Wrestlemania. RAW. Smackdown. Super Duper Bonzai Extravaganza

Wrestlemania is over. The pageantry. The spectacle. The over marketing. I have to say I was pretty stoked about the card set up. Seeing the Rock back in action again, Cena, Jericho and CM Punk, Triple H vs Taker; It was shaping up to be a great night…so then why was the first title match of the night ONLY EIGHTEEN SECONDS LONG?!?! Now, at first myself and those I watched it with were pretty freaking ticked at the fact that a great wrestler like Daniel Bryan got a big steaming pile of crap laid on him on the biggest wrestling event of the year. But after seeing RAW and Smackdown this week, this could possibly be the best thing that has happened to him.

Man was the crowd over with Bryan all week. The Miami crowd was rabid and the YES! YES! YES! chants echoed all throughout Wrestlemania, RAW, and Smackdown. Good. I hope this all backfires in Vince's face. Lets hope they get smart like they did with Punk when he caught fire and give this guy a push. Bryan getting rid of AJ on Smackdown made me sad, she was pleasing to look at so I'm hoping that she isn't gone for long. The sad thing is the I like Sheamus, and I still do. Which was why I was hoping for a…cleaner…win. But now he will be the target of the fans rage because he shat on Daniel Bryan.

Randy and Kane was a match that I honestly kept more focused on the delicious chicken wings in front of me than actually paying attention to the match. He had no payoff, the feud leading up to it was weak, and I'm not much of a Kane or Orton fan so I'll just cut to the chase: Orton lost, and the universe doesn't give a crap. He's probably more ticked that he got canned from his gig as lead in The Marine 3. Apparently, Orton was dishonorably discharged from the Marines before his tenure in the WWE so when he was asked to play the role of an honorable marine, some actual marines took offense to it. Another tidbit that no one really cares about being that WWE films are only one small step up form SyFy channel movies like "Croctopus".

Team Teddy and Team Johnny was the match that filled in for Money in the Bank being that it has it's own PPV now. The match was going great…wait…is that Eve? And my astounding ADD kicked in as a gawked at her magnificence. Oh yeah, Team Johnny won, because as I said "Bitches Love Big Johnny". Ryder got kicked in the nuts by a goddess, and I would have gladly traded places with the young lad. Yes, even the eventual destruction of my gonads by that woman gives me a sick sense of pride.  During the "Pee Break Match" aka the Divas match, Maria Menunous crapped her pants…at least it looked that way…and there was much rejoicing.

Now onto the matches that actually mattered.

The End of an Era match was a one helluva teasing title to the match. I would assume that Taker would lose being that it would actually mark the end of an era. But what if Triple H loses? Probably nothing. No word down the interwebs that he's gonna retire. He's barely on the active roster anyways. So they should have named it "The End of an Era if Undertaker loses match and if he wins it becomes The Status Quo match". This was one of the matches that based on wrestling technique it wasn't superb. But these two just really know how to tell a story in the ring, and that's what it was.

We watched drama unfold in the ring unlike what we see on regular PPV or weekly broadcasts. HBK being there was just the icing on the cake. These men knew how to keep the audience glued to their sets. It ended up being a mirror of last years match up, which I hate because HBK vs Taker I was better than HBK vs Taker II because it was the first time we'd seen that match. The rematch was almost an exact duplicate. The only new added component this time around was the special guest ref. Taker won and extended his streak to 20-0. When will this end? No one knows really. But when it does, Wrestlemania has some pretty big shoes to fill.

Y2J vs CM Punk was a match that I knew was going to be a physical match. These guys put their bodies through hell the whole time. Did anyone expect that suplex to the apron to actually happen?!? It's one of those moves that they always tease but never actually do because it would hurt like hell. Well, they id it, and you know what? It looked like it hurt like hell!! CM Punk retains but tap out via the Anaconda Vice. Great match by two great performers. The feud continued into RAW with CM Punk getting the piss kicked out of him by Mark Henry. Then Jericho came out and smashed a bottle of Jack Daniels on Punks head. Hoping this leads to another great bout between the two. And knowing Jericho's drive to not be a one trick pony, I'm hoping that their next match will showcase more of what we have seen from them.

Rock and Cena. Sigh. I'm trying to decide on when my Cena rant should come in. I'll say after, so be prepared for literary glory.  I would have never in a billion years expected Rock to win. Why? Because he already won. He won the crowds. He won Hollywood. And probably ate more pie than I could download in a lifetime *sobs*.  Cena NEEDED to win. Granted if he did the Miami crowds would have surely crucified him to the big palm trees that blocked peoples view. Nothing super special about the match. Each man pulled of his signature move, traded punches, yadda yadda yadda.  What pissed me off and what continually pissed me off is Cena's demeanor. The guy laughs off everything. He smiles and jokes about how the people are basically fed up with his bullshit. He came out and said at the pre-Mania press conference that he would fight tooth and nail a heel turn by WWE creative. The guy won't crack. Then he spent the majority of his segment on RAW basically, for lack of a better term, sucking The Rock's d*ck. Sucking it long and hard.

Just shut up man. Blah blah blah i respect the Rock and I want to thank him for the match. NEWSFLASH! The Rock doesn't give a monkey's crap about your thanks. You both talked shit for over a year and you got embraced in front of millions of people trying to take him out with his own move with the ridiculous smile that you always have on your face, and got Rockbottomed. Be mad! Be angry! Ask for a goddamn rematch!! But no, you got in the ring and pulled off the most publicized grundle sucking since Kim Kardashian and…..that other guy who happens to be related to Brandy. And one was far more enjoyable to watch than the other. I'll let you decide. But alas, God has not forsaken me, and Brock Lesnar came out and F5'd Cena. Good. Your Make a Wish Candy Ass needed an F5. Maybe even two. This pleases me greatly.

Now this little tidbit was given to me by one of our readers. Technically I should have seen the Rock's win coming. Cena will do anything (except be a heel) for the WWE. He's a company man. Also he doesn't have a loyal enough following to move onto Hollywood. Being that his fans are about five years old or divorced women, a little tyke isn't gonna be allowed to see Cena in R rated films like the Rock has been in. HAHAH!  This movie has been rated You Can't See Me for ages 12 and below. I made a funny. PRAISE ME!

With Lesnar back, I'm curious how this will all play out. Obviously he will feud with Cena, but to what end? Will Cena get dropped by another Attitude Era legend? Will we see two Paul Heyman guys duke it out soon? We'll keep watching and guessing.

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Avengers VS X-men ROUND 1!

Avengers Vs X-men. 

It's here. It's finally here! It doesn't matter who you are, you know at least one of them, and you know there's a side you'll root for. Whether it's Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-man, or Thor; Or whether it's Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, or Colossus- You have a favorite, and stuff is about to get messy.

So it's here, let's see what this issue has to offer.

[SPOILER ALERT]

 So we start the issue off with the arrival of a Nova. We're not sure which Nova it is, only that he crash lands and is intercepted by the Avengers. The X-men are on their Utopia, with Cyclops training Hope for the arrival of the Phoenix. Things heat up, literally. Cyclops takes the training too hard, and fed up with no answers, Hope unleashes a Phoenix blast of her own. 

During this time, Captain America and Iron Man have brought the threat of the Phoenix to the government's attention.The sensors go off, picking up on the activation of the Phoenix powers, and action needs to be taken.

First, Captain America takes to the Jean Grey school to talk to Wolverine. While not directly getting involved, Wolverine gives insight to how Cyclops will react. the answer is simple; given the history with Jean Grey and the Phoenix, he will take it personally. Additionally, it is revealed that Wolverine and his school will remain neutral. At least, for now that is.

Captain America arrives on Utopia next to retrieve Hope. Here's the stances as of now:

Avengers: Take Hope into custody. No further plans are revealed, but the intention is to protect the world from the arrival of the Phoenix.

X-men: It's a mutant problem, let the mutants handle it.Cyclops feels that the Phoenix will bring rebirth and that it is what the mutant race needs.

So both opinions are out there, and what is the reaction? Well it should be obvious, or it wouldn't be much of a series...

Of course we know the next part: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE. And now it's on, so we have to wait for two weeks to see where it goes next. One thing I was privileged to find out is that in Issue #2, Wolverine will witness something that is going to....well lets just say he'll have quite the opinion!

This actually has audio- Brian Michael Bendis gives a little monologue for your enjoyment.

Ok, so look up again. you're probably wondering why half of the image is in black & white. No no, it's not an error. It's actually a neat little addition that has been added. On certain panels, you'll notice a small red bx with "AR" in it.So for the above image, you get to see it being drawn and inked.

This is a little fuzzy, but it's neat to see a little extra on Hope.

 If you have a smartphone, download the AR reader app. What this little app does is, through the camera, catch the AR panels and gives you a little extra.Of course to make this work, you'll need an internet connection, which most smartphones have. Your iPod Touch or iPad might not have the 3G network, but you're reading your issues at home anyway, right? And they're not ALL Black & white evolutions through to inking. There's an info card on Hope, a little monologue and input by Brian Michael Bendis, and a little info on the Jean Grey School, including the current students.

So that's it. Either you'll love this, or you'll hate it. You either get it, or you don't. There's no need to convince you, you know the answer. Obviously, we'll be tracking this through each battle and each issue. Whose side are you on?

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Can the "Nexus Tablet" save Android?

Google + Asus = Nexus

The skinny.

If you have been keeping up with the tech rumors, you know that something big is coming from Google in the next few months. Rumor has it Google is partnering up with Asus and a handful of others manufacturers to develop tablet hardware. By summer we should see what is likely the next big thing in tablet computing. And this time it may actually sport official Google branding. Referred to by most as the "Nexus Tablet," this new tech toy could potentially be Google's flagship device that could change the Android landscape.

 

 

Why it needs to?

The current reality is that Google's Android platform, while far reaching, is splintered. If you have anything other than a brand spanking new Android smartphone, the odds are good that your operating system is out of date, or worse, has reached the end of its life.  Now, that doesn't mean your phone is completely worthless it just means that the system won't be updated and you can't run the newest version until you upgrade to a newer phone. The market for smartphones is nearly split 50/50 iOS to Android (though Research In Motion's Blackberry platform is still kicking around in that lower percentile). Within the Android platform only about 3% of phones are on the latest version. 

I suppose its tough to lump everything together as Android can run on just about any modern device, but the point is that Android exists on millions of phones and tablets yet these different devices come in all different software flavors. The various manufacturers adding their own custom interfaces and programs on top of the "Stock Android Experience" (i.e.: Samsung's TouchWiz and HTC's Sense UI) can confuse old and new users as to what Android is supposed to be. Vendors are certainly free to do this but creating an experience that is different from one device to another is potentially harmful to Android as a brand. 

 

Is it customized or is it broken?

 

How can it?

I love Google and their various products, but my frustrations with their missteps have brought me to this conclusion. If they want Android to remain relevant and stand a chance at loosening Apple's grip on the market they should check out some of the ideas I have come up with a few ideas to help them out.

• The Nexus Tablet is probably your best chance at gaining market appeal outside of smartphones. Use this fact to your advantage! The wireless carriers have ruined stock android and built up their empires on top of your hard work. Don't pair this with any cellular carriers! Keep the stock android experience as pure as possible.
• Please update this device regularly! Only a fraction of your user base is on the newest version of the OS, don't leave so many of your users behind on the old software. If you cut out the carriers it should be pretty easy to push updates provided everyone is on wifi. 
• The stock experience stands on its own and if you can convince the novice users of this, they will request it from the carriers on their future devices.
• Pair this device with solid hardware. Other manufacturers will have a bar to shoot for the healthy competition will only boost your user base. The cheap (and cheaply made) android tab fad will be over.
• Make the Google Play Store more universal so everyone can use all the apps!  Its great when everyone is on the same page. It would be nice if more stringent rules were in place to get on the market, but there are gems to be found among the weeds. On a side note, getting some high profile multiplayer games will not only help the device 
• Please don't enforce an archaic DRM policy. You have a vast variety of media outlets, if the Nexus Tablet can leverage all parts of Google media the "Apple Ecosystem" will have a lot of catching up to do.

 

No Pressure...

With the most recent news of cost and hardware debates possibly delaying a release of the Nexus Tablet for mid summer, the chips are stacked against it.  Launching a brand new tablet into a market flooded with iPads, Kindles, and Nooks wont be easy.  It may be even harder as new Windows 8 tablets and rumored "iPad Minis" will all be fighting for the same territory. 

With a dedicated user base and a ton of media buzz around the tablet, it shouldn't be too hard for the biggest tech company in the world to have a successful tablet. I'm just hoping that the Nexus Tablet leverages the power of Google to be the premier tablet computer and succeeds at unifying Android on all fronts.

Rob Richburg is the co-founder and owner of Enthus Reviews , part of the Enthus Life network. They will be our first affiliate. Full announcement coming soon.

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[VIDEO] Seth MacFarlane's directorial debut "Ted" Red Band Trailer

Everyone should know who resident funny man Seth MacFarlane is, the dude behind Family Guy, American Dad, and Cleavland has finally brought his brand of humor to the silver screen.

I wasn't sure what to think of this, seeing as it was released on April 1st, but apparently it's legit. Check it.

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5 iPhone Cases to Stand Out from the Crowd

If you're an extreme iPhone fanatic or just an average iPhone user, finding the perfect case is almost always a necessity.  The iPhone 4/4S is beautiful in its own design, but I found it annoying that my phone looks like everyone else's.  Whether you want a case for the looks or for the protection, it's nice to have something that will make you a little more unique.

There are a lot of mainstream cases that are floating around the marketplace like the infamous Otterbox or the classic Apple Bumper.  There are even countless cheap cases that look similar to each other and offer very little protection too.  I'm sure there are people out there that buy a handful of cases (no pun intended) and are never satisfied.  I am one of them.  So I decided to do a little research on the inter webs for what I thought were the five most unique and functional iPhone cases.

1. Uncommon Capsule Case

We're going to start off with a case that you can fully customize.  Why not?  It's by far the best way to show your personality you little rebel.  Uncommon allows you to pick from a good selection of designs for the back of the case, or you can upload your own picture.  They promise no fading, peeling or chipping either.  On top of that, the case provides all around coverage for your precious.  It's a slider case giving you the option to slide the bottom off if you ever need to dock it.  That's what she said.

Price: $39.95

2. GroveMade Bamboo Case

Here is a beautifully designed wooden case for all you tree lovers out there. Or maybe not, since you indirectly cut down a tree for your case.  Anyway, Grovemade's Bamboo case is a case milled from a piece of bamboo that is hand sanded and laser engraved with some amazing designs.  You can also upload your own art like the Uncommon Capsule.  The front of the case has two different color bezels that gives it a sharp look and help it stand out from other wooden cases.  The case is a slider and in my opinion the most beautiful wooden case out there.

Price: $69.00 - $139.00 (Plain-Bamboo Bezel - Custom-Black Bezel)

3. Element Vapor Pro - Black Ops Case

This bad ass case has an incredible design.  Crafted out of a "solid block of aircraft grade aluminum" this case is tough and is incredibly sleek.  The back comes in a fine ultra suede and Element promises this case prevents "death grip" signal loss.  I never had that problem but the more features the better.  If you are looking for a different color, Element also has both the White and Chrome editions.  It is a little pricey like the Grovemade Case but it sure does look sexy.

Price: $129.99 - $149.99

4. Griffin Elan Form Chilewich Case

This clothy looking case provides a unique texture for your iPhone.  The case comes in two parts: the inner vinyl textile layer and a hard carbonate layer to protect the corners and front.  It is a 2-piece front and back design but the port openings are still accessible.  It comes in a few colors including light grey, light gold and dark walnut and ice.

Price: $39.99

5. SwitchEasy CapsuleRebel Case

If you need a case that gives a little more shock protection, than SwitchEasy's CapsuleRebel is the case for you.  The case comes in a rainbow assertion of colors and sports a cool spine-like design on the back.  The case comes in two parts: the soft inner layer and the hard exoskeleton for drop protection.  The case also comes with two screen protectors, dock adapters, video dock stand, power jack protectors and headphone jack protectors.  The price won't break your wallet either.

Price: $27.99

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Going Digital: Resistance is Futile

The rumor mill has been running rampant with talk of the "next generation" of consoles. This is when incessant speculation builds up such a hype machine that it's difficult to ignore. Both Microsoft (next console codenamed Durango) and Sony (next console codenamed Orbis) are hard at work on their respective consoles, and everybody has an opinion on what the next-gen will have in store for us.

There is nothing wrong with having an opinion on the next-gen, we as gamers are a very vocal bunch, and it's always fun to discuss these sorts of things. I'm not really focusing on any rumor or speculation in this particular situation, seeing as we've already discussed the Orbis rumors and its potential to hinder Gamestop's thriving business model.

I'd rather focus on the evolution of the medium: going completely digital. Of course, this is all based on the information available to us at the moment because everything right now is really just speculation. However, the one constant that keeps coming up is the idea of next-gen consoles abandoning physical media. We all saw this coming, and whether we want to admit it or not, this was inevitable.

Over the last 2-3 years we've seen more and more downloadable titles show up on both PSN and XBL. Granted, these are usually older games (Crysis, Farcry 2, Batman Arkham Asylum, and Halo Reach to name a few), but we've seen the shift to digital right before our eyes. Prior to that point, most downloadable titles were reserved for digestible experiences such as Braid or Outland (incredible game). Now that high-speed Internet is more widely available in homes across the world, the shift to digital makes total sense.

Braid represents a bulk of downloadable titles currently available on PSN and XBLA. Small, digestable experiences

This has some people up in arms because this will have an obvious effect on the very profitable used games market. Some of us do buy a good amount of our games used, which is fine, but publishers aren't fond of having their profits messed with. In order to combat this, publishers have found creative, albeit shifty ways of protecting their profits. EA is masterful at this, and when it was announced that going forward they would be charging players $10 to access any online component to their titles if they purchased a used copy, the community was less than thrilled.

Let's face it, games are incredibly expensive. The idea of not being able buy used copies of games is a scary thing. Why? Now publishers would have total control over their content, which from a consumer stand point is a frightening thing. I can see the pros and cons of going completely digital, and I'm willing to embrace a fully digital experience if that is in fact how things end up in the next generation. But having a blind rage or contentment for publishers for wanting to go this direction with no knowledge of how it would work, is pretty ridiculous.

Digital distribution is nothing new to Steam (meanwhile EA tries to emulate the service with EA Origin), whose service has been applauded for years by the masses. Unfortunately, I don't really do the PC gaming thing (nothing against it, just seems like too much work), but I can definitely see the appeal in the service. Especially when games are priced significantly less than console titles. That's a very clear benefit to going fully digital in the console market: Price.

Steam has set the standard for digital distribution

Dennis Dyack of Silicon Knights made some great points when talking to Games Industry about "the state of the industry". Dyack has always been outspoken about various things within the industry, and this is no exception.

"I would argue, and I've said this before, that used games are cannibalizing the industry. If developers and publishers don't see revenue from that, it's not a matter of hey 'we're trying to increase the price of games to consumers, and we want more,' we're just trying to survive as an industry. If used games continue the way that they are, it's going to cannibalize, there's not going to be an industry,"

Dyack goes on to argue that the next generation is going to cost publishers a fortune to develop games for, which makes me think that the idea of publishers and hardware heading toward a fully digital delivery system is the next logical progression. In a sense, this has the potential to mutually beneficial to both the publishers and players if done properly.

In a utopic world, publishers would deliver titles for $10-$15 less than what we're currently paying. They would have less overhead costs, which means they could afford to cut the costs of new titles. Players would be happy because they would see the value and benefit in going digital: saving money. Publishers can also do fire sales on some games and slash prices, making what they need on mere quantity. This would be the perfect setting, but as always, we should expect some growing pains.

I like to compare this scenario with comics going to digital. Comixology has created an incredible system for content delivery as well as an easy means for reading comics. Publishers have embraced going to digital for delivering their comics and readers have the benefit of saving a lot of money.  I buy my comics digitally now, and while this may upset the purist, I'm saving a substantial amount of money. The discounts range anywhere from 40-75% off of retail depending on the sale.

Heather's Two Cents

There's a possible reverse viewpoint here - what if retailers like GameStop could hurt PS4 and the next XBOX sales? GameStop has every right to refuse to carry the console due to the big hit it'd take on its profit from the lack of pre-owned inventory. So if GameStop refuses to sell the consoles, and being that they're a megapower in the gaming world, sales on the consoles could take a pretty big hit.

And did we even consider the other downsides? What about Gamefly, Redbox, Blockbuster - Any of those services? They'd be D-E-A-D. People like us here at GA rely on Gamefly to get you these lovely game reviews that we love to write. So, what we're saying is that if Sony and Microsoft decide to do this, many

Gamestops will shut down, Gamefly will shut down, Blockbuster is already on its way out, and if THAT happens, then keeping you guys in the know with our reviews will be a lot more difficult. We'll have to work more to afford the games you're dying to know about, which means less time for playing and writing... you get the idea. It's a terrible domino effect.

Am I saying that going digital is going to utterly destroy everything as we know it? No, but there are more beneficial compromises that can be made. Once more, everything we know about the next-gen consoles are mere speculation - not concrete. We're assuming the worst so that if and when the news is broken, and our worst fears become reality, we can't say that it wasn't totally unexpected.

Sony's Playstation Plus premium service now offers subscribers a free PS3 title every month, such as Farcry 2

Trades are usually $7-$8 off and same day releases are usually half off. To me as a consumer, the decision is clear. What route saves me money? What people don't seem to understand is that publishers are trying to run a business. Yes, it's okay to be mad when it seems like they're shafting you on certain things (the first day DLC argument could be used here, and I would agree with you entirely on that subject. It's a shitty cash grab system sometimes), but for the most part it's because their trying recoup on a potential loss during the development cycle or something else.

This doesn't absolve them of any lousy business practices, but we have a certain responsibility to know why we pay more than we should. Publishers like EA, Activision, Sony, and Microsoft aren't exactly non-profit organizations. If a project goes over budget or if new things need to be added to a title thus delaying it, this all costs the company more money. Who do you think that cost is offset to? Us, that's who. The publishers have shareholders they have to appease, and if they aren't turning a profit, then what's the point?

I know it's ugly, but unfortunately that's the very basis of capitalism and the free market world. I'm not sure that it makes sense to abandon physical media right off the bat. I think that a gradual "zoning out" process will begin within the next-gen life cycle. I could see publishers churning out "digital exclusives", then they can reserve popular titles to have both digital and physical versions. It should be interesting to see how all of this pans out, but one thing is for sure, going completely digital is a really a matter of when, not if. The sooner we accept it, the better off we'll be.

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[VIDEO] The Walking Dead Season 2 Blu-Ray Collectors Edition

If you are as big of a Walking Dead fan as I am then you sure as hell do not want to miss out on this. As of yesterday The Walking Dead Season 2 Collector's Edition was announced. The Walking Dead Season 2 blu-ray collector’s edition will feature a replica zombie head with a screw driver sticking out of its left eye, which also doubles as a case for the actual blu-ray box that the disc is held in; much like the legendary edition of Halo 3 …awesome.Unfortunately there was no release date or pricing given for this glorious fan boy soaked piece of swag. I know I am going to pre-order this bad boy right away. Keep it locked here at Geek Asylum for more info on this awesome zombie blu-ray.

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Comic Book Mixup!

Has anyone's stores mistakenly put this issue on their shelves? I go to several comic stores, and some did while some did not. If you see this comic floating around, be respectful and DO NOT PICK IT UP. Avengers VS X-men Round One is not supposed to be released yet. However, some comic book stores released this issue early on their shelves last week.

What was supposed to come out last week was "Avengers VS X-men #0", which was a book showcasing The Scarlet Witch and Hope in two separate stories right before the big event. We reviewed this issue properly, at the time of release. Incase you missed it, feel free to read it now.

The "Avengers VS Xmen Round One" should be released tomorrow with the special launch parties. The issue was given early so stores could be stocked with them for the launch parties prior to release, rather than recieve them Wednesday after the launch. The issue goes (is supposed to) on sale to the general public on Wednesday April 4th.

The Avengers VS X-men launch parties are special promotional parties to celebrate the start of this epic storyline. Participating comic stores have chosen a side and will celebrate it accordingly. Attendees can get free giveaways directly from Marvel, and most comic stores are encouraged to use other themeful tactics to gain enthusiasm. My store, for example, is holding a special Heroclix Tournament where the winner will recieve the 12 issues of Avengers VS X-men for free, as they are released.

I believe stores that did put the books on sale prior to Tuesday are being noted and pulled from early pick-up on future books (Some are enabled to pick up their books on Tuesdays so they are ready for Wednesdays). If you see it on the shelf and it is not April 2nd or a later date, please do not pick it up. There are some stores that are doing the right thing.

 

Has anyone else's stores released this issue early?

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WWE Smackdown Lowdown 3/30/2012

Two days until Wrestlemania means just one simple thing - a short Smackdown so that they can maximize the hype.  As much as I like wrestling action, I can't entirely disagree with the idea; need to put some food in those mouths and such.  This will be a short write up, since the show's wrestling action was short and I am admittedly mid-preparation for my own Wrestlemania 28 viewing party.  Let's get this train rolling!

Match 1 - Zack Ryder vs Drew McIntyre

All the talent on this roster and they still couldn't help having a Team Teddy vs Team Johnny match.  I'll let it go because Zack Ryder getting back in the mix is a good thing and, despite the way he's been booked for so so long, I want to see more of Drew McIntyre.  He has it in him to be a great heel and I still don't understand why he has been portrayed the way he has.  Drew opens with an early back body drop and uses his strength to his advantage.  Ryder answers with a japanese arm drag and okana roll but Drew fires back with strikes and a headbutt to the back of the head, then one to the front.  Zack starts fighting back again with a high dropkick and a flapjack.  The back and forth continues with Drew countering a corner attack with a boot to the face, followed by stomps and a snap suplex.  Drew settles into a chinlock and armbar, but Ryder elbows out.

Ryder once again tries to fight back but walks into a tilt-a-whirl gutbuster for a two count.  Drew follows with stomps in the corner and reapplies the chinlock/armbar combination.  Ryder fights out again but eats a boot to the face.  Drew jumps from the second rope, right into Ryder's boot and he finally fires back - A forearm, a clothesline and a facebuster.  Ryder hits a big corner elbow and continues the assault with the Broski Boot for two.  Drew slips out of the ring and back in after the referee becomes distracted, landing another boot to Ryder's face.  Drew tries to attack Ryder in the corner, but he gets double knees up into Drew's chin and lands the Rough Ryder for three.

Winner: Zack Ryder

That's a strong look for Team Teddy heading into Sunday and a good back and forth match from both men.  It really would be nice to see more of this type of action on a weekly basis, instead of on a show that's meant to be a bit of filler.  Zack is always fun to see in the ring; his vignette and promo work is still the 'goofy' side of his character, but in the ring, he's been far more serious.

Big Show enters the ring and tells us that he's never really had his Wrestlemania moment.  And that he will.  Basic promo, nothing really accomplished.  As I said in my Wrestlemania predictions, I hope to see Cody Rhodes kick his head off.

Match 2 - Chris Jericho vs Kofi Kingston

Jericho opens with an arm drag and celebrates like he won the match.  Jericho ties up Kofi with a hammerlock, but Kofi slips behind.  Jericho elbows out and shoulder blocks Kofi down.  Kofi leapfrogs Jericho twice and lands a jumping back elbow.  Kofi knocks Jericho out of the ring and lands a baseball slide.  Back in the ring, Kofi tries a springboard, but Jericho knocks his feet out from under him, leading to a commercial break.  Back from ad-time, Jericho slingshots Kofi throat first across the bottom rope and then baseball slides Kofi right out of the ring.  On the floor, Jericho throws Kofi's head into the announce table and then an exposed portion of the steel barrier.  Back in the ring, Jericho lays boots to Kofi.  Jericho rubs his forearm across Kofi's face and then settles into a chinlock.  Kofi fights to his feet and lands shots to Jericho's gut, then a schoolboy for a two count. 

Jericho lands an enzuigiri for two to answer.  Jericho repeatedly chokes Kofi on the middle rope, first with his knee, then standing on his back.  Jericho hits the ropes and tries to land on Kofi one last time, but Kofi dodges.  Kofi puts boots to Jericho's face and then tries the SOS, but only gets two.  Kofi hits signature clotheslines, double chops and a dropkick, then lands the Boomdrop.  Kofi whiffs on the Trouble in Paradise and Jericho attempts the Walls of Jericho, but Kofi spins out.  Kofi goes up and over onto the apron and lands a high crossbody for two.  Jericho gets an elbow in Kofi's face and tries the Lionsault, but Kofi gets his knees up.  Kofi tries the Trouble in Paradise one more time, but Jericho catches the foot and drops Kofi, locking on the Walls of Jericho for the win.

Winner: Chris Jericho via submission

Immediately, I'd like to say that I'm thrilled to have seen Jericho not only lock in the Walls, but apply it like the old-school Liontamer; a very deep lock.  We've seen him able to do this to Punk, when he attacked him on the stage, earlier in the month.  This was once again very back and forth, which is always a more fun match.  Team Teddy takes a win and a loss in the show and Jericho looks strong against someone who is usually shown as a credible opponent in Kofi Kingston.

The rest of the show consisted of shots of WWE Axxess in Miami ahead of the big show and some review of the matches by Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler.  Like I said before, there wasn't much to take a look at here, as we've all seen the hype videos, we know all the matches.  On the off chance you don't, head on over to our Wrestlemania predictions ( http://www.thegeekasylum.net/2012/03/wwe-wrestlemania-28-predictions.html ) and catch yourself up and let us know what you think of what we've picked.

We'll be back soon with thoughts on Wrestlemania, after the show!

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[VIDEO] Hitman Absolution: "She must be special..."

Hitman: Absolution is getting me more and more excited to play as Agent 47 again. It's been nearly eight years since we've had the pleasure of completing a few contracts, and this new trailer should give you even more reason to look forward to latest installment in the acclaimed series.

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Geek Asylum Weekend Round-Up

Welcome to the Geek Asylum weekend round-up. We have so much good stuff to share that we wanted to give you a look at some of the things you may have missed this week on the site. We've rounded up some posts and videos that you may have missed throughout the week. So sit back, relax, and take in the awesome

Comics-- Joe talks Marvel's X-Sanction Miniseries and Avengers VS X-men 

Comics--Our new staff member Chris discusses The Decline of the Sunday Funnies

Gaming--Eric G. talks Bioshock Infinites Fourth Heavy Hitter: The Siren, very awesome stuff.

Gaming-- Joe discusses what he would like to see change on the 3DS in The Nintendo 3DS Turns One post. 

Gaming--Watch it...[VIDEO] Max Payne 3 multiplayer trailer

Movies--we openly mock Twilight while giving Rifftax their props in... [VIDEO] ZOMG! Breaking Dawn Part 2 teaser

Movies--Take a trip back to the 80's in our new series...Retrofix: Die Hard

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WWE Wrestlemania 28 Predictions

So here we are, just under a week away from Wrestlemania 28 in sunny Miami.  It's time to take a look at the card for the biggest wrestling show of the year and start making predictions.  As a preface, I will be predicting who I believe will be booked to win - not necessarily who I would like to win.  The order of matches is also up in the air, and we'll see how close I get to predicting that as well!

Steve's Predictions

Match 1 -  Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship

Sheamus has been on one of the strongest win streaks in the WWE in a long time.  From the Royal Rumble until now he has been a devastating force in the ring and has held his own on the mic with everyone placed in front of him.  If I had my choice, I'd like to see Bryan win, perhaps with AJ turning heel and leading to a heel power couple, but I absolutely expect Sheamus to take this and for it to be the opener.  I do sincerely hope that if Bryan loses the title here, he isn't dropped off the face of the Earth like so many former champs.  I hope for a chase back or even for AJ to nab the Divas title and end up the champ half of the underdog couple, more than likely leading to some great television.
  
Match 2 - Team Teddy Long vs Team John Lauranaitis - Winning team determines General Manager of Raw and Smackdown

I expect this to be nothing shy of a clusterfuck, with Dolph Ziggler stealing the show and Santino pleasing the crowd.  As of now, this has not been announced to be an elimination match, so everyone will likely cycle in and out, exchanging signature spots and finishers.  With Drew McIntyre replacing Christian on the team and Miz added, I'm willing to bet one or both of them takes a flurry of finishers at one point.  Again, not quite my choice, but I see Team Johnny taking this one, perhaps with Captain Otunga finishing up Captain Santino.

Match 3 - Kane vs Randy Orton

This really seems to amount to nothing more than "We wanted Orton on the show, but had nothing for him".  If this program is coming to a close, I'd expect Orton to win.  If it will continue, I'd say Kane.  Out of sheer desire to not see this feud continue, let's say Randy Orton.  I'd really like to say more on this but given the 'build' to the match and the feud that ensued, there really isn't much left.

Match 4 - Big Show vs Cody Rhodes (c) for the Intercontinental Championship

This is where match order starts to get a bit tough.  By all rights, the Intercontinental title shouldn't get higher billing than either of the 'major' titles, but a hot start to the show with a title change is a pretty safe bet.  So the IC title plays in the middle of the show.  As I've said for weeks, I cannot fathom WWE putting the Intercontinental title on Big Show in 2012, so one of my most steadfast predictions this year is Cody Rhodes, possibly via nefarious means.  He was shown able to topple Khali on his own, and I hope that's a sign of things to come.

Match 5 - Beth Phoenix/Eve vs Kelly Kelly/Maria Menounos

This match is basically filler.  It's a shame that divas matches all amount to time killing, bathroom breaks and time to get a pretzel or t-shirt at the arena, but that's what they've become.  If Kharma will be making any kind of impact, it should be in this match, attacking Phoenix and declaring that she'll run wild all over the divas division for the title.  This of course puts a damper on the slightly-rumored push that AJ might get toward the Divas title, but any kind of shake up would be welcome.  I hope to see Phoenix get some retribution this year, but with WWE being the company it is, the easy money is on Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos.  That said, I'd love to be surprised by Phoenix dropping Maria with the Glam Slam to make up for her loss at Wrestlemania 27.

Match 6 - HHH vs Undertaker (Special referee: Shawn Michaels) in Hell in a Cell

This might be, in spite of "the streak" being the most important 'title' in WWE right now, the hardest to call.  There are so many possibly outcomes that make sense and lead into a year of build, on top of so many rumors floating around that it's kind of a coin flip.  HHH has a propensity for going over in matches like this, but Undertaker has the streak.  Shawn Michaels is a huge wildcard in this, as one of the biggest egos in WWE history - does he stop the streak to avenge himself or does he stop HHH from doing what he himself couldn't?  If HBK screws either one of them in any way, it all but sets up a program leading out of Wrestlemania this year or even leading to Wrestlemania next year.  'Taker has focused on verbiage of the match remaining 'pure' for weeks now; I don't think anyone actually expects it to be.  Tough to call, but I believe in the streak (and more importantly, I believe WWE believes in it) so I give this one to The Undertaker.

Match 7 - Chris Jericho vs CM Punk (c) for the WWE Championship

There's a small bit of self-serving I've done with putting this match here in the line up.  For far too long, the major titles of WWE have essentially meant nothing.  Bryan and Punk have both held the titles for a relatively long time which is a welcome change, but not a paradigm shift.  If Jericho takes this, it will lead to a chase from Punk to recapture the title, and if Punk pulls it out, it's a bit of a torch passing.  As a fan of both men, I don't hate the idea of either one carrying the WWE title, but I would like to see a continued strong reign from Punk.  CM Punk winning this could also lead to a Jericho chase to desperately prove he is the best in the world, culminating in a big blowoff match at a later PPV, like Extreme Rules.  CM Punk needs a Wrestlemania moment far more than Chris Jericho does.  Above all else, I predict this will be an excellent match, and that prediction I'm confident in.  One negative aspect of this placement (should I be right) - This match will be considered a 'wind down' match between the two "billed" main events of HHH/Undertaker and Rock/Cena.  Normally this is where a divas match would go, but I refuse to consider the divas match would go second to last at Wrestlemania.

Match 8 - John Cena vs The Rock

If this ends up not being the main event, I would be flabbergasted.  There's rumors all around, talking about a rematch for next year, Cena heel turns, Miz interference and so on.  The only way I see Miz interference in this match is if he just gets laid out by both men and has no legitimate impact on the outcome of the match.  And now that Miz is in the GM 12 man tag, it's far less likely.  A Cena heel turn is about as likely as this not being the main event.  My gut instinct is John Cena taking this.  With no continued program, there's absolutely no reason for Rock to beat Cena.  This match just begs of a 'torch passing' and it will more that likely be bestowed upon Cena with a victory.  I'm not especially interested in another year long build to Rock/Cena II, so I hope for some kind of closure here.  What I would like to see is a strong, aggressive, almost vicious streak out of Cena in this match, and to continue that intensity on past Wrestlemania.

Extras:
With eight matches announced, the only unannounced match I can imagine is a Brodus Clay squash of somebody.  He was brought back just in time for 'Mania, so it would be a bit odd to not include him in some fashion.  Of course, there will be a few vignettes, celebrity appearances and so on.  These time wasters will detract from matches getting more time, so the only prediction I have as far as they go is they'll piss me off. 


Eric's Predictions

It's that time of the year again. the time where all of WWE's frustrating shorelines come to a head at the showcase of the immortals WRESTLEMANIA. So lets begin the as per usual predictions that make the event so much more enjoyable.

Sheamus v Daniel Bryan for the Heavyweight Title

I'm enjoying the face push that Sheamus is getting now. I dunno, something about a large happy go lucky Irishman just makes me want to root for the fella. But I feel like we've only seen the tip of the iceberg with Daniel Bryan. but alas this all isn't up to me and I can only assume how Vincent K McMahon will toy with my emotions. I'm going with D Bryan FTW! YES! YES! YES!

Chris Jericho vs CM Punk for the WWE Title

Been waiting for this match since Y2J came back. Come now. With the push CM Punk has been getting for the oats year you really think that he's gonna lose Sunday? Puhleeze! It's certain to be a fantastic match. With Punk winning and retaining.

HHH vs Undertaker Hell in a Cell w/ HBK as guest referee

I honestly never know how these 'Taker 'Mania matches will go. But I can see Taker walking away with the win, the streak and away from the WWE. Along with HHH.

Beth Phoenix/Eve vs Kelly Kelly/ Maria Menounos

Why? Just why? Guest celebrity wrestlers always win somehow. It's a Divas match ergo I don't care, I'll be taking a dump at that time or getting another slice of pizza. Kelly Kelly wins. My sexual frustration loses.

Team Teddy vs Team Lauranaitis

I hate both of these GM's. I wonder if they can both lose. Whatever, I get to see the cobra strike at Wreslemania so I'm satisfied. Bitches love Big Johnny.

Kane vs Randy Orton

A filler match. Gives Randy a reason not to pout backstage for not getting screentime since he's as fragile as Samuel L. Jackson in Unbreakable. Kane wins this though because he can.

Big Show vs Cody Rhodes

After Big Show had the title for about three minutes this year I'd say he's due for some happiness. And since Cody is a douche, I say justice will be served. 

John Cena vs The Rock

I'm of the opinion that the Rocks gimmick is old. It's nothing I haven't heard before and it's only working because he's bringing Attitude Era/ real world language to the PG WWE. I respect Cena. As a person and as a performer. He has taken more crap from the fans than a lot of the guys in the locker room. Do i think he needs a heel turn? Hell yeah! will he get one? no. Because it's about money. Punk got his push because he became too popular to overlook. His t shirts were selling out as much as Cenas where. Cena makes too much money for the WWE as a face than a heel.

There just aren't enough of us cynical bastards out there to make them change him. Anywho, that being said its hard to tell whats gonna happen. Rock is gonna be at next years Mania but we don't know in what capacity. Rock v Cena 2? Who's asking for the rematch? I say Miz interferes and gives Rock the victory and Cena spends the next year telling Rock he didn't prove shit and gets him to fight one last time. One last time…seems like another cliche WWE tag line. Perfect. Rock with the unclean win.

Let us know what you think in the comments - title changes, "extra" predictions, match order.  We want to hear it!

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Marvel Comics: Avenging Spider-Man 5

The Avenging Spider-man is a fairly new series that has only just started, and so far I must say I enjoy it. By no means does that mean I like it, as there is no need to have more than one comic do the exact same thing as another. We already have The Amazing Spider-man, we really don't need an Avenging one. It's not like when you have a series like Ultimate Spider-man, where the universe is completely different.

This time it's really just the same Spider-man we know teaming up with various avengers. We get that normally though, so to me it's just putting talent into a wasted effort. If you want to put Spider-man with any given Avenger, then write The Avengers, The New Avengers, or even The Amazing Spider-man that much better.Well that's not happening, so let's take a look at this particular issue, because I liked this one.

[SPOILER ALERT] 

This book tells a good story. That's rare. I mean, when you pick up a comic nowadays, you will more than likely pick up a piece of a story. Comics do "arcs" in their story lines, which basically divide one large story over several issues. So normally, like issues 1 through 3 of this series, you have to get a certain number of issues before you have a complete story. This issue doesn't follow that trend, and surprisingly enough, the story is written very well.

The book opens up with the Avengers and Spider-man basically hanging out poking fun at a comic strip. Why poke fun? It's Steve Roger's comic he wrote and drew as a kid, before Captain America was even a thought. The reason they're even being brought up is because they are being auctioned as memorabilia. So in the midst of all the poking, Steve Rogers walks in, and Spider-man is left a little embarrassed, having to have stopped mid-sentence.

So as the team leaves for a mission, Spider-man has a revelation. Peter and Steve- they're nerds at heart. Peter is a scientist, Steve is an artist and/or writer, I guess that counts. Feeling as though they have this bond, Spider-man goes so far as to pair up with Cap on the mission, interrupting whenever possible to get little jabs of interest in towards Cap's childhood hobbies. Cap dismisses all of them.

Back at the Avengers mansion, Spider-man reveals that he bought all of Cap's comics from the auction. This is the part of the story you should pay attention to. Here's how the opinions basically draw down to:

Captain America/Steve Rogers: These represent a time when he had no skill, no talent, and is reminded of his weaknesses. Compared to what he can do now, these are obsolete.

Spider-man/Peter Parker: These represent the inner child, where no matter what happens to you over time, you are still the same person. They hold a lot of memory and represent ambition.

Steve makes a remark about how Peter must break out the old Chemistry set from time to time, which Peter admits to. Later in the mansion, as Peter is about to throw out the Chemistry set, Steve approaches him and the two begin to look at Steve's new drawings, having been reminded of what he enjoys doing once again.

If nothing else, it's nice to know that the book was made in memory to Joe Simon, who passed away this past December 2011 at the age of 98. Simon is responsible for co-creating Captain America.

It's a very heart-warming book that gives us, as readers, the know-how that despite what super heroes go through, they are still human beings. Would I go buy this book if you're not already getting the series? Probably not. But if you see it on a shelf, take the 5-10 minutes to read it, you might get something out of it.

The Geek Asylum Says: Worthwhile, But Not a Priority

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It's Here! Avengers VS X-Men!

This week, "Avengers VS X-men" Unofficially kicks off!

I say unofficially because it's issue #0, the starting point but not quite where we need to be to start the actual epic event. This issue brings you behind the scenes at what is going on with two of the major characters in the brawl, the Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers.

When you pick up this issue (And you will) you'll notice you get a 2-fer. That's right, and I don't mean the free Digital Copy(What, is everything going digital!?). You get one story about the Scarlet Witch, and then a completely different story about Hope Summers. So I'll take a look at each, as well as give you a quick backstory on why these characters are back.

[SPOILER ALERT]





The first half of the book is all about the Scarlet Witch. With one sentence, the Scarlet Witch wiped out the majority of the Mutant Race, leaving them powerless. She has been missing since, until recently where she resurfaced in the Children's Crusade miniseries. She is back to her former self, but is having trouble getting back to the present and adjusting.

The story is very quick, in fact I can tell it to you in one paragraph. It starts by having the Scarlet Witch (Wanda) fending off some of MODOK's troops, as well as MODOK himself. After a bit of trouble, Ms Marvel and Spider-woman show up and help her out. Under Ms Marvel's consideration, she asks Wanda to come back to Avenger's Mansion and say hello. When they get there, the Vision answers the door, and rudely tells her she is not welcome there, with Ms Marvel flying her off as she cries. That's it. Nothing more, at least not important. We just know that there is tension between Scarlet Witch and the Avengers.

The second half of the book is all about Hope Summers, the fabled "mutant messiah" and the highly speculated host of the Phoenix force. This story takes the role of Hope having gone through all of her training with Cable and yet being held captive as a child on the mutant Utopia.

This story is also very quick, but much more intense. It starts by an argument between Hope and Cyclops, which is about Hope leaving the island for some heroics. She ends up getting to the point of borrowing Cyclops powers and blasting him, then flying off. She flies to the city, and intercepts the Serpent Society in a robbery, and stops all of them by herself. She displays a number of her skills, not just in stealth, but also that she can copy any mutant's powers within a certain range. Cyclops and Emma appear at the tail end of it, stopping Hope's bloody hand from hitting a member one more time. This half ends with Hope sitting by the beach, while the Phoenix force makes it's way towards Earth.

As I said, this issue doesn't give you anything towards the Avengers Vs X-men directly, but rather sets up what will most likely be important points for it. If you plan on reading Avengers VS X-men, start here. The series officially kicks off NEXT WEEK, so keep a look out!*

*Most comic stores are running promotional Avengers VS Xmen events, including taking a side. Find your local X-men store or Avengers Store and participate on the action.

The Geek Asylum Says: BUY IT.

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[VIDEO] Max Payne 3 multiplayer trailer

I can't wait for Max Payne 3, seeing as its been nealry 10 years since we've had the pleasure of showering enemies with a hail of bullets. Rockstar has released the first trialer showcasing the mutiplayer aspect of the game. I'm sure you're asking yourself, "multiplayer?" If you haven't learned by now, any shooter title will have the requisite multiplayer mode attached to it.

The trailer does also reveal some of the different gameplay modes that players can expect, such as Gang Wars and Payne Killer. Based on what I'm seeing the multiplayer action does look fun. Now watch dudes roll around on the ground, jump in slo-mo, and blow stuff. It's a lot cooler than it sounds.




Via:Machinima

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The Codename Heard Around the World

We want to keep backing Sony into a corner about their new PlayStation console, but they haven't budged. However, unconfirmed sources are leading us to believe that we pressed Sony so hard that they couldn't breathe, so we have a couple of answers. Those answers, however, are definitely not exactly the ones we wanna hear.

Codename: Orbis. It's expected arrival date is Holiday 2013, around the same time that Xbox (with its codename: Durango) is supposed to come around. It's going to be a ridiculous holiday season, that's for sure, but there are some awesome upsides for those who nerdgasm at gorgeous graphics and fps, and some really serious downsides for anyone who cares.

Kotaku has recently recieved this information from an anonymous source, but has shared correct information before, however due to policies, that person isn't allowed to really share much of anything. Bah humbug.

The rumor mill is saying that the new consoles won't let you play pre-owned games which would really kick retailers like GameStop, Best Buy, Play-n-Trade and other stores in the balls since they make a huge profit margin off of their pre-owned inventory. Saying to your friend "Hey! I just bought this new game and beat it! Wanna borrow it?" Noooooope. What might just happen is the in-between - you can play a pre-owned game on your console, but you'll be limited as to what you can do.

Players will have to possibly pay a fee and register the game to access its full features. I'm seriously hoping it's not true, but all one can do at this point is just hope. On the other hand, rumors also say that you won't be able to play used games PERIOD. None. Zip. Nada. No way, Jose. If that happens, GameStop and all of its affiliate stores would go under, and so would privately owned franchise game stores.

The really cute thing about its codename is that the recently released Vita in Latin means life. Orbis means circle, or ring.. anyting synonymous to that. Sooo... put them together, and you have Orbis Vita (or strict Latin of Orbis Vitae) which would translate to Circle of Life. I can't help but think of Lion King, but seriously, maybe the Vita is a strong harbinger to what the alleged Orbis will hold for us.

Ok, so enough with the depressing news and the Latin lesson. Let's move on to the goodies!

First off, the PS3 can only handle 3D gaming at 720p, but the Orbis will let you play in full 1080p. Um, what? We're also looking at a resolution capability of 4096x2160, or 4K to make it easier on the tongue and brain. That's way ahead of what current HDTVs are set at right now.

So ok, great graphics, but basically what's happening with these new consoles is that it'll be just like buying a PC game - you buy it, register it, and now it's yours. While you might be able to trade in your Orbis games, the lack of capability as to what you can do with it is going to piss off way too many consumers to even buy it. It'll be like buying a demo of a game.

Looking at a glance, the Orbis isn't isn't worth the goose crap on the bottom of my flipflops. I'm really disappointed in you, Sony. I feel like I just got sold out. You're gunna have to do a lot better than this to grab PlayStation fans' attention.

Again guys, even Kotaku said this - these aren't absolutely confirmed, just super likely, but take everything you're going to hear with a grain of salt until Sony gives their announcement (and no, it won't be at this year's E3 either, so don't hold your breath).

Read it yourself here

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