LucasArts staff all looing for new jobs because disney get rid of the personnel

Disney have shut down the LucasArts game studio, abruptly cancelling all upcoming games and laying off all workers, it is reported in the last few days.

Disney will still take advantage of the LucasArts name to allow games, however the studio won’t be producing any new games and all existing titles are scrapped.

The multimedia entertainment firm, which purchased LucasArts, along with the film business Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.05 Billion, informed the employees of the verdict this morning. The move is anticipated to force around one hundred fifty workers into unemployment.

A spokesperson for Disney said, “After evaluating our position within the games marketplace, we have decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s gamble while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games.”

LucasArts was a distinguished games maker, principally recognized for developing Star Wars tie-in games (two of which, ‘Star Wars 1313’ and ‘Star Wars: First Assault’ are high profile victims of this shutdown).

The corporation was also highly influential in the development of the ‘adventure games’ genre within the 80’s and 90’s, producing such notable works as ‘The Secret of Monkey Island’, ‘Grim Fandango’ and ‘Maniac Mansion’.

Gamer response has been vocal and damning, with irritated blogs, Facebook updates and Tweets hitting the web within hours of the announcement.

Despite the outcry, this move is not without precedent. Last September LucasArts blocked all employing and extra product bulletins, an action which came right before the company’s sale to Disney the next month.

However, through the preliminary takeover, Disney had confirmed that all employees would remain within their current positions. Immediately following the changeover, a business representative is reported as saying that “for the time being all projects are business as usual. We are excited about all the possibilities that Disney brings.”

Although the company’s last few titles had acknowledged mixed feedback and only limited sales achievement, hopes were high for their upcoming releases.

It is conceivable that Disney will contract out the development of the products to other studios, but it seems more apt that the company will now put its labors towards licensing various tie-in titles for that as-yet unnamed ‘Star Wars VII’, film scheduled for release in 2015.

Sources:



http://www.shacknews.com/article/76439/lucasarts-acquired-by-disney



http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/disney-closes-lucasarts/



http://kotaku.com/disney-shuts-down-lucasarts-468473749

Bone Conducting Earpieces for the GP340

As a lot of you’ll know there are several bone conducting earpieces on the web, when I needed to buy one I commonly got it from earpieceonline, but lately they have finished advertising them, when I enquired concerning why this was they advised me they discontinued their assortment until the new models turn up.

I received an email this month, or even it had been via facebook, they are all merging as one as of late! And I straight away despatched an email to ask for one to test, and low and behold one arrived with the post this morning. It is one of a brand new generation of bone conductors that are lighter and superior than the preceding ones. Now when We have had the preceding variations I always found that they fell out my ear if I moved my head a whole lot, these new bone conductors employ a clip that fits entirely over the ear, getting it lighter to wear, and much more secure.

It certainly feels lighter, in comparison with other ones, the press to talk button or PTT as I am consistently stated to to name it, is far lighter also, and still has the lapel to clip it to your belt, which I find incredibly practical. Not shown in the picture is the very long PTT (there you go chief!!!!) that’s removable and can continue along your arm, leg, snake, whatsoever you prefer because it is absolutely long enough.

I normally use the Motorola connector and I always have, I they have assured me that the kenwood connector style as well as the icom connector versions are precisely the same, but for the first time they are available using a GP340, DP3400 and some others, which for me is perfect because we are soon to progress into the digital revolution and get some Motorola dp3400 2 way radios.

All in all this is a great earpiece, and many thanks to the guys at earpieceonline for sending one for me to try, you can find them at www.earpieceonline.co.uk

6 bank charger Review.

6-bank chargers don’t come cheaply, but the 2wayradionline Radio 6-bank charger is cheaper than nearly all. Actually, we reckon it represents a fairly great price. With that in mind, we released our reviewer to consider a more in-depth look and let us know very well what he finds.

THE SPECS

This 6-bank charger can take either 12 sole batteries or six whole radios (with 6 spare batteries), according to your choice. This makes the charger best for total usage. Users can take out one depleted battery, place it on charge and replace it using a fully charged and able to go version, all within a few seconds.

Additionally to that, the self-switching power supply is specifically adapted to be used worldwide and in cars.

2wayradionline are so buyer welcoming that they’ll even tailor your charger for you, meaning you can order various adapter cups specifically for your needs. You can even combine and match, in truth, the 2wayradionline site actively encourages you to do so.

It can be vastly doubtful that you won’t be capable of finding the best cup size on the 2wayradionline website.

THE PRICE

£259.50 in British money, which sounds like a ton, but really is not. We all have seen equivalent products available for over £1,000 and even the less costly models often range between £600 and £800. What we have here is a bargain.

THE PERFORMANCE

Even with mixed adapter cups, the 6 by 6 charger does its task perfectly. If it is partially a step slower than some of these more expensive products (and keep in mind, I said ‘if’), then it’s not a massive amount, certainly not worth distressing about.

Owing to its relatively little size, this charger can also be something of a space saver, being noticeably smaller than any other products of the same type.

The 6-bank charger is reasonably portable (though I would not want to carry it some distance) and remuneration from an effective, hardwearing model. The polycarbonate casing is particularly hard and shock resilient. Polycarbonates, by the way, are exclusive thermoplastic polymers that are easily moulded but present great resistance to impacts and temperature change, their numerous uses include medical gear, military gear, water coolers, DVDs and even riot shields. Although I’m quite sure that using this charger as a shield during any sort of riot will invalidate the 1yr warranty!

The 6-bank charger is easily set up as well, it is truly so simple as finding a plug point and you’re good to go. All in all, I thought this to be a thoroughly satisfying and user friendly product.

THE VERDICT

When it comes to specs, this probably is the best 6 + 6 charger on the market. In fact, you will find almost certainly a few others that operate just as competently, or are possibly less. However, now that I have said that, this continues to be a better- quality product, particularly for its price.

What we have here’s a high performance and thoroughly well designed charger, with consumer satisfaction and easy use clearly in the forefront of their thoughts.

As the website itself says, this charger is ideally suited to rental fleets and appears that they are in a position to adapt to most of that conditions that you’re more likely to need it to. Should you’re planning on heading out towards the Lake District and mounting a Guerilla warfare operation against, oh, I don’t know, the cost of sweets in a local newsagents or the number of bus stops in and around Carnaby Street, then you may want to spend a few more hundred and get something for all climate conditions. Nonetheless, if you just want an excellent deal and a great job well done, then you really don’t have to look any more.

6 bank charger Review.

Promotions, Opinions & ETC “Oh no, not again!” One Man’s Pursuit to Detest The whole thing

In my pretext as a specialized self-employed writer who is, at present, producing his 1st full-length novel (cheap plug!), I requested of my favorite client we diversify out a bit from tech news/reviews and into more media, arts and entertainment areas. He was willing to help and cordial enough to offer the crazy idea a go and I set about cobbling together some movie and music evaluations.

This was when it hit me; We have no idea what is hot, who’s doing it, or why I should care!

A decade ago, when I was a film student, I might have told you who the cinematographer was on even various obscure, little-seen indie flick. Heck, I could probably have taken a guess as to who delivered him his morning coffee on the shoot, but today I am afraid I have no idea at all.

It is not totally my blunder. Having graduated from University a few years ago and moved out of my parent’s home soon after that, my long-suffering girlfriend and I haven’t exactly been rolling in cash. I selected what I could by doing extra articles (and sometimes cleaning homes) and shopped a children’s book around the publishers (with less than even a polite whiff of notice, it should be said). She eventually landed a fairly good job and simultaneously my fortunes enhanced a little, but modern culture passed us by while we were busy doing our weekly shopping using a calculator and developing one more hundred and 50 uses for tinned meat.

Its amusing, I always wondered why my Dad’s record set totally ceases to progress further sometime inside the late 1970’s and does not pick up again until a small collection of (franky terrible) ‘Trashed/Mashed/Bashed/Crashed (delete as applicable) in Ibiza’ CDs in the 1990’s. Well, now I know. It is a gap in the fossil record of popular culture; it is, fundamentally, a record of the cash-induced cultural extinction occasion that occurred at more-or-less exactly the same time he moved out with my Mum.

So, with that in mind, I made a decision to take a look at what was around at the moment by viewing what was trending on Amazon, in the hopes that there may be something I could talk about with some conviction.

Now, I do not want this article to read like an appendix to ‘is it just me or is the lot shit?’ crossed with an episode of ‘Grumpy Old Men’ (even through I know full-well that its gonna), but there isn’t a great deal of stuff that I can even relate to, much less get excited about.

For me, it’s a case of ‘seen it’ roughly every time. Sure, the films probably only been released last week, but I read the novel that inspired the screenplay when I used to be at Uni, or I saw the little known French film it had been according to whilst studying at college.

Oh, this band are a bit like an updated version of (evoke holy name of a divine 70’s punk/New Wave act here), except for they lack the invention, the innovation and the talent that made the originals great. In another occasion, I would have ideas and opinions to express about the pop music of nowadays, but now I cannot even name the celebrities so that you can slag them off.

‘If you prefer that, you will love this!’ No, I won’t Amazon. And don’t think I don’t see what you are trying to do, you sneaky bastards…

Oh, this Television show is about a teenage vampire, well, that’s novel, particularly bearing in mind that it wasn’t even unique when ‘Twilight’ did it (Sheesh, it was not even unique when ‘Buffy’ was doing it).

Oh, this bestselling book series is fanfic according to that other book? What? I’m sorry, WHAT!?

…Since when was ‘find/replace’ a lucrative model?

(Sigh) Since now, I suppose.

If there is a time to all this bitter and twisted ranting (and remember, I said ‘if), it’s that I am getting old and that this is cheaper than treatment. If there is an alternative, perhaps more prominent point, its that you must perhaps scrape together a bit of cash, go check out Amazon’s most up-to-date hit lists and purchase something, if barely to keep from ending up like me. Here, I will even link it for you.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Future-Releases-DVD-Blu-ray/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&linkCode=ur2&node=573412&tag=ottoear-21

So, in the long run, if my own (hypothetical) son or daughter flicks through my CDs/DVDs and asks why the newest albums are (disgracefully) ‘Noctourniquet’ by The Mars Volta (2012) ‘Brothers’ by The Black Keys (2010), ‘Only Revolutions’ by Biffy Clyro (2009), & Q-Tip’s ‘The Renaissance’ (2008), I’ll just reminisce and say “you will see” and leave it at that.

You’ll see. Just see if you don’t.

Promotions, Opinions & ETC “Oh no, not again!” One Man’s Pursuit to Detest The whole thing

Father of modern special effects Ray Harryhausen dies

Legendary Hollywood lighting tricks man Ray Harryhausen died in London’s Hammersmith hospital yesterday. He was 92 years old.

The animator and business pioneer was noted for his innovation of latest animation procedures, as well as a parade of iconic and unforgettable display creations.

Harryhausen’s sculpt work and unique creature models could be seen in these kinds of films as ‘Clash of the Titans’, ‘Jason & The Argonauts’, ‘The Valley of Gwangi’ and his ‘Sinbad’ trilogy, among an excellent many others.

Tributes from various film industry specialists have poured in over the past twenty four hours. 

Oscar-winning ‘Wallace & Gromit’ creator Nick Park called him “my mentor and inspiration since my earliest childhood memories”.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg both shiningly mentioned Harryhausen as an inspiration, while James Cameron, who’s movies consist of Harryhausen-esque creature features like ‘Aliens’ and ‘Terminator’ said science fiction filmmakers has been “standing on the shoulders of a giant” due to Ray’s labor.

Peter Lord, of Aardman Animations, also renowned that Harryhausen was “a one-man business and a one-man genre”.

Himself empowered by ‘King Kong’s special effects creator Willis O’Brien, adolescent Harryhausen began playing with sculpt making and stop-motion work in the 30′s.

After he enlisted in the U.S Army in 1942, Harryhausen worked on models and artwork for U.S Army magazine ‘Yank’ and served under future ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ director Frank Capra to make army-instruction films.

After the war, Harryhausen was able to work alongside his hero Willis O’Brien, on what would be his breakthrough picture ‘Mighty Joe Young’.

In 1953, Harryhausen’s solo effort ‘The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms’ (an adaptation of a quick tale by Ray’s lifetime friend Ray Bradbury) grew to become a box office accomplishment. Next, the 1955 production of ‘It Came From Beneath the Sea’ marked the first collaboration between Harryhausen and Producer Charles H. Schneer, the man who would succeed with him on his most popular movies over the next 3 decades.

Harryhausen worked in the course of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, creating many hugely popular creatures and fantastic, dream like adventure sequences. ‘Clash of the Titans’, announced in 1981, is taken into account by many to become his magnum opus.

In 1992, Harryhausen received a special Oscar for his achievements and gifts to the art of cinema.

In 2002, Harryhausen partnered alongside animators Mark Caballero and Seamus Walsh to finish ‘The Tortoise & The Hare’, a fairy tale short that Ray had begun in 1952.

In 2007, he executive-produced a short film based on E.A Poe’s ‘The Pit & The Pendulum’.

In his autobiography, Harryhausen says “Looking back through the years I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in numerous exciting projects, the best of which I presume did mature and grow into full-length feature movies”.

He donated his entire private collection of models, which consisted of around 20,000 meticulously hand crafted models, to the National Media Museum in Bradford in 2010. It’s here, as well as inside the imaginations of these he continues to inspire, that Ray Harryhausen’s heritage will live on.

 

SOURCES:

 

Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life (Book) by Ray Harryhausen & Tony Dalton

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22441567

http://movies.nytimes.com/person/93588/Ray-Harryhausen/biography

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366063/

Father of modern special effects Ray Harryhausen dies

Test Post from Kelly Wrolebanon

Test Post from Kelly Wrolebanon http://www.wrolebanon.org