fantasy

Listen to the bell tower version of the 'Game of Thrones' theme

Last week, lucky University of Wisconsin-Madison students (and staff) had a chance to hear the "Game of Thrones" theme song in a performance style uncommon to this century -- through the expertise of a carillonneur commanding the sheer musical might of 56 bells. … Read more

Name your own price for fantasy e-book bundle

Read any good books lately? I know, e-book prices can make it tough to indulge your love of the printed word. That's why I'm jazzed to see that the folks at StoryBundle have cobbled together another great batch of books for whatever price you want to pay.

It's true! The Indie Fantasy Bundle includes six full-length novels (actually, eight, as two of the selections include the first two books in their respective series), and you get to decide how much you want to pay.

As you might suspect from the "indie" designation, these aren't … Read more

Sony trims price of PlayStation Vita, adds new color

With a little less than 48 hours to go before the world gets a glimpse at the PlayStation 4, there's some news for the PS Vita coming out of Japan today.

Sony announced that the company lowered and equalized the price point for the Wi-Fi and 3G/Wi-Fi-versions of the PS Vita to 19,980 yen ($212) from 24,980 yen ($265) and 29,980 yen ($319), respectively. Sony didn't carry the announcement over to the U.S., but it's possible that the company may use a portion of its PlayStation event in New York on February 20 to announce a similar price cut. … Read more

Enjoy winter on your computer with Snowfall Fantasy

Screensavers have become far more valuable aesthetically than as a way to actually save your screen. Snowfall Fantasy is one of the better screensavers because it hits both of those notes. It moves around well enough to prevent burn-in and is an absolute delight to look at.

The Snowfall Fantasy screensaver depicts a log cabin covered in snow that continues to fall. When you first install it, it makes itself your default screensaver. However, if you change your screensaver, it can be tough to find this one again in your screensaver menu. That means you're stuck with it unless … Read more

Square Enix considers same-sex marriage for Final Fantasy XIV

One new feature in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn lets avatars get married. When it launches sometimes next year, only opposite-sex avatars will be able to get hitched, but that may change.

Square Enix discussed the matter of same-sex marriage, among other topics, in a nearly two-hour video posted to YouTube. A representative from the company said Square Enix has been carefully considering allowing same-sex marriage, though no final decisions have been made.

Read more of "Square Enix considering same-sex marriage for Final Fantasy XIV" at GameSpot.

Outcry as Yahoo's Fantasy Football goes down on game day

As I keep telling my engineer friend George, becoming hooked on fantasy sports is like obsessively frequenting lap-dancing clubs.

It's not real, and yet some people think it's a little more real than the real thing.

Imagine, then, how real the pain was among the throng of Yahoo Sports' Fantasy Football players yesterday, as they tightened their fists, girded their loins and bolstered their bravado -- only to discover that the site has not turned up for work.… Read more

Name your own price for six science-fiction and fantasy e-books

If you like reading, bundles, science fiction, fantasy, and/or supporting charity, today's your lucky day.

The folks at Humble Bundle, who regularly serve up indie games on the cheap, have created the Humble eBook Bundle, a collection of six sci-fi/fantasy e-books for whatever price you want to pay.

That means you can literally drop a penny to get half a dozen DRM-free novels. But you're not that cheap, right? Here's why you should give serious consideration to paying more:

Writers need to eat. I've often railed against e-book prices, but certainly a buck per … Read more

Video Game Orchestra: Castlevania at the symphony

While most classical concert halls deliver the best of Mozart, Beethoven, or Bach, the Boston-based Video Game Orchestra plays tunes from the annals of beloved franchises such as Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania, and others.

The eclectic musical group -- which weaves a Mannheim Steamroller-esque synthesis of classical music and a rock -- played to a packed house yesterday at the Boston Symphony Hall and completed a major milestone on Kickstarter by generating $40,000 in donations to launch an album recorded from the performance. … Read more

Low Latency No. 36: Look who's talking

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so far.

Final Fantasy hits 25 this year, mega box set planned

Developer Square Enix announced today a mega box set celebrating the 25th anniversary of the legendary role-playing video game Final Fantasy. The 35,000 yen ($446) compilation, due December 18, costs a pretty penny, but it offers hundreds of hours of classic gameplay plus a few extra bonuses. … Read more