Advertisements  At the E3, we were treated to a series of stunning technical demos that showed some serious power under the Playstation 3's hood, with some of the presentations running on a prototype machine for developers.It now appears the final model of the console may be up to 25% more powerful than the developer machines. Recently, the first images and specs of the current PS3 development kit hardware leaked onto the web, revealing the processor onboard the hardware was only running at 2.4GHz: ITmedia revealed that the Cell chip used in Sony's PS3 developer's kit is running at only 2.4GHz, just 75 percent of the machine's final spec of 3.2GHz. The report also reconfirms that the graphics processor unit used in the E3 machine was not the RSX chip that will be used in the final product but is another Nvidia GPU, possibly the just-announced GeForce 7800 GTX. PlayStation 3 Tech Specs PlayStation 3 SDK Hardware Images On The Web PS3 controller pic emerges, this time smaller? No Decision Yet on PS3 Euro Release Final Fantasy VII For PS3? Research claims PS3 to lose market share next year Discussion >> By Rob
Just days after the Japanese media linked a double murder to GTA 3, Rockstar has been hit with another tragedy linked to one of their titles, this time Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Roland Kirk Brown was sentenced to life in prison without parole for shooting and killing a seven year old girl, Deva White, who was sitting with her grandmother and 8 year old brother when Brown opened fire on their home. What prompted the violence was an argument over Deva White's brother's copy of San Andreas, which he claimed Brown's son had stolen: Police say Brown fired gunshots into Deva White's house on Nov. 29 while the girl say on a couch with her grandmother and 8-year-old brother. Deva was struck in the chest. Japanese Media Link GTA III To Murders GTA3 - Sales Restriction in Japan (31 May) Discussion >> By Rob
 Spong.com have been emailed what's claimed to be an early ad for the Nintendo Revolution, that was planned to go live at the time of the Xbox 360 launch. The ad states the Revolution will be coming in March 2006, though at this time it doesn't appear likely we'll see the console at such an early date. Nintendo Revolution Ad? Massive Lie? Related: Nintendo's E3 Interactive Floor Display YARCP (Yet Another Revolution Controller Pic) Classic Nintendo titles remade on Revolution? Discussion >> By Rob
 Sony Computer Entertainment have told both Gamespot and Gamesindustry.biz that rumours of cuts in the production of the PSP were untrue.Japanese site Nikkei BP had claimed that PSP manufacturers were told to produce 18 million units over the course of the current business year, but Sony's annual financial report stated that only 12 million would be shipped, causing Nikkei BP to suggest chip shortages might be to blame. Sony today dismissed Nikkei BP's report, saying there never was a figure higher than 12 million: "I'm not sure where the 18 million claim came from," a Sony Computer Entertainment America rep told GameSpot. "We announced in the Sony earnings call that the fiscal year 2005 PSP shipment targets were 12 million units worldwide. We are still on target and there has been no reduction in forecast. Sony refutes rumours of drop in PSP production Sony Not Going After Import PSP Owners PSP Movies Conquer 100,000 Mark Sony Unhappy But Powerless On PSP Porn PSP Trademark May Delay European Release? (6 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 In a newsletter to fans, CCP Games have announced Cold War Edition, a major content update to Eve Online. The update is described as being "much larger in scope than a regular patch and yet smaller than a full expansion".The newsletter tells players to get ready for some large scale changes in the game, and reveals Cold War Edition will set the stage for the next Eve Online expansion, code-named Kali: Some of the new [Cold War Edition] features include outposts, which are intended for systems where a full station is overkill, mega-cruisers that are so big they don't fit through stargates and need their own onboard jumpdrives, mega-freighters with a million cubic meters of storage capacity (seen here - those are some of the game's current largest ships next to it), new star systems, vast improvements to add more strategy to ship combat, and an "industrial revolution." Related: Eve Online official site CCP (Crowd Control Productions) Discussion >> By Rob
 I missed this video of a stunning interactive floor display that was at Nintendo's booth at the E3 - it transforms the floor into a pond, complete with fish that flee when you stand on them, and wooden steps that sink when stepped on.It's strange that no significant mention of this was made during the E3; Systemwars.com speculate if it could be a hint of things to come for the Nintendo Revolution, but something tells me that would be too good to be true. View it Related: YARCP (Yet Another Revolution Controller Pic) Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution interface "the big gun" Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution Controller Still Being Designed (8 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 The first two innings of a real-life baseball game between the Kansas City T-Bones and the Schaumburg Flyers will be played on an Xbox, with the real teams picking up where the virtual game left off:Equipped with Microsoft Xbox game controllers instead of baseball gloves and bats, two video gamers will climb into recliner chairs around home plate at CommunityAmerica Ballpark and slug it out on the park’s 16- by 24-foot video screen. By Rob
 You don't mind stealing games online, according to a recent government funded study into anti-piracy. The study found that of the 2,400 individuals interviewed, most failed to see piracy as theft.Consumers have an awareness of the scale of the problem and cost, but don't take onboard industry concerns or government messages said Dr Bryce, a senior lecturer in psychology.The study found that most people who download a game illegally can not compare the act in any way to say, stepping into a store, shoving a disc down your trousers and walking out without paying. "People are more accepting of it, even if they didn't engage it in themselves," said Dr Bryce. "They don't see it as a great problem on a social or economic level. By Gary
 Just days after the official website for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was announced, a new high-res trailer has hit the web. The game is being developed by Splash Damage and is based around id Software's next-gen gaming engine.Quake Wars, an id Software and Splash Damage co-production, “Pits the armies of Earth against the invading alien Strogg in the ultimate strategic shooter.” And as you will see from the video, which is comprised entirely of in-game footage, the project looks very nice indeed. Quake Wars is slated for release to PC sometime in 2006.Check out the high-res trailer here (56.8Mb) (Quicktime Req.) Related: Official website Discussion >> By Gary
 One of the games that made Tom's Hardware's ten games to look out for in 2005 is Okami (Wolf), an unusual PS2 title from the creators of Viewtiful Joe. Okami dispenses with attempting to dazzle the player with photo-realistic graphics, instead the game draws heavily on creative art, so much so in fact the whole game looks like a beautiful Japanese watercolour painting. Art permeates the gameplay also, one of the main controls is the ability to pause the game, which flattens the scene out onto a sheet of paper; you can then draw brush-strokes on the paper and when you unpause, the strokes have an effect in the game, for instance, drawing a circle around a dead tree revitalizes it: The brush can stroke bridges into existence between two shores, dot new stars to fill out incomplete constellations (thereby creating new stellar creatures), slash enemies by literally drawing a bisecting line through them, and dashing gates or other obstructions to the ground before reverting to "normal" gameplay. Clover Studio - developer Okami trailers and gameplay footage Art and Mythology Come Alive as Capcom Announces Ôkami For The PS2 (18 May) Discussion >> By Rob
 It appears gaming giant IGN Entertainment is up for sale. The NYPost is reporting the company has approached "virtually every big media company", seeking to sell for $850 million, while it has also considered going public.Yahoo! and Viacom are said to be interested in the company, which is listed among Alexa's top 100 sites on the Web and has a goldmine monthly audience of 27 million 18-34 year old males: Sources who have heard its pitch say the company is seeking a valuation close to $850 million - a large number considering the company was taken private in 2003 by Great Hill Partners, a Boston private equity firm, for just $26.4 million. Gamesdomain: IGN For Sale Discussion >> By Rob
 Team Xbox have posted up a recent interview with Microsoft's Todd Holmdahl. Holmdahl is one of the people responsible for the hardware end of the next-gen console and the interview is an attempt to iron out myths surrounding the Xbox 360 and even ask questions that were posted by fans looking for some concrete answers.Regarding DVD movie playback, will you upscale standard definition DVDs to 720p or 1080i like modern DVD players? Will the Xbox 360 play WMVHD DVDs? As for the GPU, the Xbox 360 has the most powerful GPU of any gaming console; even better, we made specific design choices to enable game developers to render real-time complex scenes at high resolutions with high-quality anti-aliasing. Without our Embedded DRAM on the GPU and the huge 256Gbyes/second dedicated bus from the GPU core to the EDRAM, it is impossible to render true next-generation scene complexity at high-resolution with anti-aliasing. MS Laundry Taunts Sony With 360 Ads X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Microsoft to unload 10 Million Xbox 360s Microsoft: Xbox 360 Will Win In Japan Discussion >> By Gary
 A new picture has surfaced of the PS3 controller in which it appears smaller than before or is a completely different sized model than the one previously seen.The previous pics had the controller looking slightly bulky and you got the impression it would be uncomfortable to use. This new image lends a more soothing and sleek look. Via Gamespot forums Related: PlayStation 3 SDK Hardware Images On The Web No Decision Yet on PS3 Euro Release Research claims PS3 to lose market share next year PS3 Not a Toy, But a Linux Supercomputer Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks Discussion >> By Gary
 Nvidia has officially announced the launching of its new graphics card, the 7800 GTX. We all remember the launch last year of Nvidia's 6800 and the lack of availability there after. Well, this time around the company is promising immediate worldwide availability of it's new gpu. The new card supports SLI so anyone with a bottomless wallet can pick two of them up to have one badass piece of gaming machine at their disposal. Some of the PS3 demos at E3 this year were purported to be running on prototypes of the 7800 GTX. The graphics card giant has also release new drivers to support its new gpu. You can download the 77.72 drivers for win_2k and XP here. (20.2Mb) Technical specifications of the card can be found over on Nvidia's website. System builders, add-in card manufacturers and retailers are said to be offering super-fast performance by leveraging the combined power of dual GeForce 7800 GTX GPUs through NVIDIA SLI. Nvidia to save Xbox 360's incompatible ass ATI's Crossfire gunning to oust Nvidia's SLI (01 June 05) Discussion >> By Gary
 6 new screenshots of Far Cry: Instincts, the console version of the classic PC shooter Far Cry have emerged. The game itself is due for release to Xbox in September of this year, with a PS2 release not ruled out but as of yet unconfirmed.Also check out the official website, which is still half finished but does include a trailer, more screenshots and details about the game's AI, vehicles, weapons, storyline and some online aspects of Instincts. Check out the new screenshots here Related: Far Cry Instincts Only Planned for Xbox New Far Cry Instincts Movie Official Far Cry Instincts site Crytek.com - developers Far Cry Goes 64-Bit, Will You? Discussion >> By Gary
 Anarchy Online is celebrating its fourth year of existence with a series of events and giveaways. This weekend, FunCom will be giving away prizes including new graphics cards, sound cards, T-Shirts and various other accessories:There are hundreds of prizes to be given away so log in, tune in, check the forums, be alert in game and watch the OOC channels over the weekend for your chance to get your hands on some of the awesome loot on offer! Funcom.com Play ad-supported Anarchy Online free Discussion >> By Rob
 Not long after American Senator Charles Schumer described the game as glorified cop-killing, Nancy Grace has made her opinion of the game clear as she slammed 25 to Life in a recent panel discussion on her CNN show.This is what your kids will be digesting if you buy this," Grace said as game footage was shown. "One law officer after the next gunned down in the line of duty. Prosecutor Jack Thompson added to Grace's disgust as he described the game and "these games" as murder simulators.You have to ask Bill Gates, what are you thinking? Here's a philanthropist and a powerful man, the richest man in the world, and yet he's making available to children around the world on Xbox a cop-killing game. Thompson then went on to describe a case in Alabama in which two police officers and a dispatcher were murdered (according to the Prosecutor) "because of Grand Theft Auto", and also claimed that the military uses such video games to break down the inhibition of newly recruited officers, in order to desensitize them.But defense lawyer Dino Lombardi was less keen to point the finger, telling Grace: "People kill cops - videogames don't kill cops." US Senator denounces "Cop-Killer" game Discussion >> By Gary
 In the wake of this year's E3, publishers are gradually releasing their E3 presentations to the public. Ubisoft have now hosted the first part of their Heroes of Might & Magic V demo, which can be downloaded at the game's official website and has a file size of about 25 MB. The clip, commented by producer Fabrice Cambounet, offers the rendered and in-game view of a fully developed Human Town. Other than that, there's not much to be learned from the demo, as any gameplay or interface elements are still missing at this stage. More details on the game itself are likely to be disclosed in one of the upcoming demo chapters.Related info: Heroes of Might & Magic V Heroes of Might & Magic V - New Screens (17 May) Discussion >> By Chris
 A new video demo has been released showing off the new Unreal Engine 3 running on the GeForce 7800. Epic's Tim Sweeney walks us through the demo as a buggy is seen travelling through a huge city of hundreds of buildings, all generated in realtime.Watch the video over on GameSpy Related: EpicGames.com UnrealTechnology.com Unreal Engine 3 detailed overview Epic announce Unreal Engine 3 for Sony's Ps3 (18 May) Discussion >> By Rob
 BioWare have released Pirates of The Sword Coast, a new premium content module for Neverwinter Nights. As the name suggests, the module lets players swashbuckle their way through 8 to 12 hours of adventure off The Sword Coast:A tale of pirates, parrots, and peril! As a sailor aboard the Midnight Rose merchant ship, you've stopped in Neverwinter to gather supplies before a long trip south. A most peculiar course of events follows, slowly unraveling a plot of whale-sized proportions. Embark on a swashbuckling journey on the high seas. Polly want adventure? Related: BioWare.com NWN: Pirates screenshot gallery NWN: Pirates official forum Neverwinter Nights list of premium modules Discussion >> By Rob
 When Sony started court proceedings against a number of independent retailers who had taken it upon themselves to import the PSP into the U.K., a clause included in their legal document caused some concern.The clause stated that the company would demand the names and addresses of the customers of the independent retailers, sparking fears that Sony would take an RIAA-esque approach and take the individual console buyers to court. SCEE head of corporate communications Nick Sharples explained to Eurogamer that this is a standard procedure, and the information would only be used to trace the full supply chain and establish the level of damages Sony suffered as a result of the importing. Sharples also said going after consumers is not their objective: We can assure people who bought consoles on the grey market that we're not going to be going after them Sony won't take away your PSP Sony begins court proceedings against UK PSP importers (17 June) ElectricBirdLand rallies indies over Sony "bullying" (13 June) The Guardian: Fighting for fair game Discussion >> By Rob
A 15 year old boy allegedly murdered his parents in Tokyo, Japan last week, before blowing up their apartment with home-made explosives in an attempt to conceal the evidence. The media in Japan have linked the tragedy to Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto III, after the boy's schoolmates said he was a video gaming fan, and specifically a fan of GTA III: Today, some media outlets are reporting that the boy's schoolmates have described him as an average student who loved playing video games, and that he was a fan of Grand Theft Auto III. JAPANESE KILLINGS SEE GAMING SCAPEGOATED AGAIN Grand Theft Auto III restricted in Japan (31 May) Discussion >> By Rob
 In the absence of any official images or announcements, leaked or just plain photoshopped images of the mysterious Nintendo Revolution controller crop up on the web every couple of days. This time, a scan purportedly taken from an unnamed Japanese gaming mag tells us the Revolution will come with two different controllers, one for each hand. The controllers include an analog controller on the left hand piece and a D-pad on the right, with three buttons on the underside of both. According to a second-hand translation, the Japanese page also says the controller will include a gyroscopic control. Infendo: Revolution Controller? via Gawken Update: IGNIQ reader Gianni says: Definately FAKE! Revolution Controller Mockups Gallery Revolution Controller Sans Buttons Mock-up Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution interface "the big gun" Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution Controller Still Being Designed (8 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 TeamXbox.com has the Web's first unofficial image of the hardware for the Playstation 3 SDK, as well as two pictures of the current Nvidia RSX chip that will be used in the PS3, and is already in the SDK. In addition to the RSX chip, sources have confirmed to TeamXbox that the dev kit has a 2.4 GHz processor onboard. TeamXbox: PlayStation 3 SDK Revealed, First Pictures Spotted Related: No Decision Yet on PS3 Euro Release Research claims PS3 to lose market share next year PS3 Not a Toy, But a Linux Supercomputer Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks Discussion >> By Rob
 For many years, gamers have been using Futuremark's gaming benchmark software, 3DMark to test their graphics cards and PCs to the limit. Some claim it is the best and most accurate 3D benchmark in the industry but others take a different view. A lot of our readers were disappointed when Futuremark unleashed 3DMark 2005 as it seemed to render most of the current day hardware useless in the performance arena.Sudhian.com has an interesting piece in which they examine 3DMark and ask if it really is a suitable benchmark in determining which graphics cards are suitable for next-gen gaming. They also examine ATI's upcoming dual-card technology offering, Crossfire which looks like a reply to the Nvidia question, SLI. For years, Futuremark's (the company formerly known as Mad Onion) 3DMark series has been considered the leading synthetic benchmark for graphic card performance. Some of the benchmark'’s success is due to marketing, with a dash of ease of use, a dollop of consistency, and an ounce of entertainment value added in for spice. Discussions and arguments have swirled around the 3DMark series ever since 3DMark 2003, when ExtremeTech discovered NVIDIA had released drivers that flat-out cheated when rendering the benchmark. The resulting flurry of PR'’s between FutureMark and NVIDIA fooled no one, and the '‘we a’re best friends again'’ scenario that resulted did nothing to restore credibility to either side. To date, FutureMark only allows certain '“approved'” optimizations in its '‘official'’ driver recommendations, which raises the murky issue between drivers and cheats all over again. Futuremark Discussion >> By Gary
 1up.com has an interesting article posted up in which they examine the mind-set and reasoning behind some of today's cheaters in games. If you play online games, you will have crossed the path of a virtual Neo, a guy/girl that you just could not kill or someone who is able to see though walls and kill before you can even brandish your weapon.Some hackers lend in their thoughts and motives behind their cheating. Take Duncan for instance, he just doesn't have the time to play the games that much and according to him it's not fair that everyone else is better so he cheats. Turns out cheating is common ground for lots of gamers like Joe32. The social aspect of sharing glitches in live chat or in online forums is what keeps some cheaters going. The TeamKill and Cheat Community (www.tkc-community.net) is one hardcore band of glitching gamers dedicated to developing new ways to mess with the online medium. Their motivation ranges from a flat-out "just wanting to annoy" to a more altruistic "prolonging the game experience," butÂjust as in any social clubÂtheir communal attitude is fueled by a common interest: cheating. By Gary
 For open-minded musicians with a touch of the retro gamer in them, the guitar of your dreams is just one click away.With a variable-speed knob on the eyeball so you can synchronize the blinker to the beat, you'll be strumming those old classics while reminiscing on days of Pac-Man gone bye. "People always ask me where I got it. It gets a lot of attention. What most people don't realize is that aside from being really cool looking it's an extremely well crafted and easy to play instrument." - Dave Winer Check out The Pac-Man Guitar | Via JoystiqRelated: Pac-Man smashes Guinness Book of World Records Pac Man's 25th Birthday, And We Salute Him Discussion >> By Gary
 Hardly surprising, the success of the PSP movie format. With companies constantly climbing onboard this winning formula, it seems you PSP owners sure do like the idea of a portable flick.Gamesindustry.biz are reporting on the recent sales figures for PSP's UMD movies which are topping 100,000 according to Sony. Reuters, in quoting a Sony executive, say this figure does not even include copies of Spider-Man 2, which was shipped with many of the American PSP packages. Sony are suggesting that their proprietary UMD format is broadening all the time, with Sony looking outside of the typical 18-25 year-old male gamer demographic into the realm of Cartoons, also they will be trying to better target women in the future. New deals are being announced regularly - just this week we've seen Anchor Bay Entertainment pledge six releases, including horror and Manga titles, with the promise of more to come. Tons of Movies Coming to PSP Loads of UMD format movies announced Sony's UMD has hints of Betamax UMD Movie Rentals For The PSP? (26 April) About the Universal Media Disc (UMD) PSP's UMD on the offensive Discussion >> By Gary
 According to an article over on GameGossip, Vivendi Universal may have pushed forward the release of the highly anticipated PC title, F.E.A.R. The news comes straight from Vivendi's website in the form of an updated release page. F.E.A.R. picks up as a paramilitary force infiltrates an aerospace compound, and a Special Forces unit sent in by the government is destroyed after a signal interrupts radio communication. F.E.A.R. has players put to the task of destroying the aerospace intruders, and determine the origin of the signal. Related: Official website Discussion >> By Gary
 For those of you who like to indulge in the soft chocolate crispy delight of Smarties, you might be interested to know that the little chocolate pellets will be coming to a gaming console near you.KOCH Media has signed up with Smarties to release a titles based on the colourful confectionery to be released on an (as of yet) unnamed console this coming October. Described as a "third person action-adventure", Smarties: Meltdown will see super-hero Big Blue (a giant Smartie) on a mission to save the Smarties Factory Ship from an invasion by their archenemy, Dr Soursweet and his evil Stroopers. With voice work from Dave Benson Phillips (Playdays, Playhouse Disney), Big Blue will have to clobber his way through the Factory Ship orbiting Earth while it's under attack by a "small armada" of ships from Dr Soursweet's evil fleet - his comrades-in-being-crispy-coated-chocolate-treats having been imprisoned. By Gary
 In an interview with EGN, Nintendo president Satoro Iwata talks Revolution and the upcoming online service. Nintendo claim that their entire back catalogue will be available for download through such a service.According to the interview, not only will compatible classic Nintendo games work on the Revolution, Nintendo is also looking to remake certain key titles. "We are doing several experiments, including working with the original Super Mario Bros., with the new technology," stated Iwata in the interview. "The game itself and the gameplay shall be identical, but the look will be different; it's possible that with Revolution, we may be able to see the old games with new looks." Revolution Controller Sans Buttons Mock-up Revolution Controller Mockups Gallery Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution interface "the big gun" Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution Controller Still Being Designed (8 June) Unofficial Nintendo Revolution Specs Hit The Web Discussion >> By Gary
 The opening of a Sony showroom called "The PSP Factory" in Paris prompted Microsoft to shell out and hire the laundry across the street, just for the opportunity to emblazon the front of it with Xbox 360 ads: With a touch of espieglery, Microsoft hired the place to stick big ads on the shop (left), saying with quite a sense of humor : "Keep your forces for Winter". Of course, that’s when the Xbox 360 is meant to come out. And of course, this type of advertisement displeased Sony... After one day of corporate blasphemy, the stickers were removed (right photo again). No lawsuit, no scandal, just a big cheque from Sony. This nice story of laundry battling made the laundry worker a bit richer. Which is a good point. Related: X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Microsoft to unload 10 Million Xbox 360s Microsoft: Xbox 360 Will Win In Japan Discussion >> By Rob
 A successor to the crack that enabled unofficial code to be run on the U.S. version of the PSP has been released. The new and improved method lets users run DIY code on the console without having to swap the memory stick each time a program is loaded:Just when your fingers are getting sore and your friends keep asking 'Why do you have to switch memory sticks?' Killer-X and the PSP-Dev team have answered our prayers with KXploit, a way to run homebrew on 1.5’s… Minus the memory stick swap! KXploit (Direct Loader!) v1.50 RELEASED! American PSP Crack Released (15 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves has said he would like to think the Playstation 3 would be released in Europe in spring 2006, but said the company has not yet reached a final decision on the date yet, and wouldn't for some time.Speaking at the ELSPA game summit in London, he also said that we "could be in for a surprise" regarding the Euro release. What Reeves meant is open to interpretation; GamesRadar speculate that it could mean a possible worldwide launch of the console similar to the simultaneous launch of the Xbox 360 in every territory: A worldwide release would be a good move for Sony, minimising the effect of Microsoft's own worldwide launch of the Xbox 360 and damaging the company's chances of meeting its bold '10 million consoles in one year' claim. PS3 Euro timing undecided Research claims PS3 to lose market share next year PS3 Not a Toy, But a Linux Supercomputer Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks (14 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 The lead producer of World of Warcraft has laid out a "Battleplan" on the game's official forums, neatly lining up the game's huge progress since it's initial launch in the U.S. back in November and giving some details on upcoming content updates.Slightly buried in the post is a confirmation that Blizzard are working on an expansion for WoW, and that the company would release details about it "as soon as we can". The extremely successful MMORPG has gone from one success to another since its U.S. launch; first it broke the record for North America's fastest-selling PC game, then the game steadily racked up thousands of subscribers per day, recently hitting the 2 million mark and landing it the title of second largest online game behind only Lineage. The game also recently launched in China, and the number of subscribers is expected to rise even further. World of Warcraft Battleplan Related: World of Warcraft official site Blizzard.com WoW reaches 2 million subscribers worldwide (16 June) Blizzard's Desire To Be The Best World of Warcraft Now Launched in China (7 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 Team 17 have released a playable demo of the fourth Worms adventure, Worms: Mayhem.The PC demo includes one map that's playable in quick-match and multiplayer modes, and a second map from the beginning of the story mode. The game is due to be released in Europe in August for the Playstation 2, Xbox and PC. Download the demo (216 MB) Related: Official site for Worms 4: Mayhem Team17.com Discussion >> By Rob
 When a tech demo was displayed at the E3 showing the intro to the original Final Fantasy VII rendered with the Playstation 3, speculation spread that the PS3 may well get a full conversion of the game when the console is released.Now it seems the rumour's been revived, by U.S. gaming mag Electronic Gaming Monthly. They claim that Square Enix are working on a new FFVII for the Playstation 3, though there are no further details available at this point, and the claim hasn't been confirmed yet by Square Enix: EGM offers no source for its rumour claim, though this would seem an easy fix to the dual problem of delivering an early-lifecycle RPG to the PlayStation 3 and sating the desire for more FFVII. View the Final Fantasy VII PS3 tech demo FFVII: Advent Children Price & Details (14 June) Final Fantasy VII at the E3 (18 May) Discussion >> By Rob
 The Matrix Online developer Monolith has announced it is abandoning the MMOG business altogether, and 80 of its 200 staff members will be laid off after MXO comes under the ownership of Sony Online Entertainment.Samantha Ryan, Monolith CEO explained that it would no longer need positions dedicated to online games like customer support, and that the company will continue to work on their upcoming shooter F.E.A.R. as well as "Condemned: Criminal Origins" for the Xbox 360. Of the 80 employees laid off, 25 have been offered jobs over at SOE, John Smedley, president of SOE also said in an interview. Smedley also gave some details about how The Matrix Online will be folded into SOE's online game business: the company plan to expose the game to an 800,000 strong audience by offering it as part of Station Access, where subscribers pay $21.99 per month to play multiple games including Star Wars Galaxies and EverQuest. Seattle Times: 80 laid off at Kirkland video-game maker after Sony deal Q&A with SOE's John Smedley and outgoing Matrix Online leader Jason Hall Related: The Sony Acquisition FAQ MXO Team: The Matrix Online Finds a New Home! The Matrix Online Monolith SOE: Station Access Sony Confirm Matrix Online Acquisition (17 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 I recently discovered a British company that specializes in releasing new games for old systems that are no longer commercially supported.The company, Cronosoft, are publishing new games in the original tape or disk formats for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, the BBC Acorn and the ZX Spectrum; programmers who create games for the systems can sell them through Cronosoft and earn royalties on their creations: The programmer receives a royalty for every copy sold (usually £1.00 per unit), and is happy to know that people are enjoying his or her software. By Rob
 THQ and Gas Powered Games have officially announced Supreme Commander, the new RTS franchise from Chris Taylor and the "spiritual successor" to the classic Total Annihilation.Chris Taylor has said he wants to revolutionize the RTS genre with the game and laid out his aims in the announcement: "Our goal with this franchise is to take the RTS experience into the future,[...] The game's existence was initially revealed by PC Gamer magazine last week when it emerged the game had been in development for the past year, and is expected to be released on the PC next year. More official details about the game are expected this summer. Related: Official teaser site for Supreme Commander Gas Powered Games "Spiritual Successor" to Total Annihilation Next Year (17 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 Planetwide Games launched Risk Your Life: Path of The Emperor in retail stores across the U.S. yesterday. The game was also made available to buy through online stores including Best Buy and Amazon. The retail disc costs $49.99 and contains the final version of RYL, which online players have been able to play since the 14th of June. The 1st of July will also see the start of a big promo for RYL when a special skill-based PvP tournament begins - the eventual winner of the tournament will walk away with a 1 million dollar prize: The RYL $1,000,000 qualifying tournament will start July 1, 2005 and will end April 30, 2006, culminating in a RYL: Path of the Emperor Final Tournament event to be broadcast live and to take place in conjunction with the E3 Video Game Expo in May 2006. Related:Planetwide Games RYL.net List of changes in the final version of RYL RYL Sponsors MTV Movie Awards Event (6 June) Risk Your Life: Path of The Emperor review (4 out of 5) Discussion >> By Rob
 According to the latest editions of Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to take the role of Alice in a film based around American McGee's Alice, a game which is a twisted take on Lewis Carroll's classic Alice in Wonderland.The story of bringing American McGee's Alice to the big screen has been a saga unto itself. The project has been in development limbo since 2000, when Dimension Films bought the movie rights for Wes Craven (Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street) to direct. The film spent the next five years in turnaround at the Disney-owned and Bob Weinstein-run studio, with unconfirmed reports saying Milla Jovovich would star. American McGee's Alice PC Demo (Dec 01 2000) Discussion >> By Gary
 Psychonauts, the first game from Double Fine Productions has finally landed onto Sony's PS2, much to the delight of fans. The game was previously released to PC and Xbox back in April of this year.A deranged scientist is abducting students from the Psychonauts boot camp and a powerful new cadet named Raz stands alone against the lunatic. Raz must develop and unleash an arsenal of paranormal powers, including the ability to launch himself telepathically into someone else's mind - and take on their inner demons, nightmares and secret memories. Ultimately he must enter the mind of his worst enemy and destroy his dark plans at their source, while trying not to lose his sanity in the process. Related: Official website Double Fine Productions Discussion >> By Gary
The official website for Enemy Territory: Quake wars has been launched. The game, built around id Software's rendering technology by Splash Damage was showcased at this year's E3. The site includes a background story of the game and an E3 trailer.Enemy Territory: Quake Wars pits the armies of Earth against the invading alien Strogg in the ultimate online strategic shooter. Featuring strategic team play, persistent character promotions, day and nighttime combat missions, and the universe's most powerful weapons and vehicles, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars transports players to the front lines of an epic new war for Earth. Enemy Territory is slated for release to PC sometime in 2006.Check out the official website, where you can receive email updates on the game. Discussion >> By Gary
 Microsoft's goal of selling 10 million Xbox 360 consoles by the first 16 months of its release was helped along recently as Microsoft Game Studios announced a new publishing deal with Scottish developer, Real Time Worlds.RTW was founded by Dave Jones of DMA Design/Rockstar North fame. Jones is also credited with playing an important part in the Grant Theft Auto franchise of games. The Scottish firm are reportedly creating several titles that will be exclusive to the Xbox 360, with a number still in the development stages. The only game that has been mentioned thus far is All Points bulletin, a MMOG that will be published the Korean Webzen sometime in 2007. Jones has however been working with Microsoft for some time - it is rumoured - and Corporate Veepee (of Microsoft) Peter Moore stated at an ELSPA press briefing that more details would be revealed in the coming weeks. More on the projects of this ambitious new studio as we get it. X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Nvidia to save Xbox 360's incompatible ass Microsoft: Xbox 360 Will Win In Japan Xbox 360 will 'win' in Japan, MS pledges ??We expect to win?? next-gen battle in Japan Xbox 360 Graphics Explained, In Detail Microsoft Gunning for WoW, 360 Style Xbox 360 to bring MS back from musical grave? Discussion >> By Gary
 Today, Remedy Entertainment have released the second and much longer cinematic trailer which can be downloaded at the game's official website. You can choose between regular (18 MB) and high-definition quality (67 MB), but if possible, you should go for the high-definition version to enjoy the trailer in its full splendour.The trailer starts out pleasantly enough by sweeping across beautiful landscapes that help demonstrate the new engine's abilities. But moments later, the scene takes on a darker, even nightmarish tone, in a way similar to what you experienced in Max Payne. In between, the trailer also offers snippets of the game's story. Given the latest footage, the game's posh subtitle, "A Psychological Action Thriller", starts making sense after all. Related info: Alan Wake Website Remedy Entertainment Alan Wake Q&A (15 June) Alan Wake - New Screens (13 June) Alan Wake - Screens and Interview (19 May) Discussion >> By Chris
Slashdot is running a story about Castle Infinity, a MMOG originally released in 1996 that subsequently shut down under the weight of its own success. The game changed hands several times before being eventually forgotten by all but a group of die-hard players. Somehow, the fans discovered the server containing Castle Infinity had been thrown into a dumpster at the last company to own the game, so they sneaked it out of the trash and have restarted the game themselves: The blow of signing on to see "Sorry, we're closing down until further notice" hit some of us quite a few times. That was until we realized that Castle Infinity had been thrown away. I do quite honestly mean thrown away. In a trash can. With a bit of good timing, and maybe a liiiiittle bit of fast driving, we got our hands on the server and a large portion of important data. (Thanks Kevin!) For the past few years, we've spent a large portion of our free time on rebuilding Castle Infinity. Months of server woes, countless bug fixes, and an unimaginable amount of stress on each and every member of the team.. and it's all lead up to this. We're up, we're running, and we're ready to dump as much cold water on our server as it takes to keep it from melting. Theres a lot of work to be done, but trust me - we're trying as hard as we can. We have quite a lot in the works. We're constantly working on ways to make Castle Infinity feel much more "modern", giving it features to make it compare to the MMOGgs of today's standard. CastleInfinity.org About Castle Infinity Castle Infinity on the Wikipedia Discussion >> By Rob
 According to an article over on BBC News, Microsoft envision selling 10 million Xbox 360 consoles within the first 16 months of its release.At a recent video games conference in London, Xbox marketing boss Peter Moore made the bold announcement. The 360 is due to go on sale sometime before Christmas in the US, Europe and Japan, with Sony's PlayStation 3 not expected to follow until Spring of 2006 along with Nintendo's Revolution. The software giant was a year behind Sony's PlayStation 2 in launching the original Xbox and it never managed to make up the time in sales. X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Nvidia to save Xbox 360's incompatible ass Microsoft: Xbox 360 Will Win In Japan Xbox 360 will 'win' in Japan, MS pledges ?“We expect to win?” next-gen battle in Japan Xbox 360 Graphics Explained, In Detail Microsoft Gunning for WoW, 360 Style Xbox 360 to bring MS back from musical grave? Discussion >> By Gary
 SCE President Ken Kutaragi has confirmed that negotiations with Toshiba on the next-gen DVD format are at an end. Sony were striving to push forward blue-ray disks, which have a storage capacity of 50 Gb. While Toshiba were looking to arm the world with HD-DVD disks which typically only store 30 Gb but arguably are cheaper to produce and thus friendlier to the consumer and their wallets.Negotiations started back in February this year but neither company can reach a compromise on storage capacities. So it looks like both formats will be hitting the market along with the next generation of DVD players, and the PlayStation 3. Kutaragi went on to discuss Sony's Cell networked processor, which will be used in the PlayStation 3 along with a range of other consumer electronics devices such as "smart TVs". Nintendo Revolution Won't Support High-def Discussion >> By Gary
 Battlefield 2, only recently shipped for the PC, has scored an impressive 9.3 in a review over at Gamespot. This will come as somewhat of a redemption for the game which received a reasonably unexpected 8.9 over on IGN a few days ago.You can catch both a video and written review over at Gamespot. The video is narrated by Jason Ocampo and you can stream it here. The Written review can be found here. The beauty of Battlefield 2 is the fact that, like its predecessors, it has a totally unpredictable nature to it. It's completely unscripted and chaotic, but in an awesome way. There are simply so many insane, over-the-top moments that can happen in a single game that you quickly lose track. In any given match, you can have a dozen desperate firefights, countless moments when a rocket or bullet whizzes by your head, and the proud sense of accomplishment when you and your squad overcome the odds and achieve your objective. You'll see feats of audacious daring as someone flies a helicopter through a city's streets or runs up to plant explosives on an enemy tank that's mowing down your colleagues. You'll experience the hellish shelling of artillery, see the desperate revival of wounded colleagues, and be killed a dozen grizzly ways. And yet, through it all, you'll find yourself coming back for more. Don't forget, you can grab the demo here (546 Mb).Related: The battle rages on in the sequel to 2002's Game of the Year (IGN's 8.9 Review) Discussion >> By Gary
 Sony may not be breaking out the Champagne after hearing a recent market research report from DFC Intelligence. The report suggests that Sony can realistically only expect to gain 50% of the next-gen console market, a far cry from the 70% dominance of their PS2. The report also suggests that Nintendo and Microsoft may be coming up roses as they have an opportunity to gain an even greater share of the market than last time around. DFC Intelligence claim that Microsoft can hope to grab at least 40% of the market share with their Xbox 360 with Nintendo coming up close behind on 35%. DFC's report also predicts strong industry growth, with gaming expected to be worth $41.49 billion by 2009. $9.8 billion of this is expected to come from online gaming, too. More on all these topics soon. Xboxes Coming to Japanese Schools X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Revolution Controller Sans Buttons Mock-up Nvidia to save Xbox 360's incompatible ass Sonic Boss on the Next-Gen Consoles Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks PS3 Not a Toy, But a Linux Supercomputer Discussion >> By Gary
 The Nes classic has been recreated in Flash and is now available online. So many memories flooding back, I wonder if I still have my Light-Gun.Sometimes there'’s nothing better than a little “old school” gaming, especially when it has been loving recreated in Flash and is now available online. By Gary
 Over on the official Guild Wars website, there is a report on a recent exploit in the game that allowed hackers to take advantage while playing online. According to the report, the exploit has now been closed and the players who were using it to their advantage have had their accounts banned permanently.The site reiterates zero-tolerance against people who take advantage of such exploits and remind players of Guild Wars that it is against the End User License Agreement and the Rules of Conduct, even though they were very unclear as to what the exploit was and how it was being used. As players may have noted, we took action to close a game exploit today. We would like to remind players that the willful use of exploits is against the EULA and the Rules of Conduct. Several players who used the exploit have had their Guild Wars accounts permanently banned. If you find an exploit, please contact us directly through support@guildwars.com. We are grateful for the assistance of the community in such matters, and will attend to reports as promptly as possible. Guild Wars' Lack of Monthly Fee Pays Off Discussion >> By Gary
 Licensing Director for Wallaroo, Stefan Heinemann in an interview with gamesindusty.biz has confirmed that ringtone character Crazy Frog will be appearing in his very own videogame.According to the interview, Crazy Frog's latest endeavour will come in the form of a racing game slated for release this Christmas on PC, PS2 and GBA. It's still unclear as to who is going to be the publisher of the PC and PS2 versions but according to Wallaroo, an announcement will be made next week. "It will definitely be a game that's cool, but also annoying, just like the Crazy Frog," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun." Crazy Frog tune unstoppable in Brit pop charts Discussion >> By Gary
 There are few companies that are as much steeped in gaming history as Atari. The long history nothwithstanding, however, Atari seems to have lost its sure footing of late, both financially and in terms of product quality, as CNN's Game Over Column points out:The Atari of old offered games and a home console – the Atari 2600 – that could be found in the living rooms of cool kids everywhere. The Atari of today is plagued by a revolving door in the executive suite and boasts a questionable line-up of upcoming games. Related info: Atari Atari Flashback 2 (19 May) Discussion >> By Chris
 Following close on the heels of the news that Playstations were being added to the official school curriculum in Redlands California, Microsoft have begun to push the educational aspects of the Xbox.The company have announced they will be donating Xboxes to elementary and junior high-schools in Tokyo later this month. The consoles won't be used for games, but instead will come enabled with video-chat in order to help the kids become more IT-literate: A total of 80 Xbox units will be given out to 44 grade schools, 23 junior high schools and eight other public facilities in Suginami starting in late June. The consoles will let Microsoft teach the students how to use videoconferencing to take online classes, as well as communicate with other Xbox Live-enabled schools. By Rob
 Just when you thought the Grand Theft Auto franchise was the most controversial set of games, along comes 25 To Life. The game has not even been released and it is already coming under fire by critics who are describing the game as a new low.Players earn points by pretending to kill cops while using human shields for protection. The game can also be switched around for you to experience the game from the other side, through the eyes of the law. US Senator, Charles Schumer says that stores should not sell the game. He even took aim at Microsoft and Sony who he believes should not even license the game. Schumer describes 25 To Life as nothing more than glorified cop-killing. "25 To Life" isn't in stores yet. And if Schumer and law enforcement officials have their way, it won't be. X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Infant daughter suffocates as parents play WoW Discussion >> By Gary
 The upcoming release of porn flicks in the PSP UMD format is "utterly undesirable" according to Sony Computer Entertainment, but they have admitted they "cannot stop software makers from selling such videos".Two companies, Glay'z and H.M.P. , plan to release a first wave of seven adult movies next month but Sony aren't responsible for approving movies released on the PSP, only software or games. Asahi Shinbun: Porn sets sights on Sony console Related: SCE powerless to stop porn on PSP Call It the PlayStation Porn-Able Free PSP Porn for all (17 June) PS-Porno flicks on the way (9 June) Discussion >> By Rob
Pravda is reporting that a teenage boy in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg has suffered a stroke and died after playing computer games for 12 hours non-stop. The boy spent the day playing at a computer club, and his mother noticed him displaying unusual behaviour when he returned home, which prompted her to call an ambulance: The boy was hospitalized, stayed in the reanimation department for seven weeks and died. Doctors concluded that computer games launched the development of the brain pathology, which the boy was suffering from, having thus provoked stroke. By Rob
 Square Enix have revealed a major announcement about Final Fantasy XII is planned for the company's summer gaming event, which will take place 30/31 July in Japan.No further details were given by the company, but Gamespot reports that many are speculating the game's release date might be revealed. The summer event will also feature new footage from the game, and special guest appearances by the main voice actors for the game, and members of the team behind the FFXII music. Big news on FFXII coming from Square Enix Related: Square Enix Party '05 (Japanese) FF12.com Official Japanese site Gamespot Hands-On: What surprises about FFXII isn't the look but the gameplay Ferrago: Square Enix Confirm FFXII a PS2 Exclusive (4 June) Discussion >> By Rob
 Game Politics.com has urged its readers to boycott the Xbox 360 when it's released in November, after it was learned that Microsoft will abide by the Chinese government's request that censorship be applied to MSN Spaces China.The Chinese govt. have asked the U.S. software giant to block words such as "freedom", "democracy", "Taiwan independence", "demonstration" and "human rights" in the online blogs, and the company have agreed, arguing that the company must abide by the laws of the countries it operates in. Game Politics view this as nothing more than shameless profiteering on Microsoft's part and called on Xbox gamers to register their disapproval this November: How can gamers express their displeasure with Microsoft's disgusting stance? Reuters: Microsoft under fire for censoring blogs Discussion >> By Rob
 EA have a promotion running for Medal of Honor: European Assault that could snag a player a $10,000 prize.If you can manage to make it through the game on the Hero difficulty setting, you'll receive a top-secret code from German intelligence - being the first U.S player to input the code on this site is all that's required to win the prize. The Crack the Code promo closes on the 4th of July, but so far the prize hasn't been claimed. Crack the Code - 10K Challenge - contest rules Related: Medal of Honor official site Next MoH Game Spring 2006 Release for PS3? (13 June) EA blogs MoH: European Assault launch Discussion >> By Rob
 German fan site Lionsource.com has four new videos for Black & White 2 available to download.The videos run to about 35 minutes and are taken from Lionhead chief Peter Molyneux's recent demonstration of the game on GIGA TV. B&W2 video 1 B&W2 video 2 B&W2 video 3 B&W2 video 4 Related: Black & White 2 Goes Alpha (16 June) Black & White Series To Have 5 Installments Black & White 2 official site Black & White Creatures For DS (12 May) Discussion >> By Rob
 Another couple of unofficial Revolution controller images have appeared on the Web, this time featuring a design very close to the colour scheme of the console itself, and showing no visible buttons.One of the images is accompanied by a description in Russian, which apparently translates as: It has no buttons at all. The controller and gamer both interact with each other through movement; not only is the game controlled by the movement of the player but the whole controller gives some sort of feedback. Built-in sensors can tell the difference between the controller and the console, as well as determining the controller’s position. An example of the control would be that turning the controller around and moving it in a direction would be one form of controlling. Revolution Controller Mockups Gallery Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution interface "the big gun" Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution Controller Still Being Designed (8 June) Unofficial Nintendo Revolution Specs Hit The Web Discussion >> By Rob
 Eidos has released several screenshots of the upcoming Hitman: Blood Money, that was showcased at this year's E3. Developed by IO Interactive, Blood Money is slated for release to PC, Xbox and PS2 this coming Fall/Autumn. Check out the screenshots over at tombraiderchronicles.com. Related: Vin Diesel to Star in Hitman Movie Fox and Universal Conclude Deal to Produce Halo Movie (10 June) Hitman official site Hitman: Blood Money Trailer Discussion >> By Gary
 The official website for the upcoming Xbox 360 title, Perfect Dark Zero has launched. The site includes a forum, some history of the franchise plus screenshots and downloadable wallpaper to boot.Perfect Dark Zero chronicles the adventures of the first lady of bounty hunting, Joanna Dark. The mission of this website is to give you a direct communication uplink to the game's creators plus all the tools and tips needed to forge Joanna Dark into the perfect agent! Return often for the latest briefings from the creators of Perfect Dark Zero. Decode the secrets of Joanna Dark's world, secure information on the game's cutting-edge online features, obtain game help, and infiltrate the forums to share your thoughts about the game that will be the grid's hottest fusion of action, stealth, and adventure! Check out the official Perfect Dark Zero website.Related: From GameCube to Xbox 360 Discussion >> By Gary
 A Korean couple in their 20s, left their four-month old daughter at home while they visited a nearby cyber-cafe to play World of Warcraft.On May 24th, the 29 year old husband and his wife put their daughter into a bedroom of their house while they visited their local PC cafe at 4:00 p.m. approximately, to play World of Warcraft. As they were engulfed in the online addiction, time passed quickly and when they returned home at 9:00 p.m., they found their daughter lying on her stomach, dead of suffocation. The couple told police: We were thinking of playing for just an hour or two and returning home like usual, but the game took longer that day. Police said an investigation turned up that the couple, who wed last year, used to play "World of Warcraft" whenever they had time. Chinese Gamer Gets Suspended Death Sentence For Sword Murder Dispute Over Virtual Sword Ends In Death Boy falls 24 stories to his death, to join friends in Heaven Discussion >> By Gary
 Slashdot link to a website that is hosting a total conversion mod of Valve's Half-Life 2. The conversion was conceived in November 2004 when several students got together to work on Eclipse. A group of Guildhall students mainly comprised of programmers, artists and level designers got together to form CelTech Studios. In just 5 months, they put together Eclipse which is a third-person total conversion of Half-Life 2. Eclipse is free to download and at just 228 Mb, how could any gamer worth their weight in salt refuse to try it out. You can also download the game's entire soundtrack 20.2 Mb, plus their website is also hosting screenshots, a trailer, artwork, wallpaper and many other cool things. Eclipse is a third-person total conversion of Valve's Half Life 2 . You play as a young Sorceress named Violet whose father went missing five years back. After learning the secrets of Telekinesis, you are teleported into Auld-Haven, a lush and fertile land where Violet grew up. Your objective is to return to Violet's home where she last saw her father years ago and dig up any clues to his whereabouts. In the broken down tower of her home you discover a journal left by her father. The journal unlocks a handful of secrets that ultimately leads you on a quest to find the ancient teleportation device - the Standing Stones. Visit the Eclipse website.Related: DoD: Source News Update & HL1: Deathmatch Source Revamp Doug Lombardi Interview, DoD Source development still unclear Half Life 2: Aftermath set for September release? Valve at E3, Lost Coast details and screenshot Valve showcase HDR at E3 Doug Lombardi, Half Life 2 Interview Half Life 2 reviewer goes panoramic Half Life 2 In The Real World Legend Counter Strike Mapper Springs Back Discussion >> By Gary
 An action-packed trailer of the upcoming Hulk game, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction has sprang up on the Hulk Games website. The Xbox title is due for release in the 3rd quarter of 2005, and gets an impressive preview over at Gamespot, considering the last Hulk title did not exactly raise many eyebrows.In The Incredible Hulk, players can jump anywhere, climb anything and smash everything -- even destroy entire buildings -- as the Hulk, the strongest hero there is! Gamers will create their own Hulk-powered weapons from anything they can rip out of the environment, unlock new moves to battle huge enemies in epic boss fights and experience deep and varied game elements by exploring free-roaming non-mission and side mission gameplay. Ultimate Destruction, updated hands-on preview Discussion >> By Gary
 Since long before the unveiling of Microsoft's Xbox 360 at E3, questions have been asked concerning backwards compatibility with regular Xbox games. At E3, Microsoft confirmed the "best selling" Xbox titles will be compatible with the Xbox 360. That was a far cry from Sony's promise of total backwards compatibility with its PS3, as far back as the 1st PlayStation.The incompatibility stems from the fact that today's Xbox runs on an Nvidia graphics chip, where as the 360 will have an ATI powered GPU. In a bold move, Microsoft has signed a deal with Nvidia to license their technology in order to provide backwards compatibility in the Xbox 360. Some reports suggest that backwards compatibility was not even part of the original Xbox 360 specifications. Only this year at E3 did potential consumers get the word about some small (some might say misleading) backwards compatibility. 1up.com are now reporting that Microsoft has indeed licensed parts of Nvidia's technology from the original Xbox in order to allow its emulation in the Xbox 360, this deal means Nvidia will be seeing lots of Microsoft Dollars for many years to come. The company apparently plans to emulate the Xbox' Intel CPU on the 360's multiple IBM PowerPC cores, and will now be able to emulate the NVIDIA chip to some extent on the ATI graphics chip in the 360 - but it would appear that many games will still not work without some modification. Microsoft: Xbox 360 Will Win In Japan Xbox 360 will 'win' in Japan, MS pledges ÂWe expect to win next-gen battle in Japan Xbox 360 Graphics Explained, In Detail Microsoft Gunning for WoW, 360 Style Xbox 360 to bring MS back from musical grave? Discussion >> By Gary
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