With “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” hitting theaters today, it’s easy to forget that, along with blockbuster movies of the live-action and animated variety, long-running cartoon series and hundreds of toys, Hasbro’s shape-changing robots have a long history in the comics world, too.

Earlier this week, we gave you our list of the five most important “Transformers” comics you should check out, and now we thought it might be worth taking a trip down memory lane with Optimus Prime, Megatron and the rest of the “Robots in Disguise” and examine the twists and turns of their long journey on the printed page.

MARVEL COMICS (1984-1991): While the original cartoon series was on the air, the original Generation 1 comic book series kicked off with Marvel Comics. Like the cartoon, the cast of characters in the comics depended upon toy marketing considerations.

These comics were very much the same as the first two seasons of the original cartoon series, though some story details were altered. While the third season of the cartoon series jumped ahead several years into a possible future, the Marvel Comics series did not follow this approach and so the continuity went down a drastically different line.

After 80 issues, the series was canceled. One interesting note: Originally, Marvel considered the Transformers to be part of the mainstream Marvel Universe, so Spider-Man guest-starred in one of the early issues. This idea was quickly abandoned, however, and the Transformers were treated as existing in their own, separate continuity.

U.K. COMICS (1984-1991): At first, the U.K. reprinted the Marvel Comics series while adding stories in-between the previously written issues, expanding plots and characters. After a couple of years, the U.K. dismissed the U.S. series and pursued its own continuity. Simon Furman became the writer of the U.K. series and was so acclaimed that he was later asked to write the U.S. series, and eventually became known as the Transformers scribe.

While the third season of the cartoon series stated that the Transformers were originally robots created by the alien Quintessons, Furman took a different route. He wrote about the death-god Unicron that nearly destroyed the universe until he was stopped by a “god of light” called Primus. Primus and Unicron each had their essence trapped inside metallic asteroids. Unicron evolved into a new, robotic menace, less powerful but still a threat to life. Primus altered his own asteroid prison into a robotic world (Cybertron) and gave his life essence to create a race of sentient robots who would one day defeat Unicron forever. A piece of Primus became the Transformer Matrix (later renamed the “AllSpark”).

Furman’s origin story made its way into the US Comics and has become the origin most continuities have followed since.

MARVEL GENERATION 2 COMICS (1993): In the 1990s, Marvel did a new series to celebrate the new Transformers toyline. Like the toyline, it was called “Generation 2.” This series (which wound up lasting only 12 issues) was written by Simon Furman and took place years after the end of the original US comic series. The Decepticons and Autobots bound together to fight a new common enemy and the series was known for its intense violence and several character deaths.

DREAMWAVE (2002-2005): Dreamwave Productions began a new Transformers comic series that acted as a sequel to the first two seasons of the original cartoon series (ignoring the possible future of the third season). Elements of the U.S. comic series were brought in and a new backstory was established in the series “The War Within,” which depicted Optimus Prime’s rise to power and the escalation of the Autobot/Decepticon War millions of years in the past. Likewise, Dreamwave did a mini-series that acted as a sequel to the “Transformers: Beast Wars” cartoon.

When Dreamwave went bankrupt, this continuity was abruptly halted.

DEVIL’S DUE PUBLISHING (2003-2007): Devil’s Due did a few miniseries under the collected umbrella of “G.I.Joe Vs. Transformers” series as a completely alternate universe where the Transformers were discovered during World War II and recruited by the forces of G.I.Joe and Cobra. Many characters had radically different alternate modes (such as Optimus Prime, who now turned into a tank).
Familiar stories from both comics were re-interpreted in this continuity, showing how things might have happened if these two franchises had been more closely linked in the past.

IDW (2005-Present): Following Dreamwave’s bankruptcy, IDW snatched up the Transformers property. Simon Furman was brought in as headwriter and given the freedom to re-boot the continuity completely from scratch. The new series began with the story “Infiltration”, where readers were re-introduced to the Transformers who were secretly warring with each other across many planets across the galaxy.

This time, the Autobots were more of a strict military unit rather than a band of loosely organized fighters. Because there now is no toyline to be concerned with, Furman has had greater freedom concerning what characters he wishes to use and how.

Furman’s new continuity focuses on long-term plotting and has (for the most part) grounded the series with actual speculative technology rather than unexplained science (such as how certain Transformers seem to change size when they alter their forms). The details of the new history has been covered in the parallel series “Transformers: Spotlight,” which also sets up plot points for upcoming storylines.

Most recently, the 12-part series “All Hail Megatron” has given our heroes a turn for the worst. After defeating the Autobots, Megatron wages war across the planet Earth itself, with humanity nearly defenseless. Whether the Autobots will be able to fully recover and wipe out the Decepticons remains to be seen.

That brings us up to speed. We highly suggest the new Simon Furman series by IDW, most of which has been collected into trade paperback.

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Article Courtsey: Splashpage.mtv.com

Before a parent purchases a new title they should look at the titles ESRB rating. ESRB stands for Entertainment Software Ratings Board and they provide age suitability ratings on all Xbox 360 games and each rating can be found on the game’s box.

Racing Games Suitable for Children
Whilst Project Gotham Racing 3 and 4 are suitable for children they may be slightly overwhelming for younger children. For a more light hearted gaming experience parents should try Disney Pixar’s Cars.

Or another option is to download Gripshift off the XBLA Marketplace. A list of some of the best games on the marketplace can be found on What are the Best XBLA Games to Buy?

Multiplayer and Party GAMES Suitable for Kids and Families
Party games can be awesome fun for a family to sit down together and play. Fusion Frenzy 2 is the most popular party game on the 360 but is ERB rated at a 12+ so may be unsuitable for smaller children. Of course the ultimate party game for those willing to spend a lot of money is Rock Band. The only problem with this game is getting mum and dad to stop playing it!

Adventure Games
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is based on the film of the same name and features gameplay that is quite similar to Grand Theft Auto but is non-violent.

CO –OP Games Suitable for Children
Lego Star Wars is difficult to fault as a children’s game. The gamer can play as all of his/her favourite characters in missions that are based on scenes from all 6 Star Wars movies. The gameplay consists of simple puzzle solving and some fairly tame combat. More advanced children can go back to previously completed missions and replay them and try to find all the secret areas.

What makes Lego Star Wars such a family friendly game is it’s Co-operative mode. Two players can play at the same time and work together to achieve goals. It’s a great way for parents to have fun with their kids because the gameplay is simple enough for both children and no-gaming adualts.

Sport Games Suitable for Children

There are a multitude of great sports games on the Xbox 360 most of which are suitable for kids.

Miscellaneous Games
Beautiful Katamari consists of rolling a ball of trash around a level and trying to increase its size by rolling more and more trash up in it. Simple yet addictive this game can help to channel some of the destructive energy of children.

Its graphics are extremely colourful and vibrant, and many of the items the player picks up are humorous and silly. The game really comes into its own on the later levels when players aren’t just picking up small items but entire continents!

Some other recommendations and instructions on how to set up the 360’s family settings can be found on Xbox’s Official Kid Friendly Game Library. Moreover parents interested in purchasing educational titles for their children should read Educational Nintendo DS Games.

The copyright of the article Best Xbox 360 Games for Kids in Video & Online Games is owned by Peter Reeves. Permission to republish Best Xbox 360 Games for Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Article courtsey: Video Online Games.suite101.com

LONDON (Reuters) - Pop band McFly will give away its new album with a Sunday newspaper in July to promote an upcoming tour, the latest sign that live performance is taking priority over recorded music.

The quartet, who have had seven UK No.1 singles, are following in the footsteps of U.S. singer Prince, who used a similar strategy in last year when he gave away his album "Planet Earth" with the Mail on Sunday.

Although music retailers criticised the move, it was seen as a successful strategy when his tour sold out.

McFly have come to a deal with the same newspaper to distribute nearly three million copies of "Radio:ACTIVE" on July 20, the band told the BBC.

"We get to put it into almost three million homes, which is an incredible opportunity for us," said singer Tom Fletcher. "Hopefully the three million people will all enjoy the music and they'll decide to see us when we go on tour."

Pop stars are increasingly focusing on live performance and merchandising to make money as CD sales continue to slide.

Online piracy and competition from videogames have eroded the music market, creating problems for record companies and encouraging some of the world's biggest acts to ditch their labels and sign with tour promoters and even coffee chains.

Industry executives fear the trend towards more and more music giveaways will force the labels out of business and make it harder for new talent to be heard.

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Article Courtsey: UK. Reuters.com

Action...Excitement...Romance...Fill the Screen! This one is the perfect tagline to define The Quite Man. One of the Hollywood’s longest in the making movie; The Quite Man was screened in 1952 worldwide. Director John Ford’s one of classic movies, The Quite Man reflects human relationships, nostalgic flavour and contemporary imageries of Irish heritage in its purest forms. Apart from the script, all the characters in The Quite Man display personal endeavours to entertain the warmth and vitality of human relationships in every possible level.

Cinematography in The Quite Man is at its best and Winton C. Hoch has done exceedingly well in picturising various Irish locations in the backdrop of story. In true sense The Quite Man is a cinematic representation of a classic romantic drama.

The storyline is very simple and there is nothing historic about the story or it does not carry any social message. The story is all about two lovers Sean Thornton (John Wayne) and Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara) and their struggle through time and finally reconciliation in between them. The main plot can be summarised as “Set in 1920s Ireland, Sean Thornton (John Wayne), an Irish-American from Pittsburgh, returns to Ireland to reclaim his family's farm in Innisfree. He meets and falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara), the spinster sister of the bullying, loud-mouthed landowner "Red" Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen). Danaher, angry that Sean outbid him for the Thornton land adjacent to his property, initially refuses to sanction the marriage until several town locals, including the parish priest, conspire to trick him into believing that the wealthy Widow Tillane wants to marry him, but only if Mary Kate is no longer living in the house. After learning the truth on Sean and Mary Kate's wedding day, an enraged Will refuses to give his sister her full dowry.

Sean, unschooled in Irish customs, cares nothing about the dowry; but Mary Kate is obsessed with obtaining it; the dowry representing her independence, identity and pride. Angered and shamed by Sean's refusal to confront her brother and demand what is legally hers, she brands him a coward, and, despite living together, they are estranged as husband and wife. The truth about Sean, however, is known only to one other person in the village, the Church of Ireland minister Rev. Playfair (Arthur Shields). Sean is a former boxer in the United States, a heavy weight champion known as "Trooper Thorn." After accidentally killing an opponent in the ring, Sean hung up his gloves, vowing never to fight again.

Later, in an attempt to force Sean to confront Will Danaher, Mary Kate leaves him and boards a train departing Castletown and headed to Dublin; Ireland's Capital. Infuriated, Sean arrives and drags her off the train, and, followed by the townspeople, forces her to walk the five miles to Innisfree from Castletown to Will Danaher's farm. Sean demands that will hand over her dowry.

Will finally relents and gives him the cash. Mary Kate and Sean throw it into a furnace, showing that Mary Kate never cared about the money, but only that Sean stands up for his wife. Sean and Will slug it out through the village, stop for a drink, brawl again, then becomes best friends. Sean regains Mary Kate's love and respect. Will Danaher and the Widow Tillane begin courting, and peace returned to Innisfree.”

(Courtesy: Wikipedia.org)

In the movie one can see the underlying conflict has a great deal in common with the Western culture and lifestyle. At its core, there is a “good man” that represents an outsider, who enters into conflict with the “bad man” in the protagonist who represents the established, rich, and overbearing land owner. The conflict revolves around love, honour and social acceptance. The Quiet Man is a definitely a Fordian film in every sense as it represents uniqueness of Ford and his immense love Ireland. If I were asked, I would have advised every to keep one DVD copy of The Quiet Man in your movie wallet. The new special edition DVD has several interesting features. The print is bright and colourful. You can order this from Stoleit.com right now.

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When his fourth Xbox 360 video game console died in April, Chris Szarek wasn’t surprised.

The Chicopee, Mass. gamer was accustomed to the hardware failures that became known throughout the Internet as RROD, or the “red rings of death” which flash when the console becomes inoperable.

A 40-year-old photographer, Szarek was a hardcore Microsoft fan who spent more than $1,000 on his games. But each time one of his Xbox 360 consoles failed, he had to spend time convincing Microsoft’s tech support that they should send him a new console. Each time he got a refurbished console as a replacement (a machine that had been returned to a repair center in Texas, fixed as much as possible, and then shipped back out). When he complained on the Internet and to the media about the shoddy product and poor customer service, people branded him a cry baby and wrote him off as a statistical anomaly. But by the spring of 2008, Szarek was vindicated. There were at least a million or two other people like him.

Szarek’s fourth machine lasted almost two years, experiencing the same short life that many other Xbox 360s suffered. Microsoft replaced these machines for free under the warranty that it announced on July 5, 2007, for defective Xbox 360s exhibiting what it more politely called the “three flashing red lights.” That warranty program cost Microsoft up to $1.15 billion, but the loss of face and loyalty among gamers in the fierce console war with Nintendo and Sony has been immeasurable. Szarek, who became a spokesman for dispossessed defective Xbox 360 owners, played a part in making Microsoft acknowledge its console quality problem.

This is the unauthorized tale of how Microsoft lost its chance to become the leader in the biggest market it has attacked beyond its twin monopolies in Office and Windows software. Rival game console maker Nintendo out-thought the larger players Microsoft and Sony by designing the Wii game console with a clever, intuitive game controller. Even so, Microsoft could have captured more gamers during this product generation, yet the RROD problem held it back. The Xbox 360’s defect problem will go down as one of the worst snafus in consumer electronics history.

Its own worst enemy
Microsoft knew it had flawed machines, but it did not delay its launch because it believed the quality problems would subside over time. With each new machine, the company figured it would ride the “learning curve,” or continuously improve its production. Even though Microsoft’s leaders knew their quality wasn’t top notch, they did not ensure that resources were in place to handle returns and quickly debug bad consoles. There were plenty of warning signs, but the company chose to ignore them. The different parts of the business weren’t aligned.

It reminds me of the German war machine just before World War I, as chronicled by Barbara Tuchman in the classic history book, “The Guns of August.” The German generals were intent on keeping their trains on time; but the leaders overlooked their chances for stopping the war altogether. The Schlieffen plan called for them to strike first. Once the Russians and French mobilized, the Germans had to move into action. They marched off blindly into tragedy.

Likewise, Microsoft’s strategy depended on beating its rivals to market. It couldn’t afford to stop and delay the launch in order to solve its quality problems, or so upper management believed. What Microsoft’s leaders didn’t realize was that getting to market first with a flawed machine would only win them a battle; and it risked the loss of the war.

“They got enamored with the idea of the Microsoft army rolling everything out at the same time,” said one knowledgeable source who asked not to be identified.

The quality problem negated much of the advantage of going first, and it has delayed the company’s plan to aggressively market the console and slash its prices. (Microsoft disputes this point; it cut the price of all three versions of its Xbox consoles by $50 to $79 on Wednesday. And the company believes it will sell more boxes than Sony will. But prices ought to be lower still during this stage of the console life cycle). That has stopped the company from reaching the broader market of consumers that Nintendo has won over. It has lowered its ambitions, hoping instead just to get a clear edge on third-placed Sony. The future profits that the company once hoped for are now likely to wind up in Nintendo’s pockets.

Microsoft’s top game executive, Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment & Devices group, said at a dinner in July that Microsoft’s own research shows that gamers have largely forgiven the company for defective Xbox 360s. Microsoft has still sold more Xbox 360 consoles than Sony to date. But there is no doubt that the company has lost considerable good will among gamers. Before Microsoft offered free replacements, connsumers grumbled that they had to turn to forums, such as those on Ars Technica, to vent and to find solutions to problems that the company didn’t openly discuss. And for a couple of months now, Sony’s PlayStation 3 has been outselling the Xbox 360 in the U.S. for the first time.

“Fundamentally, their thinking shows that they are a software company at heart,” said one veteran manufacturing executive. “They put something out and figure they can fix it with the next patch or come up with a bug fix.”

The terrifying part of the story is that this kind of problem — where technology fails and no one knows what to do about it — can happen to any company.

About this story
I asked Microsoft to confirm or deny 35 different facts contained in this story. Instead, I received a formal statement from a Microsoft spokesperson, saying the company had already acknowledged an “unacceptable number of repairs” to Xbox 360 consoles and responded to the hardware failures with a free replacement program. The statement also said, “This topic has already been covered extensively in the media. This new story repeats old information, and contains rumors and innuendo from anonymous sources, attempting to create a new sensational angle, and is highly irresponsible.”

I don’t think this story is sensational. I have tried to verify the facts over several years. I view this story as the last chapter for my book on the making of the Xbox 360, “The Xbox 360 Uncloaked: The Real Story Behind Microsoft’s Next-Generation Video Game Console.”

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Article courtsey : Games.Venturebeat.com

Gaming systems have always been the wave of the future for many companies. Microsoft is no exception, and the company worked for years to determine the right type of gaming system.

In the late 1990's the gaming market was being dominated by Sony Playstation. This in home game system was definitely a hit with people around the world, and Bill Gates from Microsoft could see the potential for a competing system.

The original Xbox was released in 2001 and Microsoft has certainly reaped the benefits of jumping into the gaming the market. One of its unique features was its memory system built into the console. Other systems required a memory card in order to save the advancement in the game. The Xbox was able to store this information in its hard disc drive, something that gamers found convenient and much easier to use.

Microsoft had to work on designing controllers that would work well with the gaming system and this did take some time and changes of designs. The original controllers were bulky and criticized for being too large. Eventually, the design of the controllers was streamlined to accommodate players and the rapid motion required by players during games. The Xbox 360 also has wireless controllers allowing for players to stand up and move around while playing games.

The Evolution Of The Xbox 360
Microsoft continued to work on and advance the gaming console. Eventually, the Xbox 360 was developed and has been a huge hit with gamers everywhere. The Xbox 360 is one of the most popular gaming consoles ever, and this is in large part due to the graphics and ability of play that is allowed in games.

The Xbox 360 can also attribute its popularity to the games that are designed specifically for that console. The series of games under the Halo name are one of the driving forces behind the popularity of the Xbox 360.

Gamers who love the Halo series have to have an Xbox 360 in order to play Halo. This game itself has boosted the sales of the Xbox 360, generating the growth of the desirability of the system itself.

Microsoft has continued to expand the capabilities of the Xbox 360 by adding a live feature to the system. This allows players to play with others by going through an internet service. Players can enjoy playing with people from around the world.

The Xbox 360 will continue to dominate the gaming market, as long as popular titles are released exclusive to the gaming system and the graphics keep pace with a generation of people who are looking for upscale games.

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Article courtsey : Find-An-Article.com