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Saturday, June 30, 2012
Monster Energy/ESPN X Games 18 Preview
Monster FMXer Adams, Kings of Vert ? PLG & Bestwick ? lead an army of Skaters, BMXers, FMXers & Rally drivers on LAXG
The yearly action sports pilgrimage to Los Angeles ? birthplace of skateboarding, BMX as well as being the sport of motocross and FMX?s epicenter ? will again have a decided Monster Energy flair as no less than 34 Monster Energy-backed superstar athletes descend upon the 18th installment of ESPN?s highly-valued Summer X Games beginning this Thursday, June 28th and running through Sunday, July 1st.
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Well in excess of a 100,000 fans will attend the four LA venues ? LA Live, Chick Hearn Arena, STAPLES Center and Nokia Theater ? for the live events with literally millions tuning in worldwide on the ESPN network and expn.com. The X Games is Monster Energy?s marquee event of the year to showcase many of its premier action sports athletes. And this in the spirit of the new Global X Games movement with Monster athletes arriving from Australia, UK, Japan, Canada, Italy, Germany, Norway and Spain to compete in LA - our most diverse team to date at X!
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Here?s a breakdown of each 2012 X Games discipline (Dirt Bikes, BMX, Skateboarding & Rally), who we?ve got going this year and who?s expected to medal, along with a recap of last year?s X Games 17 competition and Monster Energy?s medal haul.
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Dirt Bikes
2011 flashback: Nate Adams had a very impressive weekend at X Games?he was the only X competitor to earn two golds on the weekend. Coming into X-17 he was hungry for that gold?despite making the podium nearly every year, he hadn?t earned a gold medal since 2004. ?2011 spelt redemption for Adams. After taking a decisive win in Moto X Freestyle, he went on to chalk up a win in Moto X Speed & Style, combining his formidable supercross skills with his already-proven world?s best FMX skills.
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FMX/Moto-X/Enduro-X
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What?s going down: The STAPES Center will again be alive with the smell of pre-mix, crackle of two-strokes and the thunder bass of the four-strokes ? as well as, by far, the biggest air of the X Games. The brotherhood of global freestyle motocross riders ? the Knievels?, Wells? and Reckless Rex? of their time ? crack the throttles and go head-to-head for another year?s worth of bragging rights.
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Monster Energy has a jones for dirt bikes ? always has. That said the 2011 team features Monster?s largest-ever FMX/Moto-X/Enduro-X wrecking crew ? culled from as far away as Japan, Italy, Germany, Norway, Australia and Spain ? in addition to the US of A.
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FMX
Freestyle
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What?s going down: Monster Energy?s?Nate ?The Destroyer? Adams is the man to beat. Adams flat out ruled last year?s competition, as he has most global FMX events ? including X-fighters ? for the last couple years (or at least when he?s not injured). Simply put, it?s Adams? gold to lose this weekend in LA.
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Several Monster Energy-backed athletes, respectively so, would be more than happy to see that happen. Norway?s?Andre Villa is one of the last riders to beat Adams straight up, doing so at X-fighters. Add to the mix former X Games gold medalists?Blake ?Bilko? Williams(?09) and?Adam Jones (?07) and Adams could either be toppled, or the ensuing battle ? along with Japan?s?Taka Higashino (X Games Best Trick bronze, ?10) ? could make for an all-Monster X-18 Freestyle podium!
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Who we?ve got: Nate Adams, Taka Higashino, Adam Jones, Andrea Villa, Bilko Williams
Other top competitors: Levi Sherwood & Danny Torres
When to watch: Thursday, June 28th, 6:30 p.m.
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Best Whip
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What?s going down: Gone from Monster Energy?s roster for the 2012 X Games is ?11 Best Whip medalist Jarryd McNeill (bronze). Back this year are two solid contenders in challenging for the fan-voted medals, MX/SX ace?Josh Hansen and veteran FMX star?Jeremy ?Twitch? Stenberg.
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With their two unique styles ? racing vs. FMX ? you?d think Hansen and Stenberg would contrast in the whip dept. On the contrary, their finished products are quite similar ? although Stenberg, a great motocross racer in his own right, might not be able to hang with Hansen for 30 minutes plus two laps. And Hansen, with a career focused on dirt bike racing, isn?t quite Militia-worthy ? though he could likely add a back flip photo to his SX/MX trophy mantel given some time and a foam pit.
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Who we?ve got: Josh Hansen & Jeremy ?Twitch? Stenberg
Other top competitors: Todd Potter & Jarryd McNeil
When to watch: Friday, June 29th, 6:45 p.m.
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Best Trick
What?s going down: As always, the most insane event at X Games. And judging by past competitions, Monster Energy for sure has a couple of the most insane riders.
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The Volt. Electric Death. Electric Doom. Kiss of Death to Electric Doom. All ? and belong to none one other than longtime Monster Energy athlete?Kyle Loza, the 2007, ?08 and ?09 X Games Best Trick gold medalist. Lord knows what Loza has up his tattooed sleeve next, but you know for sure it?s gonna be cool. Joining Loza will be YouTube wonder Mark Monea, best known for his 360 front flip dubbed the ?Carry On.? Last year at X-17 Monea threw the trick with a no-handed variation ? and ended up paying the price. Should he land it this year he?ll certainly be a threat to whatever Loza serves up (provided he lands it).
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Japanese freestyle ace?Taka Higashino will also throw his hat into the Best Trick ring, giving Monster Energy three shots at a medal in this all-or-nothing fan favorite event.
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Who we?ve got: Kyle Loza, Taka Higashino & Mark Monea
Other top competitors: Cam Sinclair and Jacko Strong
When to watch: Friday, June 29th, 8:15 p.m.
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Speed & Style
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What?s going down: Last year Nate Adams kicked everyone?s ass in this event. And this year he?s the favorite to do it again. And if for some reason he can?t, there?s two other badass Monster guys ??Jeremy ?Twitch? Stenberg and?Edgar Torronteras ? that for sure could.
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With Adams you?re going up against the best freestyler in the world ? so style (i.e., tricks) are no problem. Add to that he?s got the speed to qualify, or at least attempt to qualify, against kids ten years younger than him at the Anaheim (Calif.) Monster Energy AMA Supercross. So if Adams comes into X-18 healthy, and it appears that he is, Speed & Style is an event made specifically for him and he should add another gold (three total heading into X-18, 13 X Games medals total) in Speed & Style.
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Stenberg nailed the Speed & Style bronze in 2008 & ?10, but last year suffered an incredibly scary get-off on the big freestyle ramp in his heat race versus Carey Hart. This will be Torronteras? first Speed & Style event.
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Who we?ve got: Nate Adams, Jeremy ?Twitch? Stenberg and Edgar Torronteras
Other top competitors: Carey Hart, Robbie Maddison, Ronnie Faisst and Matt Buyten
When to watch: Saturday, June 30th, 6:30 p.m.
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Women?s Moto-X
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What?s going down: Two relatively new women to the Monster Energy MX program ? Arizona?s?Brandy Richards and Australian?Meghan Rutledge ? both race for Monster Energy/Kawasaki?s Team Green program. Rutledge, the 2011 Australian Women?s MX Champion, was recently on the podium at the Women?s Motocross League event in Freestone, Texas, and is currently in 9th place overall in the WML standings.
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Who we?ve got: Meghan Rutledge and Brandy Richards
Other top competitors: Jessica Patterson, Tara Geiger, Vicky Golden (Note: Ashley Fiolek?s out with a concussion)
When to watch: Saturday, June 30th, 5:00 p.m.
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Enduro-X
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What?s going down: The thrill-a-second event that puts the exclamation point on four days of X Games competition the week/weekend?s final event, Enduro-X is inspired by the Monster Energy-fueled GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series.
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Leading the M-claw assault on the STAPLES Center Enduro-X will be Monster Energy/Kawasaki?s premier American off-road racers,Destry Abbott,?Justin Soule?- who nailed a bronze medal in last year?s inaugural Enduro-X ? and?Taylor Robert, who?s won four WORCS events this summer.
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Joining the Monster/Team Green riders on the starting line from Europe will be Italian great?Alex Salvini and German?Andreas Lettenbichler. Keep an eye on Lettenbichler as he?s been the only rider to challenge perennial AMA EnduroCross champ Taddy Blazusiak at the grueling Erzberg Rodeo. Both are competing in their first X Games.
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Who we?ve got: Destry Abbott, Justin Soule?, Taylor Robert, Alex Salvini & Andreas Lettenbichler
Other top competitors: Taddy Blazusiak, Geoff Aaron, Mike Brown,
When to watch: Sunday, July 1st, 8:45 p.m.
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BMX
BMX Vert
What?s going down: On the BMX bikes in 2012 the halfpipe will again be Monster Energy?s Jamie Bestwick?s (aka ?Bestrick?) stomping grounds. Leading the list of Monster Energy successes in 2011, Bestwick earned a record fifth-straight gold medal in BMX Vert ? and is gunning for a?SIXTH STRAIGHT BMX Vert gold in 2012. Coming into last year?s event he was the clear-cut favorite, but he still had to perform if he wanted to beat some serious threats. Bestwick dropped in and cooked around the 60-foot wide halfpipe, chalking up a huge 92.00 for the win.
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Bestwick?s got the biggest bag of tricks. So big at times he?s only had to pull just enough out to win ? and that?s why he?s gunning for asixth-straight X Games gold medal on the vert ramp. With a nod to Mat Hoffman as the Godfather of BMX Vert and Monster Energy?s own?Dave Mirra, Bestwick?s record states that he is, hands down, the most successful vert BMX competitor of all time. Look no further than his FIVE-STRAIGHT Dew Cups in BMX vert and it?s easy to see why this 41-year-old veteran athlete is one of the most resilient actions sports athletes of all-time as well.
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Note: High above the floor of the Nokia Theater, airing it out to chants of ?Auzzie! Auzzie! Auzzie!? by the X Games faithful will be Monster Energy?s newest BMX stable mate ? 2011 X Games double medalist?Vince Byron.
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At 22 Byron?s young by BMX Vert standards, though a bronze BMX Vert medal from 2011 X Games certainly certified his experience in terms of age ? or lack thereof. He also stepped up and captured the silver medal in BMX Big Air, making him one of only two BMX athletes to mine double-precious medals at the epicenter of global action sports in Los Angeles.
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And back home on the mantle in his native Australia, next to his two U.S. X Games medals, are an array of Golds from the Asian X Games ? five Golds in total to go with one Silver for six Asian X Games medals. So for sure keep an eye on Vince Byron ? and not just in Vert, he?ll also be running the M-claw logo in Park and Big Air as well.
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Who we?ve got: Jamie Bestwick & Vince Byron
Other top competitors: Chad Kagy, Simon Tabron, Steve McCann, Dennis McCoy, Jimmy Walker and Zach Warden
When to watch: Saturday, June 30th, 4:30 p.m.
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BMX Park
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What?s going down: With a similar design to X 17?s concrete park, this year?s BMX Park at X Games should again go down as one of the most hotly-contested events of the weekend. Last year?s comp was off-the-charts in terms of top flight talent laying it all on the line in one of the most spectacular displays of riding buddy one upmanship in the history of freestyle BMX. Coming out with a thoroughly well-deserved medal (bronze) for Monster Energy was?Scott Cranmer. A former X Games BMX Park gold medalist (2006 & ?09, along with silver medals in ?05 & ?07), Cranmer can be considered one of the top three X Games BMX Park riders of all time, along with Mirra & Dhers.
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Joining Cranmer in the newly-build X Games Park will be host of Monster Energy-backed riders ? strength in numbers that Monster?s never enjoyed in BMX Park before. Chasing precious medals in BMX Park with the M-claw logo on their helmets along with Cranmer will be:?Kyle Baldock,?Ben Wallace,?Vince Byron and?Pat Casey.
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From MonsterEnergy.com?s recent Vince Byron interview:
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Monster Energy: Your Monster Energy teammate Scotty Cranmer clobbers the park. So will Monster?s Kyle Baldock. Heading into the event what?s your strategy - pull out all the stops on every run or lay down a descent score and try to go out big on your last two?
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Vince Byron: Honestly, I?ll probably ? just for the fact I?m in three events and favouring Mega Ramp and Vert ? not go full throttle in Park so I can do well in the other events. I?m not a favourite to win Park, but definitely going to give it a go. Try and find some big lines, the ramps I can use to my advantage. You?ll see some ridiculous stuff, but I?m going to try and add some original lines and variety.
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Who we?ve got: Scotty Cranmer, Kyle Baldock, Ben Wallace, Vince Byron and Pat Casey
Other top competitors: Daniel Dhers, Dennis Enarson, Gary Young, Ryan Nyquist, Garrett Reynolds, Diogo Canina
When to watch: Saturday, June 30th, 4:30 p.m.
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BMX Street
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What?s going down: Last year?Dakota Roche scored Monster Energy its first-ever medal in BMX Street ? a bronze, just one point away from a silver medal behind Dennis Enarson.
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Roche combines seemingly flawless tech abilities with flat out burly lines, highlighted in his bronze medal run at X-17 by a 540 to fakie and an alley-oop to Smith grind on the big box.
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This year Roche will be joined by Monster Army newcomer?Nathan Williams, a Tennessean, who rips street could be a big breakthrough BMXer for Monster at X-18 here this week.
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Who we?ve got: Dakota Roche and Nathan Williams
Other top competitors: Garrett Reynolds, Ty Morrow, Dennis Enarson, Sean Sexton
When to watch: Friday, June 29th, 3 p.m.
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BMX Big Air
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What?s going down: Monster Energy has the returning silver medalist in BMX Big Air ??Vince Byron. An X Games rookie last year, Byron ? who?s also competing in BMX Park & Vert @ X-19 ? threw a huge double tail whip back flip on the gap, then a no-handed 540 on the quarter for a 90.66 ? a mere point off Steve McCann?s gold medal effort.
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Byron would end up breaking his bike and couldn?t complete his next two runs and had to watch his Aussie buddy McCann nail a 91.66 on his fourth and final run. So you know the two are going to drop the gloves and go at it hard here this week!
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Who we?ve got: Vince Byron
Other top competitors: Steve McCann, Chad Kagy, Anthony Napolitan & Kevin Robinson
When to watch: Friday, June 29th, 3 p.m.
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Skateboarding
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2011 flashback:?Mining the only precious medals for Monster Energy-backed skateboarders out of X Games 17 was?Pierre Luc ?PLG? Gagnon. The Carlsbad transplant from Montreal was edged in the Vert finals by Shawn White, but rallied back to capture gold in Vert Best Trick. Top names in Skate Street ??Shane O?Neill, who?s back at X-18 with Monster this year and?Chris Cole (not skating X-18) represented well, both making it to the hotly-contested Street Semis. Similar story in Vert where Monster?s?Alex Perelson and?Paul Luc Ronchetti (PLR) would rip into the semis, but would make the final group.
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Skate Street
What?s going down: You can?t do much better during the off-season than acquiring the reigning X Games Skate Street gold medalist ?Nyjah Huston. The West Coast regular footer has been clobbering it as of late, dominating the first two rounds of the Monster Energy-fueled Street League rounds to take a commanding lead in that series. Add to that perennial X Games street ripper O?Neill and Monster Energy newcomer?Ishod Wair, and Monster looks to be sitting pretty well in terms of medal potential this year.
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Note: Huston also skated/will also skate in the X Games??Real Street and?Game of SK8 ? joined in the latter event by Wair as well. In Real Street, voted on by the fans in the weeks leading up to this weekend?s X Games, Huston won his opening round videoed match versus Daryl Angel (67-percent to 33-percent), then lost in the quarterfinals to Chris Haslam 57 to 43.
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Who we?ve got: Huston, O?Neill & Wair
Other top competitors: Sean Malto, Chaz Ortiz, Luan Oliveria, Dennis Busenitz, Greg Lutzka, Paul Rodriguez and Ryan Scheckler
When to watch: Sunday July 1st, 3 p.m.
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Skate Vert
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What?s going down: Probably the biggest news hitting the X Games 18 halfpipe was the fact that 2011 Skate Vert gold medalist, Shaun White, has reportedly bailed on this week?s X Games. Oh well, he was going to get a BIG dose of?Pierre Luc Gagnon anyway. PLG ? holder of eight X Games gold medals (five in the halfpipe) and 18 X Games medals overall is again the dude to beat. At 32, Gagnon is in his vert-ripping prime and should be considered the favorite for the gold heading into X-18. Another Monster Energy-backed skater worthy of an X Games Vert medal is?Alex Perelson. The fourth skater to land the 900 and former winner on the Maloof Money Cup tour, Perelson will be joined by?Paul Luc Ronchetti (PLR) to give Monster a formidable shot at multiple Skate Vert medals here this weekend.
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Who we?ve got: PLG, Perelson & PLR
Other top competitors: Bucky Lasek, Andy McDonald, Bob Burnquist, Sandro Dias, Mitch Brusco, Adam Taylor and Pedro Barros
When to watch: Saturday, June 30th, 7:30 p.m.
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Skate Big Air
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What?s going down: Monster Energy legend?Jake Brown didn?t figure in the medals last year, but won gold the previous year in 2010. A fan favorite ? forever ? Brown can easily step up and put himself into medal contention with one big-assed stuck run. In the same breath he can also detonate ? like everyone remembers him doing in 2007. Back-to-back gold medals in 2009 and ?10, along with a bronze in 2007, make him one of the all-time most decorated Mega Ramp athletes ever ? along with Way and Burnquist. All Aussie all the time, count on Brown to also be at the center of fun at X Games ? including the big Monster Bash on Saturday night!
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Who we?ve got: Again this year, all we need?s Jake!
Other top competitors: Bob Burnquist, Mitch Brusco and Tom Schaar
When to watch: Friday, June 29th, 6:00 p.m.
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Skate Park
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What?s going down: Monster Energy?s only got one guy running the X-18 Park contest ? and he?s ?tentative? at that.? Alex Perelson, our No. 2 halfpipe guy behind PLG, can bring it on the concrete as well. He?s done well overseas (Stockholm, 2011) in park-type contest and would no doubt be an outside threat to medal in X-18 Skate Park. But, as of press time, Perelson was still undecided as to if he was going to skate Park or not.
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Who we?ve got: Alex Perelson (possibly)
Other top competitors: Pedro Barros, Raven Tershy, Rune Glifberg, Curren Caples, Aaron Homoki, Grant Taylor, and Andy McDonald
When to watch: Saturday, June 30th, 2 p.m.
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RallyCross
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What?s going down: It?s gonna be a wild one for sure on the grounds of the Gilbert Lindsey Plaza as a virtual smorgasbord of top road racing, off-road, MX, BMX and stunt drivers get to rail on some specially-built sports cars in a full-on motorsports slugfest that very well may spill out from the track and into the pits this year!
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Note: RallyCross is really starting to take off here in the United States where traditional rally racing, though popular in Europe and other parts of the world through the World Rally Championships (WRC), has been scaled back (in favor of RallyCross). The X Games version of the event is thoroughly exciting and Monster Energy drivers should figure in the medals.
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With 2011?s RallyCross event coming down to a two-out-three race main event for the gold, Monster Energy?s Liam Doran would take charge. ?This is unbelievable!,? said a confident Doran following his sweep of the first two finals racer to take the gold medal win over Gr?nholm. ?I can?t thank Monster Energy, Citroen and my whole team enough. And I can?t wait for tomorrow?s RallyCross event!?
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Doran, son of British rallycross champion Pat Doran, placed 3rd overall in the 2010 European Rallycross Championship. In the finals he pulled the holeshot on Gr?nholm ? twice - and drove near flawless races in topping the Finnish racer. ?I didn?t even leave him a chance, I did him in two,? added Doran. ?I can?t say it was easy, it definitely wasn?t easy. These guys are the best guys in the world and this has to be one of the toughest rally competitions ever. I still can?t believe it, to be honest.?
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Monster Energy?s?Ken Block, with valuable WRC experience, has medaled three times in X Games Rally Car Racing (RCR) competition. Monster will also have?Dave Mirra running the M-claw logo in RallyCross. Mirra, the winningest X Games athlete of all-time (24 medals), has been racing the U.S. rounds of the Global RallyCross Series and could easily figure in the medals along with Block and Doran.
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Who we?ve got: Ken Block, Dave Mirra & Liam Doran
Other top competitors: Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan, Travis Pastrana, Bryce Menzies, Samuel Hubinette
When to watch: Sunday, July 1st, 3:30 p.m.
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Recap of 2011 Monster Energy X Games medal haul
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2011 was another in a long line of successful outings for Monster Energy athletes at the X Games. In all the Monster Energy team descended on X Games 17 in L.A., and they left with a bevy of medals to show for their efforts. Bagging?11 medals overall, the team took medals in every discipline?skate, moto, BMX, rally?and represented well throughout the four-day event.
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- Leading the list of successes is?Jamie Bestwick, who earned a record fifth-straight gold medal in BMX Vert, his ninth medal overall. Coming into the event he was the clear-cut favorite, but he still had to perform if he wanted to beat some serious threats. Bestwick dropped in and cooked around the 60-foot wide half pipe, chalking up a huge 92.00 for the win.
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- In Rally Car Racing?Liam Doran beat a stacked field of talented drivers to take the gold. Doran was dominant throughout the day in his head-to-head battles, and in the finals he grabbed the holeshot in both races and never looked back on his way to the checkered flag and his first X Games gold.
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- Nate Adams had a very impressive weekend at X Games?he was the only X competitor to earn two golds this weekend. Coming into the weekend he was hungry for that gold?despite making the podium nearly every year, he hadn?t earned a gold since 2004. ?2011 spelt redemption for Adams. After taking the win in Moto X Freestyle, he went on to chalk up a win in Moto X Speed & Style.
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- Nate?s Monster Energy teammate,?Adam Jones took the silver in Moto X Freestyle, representing two Monster riders on the same podium. Jones pulled a multitude of huge backflip variations to take his fifth X Games medal.
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- In Skateboard Vert,?Pierre Luc Gagnon (PLG) took the silver medal and his 17th X Games medal throughout his career. ?The strong finish continues PLG?s impressive X Games three-time consecutive medal count prior to this weekend?s silver where he took the Skate Vert gold in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
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- In BMX Park,?Scotty Cranmer took the bronze. ?Under a blazing sun, Cranmer handled the course well and with great flow, mixing in 360 tail whips, a backflip tail whip, smooth transfers, and other technical tricks. His two bests scores of 35 and 37?net total 72?was enough for the bronze and his fifth X Games medal.
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- Dakota Roche took the bronze in BMX Freestyle Street. Despite a painful fall in the early round of the finals that left him with a bloody sternum, he really muscled his way through his spin variations to take the bronze, his first X Games medal. ?I was beyond stoked to make it to the finals, let alone make the podium,? said Roche.
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- Justin Soule battled to a well-earned bronze in Moto X Enduro X. This was an all-new event that saw racers battling across a course of dirt, rocks, tractor tires and even something called ?The Matterhorn,? a 20-foot tall pile of logs and rocks. In the finals, just before the halfway point, Soule took advantage in the boulder section to pass riders and move into the medal position. A battle ensued, but on the final circuit he was able to reclaim third and take home the bronze.
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- In Moto X Best Whip,?Jarryd McNeil tossed his bike around to take the bronze. Fans determined this win by text messaging in their votes to decide the winner.
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2011 Monster Energy X Games 17 medal count:
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Gold---------------------------------------Silver ------------------------------------Bronze
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FMX (Adams) ------------------------- Skate Half (PLG)?---------------------Enduro-X (Soule?)
MX Speed & Style (Adams) ---------FMX (Jones) -------------------------Best Whip (McNeil
BMX Vert (Bestwick)?------------------------------------------------------------ BMX Park (Cranmer)
Rally-X (Doran)--------------------------------------------------------------------BMX Street (Roche)
Skate Best Trick (PLG)
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Total 2011 X Games Medals: 11
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5 (Gold)?-------------------------2 (Silver) ------------------------ 4 (Bronze)
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So that?s about it ? check back to MonsterEnergy.com daily during X Games 18 for all sorts of updates, photos and video. And as always you can follow the action on?www.xgames.com
Source: http://www.monsterenergy.com/us/en/news/monster-energyespn-x-games-18-preview/
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Friday, June 29, 2012
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Louis CK Thinks the Next iPhone Will Be Invisibly Thin And Help You Masturbate Better [Video]
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Google Nexus Q streaming player unveiled
1 hr.
Google Wednesday introduced what it describes as the "first social streaming device of its kind" with the Nexus Q, which streams your music and entertainment from the cloud to your home, or even to your friends who also have Android phones or tablets.
"It's the first device that lets you create social playlists with your friends," the company said in a video shown on YouTube (shared?below).
The spherical, glowing?Q has the guts of an Android phone and near-field communication to sync with phones nearby. It also has a Micro-USB port. It can?connect to your TV and your stereo system, or run its own speakers with a built-in?amplifier.
It's estimated the player will cost $299. Google will also sell a pair of Triad bookshelf speakers for $399.99 that will work with the Nexus Q.?
The Nexus Q will work in concert with Google's app store, now called Google Play, "play it all on the biggest speakers and screen in the house. There are no downloads, no syncing, no running out of space," the company says.
Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on?Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
What Is Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, the Cancer That Struck Nora Ephron?
Ask the Experts |
Health
The When Harry Met Sally screenwriter recently succumbed to this enigmatic form of cancer, but there are new treatments in the pipeline
?| June 28, 2012
Nora Ephron's final act played out in Manhattan on June 26 where the 71-year-old writer and movie director died from pneumonia brought on by acute myeloid leukemia (AML), one of the most common types of leukemia among adults. AML is a cancer caused when abnormal cells grow inside bone marrow and interfere with the production of healthy blood cells. The marrow eventually stops working correctly, leaving a person with an increased risk of bleeding and infections.
Ephron?best known for writing When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle?was first diagnosed in 2006 with one of the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a category of blood diseases also referred to as "preleukemia" that can progress into AML if the bone marrow continually fails to produce enough healthy platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells over time. MDS made headlines recently when ABC's Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts announced she has been diagnosed with the disease.
Some types of leukemia, including AML, develop as a result of exposure to certain chemicals (including herbicides and pesticides), chemotherapy drugs (such as etoposide and a class of drugs known as alkylating agents) and radiation. Typically, however, a doctor is unable to pinpoint the exact cause in individual cases.
Although estimates vary, there are between 10,000 and 12,000 new cases of MDS in the U.S. annually. More than 80 percent of all MDS patients are older than 60. The National Cancer Institute projects that 13,780 men and women?7,350 men and 6,430 women?will be diagnosed with AML and that 10,200 men and women will die of the malady this year.
Scientific American spoke with Bart Scott, a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of patients with MDS, about syndrome's progression to AML, who is most at risk for this cancer and whether there are any promising treatments on the horizon. Scott is also director of hematology and hematologic malignancies at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and an assistant member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's clinical research division.
[An edited transcript of the interview follows.]
What is the typical trajectory for this form of cancer?
The trajectory of myelodysplastic syndrome is highly dependent upon two factors?the bone marrow myeloblast count and the cytogenetics. [A myeloblast is an immature blood cell that will eventually develop into a type of white blood cell.] The higher the bone marrow myeloblast count is at time of diagnosis the more likely a patient is to progress to acute myeloid leukemia. In general, the more abnormal the cytogenetics [a cell's hereditary and functionalm characteristics] are the more likely a patient is to progress to AML, but there are certain abnormalities that have a good prognosis.
Who are the typical victims of this form of leukemia?
The median age of diagnosis of MDS is 72, it is slightly more common in men than women, and there is a correlation between incidence and age. I would say that Ephron's course does seem consistent with MDS progression to AML.
What are the risk factors for this cancer?
They are based on increasing age as well as certain environmental exposures like pesticides and herbicides. This is not casual contact?we are talking about prolonged, persistent exposure. The amount of exposure required to cause the disease is unknown, however.
Given that Ephron lived most of her life in New York City, whose residents are not typically exposed to inordinately large amounts of pesticides or herbicides, what might account for her condition?
Some researchers have tried to understand MDS in terms of clustering, although there is very little clustering data available. The idea is to understand whether MDS tends to cluster in areas of higher exposure to certain toxic agents. In 2007 Xiaomei Ma [an associate professor of epidemiology the Yale School of Public Health] and a team of researchers published a paper in Leukemia Research regarding this phenomenon. They found that cases of MDS in Connecticut were clustered near the western border. In general, clustering supports the idea that environmental exposure is contributory to the development of a disease. This is the only paper that I know of that has demonstrated clustering in MDS.
We are doing a similar study in the state of Washington. Hanford Site is a nuclear production complex near the Tri-Cities area in southeastern Washington [encompassing Kennewick, Pasco and Richland]. We are looking to see if there is clustering in the Tri-Cities area. But these studies are difficult given the mobility of the area's population, unknown exposure time and any delay in the development of MDS after exposure.
What is the usual treatment?
There are three FDA approved treatments. One is azacitidine, approved by the FDA in 2004 and marketed as Vidaza. Decitabine, sold as Dacogen and approved in 2010 to treat MDS, is another option. [The FDA's oncologic drugs advisory panel in February, however, recommended against the approval of Dacogen to treat older patients with AML. The drug's maker wants FDA approval to use Dacogen in AML patients 65 years and older and who are not considered good candidates for high-dose chemotherapy as an initial treatment for AML.] The third is lenalidomide, also known as Revlimid and introduced in 2004.
However, the only curative treatment is stem cell transplantation. Stem cells are infused just like a blood transfusion. Sources of stem cells include cord blood cells, peripheral blood mobilized stem cells or bone marrow. Success depends on the stage of disease. The one-year treatment related mortality is approximately 20 percent. If patients are transplanted in an early stage of the disease, we have a success rate of 80 percent.
Are there any promising treatments in late-stage testing?
Yes, there are several drugs being investigated in phase II and phase III trials. We currently have a phase III trial open with a drug called rigosertib for patients who have failed prior treatment with azacitidine or decitabine, which are known as demethylating agents. The proposed mechanism of action for these drugs is that they alter gene expression profiles in the cancer cells and increase their susceptibility to death. Rigosertib is a cell cycle inhibitor and would prevent the cancer cells from growing and induce direct damage to the cancer cells, causing their death.
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Monday, June 4, 2012
Obama ad features Sarah Jessica Parker, campaign sweepstakes
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Endweek News - Gaming News and Game Reviews from MMGaming
It is that time of week where once again I delve into the grim and gritty business of video game news. It's a cut-throat world out there, a game eat game world. A world in which only the fittest and most awesome games survive. And Call of Duty of course (OOoooh! ZING!). But seriously, it's not really that bad (well not for everyone) and we've got some pretty interesting bits and pieces of news to regale you with today. Also I want to make it clear that the above video is indeed sort of relevant to this post as you shall find out later (if you read through this!)
So, what's new Gamers?
E3
The biggest news in the world of gaming right now is that the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012, otherwise known as E3 2012 will be taking place from this Tuesday to this Friday (from the 5th to the 7th of June). With this in mind, developers and publishers alike are vamping up their revealing and teasing in order to drive us all into a frenzy for their various products which will be revealed at the biggest video games convention in the world. Unfortunately MMGaming were not invited on the grounds of being "simply too awesome" and would "cause all other press members to feel bad about themselves". Well seeing as it is in the name of saving other people's feelings we aren't too bothered about not being invited... We're bigger men than that...
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Mass Effect 3 - Patch Notes, Redemption AND some Awesome Clothes
The first awesome piece of news for Mass Effect fans is that Bioware is actually working on turning the above, fan designed Mass Effect hoodies into the real deal. DeviantArt user?Christine Schott?designed the above set of awesome Mass Effect clothing and now Bioware is actually taking the design and are going to produce proper clothes from them. Now according to Christine herself these are probably "nowhere near the final product" but Bioware are taking her designs and after changing them and producing them they are going to start selling them. That is absolutely bloody awesome! I can see why they would want to sell these though, because I want one... Almost as much as I want that fabled Assassin's Creed hoody which doesn't really seem to exist...
Now for some actual Mass Effect news based on the game. First off I will mention that we have a trailer for the Mass Effect: Rebellion DLC which is down with the other trailers and videos (as it always is). Now, you might also have had to download an update for your Mass Effect game some time earlier this week. That was Mass Effect 3 update 1.03 which introduced a massive amount of bug fixes for the game (you can see the full list here). The major changes for the game are that Bioware have introduced an "Anti-AFK" system designed to stop people from going AFK in Multiplayer matches (it kicks them after two minutes of inactivity, without any of the credits or experience they would normally earn). Another major change was to fix the Vanguard class who's "Charge" power made them occasionally warp out of the scenery of the map and float away from it.
Now, the update did not fix everything (the ending for example) but Bioware have explained that they are going to be bringing out more updates and why they haven't fixed everything yet here.
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Kingdoms of Amalur 2 was in production
Last week I spoke about the very sad news that Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developers Big Huge Games and their parent company 38 Studios were going under and had laid off all their staff. It seems that this news is even sadder because as well as being in the process of developing an MMO titled Project Copernicus which looks absolutely amazing, if the screenshots are anything to go on, the studios were also working on a sequel to Kingdoms of Amalur itself.
It is simply a shame that these games will most likely never see the light of day. Project Copernicus will almost certainly never be released (as, barring a miracle, 38 Studios is done for) but there is still a slight ray of hope for Kingdoms of Amalur 2. Supposedly 38 Studios actually originally bought Reckoning off of THQ so perhaps KoA2 could be sold on and developed elsewhere, but unless this occurs then we will never have the sequel which is a massive shame. The game would apparantly have featured "better graphics, no loading, expanded and improved combat animations, fewer branching quests and greater effect on the world by players" all of which sounds pretty cool. Especially in the world of Amalur.
It is a shame that the game could never see the light of day, even if I wasn't completely sold on KoA in my review of it.
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New Gears of War confirmed!
I am currently feeling very smug and very prophetic and wise. When I played and reviewed Gears of War 3?I remember thinking that it seemed like a nice way to tie off the series. However, I also remember thinking that Halo didn't finish after it's third and "final" game so I felt absolutely certain that Gears would see another?instalment.
Well... Guess what?
Gears of War: Judgement is the next game in the series, revealed by Game Informer. The next in the series by Epic Games is supposedly being developed by Bulletstorm developer People Can Fly. The front and back covers of the next month's issue of Game Informer?feature GoW?squad-mates?Baird and Cole in chains held by the COG, while the back cover shows the Locust being generally naughty. Now as we?destroyed?the Locust and the Lambent in Gears of War 3 (spoiler alert... you destroy the Locust and the Lambent at the end of Gears of War 3) there is no way this game is set after the previous one, so it makes sense to think that Judgement might well be a prequel to the Gears series. Honestly, my excitement for the game isn't as high as it should be. After feeling a little disappointed by GoW3 I just don't think I'm sold on the series any more... We shall have to wait and see...
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The Humble Indie Bundle V
The Humble Indie Bundle, there's a name we haven't mentioned in a while. Well honestly they have absolutely outdone themselves with this latest Bundle. ?The fifth proper Humble Indie Bundle where you pay whatever you want with the money going to developers, the Bundle itself and to charity this time gets you some absolutely fabulous games. For whatever sort of money you want you will get Limbo, Psychonauts, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. All of which are absolutely fantastic games. Also if you "beat the average" (the average price paid for the bundle) which is currently $7.84 you also get Bastion. Now that's what I call a deal my friends!
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Skyrim Dawnguard DLC news
The first proper batch of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim DLC is on it's way and we've already got a trailer down below for you to check out. The expansion, which seems to be about Vampires and other dimensions (possibly one of the planes of Oblivion?) will be available for 1600 Microsoft points and looks absolutely awesome. Although that kind of goes without say, after all Skyrim does awesome in the same way that I do awesome... EASILY!
Even more interestingly, the large expansion pack will actually have an open beta for Xbox 360 users only. You can sign up on the official Dawnguard website for the chance to have you name randomly chosen and get completely free and early access to the full Dawnguard expansion, even the achievements! Now it is?classified?as a Beta so I'm not sure if you will keep the expansion, but I'd say trying it is better than nothing! I've already signed up! Here's hoping...
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Elder Scrolls Online - Why it won't look like Skyrim and why it has Public Dungeons
?The developers of The Elder Scrolls Online (I'm going to start call this TEScO from now on by the way), Zenimax Studios, have insisted that TEScO won't look as good as Skyrim. Quite simply because it can't. Not within the bounds of realism anyway. An MMO has to be more accessible for those using computers which are not top of the range, and even those that are top of the range might well struggle to fit in over 200 characters into the screen if it had graphics?like?Skyrim. As such, the graphics are being dialled down, and not every single piece of the game will be unique, there will be more reliance on set-pieces and set buildings and interiors. They are using a method called "stylisation" which is?a technique which will allow the pixel-restricted MMO to still "look good and interesting". The graphics will instead be closer to the styles of World of Warcraft and Fable, although they do not intend to lose the gritty and grimy feel of the textures of Skyrim. It does make sense really, to expect more would be fairly ridiculous (especially if they manage to make those 200 player strong battles) but to say that this was done in hopes of unifying Skyrim, Oblivion and Morrowind... Let's not lie here Zenimax...
The director of the game, Matt Firor has also explained his reasoning behind the decision to include public dungeons in TEScO. A public dungeon is the same as any normal dungeon or instance with harder than average mobs and better loot. However, anyone and everyone can enter the dungeon at the same time. There will be instanced dungeons and raids for end-game content but Matt Firor explained that he loved the open dungeons of games like Everquest. He also went on to say that the dungeons will be soloable but it will be difficult, so it's a way of making people socialise and meet up in a new and different way to other MMOs. At least with a combination of instanced and public dungeons, surely nothing can go wrong?
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Dishonored pre-order details
That other, very exciting game coming from Elder Scrolls creator Bethesda, Dishonoured has had the pre-order details revealed in a number of different shops and locales. Unfortunately these are only the US pre-order details with the UK and European details coming at some point in the next few weeks. Still, you can have a look now if you are from the US at this list of what retailers across America are offering:
- GameStop - Arcane Assassin downloadable upgrade pack, Dishonored tarot cards
- Best Buy - Shadow Rat downloadable upgrade pack, Whale Oil USB lamp
- Amazon - Backstreet Butcher downloadable upgrade pack
- Walmart - Acrobatic Killer downloadable upgrade pack
- Target - Smartphone Dishonored decal
And no... I have no idea what the "Smartphone deal" is either.
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Star Wars 1313 Announced
Following a leak at LucasArts they have revealed that they are in the process of making another Star Wars game: Star Wars 1313. The above teaser image of the game shows an Imperial Shuttle in the style of the original trilogy so perhaps this game will be set during the better years of the Star Wars movies (I will confirm right now, the original?trilogy?is better, the Universe itself is ALWAYS good though). A press release on the game says that the game will be set on??"Level 1313, a ruthless criminal underground deep below the surface of the planet of Coruscant" and that you, the player, will control?"a deadly bounty hunter as he uses an arsenal of exotic weaponry to hunt down his marks and uncover the truth surrounding a criminal conspiracy." The game will supposedly be based more on the darker side of Star Wars that can only be found in the extended Universe. It will also be a "third-person cinematic action game" and will be?"dark and mature" which actually sounds sort of the direction I wish LucasArts would take more of their games. Of course... This might remind an awful lot of you of The Force Unleashed except with a bounty hunter instead of a dark Jedi... And you'd be right!
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Konami Announces Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
In order to raise excitement and interest before E3, developers Konami have released a cinematic trailer for their game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Aside from the trailer and the announcement of the game itself there hasn't been any other details revealed as the developers intend to (like a great many people) reveal more at E3.
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Release dates - confirmation and narrowing it down
First up on the release date schedule is Quantum Conundrum which has finally had it's release date announced! Airtight Games will be releasing the awesome looking puzzler on the 21st of June for the PC although there hasn't been any further announcements on the XBLA and PSN versions other than "this summer".
Next we've got the Battlefield 3 major expansion pack "Armored Kill" (they spelt armoured wrong of course) which will introduce "all-out vehicle warfare on huge maps" to the Battlefield game. EA have announced that the expansion pack will become available this September. It is the second major expansion for Battlefield 3 with the first, Close Quarters, releasing sometime this month.
Next up we've got a narrowed down release time for Maxis' return to power in the latest SimCity. With further details probably coming during E3 this game has now been given the release window of February 2013.
And finally, we have a combined?announcement, trailer and release date?from Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics. They are making a new game in an already long running series featuring every gamers favourite busty, standard video-game girl Lara Croft. That's right, entitled?imaginatively "Tomb Raider" this game sees a younger and far more battered Lara Croft trying to survive on the Island from Lost (or something similar) and has a release date of the?5th of March 2013 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. You can scroll down to the bottom for the trailer as well!
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Rift: Storm Legion
The successful MMO Rift by Trion will have it's first expansion pack, Storm Legion, released some time during the Q4 period this year. The game is based around a crazy cat lady (except replace "cat" with "dragon") Crucia and her plan is to invade Telara using some Infinity Gate (of all things). And this is probably not a good thing...
The expansion will more than triple Rift's current size with a further two continents and oodles of new quests, mobs and whatever else Trion can think of to throw at it's subscribers.
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DotA 2 confirmed as Free to Play
Valve have announced, via the DotA Store that Dawn of the?Ancients?2 will indeed be free to play like it's major competitor League of Legends. The Dota Store which has been launched ahead of the game's release some time later this year allows the community to craft and sell items to other players. And these items can already be bought by players in beta and they will then carry over to the official release. That said these items are all purely cosmetic and Valve have been quick to reassure people that DotA 2 will not be a "pay-to-win" game with real world money giving your characters any advantage in game.
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Guild Wars 2 beta weekend
ArenaNet have announced that the second Guild Wars 2 Beta weekend will start this coming Friday (the 8th of June) at 8pm UK time (8pm GMT). The servers will then stay open to Beta players until the following Monday the 11th of June when they will close at 7.59am GMT. Players will be able to?reunite?with their characters from the previous beta and they will be able to experience a?variety?of?gameplay improvements, implemented after fan feedback. Lucky bastards...
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Assassin's Creed lawsuit - The saga comes to an end?
American author John L. Beiswenger has apparently succumbed to my threats and general tutting and tsking under my breath as he has dropped the lawsuit against Ubisoft over claims that the company stole their idea for Assassin's Creed from his novel Link. Gametrailers, who were also cited in his suit have settled with the man with an undisclosed amount of money whereas he has completely dropped the lawsuit against Ubisoft "without prejudice". He does however still have the right to pick up the lawsuit and claim at a later date if he so wishes. However, it's a deep sigh of relief all round as Ubisoft is still able to produce and develop the third?instalment?in the epic and COMPLETELY ORIGINAL Assassin'c Creed games!
It's also worth?mentioning?that Ubisoft themselves are now?undertaking?legal action against the author himself. The company issued the following in a statement with their decision:
"Ubisoft believes this suit was frivolous and without merit, and is seeking a ruling to prevent future related claims.
"We are proud of our creative teams and will continue to vigorously defend the intellectual property they develop."
As well as wanting to prevent any other legal action against their team and their games Ubisoft want the author to cover all the costs from the short court case. Essentially the whole thing seems like a way of Ubisoft saying "Fuck you, our idea was original and our writers came up with it themselves. How dare you accuse us of this?" and then they probably started swearing. I might keep up with this latest development, but honestly with Assassin's Creed 3 safe my interest is now waning and it doesn't really involve video games any more...
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Trailers and Videos
We've got some absolutely lovely and awesome videos and trailers for you to feast your eyes on here folks. And I mean seriously... Some top quality shit! We'll start with what has to be the most teasing trailer for a game in?existence?which has filled me with a complete fever of excitement for whenever we hear more about it. My friends... I want you to brace yourself for the trailer for the all new, the all improved, it's the return of STANLEY!! *insert angelic choir here*
Following that we have an absolutely awesome and actually quite hot new cinematic trailer for Hitman: Absolution. It features hot girls dressed as nuns, killing, explosions, guns and an awesome fight scene. As well as an odd "Requiescat in pace" moment?reminiscent?of Assassin's Creed.
Following that we've got an awesome trailer for Guardians of Middle Earth (which I imagine will all too possibly be an average game) and, to my amusement, a trailer for LEGO Lord of the Rings (which could well be pretty fun actually). We follow this with a short but cool trailer for War of the Roses (which on the flip side could well be an AWESOME game!). Check em out!
After that we've got a new trailer for Dishonoured which features the first look at the gameplay which is definitely worth a look for all video game?enthusiasts. Honestly it's surprising just how excited this game has me, in such a short time as well... Then we've got the trailer for Skyrim: Dawnguard, which is less awesome as a trailer but I am looking forward to it?just?as much. And then we go from Skyrim DLC to Mass Effect 3 DLC with a trailer for the Rebellion DLC Multiplayer pack.
Then, just before you all leave, we have the brand new trailer (which looks to be completely made using gameplay footage) for next years Tomb Raider, and it has to be said that it looks like it's taken an awful lot of inspiration from Uncharted... Although this time the main character has boobs!
And then before I lose you all, take some time to watch an amazing short film based on the internet and gaming sensation... A mentor of mine (even if he's not aware of it) LEEEEEEROOOOY JEEEEENKIIIIINS!!!
Oh my god he just ran in...
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Song of the Week
Actually, I lied. I'm not quite done with you all yet! You see, we've seen the work of Lindsay Stirling before when she did a Legend of Zelda medley on her violin which almost made me?interested?in the games (and it's not just?because?she's fit). Well now she's teamed up with singer Peter Hollens to make an awesome cover of the Skyrim theme song! Although in fairness... The Skyrim theme song just lends itself to awesome in a way that the music from Legend of Zelda just doesn't...
Enjoy!
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What to look for during rare transit of Venus
The last chance most of us will ever have to see the planet Venus pass in front of the sun is coming up this Tuesday.
On that day, more than half the world will get to see an exceedingly rare event: a transit of Venus crossing the face of the sun at inferior conjunction. A transit of Venus is among the rarest of astronomical events, rarer even than the return of Halley's Comet every 76 years. Only six transits of Venus are known to have been observed by humans before: in 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, 1882 and most recently in 2004.
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Future spaceships will follow the trail blazed by Dragon
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: NASA and SpaceX recap the Dragon cargo capsule's historic return from orbit, while other ventures move ahead with their own spaceship projects.
- Watch a pint-sized Captain Kirk take flight
- Parks offer prime viewing for Venus transit
- Check out partial lunar eclipse Monday
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Future spaceships will follow the trail blazed by Dragon
When Venus is in transit across the solar disk, the planet appears as a distinct, albeit tiny, round black spot with a diameter just one-32nd that of the sun. This size is large enough to perceive with the naked eye; however, prospective observers are warned to take safety precautions (as with a solar eclipse) while attempting to view the silhouette of Venus against the blindingly brilliant face of the sun. Special glasses or telescope filters must be used at all times.
Prior to local sunset, observers who are located over much of North America and the northwestern part of South America will be able to observe at least the opening stages of this most unusual celestial phenomenon. [Venus Transit of the Sun: A 2012 Observer's Guide (Infographic)]
Tuesday or Wednesday?
The Venus transit will be a west-to-east passage (right to left) taking six hours and 40 minutes. The sun will be above the horizon for the whole transit for much of Greenland and far-northern portions of Canada, all of Alaska and Hawaii, central and eastern Asia, New Zealand and the eastern half of Australia. For these last three regions, the transit will occur on June 6.
The sun rises with Venus already on its disk for western Asia, the eastern half of Africa and virtually all of Europe on the morning of June 6. Interestingly, as seen from Iceland, the beginning and end of the transit will be visible, but the sun will set prior to, then rise after, the middle of the transit.
Graphic: All about the transit of Venus
One region that will miss the transit is a large portion of South America. From places south and east of an imaginary line drawn between Morawhanna, Guyana, southwest to Tacna, Peru, the sun will unfortunately set before the transit begins. In addition, a large part of western Africa as well as Portugal and the western half of Spain will also miss out, because from there the transit will end before the sun rises.?
If you wish to generate predictions for the transit for where you live, the Astronomical Applications Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory has produced an online transit computer. Click here to use the calculator.
How it'll go down
For the U.S. and Canada, the transit will begin when the dark disk of Venus first touches the outer limb of the sun, known as Contact I. As seen from the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada, Contact I should occur within about a minute of 6:03 p.m. ET. For observers in the western U.S. and western Canada, Contact I should occur within about a minute of 3:06 p.m. PT.?
It will take about 18 minutes for the black disk of Venus to move completely onto the sun's face, ultimately bringing its black disk just inside the sun's upper left edge. This will be an especially interesting time.?
The moment when the two disks become internally tangent ? that is, when Venus moves completely onto the sun's disk ? is known as Contact II. And just moments before interior contact actually takes place, assiduous viewers might see the silhouette of Venus become suddenly connected to the sun's limb by a dark ligament ? like a drop of water just before separating from a faucet. [Last Venus Transit In Your Lifetime | Video Show]
Another way to describe the sight is that the planet will seem attached to the sun's limb by a thin black column or thread. This optical illusion is known as the "black drop effect." Its cause is believed to be the combination of local atmospheric seeing and telescope diffraction, in conjunction with the dark disk of Venus interacting with the limb darkening of the sun's outer edge.?
Venus will then take more than six hours to traverse the disk of the sun, although for most Americans (except in Alaska and Hawaii), sunset will intervene before Venus moves off of the sun.
The circumstances of the transits of Venus repeat themselves with great exactness over a period of 243 years. The intervals between individual transits (in years) currently go as follows: 8 + 121? + 8 + 105? = 243. In other words, a pair of transits may occur over a time span of just eight years, but following the second transit, the next will not occur again for over a century. The upcoming Venus transit is the second of a pair, the first having occurred on June 8, 2004.
Should clouds prevent you from getting a view of this year's event, it will be most unfortunate, since the next opportunity to observe a transit of Venus will not occur until Dec. 10-11, 2117! We can expect that very few people who witness this year's transit will still be alive to catch the next one in 105? years.
If you snap a great photo of the Venus transit and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or gallery, please send images and comments to Space.com managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.You can also upload your picture for possible use on msnbc.com by following the instructions on the FirstPerson Web page for sharing sky sights .
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.
? 2012 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.
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