« Igniq.com Gaming News - Bookmark this site Advertisements  Publisher 2K Games has now hosted a new product page for Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The site only lists the game's essentials, including a short overview, some screenshots, and its main features. You can also get a glimpse of the box art. The game, under development at Bethesda Softworks for the PC and next-generation consoles, will be true to its predecessors' tradition of open-ended gameplay, a huge gaming world, and state-of-the-art graphics. When Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be released, however, is yet to be disclosed; the site merely says "Coming soon".Related info: 2K Games Bethesda Softworks Elder Scrolls Website New Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Screens (19 March) Discussion >>  Microsoft has posted on the Xbox 360 website, official specs for the console that was showcased on MTV on Thursday and Friday.From the Xbox 360 Fact Sheet
XBox360.com Xbox 360 Officially Unveiled at MTV The Xbox 360 launch press release The Xbox 360 Dissected Xbox 360 Games OurColony.net Discussion >>  Make of this what you will, a professional looking presentational video supposedly introducing the Nintendo Revolution that I picked up through a random wander on the web.It's branded as the Nintendo "ON" and it's anything but sleek, totally contradicting the official word from Nintendo yesterday that the Revolution would be about as tall as three stacked DVD cases. If this video is to be believed, the Revolution will be dome shaped and have a skinnable chassis, with a removable headset that slots down over the machine containing a mic, an "environment capture eye" and a "proximity radar eye", surround headphones, and adjustable visors. Download the video Related: Revolution: Sleek, Backwards Compatible with GameCube Supplier Reveals Nintendo Revolution Release Date? Nintendo Revolution Rumour & Counter-Rumour Nintendo Revolution Mock-Up Images (14 April) Discussion >>  An official page for Shadow the Hedgehog now tells us the game is due for release in November 2005; the XBox, PS2 and GameCube game will also be presented as part of a lineup of new Sonic products by Sega at next week's E3.Check the official page for a Flash video of Shadow, as well as screenshots and information on the game. Sega of America: SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG Related: New Sonic Games For E3? Sega Announce "Shadow The Hedgehog" (27 March) Discussion >>  Sony have released a compulsory patch for older versions of the Japanese PSP, closing a security flaw that allowed the running of unofficial software - i.e. any software not digitally signed by Sony itself.The difference after the patch is applied won't be noticable by the majority of PSP owners, but it will help to prevent hackers from figuring out how to run illegal copies of PSP games that have appeared on the Internet: Basically, [the flaw] leaves the PSP wide open to run bootlegs and possibly pirated games. An emulator for running Game Boy and Game Boy Color games on PSP has already been converted to run on unprotected PSP hardware, and while coders have so far not been able to figure out how to run stolen PSP games, the encryption flaw could be used to run the illegal rips of PSP games already posted on international pirate sites. kotaku: Sony Slaps Hackers with Patch UMD Cracked, PSP ISO's Appear Online (5 May) PSP Hacks and Mods List Future Sony Project: Free PSP WiFi (29 April) €249 PSP Coming To Europe In September Discussion >>  Given the upcoming game adaptations of gangster classics like Scarface and The Godfather, it was probably only a matter of time before a game based on The Sopranos was announced. Now a Banc of America analyst has spilled the beans that publisher THQ are indeed working on one, and it's expected for release in the first half of 2006. Though, THQ themselves dismissed the analyst's report as "speculation": THQ described the report as "speculation," but when asked if an announcement was forthcoming spokesperson Julie MacMedan declined to comment. Scarface: The World Is Yours, Delayed to 2006? Scarface Screenshots Scarface Trailer The Godfather Coming This Fall Caan, Duvall join Brando to voice Godfather Coppola No Fan of Godfather Game Discussion >>  GearCritech.com have a partial Nintendo press release announcing there will be an area of the Nintendo booth at E3 dedicated to DS Download Play:Don’t forget to bring your Nintendo DS(TM) system to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles next week. The massive Nintendo booth will feature an area dedicated to DS Download Play. Visitors can try out sample versions of Nintendo games delivered wirelessly, video content - and a few surprises. Be sure to check it out. E3Insider.com Nintendo and GameSpy Team Up for Free DS WiFi Black & White for the Nintendo DS Chaos Theory, DS Screenshots Discussion >>  Mock-up of the Nintendo Revolution Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo's vice president for corporate affairs, said GameCube's successor would be "very, very sleek." She described it as horizontal and no taller than a stack of three DVD cases. Supplier Reveals Nintendo Revolution Release Date? Nintendo Revolution Rumour & Counter-Rumour Nintendo Revolution Mock-Up Images (14 April) Discussion >>  The latest issue of Shonen Jump gaming magazine has revealed the Final Fantasy VII spin-off Dirge of Cerberus will be a "Gun Action RPG".The only previous information available was that it would be a PS2 game centered around Vincent Valentine, a secondary character in the original game, and reports on a brief trailer at last year's Tokyo Game Show hinted it would be an action game: The magazine shows screenshots of Vincent in action from a third-person perspective, but there's also screenshots of a first-person perspective with a sniper rifle. Yet more information is due to be released when Square Enix display their new games at the E3 Expo next week. Related: FFVII: Advent Children U.S, Japan Release on 14 Sept Gamespot: FFVII Crisis Core PSP Spin-off Discussion >>  The official site for the XBox 360 launched last night after the MTV Special aired. There's not much on it at the moment except some rotatable images of the console and controller which admittedly look great, and an information section that reveals the PC desktop wallpaper above. Your guess is as good as mine as to what the significance of the image is, I'm thinking it might be the start of another viral marketing game like OurColony.net. If you have other ideas about it, post them in the Discussion link below. Also worth doing is signing up to the XBox 360 mailing list, though you'll have to jump through a few hoops like signing into Passport and filling out a marketing questionnaire. Related: The Xbox 360 launch press release Xbox 360 complete specs The Xbox 360 Dissected Xbox 360 Games OurColony.net - New Xbox 360 video added Discussion >>  Gamespot has the release date for Final Fantasy: Advent Children to DVD. The computer-animated movie that takes place in the world of Final Fantasy VII is slated for release on September 14th in both America and Japan. The magazine announced that Advent Children will be released on DVD and made no mention of a PSP-friendly Universal Media Disk (UMD) format. A limited-edition package will be arriving on the same date. Details on what bonuses it will include haven't been disclosed yet. In Japan, the normal edition DVD will be priced at 4,800 yen ($45). Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children U.S. Site Goes Live Discussion >>  After months of speculation, rumour, hype and intrigue, Microsoft has finally unveiled its next-generation gaming machine in the form of the Xbox 360. Lord of the Ring's star Elijah Wood hosted an MTV exclusive that finally gave us more than just a glimpse at the little White (or "Chill") gaming monster.Slated for a holiday release throughout North America, Europe and Japan, the console is designed for high-definition, wide-screen televisions and includes wireless controllers that not only grant you access to your games but also open the door to your music, photos, videos etc. Technical specifications also boast three IBM PowerPC processors each at 3.2 GHz, 512 MB of GDDR3 RAM @ 700 MHz, 10MB 500 MHz ATI graphics card, with high-definition out of the box. Xbox live will continue but with some nice new features, like the ability to download game demos, trailers, new levels, maps, skins and other items. Basics aside, the system announcement saw Microsoft confirming the rumors of Gold and Silver Xbox Live. The Gold version will include video messaging, online tournaments and ladders, playing celebrities and sponsored tournaments, and the Xbox Live Camera. Those new to the service will see a month of free subscription. All this comes on top of word that the system will feature build-in progressive scan, DVD, CD and photo playback support, built in Media Center Extender functionality for accessing recorded TV and movies. The extremely long press release above has more on the system. But alternatively, the newly launched Xbox 360 website has more information. You can also customize the Xbox 360 to the max. The message from most of the marketing videos put out by Microsoft is that they simply kick-started the Xbox 360 but it is you who make it come alive. It's kind of cheesy, but you can purchase custom front chassis covers to make your console unique in the face of others. Check out this video which talks you through some of the other hardware features of the next-gen console.Xbox 360 marks the beginning of a renaissance in video games," said Don Mattrick, president of Worldwide Studios for Electronic Arts. "The unbelievable Xbox 360 games in development at Electronic Arts will accelerate the industry's mission to make video games the pre-eminent form of all entertainment. Xbox 360 Coming In 2005, Really Xbox 360 Logo Revealed at MTV Show Taping Xbox 360's logo doesn't look stupid XBox Live's Major Nelson: The Green Carpet XBox Live's Trixie: MTV Red Carpet photos Gaming magazine get first look at Xbox 360 XBox 360 Boot-up Screen Microsoft Teaser Xbox 360 Ad Discussion >>  NubyTech has announced a new set of wireless controllers for the PS2 specifically to cater for Street Fighter 2. The controllers will feature 4 different Street Fighter characters (Sagat, Cammy, Evil Ryu and Blanka.Each of the 10,000 units will be numbered and will ship inside a custom leather case with batteries, a wireless receiver, a keychain or dog tag (depending on the character), and a special comic. Discussion >>  UBIsoft have made available a 1 and a half minute video clip showcasing the next Far Cry adventure Instincts. The game is scheduled to ship for consoles in September 2005 year and will also be paraded at E3 later this month. In addition to the PC version's signature locations, non-scripted A.I., and unprecedented view-distance, Far Cry Instincts will feature brand new gameplay scenarios that will challenge players to use an even broader range of strategies and survival tactics in order to uncover the many secrets within the beautiful-but-deadly islands. Download the Instincts video here (35.14 Mb)Related: Far Cry Goes 64-Bit, Will You? USE YOUR INSTINCTS: NEW FAR CRY SCREENS Far Cry 64 Bit benchmarks and 32 bit comparison Discussion >>  As was earlier reported, Davej's new Counter Strike: Source map de_dust_pcg has been given away to buyers of PC Gamer's latest magazine. Davej is the original author of such classic Counter Strike maps as De_Dust, De_Dust2 and De_Cobble to name but a few. His latest map appears to have the same theme as the other Dust maps only it is on a much larger scale. You can download de_dust_pcg here (3.66 Mb) To install: Simply unzip the cstrike folder and drop it into C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\YOUR_EMAIL\counter-strike source. Also, in Valve's latest Steam update yesterday, they released 2 new Counter Strike: Source maps - de_inferno and de_port, plus several other changes to CS:S, HL2, the Source Engine, and SourceTV.
Related: Legend Counter Strike Mapper Springs Back Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - More Details Emerge Retail Valve Games to Continue Half-Life 2: The Lost Coast - New Screenshots and Movie Discussion >>  The 3rd iteration of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon was officially announced last night by UBISoft as a working title in development across the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube and PC platforms. The game will be showcased at E3 later this month and is expected to ship around Christmas 2005. From the press release: The year is 2013. The U.S. Army has been developing – and can now deploy – the Integrated Warfighter System (IWS), a complex combination of cutting-edge technologies that transforms an individual soldier into the ultimate fighting force. IWS combines advanced weapons systems, satellite communication devices and enhanced survivability into one fully integrated combat system that is finally ready for the true test of the battlefield. Combining the advantages of next-generation console technology with future military technologies, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® 3 includes a wealth of groundbreaking features, including the Cross-Com, a communication device attached to the soldier's monocle and powered by satellite technology, which will deliver constant and complete battlefield awareness seamlessly within the action. In addition, Ubisoft will employ increased processing power to its fullest, with breathtaking graphics, lighting and textures, multi-windowing, and state-of-the-art physics. Ghost Recon 2 Expansion For Xbox Ghost Recon 2 for PC Cancelled GHOST RECON 2 ON PC SPIRITED AWAY Discussion >>  Many unofficial mods and hacks for the Sony PSP have been appearing on the Web, we've collected all the ones we've seen so far:
PSP-Friendly version of this list (not updated) Playstation.com PSP System Update Sony PSP launches in the U.S (24 March 2005) PSP sells more than 1/2 million units in 2 days €249 PSP to launch in Europe on 1 Sept 2005 PSP UMD format cracked Closed PSP Tom's Hardware's Top 10 PSP Hacks PSP Hacks: The Book Sony Should Not CrackDown on PSP Hacks Official PSP Web Browser, "Portable TV" Download Service Announced (21 July) High-Res Photos of the "Ceramic White" PSP (21 July) Official manual for the PSP Web browser PSP Web browser reviewed PSP Skins PSP Cake Gold & Diamond encrusted PSP PlayBoyStation Portable PSP Takes To The Air PSP-Controlled Honda Civic PSP Ads Are Beyond Idiotic Discussion >>  Microsoft and developer Big Huge Games disclosed that they are working on Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends, the inofficial sequel to the award-winning strategy game Rise of Nations. Inofficial because Big Huge wanted to give the franchise a new impetus, making Rise of Legends not another history game but setting it in a fantasy universe where two nations wage war against each other. Each nation will have different abilities, of course, with the Vinci being a technology and the Alim a magic nation. At the game's official website, you can view several screens and wallpapers, download a sneak preview, and read what Big Huge president and industry veteran Brian Reynolds (Alpha Centauri, Civilization II) has to say on Rise of Legends: So, you may have noticed we didn't do a history game this time! RoN: Rise of Legends is in so many ways the spiritual successor to Rise of Nations, but the long and the short of it is we got excited about doing a fantasy game. Now clearly your traditional "orcs, elves, dwarves" sort of fantasy has been-shall we say-thoroughly covered in other games, and so the story which got us excited is one where the magic of fantasy meets a world of technology. So magic and technology collide, with cataclysmic results! As you take a peek at our first two unique nations you can begin to see the contrast: the industrial Vinci with their Leonardo da Vinci inspired machines and steampunk cities; and the desert Alim with their Arabian Nights theme-sandstorms, genies, and tall glass spires. "Cataclysmic" is also a useful word to describe what we want to do visually-we've redesigned our graphics engine from the ground up because we want to make a game that gets our players as excited about our graphics as they have always been about our gameplay. The game is scheduled for a release in early 2006.Related info: Rise of Legends Rise of Nations Big Huge Games Microsoft Games Discussion >>  Official websites for trade shows like the E3 Expo are usually pretty dull, but this year the E3 Insider site promises "full insider access", and will include up-to-the-minute video news coverage, an enhanced newsroom section, expanded coverage and they're even getting in on the blogging craze with the "Insider's Blog".Check it out here, thanks Joystiq. Discussion >>  The event that will dispel all the rumours about Microsoft's new XBox is set to premiere tonight on MTV in the U.S, gradually reaching the world's audience as it airs in all corners of the globe within a 24 hour period.Hosted by Elijah Woods and featuring performances by The Killers, it will finally reveal all about the console, which we're promised will ensure "the user experience is always connected, always personalized, and always in high definition": The special will feature never-before-seen, action-packed gameplay of future Xbox games; a peek into the future of the Xbox Live™ online gaming service; backstage celebrity interviews; and exclusive insider footage on the making of the next-generation console. Related: MTV TV spot for the special MTV Presents Xbox: The Next Generation Marketing the next Xbox Xbox 360 Coming In 2005, Really OurColony.net Discussion >>  IGN has the first preview and screens of Black & White for the DS. To be called Black & White Creatures the DS version will feature eight unique enivironments to control, and ten different creature species. The game will also make the most of the handhelds features, utilizing the stylus to let players train or punish their creature with different stylus motions, and the DS's microphone will allow players to verbally command the creatures: This handheld version will feature several gameplay modes. Along with the standard single player option, players can also take part in other modes including Creature Quest and Creature Pen, as well as pit beast against beast in Creature Battle using the wireless connectivity of the Nintendo DS. There will also be mini-games, including a Creature Dance challenge that puts the big beasts' dancing skills to the test. On top of all of this, there will be hundreds of awards and items to collect and unlock in the game modes to keep replay value high. Related: Majesco Entertainment Full Fat Discussion >>  The 2005 "Guide to E3" report by IGN's GamerMetrics, that tracks and analyzes the activity of over 24 million gamers, reveals the top most anticipated games at this years expo:1. The Legend of Zelda (GCN - Nintendo) About IGN's GamerMetrics The Legend of Zelda Madden NFL '06 Discussion >>  Due for release this year for the PS2, XBox and PC, Atari have released the first three screenshots of The Matrix: Path of Neo, their second Matrix game after 2003's Enter The Matrix. The fact that the game will see players get to play through the events of the movie trilogy as Neo is almost certain to ensure hit status: Throughout the game, the path the player takes to resolve each scenario and the resulting consequences will be scripted and directed by the Wachowski Brothers. The likenesses of all of the films' key actors - including Keanu Reeves ("Neo"), Laurence Fishburne ("Morpheus"), Carrie-Ann Moss ("Trinity), and Hugo Weaving ("Agent Smith") - will be featured in THE MATRIX: PATH OF NEO, which will also include footage from all three feature films, as well as THE ANIMATRIX. Check the screenshots in the discuss link.Discussion >>  A plucky London tube traveller captured this pick of an elderly woman engrossed in some handheld gaming madness. The pic was caught via a phonecam. So nice to see the spirit of the gaming world living well into the (dare I say) 80+ demographic. Play on Granny, play on. I was strap-hanging over this lady on the London tube's central line a while back. It's a phonecam snap, so forgive the blur and photo quality. She was playing a hardwired (you know, where the actual artifact is designed around the game itself, with the game name printed on it. What are they called?) game of some parlour variety, like .. uh.. Cribbage.  According to motherboard makers in Taiwan, Nvidia are preparing to showcase their next-generation flagship GPU, the SLI-supporting G70 graphics chip, at the Computex Taipei 2005 show from May 31 to June 4.Market sources indicated that the Nvidia G70 should deliver twice the performance of the current flagship series, the GeForce 6800. The chips will be built using a 0.11-micron process at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), as opposed to ATIs R520 chip, which will be manufactured using a 90nm process, the sources suggested. Early reports are that the G70 may begin shipping in the latter half of the third quarter of 2005 and retail at US$549.Since the G70 is currently under non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Nvidia, motherboard makers declined to provide more details about the product. Nvidia also had no comment on the news as it is its policy not to comment on products not yet released. NVIDIA polishing up integrated nForce4 chipset Nvidia moves towards the mainstream PCIe chipset market ATI bad, Nvidia good, says, er, Nvidia nVidia's Graphic Vision Discussion >>  6 screenshots have been let loose on the web showcasing the DS version of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. The game itself is due for release on DS at the end of June of this year.In Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, the year is 2008. Citywide blackouts, stock exchange sabotage, electronic hijacking of national defence systems: This is information warfare. To prevent such attacks, operatives must infiltrate hostile territory and aggressively collect critical intelligence, getting closer than ever to enemy soldiers. Through the eight level missions of the single-player campaignone of which is also exclusive to the Nintendo DSSam Fisher, the most elite black-ops agent of the National Security Agency, will kill from close-range, attack with his combat knife, shoot with the prototype Land Warrior rifle and use radical suppression techniques such as the inverted neck-break to accomplish his duty. Check out the screens hereRelated: Chaos Theory: Dublin Invasion Review: Splinter Cell:Chaos Theory Chaos theory splintered Discussion >>  Sega has announced that Virtua Tennis World Tour is in development for the PSP. The game will allow players to take their individually created Tennis stars through 3 different gameplay modes: World Tour, Exhibition and Tournament.Virtua Tennis World Tour will also feature Wi-Fi support for multiplayer.
Sega of America Discussion >>  Pac Man just recently celebrated his 25th anniversary in the gaming industry. Hard to believe it but the game itself is nearly as old as myself. Many an afternoon was spent by many a gaming fan munching power pills and running like hell from those flashing dots that represented your enemy. According to video-game organization Twin Galaxies, Pac Man has been played on arcade machines more than 10 billion times in the 20th century. Pac Man changed the psychological profile of the average person," explains Twin Galaxies' founder Walter Day. "Suddenly old and young, male and female, doctors, dentists, lawyers and housewives found it acceptable to be playing a video game. And Pac Man opened that door for them. Despite the fact that it was technologically advanced, it was as simple as playing a card game for them. The little yellow hero has been a profitable endeavour over the last quarter century and Namco plan on seeing that trend continue with 4 more Pac Man titles announced for next-gen arcade machines.Namco are keen to release another four Pac Man games in the near future, with a PSP version waiting to be announced. "I think there's a high nostalgia value with Pac Man -- a lot more so than many classic characters," said Sean Mylett, senior marketing manager for Namco. "I think Pac Man is a game where people really remember being younger and pumping quarters and quarters into machines. ... Then there's another level with the 'Pac Man World 3' character. He's an E-rated character. He's very colorful, very safe. It's definitely different than the trends going on in games. He just has an appeal." And while more then a few of the attempts to repeat the phenomenal success of Pac Man in the early eighties have been less than triumphant, a character this well-loved and recognized is sure to live on for many more years to come.Happy Birthday Pac Man. Pac-Man Pinball is No-Go for DS Discussion >>  In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the classic movie Taxi Driver, Majesco Entertainment has announced plans they are working on a video game to pay tribute to Martin Scorsese's masterpiece film from 1976.Nothing in the form of platform or even a release date has been set. Nominated for four Academy Awards, Taxi Driver remains one of the most iconoclastic films of our time," said Ken Gold, vice president of marketing at Majesco. "We look forward to developing a game that remains true to the spirit and style of the movie, and embodies a total entertainment experience." Caan, Duvall join Brando to voice Godfather EA Bring Connery Back For One More Bond Role Coppola No Fan of Godfather Game Discussion >> |
