The Earth is constantly bombarded by cosmic rays from our galaxy. However, a type of cosmic ray with ultra-high energies was discovered 95 years ago. Scientists didn't know where these cosmic rays came from because particles outside the galaxy can't travel far enough to hit Earth. Now they believe that the cosmic rays come from energy that escaped from a black hole.

Read more in the full article and find out if the Silver Surfer has anything to do with it.

In a recent move by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), the BD+ copy protection feature was added to ward off illegal copying and large scale pirating. However, recent reports have surfaced of consumers having trouble playing BD+ protected Blu-ray releases.

The movies in question are Fox's Blu-ray releases of The Day After Tomorrow and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. In particular, Samsung players are having the most difficulty playing these movies. However, it was advised that a firmware update should fix the problem.

Panasonic players, while being able to play the discs, have abnormally long loading times. On the other hand, the PlayStation 3 seems to have the best compatibility with the BD+ and can play them normally without problems.

According to information from Henning Molbaek, a correspondent at DVDTown, he explains one of the major problems about the BD+ code:

What could be another major problem is that each time the studio changes keys, a firmware upgrade may be needed on some players. To make things worse, many Blu-ray players don't have an Internet connection, making firmware upgrades more difficult.

You've probably seen the new Fantastic Four flick and yeah, we were all totally caught off guard to see a dust cloud playing the role of Galactus. But it's not so bad, really. It could have been some random tall guy with a trophy for a helmet. That would really have spoiled everything.

In any case, let's leave the planet-eater alone and let's focus on the game. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 is playing out pretty well and we've got a gameplay trailer of the Silver Surfer chase portion to help you make up your mind on whether to play it or not. Have a look:

It's slick, nice and fast. What more can we say? The voice acting in the succeeding cut scene was done well and it's pretty intriguing to see the Storm siblings switching powers. Give the game a try to find out why.

Take-Two Interactive Software's publishing label 2K has just announced that Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, a game based on the movie, is out now on multiple platforms. By multiple, we mean the Xbox 360, Playstation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and the Nintendo DS.

So is this a game that would appeal to fans of the movie or comic book junkies? The answer may surprise you.

Justin Lambros of Marvel Entertainment Inc. said:

With Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 2K is giving fans of the comic book series and movie franchise a great opportunity to continue the exciting Super Hero experience. Gamers can relive the best moments from the film and also play through additional storylines exclusive to the game.

The President of 2K, Christoph Hartmann, spoke about the game saying, "The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer video game capitalizes on the capabilities of next generation platforms to bring fun new features to the franchise, such as seamless four player co-op and the radically unique Fusion Attacks." That said, what exactly does this game have to offer and what the hell is a Fusion Attack?

Features:

• Take on the role of any member of the Fantastic Four team and switch characters at any time. Each member has unique special abilities that will help the team get through different situations.
• Unite and fight! Battle in four player co-op with easy pick-up-and-play ability.
• Combine super powers for devastating team attacks with the new Fusion Attack System
• Loads of unlockable features including alternate Fantastic Four costumes, historical comic covers, concept art and more!
• Face enemies from the Fantastic Four universe including Red Ghost, Terrax and Super Skrull.
• Enhance your super powers: use the Wii Remote on the Wii and the SIXAXIS controller on the PLAYSTATION 3 for mega boost attacks.

If you're planning to pick this game up for a friend or a loved one, be advised that it is rated "T" for Teen for all the consoles except the DS version which is rated "E10+" for everyone 10 or older. That said, be sure to keep checking back here for more updates on Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Yes, yes, we already know how many of you would love to have Jessica Alba playing with your Wiis every day of the week and twice on Sundays, but did you know that the Nintendo DS shortage is in part caused by the Hollywood hottie?

That's right, she bought a whole bunch of the handhelds and gave them away to people in the set of her upcoming "Fantastic Four" movie. She confesses that she's quite a Nintendo addict and loves to play Brain Age in between takes. " I'd pick up my DS and try to beat my 82 age in Brain Age. I'd try to memorize all of those damn words," she shares.

For those of you who don't know what Brain Age is, it's one of those surprisingly addictive, quirky puzzle-type games. Incidentally, the "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" movie will have a game tie-in on most next-gen consoles consistent with the feature film's content.

 

For those who have been waiting for the newest releases in Australia, wait no longer. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon for the Wii is joined by DS titles Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Pet Alien as they all hit retail stores this week. So what do these games have to offer?

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon has been delayed before, and it's pretty cool that Australian gamers will finally get a chance to experience it. For the first time, players will actually be able to use real motions to control their characters and pull off some of the amazing moves (fatalities included).

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer on the DS is based on the upcoming movie of the same title. While most gamers have become wary of movies turned into video games and vice-versa, this game is said to offer a few new things such as a free-roaming mode that may change your minds.

Pet Alien is based on the cartoon series of the same name. Tommy and his pet alien Grumpers are abducted by the Robotix, a group of creatures who are trying to build the largest Zoo in the galaxy. Gumpers along with his four friends, now, must rescue Tommy and get back to Earth.

If you're residing in Australia, it might be worthwhile to drop by your local game shop to see if any of these games tickle your fancy. Be sure to keep checking back here for the latest gaming news.

And in the industry news, Take-Two Interactive has recently announced is Q2 numbers for fiscal year 2007, posting a sales drop of US$ 60 million from US$ 265 million seen previously. The company also saw losses go up slightly to US$ 51.2 million from last year.

 

Take-Two said that their quarterly losses reflected improved margins on lower royalty costs, stronger margins on its sports products and a realization of cost benefits from the studio's closings last year. Gamasutra also reports that the company attributes some of the losses on reorganization and administrative fees associated with stock option grant investigations.

Take-Two has announced, however, that they are considering a new restructuring plan, with Lainie Goldstein taking the seat of the company's chief financial officer after serving as interim for the same position. The restructuring plan was designed to enhance the organizational structure's efficiency, make room for a "financially disciplined" product development process, and increase the company's productivity and cost-effectiveness.

International operations for sales and marketing will be restructured in ties with "business discipline" and not by location, while the company's label and studio divisions will report to their respective corporate departments. By doing so, they expect to reduce overhead by US$ 25 million by the end of fiscal year 2008.

Take-Two has also announced its quarterly output for Q3, stating titles such as All-Pro Football 2k8, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Manhunt 2, The BIGS and The Darkness. For Q4, they have outlined an output of BioShock, Carnival Games, Grand Theft Auto IV, NBA 2k8 and NHL 2k8.

Skrull-clobbering gameplay and a ton of new info in this three-video assault of the latest title sporting heroes in tight spandex, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. We're here to give you the skinny on the sweet next-gen gameplay and what Chase Jones, Lead Designer of Visual Concepts, has to say about the intrepid quartet's struggles with a certain Silver Surfer.

In the in-depth video interview, we learn of a major departure the title takes from its predecessors - specifically, four-player co-op. Jones explains that the reason for such a drastic change is that as a developing firm, they wanted to bring back the culture of friends coming over and playing with you for hours - also the reason why they opted not to tack on any online features like Xbox Live compatibility or Network Play. And besides, it's the Fantastic Four. Four heroes, four players. Genius.

Another big feature in the game, besides the team-up maneuvers where characters can combine their powers to create more devastating attacks, is the fact that you'll be able to see the upgrades you make for a certain character not only stat-wise, but graphic-wise.

For example, at the beginning of the game, the Human Torch's fireballs come out as slow, weak projectiles that you'd have to spam in order for them to be effective. With enough upgrades, you see them transform from pitiful sparks to devastating comets of hellfire and brimstone that can easily take care of a mob with one hit. Sweet!

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer will be released on June 15 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii - around the same date as the movie. In the meantime, though, enjoy the videos!

The other gameplay video and the developer interview after the jump!

Take-Two Interactive Europe today released a huge load of screenshots for their upcoming multi-platform title Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. This movie tie-in game will be a third person action/adventure title featuring Marvel Comics' legendary super-powered foursome.

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer will weave together elements from the long-running comic book series as well as Twentieth Century Fox/Marvel Entertainment's highly anticipated movie sequel. Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer is scheduled to be released for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 platforms alongside the movie this June.

Better-aligned screenshots after the jump!

Activision will unleash a set of new heroes and villains on Xbox Live Marketplace for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The expansion pack will feature eight new playable characters, namely:

• The Incredible Hulk
• Magneto
• Hawkeye
• Sabretooth
• Doctor Doom
• Cyclops
• Nightcrawler
• Venom

Of course, the expansion pack also means new signature powers, skins, dialog, conversations, and achievement points. The downloads will be available by April 2007 via the Xbox Live Marketplace online gaming service, and three different kinds of packs will await players:

• The Hero Pack and Villain Pack will each be 500 Microsoft points (US$ 6.25).
• The Combined Hero and Villain Pack will be 800 Microsoft points (a better bargain at US$ 10.00).
• Heroes and Villains gamer pic packs will also be available for 80 Microsoft points each (US$ 1.00).

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance currently features a cast of more than 140 Marvel characters and a playable cast of 20 super heroes including Deadpool, the Human Torch, Iceman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Silver Surfer, and Elektra. You control a team of four heroes (you can always swap a hero for another unlocked playable hero), taking them to well-known comic book settings like Atlantis, the Shield Heli-Carrier, and the Skrull home world.

The game has won several awards, including Video Game of the Year from Wizard Magazine and Best Story (PS3) from IGN.