The International House of Mojo

Beta testing signups are now underway for the forthcoming Bioware MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Due to server load, the signup form can be a bit glitchy, but keep persevering, it should let you through eventually.

Good luck, and if anyone here makes the beta, let us know you're in... if the NDA allows it.

Source: swtor.com

Computer and Video Games has again raised the possibility of Telltale picking up the Maniac Mansion / Day of the Tentacle franchise for future adventure games.

Dave Grossman, when asked replied

"I don't want to answer that question (laughs). You'd have to ask [LucasArts] that..."

He also repeats the line about the new LucasArts boss being interested in the old properties. So there you go, a complete story centered around nothing at all. Eat your heart out Seinfeld.

Source: C&VG

Why don't you try remixing the Tales of Monkey Island soundtrack?

Although the music is absolutely beautiful, Telltale have had to compress the music a bit and it's synthesised. Now, I don't know about you, but I personally prefer live instrument. And what I'm asking, and what I've seen others asking, is for some sort of remix: not necessarily with just live instruments, but with anything musicians more talented than I am like. You want to do a jazz version? Go for it. Techno? Why not?

I want to especially point you to this particular YouTube user, who re-did a lot of the music from The Siege of Spinner Cay, most notably a fantastic version of the the Spinner Cay theme. They also did their own version of the the Flotsam Island overhead map theme. This awesome person has made all of these available for download.

Right now the only TMI tracks up on YouTube (in their original form) are LeChuck's theme, the ship music, the music when on the raft, the Spinner Cay theme, the siege music (all from Chapter Two), and the Monkey Island theme itself. I've searched in other places, but I can't find the music. If you want anything else, it might be a good idea to use bgbennyboy's Telltale Music Extractor. (Quick and Easy is a Mojo hosted site by the way. Did you like that plug? About as subtle as SMI plugging Loom.)<:MORENEWS:>

Do you need inspiration? You can find the Monkey Island 1 + 2 soundtracks orchestrated over at LucasArts Soundtracks; the original MIDI's are at IMuse Island. Zaarin's Soundtrack Island and Highland Productions (don't believe the "No Music" signs) also have the files you need for inspiration, in different formats. (Zaarin notes that the MIDIs on his site can't be played properly without hooking up two MT-32s to two different MIDI outs.)

(All of these are Mojo-hosted sites, by the way. I tell you, what would the world be without us? At war, I think.)

If you make your own remix or orchestration of the Tales of Monkey Island music, or just want me to point you to some sites where you can grab remixes of the first four games, click on my name up there and email me and I'll post about it. Current Mojo will give you a message that says the email didn't work, but that's just a bug.

Here's the sheet music for you guys who need it. YouTube is filled with tutorials on the Monkey theme as well.

It is -- unless I'm hallucinating from lack of sleep -- September 29th, which means only one thing: Michaelmas! Mojo's TMI review!

Please read what our resident "professor of good vibes" thought of Telltale's latest effort, then play the game for yourself (if you want to, that is). The review is free of major spoilers.

The feature image is stolen from "Manatee Magic" by Susan Morrison Sims.

Update by the Remster: We've posted TSB review also. No need to create a new news post for it, as really, it's an agree-fest with what eT wrote. But go read anyway!

Update 2: The game is released. (elTee)

I'm not sure he'll be thrilled about this, but in all honesty Ron Gilbert's PAX 2009 keynote was an inspiring speech and you should watch it if you have an hour to kill. Say, before or after you play Lair of the Leviathan (oh my, that's today!) and before the Brutal Legend demo hits Thursday.

Big thanks to the great person in the audience who filmed this.

Source: Youtube (U-tube)

LucasArts have released a nice new trailer for Lucidity which can be seen at GameTrailers. And very sweet it's looking too.

There's just a hint of the different locations we'll be playing, as well as a genuinely surprising moment at the halfway point and a touch of the creepy "Byssan Lull" main theme.

Lucidity is not released on October 7th in all major stores. It's better than that.

Update by Kroms: LucasArts confirms the game's price at $9.99.

Source: GameTrailers

Attractive Anchovy
Beautiful Barracuda
Comely Catfish
Dazzling Dogfish
Enchanting Eel
Fair Flounder
Gorgeous Goldfish
Handsome Halibut
Ideal Ide
Jewel-like Jawfish
Killer Kelp
Lovely Lamprey
Magnificent Marlin
Nice Noodlefish
Ode-worthy Oarfish
Pretty Perch
Quaint Quillback
Radiant Razorfish
Seemly Salmon
Tantalizing Trout
Unblemished Unicornfish
Voluptuous Viperfish
Winsome Whiting
XXX X-Ray Tetra
Youthful Yellowtail
Zit-free Zebrafish

To whet your appetite for this coming Tuesday's release of Chapter 3 of Tales of Monkey Island, Telltale have posted a few more screenshots of Lair of the Leviathan on their trusty blog. Beware some spoilers within, however!

Telltale have also released a Lair of the Leviathan gameplay video, currently exclusive to IGN, which is equally spoilery.

Source: Telltale's Blog

Today is the 25th of September (for a little while longer, at least) and that means that The Siege of Spinner Cay (the second chapter of Tales of Monkey Island) is now available to download on WiiWare in Europe.

If you
(a) live in Europe
(b) own a Wii
(c) do not own Spinner Cay yet, and
(d) want to own it (and why wouldn't you)

...then get cracking!

While looking at the listing at the Australian Classification Board website for "Zombies at my Neighbors", I happened upon this from August 6;

Handsome Halibut

What the hell? A web search shows up no other reference to the title. Speculate away, mojoans.


Update: Follow our conversation with LucasArts via twitter.

Source: Aussie Classification Board

Clone2727 on the mojo forums has found an IGN listing for the old-school LucasArts game Zombies Ate my Neighbours coming out (date to be determined) on Wii's Virtual Console download service.

However, this was first brought up a few years back on Mojo, so the IGN listing may just be a hangover from then, unfortunately.

Update: Huzzah! It was rated on 23 September 09 by the Australian Classification Board, and submitted by Nintendo.

Source: IGN

Videogamer.com recently had a chance to sit down with Tim Schafer and ask him about Brutal Legend. When asked about what the team was doing, he said:

Well, some of them are relaxing. Some of them are working on... secret stuff. Secret stuff. I'm not there right now. A lot of them are playing the game, you know? We're doing some tests in multiplayer, you know, testing and thinking about ideas for a new game.

There are three interesting things here: 1. Tim Schafer has mentioned, in the past, that Double Fine might end-up being a two-project company, which I can not prove because Google is being an ass; 2. Knowing Microsoft, this is probably DLC - or, knowing gamers, new stuff for multiplayer; and 3. You can totally switch some letters around in that quote and end up spelling "Kroms is awesome," with extra letters for extra praise. Well, that or the word "ostrich", but I'm not sure if many others think of ostriches as wish-fullfilment, Schafes. Can I call you Schafes now? Buddy?

Source: Videogamer

Here's a video with DoubleFine Art Director Lee Petty going over the visual design of the upcoming Brutal Legend.

It's really just a confirmation of lots of snatched soundbites that we've heard over the last few months, and it looks sweet. It comes across as being quite similar to Psychonauts, with each level (or 'faction') being stylistically unique and based on a cohesive internal logic. It's shaping up to be a real treat for metal fans.

So watch now!

Deja Vu: Update: Disregard this, I am blind. Go here.

Source: DoubleFine Action News

Lucidity doesn't just look impressive, it also is sounding really good, if this soundclip is anything to go by. The theme is composed -- or re-imagined as it is -- by Jesse Harlin, who of course got quite a bit of attention for his excellent work on The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition.

Oh, and the lyrics are in Swedish. Although it sounds suspiciously like they're being sung by a Norwegian pretending to being a Swede.

Listen!

Update by Zaarin: Jesse Harlin has updated the blog again with another piece, “Carte d’Etoile” (or “Star Map” in English) which will play on the map screen of the game. He's also uploaded the sheet music to the piece and suggests that anyone who can play the piano should record themselves playing it and send them a link. Now go tickle those ivories!

Seems like LucasArts are giving out free codes for the Steam version of Knights of the Old Republic. 3EH2E-LFSD5-PVXXJ-664ZM-R4RE2

Tell us if you try it and it works. Needless to say, it's great that they're doing this (if they are) - in which case, hey Jim Ward? Thanks for leaving!

LucasArts also just revealed that Cad Bane is an unlockable character in the new Clone Wars game.

Update: Each code is only usable once (ie: only one lucky person gets to use it), but they might give out more, so keep an eye on their Twitter page and you might get lucky.

Source: Twitter

Here you go: a nice dose of Brutal Legend. I forgot to post about #5, so here's that. I like how original it is. A cat on the internet without a cheeseburger is like, woah, like, totally. Profound.

I don't think it'd be fair if I didn't mention that #6 has some minor spoilers, but life isn't fair, and so I won't.

Source: Brütal!

Gamespot has put up a video called The World of Brütal Legend where art director Lee Petty talks a bit about the art and inspiration, as well as how the world was constructed. Hint: the video provides an alternative theory on the Big Bang. Hint's hint: it involved a Fire Beast.

Oh, and the man also has a blog with pictures!

There's some new details revealed in this interview with Siege of Spinner Cay/Rise of the Pirate God writer and director Mark Darin, who was questioned by IgorHardy. The interview covers everything in Darin's career, from his classic Nick Bounty games to all the passive-aggressive violence that goes on at Telltale. And this:

Nothing is worse that playing a story based game

Scatdal! Who said I was taking the quote out of context? I hate you.

Source: Hardydev

A spicy taco, and I don't blame him.

Eurogamer have previewed Deathspank, dishing out some delicious new taco-related information and in the process writing the phrase, "Ron Gilbert gives us some skin." What mouth-watering image to follow the thought of tacos. I'm sure this means that either Ron evolved from snakes, or has decided to go the nude magazine route.

I am bothered by this lawsuit, though. I'm completely willing to live in a world where other people are forbidden to eat free tacos, but take them from me and it just isn't funny anymore. You take my taco and you might as well drive a stake into my by-then all ready cold, dead heart. It's completely insensitive, like making Nazi jokes about Germans.

Source: Eurogamer

Say hi to Germany's greatest export since they started making cars, chemical products. Then look at what guy.brush did. Those insanely talented fans responsible for the other two Monkey Island in Scurvy-Inducing 3D Voodoo videos are at it again, and this time with the Cryengine.

Source: Youtube

Proof inside!

Source: Telltale Games

It's not yet completely finished, but if you have Dark Forces lying around (or just bought the Steam release) and want to make it a smoother, less pixellated and have mouse-look enabled, check out the latest build of the project that renders the game using OpenGL in a brand-new custom coded engine:

Accelerated Dark Forces Extended

Works a treat on my Vista setup, but I had to copy the game directory from the Steam default to a C:DARK directory.

Brilliant! Also if you want more Enhanced Dark Forces experiences, there's a Dark Forces mod for Jedi Academy here that recreates the first 6 levels.

Source: DarkXL

YARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Ahoy, me hearties! 'Tis Talk Like a Pirate Day! Spew some filth! Wash me deck, ya scallywags! Get in line ya dirt doilin' dirty dippers! But lest ye forget: I'll keelhaul any man who dares pirate games without holding its makers captive!

Poke yer eyes for patches and cut yer hands for hooks! It's a day to celebrate yer infamy! YARRRRR!

Update: Free booty! YAHAHARRRR!

Buy the Steve Purcell Tales of Monkey Island cover. You can get a signed copy for $19.95, or a standard copy for $14.95. Buy 'em.

How is it? Do you like it a lot, or a lot lot? (Apply as many "lot"s as needed.) Frankly, the Mojo love for Brutal Legend is lacking, like a river of blood, lacking a decapitated head. Or your heart, lacking care for orphans. Because taking care of orphans is Metal. Or your head, lacking a -- you get the idea.

You should make up for that. You should either declare your love of Brutal Legend right here and right now or do what some guy called Tim wants you to. Get internet famous! Show your face!

Even if you haven't pre-ordered, you can get the demo sometime soon.

Source: DFAF

Our good friends at Nightlight Productions are working on a new radio-style play called The Power of Monkey Island - and they need your help!

In the past they've treated the LucasArts fan community to two plays; Tierra De Los Muertos, set in the Grim Fandango universe, and Beneath Monkey Island. There are five roles open for audition in this latest play:

Governor Phineas Phatt
Elaine Marley-Threepwood
The Voodoo Lady
Kolomana the witch doctor
Murray

So if you have a microphone and you think you're up to the task, get in touch with them!

Source: MJ

Mojo has learned (from our well-placed sources ;) that European gamers will be able to play TMI Part 2, The Siege of Spinner Cay, on WiiWare come the 25th of this month.

It's already available on WiiWare in North America, but for those unlucky European console gamers who haven't played the second chapter of Tales of Monkey Island, Nintendo and Telltale will be spreading the pirate love next Friday.

Source: Telltale's Blog

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition has a nice 50% price cut this weekend, in celebration of Talk Like a Pirate Day. Not sure what kind of cheap bastard you'd have to be to not be able to shell out $10, but I'm pretty sure it's not far from the kind that doesn't offer to pay for his date - if he has any. Because you don't. HA. Loser. Go cry into your Grog XD, you cheapskate.

Update: Get the same from Direct2Drive (thanks Bombadil!).

Update 2: Yeah, so this really is a bargain day for anyone with a penchant for free entertainment. The Launch of the Screaming Narwhal is free, but for one day only.

Telltale, eh? Gotta love those guys. (Thanks, Jake, for the heads-up!)

Update 3: Yeesh. Don't know how this one went under the radar but apparently the iPhone version of SMI has a discount today as well. Thanks, CaliMonk.

Source: Facebook

If you somehow managed to forget to pre-order Brutal Legend, or alternatively decided to order it from somewhere other than Gamestop (I'm no fan myself), then there's this pretty great deal from Best Buy, especially for music lovers like me: You get an LP slipcase, just like the ones back in the early days of metal (no, not the 70s - earlier: the early 70s). The downside, of course, is that you get to miss out on the in-game Tenacious D guitar.

But if you all ready have pre-ordered from Gamestop and don't want to cancel, then here's a schedule of the demo release dates, totally not stolen from Brutal!:

- September 17th: People who pre-ordered from participating vendors.
- September 24th: Xbox LIVE Gold members
- October 1st: Xbox LIVE Silver and PlayStation Network members (ie: everyone).

But if you haven't pre-ordered the game anyways ("Wow what a loser" - girl of your dreams), there's these giveaways from Holy Fragger, Ars Technica, Gaming Nexus and The Flickcast.

Source: Original research (not really)

I wonder what will happen? (Spoilers if you suck and haven't completed episode two.)



Update by Kroms: Telltale's released some screenshots and concept art. Click to confirm you want to see some spoilers.

I really haven't been able to process this yet, but apparently Tim Schafer will appear on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon sometime in early October. I really...look, I just wanted to say that the best thing Activision ever did was drop Brutal Legend. It almost cancels-out that lawsuit. Almost. I'm still boycotting you bastards.

Fallon also interviewed Jack Black, in character as Eddie Riggs, at the VMAs. It's about a third of the way into this video, courtesy of Rolling Stone. Hey, Rolling Stone! Why don't you put Riggs on your cover? Would sure help with forgetting that time you put the Jonas Brothers on! (And a million other things.)

Well, Riggs or Kabbage Boy.

Source: Kotaku

Kanye weighs in.

Source: kanyelicious

A number of things:

1. The Brutal Legend demo hits XBLA and PSN tomorrow for those of us in the pre-order crowd (throw up the horns; stand up and shout). Everyone else gets their hands on the demo next week.

2. The very first cutscene is available for viewing. (Well, I'm assuming it's the first one, anyways.) Watch it, dude, check it, but needless to say: spoilers.

Needless to say, though, that there are so many things they got absolutely right in that cutscene - it really is astounding.

3. Small article on EA and Double Fine.

"Kabbage Boy," though. Talk about hitting the nail on the head. The fans' reaction. Rocktober can't come soon enough for me.

Steam now has a LucasArts adventure bundle.

$9.99 gets you Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, Fate of Atlantis, Loom and The Dig (Or £6.99 in "other money").

Source: Steam

Did you know that Mojo is on Twitter? Pretty impressive, eh? So why don't you just go and friend us (or whatever it's called) and follow @mixnmojo.

And oh, in case you, like the rest of quasi-intellignet world, prefers to get our podcasts delivered straight into your favorite media program, you can use this link for iTunes or this one for anything else.

Little by little we're catching up with 2007...

Arr har harrr, 'tis pirate week o'er at Telltale Games, ya harr. Get ready ya landlubbers to start talkin' in ye olde Piratey English. In - actually, let's drop that. Let's keep the incoherence till Saturday, aka The International Talk Like a Pirate Day; Telltale leads up to said day by spreading Pirate Awareness.

Let me add to the mix. Did you know that some people believe that the decline of piracy was directly responsible for global warming? They even have statistics to prove it. Remember: "statistics" spelled backwards is "science".

elTee wrote the following article, after having experienced a strange compulsion to play both Police Quest and King's Quest, and instantly regretting both.

The thrust of the argument? The Secret of Monkey Island should be remembered in the context of its time, and that means Sierra.

Read on to find out more, but be warned that there is some strong language and mild insanity.

It's been a bad year for egos. I used to consider myself a confident man, but everytime I gaze at a magazine cover I feel like an impressionable 12 year old girl. "Oh, Megan Fox," I'd say. "How could I be more like you and have such curvy hips?" I'd then start sobbing gently, with the magazine clutched in my hand and my shoulders shaking, until the sales clerk asked me to leave.

Things got worse when they refused to perform some "augmentation mammoplasty" on me, telling me I was "ineligible". Like I was some animal. But how could I become an attractive Hollywood starlet without a terrifying amount of plastic in my body?

Well, guess what? Brutal Legend actor and world-renowned comedian Jack "Kielbasa Sausage" Black saved the day when he showed-up in these, first at a beach and then at the VMAs. Look at that axe he's carrying. It's a godsend for impressionable 20 year olds with the minds of pre-pubescent girls. Especially the males!

I'm going to go and apply for this Muscular Plastic Arm surgery right now. Why be yourself when you could be like everyone else? When you could be...plastic?

Update: n0n4m3 (pronounced "none-for-me", I believe), has just sent me this video footage of Black swingin' it at the VMAs. See how they scream when he flexes? That's what I'm talking about. My 12 year old girl self would squeal at the squealing, and then we'd all squeal, like pigs reading about chickens after the bird flu.

Source: DFAN

The Hothead Games website has been updated with the team's retrospective on PAX 2009; all good and interesting, but the thing that might concern you is the teensy confirmation that Deathspank's been delayed to 2010ish.

This would mean that Ron has not released a game for the past decade, but you shouldn't worry because Deathspank is actually shaping-up to look pretty interesting.

Ron's posted his thoughts, and so has Tim Schafer. Telltale.

Could it be a hint, that they're all posting their thoughts on PAX? Are they all working on something...together? What could it be? What...could...it...be?

This Lucidity gameplay video is actually very impressive. It seems like LucasArts is finally making a total comeback, what with Monkey Island and now this.

I'm interested, fellas. Tell me more.

(Apologies to reader jannar85; they'd posted about the video in the comments a few posts down, but I hadn't seen it. Sorry!)

Source: Random Google searching

So apparently at PAX the new Steve Purcell artwork for the Tales of Monkey Island DVD release has been on show - and finally Telltale have released a good picture of it! What do you think?

Click!

Personally I'm loving the mix of elements from Secret of Monkey Island, Revenge, Curse and Tales... great job Steve!

When can we buy posters?

Update by Zaarin: An improved scan has been added to our galleries.

Source: Telltale's Twitter

Is this real?



Speculate.

Source: The Boss

So here are a few interviews that we missed, and maybe you did too.

First up, it's Dave Grossman, interviewed by the entertainingly fanboyish Giant Bomb (I mean that in a good way.)

Then there's... Dave Grossman? Yeah that's right, we've been so focused on the Ronterviews that we missed out on the Daveterviews Grossterviews Dave Grossman ones. Doing the legwork this time is Adventure Classic Gaming, who are like a Mixnmojo for people who think there are more than 14 point and click adventure games.

Last but not least, Tom Bible talks about the sound design of SoMI:SE over on the LucasArts blog. It's a shorter one than the previous two, but still fairly interesting for those of us who are behind-the-scenes buffs.

Extravaganza!

Update: I missed one! Here's an ancient interview with the Scissor Sisters on Xbox.com. Weird times.

Well, it's official -- LucasArts has announced a new original title that potentially looks pretty awesome.

From the little we've seen, it looks a bit like Braid, meaning that it's a puzzle/platformer with a very interesting art style. The control system, which involves guiding the main character by placing objects in her path, actually sounds vaguely Lemmings-y.

Lucidity will be released for the XBLA and PC later this month. There should be a bit more info in this video.

Tingler's OTHER STUFF:

Source: Gametrailers

Despite the game not being out yet, an achievements page for LEC's totally still secret Lucidity is quite existent online. Apart from giving the heavy indication that the game's release on XBLA is more than imminent, the achievement descriptions reveal new aspects about the game, sort of. Apparently butterfly collecting is a big deal, there are bonus levels, and the game's story is comprised of three acts. What's the point of even playing it now.

Stay tuned for LEC's official announcement of the game later this week.

LucasArts are all set to reveal their new game on GameTrailers TV this Thursday, according to presenter Geoff Keighley's Twitter. But then we already knew this anyway.

We're still assuming it's Lucidity, especially given all their recent teasing. It will be good to find out what this interesting-sounding game will actually be about at last.

Let's just hope it's not that Clone Wars MMO everyone cared so little about no one commented on poor jp-30's news post.

UPDATE 1: Hmm, the plot is thickening into a strange curdling. GameTrailers have released their promo for the show, and I don't know if they're just throwing us a red herring but those blurred pictures used for the "secret announcement" are clearly Monkey Island concept art...

Oh, they'll also have some stuff on their other upcoming games too: Lego Indy II, The Force Unleashed Sith Edition & Clone Wars: Republic Heroes.

Source: GameTrailers

Ron Gilbert's Deathspank gameplay footage!

Looks pretty interesting, huh? Very unique. Kudos to Ron for sticking with it - seems like it's paid off.

Special thanks to AlfredJ for the tip-off.

Update: A quick summary of Ron's PAX keynote here.

Update 2: Gamespot filmed some of the PAX demo, in which Ron shows some of the Diablo aspects, and then some of the Monkey aspects. There's voice acting, which is a first in a Ron Gilbert game in a non-kids Ron Gilbert game.

I wonder who's writing it. Jerry Holkins, is that you?

Update by Jason: Also, the Sept. 6 episode of the Idle Thumbs podcast was a PAX special featuring Ron as a guest.

Update 3...4?: The game has local co-op. Giantbomb's questions put Gamespot's to shame.

Source: Youtube

For those wondering what Mixnmojo would be like as a human: Now you know.

One small step for Mixnmojo; one large step for world domination.

Some website has put up their new podcast entry, featuring a Ronterview. I bet you thought "Ronterview" meant Ron Gilbert. Well, guess what? You were right.

Games Discussed: Secret of Monkey Island, Monkey Island 2, Deathspank, World of Warcraft, and Animal Crossing. Right now it should be podcast number #!!, later #41.

Strange goings on and a new LucasArts blog! AlfredJ tips us off again in the Mojo comments.

All right, this is the last time this week I'll be tipping you guys off. But this post just appeared on Lucasart's potentially awesome new blog called the Lucas Workshop. It's a picture of some guys at PAX, but there's this girl with a puzzle piece in the picture (Lucidity?). I found out that if you change the url of the picture from 1.jpg to 2.jpg, 3.jpg and 4.jpg, you can get four different pictures and four different puzzle pieces. When you put the puzzle pieces together, you get what I assume to be a screenshot of Lucidity. Looks pretty interesting. Looks totally unlike anything Lucas has done for the past few years.

Check it out: lucasartsworkshop.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/scenes-from-pax

There's other stuff on the blog too, like a bit about Loom.

Nice work Alfred, you win this week's coveted Mojo Assist Award!

Update: Much like those two famous mathematicians independently and simultaneously inventing calculus, Mojo Forumer spiralout also made the same discovery. Guess you two can share the Mojo Assist Award, three and a half days on the mantlepiece each.

Update 2: Reader fajerkaos has been nice enough to piece the four clues together, creating this lovely screenshot; AlfredJ found the seperate screens.

Source: LucasArts workshop

Not enough people playing Galaxies anymore, and not gonna tap enough customers with The Old Republic MMO?

Well, why not make a more 'casual' MMO set in the Clone Wars then to cater for those folks!?

That's the rumour doing the rounds as to LucasArts and Sony Online's new collaboration anyway, one that seems to be gathering momentum at PAX.

If you're interested you can read more here at 1Up.

Source: 1Up

If you missed the headline above, it reads Knights of the Old Republic* is now on steam.

See?

If anyone is unfamiliar with the game, it's one of the last true Star Wars classic videogames published by LucasArts. It was developed by Bioware and released back in 2003 to near universal critical acclaim. It's well worth the $10 if you've never picked it up before now.

* Albeit in its acronym form.

Source: Steam

Great news for you people that play games on Macs (all three of you!), clone2727, of Mojo comments fame, unearthed an article from PCWorld which announces that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is heading to Macs this fall courtesy of Aspyr Media.

Source: PCWorld

The incredible (but did you expect anything else?) piece of artwork that serves as your Tales of Monkey Island cover has been revealed at PAX. It's at low-res, for now, but hopefully they'll put up a scan soon.

Steve Purcell, you rock.

I see those of you waiting for a better version of this shivering with antici...<:MORENEWS:>


...pation.

Source: Twitter

1Up. Now.

Day 1: Ronterview & Screenshots.
Day 2: Ronterview (expanded from Day 1).
Day 3: LucasArts reunion video: join Messrs. Gilbert, Grossman, Tiller, Levine, Ahern, Falstein and Hsieh for a very interesting half-hour chat.
Day 4: Inside Hothead Games.
Day 5: Trailer snippets, behind-the-scenes footage and an interview. As my friend Irina would say, "Awesome-sauce." (Seriously, it's pretty cool.) The official DeathSpank website has been given a complete overhaul as well.

There's also another new DeathSpank screenshot at Ron's Grumpy Gamer site.

Source: 1Up

During an upcoming interview with VG247, who just couldn't wait to spill this particular news, Telltale Uber-Mind Dan Connors said that they would be announcing new titles (plural) "around October, or in the next few months".

“I think there’ll be some combination of things. I think we’ll be sticking with some of the franchises we’ve worked with, and we’ll be announcing some new franchises, probably in some new genres as well, not just comedy.”

I think it's safe to assume that Sam & Max Season Three will be one of those old franchises, and maybe even another round of Tales of Monkey Island (although maybe not, as that won't be finished until November).

However it's the note that Telltale are looking to take some more serious franchises like CSI that's quite interesting, especially as Dan then name drops The Sopranos, True Blood and Lost as well as the much-hyped PS3-only adventure Heavy Rain (from the makers of Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy & The Nomad Soul). Take a looksee.

So, what YOU (yes, YOU) think? Would Loom count as "more dramatic"?

Source: VG247

Do not adjust your time machines: there really has been a three-month gap between now and the last Secret History article.

Thankfully, the gals down at the article factory ploughed through all of last night, resulting in a seven-page Grim Fandango article sitting on my desk this morning.

I quickly sent it the publishing division, and the conclusion of their labour can be seen before you.

Big thanks to Colin Panetta for his artwork, Tim Schafer for his precious memories, Haggis and Icebox for their essays, and everyone else who contributed. Cheers!

Update: Artist Colin Panetta has updated his blog with a "making of" the header art, including some sexy wallpapers to download.

OK, this is part of the 1Up Deathspank week (see a nearby news post), but it utterly deserves its own separate news entry.

A year and a half or so back, 1Up assembled a bunch of legendary LucasArts alumni to discuss their memories of their time at LucasArts. It's almost 1/2 an hour of bliss and is what Mixnmojo is built on. And it's finally come to light. Better late than never.

Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman, Bill Tiller, Mike Levine, Larry Ahern, Noah Falstein and Tony Hsieh. In one room. Talking about the old days.

It's staggeringly good, enjoy.

Source: 1Up

The ScummVM team had a sip of the old Grog XD and decided to post a release candidate to their forthcoming ScummVM 1.0.0.

You can get it from their web page.

There's going to be a demo of Brutal Legend come September. You pre-order it, you get it a week early. Kyle Gass, Steve Agee and Brian Posehn are joining the (mind-boggingly amazing) cast. And there's something related to women stripping for guys who like pizza with their decapitated heads.

Now...

The ESRB has rated Brutal Legend with an M rating, which means, oh snap, that it has the word "shit". (Can we say that? No? Eff you, The Man.) Well, let me tell you something: if it was truly blasphemous, and you were all so clean and innocent, you'd be seeing rainbow-coloured flowers instead of that word, Mr. I-Don't-Think-Beheadings-Are-Fun. As the epic (but spoilerish!) description goes...<:MORENEWS:>

Content descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes

Rating summary: This is an action adventure/role-playing game that tells the story of Eddie Riggs, a roadie who is transported to a mythical world of heavy metal rock. Eddie is armed with a guitar and a double-headed axe, which players can use to slash and dismember enemies. Players can also perform "face-melting solos" (literally melting enemies' faces), meet humanoid creatures dressed like dominatrixes and brandishing whips, and liberate an army of rockers from a life of oppression. Although the storyline is often irreverent and whimsical, the depictions of violence are somewhat intense: Undead humanoids are dismembered with an axe (sometimes in slow-motion); a "Steel-Quilled Blade" causes human enemies to explode into gibs that rain down; machine guns, missile launchers, and sub woofers can be used to kill druids and other fantastical creatures. Eddie can also run over dozens of enemies with his hot rod, resulting in blood effects and more heads and limbs getting chopped off. During the course of the game, characters sometimes engage in suggestive dialogue intended for comedic effect (e.g., "Maybe with all your feedback, you guys could just blow me over the gorge" and "Playtime's over. Now let's get back to the orgy"). Players will also encounter "Skull Rakers" clad in bondage gear and amazon-like warriors dressed in leather outfits that partially reveal buttocks and breasts. Strong profanity (e.g., "f*ck," "sh*t," and "d*ck") can be heard in the dialogue.

Whoop loud and long, boy, and throw up those horns with pride. Metal's finally gotten something worthy of it.

If you're bored, why don't you go to Gamespot and vote for Guybrush Threepwood as the world's greatest video game hero? He's up against that smart-pants Wanderer from the (admittedly magnificent) Shadow of the Colossus, but who the hell votes in a guy with possible ties to Equus and not a mighty (but married!) pirate?

Go, go.

Oh, and TMI Chapter 2 has hit Wiiware. Yay...for late reporting.

And finally, you may be happy to know that visiting Mixnmojo no longer funds human trafficking. That's two things!

Source: Twitter

Geeze, are we already on to Escape from Monkey Island? Yes, at some point in the future you will be reading the Secret History article for the fourth Monkey Island game, and, if you act now, you might just be reading an opinion of yours along with it on the second page. Simply send your Reader Opinion to me, and do it with great haste. Or I will punch your face. Into a paste.

Was EMI obscenely underrated? Did it ruin your childhood? Did they go too far with that scene where Guybrush survives a nuclear shockwave in a lead-lined fridge? We want to know!

Disclaimer: Please, for my convenience, send your actual submission by email only, and not in the comments below, so I don't have to worry about tracking them down. I'm not your momma.