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Battle Of The Chun-Lis

Left to Right: Chun-Li from the Street Fighter II video game, Ming-Na from the 1994 movie, future Chun-Li Kristen Kreuk

Today, Capcom officially announed some details about the new Street Fighter movie. The film—which will be called Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li—stars Smallville’s half-Chinese hottie Kristen Kreuk in the title role.

Not a bad choice, but we’re reminded of Ming-Na’s stellar performance in the original 1994 live-action movie. It’s a tough call—will Kristen be able to throw down as convincingly as Ming-Na? Or do neither of them compare to the original video game incarnation, who many of us fell in love with while watching her seductive mix of violence and skimpy clothing? Cast your vote after the jump.

Virtual Reality Has Arrived

If you’re like us, you’ve been waiting for the future—you know, robot maids, hoverboards—for what seems like forever now. Well, thankfully the Russians have taken a step in the right direction with the development of the Virtusphere, a 400 pound steel sphere that allows you to “run, jump, roll, or crawl over virtually unlimited distances without encountering real-world obstacles.” And for about $30,000, you can take this virtual reality hamster ball home with you. Now we just need to figure out how to link it up to multiplayer Halo. See more pictures and an instructional video after the jump…

Chinese Monks Got Guns

Take a trip to Xiahe, a remote Chinese county on the China/Tibet border, and you might witness a gang of Buddhist monks blasting each other with submachine guns. No, this isn’t a crappy American Chow Yun-Fat movie—it’s “Counter Strike.”

The classic terrorism combat game has become a favorite with the younger monks at the local Labrang Monastery, who unwind by playing at a nearby Internet cafe. “Apparently, the monks are not permitted to drink alcohol, eat meat or be married, but it’s totally acceptable for them to play violent video games,” said an employee of Gearbox Software, who witnessed them in action. Good to hear someone can still tell the difference between fantasy and reality.

[MTV Multiplayer]

An Interview With “Army of Two” Producer, Reid Schneider

Electronic Arts has shipped their new co-op shooter Army of Two, a game that puts you in the combat boots of a Blackwater-esque mercenary. The goal? Rack up cash for doling out death and mayhem in crap holes around the world too hot for the American military. While you can play solo with the game’s A.I. riding shotgun, the title was designed to play with a live partner. We caught up with the game’s senior developer, Reid Schneider, to talk about the first new next-gen IP to come out of EA’s Montreal development studio. “It’s not a political statement. This is an entertainment product,” says Schneider. But the current heat around private military contractors operating in Iraq makes the game an oddly relevant portrayal of the American military industry complex. We just doubt a lot of real-life mercs paint flames on their helmets. Read the full interview after the jump.

Marc Ecko Entertainment To Chop It Up With ‘Dexter’

Would you murder someone if you knew they unequivocally deserved an ice pick in their ear? Marc Ecko Entertainment inked a deal with Showtime to give you a chance to find out when they drop the video game adaptation of Dexter. No firm release date has been set but Marc Fernandez, Vice President of Ecko Entertainment confirmed today that the game will follow a third-person action adventure format with the show’s eponymous main character, Dexter Morgan, as the playable character (If you don’t watch the show Dexter is a forensic expert in the Miami police department who preys on the criminals that manage to squeak past the justice system).