Great partnership, if you ask us. HBO and Apple have paired up to offer the network's programs on the iTunes Store. Now we can get everything from the gun-toting family, "The Sopranos," to the shoe-loving urbanites of "Sex and the City" via the iTunes Store. Details in the full article.

It looks like PS3 owners are going to be treated to something special, but of course this is just a rumor. We were able to spot one particular ad that revealed that the console might be able to download TV shows. Catch the advertisement after the jump!

Here's some more news on the Blu-ray front. It seems New Line Home Entertainment and HBO Video have decided to follow Warner's choice, opting to abandon HD-DVD and make the  switch to Blu-ray. Though the format wars have yet to be decided, it's certainly dealt another blow against HD-DVD, at least.

More on this new development after the jump!

 

Our massive, in-depth interview with the digital movie distribution service, Vongo on everything from the life cycle of your average movie, to Xbox 360 support and a word on the service on Sony's PlayStation 3.

Read the entire thing right after the jump!

Note: This interview was conducted during the first couple of months of the year, as a result some of the information contained within is already known, and some of the planned features have already been implemented.

The independent game development studio Saber Interactive, who is responsible for video games like TimeShift and Will Rock, is happy to announce that it just hired one of the industry's veterans to head Saber's game content division. That guy is Rick Raymo and he sure has a lot under his belt.

Raymo has been working in the video game industry for 19 years now, and about 30 titles are credited under his name. Some of the more notable ones include Duke Nukem 3D projects, Blood, Shadow Warrior, Death Rally and Max Payne. The creative director also used to work with companies such as I.D.G., GT Interactive, GameSpy, Red Jade, Interactive Studio Management, and Hudson Soft. Before Rick Raymo accepted his new post at Saber, he was working with HBO Interactive Entertainment as a production executive, and was responsible for spearheading efforts to create interactive properties out of the company's internal licenses.

Saber's new guy wasn't able for comment, but the company mentioned that Rick Raymo is more than happy to join them. He will be stationed at Saber's HQ in New Jersey and from time to time, he will also be making his rounds in Saber's production studio in St. Petersburg, Russia. Most of his work will be focused on the design and production team who are working on current and upcoming next generation titles.

Welcome aboard Saber's ship Rick Raymo!

During the recently held Comic Con, the folks at GameTrailers were able to have a little one-on-one with Anthony Deluca, 2K's producer for the upcoming dark and gory shooter, The Darkness (PS3, Xbox360).

In addition to talking up the game's settings and storyline, Deluca also reveals more info on game production like how they pushed the ESRB's limits on violence, the voices behind the characters, and tons more. First, the ESRB thing: Deluca said that they worked closely with ESRB to help them set the limits on how far is too far in terms of the game's gore and violence. So yeah, they had to tone it down a bit. Not to worry though, you'll still get to see tons of bloodshed (in full 3D, if we might add) in all the five chapters of the game.

As for the voice talents, Peeping Tom-fanatics will be glad to know that noise-rock renaissance man Mike Patton will be featured as the voice of the Darkness, so you'll basically have him whispering to you throughout the whole game. Lauren Ambrose (from HBO's 6 Feet Under) will also be lending her voice talents to Jenny, one of the female characters you'll find in the game. The Darkness will be brought to light late Spring this year.

Buy: [The Darkness (PS3)]
Buy: [The Darkness (Xbox 360)]

A couple of weeks ago, I remember watching Wimbledon on HBO. Obviously, it's a tennis-oriented movie that features actor Paul Bettany and actress Kirsten Dunst. Anyway, there was a scene in the flick wherein the two were practicing; they put the ball canisters on the other end of the playing field and tried hitting it from the other end.

I brought that up because it is very reminiscent of Virtua Tennis 3 (X360, PS3, PSP), especially its mini-game Drum Tropple. As weird as it sounds, this particular mini-game actually is handy because it boosts your character's power strokes. The idea here is very much like in the movie. Only this time, you are provided with drums as target.

To be able to earn more power strokes with Drum Tropple, keep these reminders in mind:

• Power the balls back across the net, aiming toward the stack of oil drums in front.
• Attempt to completely collapse the neat, but fragile, stack a court official has placed before you.
• By positioning your player perfectly for each shot, you'll have maximum time to charge up your return.
• Inflict some serious damage to those drums.

Virtua Tennis 3 is expected to be released sometime next Spring. It is actually part of Sega's successful arcade game of the same title. This installment includes upgraded graphics, new gameplay modes and of course, the rather quirky mini-games.

    

Buy: [Virtua Tennis 3 for PS3]

Buy: [Virtua Tennis 3 for PSP]

Buy: [Virtua Tennis 3 for Xbox 360]

We don't know if you're familiar with the HBO series Band of Brothers. It's about a company of soldiers who were sent to carry out Operation D-day in Normandy. The paratroopers depended on their NCOs Maj. Richard D. Winters and others for direction and support.

Hmm, much like in Ubisoft's upcoming war title, Brothers in Arms D-Day. Same concept and story, but the names were changed. Instead of Winters, players get to be Sergeants Baker and Hartsock. The game still has a December 5 expected date of release but information on the game is amazingly scarce. Since the last time we reported on it, no new details were release either by Ubisoft or its partner, Gearbox Software save for these new screenshots.

we'll all just have to content ourselves with these images for the time being. We'll inform you once we get hold of new details.

The cult comedy show Little Britain has undergone quite a number of transformations already. It actually started as a character-based BBC radio show. After it gained a huge following, it was then converted into a television sketch show and is set to return for a Christmas special this year. Also, it is no secret that American versions are coming out in 2007, both for HBO and film.

What the heck is Little Britain doing on QJ? Developer Blast Entertainment announced today that a game version of the show is currently in the works for the PC, PS2 and PSP. The first two versions are to appear in January 2007, while the PSP one is scheduled for a little later.

Details about the game are still scarce as of the moment. However, we understand that the game will simulate an episode of Little Britain with gamers having to complete several mini-games to advance. Levels are categorized by skits with the end credits being the last level (and most hardest?). We really have no idea as to how the game would go but  the mini-games will be based from the show's characters:

• Lou and Andy
• chav Vicky Pollard
• Mr. Mann
• transvestites Emily and Florence
• fat fighter Marjorie Dawes
• Daffyd Thomas (the "only gay in the village")
• Judy and Maggie
• Letty

The Price is Right should watch out or we'll wipe them out because our previous bid of $200 for the HD-DVD Drive, came mighty close to the official price of $199. Too bad we aren't contestants though.

It'll come with Peter Jackson's monster of a film, King Kong (for a limited time) and the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote. Users can just add the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player to their Xbox 360 to create the ultimate home-theater experience. You'll never run out of movies to watch with more than a 150 titles to choose from coming from major movie studios this coming holiday season that includes Paramount Pictures, StudioCanal, Universal Studios, New Line Entertainment, HBO, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Trivia. Did you know that the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player offers up to six times higher resolution than DVD? So expect crisp and clear images that seem to pop out from your TV. If you're not yet convinced, the fall 2006 console update all Xbox 360 consoles will have the ability to output native resolution 1080p games and movies.

"The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is the best high-definition movie experience and value on the market. The reviews, the word of mouth, and the consumer response have all been crystal clear—HD DVD is the format of choice. We're not forcing movie technology on game players, but are instead letting them choose how to personalize their experiences. If they want HD DVD, there's no better value out there," says Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft at the annual X06 event.

It will hit stores in mid-November, 2006 in North America, U.K., France, and Germany, with a price tag of  €199.99 (£129.99), and to other territories in 2007.