dead

Netflix reportedly will pay about $100 million to stream every episode of Mad Men: chump change, if predictions of an $800 million streaming TV market turn out to be true. Also, it seems that everyone wants to get in on the tablet market, but given reported XOOM sales of only about 100,000, it's possible the only tablet market there is is for iPads. Plus, AT&T iPhones and their dropped calls, and Obama goes to Facebook. -- Molly

This week on preGame we're throwing out our game consoles (not really) and firing up our iPad to bring you some of the hottest games available for your brand-spanking-new tablet.

Tune in for live demos of Dead Space HD, Cut the Rope HD, Infinity Blade, Collision Effect, Infinity Field, Pictureka, Snood, Tapper World Tour HD, and Solipskier.

We're also giving away all kinds of prizes on preGame including 10 codes for the latest Halo: Reach Defiant Map Pack, so make sure to watch to find out how you can win.

Also, for the next few weeks, we'll … Read more

Our guest on today's episode of The 404 Podcast is Russ Frushtick, the games and tech editor for MTV Multiplayer, but the ESRB has assigned him an AO rating for Adults Only, so he won't be visiting Australia anytime soon. Similarly, Australia also refuses to welcome the latest Mortal Kombat game due to excessive violence.

The real story, however, is Australia's outdated rules for video game classification that currently only accommodate a maximum MA15+ rating, so video games that surpass these limitations are automatically banned in the country.

Since Australian adults still have access to mature media in its other myriad forms, it doesn't make sense that local gamers can't also enjoy video games with similarly "explicit" content.

And speaking of risque video games, a U.K.-only Nintendo Wii title is promising "flirty fun for all" with its latest adult-friendly release, called We Dare. The trailer for We Dare illustrates gameplay in the form of four consenting adults using the Wii remote to control virtual versions of party games like Spin The Bottle, Kiss Under the Mistletoe, and the ever-popular Take Off Your Clothes.

The We Dare trailer is a perfect example of vendors using viral marketing to hype up the release of video games that may not be as fun as the videos suggest.

The Dead Island trailer is making similar waves for two reasons: because of its graphic nature that makes sensitive babies like Wilson and me squirm, but also because it doesn't show footage of actual gameplay in Dead Island.

Game previews often show cut scenes or, worse, videos exclusively created for the trailers, which leaves plenty of gamers feeling cheated when the gameplay doesn't even come close… Read more

Bust out the tie-dye and patchouli oil, buds. A Grateful Dead game is on the way.

Asheville, N.C., casual-game developer Curious Sense is designing and developing the social game with Grateful Dead Productions and Rhino Entertainment, the Warner Music Group subsidiary that's managed the iconic band's intellectual property since 2006.

The title will be geared for online and mobile play and should be out in August for an as-yet unnamed price model (don't even think of bootlegging it, man).

"We've found a great partner in Curious Sense. They are lifelong Dead Heads who have some brilliant plans to take our fans on a very cool journey," David Lemieux, legacy manager for the Grateful Dead, said in a statement. "We can't wait for everyone to check out the fun new toys we are building."

The developer hasn't detailed gameplay yet (Adam Blumenthal of Curious Sense tells CNET the company's waiting until the game's closer to completion to spill more info). It will say, however, that the title will immerse players in a Grateful Dead universe of music and visuals such as album cover art and band members' likenesses, and worlds will include spots from Dead lore like San Francisco and Giza, Egypt.

"At every turn whimsy, surprises, pranks, and miracles may be presented," the developer says on its site, not mentioning whether any of those miracles will be psychedelic in nature. … Read more

Two years after the original Dead Space exploded onto the gaming scene, we're treated to a proper sequel. Critics and gamers alike praised the original for its unique atmosphere and resurrection of the flailing survivor-horror genre.

Dead Space 2 continues the story of Isaac Clarke and his seemingly endless run-ins with the once-human Necromorphs that have taken over a space station on one of Saturn's moons, Titan. Does Dead Space 2 deliver the screams of its predecessor?

Jeff: Like any hardened survivor-horror fan, the original Dead Space convinced me that the genre still had legs. I found the atmosphere in the game truly terrifying for its ability to believably insert the player in the scariest environment imaginable: outer space.

Dead Space 2's atmosphere is familiar, but instead of a vast planet-cracking spaceship, Isaac Clarke must battle demons--both real and internal--while trekking through the space station Titan. I got to sit down with Dead Space 2's executive producer Steve Papoutsis for some more insight on the sequel.

When asked about keeping Dead Space 2 true to its survival-horror roots, Papoutsis delivered a memorable slogan the team at Visceral Games used as inspiration: "Real space, real terror." And though we think Dead Space 2 takes things to a more fast-paced level, the ominous feeling of impending doom and jump-out-of-your-seat moments are sure to win over those loyal fans of the original.

Papoutsis went on to explain how important it was for Dead Space 2 to remain somewhat grounded in reality, exploiting its uncanny ability to appear believable. We can't disagree, as Dead Space 2 seems to be in a unique category of games that can convince the player of some sense of realism. Our hero Isaac Clarke also is much more fleshed out and humanized in Dead Space 2 as well, something that was lacking in the first game.… Read more

Sometimes, it seems to take a lot of energy to save energy. It seems to take a considerable carbon footprint to save a carbon toeprint.

So please join me in commending the council members in Redditch, U.K., who, according to the Guardian, have come up with a mortally interesting concept to heat their Abbey Stadium swimming pool and leisure center.

They'd like to keep it warm by using cold, dead bodies. Well, scalding dead bodies, to be precise.

I am sorry if this alarms you. But, in a rather charming example of zoning, there happens to be a … Read more

Apologies for skipping yesterday's show, but Jeff and Wilson were at a Nintendo event where the company revealed big news: the Nintendo 3DS will be available on March 27 for $250.

Nintendo also showed off 10 games for the 3DS that will be for sale at the release, all developed specifically for a 3D environment, like Steel Diver, Kid Icarus Uprising, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and Super Street Fighter IV 3D.

CNET's Scott Stein's impression of the device involved taking issue with the 3D effect breaking as you engage the accelerometer and tilt the unit, but we'll have a more thorough examination for you when it finally launches on March 27.

In more video game news, a clever viral ad for Dead Space 2, banking on the idea that gamers love what their mothers hate, shows a group of mothers reacting to the intense gameplay. The outer space horror game will be available on January 25.

Good news for select Google Voice users: the search giant is offering the ability to port your phone number to Google Voice. Prior to this new feature, you had to memorize a unique number to give out to friends and family, but now you can pay $20 to give your number over to Google; then all you have to do is sign up for a new contract and you'll never have to send out the classic "hey this is my new number" message again.

CNET's Jessica Dolcourt also adds this tip: "Just keep in mind that jumping ship on any current mobile contract will incur your carrier's wrath in the form of early termination fees. Therefore, port wisely, young Googlers." Thanks Jessica!

Today's preGame demo is for mature audiences only.

This week on preGame we're very pleased (and terrified) to bring you a live demo of Dead Space 2 a week before it hits store shelves. Isaac Clarke finds himself up against a horde of Necromorphs, this time while aboard the space station Titan.

But before we get into the gory details of Dead Space 2, we'll have first looks at two trailers for games about to hit, Mortal Kombat and Bulletstorm. We'll reveal the special surprise inside the Mortal Kombat trailer, a treat for PlayStation 3 owners. … Read more

Wilson's still gone in China rehabilitating baby pandas, so this yuletide episode of The 404 Podcast features me and Jeff going through the movies and film trends that struck a chord in 2010.

Follow along with us as we the best (Inception, Social Network, Hot Tub Time Machine) and the worst (Prince of Peria: The Sands of Time, Devil, Legends of the Guardians) movies of the past twelve months!

Hope you're having a great holiday, and look forward to another 404 yuletide episode coming your way soon!