Sure, you can play Angry Birds on your Android phone, your iPhone, your iPod and iPad, on Facebook, on PC, and in your browser, but what if that's just not enough? What if, instead of flinging irritated avians across the screen on the go, you want to do it from the comfort of your own sofa? Well, Rovio's got a solution for you.

The Angry Birds Trilogy is coming soon to an Xbox, PlayStation, and 3DS near you, IGN reports. The three games in the original, earthbound series—Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons, and Angry Birds Rio—will be bundled and sold on disc (or, in the case of the 3DS, cartridge). The sequel, Angry Birds Space, is not included.

Rovio executive Petri Järvilehto described what sets the console version of Angry Birds apart from its portable brethren:

There are new cinematics, extras and other entertaining content. In addition all of the existing material has been uprezzed and re-treated for the high-resolution and big screen. The backgrounds have been animated, we've added lighting modes, reactive backgrounds, the list goes on and on. We believe that there are a lot of people on the consoles who appreciate a great casual game play experience. This is a game that resonates across a wide audience on many platforms.

It is true that one of Angry Birds's strengths is that it can be played effectively on pretty much any platform. And it might be nice to play on a screen larger than my fingers are. Less accidentally flinging the silly thing backwards that way.

As for price or a release date target, there's no word yet. We've asked Rovio for comment and will update if we find out more.

Angry Birds Trilogy Coming to PS3, 360 and 3DS [IGN]

In today's lost in space edition of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Golwar is concerned about the fate of Starhawk, the PlayStation 3 exclusive online shooter that showed so much promise up until it became a real product.

I'm wondering, what happened with Starhawk?

During the beta this game had been a hot topic around here, adored by many. If I'm not mistaken there was only one other person who criticized the game in those days as much as I did.

Now, 2 months after release, I didn't register that even one of my ca. 50 friends ever played Starhawk. This includes some people of Speak Up, who always seemed to love the game.

According to [www.vgchartz.com] only 0.15m copies were sold worldwide. In comparison, Sniper Elite V2 ( [www.vgchartz.com] ) sold almost twice as many copies and it had been released in the same time frame and received worse reviews.

Checking an online PSN profile database shows that 8,663 of about 660k tracked accounts own Starhawk. In comparison, 48,257 of those accounts have Warhawk.

So I think it seems reasonable to consider Starhawk a flop. The question is simply why? People seemed to love the concept and idea. The beta didn't change their minds, quite the opposite. Did the reviews [www.metacritic.com] ruin the party?

It looks like people really do want a $99 Android-based hackable console. A Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for the console that went live at 9am ET today has already hits its $950,000 goal.

The Ouya console and controller are slated for a March 2013 release and, should they really be made and released, would comprise the first significant new home console to battle Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft in over a decade.

It's worth noting that Ouya achieved this goal with the pledge support of just under 8,000 backers. While that proves there is enthusiasm for the machine, Ouya will likely have to have a much bigger userbase to entice game creators to make exclusive games or even exclusive variations of games for the Ouya system.

Find out much more about Ouya, its promise and its potential pitfalls in our in-depth feature about the machine.

Now that my wallet has finally recovered from Comic-Con 2009, it's time to venture forth once more into the land of must-buy exclusive toys and shame. Rather than surprise my bank account this year, I've compiled a shopping list containing the logical, illogical and not-embarrassing-at-all items I'll be bringing home this weekend.

And then I tally up the damage. This is going to hurt.

Long before I was writing for Kotaku, I was a toy collector. No matter how many artificial restrictions I attempted to put on my purchase habits (only Transformers, only see-through action figures, only edible toys) I always fall back to one tried-and-true policy: Buy it, it's shiny.

This is probably why they didn't accept my application to write at the The Economist. I drew pretty pictures on it and everything.

Oh well, let's get it started. Let's get it started (in here).

Thundercats Classic Minimates Series 1 Box Set

Seller: Action Figure Xpress (Booth #3345)

Production Run: 3,000

Price: $20

thunder. Thunder. THUNDER. THUNDERCATS. ho.

A large chunk of my childhood in bite-sized form. There's no Cheetara, but that's probably a good thing; Cheetara made 13-year-old me feel funny.

D-Arts Vile "Megaman X"

Seller: Bluefin (Booth #3545)

Production Run: Early Release

Price: $50

Vile comes with a hand holding a bourbon glass. A BOURBON GLASS.

My Little Pony Zecora

Seller: Entertainment Earth / Toys R Us (Booth #2343)

Production Run: N/A

Price: $10.00

I don't even have a picture of the toy, but I am buying this. Not because I am some sort of Brony, though. It's because I've heard that she's an evil enchantress she does evil dances. And if you look deep in her eyes, she will put you in trances. That's what I hear, at least.

The Venture Bros. Brock Samson Bloody 3 3/4 inch Action Figure

Seller: Entertainment Earth (Booth #2343)

Production Run: 1500

Price: $15.00

If I had hair, I'd like to think I would look just like Brock Samson, and I would sound just like Patrick Warburton. This one's technically for the wife, but I can understand her passion.

DC Comics Superheroes: Kyle Rayner and Kilowog Exclusive Action Figure 2-Pack

Seller: Graphitti Designs (Booth #2315)

Production Run: 2500

Price: $25.00

The first in a line of all-new 3.75" DC Comics action figures to be solely available at conventions, this inaugural set features my personal favorite human Green Lantern with my personal favorite alien Lantern. It's a win-win.

Bobble Budds: Mega Man Proto Man

Seller: Multiverse Studio / SOTA Toys (Booth #2846)

Production Run: 4,000

Price: $11.99

The first in what I hope will be an expansive line of Mega Man Bobble Budd figures, Proto Man comes with this Buster Cannon, his shield, and a head locking mechanism that all bobble toys should learn from. Wobbly heads are only amusing for so long before they start to look like they are actively mocking us.

Portal ASHPD "The Cave Johnson" Edition

Seller: NECA (Booth #3145)

Production Run: 500

Price: $150

I cannot afford this, but I could not afford not to share it with you all. It comes with an autographed photo of Cave Johnson, signed by some guy named Bill Fletcher from Valve. I guess he's Cave's secretary.

Hello Kitty Chun Li Plush

Seller: Toyami (Booth #3229)

Production Run: 1,000

Price: $40.00

It's Hello Kitty dressed as Chun Li. I shouldn't have to explain this to anyone.

Jazwares' Adventure Time Finn in PJs plush

Seller: UCC Distribution (Booth #700)

Production Run: 3,000

Price: $14.99

Adventure Time, c'mon grab your butt!

Claudia - Warehouse 13 Animated Maquette #1

Seller: QMx (Booth #2944)

Production Run: 1,000

Price: $59.95

This is not technically a Comic-Con exclusive — you can buy it right now at QMx Online — but posing it as an exclusive in this article means my wife will think it is an exclusive, so when I spend $60 because I love Claudia from Warehouse 13 it will make some sort of sense to her.

And then we have Hasbro. Damn you, Hasbro.

Transformers Prime Terrorcon Cliffjumper

Seller: HasbroToyShop.com (Booth #3329)

Production Run: N/A

Price: $24.99

This is Cliffjumper, as voiced by The Rock in the Hub animated series Transformers Prime, only he's technically a zombie. It's a long story. Well, it spanned a few episodes. Long story short, I want it.

Transformers Deluxe Bruticus Combiner

Seller: HasbroToyShop.com (Booth #3329)

Production Run: N/A

Price: $99.99

It's Bruticus from the eventual hit video game Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, specially colored to differentiate him from the official toys hitting stores this fall.

My Little Pony 2012 Special Edition Pony

Seller: HasbroToyShop.com (Booth #3329)

Production Run: N/A

Price: $12.99

It's Derpy. How can I not buy Derpy?

G.I. Joe H.I.S.S. Tank with Shockwave Deco

Seller: HasbroToyShop.com (Booth #3329)

Production Run: N/A

Price: $64.99

It's a G.I. Joe / Transformers crossover! It's a H.I.S.S. tank painted to look like the Decepticon Shockwave, and it comes with a Destro figure and one of Cobra's Battle Android Troopers. This is not something you leave on the shelf in some lonely convention center.

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Okay, so we add all of that up, carry the four, add sales tax where applicable and we get: holy shit. We'll just leave the total blank. My wife is horrible at math, but she makes up for it with her beauty and forgiving nature.

I'll check back in after the show to see how I fared. Hopefully nothing else will catch my eye, or I'll have to sell one of my children. Want to help? Hit up the full list at the Comic-Con site and make helpful suggestions.

Chell, hero of the puzzle-packed Portal series, doesn't have a whole lot to say. Like many classic video game protagonists, she's intentionally silent: a personality-free avatar designed for you to inhabit and control however you'd like.

But she can talk, says Portal 2 writer Erik Wolpaw in an excellent interview published today by the Gameological Society. She just won't.

"Having people stand around while you talk is tough in games, so if we can actually remove one whole character's dialogue, that saves us a bunch of time for all the other characters," Wolpaw said. "At no point were we ever thinking that, 'Aw, we need to make Chell talk! This game is lacking in personality!' She probably can talk, though. In our minds, she can talk. She's just pissed off the whole time and is refusing to dignify any of the things going by speaking about them."

I love that explanation. Check out Gameological for the full interview—it's a great read.

Funny People: Erik Wolpaw, Portal 2 head writer [Gameological]

I've been writing about comics, games and other assorted nerditry for years. But, this week, I'll be attending my first-ever San Diego Comic-Con. Not only that, this Thursday is my birthday. That means I'm liable to get myself a present or two. Or five.



Many of the publishers, toy companies and other geek purveyors who'll be at Comic-Con International this week will come to the annual nerd prom bearing one-of-a-kind editions of their wares that you can only get at the show. These kinds of things tend to be pricey but here's a few I think are worth the wallet-hurt.

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Daredevil Born Again Artists Edition
$100 is a lot for a graphic novel. Especially one I already have a copy of. But Daredevil's one of my favorite superheroes and Born Again pretty much amounts to a sacred text for me. I can quote whole pages by heart. (So can Owen Good.) Getting a look at the artistic process employed by master artist David Mazzuchelli as he brought one of Frank Miller's best stories to life is a must-buy for me.

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Parker: The Score

Darwyn Cooke's adaptations of Richard Stark's crime thrillers stand as exemplars of how creative works from one medium can actually gain energy when translated to a new medium. The plain ol' edition of this heist story is out this week but the gritty minimalism of this slipcased Con edition sums up everything I love about Cooke's work.

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Scott Pilgrim Evil Edition

I think that Scott Pilgrim is damn near perfectly realized in any medium in which it exists. The downloadable video game is a great, humorous homage to side-scrolling beat-em-ups of the past and Edgar Wright's feature film brilliantly uses video game magical realism as a metaphorical layer for what happens when we fall in love and realize things about ourselves. So, I might be dropping a wad of cash in honor of Bryan Lee O'Malley's series of genius graphic novels that started it all.

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The Walking Dead #100

Let's think about The Walking Dead for a second, now that Robert Kirkman's zombiepocalypse drama has hit a milestone. It's become a multimedia phenomenon with a hit TV show and two video game iterations being worked on. All of this success comes with no major marketing, driven purely by a passionate fanbase who appreciate the humanity Kirkman pumps into his work. Walking Dead embodies many multifaceted aspects of Con and nerd culture and I'll be grabbing this issue to celebrate that fact.

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Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device "The Cave Johnson" Edition from NECA

I don't have to explain this one, do I? The Con exclusive version of this comes with a photo of "Cave" autographed by Valve employee Bill Fletcher, who was the model for the Aperture CEO.

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Adventure Time #1 SDCC 2012 exclusive

The best way to get something truly unique at Con? Get a sketch. Super-smart thinking by Boom! Comics to have a version of Adventure Time #1 ready to be graced with a awesome custom drawing.

When the storyline that has Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man meet shows up in comics stores next year, Archie Comics is pulling off a feat that Sega and Capcom probably wouldn't be able to pull off. The man responsible for the ensuing hijinx is writer Ian Flynn, who already pens the adventures of both iconic characters in comics from Archie. Flynn answered some question over e-mail and vows not to re-visit one of the worst moments in Sonic history.

Kotaku: Sonic and Mega Man represent different approaches to video game play mechanics, and those approaches shape their characters. How will you show off their personalities during this crossover?

Flynn:We've pretty solidly established who the characters are in their respective comic series. All that's left is to transplant them into the event and see how they react. The action will be intense, the stakes will be high, but all that razzle-dazzle wouldn't mean much if we didn't have endearing characters to cheer for. We've got them interacting with each other and their supporting casts from start to finish. The lasers and explosions are icing on the (blue) cake.

Kotaku: How involved have Sega and Capcom been in the terms of story notes and approvals?

Flynn:They've both been very supportive. Kudos to Capcom for getting the ball rolling and Sega for being so quick to join in. They've both seen the entire story arc and approved every bit of it. They'll also be keeping tabs on everything throughout production.

Kotaku: What brings Sonic and Mega Man together in this storyline? Will we get the typical "heroes meet then fight" moment?

Flynn: Like any good Sonic and/or Mega Man story, it all starts with a mad scientist—two in this case. And we can't very well have two of the most iconic, powerful videogame icons meet and not measure them up! For all the details, though, you'll need to read the story.

Kotaku: Will there be any animal/human kissing in the crossover?

Flynn: Yes. Hot Amy-on-Wily action. Haha – no, no, none of that.

Kotaku: These are characters that could seemingly never crossover in their native medium. What are you hoping to do with them that game designers could never get away with?

Flynn: A game designer's first priority is to make a game that is fun to play. It's about the level structure, the physics, the art direction, etc. For a comic, our first priority is telling a fun story. And between all the time travel, dimension-hopping, sci-fi tech and magic totems, getting the two of them to meet was the easiest part! Our medium is comparatively easier in terms of production demands, so comparing the two is apples to oranges. But not robots and hedgehogs. Those go together great!

Keith Arem, talent director on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, among others, is planning an interactive graphic novel designed for the iPad.

Infex tells a complicated sci-fi thriller murder mystery. Cancer survivor Evelyn "Ivy" Kendall discovers her father's research could end all disease... and also create a horde of horrific genetically engineered monsters. He is, of course, murdered over the research. Ivy is the unwitting key to finding the truth and, years later, ends up captured by the bio-gen company her father founded. She and a companion must find a way to escape and reveal the truth to the world.

Infex promises not only animated art and a rich soundtrack, but also an impressive collection of voice-over work, including appearances from Lance Henriksen, Nolan North, Troy Baker, Steve Blum, Michael Wincott, and more.

We'll hear more about Infex from San Diego Comic-Con, but the publisher, PCB Productions, has announced it will be available in the App Store on July 20.

Batman and Spider-Man operate in different fictional universes. Duh. But this summer, both heroes find themselves fighting the same enemy, the Dreaded Origin Reboot, in different mediums. Some of the critical reaction to The Amazing Spider-Man has wondered why moviegoers need re-imagining of Peter Parker's superhero coming-of-age.



It's only been ten years since Tobey Maguire starred in the first of Sam Raimi's wall-crawling movies. Do we need another take? I personally feel like the answer's no. And I feel the same way about Batman: Earth One, now that the long-brewing DC Comics graphic novel is finally out.

Over 70 years, scores of writers have added to or reinforced the best moments of Batman's origin. A childhood discovery of a massive cavern underneath his home, training by ninjas, targeting the rich elites of Gotham… all of these are elements that embraced after being introduced in different instances. Much of that gets jettisioned in this new book and part of the hook here is showing up to see what's different.

Johns writes like a man who knows the DC Universe mythos inside and out. He does, of course, having written several of the publisher's highest-profile characters and at least two of their continuity-rebooting events.

There have been dozens, maybe even hundreds of pop psych interpretations of what could make a man like Bruce Wayne tick and this version seems modeled off of the narrowest of those. It's come up that Batman is essentially the construction of a spoiled kid who couldn't cope with loss and Johns makes young Bruce exactly that. The Earth One Batman doesn't seem to hear the higher calling of altruism that can coincide with his mission of vengeance. That realization only comes when Batman finds that the man he thought had killed his parents is innocent of that crime, leaving the true culprit out in the world. That's the subtext of previous versions of Batman rising to the forefront in Earth One, slammed home in pretty heavy-handed fashion.

Gary Frank's art lives up to the other excellently detailed and highly emotive work the artist has turned out in his career. The anger and anguish on Alfred Pennyworth's face, the fear on a. here's too much loudness and not enough quiet in this take of Gotham's guardian. Even the silent sequences feel like they're screaming for attention. Granted, readers are seeing a Bruce Wayne that hasn't yet learned the art of mystery. But, more problematically, it feels like Johns hasn't either. Almost every time you see a familiar character in Earth One, Johns has done something to subvert previous iterations. So Detective Harvey Bullock—a drunk, overweight self-destructive slob in the mainline DCU—is handsome and ambitious TV cop in Earth One. James Gordon gets similarly tweaked and readers used to seeing him as a ramrod straight law officer get something different here, too. Some of these moments work and others—like where Batman punches Gordon in the jaw at their first meeting—really only succeed if you have a previous attachment to the characters.

When it comes to Amazing Spider-Man, part of me wonders why Marc Webb's film needed to change or recapitulate the origin at all. The major plot points of the film could have worked without tethering them to a new beginning. Peter could have just found his missing father's research, for example. Gwen Stacy could just be a new girlfriend. That kind of thing.

A similar approach wouldn't work with Batman: Earth One. It's part of a new initiative to shed decades of confusing continuity and deliver a modern vision of DC's icons. But it's hard to see why someone coming fresh to Batman would want to read more comics after Earth One. There's a cliffhanger, sure. But this project doesn't hold any of the romance that's such a key part of the Batman mythos. Johns gets the darkness down pat but stumbles when it comes communicating that Batman can also be a figure of hope. It feels clumsy and cute, more concerned with upending previous understandings of Bruce Wayne and his supporting cast than with creating its own unique sort of Bat-resonance.

Are we still pretending that comics and video games don't have anything to do with each other? Not anymore, we're not. Welcome to Panel Discussion, where the focus will be on comic books and sequential art, whether they connect directly to video games or not. Confused? Read this.