More Star Wars stuff!!! But this time from Bioware, the people who brought us the Mass Effect game franchise.

Wow, Bioware really knows how to catch a fan’s interest with slick, hollywood-quality cinematic shorts.

The cinematics for the Star Wars The Old Republic MMORPG are among the best I have ever seen. I almost wish they would just come out with a movie instead.

Here’s the scoop:

In the years before the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, the Sith Empire sought to crush the Republic’s morale by destroying Alderaan. See one of the pivotal battles of this conflict in our second cinematic trailer: Hope.

The Battle of Alderaan. The Republic’s gravest hour. Recently promoted to Darth, Malgus launches the first of many surprise attacks that would become his trademark during the Great War, perfectly timing the assault with a feint that pulls the Republic fleet light-years away.

Thousands of assault droids and hundreds of Sith set the heart of the Republic ablaze, and Alderaan’s few defenders are swept away with ease.

Unknown to Darth Malgus, small groups of Republic Troopers are stationed on Alderaan, some recovering from wounds, others are awaiting orders. As these brave soldiers take to the forests and mountains to fight a guerilla campaign against Malgus’s forces, the Republic fleet rushes back to repel the invasion. With time running out and Alderaan’s capitol threatened, it falls to Havoc Squad, the elite Republic Special Forces unit, to coordinate one last desperate stand against Malgus’ vastly superior numbers.

And here’s the first Official Cinematic trailer if you haven’t seen it yet.

Two years after the release of The Force Unleashed, the sequel will finally be released sometime in 2010.

I wasn’t exactly a fan of the original’s game play, but the complex storyline was what kept me motivated enough to play through the game.

Once again, the Dark Apprentice is played by Battlestar Galactica alumni Sam Witwer (Crashdown).  Even though his character was supposed to have died in the finale of The Force Unleashed in this sequel it appears that he is one of but many clones.

Hopefully, the folks at Lucasarts streamlined the frustrating, button-mashing gameplay of the original and keep the fantastic storytelling.

UFC veteran superstar was arrested this morning and taken away by police in handcuffs.

Here’s the article courtesy of TMZ:

Tito Ortiz and his attorney claim Jenna Jameson is addicted to Oxycontin — and they say that’s what led to the alleged incident that got the MMA fighter busted for felony domestic violence.
Ortiz dropped that bombshell during a news conference moments ago at a restaurant in North Hollywood.

Tito’s attorney Chip Matthews said that Jenna’s been battling addiction to the painkiller for more than a year now, and that Tito and family members have been protecting her.
As for what happened in Tito and Jenna’s home Monday morning — Matthews repeatedly said, “Tito never touched Jenna.” He claims that Jenna had a relapse and that Tito confronted her about the drugs he claims to have found.

Tito was very choked up when he said he hopes “Jenna will be okay.” Tito also said, “my parents have gone through addiction and I’m not going to let my family go through that.”
Matthews claimed Jenna has been to rehab, and that her addiction has led to multiple suicide calls to 911.

So what’s Jenna’s side of this? During the news conference the former porn star was packing up to leave for Las Vegas. When told about Tito’s allegations, she said “he’s trying to save his career” — and then hit the road for Vegas with two friends.
Tito can’t go home because a temporary restraining order was granted after his arrest — which is common in domestic violence cases. We’re told Jenna’s dad is taking care of Tito and Jenna’s twins.

Here’s the video of Ortiz being escorted from his Huntington Beach home that he shares with Jenna Jameson by police into a waiting squad car.

As reported before, the long awaited sequel to TRON will be released into theatres later this year, possibly a December release.

With Jeff Bridges’ new found recognition as an Oscar recipient, expect the Disney marketing department to be pushing this film like a dealer dealing to a crackhead.

Also, like Avatar, it will be released in 3D Imax for the full experience. I don’t know about wearing those glasses but I’ll take a glowing frisbee any day.

Updated graphics, new characters and a new generation make this filmed-in-Vancouver feast for the eyes a possible 2010 Christmas season blockbuster.

Here’s the latest trailer which also reveals that Bruce Boxleitner will also re-visit his role as “Alan Bradley”, but will he also be back as Tron?

Grandmas Kitchen with Bas Rutten was scheduled to air on February 26, 2010, however, due to a physical altercation between Bas and the co-hosts of the show production has been temporarily delayed.

“We knew that Bas had a short fuse when we got into this.” said Jebara. “We (Tokyo Five) believe that Bas response was justified and we will continue to support him in the future.”

This show is the first collaboration between Tokyo Five and Rutten.

“A lot of people dont know this, but I have been a certified chef and passionate foodie for many years,” Rutten said. “My cooking style is Dutch-American fusion, mostly traditional recipes that I learned from my grandma, but with a little bit of kick. Sometimes I take my job too seriously. Hopefully we can resolve our issues and continue with the filming of the show.” – Bas Rutten

Lol, Bas, you are the best!

If you bought Halo 3 ODST, then you will have the invite to try the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta when it comes out in 2010.  No official release date has been given.

Check out the world premiere HD trailer first revealed at the Video Game Awards on Spike, introduced by none other than Battlestar Galactica‘s Tricia Helfer.

The graphics are improved and looked like there are some new armour sets introduced, with the added feature of customization.  Can’t Wait!

And, of course, only available on the Xbox 360.

This long awaited film was completed earlier this year in Vancouver, BC, CANADA. I’m a self admitted sci-fi junkie and I do own the 20th anniversary DVD of the original Tron, back then all the digital effects were done by a company in my home land of Taiwan.

I was supposed to work on the show, I even had a casting for wardrobe, but was never called for a booking. They were looking for 1985 and 2010 looks, so I’m guessing the story will jump around with some flashbacks since Flynn makes his reappearance in this sequel.

Who knew that we would have to wait a whole entire year to see the movie in theatres?
Today Disney released the first official picture from the movie (featuring Olivia Wilde and Garret Hedlund) and the teaser poster.

Also, here’s the teaser poster featuring the new and improved lightcycles.  I kinda liked the TR2N name myself but perhaps Tron Legacy has more meaning to the overall story.  Or perhaps kids nowadays just didn’t get it.

Tron Legacy Poster teaser

Earlier in the week I was invited to be the special correspondent for FUTURELOOKS‘ special coverage of Bungie’s latest release in the Halo series of video games.

Halo 3: ODST takes place during the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3, in the Covenant ravaged New Mombasa, East Africa.

You play the Rookie, the newest member of your ODST squad.  Dropped behind enemy lines, you try to reunite with the rest of your squad.

Much more than an expansion, Halo 3: ODST allows players to explore dangerous new ground, search the dark, abandoned streets of New Mombasa for clues, and fight back against the Covenant invasion from multiple perspectives. Dropping in as “the rookie,” a new member of an elite squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers sent into New Mombasa on a classified recon mission, you’ll be armed with specialized weaponry and upgraded technology, including silenced weapons and a VISR enhanced vision mode.

Separated from your squad, you’ll have to scour the city for clues in order to learn what happened to Buck, Dare, Dutch, Mickey, and Romeo. As you collect new clues, you’ll experience the story from their perspectives, fighting through the occupied city hours earlier.

Xbox Canada held a launch party in Vancouver and we have a sneak peek of what to expect prior to the game’s official release tomorrow.

Here’s also the latest live-action commercial, it gives us a good idea of how awesome the feature film will be if it ever gets made.

This meal cost me NT$180, which is roughly $6 CDN.

I find it abundantly amazing that a place with the population density of Taipei,  currently approaching 3 million people, not including Taipei County, with the relatively expensive standards of living that the food and beverage costs can be so low.

Approximately a total of 23 million people populate the island of Taiwan, which is about the size of Vancouver Island.

It would not be difficult to live life here simply and spending less than $10 CDN per day.

Cheap eats are available in a variety of roadside vendors and small, alleyway shops.

Part of the fun of Taipei is visiting the various shops and eateries which reside in the old alleyways that criss-cross this large metropolis.  The Japanese occupied Taiwan from 1895 to 1945 and the Japanese influence is still readily apparent in the design and layout of the old city and particularly in the narrow alleys.

The above pictured sugar cane is roasted to caramelize the sugars, then pressed through a giant juicer.  Fresh ginger extract is an optional addition for additional goodness. A healthy juice snack and the smell is amazing.

Hot pots are popular here in Taipei.  We visited one that gave you a choice of your own hot pot, a bowl of rice and unlimited soft drinks and ice cream for only NT$100 per person, that works out to about $3 CDN.

Let’s not forget desserts.  A Taiwanese favorite is shaved iced with various toppings.  A delicious treat especially during Taiwan’s very hot, tropical climate.  A genuine coffee from Mr. Brown is also a must, forget about Starbucks.

If you ever get the chance to visit Taipei, follow your nose, you may be pleased with what you find.

Naruwan!

I believe it means “Welcome” in aboriginal Taiwanese and the spokesperson for Tourism Taiwan is aboriginal Taiwanese singing star named A-Mei.

It’s been a couple of hectic weeks here in Taiwan, everyday has been spent with friends and family.  Life in Taiwan really revolves around the food here.

From the very simple street vendors to the very finest in upscale cuisine the goal of socializing with others is ever present.  I think that’s why Chinese dining tables are round to reflect this cultural distinction.

Chinese New Years was celebrated this year on February 26th, 2009, bringing in the Year of the Ox.  Chinese New Year is by far the most important holiday for the Chinese people and most family-based, and some larger commercial-based to a lesser extent, close shop for up to a week or more to visit family and celebrate with food and drink.

Another common pastime during the Lunar New Year is to visit Buddhist temples to pray for good luck and prosperity in the New Year.

As luck would have it, I was in the area when Taiwan President Ma’s motorcade raced by as I was strolling near a major monestary.  It is customary for the president to visit the more prominent monestaries to hand out red Lucky Envelopes to the droves of visitors.

Taiwan President Ma’s Motorcade during New Years 2009 from Leo Chiang on Vimeo.