You are now inside the Jace Hall Blog Archive of knowledge and POWER. Every article, every news item, every THING that has gone down on this website you will find archived here. Be careful! The awesomeness contained here can overwhelm...

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Xbox’s Co-Creator Is Working On Arcade Games With Ex-Atari Pros

Friday, 3rd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: Asteroids, atari, battlezone, Innovative Leisure, iOS, ipad, iPhone, Owen Rubin, Seamus Blackley

Originally hired by Microsoft to work on DirectX in 1999, Seamus Blackley is often cited as one of the co-creators of the Xbox, but these days his startup consisting of many famous Atari designers is making games for Apple’s iOS devices.

According to VentureBeat who recently interviewed him, Blackley’s new company called Innovative Leisure has plucked the “creators of the best arcade experiences from the golden age of Atari in the 1970s and 1980s” in order to create new arcade experiences for iPhone and iPad. Keep Reading

‘Space Stallions’ Pays Tribute to the Sci-Fi Cartoon Hits of the 80′s

Friday, 3rd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Offbeat, Online Video
Tags: 80's cartoons, Bravestarr, mask, Silverhawks, Space Stallions, Thundercats, Wheeled Warriors

Like a lot of cult phenom, 80′s sci-fi cartoons are revered at heart by the old farts who can still remember them — and their impact is obvious enough in the intro for ‘Space Stallions’ that they deserve mentioning.

Made in the over-the-top, super-colorful way so many of those cartoons were, ‘Stallions’ was cleverly crafted by a bunch of Danish film students at The Animation Workshop.Here’s the video, as well as an acid-trip back through time to the cartoons that inspired them. Keep Reading

New Bill Proposes Tax On Violent Video Games, Says It’s Necessary For “Public Peace”

Friday, 3rd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Keeping it Real
Tags: Entertainment Software Association, esa, esrb, games, hb2696, oklahoma, tax, video, violent, will fourkiller

A proposed tax on violent video games known as HB2696 has been recently introduced by Oklahoma State rep Will Fourkiller, despite the Supreme Court’s decision to grant video games First Amendment protection in June 2011. Not only would the HB2696 tax extend to violent, Mature or Adult[s] Only titles, it would also impact anything carrying an ESRB rating of “Teen” or higher– even Guitar Hero or gambling games like Ultimate Card Games.

While Fourkiller wants the proceeds to be donated to bully prevention and promoting outdoor education for children, Ars Technica reported he cited unspecified studies to a local news station in Oklahoma claiming video games have been linked to bullying and obesity. Keep Reading

The Simpsons Arcade Game Lands On XBLA & PSN Just Like You Remember It

Friday, 3rd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Keeping it Real
Tags: arcade, backbone, classic, game, Konami, microsoft, released, The Simpsons, XBLA, xbox

We told you back in November that a filing with the Australian government showed Backbone Entertainment was planning on bringing Konami’s classic The Simpsons Arcade Game to a number of platforms. Today Backbone has followed through with the release of the game on XBLA and PSN.

So how does it compare to the original?

Available for 800 Microsoft Points (free trial available) and free to PlayStation Plus subsribers, The Simpsons Arcade Game includes all 8 classic Springfield locations, includes a few new features, and by first impressions seems to be quite a faithful port. Keep Reading

‘BEFORE WATCHMEN’ – ARE THEY DOING A PREQUEL TO THE BIBLE NEXT?

Friday, 3rd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Keeping it Real, Movies, Pop Culture
Tags: Alan Moore, batman, prequel, sequel, watchmen

This could easily become the biggest controversy in the comic book world since Stan Lee gave a makeover to Jace Hall’s The Incredible Hulk # 1. The rumors have been true, DC Entertainment announced that they will publish 7 mini-series that are essentially one big prequel to Watchmen, possibly the most acclaimed comic book of all time….and this is where it gets tricky.

While in the film community every sequel is greeted with at least some suspicion, its worth noting that even superheroes like Batman or The Hulk have seen countless reinventions by different writers and artists.

But the perfection of Watchmen and the fact that it has been untouched for about 25 years would be reason enough for people to be outraged by the recent turn of events. Alan Moore, creator of Watchmen and recently in the news for bashing Frank Millers crude OWS statements, sure is pissed: Keep Reading

Id Software’s RAGE Lands On Mac App Store, and Doom 3 is $1

Friday, 3rd February 2012
Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: $39.99, App Store, Aspyr Media, Campaign Edition, Doom 3, id software, Mac OS X, Rage, Todd Hollenshead

Aspyr Media, best known for porting dozens of PC and console titles to Mac OS X, announced todaythe release of RAGE: Campaign Edition for Mac in the Mac App Store. RAGE was originally released by id Software, makers of Quake, and Doom, and released in North America on October 4th of last year on Xbox 360, PS3, and Windows. It might have been worth the wait with the campaign edition including a ton of additional, bonus content…

“Aspyr has been a great partner, bringing id Software’s games to the Mac platform for years,” said Todd Hollenshead, President of id Software. “We’ve worked closely with them again to offer the amazing graphics and intense combat that RAGE is famous for to Mac gamers.” Keep Reading

Marky Mark’s 9/11 Comment Will Give You ‘Terrorist Vibrations’

Thursday, 2nd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Online Video, Pop Culture
Tags: 9/11, comment, funny video game, Marky mark, Terrorist Vibrations

I guess some nicknames will always stick, as “Terrorist Vibrations” proves– complete with NES-style Double Dragon-esque sprites and gameplay, and a ‘Funktality’ that makes evil Taliban heads explode!

How the hell did this get made? Well, Credit Marky Mark himself with making the now infamous 9/11 comments that subsequently set a bunch of people off, and thus resulted in this video game. Keep Reading

Nintendo Tries Not to Panic, Reveals Damage Control Plans

Thursday, 2nd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Offbeat
Tags: 3ds, annual, bit, DLC, games, iwata, Mario, nintendo

With their first annual report loss totaling in at nearly a f*cking BILLION dollars (the very first annual loss since they came into existence), Nintendo wouldn’t seem to be doing so well.

At a meeting yesterday at the company’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, it was hard to tell who’s more panicked – President Satoru Iwata or the stockholders. Keep Reading

Andy Richter Shows Conan O’Brien His Skyrim Voiceover Reel

Thursday, 2nd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Pop Culture
Tags: Andy RIchter, Arrow in the Knee, bethesda, Conan, Conan O'Brien, skyrim, voice over

When Andy Richter returned to television with Conan O’Brien on TBS, it was good to have him back, especially given that Newt Gingrich still in the race. All that said, his announcement on last night’s episode that he had done voice over work on Skyrim surprised many, including Conan himself. Highlights of his demo voice-over reel include a particularly brutal, hi-fiving snowman as well as one particularly epic fart.

Thanks to GammaSquad for the link, especially since I hadn’t heard much from Andy Richter in a while — after Conan O’Brien, he managed to pop up in a few memorable TV appearances, including his own highly-rated (and somewhat underrated) Andy Richter Controls the Universe a few years back. Keep Reading

Deja Vu: The Top 5 Biggest Video Game Rip-Offs Ever

Thursday, 2nd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Offbeat
Tags: characters, cough, cray, Groundhog Day, really, rip-off, Sega, socket, Super Giana Sisters

In honor of the classic film Groundhog Day — in which Bill Murray’s Phil Connors is cursed to wake up and repeat the same hellish existence of the same day over and over again — here are the 5 games most guilty of giving gamers that creepy feeling of deja-vu.

Some rip-offs you’ve probably never heard of; others even star the console flagship characters themselves (*cough…SEGA…cough*).  All are guilty of being creatively bankrupt. So step back from that ledge my friend, and crank up the Pennsylvania Polka — here are some of the top 5 most unabashed, unashamed, rip-offs of popular games ever. Keep Reading

Crytek Developing Social Network For Gamers With OnLive-like Streaming

Thursday, 2nd February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Social Media
Tags: browser, Crytek, Facebook, Gameloft Live!, gamers, GFACE, onlive, social network, streaming, Xbox Live

There are a few sites that claim to be a Facebook dedicated to gamers, but nothing like a new service called “GFACE” being developed with help from Crysis developers Crytek. From screenshots posted by Kotaku, the GFACE is not only the ultimate Facebook/Google+ for gamers, it’s also an innovative online game streaming platform that scales from mobile devices to traditional PCs.

GFACE, like Facebook and most other social networks, will run your browser. Some of the innovative features highlighted in Kotaku’s report: integrated video chat, and drag-and-drop friend invites, and the ability to access your friends list to share content like Xbox Live– such as watching a movie together. Keep Reading

Apple Steals Xbox Live Exec To Work On Promoting App Store

Thursday, 2nd February 2012
Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: app, App Store, apple, gaming, iTunes, market, microsoft, Nick Grange, Robert Saunders, robin burrowes, xbox

Following its most recent acquisition of Dixons’ and PC World’s John Browett as its new Retail SVP, Apple has poached an Xbox Live marketing exec from Europe to help promote the App Store. In case you were wondering how focused Apple is on further dominating the mobile gaming market in the months to come, its no coincidence they’ve decided to hire someone with 7 years of experience at Xbox…

With Apple rumored to be entering the living room with an HDTV possibly sometime this year, the hiring of Xbox’s Robin Burrowes shouldn’t be understated. Most recently Burrowes worked to market the latest Xbox dashboard updates in the EMEA. Keep Reading

Bug Sends Compromising Messages To Wrong iPhone User

Thursday, 2nd February 2012
Posted in Apple, Blog Archive
Tags: apple, bug, compromising, employee, high school, iMessage, iOS, iPhone, messages, SMS, tranny

There are always bugs in just about every release of software, and the iOS firmware running on iPhones is no different. While it’s not exactly your typical bug, one iPhone user has been receiving both the incoming and outgoing text messages of another iPhone user on his device. No matter what he does, from deleting the message thread to restoring the device, the messages keep coming– tranny pics, love letters, and all…

The story comes from Gizmodo who said a friend’s son, a high school student, had started receiving the incoming and outgoing messages after the device was returned from an Apple store for routine repairs. The kid and his mom at the time Keep Reading

Arrested Development Officially Gets a Movie + 10 More Episodes…On Netflix?

Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Pop Culture
Tags: arrested development, episodes, Michael Cera, Mitch hurwitz, movie, netflix, Will arnett

If you’re familiar in the least with Arrested Development, you probably know how cult-like fans are in their unabashed worship of the show. Talk to any of them for a little and you’ll hear how Job and Tobias were two of the greatest things to ever happen to prime time — and ever since they left, things just aren’t the same.

Today fans can rest assured with the knowledge that,according to ScreenRant, the official answer is ‘yes’, and that co-writer Dean Lorey has confirmed personally via his blog that the show is officially happening. Keep Reading

“A Taste of Animethon” (Translation: Cute Girls in Anime Outfits)

Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Online Video
Tags: A Taste of Animethon, Andalante, Anime, animethon, cosplay

Can’t wait for Animethon? This well-made and super-short documentary/music video captures some of the best cosplay of ‘A Taste of Animethon’, which is the pre-convention to the actual Animethon convention held in Alberta every year.

Credit a steady supply of cute girls (all of whom are probably jailbait-age) who braved the Canadian cold to don their elaborate Keep Reading

This Music Video That’s Made Up Entirely of Sounds From Your Favorite Gadgets

Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gadgets, Music, Nerdcore, Online Video
Tags: Chris Crutchfield, Final Cut Pro X, gadget music, key presses, Logic, mouse clicks, nerdcore, RED, samples, ZoomH4N

If you’ve ever been overwhelmed with all of the different incoming alerts and sounds coming from your growing collection of electronic devices, you’ll appreciate this song from Chris Crutchfield inspired by those very sounds.

The result is a song made up almost entirely of the sounds of mouse clicks, key presses, and notification beeps and boops from the devices we use most. Not only is the song impressive, but the video (below) shot on a RED camera is worth a watch too.

Chris explained the inspiration for the project: Keep Reading

Breaking Bad Gets Re-imagined As SNES-Style RPG

Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Online Video
Tags: 8-bit, Breaking bad, CollegeHumor, fan video, game, remake, RPG, SNES, spin-off, video, Walter White

If you’re a Breaking Bad fan– AMC’s series about a high school chemistry teacher with cancer turned methamphetamine cook– you’re probably sick of waiting for the fifth, and possibly final, season set to begin production in early 2012.

The good news is CollegeHumor has just posted a retro SNES RPG style interpretation of the show that is similar to a Saved by the Bell video you might have seen a little while back. Keep Reading

100 Year Old Great Grandmother Reveals Video Games Are Her Secret to a Healthy Life

Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Clearly a Gamer
Tags: 100 years old, grandma, grandmother, nintendo, Nintendo DS

Next time your parents/girlfriend/significant other haggles you about your gaming habit, shove this video in their face. Meet Kit, a 100-year old grandmother of one who’s completely self-sufficient and attributes a lot of her mental acuity to playing a sh*tload of Nintendo DS.

Sure, she’s not on there playing Mario Kart or Mortal Kombat so much as skill/logic puzzle games — but still, it seems to be doing her some serious good. According to Kit, one of those unnamed skill/logic puzzle games has confirmed she has the mental sharpness of a 65 year-old. “I find I am very forgetful…I can’t remember things the next day,” she says at one point in her delightful Cockney accent. Keep Reading

Sony Appoints New President & CEO, And He’s A Gamer

Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: ceo, gamer, gaming, Howard Stringer, Kazuo Hirai, playstation, president, ps3, PSN, SCEI, Sony

Sony today announced (via The New York Times) a new CEO to replace Howard Stringer, and it just so happens to be a gamer, Kazuo Hirai– former president of Sony’s consumer electronics group and an important figure in the rise of PlayStation and Sony’s online and gaming efforts.

Prior to overseeing the development of Vita and most other Sony consumer electronic goods, he was also in charge of SCEI & Sony Online Entertainment, the VAIO group, and the online distribution of music, video, books and other content. With Sony working hard to integrate its suite of PSN content with its hardware business, Mr. Hirai’s experience might be exactly what the company needs to turn around from four straight years of losses. This is what Hirai had to say in a statement earlier today: Keep Reading

Cung Le Makes Maxim’s List of 8 Great Fighters Who Became Kickass Actors.

Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Posted in Blog Archive, Pop Culture, Press
Tags: awards, badass, cung le, maxim, mma, Todd Roy

Jace Hall Show fans know Cung Le from his epic adventures striking down ninjas and occasionally Todd Roy. To fans of the MMA world, he’s known for his spinning back-kick and to those in the TV and movie world, he’s known for his appearances on NCIS, Walker Texas Ranger, Pandorum, Tekken, and Fighting.

It has all earned him a spot on Maxim’s list of 8 Great Fighters Who Became Kickass Actors.

Cung has an undefeated 17-0 record on the kick-boxing circuit and is 7-2 in the MMA circuit, having most recently taken on Brazilian fighter Wanderlei Silva in between film roles. Keep Reading