the jump.

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You either love Angry Birds or you hate it. I’m pretty sure there’s no in between considering the addictive nature of the cell phone game. Like many other pop-culture phenomena, Angry Birds has been tinkered with to make it even more fun. I give you, the Angry Superheroes. And boy, are they angry…

A plethora of DC and Marvel characters (plus Judge Dredd!) have been transformed into their own unique Angry Bird forms thanks to Ryan, aka Senor Picante. On his blog, the artist has posted the above individually as well as one pig resembling Magneto. Although that one he wanted to rework so I decided not to post it here.

Ryan is not the first to add superhero flair to the Angry Birds, Ript Apparel sold a fantastic Batman and Robin spin on the famous game a few months back. That one was designed by SpiR and Seth. And let’s not forget the epic Angry Birds of Prey by the Gutters crew.

What do you think? Would you like to see a comic book themed Angry Birds? They already teamed up with the creators of the animated film Rio for an altered version of the game. I could easily see them making a deal with DC or Marvel. Are you listening Rovio?

Announced last week at San Diego Comic-Con, Castle star Stana Katic will voice Batman’s long-time love interest in the Batman: Arkham City video game.

According to USA Today, the game has gained the classic Batman villain for its roster. Paul Crocker of Rocksteady Studios said, “We can’t really say why she is in the game because it would spoil an awesome part of it.”

“She’s a good girl who has naughty habits. We’re not sure if their tryst is over yet,” said Stana Katic, “She’s an ambiguous interesting character with a Persian/Greek accent.” The actress told the crowd at the Arkham City panel at SDCC,  ”Talia is such a complex character and it was great to voice her in Batman: Arkham City. I was amazed at all the detail put into the project and it’s great to see how excited the fans are about the game.”

No specific details were given as to Talia’s specific role in the game but Katic said, “She’s just kick-ass, man.” Jim Lee also announced at San Diego Comic-Con that the Arkham City comic mini-series written by Paul Dini will be released as a graphic novel on October 18, the same day the video game is released.

Brian Wood’s Vertigo title Northlanders may be ending early next year with issue #50, but he’s not leaving the world of fictionalized warfare behind — IGN reports that he’s writing a digital comic prequel to The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, an in-development role-playing video game scheduled for release this fall. Simon Coleby is on board as artist. Comic book adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work are rare — Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 film inspired a comic, but it was never released in the United States due to copyright reasons.

Exactly how the comic will be digitally published has yet to be revealed, though IGN makes the reasonable guess of ComiXology, since the game is being released by Warner Bros. Interactive, and WB owns DC, who works with ComiXology. Parts 1 and 2 will be accessible to gamers who preorder through Toys R Us, and Amazon preorders will only get you part 2.

Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. Last week I showcased some items from the X-Men. This week, in honor of the big announcements Nintendo is making at E3 I decided to look for some fashionable Nintendo related items. And yes, I’m sticking to our roots this time around. Nintendo, especially classic, does seem to encourage a lot of crafting…

So, I pretty much need this NES Zapper Desktop Lamp immediately. Partly because it reminds me of the Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story but mostly because it’s nostalgic-awesomeness AND useful! User Recycled Retro Gear can send you one for just $28 bucks in grey or orange.

This may look like just a regular, old Nintendo console but you’d be wrong. It’s a NESputer. That’s right. A computer housed in an old console. Made by user slothfish, for $850 it includes: 1.6ghz Dual-core Atom CPU, 2 GB DDR3 RAM, 750 GB Hard Drive, Nvidia ION graphics (9400gt), WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, HDMI out so you can plug right into your HDTV and 8 USB ports (6 in back, 2 connected to the front controller ports). If I hadn’t just bought a new computer…If you just need a hardrive though, check out this 500gb one from user 8bitmemory for $99.99 housed in an old Legend of Zelda cartridge.

When they say geek chic, this is what they mean. Try on this Gameboy Tube Dress from user HereandThereVintage for $60. Or, if you prefer to be a little more covered up, this other Gameboy dress from user LifeIsRandom for $40

Need a much COOLER place to charge your i-whatever? Check out this Rock Dock – Nintendo Joystick – iPhone/iPod/iTouch Dock from user GeekUnique for $44.99. Or, if you need more room on your desk, go for the Nintendo Controller version for $33.99.

Oh man, oh man. Something else I need to furnish my house, a NES Controller Rug. Dimensions are 28.5 x 13 inches and user WTCrafts will send you one to step all over for $63.

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

Sony President and Chairman Howard Stringer finally speaks out about their network’s breach and offers those affected a literal sense of security.

In a letter posted on the Playstation blog, Stringer apologizes to users about the breach. “As a company we — and I — apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused by this attack. Under the leadership of Kazuo Hirai, we have teams working around the clock and around the world to restore your access to those services as quickly, and as safely, as possible,” wrote Stringer.

The Playstation Network has been down since a hack on April 20 that caused over 70 million users’ secured information like names, addresses, telephone numbers, passwords and possibly credit card information, to be at risk. But users were not immediately aware of the reason they couldn’t log on to the network.

“I know some believe we should have notified our customers earlier than we did. It’s a fair question,” wrote Stringer, “As soon as we discovered the potential scope of the intrusion, we shut down the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services and hired some of the best technical experts in the field to determine what happened. I wish we could have gotten the answers we needed sooner, but forensic analysis is a complex, time-consuming process. Hackers, after all, do their best to cover their tracks, and it took some time for our experts to find those tracks and begin to identify what personal information had — or had not — been taken.”

Stringer insists that to their knowledge none of the credit card or personal information has been misused and that they are continuing to monitor the situation. But to put customers at ease, Sony is offering some security.

“We are also moving ahead with plans to help protect our customers from identity theft around the world,” wrote Stringerr, “A program for U.S. PlayStation Network and Qriocity customers that includes a $1 million identity theft insurance policy per user was launched earlier today and announcements for other regions will be coming soon.”

The security comes in the form of Debix Inc., an identity theft insurance firm in the U.S. who will use “AllClear ID Plus” for any affected customers. For time lost on the Network, Sony is offering other incentives. “As we have announced, we will be offering a ‘Welcome Back’ package to our customers once our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are up and running. This will include, among other benefits, a month of free PlayStation Plus membership for all PSN customers, as well as an extension of subscriptions for PlayStation Plus and Music Unlimited customers to make up for time lost.”

Stringer stated that he knows this is a frustrating time for users but that the network will be up “in the coming days.” Until then, “Our investigation is ongoing, and we are upgrading our security so that if attacks like this happen again, our defenses will be even stronger,” he wrote. “We are working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies around the world to apprehend those responsible.”

What do you think about Sony’s reaction time and resolution ideas? Have they forever lost your trust or are you willing to use the PSN again?

…and, well, here it is:

Yep! Last week, Brian Michael Bendis was announced as the writer for the Marvel Universe massively multiplayer online role-playing game. No release date has been announced yet, but it’ll be free-to-play, and you’ll be able to play as the actual Marvel characters, rather that user-generated creations. Many more details are here.

Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. Last time, I welcomed our new robot overlords, this week…I can’t wait to play against them. I’m talking about the video game Portal. The sequel is just days away from jumping into my XBOX and I can’t wait to play it. It’s for this reason I found some of the best Aperture Science had to offer on Etsy.

Who are you? What is that? Oh, What’s that? What’s THAT? What is THAT? That, my friends, is a stuffed Talking Curiosity Sphere. One of the best parts of Portal was the insane voiceovers from these guys, now user Penguinotic can send you one for $45. No promises it will talk to you. Or, if you’d prefer something smaller, there’s the Portal Pendant Bundle from sweetgeek which includes 4 spheres, two turrets and a cake. $21.

The Enrichment Center reminds you that the Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak. Unlike the Curiosity Spheres, the Companion Cubes were your trusty companion throughout Portal. Even when you had to incinerate them. There are lots of Companion Cube products on Etsy but I found this Aperture Weighted Companion Cube keychain/zipper pull from user geekoutlet for $12 to be quite swell.

Aperture Science knows your safety is their first priority. Why else would they post these signs to warn you what’s ahead? The Aperture Lab Warning Signs are 3″ x 3″ and can be stuck on your laptop or just about anywhere else you need warning. From user lovesickrobotdesigns, $13 for the batch. Or, if you’d like just one, check out the Portal Safety Sign Laptop Decal from GlueJunkie for $9.

What would Portal be without portals? A person stuck in a room. So it’s a good thing Aperture Science invented them. Now, you can wear one around your neck with this Portal necklace from user AngelElements for $14.20. But wait! It’s reversible! Flip the necklace over and your exit portal is ready and waiting.

Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the end of the testing period. I beat Portal and all I got was this lousy t-shirt? Well you may not have gotten any cake when you finally finished the game but you can warn others with this Cake Is A Lie t-shirt from user TheAardvark for $20. Bring your own snacks next time.

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

Activision’s panel on their newly announced Spider-Man game, Spider-Man: Edge of Time, just wrapped here at WonderCon in San Francisco, and we’ve got a few bits of pertinent info to pass along. Among those on the panel were game writer/comic book vet Peter David, voice actor Josh Keaton, TQ Jefferson from Marvel and Gerard Lehiany from Beenox, developer of Edge of Time and last year’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

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Just a few days after getting an official release date — October 18 — a new Batman: Arkham City gameplay trailer is here, courtesy of IGN and showcasing, among other new elements, Two-Face.

Batman: Arkham City, the sequel to 2009′s Batman: Arkham Asylum, is out October 18 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on October 18.

This new commercial for the latest Lego video game offering, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is Lego humor at its best.

As you can see, the tough Clone Trooper showing off his stuff is nothing when faced with real danger. We’ve seen Lego animals relieve themselves in-game but never characters and well, I guess this answers the age-old question about whether or not Troopers have some sort of hatch when the need arises. And apparently, it’s automatic!

The game is available everywhere games are sold on March 22 but you can get a head start by playing the mini-game online. You can’t do much in the way of building but you can unlock images and trailers as well as characters for use in the actual game. And, you can dance.

Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. Last week I focused on video game daydreamer Scott Pilgrim, this week it’s all about the man, the myth, the legend…Mario.

When I first saw this, I thought it was a gigantic wall hanging. Turns out, they’re much easier to display. User Aristomatic created these Super Mario Brothers Sprite Magnets out of birch wood. A steal at $45 I say, especially since you can arrange them however you see fit.

We’ve already got Mario on the brain, why not have him on our head? Check out these adorable Super Mario 3 Tanooki barrettes from pixelparty. Or if you prefer, he’s also got Froggy Mario bobbypins, both sets, $14 each.

Mario’s Overalls, your Nintendo DS is naked without them. User ellesroom created this truly original case for your DS Lite for $19. Complete with two back pockets to hold games!

I love all of Mario’s power-up outfits but by far, Kuribo’s Shoe has to be my favorite. Also known as Goomba’s Shoe and called Kuribo’s Boot by myself, the first and only appearance of this delightful ensemble was in Super Mario 3, World 5-3 and user gamerpaige liked it enough to make this nifty Kuribo’s Shoe Perler Bead Magnet. Also available, Statue, Raccoon and several other Mario outfits, all for $4 each.

For the extra fancy gamer out there, how about a Swarovski Crystal Super Mario cover for Apple iphone 4? User IcyIcyBlingCouture did this one, which can be yours for a mere $169.99.

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

Cutscene: You’re  a police officer traveling on horseback towards Atlanta, Georgia to search for your family. You enter the city limits only to find it occupied with the walking dead. You quickly get surrounded by a zombie horde as your horse gets pulled to the ground. Gameplay: Fight your way out without getting bitten.

Sound like fun? It could very well be the setting of a new video game from Telltale Games based on The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman.

According to MTV Multiplayer, the game developer is announcing five new multiplatform ventures to press at a big event next month. The news of a The Walking Dead video game was not explicitly released, but hinted at and presumed by MTV. “The title showcased very obviously on the invite, and one that we’ve known about for some time, is an episodic series based on ‘Jurassic Park.’ However, the invite also states that one of the titles announced is ‘based on a just-launched property from the TV and comic book world whose popularity is changing life as some know it.’”

The author of the article points out that besides Frank Darabont’s The Walking Dead, which premiered last October on AMC, FOX’s Human Target is the only other comic property on television right now and does not quite fit the bill as well as the zombie survival drama does. Telltale is no stranger to adapting comic, movie or television properties, the developer has put out games based on Jeff Smith’s Bone, CSI and Back to the Future.

So what do you think? Is The Walking Dead primed to make its video game debut? Would you want it to follow the storyline of the book/show or would you prefer it to house an all-new adventure? I think there’s huge potential here not only for exploring further plot lines from the comic but also perhaps introducing us to a whole new set of survivors as well.

Lucas Siegel is more than Newsarama’s site editor and a noted vest enthusiast — he’s also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, making him an ideal candidate to discuss the controversy behind the latest Medal of Honor video game, where users can play as the Taliban in the multiplayer mode.

Siegel was a guest on current affairs program GRITtv Tuesday, joining host Laura Flanders and video game journalist/incoming Uncanny X-Men co-writer Kieron Gillen to discuss Medal of Honor and another game causing a bit of a stir, Hey Baby. The video is here:

Whether you play the Left 4 Dead video games or are a fan of noted comic book artist Mike Oeming (or, y’know, both), there’s a lot to like about the digital-only Left 4 Dead comic — full title Left 4 Dead Presents: The Sacrifice — that hit online this week.

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