Filed under: Reviews, Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs

There’s a man waiting for you at the Bowerstone docks. He’s eager to stick you into his aquatic taxi and drop you off on the shores of Knothole Island. Like most helpful RPG citizens, he’s been roped into a fetch quest: Find a hero and bring him or her back to the island community, which currently finds itself immobilized by frigid weather. At least, that’s what you gather from the chief’s note, gracelessly read to you word for word. Whether intentional or not, the sequence works as a cheeky parody of the add-on’s Xbox Live Marketplace description.

Is it worth the $10 asking price? Well, the truth is that your feelings on the main game will have already pushed you to the brink of a decision, and you just want us to push you that little bit further. We can tell you that everything you love (or loathe) about Fable 2 is on Knothole Island: the unwaveringly witty writing; the real estate opportunities; the charming townsfolk; and treasure. Oh, the treasure.

Continue reading Joystiq review: Fable 2′s Knothole Island (DLC)

Joystiq review: Fable 2′s Knothole Island (DLC) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari

Formula One teams love a good challenge. As if it weren’t difficult enough to dominate at the pinnacle of motorsports, for the 2009 season, each team will have to adapt to a host of new regulations, including the introduction of the KERS regenerative braking systems, the reintroduction of slick tires and significant changes to the aerodynamics package. Still not hard enough? How about cutting the budgets the teams are meant to adapt to the new rules… and then eliminating all the test sessions during the season, leaving just a handful of pre-season runs to get everything up to speed (so to speak). Scuderia Ferrari apparently thought that still wasn’t enough, so they’ve opted to unveil their car earlier than the rest of the field.

Of course that’s going to mean a few glitches, and in its first day on the track, the new F60 broke down and was sidelined for most of the day. That’s sent the engineers back to the drawing board to work out the glitches, but not before the cameramen could get a few shots and some video footage of the new F60 in action at the Mugello circuit near Florence, Italy. Check ‘em out in the updated gallery below and in the video after the jump, and stay tuned for the individual revelations of the rest of the crop of 2009-spec F1 cars, starting with Toyota’s this coming Thursday.

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Pics and Video: Scuderia Ferrari F60 gets on track

Pics and Video: Scuderia Ferrari F60 gets on track originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Casual, MMO

It’s one of the most mainstream MMO titles made for a Western audience and today Cartoon Network’s FusionFall title officially came out of beta. While you can download and play the game now publisher Majesco has also shipped the game as a retail product with four months of free online play and some exclusive in-game items.

Developed by Korean based Grigon Entertainment, FusionFall puts a number of the cable TV network’s characters into one virtual universe which the player can explore. Big Download has covered FusionFall’s development including a preview and some hands-on beta impressions. Our sister site Massively has posted up some new impressions today.

FusionFall officially launches originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Etc., Celebrities

Last week when we left off, Mike and KITT were sent on a scavenger hunt by a kidnapper/terrorist who obviously never has any rollover minutes on his mobile phone. Anyway, one thing led to another and Mike rescued Ambassador Erykah Badu from the Chatty Kidnapper’s clutches, only to go and get himself caught in the final ten minutes. Then, Knight Rider became Speed 3: Knight Rider’s Writers Run Out of Ideas, as the bad guys loaded a bomb onto KITT and told Mike that he has to stay over 100 mph or go boom. Speaking of going “BOOM!”, that’s what happened to Carrie when one of ther FBI agents opened a booby-trapped door in the warehouse after they arrived, freeing actress Sydney Tamila Poitier from this KITT-shaped small-screen prison.

Tonight (via KR Online)

Day Turns Into Knight

MIKE AND KITT CONTINUE ON THEIR QUEST TO STOP A TERRORIST FROM DETONATING A NUCLEAR WEAPON AND KILLING THE AMBASSADOR–Mike and KITT are now transporting a bomb in the trunk of the car, but in order for it not to explode they must stay above 100 miles-per-hour. Trying to come up with a plan to disable the bomb, they load KITT onto the plane to buy some time and keep up their speed. Clinging to life, Rivai manages to give a clue to find where the terrorist is hiding. Meanwhile, Sarah receives some upsetting news about her dad.

The reboot continues after the jump. Let’s watch some TV.

Continue reading Knight Rider: The Liveblog – Season 1, Episode 11

Knight Rider: The Liveblog – Season 1, Episode 11 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Features

Each week Mark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq (“LGJ”), a column on legal issues as they relate to video games:

This week I’ve been at the Game::Business::Law Conference, and one of the speakers was Jason Holtman, Director of Business Development / Legal Affairs for Valve. Jason set out a fascinating theory on piracy: The majority of ‘pirates’ are just underutilized customers.

This certainly sets forth an interesting business proposition, but also interesting possibilities for legal strategies related to piracy management and IP protection. I do want to caveat that this is building on a theoretical basis, and that doesn’t necessarily mean any of these strategies is optimal for any given company. I want to summarize Jason’s viewpoint to better frame the discussion. His view, and his research suggests, that piracy is heavily mitigated by ensuring worldwide cross-market releases.

Continue reading LGJ: Pirates are grumpy, underutilized customers?

LGJ: Pirates are grumpy, underutilized customers? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ever since the new 17-inch MacBook Pro was introduced, the million dollar question (make that $179 question) has been: what goes down when the battery fails? Sure, the machine is small — and the alleged eight hours of charge is nothing to sneeze at — but is all that worth the hassle of a non-removable battery? When the thing eventually goes kaput (and they always do), those of us in the States can expect to lay out $179 plus tax for a replacement. According to the site, if you drop the machine off at the Apple Store they can turn it around in a day (with appointment). If you mail it in, give it four days or so upon receipt. If you decide to do it yourself? Well, you probably shouldn’t. But if you do, make sure you send us pictures.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Filed under: Laptops

Apple reveals 17-inch MacBook Pro battery replacement details originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Software, Reviews, iPhone, App Store

Yesterday I put three panorama programs to the test. Today, I added a 4th program, appropriately enough called Panorama [app store link]. It’s US$9.99 and the most expensive of the apps on offer. After using the new app today, and going back and taking another fresh crack at the other three, I’ll share the results, and some sample images from each one. I didn’t always shoot at the same location, because that would have been boring, but shot them all under the same sky conditions and lighting. In each case, I took two images and then merged them in the software. All the software allows the merging of more than 2 images, but I wanted to keep the file size down.

Using Pano [app store link] I got better matched skies today, and sharper alignment. The blend between the two images was good, and once you do a rough align, Pano takes care of the rest. At US$2.99 it is the bargain of the offerings.

TripStitch [app store link] gave me an acceptable image, but it was a lot of trouble because you can’t take the image from within TripStitch. You have to go out to the iPhone camera app, then import the images into TripStitch, which I feel is an unnecessary step. I also didn’t see any auto-alignment feature, so it’s all up to the photographer. TripStitch is US$4.99.

Panolabs Pro [app store link] gave me a lot of control, but an image that I felt was below the quality of the others. I tried on several scenes, but manipulating the images for a smooth merge is difficult, and the controls are not fine grained enough to make delicate adjustments. I’ve shared my best effort with you in the gallery. The app is US$4.99.

Panorama did a nice job as well. It was pretty easy to merge and align the images, and the final result looks pretty good. It was the most expensive app of the group, but it was not head and shoulders above Pano or TripStitch. It allows a lot of control and lets you select the final resolution for saving. It does a nice job of guiding you through the process of taking and aligning the images.

So there you have it. A look at the options for making panoramic shots from the iPhone. Of course, you can get better results using a higher resolution digital camera, and something like Adobe Photoshop or Elements or 3rd party apps like DoubleTake or The Panorama Factory to stitch them all together. It is remarkable, though, that you can get decent pano photos from what is arguably a less than top-quality cellphone camera.

Click on the gallery below to see the images produced by the apps.

TUAWSon of: In search of the perfect panorama originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Supercars, UK, Special/Limited Editions

With increasing restrictions and constricting traffic hampering driver’s good times, many are looking to organized track days as an outlet for speedy thrills. This is especially true in the UK, where independent supercar manufacturer Farbio is based. And with that growing niche market in mind, Farbio has taken some weight out of its GTS supercar to give birth to its own Track Day Car.

Yes, that is its official name, and no, it’s not very imaginative. But we have a feeling anyone who gets their hands on the car’s steering wheel won’t particularly care what it’s called. From the standard GTS350 Supercharged, with its forced-induction 350hp 3.0-liter V6, Farbio has stripped out the interior, replaced the fuel tank with a sack, and fitted a new transmission and limited-slip differential as well as semi-slick Toyo R888 racing rubber. The more powerful GTS450 can also be ordered in Track Day Car specification, but Farbio will only build 25 examples in all, starting at £73,500 (equivalent to $112k USD) before optional extras. Farbio released only the one photo you see above (along with a press release you’ll find after the jump), but you can check out the standard GTS in the gallery below.

[Source: Farbio]

Continue reading Short Circuit: Farbio releases GT350 Track Day Car

Short Circuit: Farbio releases GT350 Track Day Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: PC, RPGs, MMO, Casual

Turner and Cartoon Network today launched FusionFall, the network’s first foray into the MMO world. The game, which features re-imagined characters from CN shows including Ben 10, Dexter’s Laboratory, Powepuff Girls, Samurai Jack and others, is browser-based and developed by Korean studio Grigon Entertainment.

FusionFall offers a free-to-play area for users to get a taste of the action before deciding if the monthly subscription (which starts at $5.95) is worth it or not. In our admittedly brief time with the game’s beta last year, we found the combination of Phantasy Star Online style combat and platform game elements surprisingly appealing. (Especially considering that the game is primarily aimed at kids and those in their early teens, i.e. not us.)

For a deeper glimpse into FusionFall, our friendly neighborhood MMO gurus at Massively have put together a really swell guided tour of the game, which you can toon into by clicking here.

FusionFall: Cartoon Network’s browser-based MMO launches originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The U.S. Army gets even more interactive while trying to get new recruits