Goosebumps Headed for the Big Screen!

Goosebumps

Sony Pictures will be doing the big screen version of R.L. Stine’s hugely popular Goosebumps line of books. I’ve read dozens of these as a kid, so I have a reason to be excited, you know. There are 62 books in all, written over the years 1992 through 1997. That’s a lot of content to pick from, almost as much as a comic book franchise.

Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander have been signed on for writing the screenplay. This early, we have no idea on which story will be adapted. If you ask me though, an anthology or a series of loosely connected segments wouldn’t be such a bad idea either, considering the source material.

The tone of the movies is also up for debate. Goosebumps is largely a children’s horror series, which means that you can’t have anything overly horrific or sadistic. For quick reference, they are nothing like Saw or Hostel. The point is, which was the last horror movie you saw that looked like it was perfectly safe for an 11-year old?

Still, the Goosebumps series can perhaps be best appreciated for its eerie settings and the situations that the protagonists encounter. While the resolutions may end up being a bit cheesy or mild, they definitely get you thinking on what Hollywood could do with them and a bit of gore and dark stuff.

Let’s just see how this turns out, then.

Sony to launch even slimmer PS2 in India

PS2 Logo

Sony, abiding perfectly to the “believe in the sales” maxim has decided to release a fourth version of their immensely popular PlayStation 2 console in India by Diwali – the festival of Light, which occurs somewhere around late-October or early-November. While the Wii and Xbox 360 compete neck-to-neck in the International market and the PS3 slowly catches up, here we have Sony selling the PS2, the first version of which was released in *drum roll* 2000. That’s 8 years ago, people. 2 years shy of a decade.

AC adaptors will be integrated into the console itself now, but even then, the PS2 will be “slimer, sleeker and more suave” [sic]. It will be priced the same as before, at Rs. 6990 (approx. $165). The PS2 has become the best selling console in India very recently because of this cheap price, easy availability, combined with the fact that there are still games being made for it. The Xbox, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight until the 360 came along with its humongous price tag.

Another reason why the PS2 is big here is, that pirated games for the PS2 are pretty much everywhere. For the Xbox 360 though, you need to buy original titles, which cost somewhere around Rs. 2000, which no sensible Indian consumer will be willing to spend. The PS3 is too downright costly and the Wii isn’t available officially (I don’t remember the last Nintendo console available officially here…)

In addition, Sony will also be introducing the PlayStation Network for India by the end of this fiscal year, which should bring India into the realm of online PS2 gaming.

Sony Country Manager (awesome title there) Atindriya Bose said, when asked about whether it will affect the PS3 market:

“We do not market it as a PS-2 or PS-3. It is the experience of the PS that we market. PS-3 is for the next generation. People who are first timers in the gaming market want to pick up PS-2 and experience that, before upgrading to PS-3,”

Now that’s funny. “How do we make money off of casual gamers?” they asked. “I know, milk the PS2 until we’re totally out of stock, release the PS4 and then release PS3, because it’s the console for the better gamers which the Indian crowd has become! Perfect plan!”

Source: The Economic Times

Ghostbusters’ ECTO-1 Tour

Sierra Entertainment – a division of Vivendi Games, today announced that one of the most iconic cars in Hollywood history, the Ghostbusters’ ECTO-1, is back and will be busting ghosts in a town near you! In conjunction with Sony Pictures Consumer Products and the eagerly anticipated Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Sierra Entertainment is taking the classic caddy on the road to give fans of the franchise a chance to experience this one-of-a-kind machine and the game first hand.

“The ECTO-1 is one of the most memorable and loved vehicles of all-time,” says Al Simone, VP of Marketing, Sierra Entertainment. “Sony has been a fantastic partner to work with and we’re very excited to have a hand in taking ECTO off the screen and out on the road – this way fans can experience a true piece of ghost busting history first hand as they get a taste of Ghostbusters: The Video Game.”

ECTO-1 will be stopping at several destinations across the U.S. throughout the tour, five of which are in partnership with the Boost Mobile Nightshift and Hot Import Nights events. Additionally, fans will have the chance to get up close and personal with ECTO-1 at Knott’s Scary Farm and the L.A. Auto Show later this year.

ECTO-1 Tour Schedule:

June 21 – Nightshift New York (Belmont Raceway; New York, NY)
August 9 – Nightshift Pomona (Pomona Fairplex; Pomona, CA)
August 29-31 – Penny Arcade Expo (Seattle Conv. Ctr; Seattle, WA)
Sept. 20 – Nightshift Pleasanton (Alameda Fairgrounds; Pleasanton, CA)
Sept. 27 – Hot Import Nights (Minneapolis Conv. Ctr; Minneapolis, MN)
Oct. 11 – Hot Import Nights (Dallas Conv. Ctr; Dallas, TX)
Oct. 15 – Nov. 1 – Knott’s Scary Farm (Knott’s Berry Farm; Buena Park, CA)
Nov. 19-30 – L.A. Auto Show (L.A. Conv. Ctr; Los Angeles, CA)

In light of ECTO-1’s tour to some of the hottest car shows throughout the country, Sony has taken the liberty to update the Ghostbusters’ ride with the latest and greatest Sony Xplod mobile electronics. ECTO-1 now sports a Sony XAV-W1 double din touch screen A/V center, Xplod XS-GT1625A speakers and an Xplod XS-L10S slim subwoofer – all the essentials to keep ECTO-1’s sound system on par with the rest of the ghost catching equipment found on the Ghostbusters’ primary mode of transportation.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is planned to release this Fall for the PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows, Wii home video game system and Nintendo DS, and is currently rated “RP” (Rating Pending) by the ESRB. For more information on Ghostbusters: The Video Game be sure to visit the official game web site located at: http://www.ghostbustersgame.com.

Fast-food getting faster in Japan

A vision of the future?

Remember that film with Morgan Spurlock where he tried to persuade us that fast-food was bad?

Made to show us not only the way junk food can affect us physically, but emotionally too; it was also supposed to put a stop to corporate food chains tricking their way into the pockets (and tummy’s) of consumers with a product barely fit for consumption.

That was the premise. So what now?

Continue reading “Fast-food getting faster in Japan”

Sony to out Worlds smallest HD camcorder this May

sony-hdr-tg1.jpg

I’ve always got the impression that camcorders seem like a forgotten gadget. Of course loads of people use them, but as more and more people use their camera phones and conventional cameras to record video footage anyway is a dedicated camcorder worth it?

Sure it is.

As we become more accustomed to the HD revolution we won’t accept anything to be seen on our screens that is less than full HD. And as good as camera phones and conventional cameras are they are nowhere near that standard.

Out in less than two months is this dinky lil’ video capturer from Sony called the HDG-TG1 Handycam. It will retail for around $900 and features the following: 

  • Records video in full 1080p HD
  • Audio records in 5.1 channel surround
  • Built in zoom microphone
  • Carl Zeiss  Vario -Tessar 10x zoom optical lens
  • Ability to capture 4 megapixel still images
  • Face detection technology
  • Titanium body
  • Memory Stick PRO Duo slot
  • 2.7″ touch panel LCD display

Want? The check out the Sony press site, here, for more info.