Kotaku points to Gamespy's hands-on preview of Age of Empires III, which they describe as "graphically the most ambitious RTS ever developed".

Ensemble aimed to have AOE III's graphics compared to the likes of Half-Life 2 or DOOM 3, but a minus point in the preview is that the graphics will probably require fans to upgrade their systems.

The preview also goes into further detail on the Home City concept of the game:

Basically, your Home City represents the European capital of your chosen nation. All of the game action takes place in the new world. But, experience you gain in the new world will allow you to "level up" your home city (with improvements in tech trees, units available, etc.) Furthermore, as you gain points on the main game map you gain the ability to have the Home City send shipments to you. These shipments can contain resources, civilians, or military units that'll appear on the main map a few seconds later.

It doesn't seem like the Home City would impact the game that much, but those precious shipments add whole new layers onto the strategy. Do you ship over colonists as soon as you can to build your economy faster? Or do you ship over army units to rush your opponents when they don't expect it? Do you save up several shipments so that you have an emergency resupply in case of an attack? Different players have different strategies.

Age of Empires III - Exclusive Hands-On

Related:
Official site for Age of Empires 3
AGE OF EMPIRES III EXPLORED, PART ONE, PART TWO
GamePro.com first look at Age of Empires 3 (4 April)
Age of Empires III rewriting history - No, no, WRONG
Discussion >>

Eidos have announced their lineup for next month's E3 Expo, including the latest installment in the Hitman franchise, Blood Money.

Tomb Raider: Legend will be developed by Crystal Dynamics for the Playstation 2, XBox and PC (also planned for next-gen XBox and PSP, though Eidos have not revealed if either of those versions will be on show); it will feature new equipment such as a magnetic grappling device, binoculars, frag grenades personal lighting device and communications equipment.

Hitman: Blood Money sees the return of assassin Agent 47, this time the game will be powered by a new version of IO-Interactive's Glacier Engine and Eidos promise the game will "deliver the most brutal and realistic simulation of the life of a merciiless assassin".

25 To Life is a third-person action shooter for the PS2, XBox and PC with a cops and robbers slant; players will be able to fully customise their law enforcement or criminal characters. The storyline for the game was written by author and journalist P. Frank Williams, who also lends his voice for in-game dialogue.

Commandos Strike Force for the XBox, PS2 and PC will also be unveiled; set in World War II, it will feature three unique characters (Green Beret, Sniper and Spy).

Related:
Eidos Press release
TombRaider.com
MTV Games Launches with Exclusive Lara Pics
25 to Life: Speaking Out
Official site for Commandos Strike Force
Hitman: Blood Money
Discussion >>

Gamespot have a confirmation from ActiVision that an expansion pack for Rome: Total War is expected this coming Autumn, after a product page for the expansion appeared on Gamestop.com.

The product page lists an estimated pre-release date for the game on 17 Oct 2005 for a price of $34.99.

Added:
GamersHell reveal the expansion will be titled Barbarian Invasion and will be set well after the time of Rome Total War:

The expansion will offer you the chance to play as one of the Barbarian factions (including the Vandals, Saxons and Huns) and take revenge against the Roman Empire, or as the Western and Eastern Roman empires attempting to drive back the Barbarians.

Rome Total War Barbarian Invasion Unveiled

Related:
Official site for Rome: Total War
Rome: Total War playable demo & movies
Metacritic.com Rome Total War overall rating: 92%
Discussion >>

Sony have announced the "Satin Silver" model of the slimline PlayStation 2, which will be available throughout Europe from 13 May at a price of €159 or £114.99 in the UK:

To accompany and complement the new silver model PlayStation 2, a range of Satin Silver accessories will also be available, including a Vertical Stand, Memory Card, DUALSHOCK 2 Controller and DVD Remote Control. Already available is the stunning new silver EyeToy® camera, commissioned specifically to complement the slimline console. With global shipments of the EyeToy family of products exceeding 6.5 million since EyeToy revolutionised the games market in 2003, the EyeToy camera has become one of PlayStation 2's most desirable and useful accessories. The silver model camera takes colour coordination and style to an altogether new level.

Check out more images of the Satin Silver on Spong.com

Discussion >>

PlanetWide Games have announced a 14-day free trial of Risk Your Life: Path of The Emperor which will be distributed through a partnership with XFire, the software that, among other things, lets users view which games their friends are playing, and send instant messages while in supported games:

"Xfire is the perfect application and Website to download RYL: Path of the Emperor, which is the first fantasy MMORPG to be comprised of true Player vs. Player and Guild vs. Guild battles," said Kevin Donovan, President, Planetwide Games. "We are proud to be working with Xfire and its 1.3 million game players that have the ability to download our trial demo.”

Xfire and Planetwide Games Distribute Free 14-Day Trial of "RYL: Path of the Emperor"

Related:
RYL.net
XFire.com
$1 Million Skill-based RYL tournament Coming This Summer
IGNIQ RYL: PoTE Beta Review (4/5)
Discussion >>

A review of BioWare's Jade Empire has been posted to Slashdot, earning 9 points out of 10 from the reviewer and the impressive description of being BioWare's best work to date:

Jade Empire, then, is a complicated game. It's a long story (I'm well over 30 hours into it and no where near done), well written, with impressive graphics and memorable characters. The only two real complaints I can lay at the game's feet are occasional slowdowns during combat, and (as with all Xbox Bioware games) sometimes abominably long load times between map areas. Neither of these minor technical hurdles was annoying enough for me to become frustrated by my play experience. Jade Empire is a new high water line for console RPG titles, and in my opinion is Bioware's best work to date.

Slashdot | Review: Jade Empire

Related:
Official Jade Empiire website
Jade Empire game info
5 Min video review of Jade Empire
Language of Jade Empire
Discussion >>

Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley was interviewed for CNN's Game Over column recently, and gave some information on the company's future projects, which will include an action MMOG with a focus on more modern weapons, and an online strategy game.

The action title is expected to be ready for unveiling at next year's E3 Expo according to Smedley, and when asked about Sony's previous foray into the online strategy gaming genre with Sovereign, he said:

"We're always looking for the right idea and we didn't have it [with 'Sovereign']," he said. "We will be in the strategy market. It's just a matter of timing. We'll get it eventually. ... Our goal is to be the dominant player in every major genre."

Interestingly for PSP owners, SOE is also negotiating with wireless providers to allow free WiFi access at public internet hotspots found in the likes of airports and certain cafe's - the service would be supported by advertisements beamed to the handhelds:

The plan, said Smedley, is if you enter one of those Hot Spots and decide to play for a bit, you'll be able to log on without having to configure your PSP with a username or password – and without having to pay the usual fee.

In return for the bandwidth, the wireless provider would likely get advertising in trade, perhaps on a game's loading screens, perhaps in game. Negotiations are continuing.

"I'd say we're about 70 percent of the way there," said Smedley.

CNN.com - Moving beyond "EverQuest" via Wonderland

Related:Eurogamer.net - Sony Online unveils future projects
Discussion >>

Technology columnist John C. Dvorak's latest opinion article in PC Mag is a sensational rant against the gaming industry.

He foresees the collapse of the business very soon based pretty much around the idea that games have hardly changed since the invention of the first-person-shooter, and when the technical advances in gaming machines hit the level of photo-realistic graphics, there will be nothing else to sustain growth:

The business is going to attempt to sustain growth and creativity by making game players buy newer and newer machines. Computer gaming has always been sustained by never-ending improvements in resolution and realism. But once we get to photorealism, what is going to sustain growth?

That time is drawing near. We are already getting pre-hype for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 2, as well as the new Nintendo. All this will do is make the visuals more lifelike and the blood and gore more realistic and nauseating. While the kids who are used to this "progress" may not be put off by it, newcomers may be repulsed and skip these new generations of machines altogether.

Doom 4: End of the Game Industry?

Related:
Dvorak Trashes Modern Gaming Industry
3D Realms Forums: Doom 4: End of the Game Industry?
Dvorak Forsees End of Gaming
Game Industry Collapse Imminent
Discussion >>

According to a press release over at Steam Powered, all legal ties between Valve and Vivendi Universal Games are now over.

The 2 companies have been in a bitter court battle reportedly over Valve's implementation of Steam which apparently affected Vivendi's retail sales.

Bellevue, WA and Los Angeles, CA - April 29, 2005 -- Valve and Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced the settlement of a pending federal court lawsuit filed by Valve in August 2002. The parties have resolved their differences, and the settlement provides for the dismissal of all claims and coaunterclaims. Under the settlement agreement, VU Games will cease distribution of retail packaged versions of Valve's games, including Half-Life®, Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike™, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source, effective August 31, 2005.

Additionally, VU Games has notified distributors and cyber cafés that were licensed by VU Games that only Valve is authorized to distribute Valve games to cyber cafés and grant cyber café licenses. Cyber café operators that were licensed by VU Games have also been notified that any license agreement from Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games or any of their affiliates or distributors that may have granted rights to use Valve games in cyber cafés, whether written or oral, is terminated.
Read on

Related:
Is Half-Life 2 EULA illegal?
Valve Release Latest Hardware Survey Results
Gabe Newell: From Half Life To Folk-Rock
Does Valve Really Care About Its Customers?
Discussion >>

Worthplaying.com reports that Dungeon Lords has gone gold and will hit the shelves on 4 May, 2005. The so-called fantasy action RGP, designed by role-playing veteran D.W. Bradley (Wizardry), combines elements of classic role-playing games with 3D combat action and is set in a fantasy-style medieval world.

To top it off, the game's high-resolution intro sequence can also be downloaded at 3DGamers. Serving as an appetizer for the impending release, the short trailer shows a fight between good and evil and has a moderate file size of about 17 MB.

Related info:
Official Dungeon Lords Website
Heuristic Park
DreamCatcher
Discussion >>

Namco Hometek have announced the upcoming release of Namco Museum 50th Anniversary for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PC and Game Boy Advance.

As it is fast approaching the 50th anniversary of Namco, the museum package will consist of 14 classic Namco titles such as Pac-Man, Ms Pac-man, Dig-Dug, Pole-Position and many others.

From the press release:

"Namco Museum 50th Anniversary brings countless hours of family-friendly entertainment to gamers everywhere," said Jeff Lujan, business director, Namco Hometek Inc. "With Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, and more, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection offers 14 landmark games in a single package."

The single largest compilation of Namco Arcade Classics ever, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection allows players to explore a virtual arcade hall where each of the game's classic titles will be standing in its original arcade form...except this time no quarters are required! Players will also be able to post high scores to the Xbox Live Leader boards (for the Xbox® version only).

While previous versions of Namco Museum contained up to 12 titles, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection contains 14 of the best Namco original arcade titles ever!

Via gamegossip


Related:
Official website
Mario Brothers Commercial From 1983
WoodCube - Super-Nintendo, Playstation and N64
Discussion >>

The first official trailer has been released for Black & White 2, sequel to the popular real-time strategy Black & White. In development by Lionhead Studios the game is scheduled for release sometime this year.

Black and White 2 features new Epic Miracles, including the ground-ripping Earthquake and volcanoes, which cause rivers of lava; new forms of weaponry, from swords to bows to siege machines; multiple tools to help train and improve Creatures (old favorites as the Ape, Cow, and Lion, plus many others); weather systems such as rain, snow, mists, and fog; ten lands homing each of the five tribes.

Download the trailer from gamershell (18.4 Mb)

Related:
Official Website
Black & White 2 screenshots
Discussion >>

The Gaurdian have an interesting article that reports on a survey being carried out by Project Massive examining the lives of the online gamer, more to the point the massively multiplayer online gamer. The survey looks at what drives people to stay online so long, why they skip meals, what keeps some of them in this virtual reality for so long and how real life is affected by this virtual endeavour.

This latest approach aims to understand how real life is effected by online play, a topic close to my heart as the motivation for returning to the hallowed halls of academia.

Previously, Project Massive has investigated player communication and organization in PC based, Massively Multiplayer games. While this work continues, the inquiry has been expanded to address the impact of online play on the players' real life activities, perceptions, and experiences.
Read on

You can take the test yourself if you think you might be spending too much time playing massively Multiplayer Online games.

Discussion >>

According to the Register, Nintendo has out-paced its Sony PSP rival and shipped well over 5 million DS handheld consoles around the globe.

Nintendo are claiming that the 5 million mark was passed in March not long after the DS went on sale. This surge has made it the fastest selling console in UK gaming history.

Nintendo said it was "on track" to meet its target and ship 5-6 million DS consoles during its current fiscal year, which ends 31 March 2006.

By contrast, Sony is believed to have shipped over 2.5 million PlayStation Portables so far, 2.46 million in Q1 2005 alone. It shipped 4.4 million PSP titles in the quarter. The PSP is available in the US and Japan. It goes on sale in Europe on 1 September.

Nintendo will understandably feel chuffed with its lead. But it's up against some stiff competition. Despite its European release delay, and missing its previous end-of-year shipment target - 3 million by 31 March 2005 - Sony said it expects to ship 12 million PSPs in the year to 31 March 2006. It hopes to ship a similar number of PS2s during the same period
Read on

Related:
1000 New Games On Show At E3
Freefalling Sky Divers Play Multi-Player DS
WoodCube - Super-Nintendo, Playstation and N64
Nintendo Source Confirms Revolution For E3
Nintendo Revolution Speculation: 3D Projection?
Discussion >>

Gamespot have the first look at EA's From Russia With Love. Based on the 1963 movie, the XBox, GameCube and PS2 title will feature the voice-acting talent of Sean Connery:

Based on this early look, From Russia With Love has the makings of a game that is more than capable of running with the considerable momentum that started with Everything or Nothing. The gameplay feels as though it's building on the right aspects of its predecessor and certainly brings some intriguing elements to the table.

From Russia With Love First Look - Screenshots

Related:
From Russia With Love official EA website
EA Bring Connery Back For One More Bond Role (6 April)
Potential Work Stoppage For Game Voice Talent
Discussion >>

PlayFrance.com have the first screenshots of The Sims 2 for the PSP, which is due for release this autumn; check them out here (via kotaku)

Related:
Gamespot preview The Sims 2 for PSP
Discussion >>

A remake of the classic RTS Total Annihilation has reached its first public beta release.

Titled TA Spring, it reuses original content from TA, but has been upgraded to a 3D environment and features new additions such as a revised physics system and a first person shooter mode:

TA Spring is a project to create the best RTS ever (no joke). There are three principle goals which we hope to achieve.

. . . . . .A) Reach a stage where TA Spring can flawlessly execute most of Total Annihilation's original gameplay, with its original units in their original format.

. . . . . .B) Add new features as we see fit, fix bugs, and release new versions when we feel it is appropriate to do so.

. . . . . .C) Support the mod community as we see fit.

What is TA Spring? - Download TA Spring

Related:
Slashdot | Total Annihilation Remake Released
Total Annihilation Universe
Total Annihilation on Wikipedia
Discussion >>

Ok straight into more Xbox 360 hype/speculation/rumour. Latest coming from Total Video Games who are reporting that Microsoft Senior VP Will Poole confirmed yesterday that the wireless controllers shipping with the Xbox 360 will be compatible with the next version of Windows, Codenamed Longhorn.

A interesting bit of information has today emerged from Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) 2005, as Microsoft Senior Vice President Will Poole confirmed in a presentation that Xbox360 controllers will be fully compatible with the next version of the Windows OS, currently code-named Longhorn (although with the length of development, perhaps Longhaul would have been more appropriate.)

The news does pose the question of further integration between Longhorn and Xbox360 – perhaps this is where the fabled Xbox2/PC hybrid rumour started?
Read on

I for one am baffled as to the logic behind this, I like my mouse and keyboard for playing First Person Shooters on the PC. I could never get used to some console controller as any kind of replacement. Hopefully more light will be shed on the topic as next month's E3 nears.

Related:
Xbox 360 Backwards Compatible?
1000 New Games On Show At E3
Xbox 360 To Launch With Over 15 Games?
Report on Microsoft after XBox 360 Image Leaks
Latest Xbox 360 Image Of Memory Card?
Leaked Pics Unveil XBox 360 Early
Discussion >>

Surely this is the most awe-inspiring sight of the day and week. Some tech-savvy individual has mashed together a Super NES, Playstation and Nintendo 64 into a box made of old plywood. You have to operate wooded-levers to power on and off the individual consoles and CD drive.

I for one am impressed. While I may have seen prettier mods, this one definitely stands out as a gutsy wooden box of delights. Sure, it may get picked on by the more sleek and poplular PSP or DS but you can bet good ole' Woody will give as good as he gets :-)

If you're interested in making a bid, the inventor will be selling his WoodCube through E-Bay

This is my recent project - the "Woodcube". It contains a Super NES, a Playstation and a Nintendo 64. I think the pictures speak for themselves. All of the consoles use standard Video as output, and they all use the same power cord. To power up the SNES, you push the leftmost putton down, and pull it up to turn it off. The N64 is controlled by the lever to the right, and it is pushed back/forward to turn and off the power. The PSX has a button in the middle, but it's not working, so I didn't bother to make it look good, because I will soon open it up to fix the PSX's power board. There are som stuff I have left to do, though: Fix the PSX, add LEDs, and fix up the PSXs Power Button
Check it out

Via Kotaku

Discussion >>

If gaming-nostalgia is your thing, then you might want to check out this old commercial for Mario Brothers for the Atari from 1983.

Shudder...it's hard to believe this thing ever got off the ground with tv spots like this.

Related:
Mario Demands Right To Walk Of Fame
Freefalling Sky Divers Play Multi-Player DS
Discussion >>

With the Xbox 360 making all the headlines lately, one question that has dogged Xbox enthusiasts is "Will the Xbox 360 be backwards compatible?" Well, the Inquirer point to a questionnaire being taken online by Xbox live users that suggests the next-generation console will in fact be compatible with regular Xbox games.

Xbox Live is an online gaming service that works across both the current Xbox system and the future Xbox 2. You will be able to play online and compete against others across both consoles. If you are playing an Xbox game on Live you will be able to compete against people playing that same game on Xbox 2
Read on

This is nothing more than speculation as before, we will have to wait for something concrete next month as Microsoft deliver the goods at E3.

Related:
1000 New Games On Show At E3
Xbox 360 To Launch With Over 15 Games?
Report on Microsoft after XBox 360 Image Leaks
Latest Xbox 360 Image Of Memory Card?
Leaked Pics Unveil XBox 360 Early
Microsoft Teaser Xbox 360 Ad
Discussion >>

Given the huge number of players who have entered the realm of Azeroth so far, it doesn't really come as a big surprise that some don't live a virtuous online life but try to assert themselves by making use of cheats or hacks. In order to keep the game balanced and fair, Blizzard Entertainment have now banned more than 500 accounts from WoW permanently:

As part of our continuing effort to keep World of Warcraft free from abuse, we have permanently banned more than 500 accounts during the last week which were involved in the use of cheats and/or hacks using third-party software. We will continue to take an aggressive stance to ensure that the gaming environment remains an enjoyable place for our customers by actively pursuing those who would seek to violate the principle of fair-play, as well as breach our terms of use and policies in this way. As stated previously, we have a zero-tolerance policy for cheating or hacking of any kind. Players caught using cheats or hacks will have their characters removed and their account banned. They will not receive a warning.

If you bear in mind that they kicked more than 500 paying customers in the process, that's no small feat at all.

Related info:
WoW Europe
Blizzard Entertainment
Honor System Killing Spree Begins in WoW (22 April)
250000 More Copies of WoW Hit Europe on 15 April (3 April)
Discussion >>

According to 1up.com, the top ten Girlfriend-Friendly Games include Ms. Pac-Man, Animal Crossing, Katamari Damacy, Dance Dance Revolution and The Sims.

I don't know how accurate this list is apart from The Sims, I have found more girls play the likes of Counter Strike: Source, Far Cry and Doom 3.

The old cliche of girls reaching for Mario and Ms Pac-man while guys go for the Action/First Person Shooters is kind of a dead myth. I think 1up seriously need to rethink their list if they don't want to offend any serious gamers.

They have certainly struck a chord with Game Girl Advance.

Hahahahaha.

Oh wait, are you serious?

Maybe you could have had an actual girlfriend help you out with your list, Shivam. I mean seriously. Centipede? Ms. Pac-Man? Bejeweled, for Chrissake? You're really reaching there, buddy.

Check out the list over at 1up

Via Game Girl Advance

Discussion >>

More media has been made available today concerning upcoming Source updates. GNA-Soft have released screenshots of the new Lost Coast level in Half Life 2 that will feature the new lighting technology (HDR). There is also a small video clip showcasing footage of Half Life 2 using HDR.

Check out the high-res screens here
The high-quality movie is available here (reg required)

Via hlfallout

Related:
CS: Source de_port Strategy Guide
HL2 Aftermath: 2 New Screenshots
More Half-Life 2: Aftermath/ Lost Coast Details
HL2 Aftermath Screenshot, 2 New CS: Source Maps Soon
Half life 2: Ending Extended With Aftermath Expansion
Discussion >>

After weeks of probing to see just what hardware you are using for Source, Valve have released their most recent hardware survey results. Interesting to note that the results see Nvidia edge out competitor ATI 50.72% to 41.03%, despite the fact that Valve always claimed ATI's Radeon was the best boy for the job of handling the Source engine. Intel and AMD are reportedly neck-and-neck.

Most of you playing Valve's games have installed Microsoft's Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, unlike the 17.04% who are still using Service Pack 1.

See the results for yourself

Related:
CS: Source de_port Strategy Guide
HL2 Aftermath: 2 New Screenshots
More Half-Life 2: Aftermath/ Lost Coast Details
Does Valve Really Care About Its Customers?
Discussion >>

Get your swashbuckling eyes fixed on Summer of next year as Disney have announced they are starting work on a new MMORPG based on the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The game, being developed by Walt Disney Internet Group's VR Studio, will let players create and customize their own Pirates as well as create crews with other players.

Not very much is known about the game so far other than the fact that Disney are planning for a Summer 2006 release.

From the press release:

We've learned through our experience with Toontown that the market for massively multiplayer online role-playing games can indeed reach beyond traditional gamers," stated Ken Goldstein, EVP and managing director, Disney Online. "Pirates of the Caribbean is the perfect franchise for our second commercial effort in this arena. Fans of the movies and theme park attraction will be able to live their own unfolding pirate adventure through the game, including searching for lost treasures and battling numerous enemies on land and at sea."

Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, added, "This is a great way for game enthusiasts to experience the fun and excitement of playing the role of a pirate while competing against a wide variety of opponents in a great adventure. This game captures the same swashbuckling sense of humor, spirit and action that moviegoers loved in the first `Pirates of the Caribbean' film, and which will continue with the next installment of the highly anticipated sequel in summer 2006. Disney Online has created a really entertaining and challenging game that will appeal to the adventurer in all of us
Read on

Related:
Official Website
Discussion >>

Although the main programme was already released in March this year, the single-player demo has only been published today. The game, a first-person shooter with tactical elements, is set in WWII and lets you jump into the role of Sgt. Matt Baker who, dropped behind enemies lines in the night before D-Day, has to guide his squad safely through the next 48 hours.

The single-player demo comprises a tutorial and two missions also found in the full version, "Rendezvous with Destiny (Extended Version)" and "Action at Vierville". The game's official website offers some mirror download links, as the demo has a considerable file size of 385 MB.

Related info:
Brothers in Arms - Tested Cheats (25 April)
Brothers in Arms v 1.03 Patch (6 April)
Brothers in Arms First Impressions (28 March)
Gearbox Software
Discussion >>

2 K Games and 3D Realms have announced Prey for the PC and an upcoming "next-generation" console.

The game will be developed on a "significantly enhanced" version of id's DOOM 3 engine by Human Head Studios under the supervision of 3D Realms, and will be unveiled at the E3 Expo in a movie-theater-style exhibition:

"The initial concept for Prey had been incubating for a while, waiting for the right opportunity to come along," said George Broussard, President of 3D Realms. "We jumped at the chance to create this game with a talented developer like Human Head Studios and next-generation technology like the Doom 3 engine."

Scott Miller, CEO of 3D Realms, added, "Prey is special for many reasons, including several new and original gameplay features and a tightly integrated story that packs an emotional punch, unlike other first person shooters."

"Our collaboration with 3D Realms has been enormously rewarding," added Timothy Gerritsen, CEO of Human Head Studios. "With their help, Prey is sure to breathe new life into the first person shooter genre with a compelling story, innovative gameplay mechanics and dazzling imagery, which is powered by our significantly enhanced version of id Software's original Doom 3 engine."

2K Games And 3D Realms Announce Prey - Human Head: PREY ANNOUNCED!!!!!!

The game idea was initially created in 1995 but ended up being shelved for many years before the first rumour of development being restarted came from a report on CNN's Game Over Column earlier this month, shortly after, a teaser website (www.prey.com) appeared.

Related:
3DRealms.com
PC Gamer Get Prey Exclusive & First Look At Duke Nukem Forever
Scott Miller blog - CEO of 3D Realms
Internet Archive of the Prey Game FAQ from 1998
Prey Taking Shape (17 April)
Shelved 3D Realms Prey to be Unveiled at E3 (6 April)
Discussion >>

An extreme experiment into the wireless capabilities of the Nintendo DS saw four sky divers play a multiplayer game of Super Mario while plummeting towards Earth at 120 miles an hour:

"It was a rush," said Myers. "Playing in the air was pretty exciting. It was also incredibly difficult. Some of the problems were that when you were jumping, you needed to bring both hands together on the DS, and it seriously decreased your stability."

Yet, notwithstanding the risks, the four sky divers proved that an ad hoc network set up using the wireless functions of a Nintendo DS works perfectly at distances of nearly 400 feet while falling 120 miles an hour.

Sky-High Gamers Go to Extremes - BitTorrent video of the sky divers via boingboing.net

Discussion >>

The Entertainment Software Association have announced 1000 new games are lined up for the E3 Expo next month; and they've released a lengthy list of the never-before-seen products that will appear at the show (reproduced in the Discussion link).

The number is staggering (over 5000 products in all will be displayed), and the president of the ESA Douglas Lowenstein hailed the sheer number of titles as "examples of the innovation and creativity that will drive industry growth in the coming year,", but it met with some scepticism over on Gamesblog:

I have one simple question: has Mr Lowenstein ever actually been to E3?

At a conservative guess, I would suggest that, of those 1,000 products, perhaps 5-10% will exhibit anything that could be credibly described as innovation. I'm immediately discounting any subtle little gameplay additions, or fresh variations on last year's innovations - when Mr Lowenstein mentions innovations 'that will drive industry growth' he must surely be referring to really big and exciting new ideas, like a new genre, a new way of interacting with a game, or a new hardware platform that introduces radical concepts in console architecture.

He can't surely mean, say, a new way of passing the ball in the latest annual soccer sim, or a new set of weapons in the latest FPS sequel, or a fun new character starring in a fun new third person action adventure?

Related:
E3 Expo official site
About the Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
E3 - 1000 new games on show
Discussion >>

The prize in a new G4TV competition is a chance to become a reporter at this year's E3 Expo; viewers have until 4 May to send in a five minute video tape of themselves explaining why they want to be chosen:

If you’re selected, you’ll get access to the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming conference where all of this year’s biggest news will be released. You’ll get to take a camera crew on the conference floor, talk to developers, play the newest games, and tell G4tv.com viewers at home what you think of the developments in the gaming industry.

G4 - G4tv.com - Go to E3 with G4 Contest via Video Games Ombudsman

Discussion >>

Bungie have released the first four new Halo 2 multiplayer maps promised last month.

Nine maps in all are due for release, with the remaining five scheduled for a 28 June release on XBox Live and as a $19.99 retail disc; Bungie say that by late summer, all nine maps will be available as a free download.

Of the two packs released today, the free Bonus Map Pack contains Containment and Warlock, and the $5.99 Killtacular Pack contains Turf and Sanctuary:

The wait for new Halo 2 content is over. As promised, the first four (of nine) maps are available for download today via Xbox Live. When you sign in, select "Content Download" from the Live menu and you'll see two download options.

Maptastic Monday! Bungie Weekly What's Update

Related:
Nine Halo 2 maps in all to be released by 28 June
Details on Sanctuary, Containment, Warlock and Turf
Discussion >>

Just when you thought you had your fill of Xbox 360 rumours. Latest coming in from Joystiq, who are reporting on an article that suggests the next generation console will debut with 15-20 games, many such titles rumoured to be next-gen sequels of established franchises.

Topping that list is the long-awaited sequel to Perfect Dark, as well as a half-dozen or so racing titles, including Project Gotham, NFSU, Test Drive, a new Namco series, and the possibility of a Burnout installment—hey, at least Steve will be happy.
Read on

More speculation is that Halo 2.5 is going to come pre-installed on the console's harddrive. Halo 2.5 is reported to be an upgrade to Halo 2 allowing for higher resolution and coming with bonus content.

What the next few weeks/months hold is anyone's guess. It is however, a very exciting time for console lovers the world over as they once again challenge the high-end PC.

Related:
Report on Microsoft after XBox 360 Image Leaks
Latest Xbox 360 Image Of Memory Card?
Leaked Pics Unveil XBox 360 Early
Microsoft Teaser Xbox 360 Ad
XBox Development Kit Images Surface
Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October?
Discussion >>

Games developers Digital Illusions CE (DICE) have officially announced they are working on Battlefield 2: Modern Combat for the PSP. The game is based around ground breaking technology in the upcoming Battlefield 2 and is planned for a first quarter 2006 debut.

From their website:

We are looking forward to launching the Battlefield brand on handheld platform too, and we have strong beliefs in the spread of Playstation Portables, said Patrick Söderlund, CEO at Digital Illusions.

To Digital Illusions licensing is an attractive solution since the Company doesn’t have enough resources personnel-wise to produce the PSP version at the moment. We also get a larger product portfolio without spending money on extra development costs, said Patrick Söderlund, CEO at Digital Illusions.
Read on

The game will be released at the same time as the Xbox 360 launch in early 2006 but the Xbox and PS2 versions will arrive in Autumn 2005.

Related:
Battlefield: Modern Combat Details Emerge
Battlefield 2 engine demonstration
Battlefield 2: Preview
Discussion >>

According to an article on Ferrago Ubisoft has officially announced the development of Prince of Persia 3. The 3rd installment of the poplular 3rd Person Action/Adventure series will be showcased at next month's E3 and a release date is expected later this year on PS2, Xbox, GameCube and PC.

The 3rd installment will reportedly feature 2 playable characters and new game styles.

Before we learn more at the full LA unveiling, we can also report that the new Prince adventure will feature two playable characters, with unique styles of combat and powers. New abilities - including some related to time - will be there for the mastering, whilst the new Babylonian setting certainly sounds vivid. Finally, a better-than-ever blend of puzzles, combat and plot is promised. More on this soon.
Read on

My only beef with Sands of Time and Warrior Within were that the controls seemed very awkward for the PC. I Hope they will opt for a different strategy this time around as other than a few small glitches it is a really promising game/series.

Related:
PRINCE OF PERSIA 3 - FIRST SCREENS
Prince of Persia 3 details and shots
Discussion >>

Personal Tech Pipe-line are reporting that a Canadian company "Movies For Me" has announced it will be making available every single UMD title for the PSP for rental to Sony PlayStation Portable owners.

Not a great deal of selection is at hand but the company expects demand to grow and thus the availability of titles.

Scott Glover, Movies for Me President, said in a release that "Some of our existing customers have bought a PSP, but haven't found any companies renting the UMD movies in Canada. That's where we can help. We'll carry large quantities of each movie, to make sure our subscribers get the titles they want right away.
Read on

Visit their website for a continuously updated list of movies to rent.

Related:
€249 PSP Coming To Europe In September
Classic Namco On PSP Later This Year
PlayBoyStation Portable
PSP Home Remote Control
Engadget PSP Hack Round-up
PSP 101: Useful PSP fact list
Discussion >>

Sony have announced 1 September as the official launch date for the PlayStation Portable in Europe; it will be priced €249 (£179), and early buyers will get a free copy of Spider-Man 2 in UMD format if they register the handheld and order the movie through YourPSP.com.

The €249 will buy customers a PlayStation Portable Value Pack:

The PlayStation Portable Value Pack contains an added-value package of accessories and entertainment content, including the PlayStation Portable system with a pouch, 32MB Memory Stick Duo™, Battery Pack, Headphones with Remote Control, AC Adaptor, Wrist Strap, cloth and a video/music/game sampler Universal Media Disc™ (UMD™) including several non-interactive game demos.

PSP Is Coming 01/09/2005

Related:
Classic Namco On PSP Later This Year
PlayBoyStation Portable
PSP Home Remote Control
Engadget PSP Hack Round-up
PSP 101: Useful PSP fact list
Discussion >>

Last week, LucasArts officially announced Star Wars Battlefront II, the latest game in the seemingly inexhaustible Star Wars franchise. With the Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith film forthcoming, it was only a matter of time when the next game in the wildly popular universe emerged. Today, the first in-game screenshots have been published on the game's official website.

The game is set for a release this fall and will be developed by Pandemic Studios, creators of the first installment. The press release gives an outlook on the game:

Star Wars Battlefront II improves upon the original game’s single-player experience with open-ended, mission-based objectives inspired from all six Star Wars films. The compelling storyline spans more than 12 new locations, many from Episode III, including volcanic Mustafar and the space battle above Coruscant. All-new classic movie moments complete the Star Wars Battlefront II experience, as players battle within the interior of the Death Star and visit Princess Leia’s blockade runner, the Tantive IV, as seen at the beginning of Episode IV A New Hope. In addition, at certain key moments within the battles, players can feel the Force as a Jedi.

For the first time ever, Star Wars Battlefront II players can engage in space combat and, during the same battle, board enemy ships to attack from within. Starting on foot inside a capital ship, players can enter the spacecraft of their choice and travel into space to dogfight with the rival faction. From there, they can dock within the enemy’s capital ship, overtake the ship’s command posts, man its turrets to disable its shields and destroy it from within! Or, they can simply stay inside their own capital ship and defend it from attacks and enemy fire. The choice is theirs.

In the wake of Episode III, it is very likely that the Force will be with LucasArts once more.

Related info:
Official website for Star Wars Battlefront II
Pandemic Studios
LucasArts
Discussion >>

Another piece of interesting rumour about Nintendo's heavily under-wraps Revolution from the blog of Brooke Burgess, the creator of Broken Saints.

He speculates on information gleaned from journalists and industry insiders about a possible 3D projection feature of the console:

[...]

the IGN boys posted this
regarding a patent for Nintendo’s upcoming display technology, which I
linked to a few days ago. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to glean
that this conceptually portrays a form of 3D image projection.

- at a major film conference called ShoWest just last month, a
panel featuring George Lucus, Robert Zemekis, James Cameron, Robert
Rodriguez, and a satellite feed from Peter Jackson has studio reps,
journalists, and theatre owners seriously jazzed about their plans to
integrate cheap digital stereoscopic 3D (like recent IMAX features or the oldschool Captain EO experience at Epcot) into ALL major chains by 2007. Lucas even showed several minutes of the original STAR WARS with remapped visuals that popped off the screen and hovered in front of audience members. When an agent friend of mine was chatting with Rodriguez (there to pump Sin City and discuss his experiences with Spy Kids 3D), he mentioned how they were aware of a game machine beating them to the mainstream 3D market.

-
the next day, I contacted another strangely influential industry
pal/pundit and shared my thesis purely for fun’s sake (and perhaps some extremely lame bragging rights). The final shiny block of tetrisy knowledge slid into place when he excitedly shared the following - that the Big N had shown a real-time 3D add-on for Gamecube behind closed doors…AT LAST YEAR’S E3. It has since gone MIA. This is the sound of four rows dropping.

Next Mario to be Stereo…Scopic?!?!

Related:
Revolution functions mooted: Nintendo coy over E3
Nintendo Source Confirms Revolution For E3 (22 April)
New Nintendo Revolution Mock-Up Images (14 April)
Nintendo Quiz Reveals Revolution Details
Nintendo Revolution Speculation (26 March)
Discussion >>

Spong.com report on what's been going on inside Microsoft since leaked images of the XBox 360 spread across the Internet two days ago, sending the software giant into overdrive to identify where they originated.

Gathering from sources close to Microsoft that the European press was initially suspected and the second leaked image might actually have originated from within MTV itself, Spong say the leaks were almost certainly bound to happen:

Frustratingly for SPOnG, we had been expecting to run images of the new Xbox 360 console as something of a scoop, with sources on the continent poised to release assets as soon as it was safe to do so. The main reason we wanted to do this was simple: the leak was always going to happen – the assets had gone out to too many people at too many publications.

Report: Microsoft Struggles to Regain Control After Leak Shock

Related:
Latest Xbox 360 Image Of Memory Card?
Leaked Pics Unveil XBox 360 Early
Microsoft Teaser Xbox 360 Ad
XBox Development Kit Images Surface
Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October?
Discussion >>

Mark Jacobs, the CEO of Mythic Entertainment (The Dark Age of Camelot) has blasted Sony's Station Exchange, which will allow EverQuest II players to securely buy and sell items from the game.

He makes fair points, among them that games should be kept as just that: games, as opposed to turning them into profit-making enterprises.

He also points out that the new service might backfire against Sony by providing new resources for unofficial trading sites:

"Rather than discouraging companies such as IGE [unofficial site for trading MMORPG items], I believe that by this decision, SOE will probably create dozens of small IGE and IGE-like companies who may view SOE's servers as the 'Virtual Gold Rush of 2005.' At the same time, this decision will reduce the costs of IGE who now can use SOE's own customer service, billing and bandwidth to complete these transactions quicker and easier than they can do under the present system."

Mythic Rips Into SOE Over Auction Site

Related:
Station Exchange website
Sony's new venture comes under fire from boss of rival MMORPG firm
Slashdot | Mythic Rips SOE a New One
Sony Announce EQII Station Exchange (20 April)
Wired: Sony Gets Real on Virtual Goods
Discussion >>

An English language playable demo of the PC real-time strategy game Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars is available now. The game is already available to buy in Europe, and is due for a U.S. release tomorrow (26 April):

"Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars" is a sequel of "Cossacks: European Wars," the hit of 2000-2001. Developed on a new 3D engine, the game combines 2D graphics and the latest achievements in 3D technologies. Significant rework on the engine as well as a number of gameplay innovations allow for presenting the game on a new level. "Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars" answers to the latest technology advances and provides a chance to even hardcore RTS gamers to experience a brand new gameplay of historical battles played on the true-to-life scale, with tactics and strategy particularities of warring sides taken into account.

Download the demo (487.9 MB, 2 tutorial missions and 1 skirmish battle)

Related:
Official site for Cossacks II (English)
Screenshots gallery
Review: Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars (7.9/10)
Discussion >>

As I earlier reported, Alienware will be pulling out of their hats 2 new Star Wars styled PCs to coincide with the release of the final installment of the Star Wars trilogy.

First images have been released of the PCs which are being offered in both a Dark Side and Light Side variation.

For specs and a price listing, visit Alienware.

Related:
Alienware: From a Galaxy Far, Far Away?
Discussion >>

Even more Xbox 360 photography and hype splitting the trees with the Sun this morning. Joystiq report on the latest picture which looks to be one of MS console’s memory card.

Ourcolony.net has ramped up the action once again. The latest discovery is a pic of the MS console’s memory card. Exciting stuff, if little plastic thingies are your fetish. The curious thing about the image is that it seems to show a white card plugging into a white console. It may just be bad lighting, though. Ot it could mean that there will be different colors for the box. Dare we dream of the rumored skinnable boxes?
Read on

Related:
Leaked Pics Unveil XBox 360 Early
Microsoft Teaser Xbox 360 Ad
Image of Xbox 360 case?
XBox Development Kit Images Surface
Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October?
Discussion >>

5 Screenshots have been made available of the 2nd expansion to the ever-popular Sims game. In the Nightlife expansion, players can take their Sims downtown and check out some after-hour locations and yes, "Nightlife".

With some new game-modes and pleasure seeking goals the expansion caters for the clubbing and dating type scenarios. Nightlife is expected to be released this Autumn.

Check out the screens here

Related
EA: Sims 2 For All
Official Website
Discussion >>

For those of you who have already finished Brothers In Arms and wish to explore the game with a whole new outlook, why not try one of many tested cheats that are now rampant on the net. Cheats include Godmode, walk through walls, lots of ammo etc.

Enable Console
Go to your C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data\Gearbox Software\Brothers In Arms\ folder
(*You may need to enable "view hidden files/folders" under tools in Explorer.)

Open Bia.ini in notepad

Search for
Consolekey=0

change to Consolekey=192

search for
bEnableDebugConsoleAndMenu=False

change to
bEnableDebugConsoleAndMenu=True

save and exit

load game using that profile

now you will have a console if you press the tilde key ~ Codes:

Code Effect - allweapons all starting guns for mission
fly fly - god godmode
loaded - lots of ammo
allammo - lots of ammo
unloaded - no ammo
oldmovie - oldmovie code
ghost - through walls
walk - walk
supersquad - your squad wont get hurt/killed/run out of bullets

Via gamepro

Related:
bia_retail_patch_1.03_us_uk
Brothers in Arms high-res teaser trailer (20.11.04)
Official Website
Discussion >>

Valve give a strategy guide for the upcoming Counter-Strike: Source map de_port ahead of its release in a couple of weeks:

It is a bit daunting to learn a new Counter-Strike map right as it's released, so we've gone through de_port and tried to give people an idea of what our design intentions were. Click here to get to a page that outlines six different strategies to try once the map is available. We're still shooting for release of de_port (along with a redone de_inferno) in a couple of weeks. Next week's Steam news will include some pictures showing off what de_inferno looked like as it was being built from scratch.

Link

A new Half-Life 2 Deathmath map called dm_runoff is coming next Monday also.

Related:
Sketch of de_port layout
Discussion >>

Gamespot got the first look at End of Ages, the fifth and final installment in the classic MYST series of games, which will be unveiled at next month's E3 Expo and is due for release later this year.

They also have a selection of screenshots and concept art, and a video interview with Cyan Worlds CEO Rand Miller:

Myst 5 is probably the most different from the original Myst, and the most the same as the original Myst.

We've done things that strayed enormously from the original Myst, real-time 3D, and with things that you carry with you, and with the way we portray the characters.

But the essence of it, the idea that at the beginning you meet characters and thoughout the game you're trying to judge them, you're trying to decide which way to go; the idea that there's a hub that I branch off from, so many of those gameplay elements we've stuck with, the things we didn't want to mess with were the things that I think people had, at least in a play environment, in that adventure environment, had come to love.

Myst V: End of Ages Impressions - First Look, New Characters, Puzzles, and Exploration

Related:
Official site for MYST V
MYST V forums
New MYST V screenshots
CyanWorlds.com
MYST IV: Revelation Postmortem
Myst Island Birthday Cake
Discussion >>

GamersHell have a free playable demo of Rising Kingdoms, a fantasy-themed RTS due for release next month; the demo includes single and multiplayer content:

Set in the beautiful fantasy world of Equiada, home to magical creatures, mighty leaders, and powerful wizards, Rising Kingdoms, offers players the unique combination of both strategy and adventure modes.

In strategy mode the player is able to select 3 major races – treacherous Humans, vicious Foresters and merciless Darklings, and in addition to these three primary races, the player is able to capture, enslave and develop five independent nations – Shades, Nomads, Dragons, Trolls, and Elves. Combined with the player’s main race they provide a valuable asset when clashing with their opponents.

In adventure mode the player controls a group of heroes and a small squad of troops uncovering dark secrets and surprising twists as the adventure unfolds. The story spans over several generations portraying powerful ancient artifacts, the rise and fall of mighty leaders and glorious kingdoms, and the birth of new mystic creatures and races.

Download the demo here (166 MB)

Related:
Official site for Rising Kingdoms
Haemimont Games Rising Kingdoms publisher
Rising Kingdoms Q&A
Discussion >>

As an addendum to an exclusive feature on Prey in their next issue, PC Gamer mag report on a glimpse they were given of Duke Nukem Forever:

Apparently, some of the staff got 20 minutes with Duke Nukem Forever. Not playing it, but at least seeing it.

The walkthrough showed interaction between the Duke himself and his environment. The magazine goes on to say that the game will be at E3 in 2006. Of course, we’ve all heard that before.
kotaku

Related:
Duke Nukem Forever Physics Pass HL2
Duke Nukem Forever Physics Engine SDK Free Trial
Prey Taking Shape
Shelved 3D Realms Prey to be unveiled at E3
Discussion >>

This isn't strictly game-related, but if you're using e-mails or text messages every day, you might be interested to learn that checking messages constantly has a negative impact on your IQ. Before looking at your inbox right now, please be aware that smoking marijuana will have the same effect. That's not to say that you should do so, but according to a recently conducted British study, the incessant exposure to messages, be it in the form of phone calls, e-mails or text messages, hurts people's IQ more than you'd have expected.

The survey of 1,100 Britons showed:

- Almost two out three people check their electronic messages out of office hours and when on holiday.
- Half of all workers respond to an e-mail within 60 minutes of receiving one.
- One in five will break off from a business or social engagement to respond to a message.
- Nine out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages during face-to-face meetings were rude, while three out of 10 believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency. [...]

He found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points -- the equivalent to missing a whole night's sleep and more than double the 4-point fall seen after smoking marijuana.

In short, abolishing most types of modern-day communication would help restore mental health and productivity. Stone-age, here we come.

Related info:
complete article on CNN
Discussion >>

High-res version available on xbox-scene.com

The clearest images of the XBox 360 to date have surfaced on the Web, showing the front and left sides of the console:

In what has to be seen as a complete European PR disaster, the MTV showing penned for mid next month has had its trump card flipped over for all to see.

The images hosted here show the final artwork and a single photograph showing what appears to be a removable 40GB hard disc drive, confirming speculation that mass storage will be an option as the 360 emerges.

All of which leaves us, and everyone else, wondering what the Xbox 360, well, what it does. SPOnG believes it a fair assumption that the unit will feature wireless controllers, given there’s no ports pictured. The small circle also looks like a wireless activity indicator light too. All good. Then we have what appears to be an IR port on the machine’s fascia, hinting at the unit’s multimedia future controlling the world’s music and movies.

Spong.com

TeamXBox.com also hint at more information to come:

You might wonder why is that power button so big? Well, because it will do much more than just indicate the console's power status...

TeamXBox.com

Link via Botros news

Related:
Xbox 360 - This is it
Xbox 360 final hardware design leaked!
Xbox 360 Design?
Microsoft Teaser Xbox 360 Ad
XBox Development Kit Images Surface
Xbox 2 game set to launch on 12 May MTV Special
Gamespy reveals specs on XBox 360 (8 March)
Discussion >>

The makers of Stargate: Source, an unofficial mod for Half-Life 2 based around T.V's Stargate SG1 have been told by Metro Goldwyn Mayer to shut the project down:

The worst has finally happened.

We are very displeased to announce that apparently MGM the huge company feels very threatened by a group of individuals spread throughout the world. We have received a letter to desist from the creation of the Stargate: Source mod. At this time we are still discussing the issue but it does appear that we are going to be shutting down. Sorry to all of our followers and those who were looking forward to this mod. Personally I will not buy a copy of their game out of protest. It is an unfortunate circumstance when the large, powerful and wealthy must attack the small and free but it happens and it is buisness.

Link, via boingboing.net

Discussion >>

After the swirling rumours surrounding whether Nintendo would indeed showcase the new Revolution console at this year's E3 Expo, Fragland.net contacted a source inside the company itself:

"Will the Revolution be shown at E3 ?"

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we can now safely say "Yes!" to that question. Our PR contact confirmed that the Revolution will not only be talked about but also be shown at E3. Whether it will be playable however has yet to be confirmed.

Confirmed: Nintendo Revolution at E3

Related:
E3 Expo
New Nintendo Revolution Mock-Up Images (14 April)
Nintendo Quiz Reveals Revolution Details
Nintendo Revolution Speculation (26 March)
Discussion >>

CGOnline.com have an interview with Torrie Dorrell of Sony Online Entertainment about their new Station Exchange auction system for EverQuest II.

The main points from Dorrell are that most players would benefit from a secure means of buying & selling items, and that without an official auction system, Sony's customer service department was being burdened with requests to resolve disputes:

This was never a revenue stream for us. However, unsanctioned auction sites tend to cause our customers grief and tax our customer service department. Currently, whether transactions occur through an unsanctioned auction site or through two players shaking hands on a street corner, they can be a losing proposition for either party. If the "buyer" pays first, he or she risks not getting what was paid for. If the "seller" delivers first, he or she risks not getting payment. Meanwhile, SOE bears all of the customer service costs involved in being asked to resolve these many disputes.

Everquest II Station Exchange Interview via Joystiq

Related:
Station Exchange website
SOE President John Smedley Discusses Station Exchange
Sony Announce EQII Station Exchange
Wired: Sony Gets Real on Virtual Goods
Sony Online Entertainment opening game-item auction site
Discussion >>

Today the "Honor System" on the European World of Warcraft was switched on, where players win Honor points for vanquishing foes of similar level to them.

Gamesblog:

Before today the only reason for attacking a player controlled enemy was the thrill of the hunt - now players will get ranking points. And as Brucie always said, points make prizes, which in this case include new armour, weapons and other goodies. But advance reports from the US suggests that the nicely balanced gameplay of before has been shattered, with groups of higher level characters ganging up on lower-level cannon fodder. Whether the European servers will be affected in the same way remains to be seen, but those who like to mind their own business and play alone could be in trouble.

Related:
World of Warcraft: PvP Honor System and Rewards
Blizzard: Sale of WoW Property Illegal
Gamespot's Intro Video to WoW
WoW Hits 1.5 Million Concurrent Players Record (19 March)
Discussion >>

Gamasutra have an interesting feature tracking the creation of MYST IV from the perspectives of several members of Ubisoft who worked on the title.

Split into sections on what went right and what went wrong, one of the problems listed was an influx of 50 new employees for the pre-production:

Less than eight employees from the original pre-production team finished the project. With this high turnover rate we lost precious experience. We learned the hard way that in pre-production you must have a very small dedicated team and you should never start game production before the story, the design, artistic direction and technologies are ready and fully tested. A creative director and a production manager with strong power and vision at the beginning of the project would have helped clarify the focus of the game and the processes as well. - Nicolas Beaudette, Lead Programmer

Postmortem: Myst IV - Revelation

Related:
MYST IV: Revelation website
Download a free demo (191 MB)
Myst V: End of Ages to be showcased at E3 Expo
Myst Island Birthday Cake
Discussion >>

Gamona.de have new screenshots and information on 8 regions of Guild Wars, ahead of its release next Thursday.

The new regions are Ascalon, Crystal Desert, Fire Island Chain, Kryta, The Maguuma Jungle, Post-Searing Ascalon, Northern Shiverpeaks and Southern Shiverpeaks; also worth checking out is an interview Gamona did with Gaile Gray, the community manager on the game.

Gamona.de Special: Guild Wars screenshots

Related:
Guild Wars website
Arenanet - Makers of Guild Wars
Guild Wars goes gold
Guild Wars preview on Gamespot
Discussion >>

Microsoft have certainly spent a lot of time and money into promoting its next generation Xbox (albeit, a litle vague). In the latest stunt they have sent out a small video advertising the upcoming MTV presentation on May 12th which will showcase for the first time, Microsoft's new xbox 360.

The MTV special, hosted by family friendly hobbit turned psychotic canibal, Elijah Wood is scheduled to air on May 12 and is said to feature the world's first glance at Microsoft's goods along with a performance by the Killers and a bag full of athletes and celebrities showing off some of the new features.

Check out the very short, but tantalising clip to whet your appetite for the event in three weeks time (7.86 Mb, Quicktime required)

Via spong

Related:
Image of Xbox 360 case?
XBox Development Kit Images Surface
Xbox 360 Unveiling in Japan
Next Generation Console Fact Round-Up
Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October?
Discussion >>

12 Screenshots have recently been made available of the upcoming Scarface game. In development by Radical, the release date (sometime in 2005) is still to be announced. The game will be made available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 and will debut at next month's E3.

Scarface will feature the voices of Jay Mohr, Cheech Marin, James Woods, and more from the original classic movie (not Pacino's, unfortunately).

The storyline takes off as if Tony Montana survived the brutal shootout at the end of the film, as he tries to rebuild his life.

From the press release:

The Scarface video game immerses players in a “what if Tony survives” storyline that begins with the explosive shootout at the end of the film. Gamers will travel through the steamy, often violent streets of Miami, the irie islands of the various Caribbean locales and will interact with a world full of seedy and dangerous characters to procure information, negotiate business deals, smuggle contraband and avoid rivals and DEA on a mission to rebuild their fallen empire. Scarface The Game is currently in development by veteran video game developer Radical Games for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft and PC.

Check out the screens here

Related:
Potential Work Stoppage For Game Voice Talent
Caan, Duvall join Brando to voice Godfather
EA Bring Connery Back For One More Bond Role
Discussion >>

Namco recently announced that it will be bringing its catalogue of old-school arcade classics, the "Namco Museum Battle Collection"to the PSP.

They will offer new and original versions of over 20 Namco classics including Galaga, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Xevious, Bosconian, Mappy, Tower of Druaga, Dragon Buster, Grobda, and King & Balloon. Namco Museum Battle Collection will also have wireless multiplayer and a "Game Sharing Mode".

Millions of people around the world have played Namco's arcade classics, and now we're able to offer new versions of these timeless games to a whole new generation of gamers with Namco Museum Battle Collection," said Yoshi Niki, Business Unit Director at Namco. "Namco Museum Battle Collection is a must-have title for anyone that enjoys classic gameplay on an innovative new platform

Namco Museum Battle Collection will release later this year on PSP.

Via yahoogamesdomain
Discussion >>

Evil Avatar member fitbabits has solved the lastest ourcolony.net puzzle to reveal this sleaky, chrome image, which looks like the top of an Xbox 360. Of course i don't actually know what the top of an Xbox 360 looks like, it's mere speculation.

Earlier we reported that outcolony.net revealed an image of some sort of controller. Now it looks like they are working on the body of the console. It sure is a tedious business this, I do hope they give us a little more to go on the next time around.

Via evilavatar

Related:
XBox Development Kit Images Surface
Xbox 360 Unveiling in Japan
Next Generation Console Fact Round-Up