TWO MORE XBOX LIVE ARCADE PRICE DROPS INCOMING

Microsoft has announced that two more titles will be joining the ranks of it's price reduced Xbox Live Arcade Hits series this Wednesday. Both Assault Heroes and Doom will see their prices slashed from 800 points ($10) to 400 points ($5) – not a bad deal if you've been thinking of grabbing either of the two titles

"Whether you’re avoiding spring cleaning or revving up for spring break, be sure to check out the latest Arcade Hits coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade on Wednesday, including “Assault Heroes” and “DOOM.” The Arcade Hits program offers some of the best-selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games at permanently reduced prices. They can be found within the Xbox LIVE Arcade section of the new Game Store, making it easier than ever to build a library of great downloadable games.

• “Assault Heroes” (Sierra Online). Become the only surviving member of an elite special forces unit searching for a secret underground lab. Play the mission alone or fight side-by-side with a friend in the two-player cooperative mode. The winner of IGN’s Xbox LIVE Arcade game of the year for 2006, “Assault Heroes” will be available for 400 Microsoft Points.
  
• “DOOM” (id Software). Originally released in 1993, “DOOM” introduced millions to the white-knuckle excitement of the first-person shooter (FPS). Relive the classic demon-blasting action with up to four players over Xbox LIVE*, complete with 5.1 surround sound and smoother graphics. “Doom” will be available for 400 Microsoft Points." – Microsoft press release

While Doom may not have held up to the test of time that well, Assault Heroes is definitely worth the soon to be reduced price. – even when you consider the fact that Assault Heroes 2 is coming soon. It's a great twin-stick top down shooter that captures that classic arcade feel – check it out, I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. 

• Xbox Live Arcade Titles Become "Hits"! – Gamerscore Blog
• Spring Fever is in the Air – Xbox LIVE Arcade Adds New Arcade Hits and Gives You a Sneak Peek at Upcoming Titles – Official press release
• Assault Heroes – Product page at Xbox.com
• Doom – Product page at Xbox.com

LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE EXPANSION ANNOUNCED

Turbine, Inc. has officially anounced that the first expansion for Lord of the Rings Online, it's mmog based on Tolkein's legendary trilogy, will be available at retail this fall.

"Turbine, Inc. and Codemasters Online today unveiled Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online™, the first retail expansion for the award-winning massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG).  Announced in Birmingham, the childhood home of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria™  will expand the online world of Middle-earth to let players explore the ancient underground cities of the dwarves, battle epic characters in the depths, face off with the Watcher, be a part of the fateful release of Durin’s Bane and more! The Lord of the Rings Online expects to open Volume II of its epic story in the fall of 2008 with an increased level cap, two new classes and the introduction of a unique item advancement system.

“The Mines of Moria is one of the most epic settings in all of fantasy fiction,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. “No one delivers more quality content than Turbine and with our journey into Moria, we will raise the bar even higher.  We are adding vast amounts of  content, debuting massive new environments and unveiling numerous unique feature sets, like item advancement, which will create entirely new dimensions of compelling game play and social interaction which are unique to The Lord of the Rings Online experience.” " – Turbine Entertainment press release 

Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria will open the second volume of the trilogy and includes not only the six "chapters" included with the expansion at it's release, but access several more as of yet unreleased chapters. In addition, the expansion will also see the addition of two new character classes (Rune-Keeper and Warden), an increased level cap of 70 and the ability to forge "legendary" items.

For more information on both Lord of the Rings Online and the Mines of Moria expansion, including the full text of the press release, check out the links below.

• Turbine, Inc. – Company website
• The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Unveiled at Connect 08 – Official press release
• The Lord of the Rings Online – Official website
• The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria – Promotional website

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 PATCH ARRIVES

The wait is over… at least for Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4 owners. Infinity Ward has finally released the long awaited patch for some of the problems plaguing the console version of CoD4. Players will be automatically prompted to receive the download if connected to Xbox Live the next time they play the game. (PC Owners please note; I believe all of these fixes have been available for the PC for quite some time now, so if you haven't patched CoD4 yet, you may want to look into it)

Number one on my wish list was a fix for the accuracy problems that have so far made using a sniper's rifle or ACOG scope more of a detriment than a benefit. According to the patch message, those problems should now be gone. I haven't tested the ACOG scopes yet, but from my experiences, the standard sniper rifles have definitely seen an increase in accuracy, making them once again an enjoyable option.

If that had been the only fix, I would have been a happy man – but Infinity Ward decided that happy wasn't good enough. According to Infinity Ward Community Director Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling, the company fixed quite a few issues in yesterday's patch. Let's take a look;

"New Kill Cams – Everything that can kill you has a Kill Cam now. Grenades, Airstrikes, Claymores, C4, M203 Rounds, RPGs, anything. So jump online, get owned alittle and check them out. They’re awesome, especially Grenades and M203 shots that go across the map and through a window.

Host Migration – Host migration was added, so now when the host leaves you won’t get dropped back to your own lobby by yourself. Everyone will stay together. Host Leaves, everyone returns to lobby, selects next best host, and the game starts up again. No more re-inviting, re-partying up because a host ended the game.

Improved Sniper Accuracy – The Sniper rifle accuracy has been improved. No more, WTF? shots now. Your cross hair will be a better representation of where your shot will ultimately land. Try out a sniper class today, let us know how the new accuracy feels.

Improved ACOG Scope Accuracy – ACOG scopes accuracy on any weapon has been improved. Test it out, throw it on one of your classes and give it a go.

Upgraded Spectator Cam – Now when you’re a spectator you have the option to follow in 3rd person or 1st person. As well as rotate 360 degrees around the player you’re watching. Next time you’re dead in Search and Destroy and just watching your team mates do stuff you know you can do better, now do it in 1st person or rotate around them.

Quick Mute Option – Now you can easily and quickly mute players in-game or in-lobby without ever going through the Xbox Live blades. Just go to their gamertag on screen and hit ‘A’ to quick mute in lobby, or via the in-game scoreboard if playing. Quick. Easy. Salvation!

In addition to these feature additions there will also be:

Improved Network Performance For Larger Games – 18 player games now require more bandwidth to host, resulting in smoother performance for players.

Optimized Server Selection for First Match – Server selection is now optimized to select best bandwidth servers associated by LSP.

Fixed “Playlist Older Than Host” Error – Player will no longer get this error when entering games.

Additional Start Spawn Locations in All Maps – Added a minimum of 9 extra start spawns on each side of all maps." – Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling

Overall, this is a great patch for the game, taking into account many of player's complaints and suggestions. Sadly, while the patch notes list some network performance fixes, I still found the same old lag in several of the games I played. Looks like there's still some improvement needed on that end.

Finally, lest PlayStation 3 owners feel slighted, FourZeroTwo confirmed that there is a PlayStation 3 version of this patch going through certification at Sony, and will be available as soon as that testing is done.

• Call of Duty 4 – Official website
• Call of Duty 4 Xbox 360 Patch is OUT – Here's What's Changed – IAMfourzerotwo 

METAL GEAR SOLID 4 COMING JUNE 12TH

Yeah, it does seem like it's "Grub Off Kotaku Day" here at the House of Latenite, but I always go with the first place I saw a story when posting them, and Kotaku just seemed to beat everyone to the punch today.

PlayStation 3 fans have finally gotten the answer they've been waiting to hear for so long… Konami has dated Metal Gear Solid 4. Rather than tease you any further (and since the date is in the title, it's not like that teasing would be effective anyway), the game is scheduled to hit retail on June 12th, 2008.

However, much like a late night infomercial, there's more – Sony has announced that they will be releasing a PlayStation 3 bundle that includes the 80GB PS3, a DualShock 3 controller and Metal Gear Solid 4 for $499.99. That's a combination that will probably win over quite a few who have been waiting on the sidelines for MGS4 before investing in a PS3.

• Metal Gear Solid 4 – Official website
• PlayStation 3: Metal Gear Solid 4 Finally Has a Release Date – Kotaku
• Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 Bundle Announced – Kotaku

DUAL SHOCK 3 CONTROLLER COMING APRIL 15TH

Kotaku is reporting that Sony has announced they will be releasing the DualShock 3 controller for the PlayStation 3 on April 15th of this year. As the name implies, the controller (priced at MSRP $54.99) will finally bring vibration feedback to Sony's console, eliminating one of the bigger complaints about the system.

At the $54.99 price point, I certainly don't see myself replacing both of my Sixaxis controllers, but I'll certainly grab at least one to serve as my "main" PS3 controller shortly after they become available. How about you?

• DualShock 3 Dated For US – Kotaku 

LAZY DAY TRAILERS: GEARS OF WAR 2 GDC 2008 DEBUT TRAILER

You read that right, true believers, it’s official – Gears of War 2 is in production and slated for a November 2008 release exclusively on the Xbox 360. If you recall, this site was pretty much engulfed in Emergence Day fever back in 2006, and I fully expect to once again catch the bug for this next installment. I’d ramble on more and more about this right now, as well as all the other juicy announcements coming out of the 2008 Game Developer’s Conference, but I’m still not really feeling 100% and just want to crawl into bed.

Since this is a Lazy Day Trailers post, it wouldn’t be complete without a video courtesy of the fine people at GameTrailers.com – check it out below!

While we’re talking about Gears of War 2, a free Xbox 360 dashboard theme and gamerpicture set (as well as the above video) are currently available in the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Gears of War 2 will be coming exclusively to the Xbox 360 (though you can just about be sure a PC port will eventually follow) in November of 2008. Expect many updates in the months to come.

• Gears of War 2 – Official website
• Gears of War 2 GDC 2008: Debut Trailer – GameTrailers

MAGIC: THE GATHERING COMING TO XBOX LIVE ARCADE

I got an e-mail from the fine folks over at Wizards of the Coast yesterday afternoon advising me that they've just announced that Magic: The Gathering, their venerable collectible card game, will be coming to the Xbox Live Arcade at some point in the future.

"RENTON, Wash.—February 18, 2008 — Wizards of the Coast (WotC), the leader in strategy hobby collectible trading card, board and role playing games, and a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), today announced its plans to extend the Magic: The Gathering® franchise to gamers on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Xbox LIVE® Arcade and the PC through partnerships with Stainless Games, Ltd. and Mind Control Software, Inc. Stainless Games will develop a game using the Magic: The Gathering IP for both Xbox LIVE Arcade and the PC, while Mind Control will develop a game for the PC and Mac.  

“We’re excited to bring the Magic brand to new platforms and give our fans new ways to experience this great property,” said Jared Gustafson, Brand Director for Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast. “It’s partnerships like these that will advance the strategy games category and transform it to meet the needs and desires of today’s digital gamers.”

Magic: The Gathering, introduced in 1993, is the premier and original trading card game that inspired an entirely new game genre. Combining the dynamics of a card game with the excitement of trading and collecting, Magic™ offers fun for casual play, as well as the option of highly competitive tournaments.  Magic: The Gathering currently has a thriving online edition (Magic Online®) made up of more than 350,000 active accounts. The game allows gamers to collect and trade virtual cards, build the perfect deck, get help from mentors, find opponents at all skill levels, and compete for prizes every day without ever leaving the comforts of home.

Specific details on the games Stainless Games and Mind Control will develop using the Magic: The Gathering IP will be announced at a later date." – Official press release

I'm torn over this one. On one hand, I freely admit to single-handedly keeping Wizards of the Coast afloat during the 90's with the number of MTG cards I bought, yet at the same time, I hesitate to play any of the newer online offerings they've made because it would require me to invest in online cards. I just can't justify spending that much cash to play the game the way I'm accustomed to again, you know?

While no announcements have been made as to how exactly the franchise will be making it's XBLA appearance, the smart money is on a console version of the card game with additional cards being available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Personally, I'd love to see the game appear on XBLA, but instead take the "Duel of the Planeswalkers" route and include a full set of cards. I'd even pay a full release retail price for that one.

Check out the full text of yesterday's press release below. We'll be sure to report more on this one as details become available. 

• Wizards of the Coast – Company website
• Magic: The Gathering – Official website
• Wizards of the Coast Extends It's Magic: The Gathering IP to Multiple Platforms – Official press release

GUITAR HERO III FREE TRACK – “DREAM ON” – FEB 16TH – 18TH ONLY

Just a quick note here – to celebrate the announcement of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Activision Blizzard is offering a free download of the band's "Dream On" for use with Guitar Hero III to all PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners from February 16th through the 18th via the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace.

"Santa Monica, CA – February 15, 2008 – Fire up the fret board, crank the amp to 11 and get ready to rock this way with Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero®: Aerosmith®, the first game built around the legendary music of America's Greatest Rock 'N Roll Band: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer.  Slated for release this June, this latest installment from the franchise with the #1 best-selling video game in 2007, puts players in the shoes of Perry (guitar), Whitford (guitar) and Hamilton (bass), as they rock out alongside frontman Tyler and drummer Kramer.  Gamers will experience Aerosmith's GRAMMY® winning career, from their first gig to becoming rock royalty, in a way that no other entertainment vehicle offers. 

To celebrate this historic, ground-breaking collaboration, Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock fans will have the opportunity to download and jam to Aerosmith's "Dream On." The song will be available for free from February 16-18 on Xbox LIVE^® Marketplace for Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.  For more information, please visit www.guitarhero.com." –  Official press release

 No word on if there will be any future option on the song for Wii owners. That's all I've got for you, so get moving and get it downloaded.

• Guitar Hero – Community website
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – GuitarHero.com

SPORE FINALLY GETS A RELEASE DATE

Yup, you read that right, Electronic Arts has finally stuck a date on Will Wright's highly anticipated god-game Spore. While there's always room for another delay or ten, if all holds to plan, gamers will be taking their creations from microbes to rulers of the galaxy on September 7th of this year.

While I've seen the descriptions of each stage of creature evolution, I'm still a little fuzzy on exactly how the game will play out across them. My hope is that more details will be forthcoming now that the game has been dated.

• Spore – Official website 

ELECTRONIC ARTS EXTENDS NFL LICENSING DEAL – WORLD WEEPS

In a move that is sure to be reviled by many gamers, Electronic Arts has announced that they have reached a deal with the NFL and the NFL Players Association to extend the exclusivity agreement signed in 2004 through the end of the 2012 season.

"REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – February 12, 2008 – Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) today announced an extension of its exclusive licensing relationships with the National Football League and NFL PLAYERS to develop, publish and distribute interactive football video games.  These agreements – which were negotiated separately and are extensions of contracts originally signed in December 2004 – provide EA continued rights to NFL teams, stadiums and players for its critically-acclaimed and best-selling football videogames through the end of the 2012 season, which culminates in February 2013.

Both agreements include all aspects of the interactive experience, including console and handheld games as well as console-based online features.  The agreements also provide EA access to both NFL Films and the NFL Network to enrich its game experiences.  Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed." – Electronic Arts press release

I can't begin to tell you just how disappointed I am right now. I've been waiting patiently for the original deal to expire in hopes that the at it's expiration, the NFL would come to it's senses and put an end to this "exclusive license" crap. Simply put, any company – whether it's EA, 2K or anyone else – needs to have competition in order to really move a series forward. All the NFL has done here is given EA carte blanche to sit on it's laurels making minor tweaks and changes to each year's edition of Madden knowing that fans will have no choice but to pick up their product if they want to play with current rosters.

Personally, I hope in response 2K chooses to scrap the All-Pro Football "legends" concept and simply release a game that has the same local teams and players just without using the actual team and player names. Let the players edit (and share) their rosters and team colors to whatever they choose or design and sit back and watch as the game becomes an unofficial NFL product.

*sigh* Check out the links below for more details and the full text of the press release.

• Electronic Arts – Company website
• National Football League – Official website
• National Football League Players Association – Official website
• EA Extends Interactive Videogame Agreements with NFL and NFL Players – Press release

ELECTRONIC ARTS OFFICIALLY DELAYS MERCENARIES 2

I'll keep this one short as I'm running massively late at the moment and haven't had much time to prepare any kind of a post for today. It seems I forgot to mention that Electronic Arts has officially delayed Mercenaries 2: World in Flames a few weeks back. 

According to Kotaku, while retailers are listing the game as coming this November, EA will only commit to a fiscal 2009 release, meaning the game could ship anywhere from April of this year to March of 2009. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again until the end of time – these delays don't bother me so long as the end product benefits from teh added time. I would far prefer to see Mercenaries 2 be the kickass funfest the first game was than The Outfit v2.

• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames – Official website
• Mercenaries 2 Officially Delayed By EA – Kotaku 

XBOX 360 HD-DVD DRIVE PRICE DROP ANNOUNCED

According to Microsoft's in-house blog, Gamescore Blog, effective immediately the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive add-on will see a $50 price reduction, bringing it's cost down to $129.99. 

"We’re happy to announce that we’re lowering the price of the popular Xbox 360 HD DVD player from $179 to $129 (estimated retail price) in the U.S. and Canada, effective immediately." – Gamerscore Blog

That's the whole text of the message – which makes me think that Microsoft isn't quite as happy to be making this announcement as they claim to be. I don't know about you, but this one has the smell of desperation written all over it. With the recent upswing in Blu-Ray's install base and the rumored departures of even more studios from the HD-DVD side, I do have to wonder if Microsoft will continue to produce the drives or if this is just their way of clearing inventory. 

One thing is for certain, collectors should begin keeping an eye on the drive, because if history teaches us anything, it's that once the price bottoms out and the spare inventory is gone, the aftermarket cost will explode. It may not happen this month, next month or the even in the next six months depending on how the high-definition video format wars go, but I get the feeling at some point, the drive is going to wind up in the clearance bin.

•  Xbox 360 HD DVD Drops Price to $129.99 in US and Canada – Gamerscore Blog

FINAL 2007 CHILD’S PLAY CHARITY DRIVE NUMBERS ARE IN!

As promised, the good folks over at the Child's Play Charity have released the final numbers for the 2007 charity drive – and it's a staggering number…

This year, gamers around the world donated over 1.3 million dollars in games, toys, books and cash to over 40 children's hospitals around the globe, breaking last year's record generosity while bringing smiles to sick kids everywhere. I want you to stop and think about that for a moment – if you participated in this year's drive, you're a part of that number. You, and those like you, were a part of this stunning achievement and helped to make the world a little bit of a nice place. Yes, there's no denying it, you rock. Just deal with it.

I'm sure many of you wonder what happens to the cash donations that are made directly to the charity each year, so I'm going to answer that one too. Once more, the charity made it's visit to Nintendo's headquarters and picked up a sizeable amount of hardware and software to be spread out among the charities. While it wasn't expressly noted this year, I know that last year Nintendo gave a pretty nice discount on the purchase, so it wouldn't surprise me if they did so once again. Here's one of the shots Jerry "Tycho Brahe" Holkins of Penny Arcade posted of the haul – makes you drool, doesn't it?  

 

So there you have it – 1.3 million dollars – take a bow. Remember, if you didn't manage to make a donation during the drive, both the Child's Play charity and many of it's member hospitals will continue taking donations throughout the year, so there's always time to make a difference.

• Child's Play Charity – Official website

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV GETS A NEW RELEASE DATE

Ever since it was delayed from it's original October release date, things have been a bit hazy for Grand Theft Auto IV. Diffferent theories regarding why the game was being delayed bounded across the internet and Take-Two/Rockstar was eerily non-committal about when fans could expect to see the title.

Well, at least some of the mystery surrounding the game has been lifted. In a quick little e-mail, Rockstar announced that Grand Theft Auto IV will be making it's debut on April 29th, 2008. Mark that date on your calendars now, because if you think the media circus around Mass Effect has been bad, you haven't seen anything yet.

• Grand Theft Auto IV – Official website 

THQ TO ACQUIRE BIG HUGE GAMES

You know gang, I don't know how to feel about this next bit of news… according to Gamasutra, THQ has entered into negotiations to buy Big Huge Games. Now I know that the two have been working closely together since March of 2007 or so on some unnamed RPG, but I still have to say that I get an uneasy feeling about this one. I don't know, maybe I was just hoping to see Brian Reynolds and company come back to the Rise of Nations franchise following 2006's somewhat weakly received Rise of Legends.

One thing of interest in the article is the statement that it was actually a new intellectual property Big Huge was working on that prompted THQ to make an offer;

"We asked what else Big Huge is bringing to the table, given that one of THQ's stated goals in addition to increasing its internal development capabilities, is to expand its portfolio of owned IP.

He replied, "I would say that the RPG was enough, but what definitely sealed the deal for us on both sides is the next one. It's more innovative, more unique, and we just felt like it requires both long-term thinking from both sides. But also from THQ's perspective, it showed us that this is a studio that can gen some new concepts. Anything else coming out of Big Huge is icing on the cake."" – Gamasutra

Now being as big a fan of Big Huge and Brian Reynolds as I am, I've got to say that the idea of some new concept coming out of the studio is more than enough to snag my attention. I remember talking with a good friend of mine back when Rise of Legends came out that while the game made wasn't the best RTS title I had ever seen, it would certainly be a great backdrop for a massive multiplayer online game.

I almost wonder if this new, long-term game would be just such a thing. Certainly, the profits coming to Activision Blizzard from World of Warcraft are more than enough to make anyone consider trying to grab a piece of the pie. Admittedly, there's been nothing to make me think that's whats going on beyond that conversation – in fact, I'm not even sure if the "Rise" IP is actually held by series developer Big Huge or publisher Microsoft Games.

Getting back to the matter at hand, there is one (hopefully) bit of good news to be found here – according to the Gamasutra article, THQ currently plans on taking a hands-off approach to managing the company. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this all works out in the end.

• THQ – Company website
• Big Huge Games – Company website
• THQ Acquires Rise of Nations, Catan Developer Big Huge Games – Gamasutra
• THQ to Acquire Leading Developer Big Huge Games – Official press release

THAT’S RIGHT, ANOTHER CHILD’S PLAY UPDATE – 1.13 MILLION DOLLARS!

You read that right folks, 1.13 million dollars. This year's Child's Play Charity drive has brought in $1,135,000 in toys, books, games and cash for children's hospitals around the world. That is downright amazing – and heart warming.

While the drive is now wrapping up for the year (there should be one last update to the total donations some time in January), there is always time to make a donation – many of the hospitals listed will continue to keep their wish lists updated throughout the year. The holidays may be just about over, but there are still so many kids out there who could use a smile or ten.

"I just got the final amount for Child's Play, which is… substantial: $1,135,000 in toys and cash. I said it was the final amount, but what we've seen in previous years is that this "final amount" climbs considerably after the event is finished. Money comes in from local events or community sites. For some people, the end of the event is an impetus to give. The lists typically stay up, as does the PayPal, and we see people choosing items in July. So as large as that sum is up there, it's not complete. Recall that this million is heaped upon the other millions we have raised, year over year, creating from nothing an engine of perpetual comfort that has generated $3,324,000 to date. We make Santa Claus a real person with Child's Play, that is our holy work, and each time we perform this charitable ritual he is real for a longer and longer duration." – Jerry "Tycho Brahe" Holkins

Whenever I see the numbers Child's Play generates, I'm proud to have played any kind of a role in this whole endeavor (No, I'm not egotistical enough to think that this site generates any kind of a spur in donations for Child's Play, I just refer to my own donations) – sure, each person may not be able to make a huge difference, but together, there's no limit to what we can accomplish.

So to those of you who have donated this year, or at any other time in the charity's history, take a bow – and the next time someone tells you that gamers are just anti-social, maladjusted slackers, give them 3,324,000 reasons to think again. While you're at it, be sure to give then the Child's Play Charity website address too – maybe next year's total can be even higher.

•  Child's Play Charity – Official website

YET ANOTHER CHILD’S PLAY UPDATE – $974,000!

That's right gang, it's once again time to check in on how this year's Child's Play Charity drive is doing. I'm thrilled to announce that as of December 21st, almost one million dollars has been donated by gamers just like you. The official tally stands at $974,000 with still some time to go. Now, I'm sure that it's already passed the one million mark by now, but if you haven't donated yet, would you want to be the one responsible if it doesn't get there? Hmmmm?

I thought not. That's why there's still time to get in on the action – the holidays may have passed, but there are still sick kids out there. That said, as soon as you get up for some more holiday leftovers, why not grab your credit card on the way back and make a donation. While I can't promise anything, if you do, maybe the Big Daddies will forgive you for harvesting Little Sisters… or maybe they'll still punch you right in the head. 

• Child's Play Charity – Official website

ANOTHER CHILD’S PLAY UPDATE – $850,000 AND RISING

Well gang, it's time to once again check in on how things are going with Penny Arcade's 2007 Child's Play Charity drive. Last week's Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction brought in over $225,000 bringing the total donations to over $850,000. Wow – think about that for a second… $850,000 donated to sick children… $850,000.

You can still be a part of that total, you know. I hate to always sound preachy when it comes to Child's Play, but it really is a win-win situation. Sick children all over the world get things to help take their minds off of the situations they're in and gamers who donate get to not only feel great about helping achieve that goal, but also help to kill the stereotype that gamers are a bunch of ultra-violent, anti-social slackers. Where else can you achieve three things with one donation?

What I'm saying is even if you haven't donated yet, there's still time to get in on this year's charity drive. Head over to the Child's Play website and get with the giving! (Maybe you'll even be forgiven for laying claymores everywhere in Call of Duty 4 – it's a long shot, but who knows?!)

• Child's Play Charity – Official website
• The Dinner – Penny Arcade
• Child's Play Charity Kicks Off 2007 Drive – nylatenite.com 

CHILD’S PLAY CHARITY 2007 UPDATE – $600,000 AND RISING!

It's time for us to check back in on how things are progressing with this year's Child's Play Charity drive, and based on both the information available at the Child's Play website and the large list of events still upcoming, things are looking pretty good once again. As of today, this year's donations have exceeded $600,000 in toys, books and cash. That is indeed a lot of smiling children – all of you who have donated so far, please take a bow.  

While $600,000 may sound great, the drive isn't over by a long shot. Besides the normal donations we can expect to see being made over the next few weeks, there's still today's Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction in Seattle as well as the Funde Razor events in Denver and New York City on Wednesday.

Yes, there's still plenty of time left to donate – and plenty of ways to make a difference – so if you haven't already donated, or have but want to give some more, please do – it's for a great cause. 

• Child's Play Charity – Official website
• Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction – Child's Play
• Funde Razor – Official website
• Child's Play Charity Kicks Off 2007 Drive – nylatenite.com

XBOX 360 FALL DASHBOARD UPDATE TO GO LIVE TODAY

After months of build-up, Microsoft is finally ready to release the Xbox 360 Fall 2007 Dashboard Update. While the most anticipated features will certainly be the ability to buy downloadable versions of original Xbox games via the Xbox Live Marketplace and expanded support for video codecs (DivX Support included), there are a wealth of other little features in there that should further refine the 360's online experience.

"As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360® just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 A.M. PST on December 4, 2007, the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will be available for all connected Xbox 360 consoles free of charge, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the leading gaming and entertainment system.

Among the key new enhancements are the previously announced Xbox Originals game download service, Family Timer parental control feature, and expanded social networking experiences. Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to enhanced navigation, profile, and video features and Xbox LIVE® Arcade Hits.

This free update will be digitally distributed over Xbox LIVE to the more than eight million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. If you don't have an Xbox LIVE account, you can easily sign up for the free network by connecting your console to a broadband Internet connection. New features and enhancements include:

MORE DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

• Xbox Originals: With this new service, announced on November 13, you can download-to-own full original Xbox® games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies®: High Road to Revenge™, Halo®, Fable®, Fuzion Frenzy®, Psychonauts™, and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.

• Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits: On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off as some of the best-selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be Bankshot Billiards 2™ and Lumines™ Live!, which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms™, and Zuma® Deluxe, which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.

NEW WAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED

• Inside Xbox: A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing an easy, predictable entry point where you can discover what's new in game releases, events, Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers, and lots more.

• Enhanced online profile: If you're interested in sharing a few more details about yourself you can go beyond your motto and further personalize your profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to "Friends Only" or the entire Xbox LIVE community.

• Expanded Friends List access: A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.

ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND CONTROL

• Enhanced Parental Controls: Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.

• New video features: The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.

• Easy-to-use navigation features: With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it." – Xbox.com

Those of you wishing to check out the full list of features added in the Fall 2007 Dashboard Update should be sure to check out the "December 2007 System Update" post from Gamerscore Blog linked below. While we're at it, let's also all keep our fingers crossed that the update doesn't cause a mass-bricking.

• 2007 Fall Dashboard Update – Xbox.com
• December 2007 System Update – Gamerscore Blog

ACTIVISION INC AND VIVENDI GAMES TO MERGE INTO ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

Just when it looked like it was safe to go in the boardroom, Activision Incorporated (Guitar Hero) and Vivendi Games (World of Warcraft) have announced that they will be merging into Activision Blizzard – a move that involves some 19 billion dollars and will result in Vivendi gaining a 52 percent interest in the new company.

"December 2, 2007 (Santa Monica, Calif. and Paris, France) – Activision, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) and Vivendi (Euronext Paris: VIV) today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to combine Vivendi Games, Vivendi's interactive entertainment business — which includes Blizzard Entertainment’s™ World of Warcraft®, the world’s #1 multi-player online role-playing game franchise — with Activision, creating the world’s largest pure-play online and console game publisher. The new company, Activision Blizzard, is expected to have approximately $3.8 billion in pro forma combined calendar 2007 revenues and the highest operating margins of any major third-party video game publisher. On closing of the transaction, Activision will be renamed Activision Blizzard and will continue to operate as a public company traded on NASDAQ under the ticker ATVI." – Activision Blizzard merger announcement

I've got to say that this one is actually a little bit shocking as it would appear that neither company was really in a situation where they needed the assistance of the other. It's also somewhat interesting to see that of all the different companies under Vivendi Games' banner, Blizzard is the one that made the title of the new company. I guess both sides know where the money train is, eh?

The terms of the merger seem fairly intricate, so I won't begin to go into them here in an abbreviated manner. If you're looking for all the details, be sure to check out Activision Blizzard's new website at www.ActivisionBlizzard.com. One thing that I should say right off the bat, is that World of Warcraft fans appear to have nothing to worry about, as according to Blizzard, they will continue to operate as a seperate division of the new company. (and certainly the fact that Blizzard was considered important enough to represent the new company in name indicates both sides are well aware that Blizzard should continue it's operations without interference)

"We're pleased to announce that along with the other companies that make up Vivendi Games, we are merging with Activision to form a new global entertainment organization called Activision Blizzard (pending shareholder and regulatory approval). Similar to our previous arrangement, Blizzard Entertainment will now operate as a division of this new organization.

There will be no changes to our games, our websites, our personnel, or our day-to-day operations as a result of the deal. However, this combining of resources will benefit all of the companies involved and will further strengthen Blizzard's ability to continue delivering high-quality content for our players around the world for many years to come. To learn more about this exciting new development, please read our Activision Blizzard FAQ." – Blizzard.com

I'm also sure Electronic Arts is a bit upset at once again losing the "biggest third party software company" title once again, so be sure to keep an eye out for more possible acquisition announcements in the coming weeks.

• Activision Blizzard – Official website
• Viviendi and Activision to form Activision Blizzard – Official press release
• Activision Blizzard FAQ – Blizzard.com

XBOX LIVE TURNS FIVE YEARS OLD – FREEBIES HIT MARKETPLACE

Xbox Live turns five years old today, and to celebrate Microsoft is rolling out a bunch of freebies for the masses via the Xbox Live Marketplace. That's right – Xbox Live is having a birthday, but we get the presents.

"Wait… presents? What presents?", you ask – well, let me tell you all about them;

• Carcassonne
• On Thursday, November 15th and Friday, November 16th, Carcassonne – the Xbox Live version of the classic European board game – will be made available to all Xbox Live subscribers as a free download. The game is normally priced at 800 points ($10), so be sure to grab it during this 48 hour window.
• Xbox Dashboard Themes
• Microsoft will be offering the following "special edition" Dashboard Themes available as free downloads;
• Live is 5ive – A dashboard theme celebrating five years of Xbox Live.
• Return to Castle Wolfenstein – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
• Gears of War – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
• Halo 2 – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
• Mech Assault – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
• Special 5 Year Member Bonus
• Xbox Live members who have been with the service since the very beginning will be receiving 500 Microsoft points ($6.25) and a few bits of "exclusive content" as Microsoft's way of saying "Thank You". According to the promotional page, those eligible will be receiving more details via e-mail. I've been a member since day one and haven't seen that e-mail yet, so I'm assuming it won't be sent out until the promotion is fully underway.

It's definitely been a fun five years and I think just about everyone will agree that Xbox Live is without a doubt THE defining feature of the Xbox 360. It really is amazing when you stop and think just how fast the service has grown since the launch of the 360.

Think about it – at the time Live was launched, many people said it would never work, that no one would be willing to pay for the privilege of playing their games online.  Microsoft took that challenge and presented a solid service on the original Xbox that many (myself included) felt was well worth the price and then massively expanded the concept with the Xbox 360 while raising the quality of that service even farther. If there is one thing Microsoft has done right since their entry into the console market, it would have to be Xbox Live.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY XBOX LIVE – SEE YOU AT THE 10 YEAR MARK! 

• Xbox Live is 5ive – Xbox.com 

XBOX LIVE DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE THIS MORNING

Just a quick note here – according to Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, Xbox Live (and Xbox.com) will be down for maintenance in the early hours of this morning (11/13) and should be back online some time after 5:00am EST.

"On Tuesday November 13th from 0000-0200 PT our engineering team will be performing server maintenance. 

Specifically, Xbox.com maintenance will begin at 0000 while the Xbox LIVE service maintenance will begin at 0100.

That means you can stay on LIVE until approximately 0100.

Click this link to find out what time the maintenance will begin in your time zone

Both Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE will be available again at 0200.

This is for maintenance only, there will be no new features that will appear on Xbox.com, your dashboard or Xbox Live when we return to service. It’s not time for the dashboard update…yet." – Major Nelson

I'll keep my fingers crossed that everything goes as planned for those of you who happen to have the day off and were hoping to get some online gaming in today.

• Xbox Live Maintenance (11/13) – Major Nelson 

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES UPCOMING XBOX LIVE ARCADE TITLES

You'll have to pardon how brief I keep this post, but I'm feeling quite a bit under the weather at the moment and really want nothing more than to crawl back into bed and go to sleep.

My health aside, what we're here to talk about is the Xbox Live Arcade – namely the fact that Microsoft not only announced which title would be seeing release this week (Mutant Storm Empire – 800 points), but also gave us a peek into what games will be coming in the immediate future. 

While Castle Crashers is still nowhere in sight, here are a few of the titles we can expect to see in the coming weeks;

• N+ (Slick Entertainment and Metanet Software) – Play as an acrobatic ninja in this addictive action-puzzle platformer.  N+ features inadvertently homicidal robots, stylish graphics, a level editor and intense multiplayer awesomeness.
• Screwjumper! (THQ) – Players take the plunge in "Screwjumper!" and free-fall into the depths of the chaotic underworld as a Screwjumper, driving aliens back to their home world by destroying their precious mining equipment.
• SHREK-N-ROLL (Activision) – Gamers join "Shrek®," "Fiona," "Donkey," "Puss in Boots" and 20 other twisted fairy tale friends in this hilarious puzzle game designed for ogres of all ages.
• SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam (Nickelodeon and THQ) – In this quick and fun game, players search the kitchen of the Krusty Krab, the Flying Dutchman's ship and the Armoury of Atlantis for 99 pairs of underpants.
• Switchball (Sierra Online) – Based on real-world physics, "Switchball" is an intricate puzzle game set in a stunning 3-D world where players control an ever-changing ball along a narrow, winding course suspended in midair.
• Undertow (Chair Entertainment Group) – This fast-paced action-shooter sends gamers underwater as they battle up to 16 players for control of the oceans! Players race to upgrade their units as they engage in non-stop conquest-style battles through multiple levels of combat action with some of the most stunning graphics ever seen in an Xbox LIVE Arcade title.
• Word Puzzle (InterServ International) – The classic pen-and-paper word search game is brought to a new level of excitement on Xbox LIVE Arcade, complete with combos, high-score achievements and the ability to compete against others online.

While a few of those titles sound like they could have potential, I have to say that nothing there really gets me excited – then again, the way I'm feeling right now, not much probably would. It's kind of hard to sound enthusiastic when your only goal in life at the moment is to go back to bed.

ELECTRONIC ARTS DELAYS ARMY OF TWO

According to a story running over at Gamespot, Electronic Arts has announced that Army of Two will be delayed until early 2008.

“Previously expected to see release on November 13, Army of Two has been shuffled back into EA’s early 2008 lineup, with the publisher saying it needs the extra time to polish the shooter.” – Gamespot

While I applaud Electronic Arts for not pushing an unfinished title out the door in the name of profits, this move does bring the issue of the company having three very similar games (Army of Two, Battlefield: Bad Company & Mercenaries 2: World in Flames) falling into roughly the same release window to the forefront once more. I can’t help but think at least one of those titles will see another delay in order to avoid the potential lost sales a near simultaneous release would create.

Looks like November is getting more and more affordable for gamers.

• Army of Two – Official website
• Army of Two furloughed ’til ’08 – Gamespot

LAZY DAY TRAILERS: STREET FIGHTER IV

As you may have guessed from the title, Capcom has confirmed that Street Fighter IV, the next installment in their classic brawling series is finally in development. While Capcom didn’t divulge what systems the game will appear on or give a firm release date, they did manage to get the first teaser trailer for the game out the door.

Normally, I’d pass on putting up a trailer that doesn’t include any gameplay footage, but because of Street Fighter IV just being confirmed, all the hours of enjoyment the Street Fighter series has brought me, and the rampant speculation that the game’s art style may mimic the stylized look of the teaser, I figured it was at least a bit newsworthy. Okay, it probably didn’t hurt that I fell asleep at my desk (again) and as such still didn’t finish editing my hands-on look at Sony’s The Eye of Judgment. Yeah, I know, I suck.

Let the internet rumor-mongering commence!

• Street Fighter IV – Official website
• Street Fighter IV Debut Trailer – GameTrailers.com

ELECTRONIC ARTS BUYS PANDEMIC STUDIOS & BIOWARE

In a surprise announcement, Electronic Arts has announced that in a deal worth up to 810 million dollars, they’ve purchased both Pandemic Studios (Mercenaries 2) and Bioware (Mass Effect). I can only assume that EA took those stories about them falling behind Activision on the third party developer size chart poorly.

“Today I want to announce two new teams joining the EA family – Pandemic Studios in Los Angeles and Brisbane , Australia ; and BioWare Corp. in Edmonton and Austin . Both will become part of the EA Games Label, reporting to Frank Gibeau.

As you may know, I brought these studios together and served as their CEO while I was with Elevation Partners. I know and respect these teams, the games they make and the strong individual creative cultures that define them. I couldn’t be happier to have them join us at EA.” -EA.com

This one was a bit upsetting. Bioware and Pandemic Studios are two of the more unique development houses out there, and fears of them getting the standard EA treatment (sequel after sequel with few real changes) is running pretty high on the internet right now. We can only hope that this turns out well in the end.

On a related note, Microsoft was quick to point out that regardless of today’s announcement, they are still the exclusive publisher for Bioware’s Mass Effect, and the game will remain an Xbox 360 exclusive. However, they also did make a point of noting that Bioware owns the intellectual property for Mass Effect and that, at present, there are no deals in place for the second or third games in the series.

“First, and most important right now, EA’s acquisition of BioWare will not change the current release schedule for Mass Effect. All of us are excited for the game’s worldwide release, starting Nov. 20. Everyone at BioWare (the owners of the Mass Effect IP) and Microsoft (the exclusive publisher of Mass Effect) are committed to keeping everything on track. And yes, Mass Effect will be an Xbox 360 exclusive, despite any rumors (or wishful thinking) to the contrary.

Since neither BioWare nor Microsoft have made any announcements about sequels or publishing deals, we aren’t ready to say anything more about the future of the franchise, but you can be sure we’ll be discussing a lot of things with BioWare (and EA) in the weeks to come.” – Gamerscore Blog

Why do I get the feeling that eventually every third party developer will fall under EA, THQ, Ubisoft or Activision? *Sigh*

• Electronic Arts – Company website
• Bioware – Company Website
• Pandemic Studios – Company website
• EA To Acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios – Press release
• BioWare Corp and Pandemic Studios Join EA – EA.com
• Mass Effect Fully On Track for November 20 – Gamerscore Blog

ELECTRONIC ARTS BUYS PANDEMIC STUDIOS & BIOWARE

In a surprise announcement, Electronic Arts has announced that in a deal worth up to 810 million dollars, they’ve purchased both Pandemic Studios (Mercenaries 2) and Bioware (Mass Effect). I can only assume that EA took those stories about them falling behind Activision on the third party developer size chart poorly.

“Today I want to announce two new teams joining the EA family – Pandemic Studios in Los Angeles and Brisbane , Australia ; and BioWare Corp. in Edmonton and Austin . Both will become part of the EA Games Label, reporting to Frank Gibeau.

As you may know, I brought these studios together and served as their CEO while I was with Elevation Partners. I know and respect these teams, the games they make and the strong individual creative cultures that define them. I couldn’t be happier to have them join us at EA.” -EA.com

This one was a bit upsetting. Bioware and Pandemic Studios are two of the more unique development houses out there, and fears of them getting the standard EA treatment (sequel after sequel with few real changes) is running pretty high on the internet right now. We can only hope that this turns out well in the end.

On a related note, Microsoft was quick to point out that regardless of today’s announcement, they are still the exclusive publisher for Bioware’s Mass Effect, and the game will remain an Xbox 360 exclusive. However, they also did make a point of noting that Bioware owns the intellectual property for Mass Effect and that, at present, there are no deals in place for the second or third games in the series.

“First, and most important right now, EA’s acquisition of BioWare will not change the current release schedule for Mass Effect. All of us are excited for the game’s worldwide release, starting Nov. 20. Everyone at BioWare (the owners of the Mass Effect IP) and Microsoft (the exclusive publisher of Mass Effect) are committed to keeping everything on track. And yes, Mass Effect will be an Xbox 360 exclusive, despite any rumors (or wishful thinking) to the contrary.

Since neither BioWare nor Microsoft have made any announcements about sequels or publishing deals, we aren’t ready to say anything more about the future of the franchise, but you can be sure we’ll be discussing a lot of things with BioWare (and EA) in the weeks to come.” – Gamerscore Blog

Why do I get the feeling that eventually every third party developer will fall under EA, THQ, Ubisoft or Activision? *Sigh*

• Electronic Arts – Company website
• Bioware – Company Website
• Pandemic Studios – Company website
• EA To Acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios – Press release
• BioWare Corp and Pandemic Studios Join EA – EA.com
• Mass Effect Fully On Track for November 20 – Gamerscore Blog

ELECTRONIC ARTS BUYS PANDEMIC STUDIOS & BIOWARE

In a surprise announcement, Electronic Arts has announced that in a deal worth up to 810 million dollars, they’ve purchased both Pandemic Studios (Mercenaries 2) and Bioware (Mass Effect). I can only assume that EA took those stories about them falling behind Activision on the third party developer size chart poorly.

“Today I want to announce two new teams joining the EA family – Pandemic Studios in Los Angeles and Brisbane , Australia ; and BioWare Corp. in Edmonton and Austin . Both will become part of the EA Games Label, reporting to Frank Gibeau.

As you may know, I brought these studios together and served as their CEO while I was with Elevation Partners. I know and respect these teams, the games they make and the strong individual creative cultures that define them. I couldn’t be happier to have them join us at EA.” -EA.com

This one was a bit upsetting. Bioware and Pandemic Studios are two of the more unique development houses out there, and fears of them getting the standard EA treatment (sequel after sequel with few real changes) is running pretty high on the internet right now. We can only hope that this turns out well in the end.

On a related note, Microsoft was quick to point out that regardless of today’s announcement, they are still the exclusive publisher for Bioware’s Mass Effect, and the game will remain an Xbox 360 exclusive. However, they also did make a point of noting that Bioware owns the intellectual property for Mass Effect and that, at present, there are no deals in place for the second or third games in the series.

“First, and most important right now, EA’s acquisition of BioWare will not change the current release schedule for Mass Effect. All of us are excited for the game’s worldwide release, starting Nov. 20. Everyone at BioWare (the owners of the Mass Effect IP) and Microsoft (the exclusive publisher of Mass Effect) are committed to keeping everything on track. And yes, Mass Effect will be an Xbox 360 exclusive, despite any rumors (or wishful thinking) to the contrary.

Since neither BioWare nor Microsoft have made any announcements about sequels or publishing deals, we aren’t ready to say anything more about the future of the franchise, but you can be sure we’ll be discussing a lot of things with BioWare (and EA) in the weeks to come.” – Gamerscore Blog

Why do I get the feeling that eventually every third party developer will fall under EA, THQ, Ubisoft or Activision? *Sigh*

• Electronic Arts – Company website
• Bioware – Company Website
• Pandemic Studios – Company website
• EA To Acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios – Press release
• BioWare Corp and Pandemic Studios Join EA – EA.com
• Mass Effect Fully On Track for November 20 – Gamerscore Blog

ELECTRONIC ARTS BUYS PANDEMIC STUDIOS & BIOWARE

In a surprise announcement, Electronic Arts has announced that in a deal worth up to 810 million dollars, they’ve purchased both Pandemic Studios (Mercenaries 2) and Bioware (Mass Effect). I can only assume that EA took those stories about them falling behind Activision on the third party developer size chart poorly.

“Today I want to announce two new teams joining the EA family – Pandemic Studios in Los Angeles and Brisbane , Australia ; and BioWare Corp. in Edmonton and Austin . Both will become part of the EA Games Label, reporting to Frank Gibeau.

As you may know, I brought these studios together and served as their CEO while I was with Elevation Partners. I know and respect these teams, the games they make and the strong individual creative cultures that define them. I couldn’t be happier to have them join us at EA.” -EA.com

This one was a bit upsetting. Bioware and Pandemic Studios are two of the more unique development houses out there, and fears of them getting the standard EA treatment (sequel after sequel with few real changes) is running pretty high on the internet right now. We can only hope that this turns out well in the end.

On a related note, Microsoft was quick to point out that regardless of today’s announcement, they are still the exclusive publisher for Bioware’s Mass Effect, and the game will remain an Xbox 360 exclusive. However, they also did make a point of noting that Bioware owns the intellectual property for Mass Effect and that, at present, there are no deals in place for the second or third games in the series.

“First, and most important right now, EA’s acquisition of BioWare will not change the current release schedule for Mass Effect. All of us are excited for the game’s worldwide release, starting Nov. 20. Everyone at BioWare (the owners of the Mass Effect IP) and Microsoft (the exclusive publisher of Mass Effect) are committed to keeping everything on track. And yes, Mass Effect will be an Xbox 360 exclusive, despite any rumors (or wishful thinking) to the contrary.

Since neither BioWare nor Microsoft have made any announcements about sequels or publishing deals, we aren’t ready to say anything more about the future of the franchise, but you can be sure we’ll be discussing a lot of things with BioWare (and EA) in the weeks to come.” – Gamerscore Blog

Why do I get the feeling that eventually every third party developer will fall under EA, THQ, Ubisoft or Activision? *Sigh*

• Electronic Arts – Company website
• Bioware – Company Website
• Pandemic Studios – Company website
• EA To Acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios – Press release
• BioWare Corp and Pandemic Studios Join EA – EA.com
• Mass Effect Fully On Track for November 20 – Gamerscore Blog

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR CRYSIS ANNOUNCED

Ever since it’s announcement, the question of just how powerful of a system Crytek’s upcoming PC shooter Crysis would require to be playable at any level. Although numbers have been thrown around for months now, Crytek was never officially willing to say exactly where they were going to set the bare bones entry level point for the game… until now.

Yes, Crytek & Electronic Arts have finally announced both the minimum and recommended system specs for Crysis – and, as expected, they’re damn high… “How high?” you ask?

Crysis: Minimum System Requirements
Operating System: Windows XP or Windows Vista
Processor: 2.8GHz or faster (XP); 3.2GHz or faster* (Vista)
Memory: 1GB RAM or 1.5GB RAM (Vista)
Video Card: 256MB**
Hard Drive: 12GB
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible

* Supported Processors: Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHz (3.2GHz for Vista) or faster, Intel Core 2GHz (2.2GHz for Vista) or faster, and other similar CPUs.

** Supported chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT + or similar GPUs. Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported. Integrated chipsets are not supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required.

Now then, keep in mind that the above are the MINIMUM system requirements for Crysis. The recommended system specs make the following changes;

Crysis: Recommended System Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP / Vista
Processor: Intel Core 2 DUO @ 2.2GHz
Memory: 2GB RAM
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS/640 or similar

Based on the above specs, my PC will just barely miss the minimum system specs (my processor is just a bit too slow – no comments from the peanut gallery, please), so it looks like I’ll be sitting this one out until I either build a new PC or the game gets ported over to a console. It’s certainly a bit depressing, as after having played the game a little at DigitalLife ’07, I was hoping that there would be a chance for me to be able to experience this one in full.

If your system meets the required specs, congratulations – Crysis should be one hell of an experience. If your system fell short… well, either start planning on making some upgrades between now and the game’s November 16th ship date.

• Crysis – Official website
• Is Your Rig Ready for Crysis? – Official website

IT’S OFFICIAL – BUNGIE TO SPLIT FROM MICROSOFT

The other day, we reported on a rumor from 8BitJoystick that stated that Bungie was about to break away from Microsoft and once again become an independent developer. At the time, it was hard to believe – even with the explanation 8BitJoystick gave for the split. It was also something that I said I believed was false, but given the recent news out of Microsoft, wouldn’t completely write off either.

Turns out, those rumors were true.

This morning, both Microsoft and Bungie have announced that the two companies will be parting ways, with Bungie returning to being an independent developer and Microsoft becoming an equity holder in the company. As reported before, Microsoft will hold the rights to the Halo franchise.

From what little of the press releases I’ve been able to read so far (damn you, work!), it appears that while Microsoft will hold some stake in Bungie and will continue to work with them on future Halo related projects, Bungie will be an independent entity, free to pursue whatever projects they choose without any input from Microsoft. Based on the wording of the releases, it also appears Microsoft may have the right of first refusal on whatever projects Bungie creates.

Don’t quote me on this though, as I have not had a chance to fully read both releases and other particulars. I could be wrong.

Microsoft Corp. today announced a plan for Bungie Studios, the developers of the Halo franchise, to embark on a path to become an independent company. Microsoft will retain an equity interest in Bungie at the same time continuing its long standing publishing agreement between Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie for the Microsoft owned Halo intellectual property as well as other future properties developed by Bungie. – Microsoft press release

“Bungie and Microsoft Corp. today announced a plan for Bungie Studios, the developers of Microsoft’s “Halo” franchise, to become a privately held independent company, Bungie, LLC, in which Microsoft will hold a minority equity interest. As part of this transaction, Bungie and Microsoft have forged a deep and long-term development and publishing relationship focused on the continued success of the “Halo” franchise. It is also the intent of both parties to expand their partnership to include new IP created and owned by Bungie.” – Bungie press release

I’ll be sure to talk more about this later this evening once I’ve gotten a chance to go over all the available information, but for now, I’ll just link the full press releases from both companies.

• Microsoft – Xbox.com
• Bungie – Company website
• Microsoft and Bungie Studios to Evolve Relationship – Microsoft press release
• Bungie Studios Becomes Privately Held Independent Company – Bungie press release
• Bungie Leaving Microsoft!! You heard it here first folks – 8BitJoystick
• Bungie and Microsoft Are Splitting Up and That’s My Story – 8BitJostick

STATE OF THE SITE – CHANGES (PART TWO)

Well, things never go quite as planned, do they?

Some of you, no doubt, noticed that despite today’s earlier post, nothing did in fact change. Well, not at first… after a few hours, everything changed to the degree that the site was unreachable.

We do apologize for that, but we ran into some technical difficulties with the changeover – in fact, some older sections of the site still aren’t working, and probably won’t be until the weekend. The best laid plans of mice and men and such – you know how it goes…

Anyway, the main page and archives of the site are now back online, and you should be able to see the new format now. So much for getting all those DigitalLife ’07 posts done today. Ugh.

STATE OF THE SITE: CHANGES

You may have noticed that things are looking a little different here at nylatenite.com today. Well, after some consideration and a review of the site traffic numbers, I’ve decided to make the “new version” of the site active. Simply put, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite awhile now in order to streamline the posting process, try out some new features and possibly bring in some guest writers from time to time. Besides, based on the site’s traffic reports, most of you are already using this new format (introduced during E3’07) to keep tabs on our posts.

I’m hoping that the additional time granted by not having to update three separately formatted sites with every post will correspond to nylatenite.com being able to bring you a bigger slice of the days gaming news in a more timely fashion. Rest assured, our mission of bringing you the news without all the fluff posts you’ll find on other sites will be unchanged – I just really want to be able to get back to doing more than just get one or two topics up a day. Nothing kills the desire to keep writing for the site than to just post a lot of release announcements without being able to weigh in on them.

So, what does this mean to you? Well, for starters, if you’re seeing this notice on the old style “Black & Blue” front page at http://www.nylatenite.com/gamersparadise.htm or http://www.nylatenite.com/whatsnew.htm, you’re going to need to change your bookmark for the site over to http://www.nylatenite.com as that old style format will no longer be supported. There are plans in the works for a similarly themed skin for the main site, so if you absolutely need to see the dark version of the site, we should be able to accommodate you soon.

What it also means is that there are some new features available on the site, including the ability to easily post comments, lookup older posts using the search box, tags, calendar or archives, see a summary of recent posts, get site updates via RSS feeds along with continued support for both standard and widescreen displays. Yeah, we think it’s pretty cool too.

That’s not to say there aren’t some issues with this new format. Looking at the archives box on the right, you may have noticed that some of the sites previous posts between August 2006 and March 2007 have not yet made the jump to this new version. While we will, as time permits, continue to bring those posts into the archives, there’s no ETA on that occurring. Those posts are still available in the old version of the site archives via this link should you need them. I’ll also be adding a link to those archives in one of the boxes to the left of your screen.

So there you have it. I’m hoping that you like the new look and continue to check in with us as part of your daily routine.

ACTIVISION ACQUIRES BIZARRE CREATIONS

In a surprise announcement, Activision announced late wednesday that they have acquired UK based Bizarre Creations, the development house behind Microsoft’s Project Gotham Racing franchise. While the exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition does not include the rights to the PGR series, as Microsoft is the holder for that particular intellectual property. Geometry Wars on the other hand, as you may have guessed from the upcoming Nintendo DS release of Geometry Wars: Galaxies, is another story. I’d expect to see some form of Geometry Wars finding it’s way to the PlayStation 3 some time in the near future.

"SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sep 26, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced that it has acquired U.K.-based video game developer Bizarre Creations, one of the world’s premier video game developers and a leader in the racing category, a $1.4 billion market that is the fourth most popular video game genre and represents more than 10% of the total video game market worldwide.

This acquisition represents the latest step in Activision’s ongoing strategy to enter new genres. Last year, Activision entered the music rhythm genre through its acquisition of RedOctane’s Guitar Hero franchise, which is one of the fastest growing franchises in the video game industry." – Activision press release

Obviously, Bizarre will be moved into making multiplatform games, which would virtually ensure the end of their participation in the development of the PGR franchise, though the early rumor is that Bizarre will simply move back to producing the Metropolis Street Racer series, meaning that while the name changes, little else will. One thing that many seem concerned about, is whether or not Activision will show the same kind of quality control that Microsoft has shown with Bizarre’s titles. As usual, only time will tell.

• Activision – Company website
• Bizarre Creations – Company website
• Activision Acquires U.K. Game Developer Bizarre Creations – Press release

SONY CONFIRMS DUAL SHOCK 3 CONTROLLER

Confirming the rumors that have been spreading across the ‘net for the last few days, at their press briefing for the Tokyo Game Show, Sony Computer Entertainment President Kaz Hirai confirmed that that vibration feedback would be coming to the PlayStation 3 in the form of the Dual Shock 3 controller.

The new controller looks identical to the current Sixaxis controller and will be hitting retail in Japan this November with the United States and Europe following in the Spring of 2008. No price has been quoted at this time.

This is great news for PlayStation 3 owners who have been sorely missing the feature – though I’m sure some who purchased multiple controllers may feel a little burned by the move. Even better news was that in addition to future PS3 games supporting vibration feedback, Hirai noted that some games in the existing PlayStation 3 catalog could have the feature added via downloadable updates.

• Sony Confirms, Details SIXAXIS Rumble– Kotaku
• TGS ’07: Sony announces Dual Shock 3, Home delay – Gamespot
• Sony Confirms DualShock Controller For PlayStation 3 – Gamasutra
• TGS 2007: Sony confirms PS3 rumble, sidesteps any admission of failure – Destructoid

MICROSOFT SHUTS DOWN FASA STUDIO

There were a lot of rumors during Shadowrun’s development that Microsoft would be shutting down FASA Studio once the game was complete. Well, it looks like the rumors were true as according to a post on the official Shadowrun message boards (found by way of Kotaku) the studio has indeed been shut down.

"It is my sad duty to announce that FASA Studio has officially closed its doors. Today was the official last day of employment for those of us who had not moved on to other positions within Microsoft Game Studios. While the rumors have been circulating forever, we chose to wait on an official announcement because we didn’t want people’s attention distracted from our last product, Shadowrun, a game we love." – Mitch Getelman, producer – Shadowrun

According to the same post, roughly half of the employees from FASA have taken positions elsewhere within Microsoft Game Studios and Microsoft proper, and I’m quite sure that Microsoft will continue to hold whatever intellectual property rights they gained from their purchase of FASA. Still, it’s sad to see one of the last remnants of FASA Corporation go down.

• FASA Studio – Company website
• Shadowrun – Official website
• FASA Studio has closed its doors – Official Shadowrun forums
• Shadowrun Developer Shuts Down – Kotaku
• Microsoft to Shut Down FASA Studios? – NYLatenite.com (3/22/07)

EPIC GAMES TO ADD GAMESPY SUPPORT TO UNREAL ENGINE 3

According to a post over at Kotaku, Epic Games has inked a deal with Gamespy to incorporate Gamespy’s online technology with Unreal Engine 3. Those of you wondering why you should care about this deal, Epic has confirmed that with the addition of Gamespy’s online technology, Unreal Tournament III will be able to support cross-platform gaming between the PlayStation 3 and PC platforms.

"BRISBANE, Calif. – August 15, 2007 – IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy, a leader in multiplayer and online gaming technology, and Epic Games today announced a licensing deal to incorporate GameSpy’s suite of online technology into Epic’s Unreal® Engine 3, one of the industry’s most popular game engines. Under the terms of the agreement, GameSpy will join Epic’s prestigious Integrated Partners Program, and its technology will be immediately available to any publishers or developers that license Unreal® Engine 3.

By incorporating GameSpy’s online technology into Unreal Engine 3, the two companies have created an integrated one-stop solution for game developers looking to leverage the world’s most advanced multi-player technology and game engine in one package. The partnership will span both the PC and PLAYSTATION®3 platforms within Unreal Engine 3, enabling seamless PLAYSTATION®3 and PC online functionality. Functionality available to Unreal Engine 3 licensees via Gamespy will include cross-platform gameplay, communication tools and competition applications." – Gamespy / Epic Games press release excerpt as reported at Kotaku

I mentioned in a previous article that the PS3 version of UT3 keeps looking better and better, and this little bit of news certainly continues that trend. Between the points I highlighted in that initial article, this announcement and recent statements by Epic Games VP Mark Rein regarding disc space issues with the Xbox 360 version, the choice to purchase the PS3 version over the 360’s is really beginning to look like a no-brainer.

Those of you looking to for the full text of yesterday’s press release should head over to Kotaku via the below link.

• Epic Games – Company Website
• GameSpy – Company website
• Unreal Tournament III – Official website
• Unreal Engine Adds GameSpy Tech For PS3-PC Crossplay – Kotaku
• Unreal Tournament III needs the Blu-ray legroom – Destructoid
• PlayStation 3 Unreal Tournament 3 to Support Keyboard & Mouse – NYLatenite.com

MICROSOFT CONFIRMS XBOX 360 PRICE DROP

Microsoft has now confirmed that the rumored price drop we told you about last week will be going into effect on August 8th. The price cut will affect all versions of the Xbox 360 including the upcoming Halo 3 Special Edition console.

While I’m sure many will agree that Microsoft had to do something to attempt to spur 360 sales heading into the fall, I question just how effective this price cut will be. Simply put, it’s just not that large of a drop. Despite Microsoft stating that this is a $50 price reduction, when you look at the updated prices of the different models of the 360, you’ll note that the real savings ranges between $20 and $50 depending on which model you buy.

Before we get to the text of the press release, let’s cut to the chase – here are the new retail prices that will be taking effect on the 8th;

• Xbox 360 Core System: $279.99
• Xbox 360 Premium System: $349.99
• Xbox 360 Halo® 3 Special Edition Console: $399.99
• Xbox 360 Elite: $449.99

Personally, I was hoping Microsoft would also take the initiative to drop the price on the 120GB hard drive – especially when you consider that it’s in the company’s best interest (Due to downloadable content and such) to get as many of the larger hard drives out there are possible. No luck on that end though.

“REDMOND, Wash. — Aug. 6, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today kicked off the greatest holiday lineup in video game history by announcing it will reduce the estimated retail price (ERP) of Xbox 360™ by $50 (U.S.) beginning Aug. 8. Soon to follow, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) will release its blockbuster video game title “Madden NFL 08” on Aug. 14. “Madden NFL Football,” one of the most important mass-appeal franchises in video games, was the top-selling game of 2006 and is the top-selling franchise of the past 10 years. Only Xbox 360 offers a console for all interests and budgets.

“The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360,” said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president, Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “On the eve of the best holiday games lineup ever and the launch of ‘Madden NFL 08,’ there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360.”

Xbox 360 will enhance the value of its entire family of consoles beginning on Aug. 8. At a new ERP of $349.99 (U.S.), Xbox 360 offers an unsurpassed experience right out of the box with a 20GB hard drive, wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, and more. For those looking for the ultimate value and the freedom to customize their console as they see fit, Xbox 360 Core System now has an ERP of $279.99 (U.S.). Xbox 360 Core System provides everything needed to start gaming while giving consumers the ability to add new features and accessories they want. Dressed in black and equipped with a 120GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Elite will be priced at an ERP of $449.99 (U.S.) for those who want the premium games and entertainment experience. In anticipation of this year’s largest blockbuster game launch, the Xbox 360 Halo® 3 Special Edition Console will hit store shelves in September with an ERP of $399.99 (U.S.). Featuring an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console will include a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset, an Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit, and more.” – Microsoft press release

Those of you looking for more information on the price drop or the full text of the press release should check out the below links.

• Xbox 360 – Which Console for You? – Xbox.com
• Microsoft Lowers Price of Xbox 360 by $50 – Microsoft press release
• Xbox 360 Drops Price $50 in US – Gamerscore Blog

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WRATH OF THE LICH KING ANNOUNCED

Yesterday’s BlizzCon event saw many thrilling announcements come from Blizzard, however none were perhaps as large as the unveiling of the next expansion for World of Warcraft. Wrath of the Lich King will continue the evolving story on Azeroth, as one can only guess that all the time the world’s heroes have spent in Outland has given the Lich King Arthas time to consolidate his power and threaten the world once more…

“In the cold, harsh northlands…

The Lich King Arthas has set in motion events that could lead to the extinction of all life on Azeroth. With the armies of the undead and the necromantic power of the plague threatening to sweep across the land, only the mightiest heroes can oppose the Lich King’s will and end his reign of terror for all time.

Blizzard Entertainment’s latest expansion to World of Warcraft – Wrath of the Lich King – adds a host of epic content to the existing game world. Players will achieve soaring levels of power, explore a vast new continent, and battle other high-level heroes to determine the fate of Azeroth. As you pit yourself against the dangers of the north, prepare to:

• Master the necromantic powers of the Death Knight – World of Warcraft’s first Hero class.
• Quest to level 80, gaining potent new abilities and talents along the way.
• Learn the craft of spell augmentation with the new Inscription profession.
• Brave the harsh new continent of Northrend, the icy domain of the Lich King.
• Engage in epic siege warfare, deploying mighty siege engines to lay waste to destructible buildings in your path.
• Transform your hero’s look with new character-customization options, including new hairstyles and dances.
• Explore perilous new dungeons filled with some of the deadliest creatures — and greatest treasures — on Azeroth.
• And much, much more…” – World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King product page

I was out. I had freed myself of the curse of World of Warcraft. Unfortunately, I’ve played some form of evil knight in every mmog I’ve every played, and the fact that it looked like Blizzard was never going to add hero classes (and thus, Death Knights) to the game was one of the many factors in my calling it quits. I guess I’ll have to start levelling up again. Ugh.

• World of Warcraft – Official website
• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – Product page at WorldofWarcraft.com

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV DELAYED UNTIL 2008

Take Two Interactive has announced that due to "additional development time required to complete the title", Grand Theft Auto IV will be delayed until some time in fiscal year 2008.

"Take-Two is reducing its fiscal 2007 guidance primarily to reflect the movement of the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to fiscal 2008, due to additional development time required to complete the title. The title is now planned for release in the Company’s second quarter of fiscal 2008." – Take Two Interactive press release

Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick’s further elaborated on the situation by stating that the specific problems can be tracked back to both the cutting edge nature of Grand Theft Auto IV as well as the need to develop it simultaneously on two different platforms. This view was further backed up by Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser who stated that both Microsoft and Sony now have teams working with Rockstar on their respective versions of the game.

"With Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar is setting a new standard for next generation video games. Certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms." – Strauss Zelnick

"The new consoles are allowing us to create the Grand Theft Auto game we always dreamed about. Every aspect of the game and its design has been completely transformed. The game is huge and is pushing the hardware platforms to their absolute limits. The top engineers from Sony and Microsoft are working closely with the team in Edinburgh right now, helping us to fully leverage the power of both platforms." – Sam Houser

All I can say on this one is just… wow. I’m quite sure this one has blown a hole in the game lists of many, and to see one of this holiday’s biggest titles drop into 2008 is huge. I can’t imagine Take-Two’s shareholders are all that thrilled at the moment as this announcement further hurts the company’s 2007 bottom line – one that already had taken a pounding from the fallout surrounding Manhunt 2.

Take-Two also took the time to list their remaining titles for 2007 as well as the list of games expected to come out in fiscal 2008 – as expected, Manhunt 2 is nowhere to be found on either. For more information regarding Take-Two’s future plans, check out the full press release linked below.

• Take-Two Interactive – Company website
• Rockstar Games – Company website
• Grand Theft Auto IV – Official website
• Launch of Grand Theft Auto IV Now Planned for Fiscal 2008 – Take-Two Interactive press release

SONY E3 2007 PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Allow me to repeat myself… I’d like to preface this post by saying that I normally hate reporting on anything I haven’t seen in person. Since I had to work today, I was unable to catch the Sony press conference, so instead I followed along with Kotaku’s liveblog of the event. While I trust Kotaku’s take on things, keep in mind that I could be wrong about a lot of the below information as I didn’t have the perspective of actually seeing the same thing the folks at Kotaku were seeing, nor did I have the luxury of following the transcript uninterrupted.

Based on what I read, here are the more important bits of information that came out of the briefing. If you’re looking for a more complete breakdown of Sony’s conference, check out the full text of Kotaku’s liveblog here.

• 160 games coming to PS2 over the next year
• PSP has seen a 90% sales increase since the last price drop.
• They hope to ship 9 million PSPs’s this fiscal year.
• 140 new games coming for PSP.
• New model PSP announced – will offer come kind of PSP to HDTV function.
• New PSP is 33% lighter, 19% slimmer than current PSP.
• You can now upload PSP video to TV via a cable.
• New PSP comes out this September.
• New PSP will come in black and ice silver.
• Ice silver model will be a sold in a $199 bundle including a 1gb memory stick duo, Jak & Daxter and the Family Guy Friggin Sweet Pack UMD.
• Another bundle – a Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron branded PSP (White with Darth Vader’s image on the back) and the Renegade Squadron game – $199.99.
• Wipeout HD shown.
• PlayStation Home to be released this fall.
• Tretton claims PS3 sales have doubled since the price drop.
• NCSoft making a game for PS3.
• Haze to release on PS3 this holiday season – since they’re saying “you can only play it this holiday on PS3″, I’m assuming that means the PC/360 versions will be coming a bit later.
• Unreal Tournament 3 will be a PS3 exclusive for this year (again, PC/360 versions to follow later)
• UT3 will allow the use of PC Umods via the PlayStation Network.
• Midway & Epic have signed a deal to help optimize their engine (Do they mean Unreal Engine 3?) for the PS3
• UT3 comes out this November
• Rock Band confirmed as coming to the PS3 (there were rumors about a 360 exclusive deal)
• Metal Gear Solid 4 announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive.
• Hideo Kojima comes out to demonstrate the game and announces this is the end of the current series, Snake and his (Kojima’s) involvement with the franchise.
• MGS4 to have a worldwide release… “very soon”
• Infamous announced – a super hero game where you can play as a hero or villain. (I’m assuming like a comic book version of Fable)
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue coming to the PlayStation Network this holiday – with online support.
• Killzone 2 trailer shown – this time with real gameplay footage.

I think I’ll have to make sure that I schedule a vacation day for at least the first day of E3 next year – because I’m really not pleased with these last two posts.

• Liveblogging the Sony Press Conference – Kotaku

NINTENDO E3 2007 PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

I’d like to preface this post by saying that I normally hate reporting on anything I haven’t seen in person. Since I had to work today, I was unable to catch the Nintendo press conference, so instead I followed along with Kotaku’s liveblog of the event. While I trust Kotaku’s take on things, keep in mind that I could be wrong about a lot of the below information as I didn’t have the perspective of actually seeing the same thing the folks at Kotaku were seeing, nor did I have the luxury of following the transcript uninterrupted.

Based on what I read, here are the more important bits of information that came out of the briefing. If you’re looking for a more complete breakdown of Nintendo’s conference, check out the full text of Kotaku’s liveblog here.

• DS market share is almost 25% of U.S. hardware sales
• Typically 80 percent of gamers are male – on DS it’s only 67% – Looks like the DS is crossing traditional borders
• DS has now sold over 40 million units – #1 handheld in the world
• They expect the Wii to take #1 console shortly
• Wii Zapper unveiled (new housing for Wiimote and Nunchuck) – available this year for $19.99
• Wii Zapper “approved” for RE: Umbrella Chronicles
• Games: Medal of Honor (Wii – 32 player mp), Smackdown vs Raw (Wii), Soul Calibur Legends(Wii), Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS), Dragon Quest: Swords (Wii)
• Super Smash Bros Brawl coming Dec 3rd.
• Metroid will have 3 sensitivity modes and a lock-on mode.
• 5.6 million downloads via Wii shop so far
• “Check Mii Out” channel announced (You can enter your Mii in online popularity contests)
• Mario Kart Wii will be online in the first quarter of next year
• Custom Wii wheel will be available for Mario Kart (Another housing for the Wiimote)
• Super Mario Galaxy coming Nov 12
• Brain Age 2 coming Aug 20
• Flash Focus (DS Observation training) coming to the US
• WiiFit coming – aerobics, weight training, yoga and balance exercises. Will include a weight sensing footpad.

As you can imagine, Nintendo is pretty thrilled with how things are going for them at the moment – hell, who wouldn’t be?

• Liveblogging the Nintendo Presser – Kotaku

80GB PLAYSTATION 3 WILL NOT INCLUDE PS2 EMOTION ENGINE CHIP

GamesIndustry.Biz is reporting that Sony Computer Entertainment America has confirmed that the newly announced 80GB model of the PlayStation 3 will not include the PlayStation 2 Emotion Engine chip, instead depending on software based emulation for backwards compatibility.

“The current 60 GB model utilizes a hardware and solution for backwards compatibility, namely the Emotion Engine chip. The new 80 GB PS3 will use a software solution for backwards compatibility, similar to that currently found in the PAL model.” – Kimberly Otzman, SCEA – as reported by GamesIndustry.Biz

So let me see if I understand this right… Not only is Sony asking gamers to shell out $599.99 for a bundle that doesn’t seem to be worth the sum of it’s parts, but now they’re actual taking away one of the selling points of the console? I don’t know what they’re smoking over at SCEA, but it must be some really freaky stuff.

Because it seems a given that once existing stocks of the PlayStation 3 are sold out, future shipments of the 60GB model will follow suit, those of you planning on buying a PS3 soon may want to accelerate those plans to ensure you get an Emotion Engine equipped model.

• New 80GB PS3 eliminates “emotion engine” chip – GamesIndustry.Biz

SONY CONFIRMS PLAYSTATION 3 PRICE DROP, ANNOUNCES 80GB SYSTEM BUNDLE

In a post over at PlayStation.blog, Sony Senior PR Manager Patrick Seybold confirmed the rumored PlayStation 3 $100 price drop and took the opportunity to announce that Sony will be making an 80GB model of the PlayStation 3 available with a bundled copy of MotorStorm for $599 starting this August.

"…we’re introducing a new PS3 model with a 80GB hard drive which will include a free copy of MotorStorm, all for the retail price of $599. This 80GB package will be available starting in August, just a few short weeks from today. The larger hard drive will give players more of an opportunity to take advantage of all the downloadable games and trailers on the PLAYSTATION Network, including the content from our forthcoming download service which will include videos, movies and other entertainment content.

In addition, as some of you speculated last week, we confirmed today that we are lowering the price of our current 60GB PS3 by $100, to $499, effective immediately in North America. I know many of you were eager to hear this and we’re thrilled to share this with you now as we head into E3." – Patrick Seybold

While I believe the price drop was an absolute necessity for Sony, I’ve got to question the wisdom of this new 80GB SKU. In essence, what Sony is offering here is a copy of MotorStorm ($59.99) and an extra 20GB of hard drive space for $100. It just doesn’t add up – why not just buy the 60GB model for $499, a game of your choice at $59.99 and keep the rest for another purchase.

One big question being repeated by commenters over at PlayStation.blog is whether the 80GB SKU will include the PlayStation 2 Emotion Engine chip or rely on software based emulation for backwards compatibility. We’ll be sure to keep you updates on any additional information about the new SKU as it becomes available. Personally, I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that Sony will throw early adopters some kind of bone to make up for the price drop and lack of titles available.

• New PS3, New Price Drop & More News Coming – PlayStation.blog

PLAYSTATION NETWORK TO FEATURE E3 VIDEO CONTENT

Just a quick note here – Sony has announced that they will be putting many of the trailers and videos of upcoming PlayStation 3 games on the PlayStation Network over the course of the coming week. There is no word on whether they’ll be throwing playable demos into the mix as well, but we can all hope.

• PlayStation Network – Information page at PlayStation.com

MICROSOFT EXTENDS 360 WARRANTY TO 3 YEARS FOR RED RING ISSUES

Microsoft has announced that due to the ongoing issues with the Xbox 360’s dreaded Red Ring of Death system failures, the company will be extending the system’s factory warranty to cover the defects that cause the issue to 3 years from the date of purchase.

I can’t begin to mention just how huge of an announcement this is. Microsoft has basically admitted that the failure rate on the Xbox 360 is far higher than they would like and have taken action to make sure that their customer base is treated fairly. To give you an idea of the scale of the problem, Microsoft will be taking a 1.15 billion dollar pre-tax charge to their earnings for the quarter ending June 30th to cover the cost of the extension. (If you’re wondering, this means that the cost of supporting the warranty will not be included in fiscal year 2008, meaning that Robbie Bach’s prediction that the Xbox line would be in the black by 2008 is still a reasonable possibility.)

In an open letter to their customers, Microsoft’s Peter Moore apologized to Xbox 360 owners for any inconveniences they may have experienced due to system failures and promised that the company would be retroactively reimbursing any fees paid by 360 owners for repairs due to the issue.

“As of today, all Xbox 360 consoles are covered by an enhanced warranty program to address specifically the general hardware failures indicated by the three flashing red lights on the console. This applies to new and previously-sold consoles. While we will still have a general one year console warranty (two years in some countries), we are announcing today a three-year warranty that covers any console that displays a three flashing red lights error message. If a customer has an issue indicated by the three flashing red lights, Microsoft will repair the console free of charge—including shipping—for three years from the console’s purchase date. We will also retroactively reimburse any of you who paid for repairs related to problems indicated by this error message in the past. In doing so, Microsoft stands behind its products and takes responsibility to ensure that every Xbox 360 console owner continues to have a fantastic gaming experience.

If we have let any of you down in the experience you have had with your Xbox 360, we sincerely apologize. We are taking responsibility and are making these changes to ensure that every Xbox 360 owner continues to have a great experience.” – Peter Moore

It should be noted that the extension (years 2 and 3) only cover issues related to the three red ring failures and does not cover the rest of the system. To clear up any confusion, Microsoft has made a FAQ available that covers many of the questions Xbox 360 owners may have about the updated warranty and have advised that they will continue to update the FAQ over the next few days.

One question that wasn’t covered in the aforementioned FAQ was what affect this would have on the warranty status of those who purchased the Xbox 360’s 2 year extended warranty directly from Microsoft. To get an answer to that issue, I called Microsoft’s customer support help line at 1-800-4MY-XBOX, and after waiting on hold for 1 hour and 15 minutes was advised that the extended warranty will begin once the 3 year warranty period has expired and that all services would be covered during that time.

I found that answer a little strange as one would assume that only the coverage for the Red Ring failures would continue into the 4th and 5th year of the warranty period, but the representative I spoke with assured me that this was indeed the case. While I’m taking that part of the answer with a grain of salt, I am at least confident in believing that those who purchased the extended warranty via Microsoft will have protection from general system failures (Red Ring of Death failures) for 5 years from the date of purchase.

My guess is that since Microsoft also stated that they believe they’ve found a way to fix the problem that this move may essentially be a long-term recall. If the problem is such that they know that most Xbox 360’s will fail within 3 years, this would allow them to repair the problems without the massive negative publicity a true recall would bring. The move should also allow Microsoft some breathing room at E3 in regard to the failure rate, so while it’s certainly a great move for the consumer, I wouldn’t go sending mushy love notes to the company just yet. Still, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy at the moment. Between the rumors of the PlayStation 3 price drop and Microsoft’s warranty extension, it’s been a pretty good day for gamers. For more information on the announcement, warranty procedures and what it all means to you, check out the below links.

• Microsoft Expands Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage – Official press release
• Xbox 360 Expands Warranty – Gamerscore Blog
• Open Letter From Peter Moore – Xbox.com
• Expanded Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage FAQ – Xbox.com

GAMEFLY INTRODUCES NEW MAILERS

Gamefly dropped me an e-mail yesterday advising that after some testing, they will be changing the mailers they use for all standard disc-based games. From the sound of it, they’ve made a few changes to the overall design and removed the protective cardboard insert they used to place in each mailer – a move that I’m not particularly fond of.

“We’ve changed our mailer! As of this week, you may see your games arrive in a newly redesigned mailer that opens vertically instead of horizontally.

This new mailer does not include any cardboard inserts. Please do not attempt to use your old cardboard inserts when returning games in this new mailer.

Also, when returning your games, you will insert the disc into the top of the return mailer, instead of into the side.

Please note – handheld games (PSP, DS, GBA) will continue to be mailed in the usual mailer with the cardboard insert. Please return these handheld games with the cardboard in the same mailers they arrived in.” – Gamefly

I guess that extra dollar they tacked onto all membership plans back on June 18th just wasn’t enough to cover the cost of using the inserts. I just hope they are ready for the inevitable slew of damaged discs they’re going to start getting back.

• Gamefly – Official website

SEGA ANNOUNCES NIGHTS: JOURNEY OF DREAMS

The rumors were true – Sega has announced that a sequel to the Saturn classic NiGHTS: Into Dreams is now in development for the Nintendo Wii. Not much is known about NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams at this point beyond the fact that it’ll be on the Wii, it will support one or two players and most importantly, it’s slated for release this holiday season.

"The critically-acclaimed franchise that gave gamers the freedom to fly in a world of dreams is coming to the Wii™! As a fantasy jester called NiGHTS, you will experience a heightened sense of gliding, spiraling, and looping through seven extraordinary worlds of Nightopia where the ocean resides in the sky and glass-formed cliffs overlook a castle of mirrors. When the “Nightmarens” from the neighboring dark world of Nightmare infiltrate the idyllic Nightopia, NiGHTS must defend the dream world to keep it safe for all dreamers. This holiday, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will take you in a voyage filled with courage, hope and inspiration." – Sega

I now have a reason to buy a Wii – so long as Sega doesn’t take this one down the same road they’ve been taking the Sonic franchise.

• NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams – Sega.com
• NiGHTS: Into Dreams – Wikipedia Entry

SEGA ANNOUNCES NIGHTS: JOURNEY OF DREAMS

The rumors were true – Sega has announced that a sequel to the Saturn classic NiGHTS: Into Dreams is now in development for the Nintendo Wii. Not much is known about NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams at this point beyond the fact that it’ll be on the Wii, it will support one or two players and most importantly, it’s slated for release this holiday season.

"The critically-acclaimed franchise that gave gamers the freedom to fly in a world of dreams is coming to the Wii™! As a fantasy jester called NiGHTS, you will experience a heightened sense of gliding, spiraling, and looping through seven extraordinary worlds of Nightopia where the ocean resides in the sky and glass-formed cliffs overlook a castle of mirrors. When the “Nightmarens” from the neighboring dark world of Nightmare infiltrate the idyllic Nightopia, NiGHTS must defend the dream world to keep it safe for all dreamers. This holiday, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will take you in a voyage filled with courage, hope and inspiration." – Sega

I now have a reason to buy a Wii – so long as Sega doesn’t take this one down the same road they’ve been taking the Sonic franchise.

• NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams – Sega.com
• NiGHTS: Into Dreams – Wikipedia Entry

HARMONIX ANNOUNCES ROCK BAND

On the eve of Guitar Hero II’s arrival on the Xbox 360, Harmonix has announced that they’ll be teaming with Electronic Arts and MTV to bring Rock Band to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year.

What is Rock Band, you ask? While little about the gameplay was revealed, I get the feeling this will be a game like Guitar Hero where instead of just playing the guitar, there are also options for singing vocals, playing the bass guitar, and playing the drums. Yeah, I’m drooling too. (well, I’m drooling about everything but the vocals – I freely admit I couldn’t hold a tune to save my life)

“Our vision for Rock Band is to completely change the way people interact with and enjoy the music they love,” said Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. “By joining forces with EA and the music industry’s largest record labels and publishers, we are striving to create a groundbreaking new platform that allows people to connect with their favorite music and artists in ways they never have before.” – Harmonix press release

The game is scheduled to ship this holiday season, and before you ask, they’re still working out the details of how they’ll be offering the peripherals for purchase. I expect this is going to be one of those titles that’s going to get pricey real fast.

• Harmonix forms Rock Band – Gamespot
• Harmonix – Company website

2K GAMES ANNOUNCES 2ND EXPANSION FOR CIVILIZATION IV

If you follow this site regularly, then you’re probably well aware that I’ve battled a Civilization addiction for a good portion of my adult life. While of late, I’ve managed to avoid getting overly drawn into the game, it’s still with some trepidation that I pass along the news that "Beyond the Sword", the second expansion for Civilization IV has just been announced by 2K Games;

"Civilization is close to our hearts here at Firaxis and we’re excited to up the ante on the series once again with what we consider to be our best expansion pack ever,” said Steve Martin, president of Firaxis Games. “Fan requests and a constant stream of new ideas motivate our team to continue delivering more and better gameplay for our premier series. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is a must-have expansion for every Civ® fan.” Key features include:

• Expanded Epic Game: Firaxis Games delivers a massive increase in new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with additional focus on the late-game time periods.
• New Game Scenarios: The expansion will deliver 12 new scenarios, many containing themes never before included in the Civilization series, custom designed by the team at Firaxis and select members of the Civ Fan Community.
• New Civilizations: The expansion pack includes ten new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylon and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings.
• More Civilization Leaders: Sixteen new leaders including leaders for the ten new civilizations, as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations.
• Corporations: A new gameplay feature that allows players to create corporations and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources.
• Espionage: Now available much earlier in the game, this expanded feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend their government’s secrets.
• Events: New random events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens will challenge players to overcome obstacles in order for their civilizations to prosper.
• New Wonders: Five new wonders await discovery including the Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, Shwedagon Paya, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and the Moai Statues.
• Expanded Space Victory: Winning the race to Alpha Centauri will now require more strategic planning and tactical decision making.
• Apostolic Palace: The United Nations will become available earlier in the game, providing a way for players to win a diplomatic victory earlier. New resolutions will also be added which will expand the available diplomatic options.
• Advanced Starts: A major fan request, this new feature will enable players to “buy” components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion pack in a shorter amount of time.
• Enhanced AI: The AI has received many enhancements, making it tougher to beat on the higher difficulty levels. The ways in which the AI will attempt to achieve victory have also been expanded." – Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword press release

Is it just me, or is everyone else recovering from Civ-addiction feeling a little twitch in one of their eyes?

• 2K Announces Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword Expansion Pack – Official press release
• Civilization.com – Official series site
• Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword – Official product page

2K GAMES DATES THE DARKNESS

The folks over at 2K Games dropped me a line to announce that The Darkness, a first person action game based on the comic of the same name, will finally be hitting retail shelves on June 25th, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

GAMEFLY TO OPEN EAST COAST DISTRIBUTION CENTER?

According to Kotaku, many Gamefly subscribers have received e-mail notices from the company stating that they’ll (at long freaking last) be opening a distribution center in Pittsburgh, PA to serve members in the eastern half of the United States.

While this could certainly be great news for those of us who are quite some distance from the current center in Inglewood, California, I do hope that this doesn’t cause any delays due to the company splitting their inventory between the two sites. Certainly, over the years the most frequent reason I heard for people canceling their Gamefly memberships was that it just took too long to get titles in the mail. While they’ve certainly gotten better ever since they instituted their "Fast Return" policy (for reference, my turnaround time has dropped to 2-3 days each way since Fast Return’s inception), anything that can get my games to me quicker is always welcome.

While we’re talking about Gamefly, allow me to stick another shameless plug in my attempts to get a free Nintendo DS-Lite from them into this post. If you’ve never been a member of the service and have been considering taking them up on their free trial offer, why not use this link to sign up? Should five of you wonderful readers choose to remain with the service after the end of the trial period, they’ll bestow me with a free shiny DS-Lite for having gone through the trouble of referring you. (Once a member, you can also take advantage of the same referral offer to try and get yourself a free DS-Lite)

I’ll tell you right now, unless it’s a game that I have to get "right now", I generally buy all my games from Gamefly using the "keep it" option. Their used prices just can’t be beat, and if you rent the game the day it comes out, you’re essentially getting a brand new game at a significant savings – and the savings get better the longer you remain a member.

Okay, self-serving advertisement aside, I would like to state that I am a bit hurt about the fact that i wasn’t one of the people who got the aforementioned e-mail. It kind of stings, you know?

• GameFly Expands To East Coast – Kotaku
• Gamefly – Company website
• The magical link you should use if you want to join Gamefly and help me get a free DS-Lite – Self-serving advertisement

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES XBOX 360 ELITE

P class=”storytext”>The rumors are true… partially. Microsoft has officially announced the existence of the Xbox 360 Elite, but it’s not quite as revolutionary as expected. While the console does indeed come in black, includes a built in HDMI port and ships with a 120gb hard drive, the system is not IPTV ready nor does it contain the newer 65nm architecture.

"In regards to the rumor that the Xbox 360 Elite would contain a smaller, quieter, cooler processor than the current Xbox 360 model, Rodman said that that particular part of the rumor was untrue, and that the “internal workings” of all the Xbox 360 models would be identical." – Game|Life

The system will join the Xbox 360 Core and Premium models on shelves come April 29th, creating three different SKU’s for the system and will be priced at $479.99. That price gets you the Xbox 360, 120gb hard drive, wireless controller, headset, combination composite/component cables, HDMI cable and a one month Xbox Live Gold trial membership.

Microsoft will also be making the 120gb hard drive available separately for $179.99 including a bundled hard drive transfer cable which will allow current 360 users to move their content from one drive to another. Apparently Microsoft still hasn’t gotten the memo about how overpriced the 20gb hard drive was and has decided to take things a step further with the newer drive model. Seriously Microsoft, the need for the larger drive is due to downloadable content and the video marketplace, so why charge users an arm and a leg for a device that’s main function is to allow users to buy more downloadable content. The company also stated that they will not be offering any kind of upgrade deal, though retailers would be allowed to offer trade-ins if they so desired.

Bottom line? If you don’t have an Xbox 360 already, have a TV with a HDMI port and want the larger hard drive, this system may well be the one for you. When you break down the numbers and take the 120gb hard drive out of the equation (at retail cost), the system is priced almost identically to the other two SKU’s – but whether or not you want to pay a premium for the additional hard drive space is up to you.

• Xbox 360 Elite – Xbox.com
• Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Elite – Xbox.com
• Microsoft Gets Elite – Kotaku
• Microsoft’s John Rodman Talks Xbox 360 Elite – Game|Life

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

HALO 3 LEGENDARY EDITION PACKAGING & PRICING REVEALED

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall – Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming – Xbox.com
• Halo 3 – Official website

XBLA CASTLEVANIA: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT DATED

At long last, Microsoft has revealed the date that Konami’s classic PlayStation title Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will be arriving on Xbox Live Arcade. On March 21st, Alucard will be rising to fight Dracula once more – all for the low cost of 800 points ($10). Thankfully, I have the game on the original PlayStation and can drown my red-ringed sorrows in that version until I’m able to grab the XBLA port.

GAMES FOR WINDOWS LIVE LAUNCHES MAY 8TH

Microsoft has announced that their Games for Windows – Live service will be launching on May 8th and, as with Xbox Live, will be available in 2 flavors – Gold and Silver. For those of you who missed the memo, Games for Windows – Live is Microsoft’s attempt to bring an "Xbox Live" type experience to PC gamers. Before we talk about just what GFW – Live is, let’s first talk about the biggest issue that’s been floated about on this one, and that’s the subject of PC gamers having to pay a fee in order to play games online.

Despite rumors to the contrary, it would appear that Microsoft is not expecting PC gamers to pay for the privilege of playing their purchases online. According to the press release, the ability for PC gamers to play against other PC gamers will be included in the free Games for Windows – Live Silver membership. Based on the information available, it would appear that pay "Gold" level membership (priced at $50 per year) is geared towards those who want to use custom online matchmaking tools or those who wish to play the upcoming cross-platform PC/Xbox 360 titles against Xbox 360 owners. In addition, Microsoft has also advised that the two services (Xbox Live and GFW-Live) are part of a unified service. If you have one, you have both – so there are no additional fees involved for Gold members of either service. Gamertags will also be linked across the two services, so existing Xbox Live members won’t have to stress over having to use two different identities between the services..

So what do you get with each service? Well, according to yesterday’s press release the following features are included with the two levels of service;

• Silver (Free) Membership Features
  • Single gamertag
  • Common gamer profile
  • Common gamerscore
  • Single player achievements
  • Private chat via text and voice
  • Common friends list and online presence
  • PC only multiplayer including browsing a list of active PC games

• Gold ($50 per year) Membership Features
  • All Silver membership features
  • Multiplayer matchmaking with friends
  • TrueSkill™ matchmaking
  • Multiplayer achievements
  • Cross-platform gameplay

While I for one would certainly welcome a simple, universal way to play PC titles against friends, I really do wonder just how Microsoft plans on pulling this one off. Unlike the Xbox brand, Microsoft really has little control over the PC game market, so the idea of them being able to control a universal service for online PC gameplay seems a bit far-fetched. Rather, I see this as becoming more of a service that PC developers will be able to use as an additional advertising tool for their titles. Further, with the direction Microsoft seems to be taking Games for Windows (using it to push games that will only run under Windows Vista), I really do have to wonder just how much of a benefit the service will be in the near future.

For those of you who want all the juicy details about the upcoming service, check out the full press release at this link. If that’s not enough for you, check out this FAQ on the service over at the Games for Windows site. For those of you who don’t, you may now return to your regularly scheduled internet surfing.

• Microsoft Unites Xbox and PC Gamers With Debut of Games for Windows — LIVE – Gamerscore Blog
• Games for Windows – Live FAQ – Games for Windows

SONY ANNOUNCES IT’S PLAN FOR THE ONLINE FUTURE OF THE PLAYSTATION 3

Yesterday at the Game Developer’s Conference, Sony unveiled their plans for the future of the PlayStation 3’s online service. The new feature, named PlayStation Home, looks to be an integration of the matchmaking capabilities of Xbox Live with the personalization of the Mii avatars on the Wii.

"Home is a real-time online 3D, networked community available on the PLAYSTATION®Network.  It allows PS3 users to interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share private content and even build and show off their own personal spaces to others in real time.  Home will be available as a free download from the PLAYSTATION®Store and will launch directly from XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) on PS3." – Sony press release

In short, PlayStation 3 owners would create virtual avatars that could move around in a 3d online world where they could use all aspects of Sony’s network service – without paying a monthly fee, I might add. At first glance it all seems very cool, just the same way the 3DNA desktop seemed like a fabulous idea for the PC. However, when you stop and think about it, when you’re trying to get to a specific piece of data, be it a demo, a video or entering a waiting room for an online game, do you really want to spend time walking there or do you just want to get in, get what you want and get out? Further, the idea of being constantly surrounded by many of the very people I go out of my way to avoid when I’m online certainly isn’t a selling point to me. Basically, I look at the core concept of the PlayStation Home as being something that old school PC users would say is "very pretty"- in other words, nice to look at, but totally impractical – and probably one that won’t be used by many as the main interface for Sony’s network services.

That’s not to say that there aren’t a few ideas in there that I don’t find very appealing. First and foremost is the idea of a public/private trophy room. I look at this as a virtual version of the achievement points system, which I think we all know is one of Xbox Live’s big hooks. This feature could conceivably eliminate part of the advantage I feel the Xbox 360 versions of multiplatform titles currently hold.

Secondly, I like the idea of being able to create a personal space where you could show videos, leave general messages, etc. It seems to me to be a potentially great way to share information without having to log off to check the internet. Even more intriguing is the ability for developers to essentially set up an online marketplace for their products. What I see in this is the potential for these spaces to become a virtual E3 of sorts where developers could allow the public an even closer feel than we currently get on any competing service. Think about it, not only could a developer present demos and videos of their game from this marketplace, but you could make announcements, run live contests and even have employees interact with your customers. Is that view an extremely ambitious idea for how the service could be used? Sure, but until we know just what the network’s limitations are, the sky really could be the limit.

There are other things that I worry about, things like latency, pricing and longevity. How much will all of these visual elements affect the performance of the PlayStation network service as far as actually playing games goes? Will Sony turn to a model of charging for every little thing you may want to do in order to keep the service profitable? Will Sony provide support for their games for more than just a few token years, or will we see games being removed from the service long before the console it’s played on heads off into the sunset.

Rather than ramble on and on, I’ll cut this one short until I know more about what we can really expect from the PlayStation Home. In the meantime, I found some of the video from Sony’s presentation on YouTube, so check it out below to learn more about what to expect when the PlayStation Home launches later this year.

• PlayStation.com – Official PlayStation website
• Game Developer’s Conference ’07 – Official website
• PlayStation Home demonstration – YouTube
• PlayStation Home announcement – Sony press release

BIG GEARS OF WAR ANNOUNCEMENT COMING NEXT WEEK

ArsTechnica is reporting that Mark Rein, administrator of the official Gears of War forums has announced that there will be a BIG announcement regarding Gears coming sometime next week. While there’s tons of speculation going around regarding the announcement being that they’re releasing a demo of the game in the Xbox Live Marketplace, I’m putting my money down on it being a tentative release date.

A demo would be pretty fricken sweet though, wouldn’t it? Click here for the ArsTechnica article and here for the forum posting that inspired it.

XBOX LIVE DOWNTIME ANNOUNCED – 6/27/06

Major Nelson is reporting that Xbox Live will be down today for routine maintenance starting at approximately 5am EST and running through 9am EST. The Major stresses that the downtime is only for routine maintenance and no new features will be debuting. The full text of the Major’s message is as follows;

“On Tuesday June 27th from 0200-0600 PT Xbox Live will be offline for maintenance. As a result, the ‘My Xbox’ section of Xbox.com will be unavailable, and the Xbox forums will be in read only mode (you won’t be able to post.) The remainder of Xbox.com will be available.

Click this link to find out what time the maintenance will begin in your time zone

This is for maintenance, there are no new features that will appear when the service comes back online. This is all for server maintenance…nothing more, nothing less. “ -Major Nelson

Don’t believe me? Fine, check out the posting at Major Nelson’s blog here. Harumph.

SONY TO OPEN 2ND OLD SCHOOL EVERQUEST SERVER

It’s the server so nice, they’re doing it twice. Due to an apparent massive interest in their “old school” EverQuest servers, Sony Online Entertainment has decided to make a second “progression” server available to players. The new server, named The Sleeper, is currently taking name reservations and is expected to open along with The Combine on June 28th.

Check out our previous article on the progression servers for more information here.

TECHNICAL UPDATE

Well, the site should be getting back to it’s normal update schedule now that things have been moved around to deal with the problems. For those wondering about the situation with the N3250w, I spoke with Viewsonic this morning, and the individual I spoke with at their customer support center advised me that as the monitor is still under warranty, they will replace it free of charge.

I’ve already gotten the forms I need to fill out for my warranty claim, and have been told once they are faxed back to Viewsonic, a replacement monitor will be sent out in one to two days. Once I receive that monitor, I simply put the old one in the box supplied and send it back to them with a prepaid mailing label they will include with the monitor.

While I’m not pleased with the situation regarding the monitors reliability, I so far have nothing but high praise for their customer service – hopefully, that opinion will last as I go through the warranty claim process.

I can just see it now… the replacement arrives with more dead pixels than live ones… Still, I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping the replacement will get here fast, as going from a 32″ widescreen LCD to a 17″ standard CRT is a bit of a shock.

WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

If you’re wondering about the sudden slow down in updates, it’s due to technical difficulties currently affecting my computer system… to be specific, after only 4 months in service, it appears the Viewsonic N3250W 32″ LCD widescreen monitor I use has given up the ghost.

Needless to say, much of the evenings update time was instead spent shouting WTF?! and cursing LCD technology. Hopefully there will be at least some good news coming my way should Viewsonic’s customer service department be open tomorrow. Regardless, when the sun is actually up and I figure out a better way to situate the old Dell 17″ monitor I’m typing this on, the update process should be getting back to normal.

To those of you who actually make it a point to choose this site to get your daily dose of gaming news, I apologize for any delays.

TOMB RAIDER 10TH ANNIVERSARY GAME CONFIRMED

Awhile back we reported that there was rumor floating around for some time now that Eidos has been working on a 10th anniversary version of Tomb Raider that would basically be a re-make of both the original Tomb Raider as well as Tomb Raider II.

Eidos confirmed the existence of the game last friday, but added a slight twist to the story. It seems the game was being designed for the PSP by Core Design, the original developers of the series, but following an internal review, their version of the game was cancelled and the reigns were handed over to current Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics. While no release date was provided by Eidos, they did confirm that the game will be appearing on the PSP, PS2 and PC.

CHANGE IS COMING

This site’s layout hasn’t changed much in the seven years it’s been active, and while there’s a certain level of comfort in the familiar, if this site is to grow it’s got to put on a new face. As such, I’m currently working on a few redesigns which should class the joint up a bit. No worries though, the site will continue to be updated as normal while this work is going on, and there should be no downtime when it occurs.

I’m not going to give any kind of an ETA on the change at this time, as it really depends more on my schedule and the coding of a few features I’d like the site to have. Just giving you all some advanced warning if you hit the link and things look a bit different. It’s not you, it’s the site.

EVERQUEST TO OPEN OLD SCHOOL SERVER

DrkphreakX sends word to us that on June 28th, Sony Online Entertainment plans on opening a “progression” server for their classic EverQuest mmog. This server, named Combine after the long lost empire, will attempt to bring back the feel of the “old” EverQuest by initially limiting the game to the the “core” EverQuest game and only opening up the plethora of expansion packs that came afterward as time goes on. I don’t know about you folks, but as an old-school EverQuest player who couldn’t stand what the game became, I’m definitely intrigued by the idea. My only question now would be if they plan on rolling back the world to it’s original state so that I could once again take a Shadow Knight into Cazic to quest for a suit of Darkforge Armor. Those were the days…

DrkphreakX, You’re my boy, Blue! (No, I couldn’t resist making an Old School joke, ok?) Check out this post over in the official EverQuest forums for more details on the Combine server and the rules for early sign up and name reservation. I may just see you there.

XBOX 360 BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY LIST UPDATED

Just as the kinder, gentler Peter Moore promised, 21 games were added to the Xbox 360 backwards compatibility list today. looking at the list, I can’t help but think that only a few of the games were actually meant to be on the list, and the rest just happened to work properly with the emulators they made. The games added today were;

4×4 EVO 2, Amped 2, Bad Boys 2, Big Mutha Truckers, DOOM 3, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, Fatal Frame, FlatOut, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Intellivision Lives, LEGO Star Wars, Minority Report, MLB SlugFest 2004, The Punisher, RalliSport Challenge, Silent Hill 4: The Room, Spawn Armageddon, Spider-Man, Star Wars Battlefront, State of Emergency and Zapper.

In addition to the B.C. update, there was also a minor 360 dashboard update today which dealt with issues stemming from Chinese language character support. Check out the full list of backwards compatible games here.

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely cannot wait to play Big Mutha Truckers next-gen style. Oh yeah. *sigh*

IGN DREAMCAST RELAUNCHES

Before you get your hopes up, no the beloved Sega Dreamcast is not coming back from the dead. IGN is however, relaunching their Dreamcast site to commemorate the little console that could. While they freely admit there won’t be much in the way of fresh news on the site, they do plan on going back and re-rating all 250+ Dreamcast games to see how well they’ve stood the test of time. When discussing why they’re doing it, they gave the following 10 reasons;

10. Our soul still burns
9. Samba de Amigo is proof the Wii is not revolutionary
8. Some wrongs (Oooga Booga – 9.4) must be righted
7. They wouldn’t let us relaunch IGN Xbox 360
6. People (three of them) have been begging for this!
5. Ulala came to us in a dream and told us this was our destiny
4. Needed to justify bringing “mascot hedgehog” into the office
3. The Dreamcast didn’t fail, we failed the Dreamcast
2. It’s what Jesus would do (if he were a gamer and didn’t have to die for our sins)
1. We’re total idiots

#3 – so true, so true. Dreamcast, we hardly knew you. Click here to head over to IGN Dreamcast.

ARCHIVED NEWS SECTION CHANGED

We’ve updated the link for the News/Update Archive on the left to point to our new blog based archive system. For those who are looking for the updates from prior to August 2004, including the still as of yet not processed cabinet add-on updates, there is a link to those archives on the left hand navigation pane of the archive blog. We’ll be moving April’s updates off the front page on Thursday to help the page load faster and have a slightly neater appearance.

STARDOCK ANNOUNCES GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS II FULL EXPANSION

Following the results of a customer poll, Stardock has announced that they feel there isn’t enough support to release a planned starship pack mini-expansion for Galactic Civilizations II, but that they will be incorporating new ship designs into a just announced full expansion pack for the game, which will hit stores by the end of 2006.

The expansion pack, which will have my preorder money just as soon as it’s available, will feature 2 new races, a new campaign mode and the hint that 2 races will not survive to see Galactic Civilizations III. Check out all the available details over at Stardock’s Galactic Civilizations II forum here.

MEMORIAL DAY

I’d like to take the opportunity now to ask you to stop for at least a moment at some point today and give thanks in your own way to all those soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this nation. Whether it’s saying a prayer, observing a moment of silence or just raising a toast to the fallen, do not let their sacrifices be forgotten. It’s the least we can do.

“Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic.” General John A. Logan

THE SCAM THAT KEEPS ON SCAMMING

Gamespot is reporting that the folks at Infinium Labs, “makers” of the Phantom game console and Phantom Lapboard are now attempting to change their name from Infinium Labs to Phantom Entertainment. For those unfamiliar with Infinium Labs who may be wondering why I’d put the word “makers” in quotes, since they announced the Phantom game console back in 2002, they have made absolutely nothing. The company seems to exist solely for the purpose of draining investors money and never having a thing to show for it. Quite amazingly, people continue to invest in the company. Perhaps Infinium figures if they change the name of the company, the stink won’t hit prospective victims noses as fast as it currently does. I guess they’ll soon be asking for a few more million dollars to blow as they try to figure out how to make a PC keyboard.

You’d think after they opened the books back in February and showed that for all the money they took in and squandered on everything but development of their product, there was still nothing to show for it, they would have just folded. Nope, not these guys, they’re here for the long haul. As listed by Infinium Labs in their SEC filing for the prospective name change;

“The Board of Directors believes that the name change would be in the best interests of the Company because the new name better reflects the long-term growth strategy of the Company.” -Infinium Labs SEC filing as reported by Gamespot

So… the long-term growth strategy of the company is better reflected by the word “Phantom”? – that sounds about right.

Check out our previous articles on Infinium Labs here and here, as well as the Gamespot article here. I still love how the Phantom console is displayed proudly on their homepage when they effectively cancelled the project to work on the Phantom Lapboard.

NINTENDO SAYS WII WILL NOT BE ABOVE $250

Kotaku is reporting that at their press conference for fiscal year 2005, a reporter asked Nintendo what the price of the Wii console would be. While Nintendo stated that they would not be announcing a price or release date until a later date, they added that there were no plans to price the console for over 25,000 Yen (approximately $222 U.S.). Nintendo also added that they expected to sell 6 million Wii consoles and 17 million Wii games by March of 2007. Click here to head over to Kotaku for all the pertinent details.

UPDATE 1: It now appears that Nintendo has further clarified the matter by stating that the Wii will not exceed 25,000 Yen in Japan or $250 in the United States. We’ve corrected the headline to this story accordingly.

MICROSOFT E3 2006 PRESS CONFERENCE SUMMARY NOW ONLINE

I finally finished breaking down Microsoft’s E3 2006 press conference and getting it up on the site. Hopefully I’ll have the write ups for the Sony & Nintendo conferences up on the site by the end of this week or early next week.

Overall, it was a pretty solid conference for Microsoft. They highlighted their successes with the 360 and indicated the direction they plan to take both with their consoles and the PC industry over the coming year.

One thing I definitely took away from the conference is that it seems like Microsoft plans to become much more involved in the realm of Windows software, as shown with both the “Games for Windows” rebranding and Live Anywhere. I would almost go so far as to say they want to take it to the point of making the PC another MS branded console.

Click here for our full write up of the conference along with our full impressions on the presentation.

NYLGP ARCHIVES UPDATES

The front page news from before the relaunch of the site have now been moved to the archive page. If you’re looking for the information from the upgrades to the NYLGP Arcade Cabinet, that’s where they are currently. This weekend I should be splitting the "Build A Cabinet" section into two parts – one for the original build, and the other for later upgrades.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: BURNING CRUSADE – NEW ALLIANCE RACE REVEALED

The official World of Warcraft site has announced that the Dreanei will be the new Alliance race in the upcoming expansion. Check out the Draenei page at the World of Warcraft site for more details.

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES XBOX 360 PERIPHERALS

Microsoft announced today that they will be releasing several new accessories for the Xbox 360. The items include a wireless racing wheel with force feedback, the previously announced Xbox 360 camera, a wireless gaming receiver that will allow Xbox 360 wireless accessories to work on Windows PCs, and a wireless headset. MIcrosoft did not reveal a price for any of the items, and only gave the Xbox 360 camera a release date. That release date is September 19th. This article was gathered from multiple sources.

SONY SHOWS OFF 2 MORE UNANNOUNCED GAMES

Gamespot is reporting that Sony has 2 previously unannounced games showing in their booths on E3’s floor. The games are;

WarDevil Enigma: According to Gamespot, this game appears to be virtually the same as the WarDevil game coming to the Xbox 360. I haven’t heard much about WarDevil: Unleash the Beast Within for the 360, but based on the trailer for it, it seems to be set sometime in the far future and could possibly be a third person action game or a RPG done in the KoTOR style. Either way, there seemed to be lots of robots shooting at each other.

Heavy Rain: The Casting: Gamespot noted that this one appeared to be a prequel to Indigo Prophecy, which if you don’t know much about, you should be ashamed of yourself. Check out this link to go to Atari’s page for Indigo Prophecy if you really need the details.

Click here for the Gamespot article

ARTICLES BEING UPDATED FREQUENTLY TODAY

As information comes in, I’m updating the front page as fast as I can. Any stories that get an update will have a new italicized update message at the end of the story. Be sure to check back often!

PLAYSTATION 3 INFORMATION UPDATES

Just a recap of what we know so far about the Playstation 3;

• The U.S. launch date: November 17th, 2006
• The price of admission: two versions of the console will be released; one with a 20 gigabyte hard drive priced at $499.99 and one with a 60 gigabyte hard drive priced at $599.99.
• Wireless Controller – Bluetooth capable… and it will have some form of motion sensor, akin to the Nintendo Wii concept. The controller apparently looks like a silver Dual-Shock 2 with a Playstation logo guide button in the center… much like the 360 controller guide button. (I haven’t seen the controller yet, but this is how it’s being described)
• Sony’s online PS3 community will have many features in common with Xbox Live, but will be free of charge for all.
• The console will initially ship in a "clear-black" color.
• The controllers do not feature any form of vibration feedback.
• The 20 gigabyte ($499) version of the PS3 does not include a Memory Stick/SD/Compact Flash reader, WiFi connectability or a HDMI Output.
• Gran Turismo HD announced for the Playstation 3
• Genji 2 announced for the Playstation 3
• Resistance: Fall of Man announced for the Playstation 3
• Two different Final Fantasy XIII games announced for the Playstation 3
• Grand Theft Auto IV announced for the Playstation 3

Update 1: I’m hearing that the statement I’m basing the "PS3 online – free of charge" bit on could be taken either as I took it, or as something akin to Xbox Live Silver. As such, ignore that part for now as I wouldn’t want to be passing out bad info. Thanks for the tip HCF.

Update 2: Added some more games that were announced to the Playstation 3 list.

Stay with us for more information as it breaks!