The Sony PlayStation has been on our minds a lot recently here at the Massive HQ. Especially since strange noises began emanating from our PlayStation 2. This was the beginning of a series of increasingly loud, ominous and frequent sounds coming from the console. The phenomenon suggested that after hundreds--if not thousands--of hours of use, the video gaming platform of choice was on its last legs. A few days later, our PS2 was no longer able to read discs ... System failure. Repair was out of the question; the warranty had long since expired. The only thing left was to make funeral preparations for the hardware and dispose of it with Zelda-like dignity.

In the meantime the Massive will have to rely on other platforms and our desktop PCs to get our daily gaming fix, at least until we can replace our beloved PS2.

But with this unfortunate turn of events we've realized something important--It's time to move on. Rather than grieve and wax for our PS2 glory days, we ought to be looking forward to the third coming of Sony's almighty category-killer gaming platform: Yep, the PlayStation 3.

The PS3 is indeed coming down the pike, but Sony, as would be expected, are secretive about what the next generation of PS will look like. Gradually, details have been released, a spec here, announcement of a component there, and lots of hype, some based on truth, some just seeds for further rumor-mongering among global otaku youth.

Speculation as to what the next generation of Sony PlayStation ... [MORE]

Talk about a retro fad that won't go away (or, rather, goes away, but then keeps coming back, then goes away again, etc.), break dancing returns to Union Square Park in New York City and--hold onto your seats--The New York Times recently looked into the matter! It's enough to make us put in an order for the "Breakin'" DVD next time we rent from NetFlix.

Break dancing, kiddies, as of course you already know, was one of the three pillars of old-school hip-hop culture, the other two being rappin' and writin' (as in graffiti writing), naturally ... [MORE]

Seriously ... you've got to love Vincent Gallo. It may yet become the new "cool" ironic opinion to spit out when sliding into drunkeness and chatting with a stranger in the kitchen at downtown apartment parties. Why? Because it seems like everywhere you turn--the media, critics, neighbors, liberal downtown art-film scenesters--are dumping massive hate on the auteur artist/actor/musician/Republican (what doesn't he do?) / filmmaker. So the poor fella needs a little love.

Well, get ready Gallo-haters/lovers. Vincent's film "The Brown Bunny" will finally arrived at your local art-house soon. A billboard for the controversial movie (see above image) depicting a sexually graphic scene was erected (no jokes please) in Los Angeles on that famed, winding stretch of road and its outrageous ... [MORE]

Built By Wendy has always been, first and foremost, an independent clothing label, though the eponymous designer Wendy Mullin received a lot of attention in the mid-90's for her line of cool guitar straps. Her recent clothing collection includes a line of graphic t-shirt designs that are based on the most original concept we've come across in the universe of designer tees.

Mullin's well-made and limited t-shirts and clothes (she creates collections for both men and woman) are sought after and sported by the hipster-celeb-indie-music-style jet set, including downtown indie rock luminaries Sonic Youth and hip-hop trio the Beastie Boys, who sported a Wendy tee design in a recent photo shoot for the cover of Japanese magazine Warp (see above image) ... [MORE]

Christina (oops, we mean "Xtina") Aguilera has piled on another endorsement deal and will be heating up yet another series of print ads with her photogenic hotness, this time for the Skechers shoe brand. The advertising campaign is called "Naughty and Nice" and will roll out in August to support Skecher's Fall 2004 line of shoes. The ads feature Christina (er, Xtina) playing dual roles in scenes that illustrate fetishistic male sex fantasies.

Aguilera appears in one ad as a hospital patient and as a syringe-wielding nurse in tight hip-hugging white uniform that barely covers her panties and ... [MORE]