It's only a rumor at this point, but Apple may be bundling a brand new set of earbuds with the upcoming iPhone 5.

Apple has a lot of great hardware offerings, built and designed with attention and care. In comparison, its ill-fitting, flimsy, and awful-sounding earbuds currently being packed alongside the iPhone 4S are a bit of a nightmare. And while you’re probably sick of hearing about the iPhone 5, we think you’ll be happy to hear Apple might, possibly, probably not, but maybe have a new set of earbuds to accompany its latest iOS device.

Vietnamese site, Tinhte.vn recently posted a video claiming to feature the redesigned headphones in all their glory. Tinhte even compares the alleged new version to the old in case you don’t have your own pair lying around. After taking a listen to the new buds, Tinhte said the sound quality is superior to Apple’s previous offering with more powerful bass, though the overall volume has been reduced. Apparently they are much more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.

It’s impossible to tell if these are the real thing, but Apple’s unibody signature seems to be present. Plus, there’s the following phrase printed on the cord: “Designed by Apple in California Assembled in Vietnam”. Tinhte claims the buds feel like a cohesive unity with no parts in danger of detaching or falling apart. They’ve also been made more compact, with oval tips replacing the large, round tips that barely funnel sound into your ear. The earphones are cut at an angle so they can slide more easily into the canal and focus their sound. Fabricated wire and other quality finishing materials certainly have Tinhte convinced they’re the real deal. Tinhte also has a proven track record of gaining access to pre-release and prototype Apple devices.

But despite the large number of evidence pointing to the contrary, these rumored earbud replacements could easily be the work of a clever imitator. A lack of in-line microphone and volume control is probably the most compelling evidence against their authenticity, but there’s no way to tell whether the mic has been embedded into the buds somehow. Also, removing a feature that’s been such an integral and useful part of Apple’s original earbuds is like taking a step backward, which doesn’t ring true for Apple.

If they do end up being more than wishful thinking, Apple will finally resolve a glaring flaw in its otherwise well-built products. But as with most rumors, be prepared for all of this to be a distant memory once the truth emerges. It won’t be a long wait at least, with the iPhone 5 announcement rumored to be less than two weeks away.

The gaming world gets its own Pride Parade in GaymerCon: a special convention just for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community.

Gamers who’ve been ignored at best or persecuted at worst will finally have a chance to let their colors fly; GaymerCon, the first gaming and geek culture convention for LGBT gamers, is officially happening. Thanks in part to vocal support from Microsoft, GaymerCon’s Kickstarter has brought in $86,000 — more than three times its original goal.  GaymerCon co-founder Jack DeVries has already recorded a sweet thank-you message to all the event’s supporters, and has now announced an official time and location for the event: August 2013, in sunny and welcoming San Francisco.

The GaymerCon Kickstarter page promised that $35k would pay for a concert and a “night of drinking, dancing, and socializing,” $50k would make possible a free “brunchfast” for those who contributed more than $100, and $60k would pay for “a celebrity boss of honor.”  With all those targets hit and surpassed, the only question is which celebrities and bands will have the honor of appearing at what promises to be a major event.

In a thoughtful interview at 1UP, the organizers made clear that GaymerCon would be about inclusion, not exclusion. “GaymerCon is about adding MORE gamer space, not taking people away from established gamer spaces,” said public relations director Benjamin Williams. “I think gaming culture has grown to the point where subcultures appearing within it is a natural and healthy progression. We are not separating from gaming culture — we are growing it in our own unique way.”

Speaking to GayGamer.com, event founder Matt Conn also talked about how he has been active for years in creating space for “gay geeks,” feeling like the nerd scene was often openly homophobic, while the gay scene didn’t always have room for his love of anime, video games, and similar subcultural pursuits. 

Conn recently spoke to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), stressing the importance of the event as a tool for improving the visibility of LGBT gamers within the industry. “Historically, there has been very little content with [LGBT] themes or options in video games and other geek media,” he said. “We hope to show the world that that this audience not only exists, but is flourishing.” Many game companies justify their uniformity of content by saying that most of their customers are young, white, straight males, and a big showing at GaymerCon could go a long way to changing that belief.

As in many other aspects of American life, LGBT gamers have been making their presence felt in the gaming industry.  The Mass Effect trilogy went from explicitly refusing to include gay content to putting serious thought into how to implement same-sex romance that was respectful and smart.  The Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO was so gay-friendly that professional hater Tony Perkins condemned it on the radio.  And even the notoriously narrow-minded Street Fighter community now has a celebrated champion who cheerfully describes himself as a “fierce bitch.”  We may not have jet packs or laser pistols (yet)… but the future is definitely here.

WBIE and Traveller’s Tales returns with its next Lego offering, a Lego-ized look at the Lord of the Rings movies.

If you are familiar with any of the Lego games from Traveller’s Tales, then you probably have a good idea of what to expect from The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game. The game is based on the three Peter Jackson movies rather than Tolkien’s books, and it translates a property that is well known, instantly recognizable, and adored by millions. The Lego formula is simple and tested: take beloved properties and translate them into a Lego world, then add humor, and this game is no different.

But of all the properties that the TT games Lego-ized, none feature material quite as violent as that of The Lord of the Rings. Sure, The Lord of the Rings isn’t exactly horrific when it comes to the brutality and gore, but compared to other Lego adapted properties like Batman and Star Wars, Lord of the Rings is positively bloody. It is also a fantastic story, filled with colorful moments that are ripe for a Lego treatment.

The game combines all three movies into one package and translates them using the traditional Lego style. You move around familiar locations in teams that allow you to either jump between characters with the touch of a button, or play co-op with a friend. Destroying enemies and objects releases bolts, the currency in the Lego-verse, and you will also stumble across the odd structure that you can put together to in order to complete an objective or progress. In terms of gameplay it is the same style that you are familiar with if you know the Lego brand. If not, it is a straightforward action game with a hack-n-slash slant that gamers of all age will appreciate.

In the demo the TT Games is currently showing off, the Battle of Helm’s Deep was recreated. In the film The Two Towers, this was an intense battle that saw a lot of death and destruction. In the the game, at one point a Lego-tized Peter Jackson, who is acting as a defender just as he did in the film during a cameo, looks for things to throw and decides that his Oscar would make a decent weapon. At another moment, a Lego uruk-hai begins a slow-mo run towards the explosives-filled gap at the base of the wall, and it will probably have you laughing out loud.

The game also features voice work that could change for the final release, but it appears that TT Games will continue with actual voice actors, something that was just introduced in the recent Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. Regardless, the demo seemed to stick close to the script. The actions, however, were out right funny. Lego Aragorn and Lego King Theoden riding out into an unsuspecting horde of Uruk-hai was priceless.  

The game will appeal to fans, but the only downside is that it retains the same style that has been used for Lego games for years now. It is simple and easy, which makes it accessible, but it also feels a bit stale and in need of an upgrade sooner or later. 

The inclusion of 60 or so characters, all with multiple weapons, should have both fans of the Lego games and fans of The Lord of the Rings paying attention when this game is released in October for Nintendo DS, 3DS, PC, PS3, PS Vita, Wii, Xbox 360, and possibly even Atari and ColecoVision just to complete the set.

Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks have a winner on their hands with first-person assassin’s tale, Dishonored.

If there has ever been a good argument for developers to continue supporting E3, it is Behtesda and Arkane Studios’ Dishonored. Before the convention earlier this year, Dishonored was a curiosity. It was the second most interesting sounding title of what many considered a relatively weak Bethesda offering compared to previous years. Prey 2 was AWOL, Skyrim and Rage had both released, there was no Fallout news, and the highest profile title was The Elder Scrolls Online which is still a long way from release. 

It isn’t a franchise title, Arkane Studios is not a well-known developer, and the game itself had only been seen a handful of times. But then came E3 and everything changed. The previously unknown game was suddenly a game of the year contender and it won several Best of Show honors (including ours). The most often comparison was BioShock, which seems obvious since Arkane helped out with BioShock 2 and both games use a similar ability and weapon offensive combination. But it was more than just a similarity in the gameplay, it was a feeling that you were seeing something special. Both games featured a rich and original world and both offered a mysterious and compelling story, but beyond that they both offered choice.

How you approach the world is entirely up to you. If you want to go stealth, you have several tools at your disposal. If you want to take on the world, you can do that too. If you want to be a prick to the citizens of the fictional town of Dunwall, you can get incredibly creative and then ruin their evenings. The choice is yours.

In the demo that Bethesda is currently showing off, you are tasked with entering an exclusive party and assassinating an aristocratic matriarch named Lady Boyle — there’s a catch though. The target and her daughters are all wearing similar outfits that include masks. The game randomizes which of the three ladies is the actual target, which means you have to approach the mission creatively and put in the legwork. You could always try to kill everyone, but that be somewhat like ordering a steak from a fine restaurant and then covering it in A1.

Almost immediately I noticed that my game was progressing differently from that of the people playing around me. My game took me through the courtyard of the estate where the party was held, and an optional sidequest offered me the chance to fight a duel with pistols. Throughout the game there will be optional events within main missions, which shouldn’t come as a surprise for this type of game.

Even entering the house can be completed in multiple ways. Assuming you take the main door, you then have options. If you wander around and explore there are other side-missions to partake in, or you can focus on optional objectives that will help with the main quest.

I chose to complete the secondary objectives to help with the main quest. This sent me to the second floor to explore while dodging guards. It would be easy enough to take out the guards one at a time, but there is always the risk that the bodies could be discovered. So I decided to get creative.

The gameplay uses both weapons and powers, and you can bring these up on a selection wheel. From there you can map the weapon or ability to one of the d-pad directions. Using the ability to see through walls, I stopped time as a guard approached, then teleported behind him and went on to find a note that said who the target was. There were several areas to explore after that, and some were accessible through unusual means like possession of a rat that could then navigate the heating ducts to get to the basement. But that was for another quest, and I had an appointment to keep.

Due to my limited time, subtlety took a backseat to speed. I found the target and eliminated her with prejudice, then had to run for it. Once outside it took a moment for the confusion to settle and the guards to mobilize. As bullets ripped by, I froze time to escape the grounds. I sprinted to the sewers and slid into a covered escape route, but came out and was facing tallboys, guards walking on mechanized stilts. These guards can quickly ruin your day, so I laid a trap on a nearby bridge, summoned rats to attack another guard, and threw a sticky grenade into a crowd to even the odds. The tallboy then came at me via the bridge and walked right into my trap. As guards closed in, I possessed a fish and swam to my escape route, a waiting boat.

I immediately wanted to replay the section since I thought of at least five different ways to complete the mission that I wanted to try. When I eventually have the chance, I will be sure to do just that. And then I will probably do it another way, and then try another and another. And that alone justifies making Dishonored not just a game to watch, but possibly the game to watch this year.

The resurrected Black Isle seems more likely to be a publisher than a game maker.

We’ve tried hard not to get too excited about the resurrection of Black Isle Studios. And it’s looking like our lack of excitement was justified, as The Verge has reported that the re-opened Black Isle shows every indication of being nothing more than a logo that Interplay can smack on top of other people’s games.

Anyone who’s been playing games since the 90′s still gets a thrill up their leg at the sight of the Black Isle logo, which once preceded masterpieces like dense fantasy universe Baldur’s Gate, isometric despair generator Fallout 2,  and Planescape: Torment, which many still consider the best-written RPG of all time. Interplay cruelly stoked our long-dead flames of excitement with a Facebook page identifying the new Black Isle as “ is a division of Interplay formed to develop and publish high quality role-playing games.” Even the most cynical of industry watchers began to dream of a new MDK or even—dare we hope?—a modernized Planescape.

But it’s looking like those hopes are as doomed as an under-equipped explorer of the Wasteland. The Verge searched through LinkedIn, and discovered that thus far, no developers are listing themselves as employed at Black Isle. Even grimmer, Black Isle’s careers page offers no jobs at all, and none of the original Black Isle crew has been approached to work at the new company. Based on the available evidence, there’s little reason to believe it’s staffing up to create the next big thing; it doesn’t seem to have the personnel to develop so much as an iPhone game.

Worse still, The Verge notes that most of the great Black Isle games were based on properties whose rights have reverted back to their original owners. Any attempt to resurrect that Planescape series, for example, would require re-purchasing the rights from Wizards of the Coast; and unlike fifteen years ago, WotC has a vigorous video game division of its own. There’s little reason for it to rent out a beloved property, no matter how much gamers kick and scream and hold their breath until their collective face turns blue.

A clue to Interplay’s true intentions is in the original press release announcing Black Isle’s return. Though the press release talks about “getting the band back together”, it opens by announcing that “Black Isle Studios returns to game publishing.”  That’s publishing, not developing.  

The distinction between developer and publisher is one that a lot of civilians are unclear on, but for those inside the industry, it’s the difference between a filmmaker and a studio executive, with inherent hostile relations. A developer makes games: writes the story, creates the art, programs the engine, and does all the things to make it wonderful. A publisher is a pure business entity; it fronts money, handles disc and box manufacture, and markets the game. At its most creative, a publisher makes occasional demands of the developer, which often does more harm than good; many a developer has been sunk by publishers who swoop in with absurd multiplayer requirements, unrealistic schedules, and harsh budget cuts.

These days, many are questioning whether the industry needs publishers at all. With digital distribution eliminating the need for manufacturing, social media becoming a major marketing tool, and community forums acting as a better guide to what players want than some executive’s demands, the role of the publisher is steadily eroding. The only thing a publisher can offer a self-reliant developer is the prestige of its name, and that’s where Black Isle still has something to offer. A lot of gamers will see the Black Isle logo and buy whatever’s being sold, in the hopes of a return to the studio’s glory days. So it may be that the label resurrection still has some value to Interplay. But it will only take one lousy game to destroy gamers’ loyalty and trust — and at this point, that’s the only asset Black Isle has.