Fallout 3
Game of The Year Edition
Platform: Xbox 360
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks, Zenimax Media
Release Date: October 13, 2009

We’ve now reach the year 2010, and Fallout 3 was first released on October 28, 2008. This means that if you’re a big video game player, then you’ve probably already roamed the desolate Wasteland of post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. and don’t need my review or opinion. Thankfully, Bethesda Softworks and the game were honored with the coveted Game of the Year designation, and a Game of the Year edition of the game was released this past October with all of the amazing extra DLC content that was created to accompany the title.

When friends of mine first pushed me to play a little game called The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, I was reluctant and didn’t know what to expect. After an epic 230 hour adventure (Yes, I take my time and do A LOT!), it was one of my favorite games of all time. Naturally, when we began hearing about the game studio’s next game, Fallout 3, it became an incredibly high priority, and once again, we were not let down.

Fallout 3 takes place in the year 2277, long after you and I have become dust in the wind, and two hundred years after nuclear war finally decimated our beautiful planet. What’s left is an eternity of hot, dry nothingness, crumbling buildings and structures, some of the most terrifying mutated creatures you’d never want to encounter, and the ever so rare settlements where the few remaining survivors try their best to get by on radiated foods and water.

Continue reading for much more and to see a trailer for the first run of the game that premiered at E3 2008.

I’ve been meaning to post about this for nearly a month now, because it was such a cool find, and luckily, it’s not time-sensitive, so here’s the deal…

The good folks over at Tor posted I, Cthulhu, author Neil Gaiman‘s humorous take on Lovecraft, for your reading pleasure.

The short story — with an actually very lengthy full title I, Cthulhu, or, What’s A Tentacle-Faced Thing Like Me Doing In A Sunken City Like This (Latitude 47° 9′ S, Longitude 126° 43′ W) — was published in 1986 and has been posted on the author’s blog for quite some time, but Tor has included some new illustrations by Brian Elig to accompany the tale. And I absolutely love these illustrations (especially the inclusion of shoggoth’s bowl).

I, Cthulhu is supposed to be H.P. Lovecraft‘s Cthulhu dictating its autobiography to the human slave, Whateley. In this story, we learn much about the mysterious Great Old One’s ancient origins, including information on its parents. Be sure to pay close attention to the surprise reveal at the end you definitely won’t see coming.

I love it when Disney meets Star Wars, and if you do too, then here’s some cool news for you!

This Spring, Hasbro will be releasing a brand new Disney-related astromech R2 unit styled with a Mickey Mouse theme.

The new R2-MK will have the classic Mickey Mouse colors (red, white, black, and yellow) and is topped with the famous “Mouse” ears.

The new R2 unit will be sold exclusively at Disney’s theme parks in Florida (Disney World) and California (Disneyland) in April 2010 and will be packaged as a Hasbro action figure 2-pack along with Jedi Mickey. The pack will retail for $18.95.

R2-MK made a stop at Skywalker Ranch for a photo-op before heading on to the Disney theme parks. Check out the photo here below, along with a few promo stills.

Product tie-ins for Disney’s upcoming Alice In Wonderland film appear to be going the high-end route with designer jewelry by Tom Binns and Stella McCartney, as well as designer dresses by Sue Wong.

Even Swarovski crystal is getting in on the act, launching their Underland collection next month, which will feature 17 jewelry pieces selling for $80 to $150. The pieces — which will consist of pendants, necklaces, rings and earrings — will portray iconic Alice in Wonderland imagery, like cups, saucers, teapots, keys, talking flowers, and the ever-popular Cheshire Cat. (The collection will be sold at Swarovski stores, online, and select department stores).

I searched around, but haven’t found any images for the “Underland” collection, which of all things, is what I’m excited about (I have quite the little Swarovski collection myself).

With all of the drama that has been going on with Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides — the fourth installment in the franchise — and star Johnny Depp, it’s a miracle that things are still full steam ahead. But as it were, not only is it all moving forward, but the movie is now planning to begin shooting this Summer with Depp ready to go for at least this one last time.

Now, since the ending of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, everyone has expected any additional movies to involve the long-desired Fountain of Youth. We were even informed that the movie would be based on Tim Powers‘ 1987 book that inspired the sub-title, On Stranger Tides, which did involve the Fountain, but still nothing had really been confirmed yet…that I had known about.

As it turns out, Empire Magazine actually spoke to Pirates writer Terry Rossio back in October, and all was confirmed then. And while the book in question is not the full inspiration of the new movie, it has enough of the elements that the film makers wanted to use that it was just safer and easier to acquire the rights to the novel as well.