I really can’t believe it, and perhaps I took it for granted. Star Trek the experience is no more as of September 1, 2008. I have been three times and have very fond memories of the place. I went in 2000, 2001 and 2006. I have fond memories of having my picture taken with Borg, Andorians and Klingons. Stopping by Quarks Bar & Grill and getting a Warp Core Breach was a blast.
According to TrekToday.com, the fate of Star Trek The Experience has been shaky at best. Apparently the Las Vegas Hilton changed ownership, which helped lead to its demise. Apparently the contract between CBS and Cedar Fair (currently run The Experience) were not renewed. This is after cost reductions were implemented.
If you have time in the next two months, pay it a visit. The restaurant is great, gift shops are fun and the rides are blast. Also be sure to do the Backstage Tour. I got my picture taken on a replica of the NCC1701D bridge and in a Borg drone chamber. Great stuff! I think I will try to head down in August. It will probably be very busy.
A few excerpts of the news release are as follows:
Las Vegas - Star Trek: The Experience, Las Vegas’ premier interactive attraction will conclude its historic 11 year run at the Las Vegas Hilton on September 1, 2008….
Asked if there is any final transmission he’d like to convey from the Enterprise bridge, Chad Boutte, Operations Manager and Director of Marketing said “Hailing frequencies open. We’d like to thank all the fans and friends of Star Trek, whose constant and amazing support we’ve enjoyed throughout our tenure at the Las Vegas Hilton. As we boldly go into the futures that await, know that we take your love of Star Trek: The Experience with us. We share the memories of time spent in the most unique place in the Galaxy, and we carry those memories into our futures with us. Live long, and prosper.
Hailing frequencies closed.”
Hopefully they auction off some of the stuff there. I would love to own a piece of that history. Perhaps I will go to the convention being held there August 6-10. It will be the last convention held there. You can read more about the convention here. Go check it out while you can!!!
It seems the Gears of War movie is still on track to become a reality. Len Wiseman is still on track to direct the movie. You may know him from the movie “Live Free or Die Hard.” Chris Morgan will be writing the screenplay.
Many people seem concerned about how the video adaptation will turn out. I personally am not too concerned. There have been some great adaptations (IMHO) such as Resident Evil and Doom.
Cliff Bleszinski, the creator of Gears of War was quoted saying this about the movie:
“Hollywood needs to take the source material seriously, win over the avid gamers and make it work for an audience that is young and old, male and female.” But he also admitted that that plan is easier said than done.
“Disney made a great movie out of a theme park ride, and somebody is sooner or later going to make a great one out of a video game,” Bleszinski said. “Having someone like Len really helps the odds. I think we’re going to create something special here.”
I still haven’t heard about a release date. All I can say is that I am glad this movie isn’t going the way of Halo (RIP).
I have to admit it. I stand corrected. I was wrong.
A while back I posted an article about how I thought Battlestar Galactica was starting off slow and boring and probably wouldn’t turn out so well. It turned out the opposite. Although it started off slow, it is going strong and has me hooked (hook, line and sinker). It is amazing.
I need to do a little more research, but I am psyched to find out who the fifth cylon is. I really enjoyed last Friday’s episode when they found Earth. Cool! I have to admist the end reminded me of “Planet of the Apes.”
You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! Damn you all to hell!
Now that was a good movie. OK. Back to the topic at hand. If you haven’t been following the Fourth Season, you have got to get caught up. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
I know. It isn’t coming out until November 2008, but I am getting more excited about Gears of War 2. Do you remember when we were told no sequels were in the works because “the powers that be” wanted to focus on the Gears of War movie? What ever happened with the movie? It probably went the way of the Halo movie.
I was reading an article on GameSpot.com and came across this on Gears of War 2 and couldn’t help but smile. This is an excerpt. You can read the entire article here.
The fact that Epic Games is at work on a sequel to 2006’s massive Xbox 360 hit Gears of War is one of the industry’s worst-kept secrets. Aside from being a logical business move–Gears has sold 4.5 million copies globally across the Xbox 360 and PC to date–Epic has been less than opaque about its intentions, even as far back as last year’s Game Developers Conference when lead designer Clifford Bleszinski (aka Cliffy B) said that his company “intends to do a sequel.”
The question, then, has been when would Microsoft and Epic finally get around to making the announcement. True to rampant speculation, that reveal came today during Microsoft’s keynote speech at the 2008 Game Developers Conference
After Epic founder Tim Sweeney and president Mike Capps left the stage with no mention of the shooter midway through Microsoft’s presentation, the lights dimmed to close out the keynote…and a trailer for Gears of War 2 played. Cliffy B then stormed the stage, chainsaw rifle in hand, revealing the game would officially light up Microsoft’s console exclusively this November.
I know, that probably wasn’t that exciting, but here is the official teaser for Gears of War 2. Be aware it is a little bloody. Enjoy!
You can learn more about the rendering engine being used for Gears of War 2 by watching the video below. It is a little long, but is very interesting if you enjoy learning about the intricate details of how the game works.
I just had to give a shout out to the 501st Legion. They made an appearance on the NBC TV show Deal or No Deal and they did a great job! I have met some of these guys and they are some of the nicest people out there. I dream some day of getting enough money to acquire the armor and become a member. That would be a geek dream come true.
All I can say, as I watched the 501st up on stage, is that those guys must have been pretty nervous. What an awesome experience for them! Now that the show has aired, I’m sure the 501st will be able to write more about their experience. It is my understanding that they were under confidentiality agreements (duh) until the show aired. It got over about an hour or so ago. They don’t have much on their site right now about it.
They also got to meet the Deal Or No Deal models in Princess Leia slave outfits. Lucky dogs!
in Star Trek MMORPG Dead In Space? 
Hopefully they auction off some of the stuff there. I would love to own a piece of that history. Perhaps I will go to the convention being held there August 6-10. It will be the last convention held there. You can read more about the convention here. Go check it out while you can!!!
