Whiz of the Web: Thirsty Thursday

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you.

• Sci Fi Wire reveals that Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit will be in X-Files 2, while The Movie Blog tells us who won't be in it: Lance Henriksen.
• GameSpot has decided to release a more in-depth series of responses to the controversy surrounding their firing of Jeff Gerstmann, and Joystiq has the run-down. Meanwhile, this whole thing has gotten everybody thinking and talking a lot more about the relationship between game publishers and the game press, and Game|Life has a couple of good pull-quotes on the subject.
• Depressing news: a recent poll has revealed that 51% of Americans believe that the government should regulate the content of video games. Game|Life points out that there's a little thing called the Bill of Rights that we might not want to be so quick to throw away.
• So there's plenty of lists of games you shouldn't buy your kid, but Game|Life has done the smart, useful, constructive thing and made a list of games you should buy your kid.
• Guess what's getting a 3D remake? The Gate, baby!
• Journey found its new lead singer... on YouTube.
• USA Today has the first pics from Speed Racer and they're... interesting. Actually they look a bit fake. But that might be part of an overall aesthetic that isn't really coming through in these individual images. We're still giving it the benefit of the doubt... (Via)
• The origin story for Guitar Hero. Interesting stuff.
• 1UP has the first details on Street Fighter IV. Diehard fans of classic SF will be pleased to know that although this new entry will make use of 3D graphics, gameplay will remain entirely 2D, and make use of the familiar six button control scheme. (Via)
• Slate has an interesting slide show about the history of children's book illustration in the United States, which looks particularly at the change in focus in such books "from morals to madcap fun." It includes a fantastic illustration for The Hobbit by Maurice Sendak for a version of the book that was sadly never published. (Via)
• Supposedly, Adam Brody has now officially snagged the role of the Flash in JLA.

Image Credit: Flickr user toybot studios