Advertisements  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. 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 >> By Rob
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: Related info: complete article on CNN Discussion >> By Chris
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. 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... 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 >> By Rob
 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. By Rob
 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 ?" E3 Expo New Nintendo Revolution Mock-Up Images (14 April) Nintendo Quiz Reveals Revolution Details Nintendo Revolution Speculation (26 March) Discussion >> By Rob
 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. 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 >> By Rob
 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 >> By Rob
 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 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 >> By Rob
 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 >> By Rob
 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 >> By Gary
 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 hereRelated: Potential Work Stoppage For Game Voice Talent Caan, Duvall join Brando to voice Godfather EA Bring Connery Back For One More Bond Role Discussion >> By Gary
 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 >> By Gary
 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 Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October? Discussion >> By Gary
 Oblivion-Lost.com have 17 exclusive videos of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. multiplayer taken from a recent tournament that took place in Kiev:Oblivion-Lost.com correspondent FlamingPumpkin was at the show to provide us with information and other material. We have a summary of his impressions noted down. To feast your eyes, make sure to also check out the photos he took and 17 exclusive (!) videos (101 MB) that were captured off a plasma monitor. All of it is a must-see, as there are some new things revealed, such as the game menu, anomalies in action, a new gun (Deser Eagle) and more. Official S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl website S.T.A.L.K.E.R. not in May GSC Game World Discussion >> By Rob
 XBoxLive.fr have managed to get the Web's first images of the development kit for the XBox 360; shipped last May or June the images are of little more than a Mac G5 case with the main scoop being the Microsoft Xenon labels stuck to them, botros news has analysis:They are pics of the development kits sent out I believe last May or June to developers. Back then, the actual system was in such early stages that they shipped Mac G5 computers instead (free of charge I'd assume) to developers to start work on the next gen titles. The article claims that the kit is housed inside the case, when in fact this is not true. These are basically G5 systems (because they use PowerPC processors like the upcoming Xbox 360), but they are running a different kernal and operating system. These pics in fact must be pretty old since these are Alpha boxes and have no graphical optimizations for the specialized ATI card that will be in the upcoming Xbox 360. If I remember correctly, when they shipped, they had a Radeon 9800 Pro or XT card in there. XBox.fr| 4 images du kit de développement Alpha de la XenonRelated: Xenon Images Emerge! Dev-kit snapped. Discussion >> By Rob
 Playboy magazine has launched a special offer for PSP owners; the "PlayBoyStation Portable" offer consists of images and video optimized for the handheld:The second we saw the PSP's capabilities we knew we had to add the Playboy spin to it. Now you can download exclusive video and images of Cyber Girl of the year Amy Sue Cooper, photographed and formatted specifically for viewing on your PlayStation Portable. Playboy sexing up PSPs PlayboyStation Portable launches Discussion >> By Rob
BFG, makers of PC graphics cards have announced the shipping of their first graphics card to pack a staggering 512 Mb of the latest DDR 3 video memory, titled GeForce 6800 Ultra OC 512MB PCI Express Basically, if you were ever looking to play Doom 3 on "Ultra" settings at the highest resolution of 1600 x 1200 with no lag, or the same with Far Cry or any other high-end game on the market or even to hit the market in the next year then this bad-boy would be the answer to a PC gamer's prayer. Even though i have a 6800 GT that plays Doom 3 and any other game with ease, i'd still step over my own Mother to get my hands on one of these. It will be interesting to see some benchmarks when they hit the streets. It was only a matter of time before a graphics card featuring 512MB hit Xbox 360 To Have 512 Mb Ram? Radeon X850XT PE 512 Mb Pictured Discussion >> By Gary
 The New York Times has an interesting article on the Asian-tinged language for BioWare's Jade Empire; called Tho Fan, it was created especially for the game for about $2000 by University of Alberta linguist Wolf Wikeley.Starting at a rate of making 50 words per day and soon picking up the pace to 200 per day, it took him 4 months to create: As the words took shape, Wikeley set about bonding them into sentences. Here he saw a rare opportunity. He could invent grammar and rules that had never been used before. That way Tho Fan wouldn't completely match the rhythm of existing languages, which, he said, is an easy way to spot a fake language. In a twist, Tho Fan would do without the verb "to be"; instead, articles--words like "a" and "the"--would be used to mark tense. Jade Empire website BioWare's Jade Empire Video Review Gamespot review: 8.4 or Great Discussion >> By Rob
 The BBC have launched a game design competition for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19; judged by Peter Molyneux (Black & White, Fable) the winning design will be made into a game for the BBC site Blast:The top prize is to have your game idea made into a top new online game for Blast and Teens. You'll also get the chance to help us make it. Related: BBC Blast: Test your games knowledge BBC Blast: Peter Molyneux Insights Discussion >> By Rob
 WorthPlaying.com have 8 new screens and a positive preview of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PC (due for release on 7 June): Sure, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was originally a PS2 exclusive title, but it is very easy to see that it is much more at home on the PC, where the admittedly aging engine can flex its muscle one last time before we see the series enter the next gen. While the content remains the same (even less if you count the cutting of the co-op mode as a true loss), the upgrades to the graphics engine not only make the game look much, much better, but they also improve the quality of the gameplay, thanks to cars and characters no longer appearing out of thin air. Related: Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas GTA: SA for PC is A-OK! Discussion >> By Rob
 The unofficial blog of the 2005 U2 Vertigo Tour has an interesting fact about the band's stagelighting system from their production manager:Factoid: The entire US$50Million stage lighting system for the Vertigo Tour is controlled via a Playstation video game control. Discussion >> By Rob
 Worthplaying are hosting screenshots that are reported to be gunuine shots from the PC version of San Andreas. San Andreas, developed by Rockstargames is not set for release until June of this year on the PC, but these screens definately look higher resolution than the PS2 version and at least offer a glimmer of drool on the part of myself. Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets. Check out the screenshots for yourselfVia evilavatar Related: San Andreas PS2 Review Ultimate Cheats series - GTA San Andreas Discussion >> By Gary
The Hollywood Bowl, host to such legendary performers as The Beatles, The Doors and even Monty Python is going to host the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra where they will be performing music from the most popular videogames including Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Warcraft, Tomb Raider and Sonic the Hedgehog. The event on July 6th which is most certainly the first of its kind promises laser and light sequences, video clips, live characters and even a section dedicated to retro arcade games. Fans of game music in California have a good few months lined up, in fact - May will also see the return to Los Angeles of Nobuo Uematsu's concert series featuring music from the Final Fantasy series, with the LA date due to feature the first live performance ever outside Japan for his rock group, The Black Mages. I'm Still Seeing Breen - HL2 Music Video Discussion >> By Gary
 THQ have just announced that Wrestlemania 21 has shipped to retail outlets worldwide. The wrestling favourite which is an exclusive release for the Xbox features 45 WWE Superstars, a story mode and also the oppertunity to build a championship belt then challenge players online via Xbox Live. From the creators: WrestleMania can define a legacy, and yours is about to be written. The greatest spectacle in sports-entertainment comes to Xbox™ with WWE WrestleMania® 21. The WWE experience has never been more lifelike with Superstar voice-over and commentary, an all-new proreversal system and motion capture technology, making this the most realistic looking grappler to date. Create the ultimate Superstar and watch him evolve as you earn new move-sets, costumes and abilities in your quest for the WWE Heavyweight Championship. Build the perfect championship belt and defend it on Xbox Live while gaining prestige with each victory you claim, or take on four of your friends in head-to-head competition online. WrestleMania® 21 will immortalize your legacy forever. How will you become a Legend? Visit the official websiteDiscussion >> By Gary
 Funcom, creators of Anarchy Online and The Longest Journey, have announced Age of Conan - Hyborian Advenures, an online-action RPG that can be experienced both in single-player and multiplayer mode. If you remember how Arnold Schwarzenegger butchered his way through both Conan movies, you'll probably get the picture of how the scenario might look like. The official press release gives you a foretaste of what to expect in the game:In 'Conan' the players will encounter a dark, lush, violent and sinful universe, presented in fantastic graphics and stunning 7.1 surround audio. In a world filled with cruel gods, mythical creatures, lost civilizations and a struggling human race, the mighty barbarian has finally seized the throne as king of Aquilonia. But Conan’s rule is on the brink of chaos, spiraling towards the doom of ancient evils. In this twisted fantasy world, dark magic and brutal combat lurks around every corner, and each man and woman must carve their own unique destiny under Conan’s reign. In the true vision of Robert E. Howard’s dark universe it’s now time for you to become a messenger of death. If you think it couldn't get any cheerier than this, read on:The multiplayer game also allow the players to form guilds and lay siege to enemy castles, letting their catapults sing their merry song of death as the enemy is crushed to a pulp. The game is scheduled for a release in the first half of 2006 and will be presented at the E3 in May.Related info: Official Age of Conan website Funcom Discussion >> By Chris
 Slashdot links to the latest cool hack for the PSP - a fairly useful multi-device remote controller that uses the WiFi functionality to control your DVD, TIVO, TV, software on your PC and even your lights: When the wipeout browser hack came out, I saw someone controlling XBMC from their PSP browser. It's great that you could control XBMC from your PSP, but what if your XBOX isn't on, and your TV isn't on, and your TV is not on the right input?? You still have to get up or find the remote and adjust all of that... PSP Hacks and Mods List Dev Uncovers Hidden Browser In PSP Multiplayer PSP with One Copy of a Game Chat on IRC With Your PSP Discussion >> By Rob
 Freeciv, the open-source multiplayer clone of Sid Meier's Civilization has hit stable version 2.0.0 and is available to download now:Players of the Civilization® series by Microprose® should feel at home, since one aim of Freeciv is to have modes with compatible rules. Full changelog of features in version 2.0.0 Download Freeciv Freeciv review (Note - based on earlier version) Discussion >> By Rob
 Namco have entered into a partnership with United Media to create games based on the classic Peanuts comic strip characters through to the year 2009. There are no announcements of what type of games to expect from Namco, but they will be developed for all current and upcoming game platforms: “'Peanuts' is one of the most celebrated comic strips of all time, and Charlie Brown and his friends have firmly cemented their place as American icons of the highest order,” said Jeff Lujan, Business Director at Namco Hometek, Inc. “We relish this opportunity to continue these beloved characters’ storylines through the medium of games and are honored to introduce this cherished property to an all-new generation of gamers.” The official Peanuts website United Media Discussion >> By Rob
 Tim Schafer's Psychonauts shipped to retail for the XBox and PC yesterday (the PS2 version needs to "cook a bit longer"), and Gamespot have given it an 8.4 in their review: Psychonauts' greatest achievement, perhaps unsurprisingly, is in the realm of its presentation. Graphically, this is one of the nicest-looking platformers on the Xbox or PC. The whole game has a remarkably polished look to it. The characters animate smoothly, the textures and set pieces all look excellent, and the game almost always performs well, with nearly no slowdown or other such problems to speak of. However, pure performance isn't where these visuals shine; artistry is really where they come together. The whole look of the game feels like the unholy love child of Tim Burton and a Pixar animation team, and it's just wonderful stuff. Everyone has the sort of kooky, misshapen look of The Nightmare Before Christmas characters, and each are hysterical in their own way. We've already raved about how all the different environments, both real and cerebral, look totally unique and amazing, so we'll spare you any further details on the subject. There just aren't any other games of this type that look like Psychonauts does and it seems near-impossible not to fall in love with its sense of style. Psychonauts official website Double Fine - Company founded by Schafer Psychonauts PC Playable Demo Released (13 April) About Tim Schafer Discussion >> By Rob
 Sony have launched an official marketplace for EverQuest II items to be bought and sold for real money, the first major producer of a MMOG to do so.John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment released an open letter to the community explaining the reasons behind Sony's change in policy, namely (1) their recognition that the sale of virtual items is a whopping $200 million dollar worldwide market, (2) Sony takes too much time dealing with complaints from players who've been victim of fraudulent transactions, and finally (3) because it may be an interesting model for future games, Sony may come up with a game specifically based around these sort of transactions. He then explained the process of implementing Station Exchange: After about a week, we will conduct an in-game poll that's going to ask whether you: Related: Wired: Sony Gets Real on Virtual Goods Sony Online Entertainment opening game-item auction site Sony Backs EverQuest 2 Item Sales Blizzard: Sale of WoW Property Illegal (Dec 2004) Discussion >> By Rob
 Alienware are well known in the gaming world for building custom machines for hardcore gamers, with only the choicest components available for maximum performance. Of course their PCs are in no way aimed at the lower-end market, these roaring monsters are only for the wealthy gaming elite. Alienware have now teamed up with Lucas Arts to bring you the Alienware "Aurora: Star Wars Edition" You love the films, but now the Star Wars galaxy is about to invade the PC world. Prepare yourself for the first ever Star Wars PC -- the Alienware Aurora: Star Wars Edition. Loaded with exclusive Star Wars content such as movie soundtracks, wallpapers, desktop skins, fan club membership and game demos, Aurora: Star Wars Edition systems come in two awe-inspiring case designs: Light Side or Dark Side. Which side is your destiny? I don't know how much an appeal there is for a Star Wars PC, but with the last Star Wars installment just around the corner, the time is right.Nothing has been given away as far as the specs of the machine are concerned but per usual with Alienware it's bound to be top of the line and then some. Read on Discussion >> By Gary
 First screenshots have been made available of Call of Duty 2. The sequel to the immensely engrossing WW2 shooter is scheduled for release on PC in Autumn/Fall of this year and will feature a brand new and and more capable graphics engine than the previous iteration which was based around Quake III technology. Apart from a new graphics engine, it also promises new visuals, advanced A.I. technology, the most realistic squad combat and explosive action in new historic campaigns. From the press release: Call of Duty 2 lets players experience four individual soldier stories as they overcome insurmountable odds in multiple campaigns. Players have the freedom to follow each of the four storylines through for the ultimate character-driven experience, or they can engage in the historic battles chronologically for quick hitting action. Related: Call Of Duty 2 Announced Call of Duty: Deluxe Edition Ships Discussion >> By Gary
 EA have announced that The Sims 2 is in development for PS2, Xbox, GC, PSP, DS and mobile phones. All handheld versions will reportedly feature unique storylines and will ship simultaneously with the console games. A concrete release date has still not been revealed although the press release points to Autumn/Fall of this year.From the press release: Maxis-EA is redefining this highly-acclaimed franchise and will deliver classic open-ended gameplay along with exclusive new features. Aspirational gameplay and fully customizable content will give players the most authentic Sims experience to date on console. This innovative gameplay will allow players to make their dreams come true while avoiding their innermost fears. And, for the first time, players will be able to take direct control of their Sim without having to use their cursor. All handheld versions will feature unique storylines and will ship simultaneously with the console games. Via gamershellRelated: Official Website Discussion >> By Gary
 Two new screenshots of Half Life 2's highly anticipated expansion "Aftermath" have surfaced today. Although the expansion by Valve will not see the light of day until Autumn/Fall of this year, we expect to hear a lot more information in the following weeks along with a set-date for the unveiling of "Lost Coast".For those unfamiliar, Lost Coast is a level in Half Life 2 that has been revamped and upgraded with new lighting technology known as HDR. HDR promises to facilitate more "realistic" lighting. Check out the screens here Related: 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 Half-Life 2: The Lost Coast Details HL2 Lost Coast Tech Glimpsed on G4TV Discussion >> By Gary
 The latest issue of German mag PC Action has some exclusive information about Half-Life 2 Aftermath and The Lost Coast; HLFallout.net have an English distillation of the main points:Aftermath: HL2 Aftermath Screenshot, 2 New CS: Source Maps Soon Half life 2: Ending Extended With Aftermath Expansion Half-Life 2: The Lost Coast Details (12 April) HL2 Lost Coast Tech Glimpsed on G4TV (31 March) Discussion >> By Rob
 GameSpy have a lengthy feature on Will Wright's fascinating new project, Spore.The article is a little old (from a March presentation he made at the Games Developers Conference), but interesting reading nonetheless. The man behind SimCity and The Sims idea with Spore is partly born out of a lesson he learned from The Sims - namely that players like to create their own content and customize their experience. In Spore, rather than having an army of artists create thousands of different animations for players to construct their characters with, Wright aimed to let the player take control of every aspect of that building process by using a dynamic modeller built into the gaming engine. As such, Spore lets the player build their characters literally from a micro-organism, creating the bodily features that let it first step out of the ocean, gaining "upgrades" like brain-power and the ability to build, and eventually the knowledge to build a UFO, achieve space-travel and explore the universe: Spore populates the universe with creatures and cities created by players from all over. There's almost nothing in the world that wasn't at some point created by another player. Wright discovered someone else's civilization, a curious four-legged race who carried tridents and lived in cities with pointed walls and towers. What happened next was entirely up to Wright: he decided to try to communicate with the other species using a bizarre Close Encounters style mini-game. His UFO played music and waited for the aliens to respond. Spore: six different themes of gameplay: tidepool, evolution, tribal, city, civilization and invasion Will Wright wows GDC with new Sim Will Wright on the Wikipedia Discussion >> By Rob
According to IGN, Microsoft will be unveiling the Xbox 360 at a special event in Japan. The demonstration which invites Japanese press will be held at the Virgin Cinemas in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo.The event being dubbed "Next Generation Xbox Preview" is scheduled for the 15th of next month and will be accessible by invite only. On 5/13, the Japanese press (this includes us, strangely) will be invited to the Virgin Cinemas in Roppongi Hills, one of Tokyo's most chic areas (Square Enix unveiled Final Fantasy XII at this theater a couple of years back). Microsoft will be holding an invite-only event called "Next Generation Xbox Preview" at the theater starting at 11:30AM. The event will continue until 1:50PM -- a full two hours and twenty minutes! Next Generation Console Fact Round-Up Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October? THQ Announces Xbox 360 Support Xbox 360 To Have 512 Mb Ram? Discussion >> By Gary
 Well, as was earlier reported in a massive advertising campaign for the latest iteration of the Splinter Cell series, guerrilla marketing team, "Team Alpha" have been doing the rounds in the Irish capitol. Yes, grown men dressed up as Sam Fisher, each having a Playstation 2 on their back for people to play Chaos Theory as they paraded Dublin's busiest streets performing acrobatics and such. The group were also handing out coupons with discounts on Chaos Theory that were redeemable in Xtra-Vision video outlets around Dublin. You can catch more photos of the events in Dublin over at gamestoaster Related: Ads for Sprite, Motley Crue Appear in Anarchy Online Cut-Price Gizmondo Includes Advertisements Discussion >> By Gary
 In a strange turn of events, Nintendo have decided not to show off their next generation console at next month's E3. Despite earlier reports to the contrary, the Revolution will not be making an appearance at this year's Expo.Nintendo boss, Satoru Iwata is reported to be worried that rivals may try to steal some of Nintendo's innovations and is opting to leave this year's E3 to Sony and Microsoft. So it looks like the show will be left to Sony and MS who will both be trying to impress with their next generation PS3 and Xbox 360. All this stiff and bitter competition will hopefully yield some good results for the consumer, with the 360 already predicted to sell at under the 300 Dollar mark amid earlier reports of an awesome hardware line-up. Things are definately on the up for next generation console gamers. Via ferrago Related: Ubisoft E3 List Released IGN Posts Extensive Games List for E3 Speculation on Under-Wraps E3 Games THQ Announces Xbox 360 Support Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October? Discussion >> By Gary
 As was earlier reported, EA are currently working on a new James Bond title based around the classsic "From Russia with Love" Bond flick.Well, more news emerging from ferrago that we will be getting a sneak peak of the game at next month's E3 Expo. The game will feature the voice of none other than Sean Connery himself and it is reported to be mainly focusing on third-person shooting and driving. Third-person shooting and driving will apparently be the mainstay of the new title's action, and according to the Official PS2 magazine, the game will even bind its story together with classic Bond movie footage. The hilarious Jetpack from Thunderball is also said to have a cameo role. Bond 'customisation' will be possible in the new game, presumably in the form of gadgets and light-RPG experience features. Though maybe through choice and colour of Tuxedo, too? Shaken Martini or Dom Perignon - the choice may soon be yours... Related: EA Bring Connery Back For One More Bond Role Potential Work Stoppage For Game Voice Talent Games may be losing their voice Caan, Duvall join Brando to voice Godfather Discussion >> By Gary
 Originally scheduled for a release this summer, the first-person shooter F.E.A.R. is now delayed until fall 2005 - you can see as much on the game's official website. F.E.A.R., one of the more promising action games coming your way this year, mixes squad-based fighting with gory horror and classical shooter elements, resulting in a high-suspense action cocktail that has already received critical acclaim.Developer Monolith (No One Lives Forever, Alien vs. Predator 2) have proven that they are capable of creating immersive and innovative action games, so chances are that F.E.A.R. will scare the hell out of us this fall. Related info: Eurogamer interview with Monolith's Kevin Stephens 2005's First Person Shooters Preview Discussion >> By Chris
1UP.com have posted up another great feature, this time collating all the available facts about the PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and Nintendo Revolution: Here are the basics: Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are all releasing next generation hardware. Outside of that, mum's the word, and it's taken some investigative work to find out what to expect when before each company's formal unveiling. Xbox 2 Coming In White? Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October? New Nintendo Revolution Mock-Up Images Nintendo Revolution Speculation Fake PlayStation 3 Image Circles The 'Net PS3 Cell Chip Tech Revealed (8 Feb) Discussion >> By Rob
 gamona.de has an interview with Gaile Gray, the community manager of Guild Wars; the online role playing game is due for release on 28 April, and it has some impressive names behind it - three former members of Blizzard are on the development team. It has been available only during special beta weekend events thus far (the next is on 15-17 April), and entry to the events requires a pre-order serial key. Gamona's questions cover whether new races and classes are coming soon, if there are plans to expand the number of continents in the game world and if any regular ingame special events are planned: Oh, yes, special in-game events are going to be a regular feature of Guild Wars. In addition to our world tournament, which will be ongoing 24/7, we will be offering other special events on a frequent basis. The fan community has taken the website competitions to their hearts, with incredible participation in our battle report and guild emblem contests. Guild Wars website Arenanet - Makers of Guild Wars Pre-order Guild Wars Guild Wars preview on Gamespot Discussion >> By Rob
 THQ are reported to be developing new games content for the next generation Xbox 360. The games publisher/developer is behind such recent titles as: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, The Punisher, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw and Constantine to name but a few.From the press release: Microsoft's next-generation technology will enable a level of realism never before experienced by gamers," said Jack Sorensen, executive vice president of worldwide studios, THQ. "The teams at Relic and Volition have been working closely with the development team at Microsoft to ensure that our titles utilize the new system to its fullest potential. Xbox 2 Coming In White? IGN Posts Extensive Games List for E3 Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October? Xbox 360: Project Gotham Racing 3 Image Xbox 360 To Have 512 Mb Ram? Ghost Recon 2 Expansion For Xbox Xbox Half Life 2 To Outshine Pc Version? Discussion >> By Gary
 Boomtown has posted a new Battlefield 2 preview, based around another recent demonstration of the game. Coverered in the preview, they look at: gameplay, player classes, vehicles, sound and more. The next-gen team-based shooter is not due for release until June but has been stirring up intrigue in gamers the world over with its realistic environments, jaw-dropping graphics and futuristic detail of objects in the game (not to mention, incredible AI). As I wasn’t the only Boomtown writer/admin who had the pleasure of a BF2 test drive, Thursday 7 April, I chose to get hold of the 3 others and get their thoughts and opinions about the game. As I did with my own preview, I asked them to split up their opinions into the 5 groups: The Gameplay, The classes (Assault, medic, antitank etc.), The vehicles (including tanks) and planes/choppers, The sound, The graphics. And of course they all round off with a final conclusion on the game and its potential. Battlefield 2 engine demonstration Official Website Discussion >> By Gary
 Bungie are today expected to release the long-awaited auto-update for the critically-acclaimed Halo 2. The update, although a little vague in description promises to fix a number of cheat issues, weapons related fixes and apparently do some cool stuff you totally didn't expect From the official website:Yep, the Auto update will be available on Monday April 18, to fix cheats, bugs, glitches and gasp – tweak some important weapon balance issues. Next time you log in after it's available (it'll be spread out to mitigate server loads) you'll get a message alerting you to its presence. Don't worry if you don't see it first thing Monday morning, it'll show up in your neighbourhood eventually. Via BungieRelated: Halo 2 "Warlock" 3D Screenshot Halo, Fable Sequels Confirmed for XBox 360 Bungie Reveal Halo 2 Map Details More Details Emerge on Rumoured Halo 2 Expansion Using Halo 2 To Evangelize Christianity HowStuffWorks.com: The A.I. of Halo 2 dek's Halo 2 Review Discussion >> By Gary
 As you all know (or should) Quake 4 is in development by Raven Software. The next installment in the Quake series will be somewhat of a revolutionary step as it will be using the very same technology that was used by John Carmack and Co in Doom 3. Same lighting, shadows, physics etc. Until recently not a lot has been disclosed about the game, leaving people to wonder if it was even still in development. Well some details on the games story line have been released along with an old but updated screenshot. Here's some words from the publisher: Earth is under siege by an alien race. The Strogg are cybernetic warriors--a mechanical frame and decaying body parts stabilized by flesh consumed in a systematic annihilation of other species and civilizations. In a desperate attempt to survive a Strogg attack on Earth, an armada of Earth's finest warriors is sent to take the battle to the Strogg home planet. Earth's initial assault force is nearly annihilated immediately, but one marine manages to infiltrate the base, bring down their planetary defence systems, and kill the Strogg's collective brain and leader--the Makron. Earth assumed the destruction of the Makron would end it all, but it didn't. Related: DOOM 3 XBox all about the specs; Quake 4 for QuakeCon Quake 4 And Other Xbox 2 Titles Emerge Quake 4 premise glimpsed Discussion >> By Gary
 Boingboing link to a cool graphic novel series based on Half-Life 2 called Apostasy: The Dawn Shall Rise, which uses in-game screenshots manipulated using Garry's mod: The project is a comic based off the game Half-Life 2 by Valve Software. This game is quite simply the most amazingly engrossing story that I have ever seen in a video game. Needless to say, it got me inspired, but I had no idea what I could really do. Garry's Mod Gamics.com - Comics created using game art The Half-Life Saga Story Guide HL2 Aftermath Screenshot, 2 New CS: Source Maps Soon Discussion >> By Rob
Following the recent rumours that 3D Realms had quietly resumed development of their first-person shooter Prey, things now take shape. A first albeit tiny teaser can be viewed at www.prey.com - you'll have to wait for a few seconds for the teaser to appear. 3D Realms have also opened a game-related forum, where discussions and speculations on the game abound. Development has been handed over to Human Head Studios (Rune), who are currently looking for a game programmer. More definite details on Prey are likely to be unveiled at this year's E3. Related info: Speculation On Under-Wraps E3 Games Shelved 3D Realms Prey to be unveiled at E3 Discussion >> By Chris
 Even two years after Warcraft III's initial release, Blizzard Entertainment are still feeding their community with new bonus maps. The latest one is called Phantom Grove and can be downloaded from the Battle.net website. The minimap is suited for 1v1 or 2v2 player matches and has a file size of very moderate 199 kb.Related info: Major Warcraft III: Frozen Throne Patch Released Discussion >> By Chris
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