This pass weekend, San Diego Comic-Con attendees were treated to an exclusive look at MTV’s Good Vibes, an upcoming animated series from the producers behind of The Simpsons and Pineapple Express.

The show takes place in a fictional California beach town where two best friends — Mondo and Woodie — attempt to prove that they’ve got what it takes among a world of surfers and babes. And, as seen in the trailer, it’s not afraid of raunchy humor.

Movies based on anything within the gaming industry are notorious for being bad. However, BioWare, Mass Effect series creator, has insured us that, if there’s going to be a film, they’ll make sure that it’s in the “right hands”. And that, for some time now, Hollywood has been keen on garbing the Mass Effect movie license.

“Obviously we have a tremendous amount of interest from people in Hollywood to make a major motion picture about ‘Mass Effect,’” BioWare’s Casey Hudson told MTV. “The most important thing for us is, we don’t just want to see a movie get made. We want to see a great movie get made, if it’s going to get done at all.”

However, back in ’08, Avi Arad, known for some awesome comic-book adaptations, optioned the film rights for Mass Effect. But, since then, we’ve heard anything. “We’re just looking at our options there, but waiting to make sure we have something really right before we do it,” Hudson told MTV.

Ahh… man!!! Gamers, including me, have picked Christian Bale, who played Batman in The Dark Knight, as their number one man to take on the role of Solid Snake in the film adaptation of Metal Gear Solid. However, that doesn’t seem likely.

The grizzled actor has reported to MTV Multiplayer that he hasn’t been approached about being featured in the film adaptation of the very popular video game.

Bale have you been approached about being featured Metal Gear Solid? “No”. Are you a video game fan? “Yes,” he stated. Okay, what games do you play? “That,” he continued.

It’s that time again! You know, when we team up with someone, other then ourselves, to host an awesome contest. Anyway, we hear at GamerCenterOnline have teamed up with Pepsi, Harmonix and MTV for a summer promotion unlike any other.

With the launch of PepsiRockBand.com on June 2nd, Pepsi, Harmonix and MTV started a promotion in where the winner will receive an MTV Video Music Award Moonman for “Best Performance in a Pepsi Rock Band Music Video”.

To participate and to enter for a chance to win, gamers have to submit a video of themselves playing Rock Band on PepsiRockBand.com (using their Yahoo ID).

A big part of the promotion are the codes that can be found under the caps of 20oz and 1L Pepsi bottles – they can be played at PepsiRockBand.com and entered for a chance to win either:

• a Rock Band 2 Special Edition bundle (game software, wireless guitar, wireless drum set & mike) every hour, or
• 1 of 5,000 downloadable tracks every day (ends September 13th).

“MTV’s Rock Band has quickly established a new gaming platform that is extremely popular with music fans and gamers alike,” said Ralph Santana, VP of cola marketing, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. “We’re partnering with MTV to bring a new exciting twist to the game that will give one lucky band a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a taste of stardom.”

Coming June 9, 2009, Harmonix, Backbone Entertainment and MTV Games bring you Rock Band Unplugged, the award-winning full band experience found in Rock Band and Rock Band 2 right in the palm of your hands! For the first time, PlayStation Portable gamers will be able rock out – anywhere.

Just in time for Summer Vacation, Rock Band Unplugged gives you the ability to take the show on the road. Start a band and tour for fame and fortune while you learn to master lead and bass guitar, drums and vocals as a one man band. The multi-track game design takes the look, functionality and customization options of the Rock Band games and combines them with enhanced options built specifically for the abilities of the PSP. You’ll be able to control all four instruments at once by hitting the colored gems in time with the musical tracks just as you’ve done on other Rock Band games, but now you’ll have the added challenge of switching between instruments on the fly in an attempt to keep those note streaks going.

Rock Band Unplugged’s soundtrack features 41 songs on-disc and an additional 10 songs will be available for download following the game’s launch. You won’t have to worry about listening to lousy covers, either – all the music in Rock Band Unplugged will be master recordings and span all genres of rock from punk and metal to alternative and classic. And then you have Rock Band Unplugged’s in-game Rock Band Music Store which can be used to purchase downloadable content on the first game to enable the PSP’s in-game commerce capabilities.

The lack of mini-guitars and drum accessories can either been seen as a cursing or a blessing. Either you’re completely upset that you won’t be able to pound the skins in the back of your mom’s mini-van on the way to grandma’s house or you fully appreciate not looking like a complete tool in front of the guy next to you on the plane, but one thing’s for sure – at least you won’t be forced to sing in public. Vocals are handled like any other instrument – tap the buttons in time to the colored gems. Every one around you should be happier knowing this.

The Left, Up, Triangle, and Circle buttons on your PSP will handle hitting the notes while the shoulder buttons jump you from track to track as you attempt to keep the show going. The better you do on a certain track determines how much of a buffer you get between each track as you try to keep them from failing out. It looks like this game is going to be quite challenging.

The bright colors seem to make the game easy to see despite the smaller screen and the graphics look right about what you’d expect, though not any worse than a PlayStation 2 game. Hopefully the sound quality will be good enough a pair of headphones without too much lost to compression – if any.

If you’re not completely sick of Rock Band/Guitar Hero style games and desperately need something to do in the car – when you’re NOT DRIVING, of course – this looks like it could really scratch that itch. On the other hand, if half the fun of a music game is the feeling of playing an instrument, I don’t think this is going to cut it for you. In fact, I’d say that plastic guitars and drum kits are more than half the fun, but that’s just me. Also, where’s the multiplayer? If you like the idea of going solo while you’re on the go, again, maybe this is aimed right at you. We’ll see what the game is like once it drops – which isn’t too far away.

The casting for the upcoming film adapation of Thor seems to be coming along well. When paying a vist to MTV Studios, movie director Kenneth Branagh was asked about the casting of the title.

“We’re down to the final stages of it,” Branagh said. “The reason one has to be properly diplomatic, is simply that some talented peopled have been patient, kind, creative and really committed to working with us in this process.”

He added that, “My reluctance to say anything about it is simply out of respect for people who have been extremely respectful of us. That said, I think we are extremely close and I hope to announce a decision sooner rather than later.”

Marvel Studios are targeting for a May 20, 2011 release for the film.

[Thor Casting is in the Final Stages via SuperHeroHype]

It seems that the movie is shaping up nicely. When being interviewed by MTV News, screenwriter Chris Morgan give a status update on the upcoming video game to movie adaptation of Gears of War.

“A draft went in and we’re talking about it now and we’re budgeting it out,” Morgan told MTV. “It’s looking incredibly good.”

“I think the gamer side is going to be thrilled with it,” Morgan continued. “All the stuff you want to see, we put that in there and then we blow it out a little more, even. Now it’s just a matter of honing in on all of the character arcs and determining production types of things.”

The film is currently set up at New Line with “Underworld” helmer Len Wiseman attached to direct.

It’s actually real. Almost a month after GDC, it seems that the long rumored title has finally been announced in what is a shocking turn of events.

Anyway, LEGO: Rock Band is being developed by TT Games in a partnership with Harmonix and published by Warner Bros. Entertainment. The title will combined he multiplayer music experience of Rock Band with the fun, customization and humour of the LEGO videogame franchise packed with brilliant chart-topping songs and classic favourites suitable for younger audiences.

Including hits such as Blur’s “Song 2″, Carl Douglas’ “Kung Fu Fighting”, Europe’s “The Final Countdown”, Good Charlotte’s “Boys and Girls” and Pink’s “So What”.

“LEGO Rock Band combines two compelling properties and creates an experience that family members of all ages will enjoy playing together as a group,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “Harmonix and MTV Games are the world experts in music gameplay, and we’re genuinely thrilled to bring the unique and humour-filled LEGO experience to their Rock Band universe.”

LEGO: Rock Band will release on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS and it is scheduled for 2009 release. It will be with Rock Band and “other music game” controllers.

With games like Resistance Retribution having the capability to interact with its PlayStation 3 counter part, Resistance 2. It leaves one to wonder if the PSP version of Rock Band, Rock Band Unplugged, would gain such a talent.

However, despite the crazy idea 1UP had about the PS3 version of Rock Band, or Rock Band 2, sharing sharing content or unlocking features for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP. It seems that Harmonix and MTV Games weren’t on the same page about it.

When 1UP asked Harmonix about their crazy idea at a demo event last week, it was revealed to them that they have no such plans to ingrate that with  Rock Band Unplugged on the PlayStation Portable.

In order to counter the Guitar Hero DS titles, MTV Games and Harmonix have once again teamed up to conquer the video game music scene. But, this time it isn’t on PS3, or even the 360, it seems that they have planned there next Rock Band title for the ‘forgotten handheld’.

Today, MTV Games and Harmonix announced Rock Band Unplugged on the PSP, the first handheld version of the hit band game.

Rock Band Unplugged will allow gamers to take their band on the road and will utilise the PSP’s Wi-Fi capabilities becoming the first PSP game to include a in-game store for downloadable content in North America and Europe.

According to Primotech, who reported the games first details, Unplugged will use the left, up, triangle, and circle buttons to control instruments, switching from instrument to instrument with the shoulder buttons, and playing “phrases” of each instrument to maintain a score multiplier.

Niko Bellic, the main character in Grand Theft Auto IV, will not being making an appearance in the games newest expansion, The Lost and Damned. Many of us, at first, were very convinced that Niko would being making an appearance because of many unknown reasons.

But, when MTV’s Mutliplayer Blog asked Rockstar Games if Niko’s voice actor was brought back to contribute new lines, they got a very sharp response. “Hell no!” Which was the response given by Rockstar Games’ vice president of product development, Jeronimo Barrera.

Instead he pops up in the Lost and Damned in the recreation of an early GTA IV mission that they had served as the introduction to a major supporting character, Playboy X, recalling Niko as a “Slavic motherf—-r.”

Anyway, the reason for such a strong response was because Niko’s voice actor, Michael Hollick, complained to The New York Times last year that his union failed to take the proper steps to get him more than $100,000 dollars for his work on a game that generated more than a half billion dollars in sales in its first two weeks and has sold a few million more copies since then.

When Australia threatened to ban Fallout 3, because of  drug references in-game, Bethesda Softworks was quick to react and remove them. But, that is not going to be the case with Velvet Assassin.

When viewing the demo version of Velvet Assassin last week, Patrick from MTV’s Multiplayer Blog noticed that the main character uses morphine as an in-game power-up to slow down gameplay and perform deadly attacks.

“It’s a well known fact that morphine was widely used as a pain killer for wounded operatives and soldiers on all sides of the war. Not only does it fit the realism of the game, but it also plays an integral role in the actual gameplay experience. Use of morphine in the game is not meant to condone drug abuse, but to reflect the realistic nature of the game and true to life historical factors,”explained Aubrey Norris, SouthPeak product marketing manager.

“Additionally, the spirit of the game centers on players experiencing the life of a British operative behind enemy lines through Violette’s memories. In order to provide players with the most realistic and visceral experiences, Replay Studios has gone to great lengths to adhere to the facts history has provided. These reasons are why we decided to include and keep morphine in ‘Velvet Assassin.’”

As Electronic Arts and Black Box finish work on Skate 2 they will need to stop and think about where their title is going. That is why, the game’s associate producer for environments, Shaun Laker, told MTV how they’re planning to avoid the “Tony Hawk syndrome.”

“As long as we keep putting out great games and don’t rush it out and polish it and make sure we’re listening to the community and hearing what they’re having to say [we will avoid that],” said Laker.

“A big part of it too — and what drove our features this year — is we were finding out how people played the game. We know people play the game to find their own spot and to own it to be able to call it their own. This year, you can go and do that, and in a community, you can share it. That’s how we stay fresh and we don’t go too far; we listen to the community and know what they’re asking for and respond to that.”

While many of us are patiently awaiting the official reveal of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in next months issue of Game Informer, in the next episode of the popular gaming magazine EGM, the official video game for the upcoming movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be revealed.

The issue reveals the real-time in-game healing system, the accessible combat system, and some information on a boss fight with the first Sentinel prototype.

There is also an interview with Raven about a few of Origins influences – like God of War and Super Smash Bros. – and a new approach to seamless cinematic in-game cut-scenes that bridge bits of gameplay. There was also some talk about it being the Ninja Gaiden of Wolverine.

Recently, there was also an interview with Jeff Katz, occasional comics writer, by MTV and he stated something about the game.

“A couple of the Fox execs, myself and a couple of the principles involved [in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'], we’re all gamers,” said Katz. “So when it came to the Wolverine movie game, it was like, Let’s do the coolest possible version of an X-Men game.”

The last Street Fighter movie was downright atrocious, but that doesn’t always mean that you should give up on the game as a movie series, or does it? We all may know as Steven E. de Souza has the guy who messed up with the games creditable as a film back in 1994. Well, when he was speaking to the guys at MTV’s Movie Blog he said that “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” will be better then the first movie which was simply entitled “Street Fighter”.

“When we were making the original one, they insisted that all of the characters be in the movie,” de Souza remembered with a sigh. “And if you do the math, that gives you about 7 minutes per character if you split it up equally.”

“I’m envious of this group, because they’re able to construct a movie around a single character rather than a three-ring circus that needs to be lassoed with the story,” he insisted. “It’s a rich universe, and I think it can support all of these versions.”

While the fourth version, Street Fighter IV, has only just landed in the land of the Rising Sun, and that version does emerge at home until this winter. The producer of Street Fighter IV, Yoshinori Ono, already mentioned the next episode of the series in a brief interview.

In an interview with MTV’s Multiplayer Blog, he told them that “It’s really early to be thinking about that because “IV” just came out in the arcades,” he said. “I don’t really think anyone at Capcom is thinking about “V” just yet. What we might see happen, depending on feedback from the arcade and what players think of this version of “IV,” we may or may not see upgrades to “IV” before we ever take the next big step to “V.” It’s really is just too early to tell, to be honest.”

Isn’t it funny how many times inside sources are used in a rumor. According to Sarcastic Gamer’s “protected source”, Halo 4 is already in full development over at Bungie. The source didn’t get the chance to give them any details on the rumored game at this point, but he/she did confirm for sure that Halo 4 is an official project in development.

While we all have to wait in pain for the all new 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand, there is  one more detail that can keep you at rest and knowing that this game is going to not end up like Bulletproof.

Stephen Totilo had a chance to talk the game’s producer and told MTV that there was a demo of 50 Cent’s Blood On the Sand and was  "really excited" on how the game was shaping up.

To the point that even 50 cent has high hopes on this game. He also talked about a new love interested that came from Mr. G-Unit himself.

No details where revealed on who that mysterious love interest is at this time.

"Get ready for a great game."

50 Cent ‘Really Excited’ By ‘Blood On The Sand’, Love-Interest Details Revealed [MTV]