Red Faction Guerilla topping pre-sale charts

Advanced sales for THQ Inc.'s Red Faction Guerilla for Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 increased this week at retailer Amazon.com prior to the release of the title next week.On Fri., the Red Faction Guerilla Xbox 360 SKU held a 327 percent sales increase to rank at No. 62, while the PS3 SKU held a 309 percent sales increase to rank at No. 221 in Amazon's Video Games division.

Amazon is offering an exclusive golden sledge hammer pre-order bonus to use in-game.Red Faction Guerilla is the latest entry in the franchise.The third-person action title, to be released June 2, will include destructible open-world environments in a Mars-based sci-fi setting. The final game will include multiplayer functionality for up to 16 players on Xbox Live or Playstation Network. I'm getting it on the 2nd so expect a full review over the next week or two - depending of course on how the week goes.

Marilyn Manson "the high end of low" (album review)

It was back in 2007 that I first heard of this album being written & it was soon after in 2008 that the recording followed. The previous album “eat me drink me” seemed to focus a lot on Manson’s past & current love life which didn’t really help him with it came to critics, this latest release doesn’t entirely avoid the relationship subject either so its hard to predict how the critics will react. Past work & criticism aside here’s what I thought of the new album. In a whole I really liked it..ok so maybe one or two songs will take a while to really appeal to me but the production values are definitely there & you can tell the works been put in. tracks like “arma-god-damn-mother-fn-geddon” & “we’re from America” are classic thumping Manson songs with lots of high tempo & sharp riffs. “running to the edge of the world” Strangely enough sounds a little like “love is all around” by Wet Wet Wet .. don’t ask me why, the chords sound pretty solid & the vocal melody is just a lil too slow for my tastes. “black & white” sounds like it has some serious Bowie influences with its twangy guitar & tambourine work. “devour” is the opening track & sounds a lot like the older Manson work, it starts off as just noise which then leads into some nice guitar work & bass, it’s a great track & it got me going once I put it on but I really don’t like how it cuts out so abruptly. “leave a scar” is one of my favourite songs but the alternative version on the bonus CD is by far my favourite version of the song, it has an almost Celtic sound to it that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The bonus CD is only available with the deluxe version & includes 6 tracks but I really would only recommend it to diehard fans because they are not that different to the published tracks. I gave this album a few listens before I wrote my final verdict so here it is…

In the past “eat me drink me” dropped Manson into a deep pit that he might never escape but with “the high end of low” its clear he has gotten to a point where escape is finally possible. He seems more in touch with the style & tunes that made his fans like him in the first place. I wouldn’t say its hate filled but there is a lot of anger towards the current situation in America. There is plenty here to propel Manson back into the public eye with a little controversy thrown in for good measure. Overall I liked what I heard, true it wasn’t anything that new but then he does always seem to stick to his own style of writing & singing so I didn’t expect a direct change there. “the high end of low” wont win any awards because to most people it will just sound mediocre so unless you are an avid Manson fan then you might be disappointed with what is on show here. Even with its faults I’m giving it a 6 out of ten.

Sony to launch music videos feature

Sony Computer Entertainment is set to unveil a music video service this summer. Called “VidZone,” the service is aimed exclusively at the Playstation 3. “Thousands of music videos” will be available at no cost from the PlaystationStore, the company reports. Videos can be downloaded from the store directly onto the console. The option to create video playlists will also be available. Gamers who own both the PS3 and a Playstation Portable (PSP) can also load those clips onto the portable device, either through the PlaystationStore or streaming from the PS3. The music videos in the VidZone will come from several large record companies, Sony reports, as well as titles from significantly more small labels.

Woman fired for not wearing makeup

"It was a shock! The even bigger shock, was when I found out, it was within his legal rights to do so."Vild, 27, has never "put a face on." "I have never worn makeup in my life. I just don't like it," Vild said. "When (the boss) told me I need to dress like I am going out with the man of my dreams, that did it for me."Several years ago, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that it is not discriminatory for employers to require women wear makeup."Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right," Vild said. Vild said it was alright for her to work at Trophy's for five years, but she's convinced that she was terminated because of her refusal to wear makeup. She said this isn't the first time her former boss has fired someone for not putting on makeup. Attorney Richard Wirtz said it is up to the jury to decide whether Vild has a case."She should go through the facts of her case. In every discrimination case, it's always facts intensive. Vild says she wants to get the word out to other employers. "The real irony in the story is Mark Oliver has called his restaurant the 'all-American grill,' and not all of America wears makeup. Not all America looks like they should be on the cover of a Vogue magazine, there's more to it," Vild said. In the meantime, Vild just got a new job bartending, where she says, no makeup is needed.

Hilton to work with Geldof on fashion venture

Paris Hilton and Peaches Geldof have put their recent war of words behind them - the socialite has lined up Bob Geldof's daughter to model her latest fashion venture.Earlier this month Geldof slammed the 'Simple Life' star, saying: "Paris is thick and sometimes looks like a transvestite, even though she's better looking than me." But Hilton was all smiles when the pair met up in France at the Cannes Film Festival this week - and was so enamoured with Geldof she has asked the 20-year-old to model her new hair jewellery range in Britain.Hilton told the Daily Mirror: "Peaches is such a sweetie. I can't wait to bring my bling to London where she'll be just perfect to model it with me."

Fallout 3 DLC coming to the PS3

Set to hit the PlayStation Network (PSN) this coming June, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to snaffle the original Operation: Anchorage pack, with releases of The Pitt and Broken Steel due to follow every four to six weeks after that point. And, once those packs have successfully landed, Sony’s console will then be graced with new expansion packs Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta; the former offering new quests and content within a vast swampland environment, while the latter will put players through the related stresses (anal probing?) of an in-game alien abduction. However, with Point Lookout scheduled for release on the Xbox 360 and PC in June, with Mothership Zeta expected in July (both for 800 Microsoft Points), PlayStation 3 owners will still have to wait until at least September before once again catching up with the episodic embellishments. Not only will the content be released online but Bethesda has announced plans to release all of the Fallout 3 DLC through conventional retail outlets too.

Far Cry 2 - game review

Well this game is huge & I don’t just mean the levels/map I mean everything the selection of weapons & features is simple massive. it’s a first person shooter obviously & part one on the xbox was also a first person shooter but its missing something that the first one didn’t have & I’ll get to that. So its set in Africa & there are a few different characters to choose from including an ex-IRA man (huh?) but really the character choices are nothing special & because it’s a first person shooter you will only see different arms anyways. The African landscape featured here is really something special, its vast & vibrant at times & has everything from lush green jungles to dusty deserts. The game cycles smoothly from day to night & I have to say I haven’t seen as smooth a transition in any game since then. Your character is a mercenary that’s sent into Africa to track down & assassinate an international arms dealer known only as “the jackal”. to get to the jackal you must find & fight your way through the game but its not as easy as it sounds, the game play can be tough & you will find yourself backtracking through the vast landscape just to do business with a faction or even to complete a mission. Like I sad the map is huge but it’s a little too big at times & it can be irritating getting from one point to another, even once you learn the layout of the map you will have moments where you are cursing the size of the map.

Speaking of maps the game comes complete with a very impressive level editor that lets you build your own maps full of weapons & buildings.. But that’s really the tip of the iceberg & its near impossible to do the editor justice by using just words. The maps you can build are simply amazing & the freedom of design is something I have never seen in a game before (including the one on the original xbox) of course once you have your map built you can pop it online & let other people play on it, this works great for the multiplayer. Some people have dubbed this GTA set in Africa but its not, it plays differently & the controls are more like the call of duty series. Its got a lot going for it & the game engine it uses is spectacular especially the way it deals with weather & fire effects, for instance if a fire does break out the whole area around it will be consumed by flames in an ultra realistic way.

For me the game was great fun & the missions were very time consuming but I simply cant get over the size of the map, if there was more in the actual environment like towns or villages it really would have been a better experience but driving around or in some cases running (they blew my jeep up!) for god knows how long.. It was just too much. I guess to sum it up I’d call it a survival game because you really are in the middle of no where & you have to survive to get through to the next mission. don’t get me wrong it’s a fun game but it might be a little too raw for some people & if you don’t like huge maps then this wont do you any favours, I’ll give it an 8 out of 10.

Call of Duty 4 modern warfare - game review

OK so the game is old now & its making me feel all nostalgic even writing about it but it still packs a wallop. A lot of the games I reviewed today have something in common (they are old enough titles that I never got around to reviewing before) call of duty was released back in 2007 so that too fits right into the category. Since its release it has won countless awards & by June 2008 it sold over 10 million copies, so 10 million people cant be wrong..right?. Set in locations like Ukraine/Azerbaijan & the Middle East you alternate between an American marine & a British SAS commando. The characters are likable & the plot is believable with a few little twists along the way. There have been many call of duty games before this one but they were never set in the modern battlefield, that’s what really hooked me in the first place - because its more modern its more realistic & definitely more believable than the previous world war 1 & 2 games, don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the previous call of duty games but for me I much rather prefer the modern approach. The game is packed full of great combat & incredible graphics that really sell the power of nextgen consoles. There are stacks of weapons that you can use & all of them handle/sound/feel & shoot like the real thing, mp5s/m4a1s/m203 grenade launchers/claymores/grenades/night vision goggles & even sniper rifles, my favourite of course is the sniper rifle & there is one level where you need to calculate the power of the wind before carrying out a very important one shot one kill scenario. The single player campaign plays exceptionally well with a great story, amazing level design, powerful music, raw realistic combat & a whole host of other features.

The online multiplayer is really where the game comes to life & it’s the first game to really sell me on playing online games. Its hard to really sum it all up in words, it has the usual death match features but what really stands out is the reward system. Put simply the better your performance & the more enemies you take out the higher your score & the more perks you are awarded, the perks system works flawlessly & it adds a serious lifespan that will have you logging on day after day to unlock that special something you are after, for me it was the .50 barrett rifle that I earned by levelling up & up.

There are not enough good things I can say about this game its simply perfect & it plays solidly. I wasn’t a serious first person shooter fan when I first got it but I quickly picked up the controls & through playing the campaign I learned all the skills to use for online play. Whatever you do play the campaign first! Too many people seem to be buying games like this & going straight to the multiplayer, if you do end up doing that with call of duty 4 you will really miss out on one of the best gaming experiences ever. The game came out in 2007 & recently part 5 was released but 5 is not a follow-up to part 4 so avoid it if you want the modern experience again, instead wait until November 10th 2009 when the proper sequel Call of Duty modern warfare 2 will be released & trust be it will be well worth the wait.

Quantum of Solace - game review

Oh no not another badly made James bond game.. that’s what I thought too but I heard good things about it so I just had to find out for myself & honestly my expectations for this one were so low that I struggled with the idea of buying it in the first place but I’m glad I did! Bonds never looked or played better (yes I was a big fan of bond on the n64 but this is different) as you may have guessed it follows the movie by the same name but unlike the movie this is actually really good. It focuses mostly on the new movie but there are some great little moments where you get to play in the casino royale world, you don’t get to play the famous cards scene but the scene at the start where you are jumping from crane to crane chasing a terrorist that's here & it plays perfect. Another great sequence included in the game is the Miami airport one where bond has to prevent an airliner from being blown sky high but of course the game extends on the scene & adds little elements of stealth where you have to infiltrate certain areas of the airport. Its not all about sneaking around of course as this really is a first person shooter & it certainly plays like one, I was afraid they would stick in some awkward driving sequence that would take away from the game but they didn’t.

The controls are pretty nifty & easy to get used to so you wont be screaming at the screen every time you pick up the controller. There is a good amount of weapons & gadgets to make use of & they all feel different which is good because in the past most bond games all had a lot of weapons but they all felt identical. The graphics are stunning enough though at times they can be a little glitchy but its nothing serious, levels like the mansion at the start & the opera all make use of nice lighting effects but they are a little too linear for my tastes. The music or score is sharp & fit’s the mood perfectly, a nice little surprise was the theme song “when nobody loves you” by one of my favourite artists Kerli especially since I hated the theme song for the movie itself. If you want to go online with it you can & there are lots of game modes to choose from like bond vs./golden gun/team conflict/bond evasion & territory, points are awarded which can be used to upgrade various weapons & gadgets. So onto my final thoughts.. What I liked about the game was the level design really immerses the player into the world of bond/lots of enemies populating the levels/the lack of a vehicle section keeps all the action on foot which makes it more realistic/the graphics engine from call of duty 4 is incredible. Of course it was not all good, the game was a little too short/the online multiplayer was a little flat & could have done with a little more variety/hacking doors is annoying & its in there too many times/for a bond game there was a considerable low amount of weapons/there are not many achievements to get so it wont really inspire you to go back & play through it again. At the end of the day it’s a fairly balanced game & I did have fun playing it, it was a thrill to step back into the world of 007 & an even bigger thrill to realise that for once a movie inspired game (especially a bond one) had been made that was actually very good. Offline the game is a gem & if you are looking for a solid first person shooter then you cant go wrong with this one, even though it didn’t inspire to play through the whole game again I did find myself playing various little missions/scenarios again. I’m going to recommend this to not only bond fans but to fans of first person shooters too & casual gamers, its getting a well deserved 8 out of 10.

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. - game review

Set in the near future h.a.w.x. (high altitude warfare experimental) is an air combat game with plays more like an arcade game than a flight simulator . You play as an air force pilot that leaves the air force for a PMC (private military company) the aim of course to provide military services for organisations & countries all over the world. There are about 20 levels most of which are fun to play but where the game really shines is the map design - using global satellite images the developers have modelled every level from actual real locations so when you are flying over Washington it really is Washington that you are looking at.. However it does get a little blocky if you fly too low to the ground but it is a nice little feature. So it’s a flight game so there are a lot of planes to choose from including classic fighter jets to modern planes like the F22 Raptor & all of them handle fairly realistically. There are a ton of planes to unlock & you can use experience points to upgrade each of them with different weapons/bombs/missiles etc.. now this might sound like a good idea & at times it is but I have finished the game on normal already & have half the game completed on both hard & elite but I’m still only half way up the ranks so really the rewards system is just too hard & I think that will put people off playing. The game uses a new feature known as ERS (enhanced reality system) which when used provides a gateway on your screen that can either lead you out of harms way or right into a fire fight.. I used this only when the game made me use it because it does feel kind of like cheating so avoid it when you can because it will really take the fun out of the game for you.

The missions can be fun but very tough at times & most of them involve dog fights/bombing runs & close air support ..but at times this can be a little repetitive & just when you compete your objective you seem to always bump into one last batch of enemy jets & this does gather rather tiresome. I did like this game & it did have its moments but the story was lacking a little & its no where near as good as other Clancy titles like EndWar, its very challenging if you want to climb the ranks & upgrade your planes but the fact it’s a tough game sets it apart from all the others. I’m not going to recommend this to everyone but if you do want to experience it I’d suggest renting it first because its not going to appeal to everyone & its really one of those games you might just want to play through once. If you want to know anything else about the game then drop me a line here & I’ll get back to you when I can, in the meantime I’m giving h.a.w.x. a 7 out of 10.. It was fun to play & very challenging but it has its problems.

Burnout Paradise: Ultimate Box - game review

Straight off there are 2 versions of burnout paradise, both have more or less the same name except one of them (this one) has that extra “the ultimate box” written on the box. So what’s the difference between them? Well ultimate box has a hell of a lot more in it! Not only does it have lots of the online content like extra cars/game modes (even bikes now) but it also has little fixes like day to night cycle & enhanced weather effects. I always loved the burnout series ever since I played the first one on the ps2, they weren’t taken too seriously back then because of the way they played but this latest instalment really changes that all. Its seriously jam packed with things to do & they drop you right into paradise city with the whole map fully unlocked, I think they do this to let you go get used to the roads & explore the map which really does work because when you do get into a race or challenge you have a good enough idea of a few secret routes & shortcuts. So obviously it’s a racing game & it delivers when it comes to realistic car controls & character models but this is a burnout game so there is lots of crashing & crazy stunts thrown in.

I wasn’t sure if I’d get tired of the game because of all the racing but the different game modes offer such a variance that I kept playing all the way from my first license up to my A class license (that’s well over 300 races!) its not only the racings that kept me coming back for more, at nearly every set of traffic lights in the city is a challenge/race that can be activated by hitting the top 2 shoulder buttons. Game modes include racing/road rage/marked man/stunt run/ burning route, they all start off easy enough but as you get closer to that A licence it gets much tougher & in events like marked man/road rage unless you give it your all you will be annihilated by the other drivers. Burnout paradise was a nice little surprise for me because so many people assumed it would be just another burnout game, it was a lot more & maybe one of the funniest games I have played in a long time. One thing I have heard people complain about is the soundtrack to the game.. Fair enough its not amazing but do those same people know you can play your own songs (from your hard drive) through the game on both the ps3 & 360, doubtful. If you are looking for a game that’s easy to pick up & play then I highly recommend this game, its great value for money & so much fun.

NARS summer 2009 collection

"As NARS turns fifteen this year, the brand’s commitment to creating products that defy convention remains unwavering. The NARS woman has never been content to fade into the background, and this summer is no exception. “The look for the summer 2009 collection is sophisticated, but colorful,” says Francois Nars, founder and creative director of NARS cosmetics. That translates to glowing, sun-kissed skin, shimmering peachy-hued lips and high-drama eyes in deep, shimmering tones of metallic-flecked topaz or sparkling azure. Whether your vision of perfect summer conjures up images of Morocco’s kaleidoscopic bazaars, the pristine Art Deco structures of Ocean Drive or the endless white sand beaches and cerulean waters of a Caribbean island, this season’s vivid yet versatile color palette is the perfect complement."

NARS Tropic Single Eyeshadow- $22

For the latest eye shadow, there was only one blue François Nars had in mind. “The tropics are always inspiring for me,” says Nars. This lush, silver-flecked teal is a precise image of the ocean’s reflective, rolling waves.

NARS Scorching Sun Duo Eyeshadow- $32

The glazed apricot and radiant orange duo, is designed “to imitate the effect of the burning sun,” according to Nars. The sun-drenched colors allow for surprising wearability. The pair can be blended together to form a rich, burnt orange, or worn in tandem.

NARS Irresistiblement Bronzing Powder- $30

Nothing evokes the feeling of summertime quite like bronzed skin. The newest shade, a rich golden terracotta, offers a flattering faux glow when dusted across the areas of the face where the actual sun would hit.

NARS Falbala Lipstick- $24

On the lips, this high-shine bronzy rose lipstick has a sweet, insouciant quality about it.

NARS Outsider Lipstick- $24

This is definitely not your grandmother’s coral. This deeper, glistening variety is a modern take on a time-honored classic.

NARS Belize Lip Gloss- $24

The pale pink mauve sprinkled with specks of gold simulates the color of a Central American sunset and gives nude lips a sultry boost.

NARS Tonga Lipliner Pencil- $20

A creamy, long-wearing lip pencil in a shade of pink amber plays dual roles. Use it traditionally, to outline lips and prevent lipstick from feathering; or color the entire lip with the moisture-rich pencil.

NARS Adelita Nail Polish- $16

This shimmering pearlescent shade of pink, is simultaneously sweet and saucy, the ideal embodiment of feminine strength.

Metal Gear Solid 5... friday?

New graphic on Konami teaser site suggests triple-A sequel is in the works

A new visual tweak on an already heavy speculated Konami teaser site has given the biggest hint yet that Metal Gear Solid 5 will be revealed early on Friday morning.
The site, which is tentatively entitled ‘Next’, has been updated with the number five now appearing briefly every few seconds. The rest of the graphic depicts a stormy sky above a grassy field.

Everything aside from that is down to guesswork. If the new game follows in the footsteps of its predecessor and is a PS3 exclusive, it will prove a further shot in the arm for Sony’s PS3, which already looks set for a strong 2009. However, Konami has recently released a brand new Metal Gear title on the iPhone, and the publisher has previously expressed is multi-platform aspirations, so a big surprise could yet be in the works. The countdown on the site will reach its conclusion early on Friday morning – May 22nd 02:00 BST.

Anna Friel steps into Audrey's shoes

British actress Anna Friel is stepping into Audrey Hepburn's shoes to star in a West End stage adaption of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.The 32-year-old will appear as Hepburn's character Holly Golightly in London's West End later this year - and the 'Pushing Daisies' actress is determined to put her own stamp on the role.She said: "I'm delighted to have been given the chance to play one of my all-time favorite heroines. Holly's a heroine for a lot of females because she doesn't follow the rules. My Holly will have a lot more rough edges than Audrey's."

New York City, 1943. William ‘Fred’ Parsons, a young writer from Louisiana, meets Miss Holly Golightly, a charming, vivacious and utterly elusive good-time girl. Everyone falls in love with Holly, including William - but he is poor, and Holly needs rich. Will she marry Rusty, playboy millionaire? Or José, the future president of Brazil? As war rages in Europe, Holly begins to fall in love with William - and then her past catches up with her…

Poetry

Ok so its not something I usually post but in one of the forums I use recently there was a topic about posting your own quick poetry ..pretty much on the spot so straight away don’t expect greatness, but anywho here are two I made up in about 5mins. I actually quite like them ..here goes = )

"Puppies"

I love my puppies they are great dogs

my fav the doberman he eats frogs

he has big sharp scary teeth

a cold nose & smelly feet

at night he sleeps at the foot of the bed

pointy ears & very well fed

"Sleep Paralysis"

At night I wonder if there is someone under my bed

Once I swear I saw a head!

Grabbing a baseball bat I went to have a look

When all of a sudden the bed shuck!

2 red eyes ..bright & gleaming

Thank gawd I was only dreaming!

Modern Warfare 2: Details

The first Modern Warfare 2 details have emerged via Game Informer magazine in the US.The CoD4 follow-up has you (a new recruit) out to stop the new face of global terrorism, Makarov, an associate of baddie Zakhaev from the first game. Soap, the protagonist from the first game, is back as a veteran soldier NPC.Modern Warfare 2's said to sport a longer single-player campaign with more "open-ended" gameplay then its predecessor - stealth tactics can even be used in missions if the player chooses.The campaign is said to run at a solid 60fps with environment detail bumped up even further than CoD4.Riot Shields, movable turrets and customised weapons for single-player are promised, and responding to criticism of CoD4's infinite enemy respawns, Infinity Ward is looking to stay away from these heavy scripting sequences, says the mag.

Players are now more manoeuvrable too; In the game's ice missions (seen in the footage on this page) players will be able to swim and scale ledges, and the snow mobiles are indeed used as a form of escape.Unlike World at War, co-op will not be available through the game's campaign, though a separate series of co-op missions are planned in "Special Forces mode".Interestingly, Infinity Ward's also planning a "live patching system" for the game's multiplayer, meaning you won't have to download full-blown patches for the sequel.

PS3 to get GTA "lost & damned"

Grand Theft Auto IV expansion The Lost And the Damned has been rumoured to arrive on the PlayStation 3 this August. The Lost And the Damned is the first of two planned episodic expansions to GTA IV. It was originally released as an Xbox 360 exclusive in February, but according to PSW Magazine, the add-on is about to land on the PS3.

In its latest issue, the magazine claimed that Microsoft only has a six-month exclusivity deal for the content, which expires in August. The article went on to say that the content will arrive on the PS3 once the deal has run its course. The original 360 version was well received by critics, who hailed its improved motorcycle mechanics, strong voice acting and addictive multiplayer component. Rockstar Games is yet to confirm a PS3 release for GTA IV: The Lost And the Damned.

Swine Flu Fashion..?

Depending on how much news you watch & how much news you believe swine flu is either going to pass by quietly or else kill off the entire population of the world. As for me I’m not looking to much into it but for the fashionable people out there you don’t have to suffer the ugly mask problems.. Behold swine flu chic!

M&S back down on prices

Britain’s largest clothing retailer, Marks & Spencer, has backed down on its incendiary policy of charging a 2 pound ($3) surcharge for bras that are DD or larger in the face of a spreading consumer revolt.

Think women don’t care about this issue? Then think again — that’s what M&S executives had to do after some 14,000 women gave their name to a Facebook campaign aimed at eliminating the big boob penalty. "We always try to do the right thing by our customers and we thought we had, but it’s clear we’ve got it wrong this time," said M&S chairman Stuart Rose. "From Saturday, no matter whether it’s large or small bras you need, the price will be the same."
To get the message out, the company paid for an eye–catching full–page advertisement in several national newspapers Friday. It showed a full–figured woman in lacy green lingerie. In the ad, the company apologized for its mistake and offered a 25 percent reduction in all bras of all sizes for the next two weeks.

"We are just overwhelmed," said Becky Mount, a co–founder of the Busts 4 Justice group that brought retailing icon M&S to its knees with a canny Internet and media–oriented campaign. "We’ve won, and we never thought it would happen so quickly." The group, which grew exponentially in the last few days, had vowed to challenge Rose and other M&S executives at the company’s annual meeting this summer. Mount said this threat, and growing media support for their crusade, made the company’s leaders realize they were losing the public relations battle.

"They didn’t want a lot of big–breasted women storming their meeting," said Mount, 19. "I think they realized they were dealing with a much bigger force than they thought originally, and that we weren’t going to go away."

She said the group’s members would be happy to shop at M&S now that the surcharge has been dropped. The new policy brings M&S into line with other major retailers in Britain, who decline to pass the higher cost of designing and manufacturing large–size bras on to the consumer.
British lingerie specialists ranging from the pricey Agent Provocateur to the saucy Ann Summers line do not charge more for DD bras, despite the extra work that goes into producing them. In the United States, bra prices on the popular Victoria’s Secret Web site do not change as sizes get larger.

But policies change store by store and brand by brand.
At the upscale Rigby & Peller shops in London, which specialize in personalized fittings, the company’s own bras are priced the same regardless of the size, said buyer Nicky Clayton. But some outside brands the store sells do contain a markup for larger sizes.
"Some brands like the Italian company Prima Donna charge us more, so we pass that on," she said. "But for Rigby and Peller bras the prices are exactly the same because we’ve got total control and can maintain pricing across all the sizes." She said M&S probably ran into trouble because its lingerie price policy differed from the strategy used for other items.

"If they charged more for larger sizes of all their items, like garments and outerwear, it would have been fine," she said. "It was just that they took this policy only on the lingerie sector that made it a problem."

The Godfather 2 - game review

The godfather 2 was one of the best films of all time so you would think with such a licence a games company could do it justice.. sadly with the latest godfather game this is not the case, in fact it’s the exact opposite. You get to play the game as a member of the Corleone family known as Dominic ..he is not in the movies but miraculously is in many key scenes tied into the movie (still with me?). Under Michaels mentoring you have been given the opportunity to head up your own family & as great as this sounds it really ..really is not. The godfather 2 fails in everyway: the controls are atrocious & play like a block of wood..but the AI is even worse, members of your crime syndicate will run around like headless chickens when faced with the most simple of tasks.. Even getting through a door is ridiculous. The graphics are so bad that they almost look cartoonish. Your men are there to help you take down other families by using special skills like safe-cracking but they just makes things more complicated, charge into a room guns blazing & it will be a miracle if your men follow to help out. Like in scarface one of the main aims is to take over rival businesses but even when you start doing this it gets so repetitive that it will have you pulling your hair out in frustration. The maps included in the game are new york, florida & cuba - the game itself can be completed in a matter of hours but even with the perks you will earn there is still no reason to go back & play because all your rivals are gone. The online multiplayer is also a let down, the targeting system is completely unreliable & special option as playing as the don really isn’t that special at all ..as the don you are at best a camera that floats over the battlefield offering advice & tactical information. Its rare that I will find a game this bad & with this being on the next generation consoles like the playstation 3 & xbox 360 it really leaves a lot of questions on whether this is really a finished game - to me it feels completely unfinished with a mountain of bugs & glitches. In short this is not only an insult to coppola’s classic but an insult to anyone that was unfortunate to buy the game.

Audrey Tautou: the new face of Chanel

Following in the glamorous footsteps of Nicole Kidman and Catherine Deneuve, French actress Audrey Tatou is the new face of the iconic fragrance Chanel No. 5. The beautiful doe-eyed star, who often garners comparisons to Audrey Hepburn, can be seen starring in a new short film to promote Chanel No. 5, out tomorrow.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who worked with Tatou in Amelie, the film portrays a brief sensual encounter between a man on a women who brush past each other on a night train. Filmed in a railway station in Nice and on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, it was inspired by a scene in the Oscar-nominated film A Very Long Engagement. Tatou, who plays the title role of Coco Chanel in Anne Fontaine's new film Coco avant Chanel, said of her appointment to the luxury fashion house: "It hasn't really sunk in yet. The fact that the film has been directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the fact that it is Chanel No.5, which for me is a legend in itself. Even now, I find it hard to believe." Created by Coco Chanel in 1921, No. 5 has remained the number one selling scent around the world.

The short film premieres on www.chaneln5.com on Wednesday.

FBI search for Russian Mafia in Moscow

FBI agents have arrived in Moscow looking for Russian mafia members, who committed crimes on US territory. The FBI agents are particularly interested in four Russian criminals. Americans have asked the Russian police to locate a quartet of Russian mafia bosses: Evgeni Dvoskin, Konstantin Ginzburg, Victor Vulf and Alexander Gribov. Evgeni Dvoskin was born in the Ukrainian city Odessa but had been living in the USA since 1990. A Spokesman for the FBI said that Dvoskin had served a prison sentence in the same jail as the infamous Russian criminal Vyacheslav “Yaponchik” Ivankov. After their release they organized several financial schemes and illegally bought shares of four big US companies. Dvoskin was detained 15 times during 10 years of living in the USA.

In 2001, Dvoskin was expelled from the US as an illegal immigrant. Two years later the US court opened a criminal case against Dvoskin for fraud and money laundering. Another of the FBI’s targets is Konstantin Ginzburg. The US intelligence service believes that 37-year-old Ginzburg is chief of a consortium of criminal gangs from the ex-USSR in US territory. FBI agents know from their own sources that the former Russian mafia leader Vyacheslav “Yaponchik” Ivankov entrusted Ginzburg with the role of “the head of the family”. FBI agents are also looking for Victor Vulf and Alexander Gribov. Vulf and his wife Natalia opened several fictitious building firms in the US. After amassing about $50 million the couple then fled the US for Russia.
Alexander Gribov, like Victor Vulf, is a financial swindler. He faked the existence of a network of medical centers in the US in order to claim insurance money for fictitious treatments and made $2,5 million. According to FBI information, Gribov is now living in Russia.

Britney to play Dublin in European tour

Britney Spears has extended her European concert tour, according to her website. A dozen new dates have been added to the Circus tour, which will see the star visit cities including Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and Moscow. The 27-year-old has already announced an 8 day residency at London's O2 Arena and one show in Manchester in June.

Spears is currently coming to the end of her 37-date North American tour. After the Manchester show, the singer will travel to Dublin for two shows from 19 June and then perform in Paris, Antwerp, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw and a final show in Berlin on 26 July. According to Spears's website, the tour's cast of nearly 50 dancers, magicians, clowns, acrobats and a travelling staff of more than 200 will travel to Europe with 60 tonnes (60,000 kg) of equipment in 34 trucks. The singer began her Circus tour on 3 March in her home state of Louisiana. It is her first concert tour in five years.

new Sony controller rumor..

A new rumor claims that Sony has a new motion-sensing controller that will be unveiled at E3. That could certainly be the case, but Sony has played with these ideas for a very long time, and the product may not be as grand, or close to release, as some are assuming.

Sony's E3 press conference already has one rumored announcement: the updated, UMD-less PSP system that has the game press all aflutter. Another rumor has begun making the rounds, although this one doesn't seem nearly as likely as the new PSP. The Cut-Scene is stating that Sony has a motion-sensing controller all but finished, and will be showing the hardware at E3. Some sources claim to have seen the hardware in action, and another rumor says that Sony has already reached out to developers to support the hardware in games. This could be the case, but we're not nearly as confident about the veracity of this rumor. Not only does Sony already have a motion-sensing controller in the Dual Shock 3, it is an absolute certainty that the company is working on new controllers, along with the existence of working prototypes. Patents prove that, but that doesn't mean any of them are going to see the light of day.

Sony is a company that loves showing off tech demos at trade shows, so it's very possible that we'll get a chance to play with something like what has been described. At past shows Sony has showed off WipeOut HD playing in 3D, while stressing that it has no plans to release hardware or software allowing that to happen in the near future. We were once given a tech demo on the PS3 in which a player could draw tanks and ships under the PlayStation Eye; the system then animated the doodles in a multiplayer game. It was a great use of the technology, but, again, we were told there were no solid plans to release an actual game using these concepts.
A demo that used the camera and a head-piece to track your movement and show a 3D image from your point of view was likewise neat, but went nowhere after the tech demos... as far as we know. There is a trend here. The interesting bit is that Sony has long played with this sort of controller. When the Eye Toy was released for the PlayStation 2, there was an issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine that came with a disc including a series of tech demos for the product. The concept was simple: you used any brightly-colored object that the camera could easily pick out of the background and by waving it around you could cast "magic" and interact with the images on the screen. It was a very crude idea, but it also is very reminiscent of the rumored controller that has been discussed lately.

This technology doesn't have to be expensive, or even require much in the way of new equipment. You could simply use any brightly colored object that provides enough contrast for the existing digital camera for the PS3. You could strap an LED or four to the front of the Dual Shock three and pick up the pattern of lights to control movement, if the standard motion-sensing that comes with the controller isn't enough for what you'd like to do. These ideas don't require an expensive new controller. In other words, this rumor isn't nearly as cut and dry as many reports are stating, and Sony has been flirting with these concepts for a very long time. It's possible we'll see a new controller technology announced at E3, but it could be simply a tech demo at Sony's booth.