Voltron comes to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 tomorrow and to celebrate we have something for our Xbox 360 readers!

I love Voltron. I remember my brother and I shared the toys to build the giant super robot. The game comes out tomorrow and is only 800 Microsoft Points. The game has clips from the original animated TV series and players can command the individual Lions. Of course players can also team up to form Voltron. Voltron has 1-5 player co-op or offline 1-2 player co-op.

The Voltron blue mask can be all yours just by making a comment below. Tell us if you are excited about Voltron or about any memories you have as a kid with Voltron. I’ll pick one random winner Friday at 5pm pacific. Good luck!

@Waynes you won! Congrats! Random.org picked you! hehe

James Cameron's Avatar The Movie

When Avatar came out it was so revolutionary and beautiful that people exclaimed how they wish they could visit that world. I always thought that would result in an MMO, but it looks like Disney Parks is going to bring a real life Avatar adventure to you.

Teaming up with Fox and James Cameron, Disney will create theme park guests with the ability to explore Avatar within the Animal Kingdom Park. The construction is set to begin by 2013.

“James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible,” said Robert A. Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James’ talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney.”

Interesting note, the press release states there are two more chapters in the Avatar saga.

“This exciting new venture combines the world of AVATAR with the enormous reach of Disney and the incomparable talent of Jim Cameron,” commented Fox Filmed Entertainment chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman. “While Jim is bringing audiences further into Pandora with the next two chapters in the AVATAR motion picture saga, the theme park attraction will likewise bring a new dimension to the amazing universe he created.”

Disney will have exclusive global rights to use Avatar franchise at the Disney parks. Maybe now with your glow in the dark light saber, you’ll get tails that light up too.

At the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft announced Avatar Kinect. Avatar Kinect uses the Kinect camera to sync the player to the avatar and then the player can join up with up to seven friends to chat. The avatars will be able to have your facial expressions as well. There will be up to 15 virtual environments available.

The Kinect team also announced that they sold an impressive 8 million Kinects in the first 60 days.

David Dennis, group public relations manager for Xbox said, “Over the holiday season, console sales for the Xbox 360 hit 50 million, making it the No. 1-selling console in North America for the past six months. The Xbox LIVE community continued to grow in leaps and bounds last year, adding a new member every two seconds. Xbox LIVE has more than 30 million active members.”

Also coming to Kinect will be Netflix and Hulu.

“You’re going to continue to see more fun, more entertainment, and more innovation from our Xbox team in 2011,” Ballmer said. “Xbox today is going where no gaming system has ever gone. Your Xbox is becoming the hub of your living room. It is your gaming system, but it’s your movies, it’s your TV shows, and it’s your sporting events. It’s your social interactions, all delivered directly to the biggest screen in your house.”

James Cameron's Avatar The Movie

Avatar fans get ready because there is a new release of Avatar coming. On November 16 the Avatar Extended Collector’s Edition will be coming out on Blu-Ray and DVD. The Collector’s Edition comes with three versions of the film and showcases never before seen footage.

“I told our team — let’s do the ultimate box set of Avatar, with everything in it the fans could possibly want. There’s an extended length cut that’s sixteen minutes longer, plus documentaries, behind the scenes featurettes, artwork and over 45 minutes of deleted scenes. Everything worth putting into a special edition is in this set,” said James Cameron.

The three-disc set will have the original theatrical release, special edition re-release, family audio track to remove bad language, and extended cut featuring 16 more minutes with an exclusive alternate opening Earth scene. There will also be a documentary that covers the 16 years it took to make Avatar.

There is a giveaway for the Ultimate Avatar Sweepstakes. Make sure you follow @FoxHomeEnt and enter the ULTIMATE AVATAR SWEEPSTAKES at www.AvatarSweeps.com for a chance to win $50,000 and daily limited edition instant-win prizes!

Interactive entertainment company Ludia and FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) have announced the release of American Idol Star Experience game today, May 26th, to coincide with the Season 9 finale of American Idol (the show). Idol lives on in every player as they put together online performances for friends and the entire Facebook community.
Download the free performance creator for your PC and design your original stage performance with an avatar of your creation, one of your favorite rock, punk, pop, hip hop, disco, R&B or country hit songs, fun dance choreography, different camera angles, and flashy special effects, which you can post on Facebook for others to enjoy, rate, comment on, and discuss with others.

“We are excited to release a unique game experience based on American Idol, one of the most important entertainment franchises in the world,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “American Idol Star Experience reinforces our existing multiplatform game strategy, now seamlessly integrated with robust social features.”

With The American Idol Star Experience, you can:
* Select pre-recorded voice tracks, or use their own voice to sing karaoke-style.
* Style your avatar with hair, make up, wardrobe, and accessories.
* Put your star on a true to life American Idol stage complete with lights, cameras, and a multitude of special effects.
* Interact with other members of the Facebook community, including arranging private viewings for your VIP friends.

“After more than eight top-rated seasons on television, the Emmy-award winning American Idol is one of the most successful properties on TV,” said Olivier Delfosse, Director, Interactive, FremantleMedia Enterprises, licensor for the program. “We are pleased to extend American Idol to both the existing fan base and new audiences alike with a highly immersive game experience that further deepens consumer engagement with the franchise.”

American Idol Star Experience is available for PC as a free download at_a href=”http://www.PlayAmericanIdol.com” target=”_new”>PlayAmericanIdol.com

Awhile back we were invited to an interview with Richard Taylor, co-founder and co-director of Weta in celebration of the Blu-Ray release of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy. The Blu-Ray release came out on April 6th. Mr. Taylor spoke with us about his experience on Lord of the Rings, the Weta Cave and just where he keeps the Oscars.

GA: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is considered by many to be the best epic adventure in film history. What extra features are part of the new Blu-Ray collection?
Mr. Taylor: I haven’t seen it yet. Looking forward to it. The Lord of the Rings Blu-Ray offers the incredible increase in viewership which gives me some anxiety that tricks used to hide things may be revealed.

GA: What was unique about your experience on the Lord of the Rings Project?
Mr. Taylor: We’ve been in the business for a long time but were very little known for our craft. With Lord of the Rings we felt the weight of purpose going into it. A new generation of New Zealanders can have a body of work respected by fans of Tolkien.

GA: Where do you keep the awards that you won for for Lord of the Rings trilogy?
Mr. Taylor: Awards are kept in the office for everyone to see. The Oscars have been knocked around from so much handling.

GA: Tell us about your inspiration to launch the Weta Cave and what fans can find there.
Mr. Taylor: Since the first movie opened up around the world, fans have been stopping by the Weta studios hoping to see something. At the end of the day, the workshop is an old warehouse. People would try to come in, but couldn’t due to NDA. Two years ago we built a museum, theaterette, and a shop.

GA: The original DVD bonus content mentioned repeatedly the extreme stress and deadlines you were up against. Was there ever a moment where you thought an effect couldn’t be finished on time?
Mr. Taylor: There were many times where you question the huge amount of work but ultimately you draw on the team around you. It’s a tribute to Jackson that he had the confidence that the technology would ultimately be able to fill the gap.

GA: Gaming fans loved Weta Digital’s work on Heavenly Sword. Will Weta be working on any future gaming projects?
Mr.Taylor:We’ve had no conversations in respect to gaming.

GA: How has what you’ve learned by working on Avatar influenced future projects?
Mr. Taylor: What’s become clear is that the world’s audience is one that wants fully immersed entertainment. A very intriguing cinema experience. This challenges the way we think about our craft.

GA: How are things coming along on the Hobbit and are you excited with how things are going?
Mr. Taylor: We are in early production design and having a good time. Very exciting to work with Guillermo.

GA: What advice do you have for new filmmakers?
Mr.Taylor: This is an incredible time right now where almost any person can tell a unique story. Generate own unique stories that will have an impact.

Thank you Mr. Taylor for your time and we’re definitely looking forward to seeing Weta’s work on the Hobbit! Until then, fans can get their hands on the Lord of the Rings Trilogy now out on Blu-Ray.

Coming May 2010 – 3D Dot Game Heroes: The Game

Dotnia is a land of many classic dungeons and colour coded keys. And swords. Like the giant one the greatest Hero of them all used to wield, until he stuck it into the ground. His sword was so great that it was nearly three times his size and could go through trees. No other sword can do that, just his uber special “yeah that’s not really a glitch” sword. And there are orbs. Because the people of Dotnia have seen countless fantasy movies at the 8-bit drive in and they know that magical orbs don’t get enough love these days.

Oh the humority!

So the King gets up from his throne and declares they are going to upgrade from a 3D 8-bit existence to a 3D one. Now everyone is excited. There is purpose again to their mundane lives. Something is going to happen! And you are chosen to be the new Hero. Aren’t you just happy?

Here we are in 2010 and we are talking about an 8-bit game that isn’t pre-1990s. Why? Because 8-bit games have universal appeal, they are fun and charming, and 3D Dot Heroes is probably the best flattery for the classic 2D action adventure genre that ever will be.

Everybody wants to play a game that is fun. 3D Dot Heroes has all the in-humour and basic yet not-so-basic familiarity of games such as Legend of Zelda or Castlevania way back in the day. From what I have seen via the live web demo I attended last week and through various clips online, I have determined that this game is going to have copious amounts of fun wrapped inside a candy coating of awesome. It’s up to you just how much fun you want to have. Journeying in seven expansive dungeons and exploring the vast lands of Dotnia will probably take about 15 hours for a basic start to finish with a bit of dabbling adventure. Increased difficulties can be unlocked for those who want more of a hardcore “I grew up in the 80s!” experience. (And for those of you out there, just because we grew up with these games in the 80s doesn’t mean they didn’t kick our bumbs back then.)

The beaches of Dotnia. Just look at that water!

You can choose from one of three various alignments for your Hero – Royal Heir (balanced), Scholar (one of those nerdy book loving… I mean more magically inclined) or Hero (the slightly more I’m going to bash you with this club type). Instead of leveling up your character, all health and magic points are attached to your sword. So make sure you keep an eye out for red (healing) and green (magic) apples if you see you are about to die. And play smart! If you see a monster with a golden crown symbol over his head, that means he’s going to be a bit tougher than an ordinary one of his kind. Don’t think you can take him on? There is no shame in running from a battle if it means you will live to see another dungeon.

And how about mini-games? During the demo I was able to check out two of the three mini-games that are included at NO EXTRA CHARGE! Block Defense is a tower defense mini game in which you will try to stop the bad guys from getting to Point B from Point A, setting up towers (Ha!) along the way in hopes to kill them D-E-D dead. You can also use your custom made character to help if you want, or you can make your towers do all the work (boy, you really are a lazy Hero!). The second game Blockout challenges you to clear out all of the offending blocks in your way with just a few balls at your disposal.

Sword make blocks go SMASH!

Now, the Japanese were able to get an awesome version of 3D Dot Heroes a few months ago, which is cool and all, but they had to wait for some things to be released as download content and we North Americans don’t. Neener neener neener! There are bonus Block Defense levels that we get on the disc, as well as some added pre-made characters to choose from, the option to install the game to the PS3 hard drive (yes, I said “option”-you don’t have to, but the game will load faster if you do) and the best part of it all – the Loading Screen Gallery.

I could spend hours just watching the Loading Screen Gallery. Our 8-bit inhabitants spent hours posing themselves against white backdrops to look like our favourite game box art just to get our attention. Part of the fun is trying to guess them all.

So what do the people of Dotnia ask in return for all the awesome fun they are bundling up for us?

$39.99 US

Yup, for all that stuff I talked about and the epic in-game soundtrack that I am mentioning now, $39.99 will buy you a ginormous good time. There will be several hours of creating amazing characters that you can save to USB and share online with friends and strangers, all of which will be supported by Atlus. Can’t forget about all those cool trophies you’ll want to collect, which will mean more than one play through, not like you won’t play it over and over again to see if you can find all the swords and easter eggs without cheating. You also get a handy camera option, so you can take snapshots of your character taking down hordes of beasts and then use that as a desktop or PS3 background and brag to your friends or impress that boy/girl in your life with your “skillz”.

If you start saving 20 cents a day right now, you will be able to buy 3D Dot Game Heroes on May 11th and bring some financial stability back to Dotnia. What are you waiting for? Check your couches, your car and your linty pockets and pre-order it now!

(No editors were harmed during the writing of this article, however you are urged have a tall latte instead of a grande one and use that 20 cents you save everyday to help the Dotnians clothe and feed their pet dragons. And if you do that, they just might let Yukino out of the Flame Temple. It’s pretty hot in here. There’s fire in the Flame Temple, you know.)

A new Indie game is out on Xbox Live and is not only cute but priced great (at $1!). JForce Games have released Avatar Showdown where players can play with their avatar and fight with other avatars. It’s actually really cute to see these avatars fight each other.

There are celebrity appearances by avatars in single player mode and two player is available locally and online. Check out the trailer below for Avatar Showdown!

The creators of Wazzamba, a new online virtual world filled with games, trivia, adventure, and great prizes, have opened up their world for everyone to participate in its open beta release. Players in Wazzamba can explore over 30 areas in 6 cities around the world and win weekly travel prizes.

“The mission of Wazzamba is to create an environment where anyone can win while enjoying a fun atmosphere where players can play skill games, make friends, and express themselves,” notes CEO Rocco Pellegrinelli. “It is exciting for me to give casual gamers a chance at turning all those hours played into real world travel prizes.”

To get started, head over to Wazzamba.com and click “Join Now” (it’s free!) Customize your avatar, watch the intro video and/or start your adventure on “Tutorial Island.” Then, head off to explore New York, Los Angeles, Rome, Egypt, Paris, and the Caribbean! Say hello if you see me there! I’m CasualAngel

Prizes debuting this week include GetAway Trips to San Diego and New York, and a DreamTrip vacation showcasing the Highlights of China, including Beijing, Shanghai, The Great Wall, the famous Terracotta Warriors and a cruise of the Li River. Wazzamba will be awarding up to four trips per week with January contests including trips to Spain, Australia, Rome, Hawaii and Paris. Hurry over now! Since it’s just getting started, I’d imagine that the chances of winning are a little higher!

Major Nelson just went live with the holiday plans for Xbox Live which include today’s release of Holiday items for your avatar. Yes, now your avatar can wear the ugly sweater we all make fun of. I’m pretty excited about the upcoming release on December 24 of Disney Classic items to the Avatar Marketplace.

Here is the schedule for Xbox Live Arcade:
December 16: Alien Breed Evolution (Episode 1) for 800 Microsoft Points
December 23: Trials HD BIG PACK! for 400 points

Here are the upcoming Xbox Live deals of the week:
Week of December 14:
Lips: Coldplay Track Pack for 240 Microsoft Points
Pinball FX (Japan) for 400 Microsoft Points
December 21 through December 27:
Shadow Complex for 800 points
Week of December 28:
The Maw for 400 Microsoft Points

To celebrate the holidays from December 18th through the 31st there will be a new Xbox Live Holiday deal each day. Of course they aren’t letting us know ahead of time, so you’ll have to sign into Xbox Live each day to find out. Or follow Major Nelson’s Twitter account.