Sega: Fixing Sonic Is Going To Take Time

Once was a time Sonic games were just as good as Mario games. Some may even say better. That time, however, was back in the 1990's. And it's been a while since the 1990's.

Yet the blue hedgehog is still Sega's most prominent mascot, and Sega keep on churning out Sonic games, even though they suck. Which begs the question: when can we expect Sonic games to not suck? Sega America's VP of marketing Sean Ratcliffe got stuck with the excuse-making:

The quality is something that will be fixed over time. It's not something where you wake up one morning and say, 'You know what, we're going to improve our quality on this franchise,' and it magically happens. A lot of hard work goes into striving for quality.

Normally, we'd stop things there, but we like Ratcliffe's continued response so much we're going to run it:

Interestingly, I think Sonic Unleashed was very well received by the kids. There was some talk about the werehog aspect, the slower pacing and more combat-oriented gameplay, but when we go out and test this stuff and sit down with the consumers, kids actually like that. I think older, die-hard Sega fans who grew up with the franchise and the first Sonic the Hedgehog associate Sonic more with 2-D side-scrolling super fast, and they liked the daytime gameplay, but when it came to the slower paced gameplay they were fairly critical of that, and that's fine – they have their opinions.

"But the kids like it." Bet other publishers wish they could peddle that one out!

Madonna gets Ready for 'Celebration'

If you are not going to get recognition from anyone else, why not celebrate your accomplishments yourself? That's what material girl turned music icon Madonna is doing. The megastar has decided to create a two disk album called "Celebration" with some of her greatest hits! The album will be released on September 29th and will include re-mastered versions of Madonna's hit songs that have been selected by the pop singer herself. Some songs that will be featured on the album are, "Everybody," "Express Yourself," "Vogue," and "4 Minutes." "Celebration" also includes two new singles. Looks like the singer is still at it in the studio!

That's right, Madonna has been working hard in New York to complete her two new singles. The first one is titled 'Celebration,' yes just like the album. Madonna has not only sung this track, but she has also co-produced it with Paul Oakenfold. Madonna has also worked on her video for the single "Celebration." It was recently shot in Milan, Italy and will be on the "Celebration" DVD. The song is not due for release until August 3 at which point it will hit radios and clubs everywhere.

Along with the two new singles, Madonna has also invested her time in creating the cover for her compilation album. The cover focuses in on Madonna's face, the eye is drawn to the colored blond hair, heavy turquoise eye makeup, and luscious, ruby lips. Madonna is one hot mama!
It seems like Madonna has put a lot of effort into making this album great. Hopefully her fans will appreciate it.

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Mika Singh Heads to Hollywood with a Tamil Spin

Bhangra sensation Mika Singh has made his mark in Bollywood and now Mika is getting ready to take on Hollywood. So you would think that Mika is bringing a Punjabi flavor onto a Hollywood soundtrack but instead it looks like Mika Singh is fusing Punjabi beats with the South Indian culture. He is calling it Tamil Bhangra.

So what brought on this Tamil fusion? Well sources say that the artist is working on a song for the upcoming film, “Quick Gun Murugan.” The Hollywood film is a western spoof that follows the story of Quick Gun Murugan as he fights to save his village from Rice Plate Reddy. Reddy is planning on opening the restaurant McDosa; his evil plan is to put meat in his dosas without his vegetarian village knowing. The film is directed by underground director, Sashank Ghosh and the cast consist of seasoned actors such as, Dr. Rajendra Prasad from Tollywood (the South Indian film industry). Because it’s not intended to be a serious film the movie hits it mark with a cheesy plot line and outrageous costumes.

Although Mika isn’t making his debut on a typical Hollywood soundtrack it’s cool that he is bringing something new to the table. The film comes out on August 28th so stay tuned for the soundtrack that should be coming out shortly. Check out a clip of the movie below and share your thoughts on Tamil Bhangra. The film will be released in Tamil as well as English. Will it be a hit or miss?

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Ex-Idol Contestant Says Show Is Rigged

Some ousted season 8 American Idol top 36 semi-finalists--including Felicia Barton, Kendall Beard, and Ju'Not Joyner--participated in an online chat with the Idol website AI Now today. And during his frank online conversation with fans, Ju'Not came right out and said that the TV talent show is in fact rigged, and that its contracts are unfair to contestants.

"It's a fixed thing if I ever saw one," he boldly declared--much to the shock of many naive chatters, who responded with capslocked interjections and frowny-faced emoticons.

It was hardly the first time that AmIdol had been accused of wrongdoing. A book loosely based on anonymous former Idol employees' experiences with the show, Stage 46, made similar allegations last year. But few detractors have ever been as brutally honest as Ju'Not was today.

Ju'Not--who by his own account was labeled a "troublemaker" by Idol producers for questioning the contract (which he dubbed a "slavetract") that all auditioners are required by Fox/19 to sign, and was allegedly told by Idol bigwig Ken Warwick, "You're not going to ruin my show"--explained that he wanted to set the record straight today. He stated that he wanted to reveal "truth of Idol" because "Idol ain't all it is cracked up to be...It's certainly not the fairytale most think it is."

Ju'Not claimed he was cut from the competition, and not invited back for the Wild Card round (a shock to many viewers wowed by his memorable "Hey There Delilah" performance) because of his concerns regarding the fairness of the Idol contract.

"They pay for our lawyers to negotiate against their lawyer (which is BS)," he said. "They make us COLLECTIVELY choose the lawyer, then they act like it's in our best interest. Craziest stuff I've ever seen. I have a son to feed. I HAD to ask questions and know what I was signing. Plus I write my own songs and I needed to know details...Some folks were like, 'Just shut up and sign on the dotted line.' I know better than that...I wasn't complaining...I was asking basic legal questions. There's a huge difference between the two."

He continued: "I definitely believed that affected my time on the show. They didn't like the fact that I wouldn't sign 'just anything' and that other contestants were coming asking me questions. So I think they ousted me the first chance they could get...Even if I didn't get in on votes...how did I not get picked for the Wild Card show when I received comments from the 'judges' that were better than most of the contestants who were picked for the Wild Card show?"

Ju'Not also theorized that he was not selected for the top 13 because he refused to let the show's producers exploit his sympathetic "back story" of being from "the hood." Said Ju'Not: "They wanted me to put that out to the world and expose my personal business for ratings. I wouldn't do it."

While Ju'Not made it clear he believes Kris Allen is indeed talented and deserved to win this season, he also maintained that Kris's victory was fixed. "The producers know who they want and they slant it to reflect that. They fix it in a way that makes you surprised but it's still manipulated," he typed. "Think about it...ADAM, ADAM, ADAM, then...Kris....SURPRISE SMITHCHES!!!!

"What I mean is that people think AI is a talent show," he elaborated. "No. It's a reality show with writers!! We're all actors. All these shows have writers that guide the public opinion. The Hills, Real World. All of them." He even bluntly questioned the validity of the public's votes, saying, "Do you think a billion-dollar enterprise is subject to the whim of the public?"

Naturally, while some chat participants applauded Ju'Not's frankness, others questioned his motives, since few other Idol contestants have come forth with such accusations. Ju'Not explained: "No one else is complaining because a lot of the contestants don't understand how this business works. They've never had record deals or seen a record contract...I have. So I knew what questions to ask. It's kinda like ignorance is bliss. Some contestants may have thought it was just cool to be on TV, but this is my career. I take this thing VERY seriously...Very few people spoke up. They saw me as the ringleader. I'm not naming names. Because I have nothing against the other Idols."

So, was Ju'Not speaking the truth? If so, then he is to be commended for his bravery. But it's possible he was just trying to drum up publicity for the "hot" new album he's self-releasing this winter, in which case he's a typical showbiz opportunist. Or maybe he's just a bitter reject, desperately angling for a 16th minute of fame and dreaming of what might have been. All of this is up for debate.

But there is no debate that Ju'Not is, as he worded it today, "a straight-up person." He definitely went there.

Do you believe Ju'Not Joyner? Post your thoughts on the messageboard below.

Kareena Kapoor Chosen as Brand Ambassador for Gitanjali Jewels

Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor has been a coveted brand ambassador by many companies. Well now, we can add Gitanjali Group to her resume. They announced that she will be the brand ambassador for Gitanjali Jewels at a press conference at the Taj Lands End Hotel, Mumbai.

Prior to this announcement, Bipasha Basu was chosen as the ambassador for the Gitanjali Jewels, while Katrina Kaif was the brand ambassador for Gitanjali Group's Nakshatra brand. Looks like Bebo wanted her time to sparkle in these jewels too.

Kareena Kapoor commented by saying that "It's a real honor to be chosen as a Brand Ambassador for Gitanjali Jewels because I love jewelry and am pleased to be associated with 'Parineeta', 'Sagaaee' and 'ME Solitaire', each of which have such myriad of designs with both traditional and personal touch. I personally endorse it as I can totally depend on it as it is backed by the Gitanjali Group which brings in itself the quality and the trust."

Check out some videos posted below of the Bollywood princess herself decked out in jewels, endorsing Gitanjali Jewels.

So what do our readers think about Kareena Kapoor getting so many offers for brand ambassador jobs in the industry? Do you think that she's the right actress to be getting so many opportunities? Make sure to leave us a comment with your thoughts.