Hello! Great news today, being that my wordpress now has its own official domain and has moved to http://matthewjlee.com 

With the new relocation, comes the end of my blog at this location, so please update your bookmarks! I will keep all the posts here for those who have linked to this location.

With the move also comes many improvements. I will now be doing movie and games reviews along with various features. I look forward to seeing you over at the new location here!

Matthew Lee

If your lucky enough to be playing the new WipEout HD and your living in the Asia / Pacific region, then come and join a night of fun battling it out on the grid! If you don’t happen to be in this area, then all is not lost. My friend Ravenblade is also hosting a WipEout HD night for Europeans and Americans.

Since i’m hosting the Asia / Pacific region night, if you would like to join in simple add AMG777 to your PSN. All the action will be happening every Monday night at 8pm AEST (Sydney)!

For more information go to VGEvo.com

The New York Times has a fantastic interactive display of all the Olympic torches from 1936 to present. The modern Olympic Games have become as much a global contest among designers and architects as among athletes. Each Olympics is expected to produce a logo, a signature building — and a characteristic torch that symbolizes local tradition and national character.

This is a design history of the Olympic torch from 1936 to the present day.
Jump over to ‘The Evolution of Olympic Torches’..

One of the ultimate references for the graphic designers bookshelf – Area 2 follows on from the success and format of the first book Area. This design resource has been collated by 10 of the worlds top designers and critics with each selecting 10 influential graphic designers, to in total feature 100 contemporary graphic designers from around the world.

Before even opening to see what’s inside, the books cover strikes of fine craftsmanship with it’s textile material overlay and carefully stuck on text headers. It becomes clear that the quality cover design itself is a statement to the collection of quality works contained within. The book’s grid-less, open layout lets the images speak for themselves, forming a cornerstone reference in any graphic designers library collection.

It’s that time of the year again.. A time where all the big names in the Gaming industry converge on one city for the biggest Video Game conference in the world.  Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo go head to head in an all out war to see who can put on the best show and grab the most attention.

Out of all the shows that were put on, Sony had the best in my opinion, as usual. Call me bi est but the Playstation 3 has one of the best line up of games and one of my favorite hosts Jack Tretton.

Follow the jump to check out the highlights of Sony’s E3 Press Conference, including Resistance 2, Killzone 2, Final Fantasy XIII and the new PSN on demand video store!

Resistance 2

In 1951 we lost Chicago, millions never made it out. … now Chicago is enemy territory.” 350ft tall Chimera called Leviathan. “resistance 2 is a story of a country under siege, broken by a superior foe.

Resistance 2 also breaks new ground with it’s 8-player online co-op and 60 player online multiplayer … While many games talk about scale, resistance 2 truly delivers. This game is big, epic.. Resistance 2 offers more than any shooter in 2008 … I’m Ted Price, president and CEO of insomniac games, and this is resistance 2.

Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII is part of three games being called Fabula Nova Crystallis (that’s “The New Tale of The Crystal” to those of us not fluent in Latin), with two of the titles appearing on PS3 and one on mobile phones. The fantasy is far from over!

Prince of Persia

The plagued prince returns in his first next-gen adventure. Ubisoft has planned a number of adjustments to the series, with a new design for the prince, a new armored gauntlet with incredible powers, and a renewed focus on platforming and physical challenges rather than fighting.

Killzone 2

Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is bringing the fight to the enemy’s home world of Helghan. Taking the role of Sev, the battle-hardened veteran of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will embark upon a mission to the planet Helghan to capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the enemy’s war machine to a halt.

Flower

When I settled in to play the game, I had the privilege of talking to the Creative Director of the title about what the game is doing. He explained that flOwer is attempting to create a sort of harmony between nature and urban life, and he hopes that people who play the game completely will feel good and perhaps even a little different.

His last explanation came to us in the form of a comparison. He noted that while the developers considered flOw to be an abstract haiku, flOwer is more like a traditional (possibly western) poem.

PSN Video

Sony’s new video service on the PS3 allows rentals or purchases of TV episodes and movies that can also be transferred to the PSP. So far, partners in the service include Sony Pictures (obviously), Fox, MGM, Lionsgate, Warner, Disney, Paramount, Turner, and Funimation.

Playstation Home

Not only is Home your home online with PlayStation 3, Home is also a vast network of communication for PlayStation users. Browse the Hall of Fame for trophies players have collected in various videogames, or just hang out in a virtual outdoor lobby to talk with text and voice. Other features in Home include a theater where the Home world also users can watch videos from one users’ collection together, a series of mini-games that players can play, and much more as Home evolves.

2008 marks the 30th Anniversary for the classic ‘Space Invaders’.  One of the most monumental games in the history of man-kind, where the player would shoot waves of aliens with a laser gun.  Upon the release in 1978 it caused a shortage of Yen all over Japan and earned game developer Taito over US$ 500 million in revenue.

In celebration a remake of the classic has been release by Taito, namely ‘Space Invaders Extreme’.  If you happen to own a Sony PSP or Nintendo DS, do yourself a favor and grab this absolute A grade reincarnation of possibly the most influencial video game to grace planet earth.

By 2015 Mercedes-Benz plans to be completly petroleum free.  Dr. Herbert Kohler, who is responsible for Mercedes’ advanced engineering, has reportedly suggested that “by 2015 motorists will have switched almost completely to alternative fuel cars.”  The automaker already has an electric car in the works for 2010 as well as plans to use its DiesOtto engine which will give motorists the ability to use biofuels should they choose.

Good on Mercedes for making this brave move.  I’ve just got to wonder what all these oil billionairs are thinking.. most likely coming up with their next way of ripping the world off?

Here’s a useful tool that will create Word Clouds from any text you throw at it.  Change the style of the cloud, the colours and everything to get it looking the way you want.  The more frequent the word in the text, the more pronounced it will become, just like how Tag Clouds work. Give it a shot over at wordle.

As Metal Gear Solid 4 hits the shelves and takes over gamers lives all over the world, I take a step back.  A step back to where it all began for famed Game Developer Hideo Kojima.

One of his first ventures into the gaming business being ‘Snatcher‘, which was released on the SEGA CD.  The game had quite a cult following amongst hardcore gamers and still stands today as one of the best games ever made.
Follow over to here for my first ever retro game review!

Last night at 8pm Sydney’s new Apple store had its official opening, being the first Apple store in the southern hemisphere.  Lines of diehard Apple fanboys and girls lined the Sydney sidewalks as the anticipation built (don’t worry I wasnt one of them).

The woman who was first in line had flown to Sydney two days prior and had been waiting in line for over 50hrs.  When asked if she was buying anything, she replied “oh no.. just going to have a browse around..”.  I love Apple products and all, having used a mac for 4 years now, but geeks just overhype things soo much! What do you think?  Follow the jump for more..

The iDance WALL-E robot—essentially a dancing iPod speaker—is the most spontaneous dancer in town!  Watch as he busts a move to Bonanza in this video clip, it hilarious.  WALL-E also speaks, saying his name in that adorable voice of his (“WaAaaAAaLL-E”).  Follow the jump to see him in action..

[Youtube Video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ormDbjBN7RE]

In the coming months I will be working on more additions to the Retro Gamer section with more top game countdowns, reviews and features, so stay tuned.  For now follow onto my countdown of the Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time.

Making people laugh is a serious business and when it comes to who’s on top in the world of comedy it’s not hard to pass Gabriel Iglesias.  Not only was he a finalist in the “Last Comic Standing”, he was also named ‘Comedian of the Year’ by Comedy Central in 2006.

For Gabiel it just doesn’t end there.. He is sitting on the top of YouTube being the most highly rated comedian of all time.  Follow the jump to start the show..

Just when you thought the whole Star Wars buzz had come to an end.. think again!  Star Wars Episode VII: The Clone Wars is the next film to come out set in the fictional Star Wars Universe.  If one thing is for certain, this is sure to bring out the geeks in their numbers!  Follow the jump for more..

It will be the first Star Wars film to be released to theaters since 2005′s Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and will be the first animated Star Wars feature film in theaters.

The film’s aim is to introduce everyone to the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, which will begin airing after the films release in Fall 2008. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is slated for worldwide release on August 15, 2008, except for Aussies who will get to see the film a whole one day earlier on August 14.  Now thats gotta really piss off those diehard Fanboys.. haha

To see the trailers in full Quicktime HD glory, head over to here.

Chris Brown has just release ‘Exclusive: The Forever Edition’ . ‘The Forever Edition’ is an updated and revamped version of his international multi-platinum release ‘Exclusive’ and includes the original 16 tracks plus four brand new tracks.

The awesome new single ‘Forever’ – and a bonus DVD with unreleased concert and behind the scenes footage. Follow the jump for more..

Additional bonus tracks on ‘Exclusive: The Forever Edition’ include ‘Heart Ain’t A Brain’, ‘Super Human’ with Keri Hilson, and the ‘Picture Perfect Remix’ featuring Bow Wow & Hurricane Chris.  

Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best R&B Contemporary Album and an incredible entrance onto the live touring scene with shows across the USA and Europe have cemented Chris Brown as a household name across the globe. Possible Australian tour later in the year! 

A true masterpiece in film history, Luc Besson’s The Big Blue.  This film, like the sea which is its subject, hypnotizes you, seduces you and rocks you into a state of oneness with the scenery.  In France the film was such a phenomenon attracting well over 9 million viewers upon release in 1988.  The whole generation of youth who saw it was renamed The Big Blue Generation.  These people became more sat back and balanced in life, like it was an emotional revolution. 

The Big Blue takes you away from the routine and guides you into a magnificent world, a world where the soul and the body become one.  In the case of Jacques Mayol this world is full of blue, this world is the sea. For everybody else it is what we really love, it is what we are ready to give everything away, even are own life, in order to become part of it.

This movie goes beyond all themes and issues and beyond all films.  It is the ultimate film about a man’s will to become part of the world he loves and the sacrifices he has to make.  The big blue is a journey full of liveliness.  The choice of music is outstanding, the cinematography is just magnificent and the acting is up to the standard.

Featuring the amazing sites of the Greek island Amorgos, and the marvelous Sicily, this film will amaze you not only because of its beauty but also because of its theme. Through the magnificent journey of Jacques Mayol and Enzo Mollinary in places where the sun is always present and the color blue is dominant, the film leaves you with a feeling of aw and love, love for life.

Main Cast
Rosanna Arquette (Johana Baker)
Jean-Marc Barr (Jacques Mayol)
Jean Reno (Enzo Molinari)

My Score: 9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 67% 
IMDB: 7.4/10 

Nike and Kobe Bryant have launched the Nike Hyperdunk, Nike’s lightest and strongest basketball shoe ever and one of the many superior, lightweight performance product innovations the company unveiled to support athletes from over 100 countries who will compete for gold in 32 sports in Beijing this summer. Follow the jump for some crazy hyperdunk action.. don’t try this at home kids!

“Our performance product for Beijing is some of the best work Nike has ever done,” said Nike President and CEO Mark Parker. “The Nike Hyperdunk is a prime example of our commitment to deliver extraordinary innovation and lightweight performance product to the world’s best athletes. Every gram counts in competition. Athletes need superior lightweight footwear and apparel that they can compete in with confidence and that’s exactly what we’ve created for them.”

At only 13.0 ounces, the Nike Hyperdunk is 18 percent lighter than the average Nike basketball shoe. Kobe runs an average of 2.5 miles a game. Less weight on his feet means more energy on the court. Kobe is expected to play in the Nike Hyperdunk when the Lakers meet the Clippers in April. The Hyperdunk hits US retail in late July.

In the urban life, street art is all around us.  Going from city to city around the world seeing the different designs on the streets, just shows how diverse this art can be.  A great example of this diversity can be seen in Slinkachu’s little people project.  This tiny street art project comes straight from the UK, where little hand painted people are left in London to fend for themselves.
Follow the jump for more..

The project has gained quiet alot of attention in the London art scene and has been publicized in many different design mags.  There is even an online store where you can purchase items such as badges and prints of some of his art.  

His first book titled ‘Little People in the City – The street art of Slinkachu’ will be a chunky little hardcover packed full of his photographs from the little people blog, over the past two years, shots that have appeared in various magazines and exhibitions and also a lot of new unseen stuff. It will be published through Boxtree and will be out on the 5th of September at all good bookstores.

Show some love to the little guys..  http://little-people.blogspot.com/

The Desktopography project has been going strong since 2005 and holds yearly exhibitions of various designers work.  The concept behind the project is to promote natural scape design’s and wallpapers within the design community.  

Designers spend about 90% of their working life in front of a computer so the most appealing genre for a wallpaper would be one that has beautiful design mixed with the all important aspect of being outdoors. 

What we see everyday can affect our mood and state of mind, enhance your desktop with a wallpaper creation from desktopography and feel the essence of nature and the outdoor existence on your computer.

Ever since its conception, Desktopography has been a non-profit, fun project and I would encourage you to share the site with family, friends and people you know, there is something here for everyone.

The standard in the work is exceptional since only A-list graphic designers are able to take part.  The end result is an online exhibition with some of the most creative, natural designs i’ve seen for some time.

http://www.desktopography.net/

This is the future of the M6 series BMW in the eyes of graphic designer Guillaume Mouton. He has successfully blended the shape of the long gone 8-Series Coupe, with elements from the current 6-Series and the 4door CS Concept.

The end result is quiet impressive as 3D models such as these are some of the more difficult ventures in the graphic designers world.  You can only wonder if BMW actually stumbles upon Mouton’s work and makes the car a reality?  One thing is for certain.. that he has already landed himself a job in the BMW designers sector!

Apple has just announced the iPhone 3G. They have learned so much with the first iPhone and taken everything they’ve learned and more and created the iPhone 3G. Even thinner, black plastic back, solid metal buttons, same gorgeous display, camera, flush headphone jack, and dramatically improved audio.
More info after the jump..

The new iPhone will also be available in white and contains the new APP store for easy downloading of games and Apps from wherever you may be at the flick of a finger.

How does the iPhone 3G tackle the challenges? 3G = faster data downloads, perfect for Safari and Mail. Comparing download speeds between 3G and EDGE. 3G finished in 21 seconds. EDGE finished in 59 seconds.

3G has great battery life on iPhone. 300 hours of standby, 2G talk-time now has 10 hours (as opposed to 5), 5 hours of 3G talk-time (most phones only have 3 hour 3G talk time), 5 to 6 hours of high-speed browsing, 7 hours of video, 24 hours of audio. GPS support is now also integrated into the iPhone.

The iPhone 3G will be available July 11th in 22 countries. The maximum price around the world is $199 USD.

In honor of its 75th anniversary, Lacoste has created a series of graphics and video that imagine what tennis will look like in 2083, or 75 years from now.  Sure, it sounds a bit contrived, but the execution’s actually kind of cool, as you can see in the video after the jump..

To feel the full experience the way Lacoste has intended, browse to http://www.lacoste-future.com/en/

Making its worldwide premiere in Geneva, Lamborghini’s facelifted Gallardo features a series of styling and mechanical updates including a more powerful V10 engine. Design-wise, the all-wheel-drive coupe from Sant’Agata stands out thanks to the more aggressively styled front and rear-ends that give the Gallardo LP560-4 a menacing new look.

Looks however are only half the story on the 2009 Gallardo LP560-4 as Lamborghini upgraded the 5.2-liter V10 engine that now develops 560 Hp at 8,000 rpm. 

The increase of 40 Hp compared with that of the previous Gallardo, and the approximate 20 kg or 44 lbs reduction in weight, improves the power weight ratio to 2.5 kg per Hp and thus enhances performance.

According to Lambo, the LP560-4 accelerates from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 sec; its speed at 11.8 sec is 200 km/h (124 mph) while its top speed lies at 325 km/h or 202 mph. At the same time, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been reduced by 18 per cent.

Usher’s follow up to the 2004 Confessions, titled ‘Here I Stand’ saw it’s release on May 27th.  His fifth studio album shows a new man and a much more mature venture for the 29 yr old. Looks like our old Usher has settled down, he’s now married and also has a kid.  

If your about to listen expecting the same vibes you got from Confessions, I would think again.  ’Here I Stand’ shows off more ballads than club hits, more soul than chart toppers.  Don’t let that turn you off though, this is indeed one of Usher’s deepest and most memorable albums to date.

Songs for the album have been recorded with Jermaine Dupri, Dre & Vidal, Timbaland and Polow da Don. Dupri also talked about the album: “Usher’s album is more about teaching men [that] at some point, you gotta grow up. And growing up is respecting a woman and having a love in your life. That’s his definition of growing up.”

Top tracks are ‘Before I Met You’, ‘His Mistakes’, ‘Love In This Club’, ‘Moving Mountains’ and ‘This Aint Sex’.

Things look to be heating up for Playstation Home, which is now in the final stages of beta testing. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, Playstation Home is Sony’s answer to social networking, providing a virtual world where you can hang with your friends, meet new people and create your very own Home.

Within Home you will firstly create your identity. There are thousands of different combinations from changing eyebrow position to giving yourself a beard. Extra items such as additional clothes will be available to purchase right within Home’s clothes store (Threads).

Every user has a private apartment space that they can modify and change over time. The basic apartment is free and will offer users lots of options for customization and personalization. In the future, Sony will provide tools that will enable users to have an even greater ability to create their own Home spaces and content.

From there, you can walk around and talk to anyone within home via short pre-defined phrases, microphone or by connecting your USB keyboard to chat away, as if you were on msn or yahoo messenger. The real beauty inside Home is being able to connect with anyone in the world who owns a PS3 and the ability to launch straight into a game with them.

Over the last few weeks more and more information has been leaked out about how Home is shaping up, from the mini games playable in the main foyer to the new shops in the Market Place, where you can purchase new apartments, additional clothing and furniture.

Advertising will be a big part of Home, and Sony expects retailers to create their own lobbies and deploy them for commercial purposes. At first, Sony will stream advertising from their own Home servers. Later, other companies will be allowed to insert their own ads into the network, including dynamic advertising targeted at particular users.

Home is really set to send a shock-wave over the console gaming world, upon its release later this year. Both the Wii and Xbox 360 neither have anything similar to what Home will offer, continuing to make the PS3 the #1 choice for console gaming into the future.

For exclusive footage from inside Playstation
Home, head on over to DLB’s Youtube Channel.