Igniq: July 10, 2005 : Igniq Gaming News

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Dated? - 16.7.05

Cubed3.com have discovered both the U.S. and U.K. Amazon sites have posted up release dates for the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess for the GameCube.

According to Amazon, the U.K. release date is set for 25 November, with the U.S. getting the game slightly earlier on the 14th.

The dates aren't official information from Nintendo, so should be treated as rumour until the company states otherwise.

Related:
Zelda.com
The Legend of Zelda Blows the Roof off E3
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess E3 2005 screenshots
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess E3 2005 artwork
Twilight Princess among CNN's Six to Watch
Discussion >>

By Rob

GTA Hot Coffee Also Confirmed On PS2 -

Rockstar Games' claim that the sex mini-game discovered in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was not created by them has been undermined by an independent test of the Playstation 2 version of the game, which cannot have unofficial content added to it.

In a statement released during the week, the company blamed the content on the hackers who created the mod for the PC version, who they said would need to "alter" the game's source code to display the scenes.

Gamespot decided to run a test on the PS2 version of the game, which comes on an un-moddable DVD that cannot be altered in the way the company describe:

GameSpot decided to test the cheat codes circulating around the Web on a sealed, first-edition copy of San Andreas. After acquiring the "Uncensored Hot Coffee" codes from the respected tech-blog Kotaku, we entered them into an easily obtainable Action Replay Max cheat device. After entering the "Enable all Girlfriends" cheat, we began the game and then gave CJ maximum sex appeal, via a cheat from GameFAQs that requires no external code.

After saving, our test editor had Carl visit the house of his nearest girlfriend, Denise in Los Santos. Carl then took Denise on a series of dates to the nearest bar. After a few complications--including being busted for two-timing by another of CJ's girlfriends--we completed a fourth date with Denise, after which she invited us into her house for "coffee."

The next screen proved that the PlayStation 2 edition of the game does indeed include a sexually graphic minigame, which plays almost exactly the same as the Hot Coffee mod. It begins inside a bedroom with Denise, wearing only a pink thong and a cutoff T-shirt bearing the Rockstar logo, performing simulated fellatio on CJ, who is fully clothed in jeans and a "wife beater"-style tank top.

After a few seconds, the minigame proceeds to semi-explicit simulated copulation. Although players can change the camera angle with the circle button, as well as cycle though three sexual positions with the square button, no genitalia are ever seen. To win, players must maintain a steady rhythm with the left analog stick to build up an "excitement meter" in the right-hand screen. Fill the meter and Denise becomes very excited, telling CJ he is "the man" before the game congratulates you with the words "Nice guys finish last!" Let the meter drop to empty and the game admonishes you with "Failure to satisfy a woman is a CRIME!"

Confirmed: Sex minigame in PS2 San Andreas

By Rob

Interview With Assemblyman At Centre of GTA Sex Mod Row -

Gamespot have an interview with Leland Yee, the Californian assemblyman whose sharp words about the Hot Coffee mod for GTA : San Andreas started a process that saw two investigations launched in different parts of the world, and had everyone from Jack Thompson to Hillary Clinton climb onboard to condemn Rockstar Games.

Yee says he is glad of the huge publicity given to the issue, and hopes there are even more investigations, while reserving some hard words for the ESRB, who didn't give the game a sales-crippling AO (Adults Only) rating when it was released:

The ESRB is not an appropriate forum to rate any of these games whatsoever. There's a conflict of interest. It's the fox guarding the henhouse. ... If you have the industry paying for the rating, and your salary comes out of their money, the last thing you're going to try to do is try to upset them. The last thing you're going to do is limit their market share by rating a game AO.

He also expressed scepticism at Rockstar's claim that the mod wasn't an official part of the game, and that they had no control over the work of independent hackers who make mods like Hot Coffee:

If, in fact, as Rockstar claims, these sexually explicit minigames were never in their games whatsoever, then I would assume that these hackers have violated the copyright of Rockstar games, of Grand Theft Auto, and that Rockstar should, in fact, take every action that they can to sue every single penny of those individuals who would violate their copyright," Yee said. "I haven't seen any of that at all, and that's why I'm suspicious of Rockstar's position of innocence.

Gamespot.com: Assemblyman Yee talks Hot Coffee

By Rob

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Game -

To coincide with the release of Tim Burton's movie remake, Take2 have announced Charlie and The Chocolate Factory the game has hit retail in the U.S.
The game was released yesterday for the PS2, Xbox, PC and GameBoy Advance, with the the GameCube version hitting the stores next week.

The voices and likenesses of actors from the film, including star Johnny Depp, were used in the game, and creative consultation was provided by Tim Burton.

The game also features some elements from the original Roald Dahl book that didn't make it to the Burton film:

Inspired by the Warner Bros. Pictures feature film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton and based on the classic Roald Dahl book, the videogame allows players to embark on an adventure exploring the many extraordinary environments of the factory, including some elements from the book that do not appear in the film, accompanied by everyone's favorite Oompa-Loompas. Players discover what happens after the other children, greed-driven and unrestrained, wreak havoc throughout the factory and solve mystifying puzzles using special candy powers. Only by helping the Oompa-Loompas and restoring order to the factory can gamers earn the respect of Willy Wonka and win a prize beyond their wildest imagination!

Press release

By Rob

Worms Coming To PSP, Nintendo DS -

THQ and Team 17 have announced Worms will be wriggling onto the PSP and Nintendo DS. No release date for either format has been announced yet, and the official press release doesn't give much info away about the gameplay, but Gamesarefun.com uncovered some extra tidbits on the Team 17 forum:

Both the PSP and DS editions will feature classic Worms gameplay - as vociferously requested by our fans. Both versions have been in development for some time, news on release dates will follow much later in the year.

The PSP will utilise 3d background imagery and zooming, full width 16:9 proportions. It looks cute as sin

Both platforms feature ad-hoc wireless play and of course, hot-seat play as well as single player games that suit the play patterns of the devices. I.e. short bursts.

The DS will feature touch-screen use; planned to be finger rather than stylus control to make it better for hot-seat situations. The touch screen will be used for map scrolling, weapon controls and stats.

The gamecode is all new for both editions and not a port of earlier 2d games.

A 3d version of Worms is not currently planned for these devices, for both technical and play-factor reasons bearing in mind their screen resolution and suitability to the original 2d game mechanics.

Team17.com forum: PSP & DS Info (reg. req.)

Related:
Team17.com
Worms 4: Mayhem Demo (22 June)
Lemmings Coming To PSP (19 May)
Discussion >>

By Rob

EVE Online Cold War Edition Deployed -

CCP Games have announced the smooth roll-out of Cold War Edition, the major content update to EVE Online. Described as somewhere between a patch and an expansion, the update included a host of new features, and introduced a whole new beginners experience to the game, making it much easier for new players to quickly become accustomed to the game environment.

CCP also previously said the Cold War Edition will pave the way for the next expansion to EVE Online, code named Kali and expected for release later in the year.

EVE Online players can grab the Cold War Edition free here, and read the full list of features here.

Related:
EVE Online - Cold War Edition Revealed (24 June)
Eve Online official site
CCP (Crowd Control Productions)
Discussion >>

By Rob

President Bush and Lowenstein under fire from disgruntled lawyer - 15.7.05

It seems controversial anti-game attorney Jack Thompson is back in the headlines once again. Thompson has recently written an open letter to a long list of Entertainment Software Association members, compromising developers and publishers.

In the letter he launches personal attacks on both U.S. president George Bush and the president of the ESA Doug Lowenstein. Thompson is demanding the replacement of Lowenstein as president of the ESA who he believes has failed to take the appropriate action against violent games.

Quote from the letter:

When Hitler invaded Russia, opening up an Eastern offensive on the eve of winter, Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill noted that Hitler must have been rather loosely educated, not having learned the lesson of Napoleon's autumn advance on Moscow Your Doug Lowenstein is similarly 'loosely educated' about the United States Constitution.'

Jack Thompson brands ESA "Criminal"

	« Igniq.com Gaming News Advertisements The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Dated? - 16.7.05 Cubed3.com have discovered both the U.S. and U.K. Amazon sites have posted up release dates for the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess for the GameCube. According to Amazon, the U.K. release date is set for 25 November, with the U.S. getting the game slightly earlier on the 14th. The dates aren't official information from Nintendo, so should be treated as rumour until the company states otherwise. Related: Zelda.com The Legend of Zelda Blows the Roof off E3 Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess E3 2005 screenshots Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess E3 2005 artwork Twilight Princess among CNN's Six to Watch Discussion >> By Rob GTA Hot Coffee Also Confirmed On PS2 - Rockstar Games' claim that the sex mini-game discovered in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was not created by them has been undermined by an independent test of the Playstation 2 version of the game, which cannot have unofficial content added to it. In a statement released during the week, the company blamed the content on the hackers who created the mod for the PC version, who they said would need to "alter" the game's source code to display the scenes. Gamespot decided to run a test on the PS2 version of the game, which comes on an un-moddable DVD that cannot be altered in the way the company describe: GameSpot decided to test the cheat codes circulating around the Web on a sealed, first-edition copy of San Andreas. After acquiring the "Uncensored Hot Coffee" codes from the respected tech-blog Kotaku, we entered them into an easily obtainable Action Replay Max cheat device. After entering the "Enable all Girlfriends" cheat, we began the game and then gave CJ maximum sex appeal, via a cheat from GameFAQs that requires no external code. After saving, our test editor had Carl visit the house of his nearest girlfriend, Denise in Los Santos. Carl then took Denise on a series of dates to the nearest bar. After a few complications--including being busted for two-timing by another of CJ's girlfriends--we completed a fourth date with Denise, after which she invited us into her house for "coffee." The next screen proved that the PlayStation 2 edition of the game does indeed include a sexually graphic minigame, which plays almost exactly the same as the Hot Coffee mod. It begins inside a bedroom with Denise, wearing only a pink thong and a cutoff T-shirt bearing the Rockstar logo, performing simulated fellatio on CJ, who is fully clothed in jeans and a "wife beater"-style tank top. After a few seconds, the minigame proceeds to semi-explicit simulated copulation. Although players can change the camera angle with the circle button, as well as cycle though three sexual positions with the square button, no genitalia are ever seen. To win, players must maintain a steady rhythm with the left analog stick to build up an "excitement meter" in the right-hand screen. Fill the meter and Denise becomes very excited, telling CJ he is "the man" before the game congratulates you with the words "Nice guys finish last!" Let the meter drop to empty and the game admonishes you with "Failure to satisfy a woman is a CRIME!" Confirmed: Sex minigame in PS2 San Andreas Related: Interview With Assemblyman At Centre of GTA Sex Mod Row Rockstar Again Denies Stirring Hot Coffee Senator Clinton climbs onboard Hot-Coffee witch hunt Watchdog Jumps Into GTA Sex Mod Debate Modder: "the scriptcode, the models, the animations and the dialogs by the original voice-actors were all created by RockStar" NIMF Stirs GTA Hot Coffee Debate to Next Level GTA sex scandal goes down under ESRB investigating San Andreas sex minigames Rockstar Deny Sex in GTA: San Andreas Discussion >> By Rob Interview With Assemblyman At Centre of GTA Sex Mod Row - Gamespot have an interview with Leland Yee, the Californian assemblyman whose sharp words about the Hot Coffee mod for GTA : San Andreas started a process that saw two investigations launched in different parts of the world, and had everyone from Jack Thompson to Hillary Clinton climb onboard to condemn Rockstar Games. Yee says he is glad of the huge publicity given to the issue, and hopes there are even more investigations, while reserving some hard words for the ESRB, who didn't give the game a sales-crippling AO (Adults Only) rating when it was released: The ESRB is not an appropriate forum to rate any of these games whatsoever. There's a conflict of interest. It's the fox guarding the henhouse. ... If you have the industry paying for the rating, and your salary comes out of their money, the last thing you're going to try to do is try to upset them. The last thing you're going to do is limit their market share by rating a game AO. He also expressed scepticism at Rockstar's claim that the mod wasn't an official part of the game, and that they had no control over the work of independent hackers who make mods like Hot Coffee: If, in fact, as Rockstar claims, these sexually explicit minigames were never in their games whatsoever, then I would assume that these hackers have violated the copyright of Rockstar games, of Grand Theft Auto, and that Rockstar should, in fact, take every action that they can to sue every single penny of those individuals who would violate their copyright," Yee said. "I haven't seen any of that at all, and that's why I'm suspicious of Rockstar's position of innocence. Gamespot.com: Assemblyman Yee talks Hot Coffee Related: Leland Yee's GTA: San Andreas press release Rockstar Again Denies Stirring Hot Coffee Senator Clinton climbs onboard Hot-Coffee witch hunt Watchdog Jumps Into GTA Sex Mod Debate Modder: "the scriptcode, the models, the animations and the dialogs by the original voice-actors were all created by RockStar" NIMF Stirs GTA Hot Coffee Debate to Next Level GTA sex scandal goes down under ESRB investigating San Andreas sex minigames Rockstar Deny Sex in GTA: San Andreas Discussion >> By Rob Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Game - To coincide with the release of Tim Burton's movie remake, Take2 have announced Charlie and The Chocolate Factory the game has hit retail in the U.S. The game was released yesterday for the PS2, Xbox, PC and GameBoy Advance, with the the GameCube version hitting the stores next week. The voices and likenesses of actors from the film, including star Johnny Depp, were used in the game, and creative consultation was provided by Tim Burton. The game also features some elements from the original Roald Dahl book that didn't make it to the Burton film: Inspired by the Warner Bros. Pictures feature film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton and based on the classic Roald Dahl book, the videogame allows players to embark on an adventure exploring the many extraordinary environments of the factory, including some elements from the book that do not appear in the film, accompanied by everyone's favorite Oompa-Loompas. Players discover what happens after the other children, greed-driven and unrestrained, wreak havoc throughout the factory and solve mystifying puzzles using special candy powers. Only by helping the Oompa-Loompas and restoring order to the factory can gamers earn the respect of Willy Wonka and win a prize beyond their wildest imagination! Press release Related: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory screenshots Gamespot's E3 impressions of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Official site for the movie Trailers & TV spots for the movie Discussion >> By Rob Worms Coming To PSP, Nintendo DS - THQ and Team 17 have announced Worms will be wriggling onto the PSP and Nintendo DS. No release date for either format has been announced yet, and the official press release doesn't give much info away about the gameplay, but Gamesarefun.com uncovered some extra tidbits on the Team 17 forum: Both the PSP and DS editions will feature classic Worms gameplay - as vociferously requested by our fans. Both versions have been in development for some time, news on release dates will follow much later in the year. The PSP will utilise 3d background imagery and zooming, full width 16:9 proportions. It looks cute as sin Both platforms feature ad-hoc wireless play and of course, hot-seat play as well as single player games that suit the play patterns of the devices. I.e. short bursts. The DS will feature touch-screen use; planned to be finger rather than stylus control to make it better for hot-seat situations. The touch screen will be used for map scrolling, weapon controls and stats. The gamecode is all new for both editions and not a port of earlier 2d games. A 3d version of Worms is not currently planned for these devices, for both technical and play-factor reasons bearing in mind their screen resolution and suitability to the original 2d game mechanics. Team17.com forum: PSP & DS Info (reg. req.) Related: Team17.com Worms 4: Mayhem Demo (22 June) Lemmings Coming To PSP (19 May) Discussion >> By Rob EVE Online Cold War Edition Deployed - CCP Games have announced the smooth roll-out of Cold War Edition, the major content update to EVE Online. Described as somewhere between a patch and an expansion, the update included a host of new features, and introduced a whole new beginners experience to the game, making it much easier for new players to quickly become accustomed to the game environment. CCP also previously said the Cold War Edition will pave the way for the next expansion to EVE Online, code named Kali and expected for release later in the year. EVE Online players can grab the Cold War Edition free here, and read the full list of features here. Related: EVE Online - Cold War Edition Revealed (24 June) Eve Online official site CCP (Crowd Control Productions) Discussion >> By Rob President Bush and Lowenstein under fire from disgruntled lawyer - 15.7.05 It seems controversial anti-game attorney Jack Thompson is back in the headlines once again. Thompson has recently written an open letter to a long list of Entertainment Software Association members, compromising developers and publishers. In the letter he launches personal attacks on both U.S. president George Bush and the president of the ESA Doug Lowenstein. Thompson is demanding the replacement of Lowenstein as president of the ESA who he believes has failed to take the appropriate action against violent games. Quote from the letter: When Hitler invaded Russia, opening up an Eastern offensive on the eve of winter, Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill noted that Hitler must have been rather loosely educated, not having learned the lesson of Napoleon's autumn advance on Moscow Your Doug Lowenstein is similarly 'loosely educated' about the United States Constitution.' Jack Thompson brands ESA "Criminal" Related: Thompson You Ignorant Slut Jack Thompson Goes Head-to-Head (Attempted)Open Discussion with Jack Thompson CBSNews GameSpeak: Jack Thompson (Feb 2005) Jack Thompson: "kiss the game industry good-bye" Jack Thompson (declines to) speak out on gaming violence (Nov 2004) About Jack Thompson Jack Thompson's stopkill.com Discussion >> By Gary Xbox to make the big splash on November 4th? - According to Xbox365.com, Microsoft may have let slip the official release date for their upcoming Xbox 360 console. The article claims to have got the information from a Microsoft partner site. The Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system places you at the center of the experience. Available this holiday season, Xbox 360 ignites a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized, and always in high definition. Launch Date: November 4 2005 Whether or not the release date turns out to be accurate, November was the slated release date so it would fit in nicely with earlier announcements from MS. Xbox 360 Launch Date \| Via Kotaku Related: Xbox 360 design team bare all Xbox 360 In Black Hundreds of Fan-Created Xbox 360 Faceplates Report: Xbox 360 Mass Production To Start In August Japan yawns at Xbox 360 Xbox 360 Beta Kit Image Hits The Web PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? Xbox 360 Beta Dev-Kits Shipped To Developers Team Ninja chief attacks Xbox 360 DVDs PS3/Xbox360/PSP/DS Compatibility Rumours Swirl Discussion >> By Gary No Godfather game in '05, Cube release not likely - Earlier we reported that Godfather legend, Marlon Brando's voice will not likely appear in the upcoming Godfather game. There are now reports coming in that suggest EA has delayed the entire project until a later date. The game had been slated for release to PC, Xbox 360, GameCube, PS2 and PSP later this year, but according to an article over on Ferrago, EA are now looking at an early 2006 release. The Godfather is one of the most cherished franchises in entertainment. Releasing the game in early 2006 allows us more time to perfect the open-world experience of being a member of the Corleone family, explains Executive producer David DeMartini. EA has also said that there is no plan to develop the Godfather for Nintendo's GameCube any time soon, despite earlier speculation to the contrary.. Whilst the power of the Godfather brand is expected to mean this delay won't impact sales, it is believed that EA's results prior to Christmas may be harmed by the delay - though we're more than convinced this won't do EA any real harm. In related news, EA have also confirmed that The Godfather isn't planned for the GameCube any time soon - despite rumours sourced to EA Italy suggesting the contrary. More on this soon, my children. Godfather delayed, not on Cube Related: Brando's recordings not fit for Godfather game? Coppola No Fan of Godfather Game Godfather film director whacks Godfather game Coppola Slams Godfather Game Caan, Duvall join Brando to voice Godfather (2 Feb) Discussion >> By Gary Blue-Ray all the way, consumers say - Following recent turmoil surrounding the next-gen DVD wars between Toshiba's HD-DVD and Sony's Blue-Ray, it appears that consumers have spoken out in favour of Blue-Ray disks which will be appearing in Sony's Playstation 3 next year. The survey was conducted by US polling firm Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates in which they presented customers with all the important factors surrounding each of the formats, like: technology company support, film studio support, games console support, storage capacity, potential movie title availability and estimated launch dates. Out of 1200 people who participated in the survey, only 16 percent favoured Toshiba's HD-DVD offering, 26 percent were undecided but 58 percent of the people surveyed were sold on Sony's next-gen DVD format. Those who chose Blu-Ray gave reasons such as the potential to play the discs in a greater range of CE devices, PCs and games consoles, backwards compatibility with the current DVD format, greater disc capacity and the potential to store bigger amounts of both HD and standard definition media. "While we are still in the pre-launch phase for both formats, Blu-Ray is the early front runner," said PSB's Mark Penn. "Consumers perceive Blu-Ray as the favourite on technology company support, gaming, storage and disc lifestyle." Consumers choose Blu-Ray over HD-DVD Related: Xbox 360 to side with HD-DVD? Kutaragi: No agreement on Next-Gen DVDs Discussion >> By Gary EA snub Revolution? - In a recent interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu, EA has hinted that Nintendo's next-gen Revolution console will not be high priority for them. According to the interview, EA Vice-President David Gardner told Famitsu that Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's Playstation 3 will be getting the 'main force' of EA's support next-generation. What exactly this means for the Revolution is at this stage unknown, with a possible continued trend of EA just giving Nintendo ports of releases from other platforms speculated. Certainly, EA will be supporting the Revolution to a degree, but at this point exactly how much is now unclear. EA Reluctant To Support Revolution? Related: Nintendo Revolution "Deepthroat" Dropping Hints? Nintendo Revolution Ad? Wireless Router For Nintendo Revolution, DS? Revolution To Be Much Cheaper than Xbox 360, PS3 Nintendo's E3 Interactive Floor Display Classic Nintendo titles remade on Revolution? (23 June) 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 Gary Battlefield Sector - Half Life Fallout has announced another add-on game site to its network. After the recent announcement of Star Wars Tactics, Battlefield Sector has been launched as a site with up to date news, articles and information for Battlefield 2. From the about page: Our main goal is to keep you updated on the latest Battlefield 2 news as it happens. But also providing quality downloads, articles and much more. Be sure to make yourself at home in our forum, and once you're all settled in? Feel free to drop by the IRC channel too! Battlefield Sector contains loads of information about the game. BFS includes an overview of the game, as well as information about the maps, classes, weapons, vehicles and ranks of Battlefield 2. Battlefield Sector Launched Related: Star Wars Tactics EA advise fans to uninstall Battlefield 2 Discussion >> By Gary Nintendo Revolution "Deepthroat" Dropping Hints? - We received a pretty vague email about the Nintendo Revolution from someone who doesn't give any specific details, but comes across like he might have some new info and wants everyone to guess what it is (apart from us, it was sent to a number of major sites who haven't published it yet).: Revolutionary Factor Its Really All Too Simple. The rumors about Nintendo's newly announced console are being passed around these days like the common 'One Dollar Bill'. Not to say this is a bad thing, however, just how far does the speculation go before turning people away? Hold the phone. Speculation never does that. Why is this 'Revolution' different? The mock-ups have become dull, and redundant. What is left of the non-discredited rumors, however educated of a guess they were, has left the watcher to think for themselves as to what the mystery is. Nintendo has yet to bring anything forward since the late E3, setting aside the few details of already confirmed specs. A relatively new photo has sparked my personal interest as to what is ahead for 'us' to discover. We, as a whole, are waiting for any lick of information to drop from the tight grasp of the Big N's bound hands. There is only one question left to ask. Why aren't we thinking "outside the box", when it comes to our speculations? For those of you who didn't quite catch on, the before mentioned photo was that of a poster that simply stated, "Revolution begins March 2006. Think outside the box.". The stale ideas of touch screens, gyroscopic abilities, and dual-controllers have gone on far enough. What are we going to see in this system that will make us all say "wow", in a lovely state of awe. With a seemingly endless ammount of information at our fingertips, ala the internet, how can we have reached our peek of creativity? Has Nintendo officially stumped the obscure minds of its loyal customers? Well, maybe it hasn't. The hype certainly hasn't died down, however, the speculation is in a checkmate position. Nintendo can choose to cut us off, or we can flip the playing table, and turn this into a 'whole different game'. I guess i can't order a full attack on established reasoning without giving fuel. So I have found one thought that has been gnawing at the back of my mind. Why does the Revolution have a "Docking Station" exclusively for Gamecube controllers and memory cards? Can these not simply just be built into the system itself? Well there is a logical explination, as that could be considered a size issue. It still raises the question as to why they would call it a "Docking Station", that is, unless it was meant to 'move around'. Ok, that is going a little TOO far outside of this miracle box. It's like saying Nintendo is going to throw a flip-up screen and battery somewhere into the already miniscule machine. That's more than way out there, close to an impossibility, but it's a start. The focus, in general, is on the controller. While the controller is important, it more than likely compliments the features not yet 'revealed'. Though i don't know how much longer those features can be restrained. Just because an 'official picture' has been released, doesn't mean there isn't something left to discover inside the box that is "outside the box". If the controller were the revolutionary item in question, Sony and Microsoft would adapt quickly enough to essentially take away its selling point. The secrecy of what this system holds in store for us, can not only be with the controller, but in the device that is only 3 DVD cases in size. An item so small holds something 'so big', but what? It's not new. It is really all too simple. Find me. It's all about the 'Game'. ~Your Deepthroat~ Related: Nintendo Revolution Ad? Wireless Router For Nintendo Revolution, DS? Revolution To Be Much Cheaper than Xbox 360, PS3 Nintendo's E3 Interactive Floor Display Classic Nintendo titles remade on Revolution? (23 June) 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 Rockstar Again Denies Stirring Hot Coffee - 14.7.05 The huge stir caused by the discovery of a pornographic mini-game in GTA: San Andreas has forced the usually press-shy Rockstar Games to release a statement disowning the mod that enables it. A spokesperson for the company had earlier told Gamespot.com the mod was not an official part of the game. Rockstar claim the scenes in the Hot Coffee mod "cannot be created without intentional and significant technical modifications and reverse engineering of the game's source code", before going on to say they are looking at ways to increase the security of the source code to prevent the game being altered by the mod. However, the creator of the Hot Coffee mod has said "the scriptcode, the models, the animations and the dialogs by the original voice-actors were all created by RockStar", which has resulted in two separate investigations into the game, by the ESRB in the U.S. and the ratings board in Australia. Political heavyweight Hillary Clinton has also jumped into the controversy, and is expected to call on the Federal Trade Commission to launch an inquiry into the matter. Rockstar Games blames Hot Coffee on hackers Related: Senator Clinton climbs onboard Hot-Coffee witch hunt Watchdog Jumps Into GTA Sex Mod Debate Modder: "the scriptcode, the models, the animations and the dialogs by the original voice-actors were all created by RockStar" NIMF Stirs GTA Hot Coffee Debate to Next Level GTA sex scandal goes down under ESRB investigating San Andreas sex minigames Rockstar Deny Sex in GTA: San Andreas Discussion >> By Rob Marvel MMOG's Coming To Xbox 360 - Microsoft and Marvel have announced a partnership to create massively multiplayer online games featuring Marvel characters for the Xbox 360. The game universe will feature Marvel's 5,000+ characters, which include the X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Spider Man and The Hulk, and Microsoft's Peter Moore said the plan is to "use as many of the Marvel characters as we can" for the game. Reuters reports the first title from the deal is expected for release in 2008, while more official details are promised for the coming months. Reuters: Microsoft and Marvel ink online game deal - Press release Related: Marvel.com Hulk website officially live Fantastic Four Screenshots Emerge (7 June) Sony acquire rights to produce DC Comics MMOG Discussion >> By Rob Battlefield 2 Expansion Pack Announced - EA Games and Digital Illusions have announced an expansion pack for Battlefield 2. Battlefield 2: Special Forces will let players fight as one of 6 different Special Forces soldiers - Navy SEALs, British SAS, Russian Spetznas, MEC Special Forces, Rebel groups and insurgents. Players will be equipped with all the latest Special Forces weaponry and gadgets, and will have 10 new vehicles at their disposal. The expansion is scheduled for release this winter for the PC: Battlefield 2 Special Forces takes the intensity and quality of Battlefield 2 behind the scenes of news headlines, showcasing the most elite and deadly forces in the modern military world. Using accurate Special Forces weapons, gadgets, and vehicles, these covert armies battle to control key military and strategic locations. Press release - Check the forum for BF2: Special Forces screenshots Related: Official website Dice EA Games EA advise fans to uninstall Battlefield 2 Battlefield 2 GPU Wars, ATI Vs Nvidia EA expected to tackle BF2 server issues EA launch first Battlefield 2 patch Battlefield 2 video card dilemma Battlefield 2 demo, mirrors and torrent Discussion >> By Rob Mythic Put Sci-Fi MMORPG On Ice - Mythic Entertainment have announced their postponement of Imperator, a sci-fi MMORPG they had scheduled for a 2006 release. The company have set themselves a standard of "nothing less than triple-A games", and said Imperator simply wasn't meeting that standard. The staff working on Imperator will be reassigned to their other current games, Dark Age of Camelot and the Warhammer MMORPG, announced recently at the E3: "Our team made a tremendous effort with the game and the praise it drew at E3 and in previews reflected their skill and dedication," [CEO of Mythic, Mark] Jacobs continued. "But in the final analysis it just wasn't great enough to be a Mythic game at this time." Mythic will perform an internal reassessment of the game's features and make a decision on how to proceed with its development in the future. The decision to postpone "Imperator" also means that the company's plans to establish a European publishing office have been postponed. It is expected that those plans will resume as the company prepares for its 2007 worldwide publication of the "Warhammer" MMORPG. MYTHIC ENTERTAINMENT TO POSTPONE PRODUCTION OF "IMPERATOR" MMORPG Related: ImperatorOnline.com Mythic Entertainment 14 Day Free Trial of Dark Age of Camelot Warhammer MMORPG Planned for 2007 (19 May) Discussion >> By Rob Planetwide Announce Comic Book Creator - Planetwide Games have revealed that their latest piece of software in development will let gamers create comic books using screenshots from their favourite games. The Comic Book Creator isn't available just yet, but the features listed include a drag & drop interface for adding text to the screenshots, as well as the ability to easily add effects and balloons to the story. The software will save the newly created comics as PDF files, ready for printing. For more information, check out the official site. Related: Planetwide Games RYL.net $1M RYL Tourney Underway, Monthly Fee Now Optional (1 June) Gamasutra: Planetwide Games Plans Extreme Sports MMO (23 June) RYL Hits Retail (22 June) Discussion >> By Rob Become a Drug Lord in "The Dope Game" - A sure-to-be-controversial sim has been released by New Zealand developer 89 Games called "The Dope Game", the aim of which is to earn cash by growing marijuana and opium on farms, or by manufacturing harder stuff (morphine and heroin) in labs. The PC game features 3D graphics and a third-person perspective, and players must protect their illegal business from law enforcement by stocking up on weapons, including mines, turrets and missile launchers. More info on the game can be found at Gamespot Discussion >> By Rob Black & White 2 Mailbag & Screenshot - Lionhead have released a new screenshot for Black & White 2, and answered questions from fans in a new mailbag Q&A. Among the questions answered are how to become a B&W2 beta tester, and a rough idea of the systems specs that will be required to play the game: Will it take a super-computer to run Black and White 2, or do you know the system requirements yet? Alan O'Dwyer Hi Alan, currently we don’t know the system requirements yet. Most likely we are looking at similar requirements like other (more demanding and recently released) games. Black&White 2 attempts to push back the barriers of games in all areas; graphics, gameplay, audio etc… The Black & White 2 Mailbag #4, screenshot Related: Black & White 2 official site Black & White 2 screenshots Video interview of Peter Molyneux about B&W2 Black & White Series To Have 5 Installments Black & White 2 official site Black & White Creatures For DS (12 May) Discussion >> By Rob Brothers in Arms Mod Kit Released - Ubisoft have released the software development kit for the WWII shooter Brothers in Arms, allowing players to create their own missions and maps for the game, as well as their own unique weapons and characters. The SDK is a small 14.7 MB file and can be downloaded from the official BiA site; for specifications and features, check the readme file here. Related: Brothers In Arms official site Brothers in Arms demo UBIsoft Announce Brothers In Arms Earned In Blood (19 May) Brothers In Arms - Tested Cheats Gearbox Software - developer Discussion >> By Rob You can't handle the G-man! - The creative folks over at nailbiter.net have put together a reenactment of the famous court scene from the film 'A Few Good Men' using Half Life 2 modding tools. G-man is there, Barney too and many others to take the place of Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. Hey gang, this is my first crack at making movies with the HL2 engine. I originally thought this would be a quick "two-weeks" maximum project ("hey, the phoneme editor practically does all the work for you!"), but turned into a 2 month learning experience. I probably would have hesistated had I known what I was in for, but thought this would be a good test project (and didn't you always want to see the G-Man get grilled?). A Few Good G-Men Related: Garry's Mod v8.3a released I'm Still Seeing Breen - HL2 Music Video (07 03 05) Discussion >> By Gary Senator Clinton climbs onboard Hot-Coffee witch hunt - The Hot-Coffee witch-hunt has stepped up another notch as New York senator and former 1st lady Hillary Clinton gets onboard to whoop some Rockstar ass into moral shape. The New York senator is expected to call on the Federal Trade commission to launch an inquiry into the so called 'Hot Coffee' mod for GTA: San Andreas. Hillary Clinton is no stranger in voicing her disgust for violence in games. In fact, she has already trampled on San Andreas before, calling it a 'major threat' to morality. Children are playing a game that encourages them to have sex with prostitutes and then murder them. This is a silent epidemic of media desensitisation that teaches kids it'’s OK to diss people because they are a woman, they'’re a different color or they'’re from a different place. Clinton is determined to get to the bottom of the controversial sex mod and find who is responsible for making it. Clinton is expected to call on the FTC to determine who is responsible for the Hot Coffee mod, a modification that unlocks sexually explicit minigames in Rockstar's recently published PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Hillary Clinton to take on Rockstar over Hot Coffee Related: Watchdog Jumps Into GTA Sex Mod Debate Modder: "the scriptcode, the models, the animations and the dialogs by the original voice-actors were all created by RockStar" NIMF Stirs GTA Hot Coffee Debate to Next Level GTA sex scandal goes down under ESRB investigating San Andreas sex minigames Rockstar Deny Sex in GTA: San Andreas Discussion >> By Gary Hulk website officially live - Vivendi Universal has announced that the official website for the upcoming The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction has been launched. The site features some details about the features of the game, some downloadable wallpapers, icons for online chat programs. All that plus tasty trailers and screenshots to get your appetite whet. In the game, players play as the ragin' Marvel Comics superhero The Incredible Hulk. Hulk can run rampant in the game's open environments, destroying just about anything that makes him cross, and using debris as weapons. There will be more than 30 main missions and 40 side missions, as well as rumbles with bosses such as The Abomination and Mercy. Hulk punches out new Web site The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is slated for release to PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox on August 23. Check out the website Discussion >> By Gary I want the house, the kids, oh and the avatars - Couples have to deal with many property issues when divorcing. It might be kids, a car, old records. It's slightly different for gaming couple Mr Wang and Ms Ye who are currently in a bitter dispute as to who gets to keep the avatars from their favourite game, Legend of Mir 2. The couple met online while playing the game last year and married within four weeks, but now it seems that after achieving a 'level forty or fifty status' in the game, they decided to call it a day. The accounts are valued in the region of 50,000 Yuan (or about $6,500 US), but the dispute over who keeps the characters is growing ever-bitter - with Wang offering their apartment in return for the accounts, whilst Ye wants to sell the apartment, splitting the proceeds, and the LoM 2 accounts, equally. A compromise seems far off on this matter, but lawyers are working on it. This case certainly demonstrates the power of the MMOG in China. More soon. Chinese couple battle for MMOG avatars Related: Dispute Over Virtual Sword Ends In Death 30 03 05 Discussion >> By Gary EA look to boost market share in Japan - According to the latest issue of Famitsu magazine, EA has plans to increase its market share in Japan by developing games that will appeal to Japanese gamers. EA's senior vice president of international publishing, David Hardner was interviewed by Famitsu. Gardner is entrusted with overseeing EA's European and Asian publishing operations. Gardner told Famitsu that EA have plans to employ two major strategies in order to expand its market share in Japan. Firstly, EA has plans to hold back on the amount of games it currently imports into Japan. Instead selecting the finest cuts which they believe will entice Japanese gamers. However, American games are still generally cult products in Japan, aside from a few titles such as the Grand Theft Auto series. Gardner said that it will be easier to win over the Japanese customers' interest by developing games locally rather than by trying to convince them that American games are good. So as its second step, EA is expanding its studio in Japan. Electronic Arts developing next-gen console game in Japan Related: EA advise fans to uninstall Battlefield 2 Madden signs extension with EA EA could make a move for Jamdat: Smith Barney Discussion >> By Gary Sony and Nvidia, buddies forever? - According to reports coming in, Nvidia may be sticking around with Sony, long after the launch of Sony's PS3 next year. David Kirk, Nvidia's chief scientist and leader of the teams behind the recent GeForce 7800 graphics card and PS3 GPU has hinted that Nvidia will be working with Sony closely and extensively in the future. The Nvidia heavyweight told UK website Bit-Tech that their relationship with Sony thus far has been 'great' and that both companies shared a much broader vision for the future of graphics. While NVIDIA's dealings with Microsoft have traditionally been based around a customer-supplier relationship, NVIDIA has worked in close co-operation with the Japanese giant to design the RSX chip for its next-gen console. NVIDIA's Sony relationship will go beyond PS3 Related: PS3 Router Function Dropped Playstation 3 tech specs PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? The Kraziness of Ken Kutaragi PS3 Not a Toy, But a Linux Supercomputer (14 June) Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks (14 June) Sony's Kutaragi: MS playing catch up with PS2? (10 June) Kutaragi: Microsoft Still Not a Blackbelt (2 June) Ken Kutaragi: PS3 An "Entertainment Supercomputer" (25 May) Apple Powering XBox 360 Demos at E3? (20 May) PlayStation 3 SDK Hardware Images On The Web Discussion >> By Gary Tomb Raider's Djimon Hounsou and Bono to tackle poverty - 13.7.05 Tomb Raider star Djimon Hounsou has recently teamed up with U2 frontman Bono, in an attempt to encourage African scholars to give back to their homeland and help rid the corruption among some African politicians and leaders. The Tomb Raider star is also a native of Benin and believes that he can achieve his goals if the top minds are there to lend a supporting role. "So many countries in Africa have not really had great leaders because of corruption, so I'm working with Bono in trying to find ways to get African scholars and African artists together to find solutions to end corruption in some of the places." Hounsou said. "We do need to improve in trading with the West and we do need to improve on an education level. We do need to end corruption. We need help, but more than anything, Africa needs to be able to trade with the West. That's the only way we can be self-sufficient. TOMB RAIDER STAR LOBBIES FOR AFRICA Related: Angelina Jolie and Bob Geldof Combine Forces Discussion >> By Gary Xbox 360 design team bare all - Gamasutra has an interesting and thorough write-up in which they discuss the design of the Xbox 360 with the people behind the look of the upcoming next-gen console. Microsoft is first out the door in the next-gen console wars, so it's not very surprising that they are getting a lot of attention lately, also some close scrutiny I might add, courtesy of critics and Kuteragi. Check out Gamasutra's interview with the Xbox 360 design team, were they delve into the evolution of the console and the reasoning behind the design. Related: Xbox 360 In Black Hundreds of Fan-Created Xbox 360 Faceplates Report: Xbox 360 Mass Production To Start In August Japan yawns at Xbox 360 Xbox 360 Beta Kit Image Hits The Web PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? Xbox 360 Beta Dev-Kits Shipped To Developers Team Ninja chief attacks Xbox 360 DVDs PS3/Xbox360/PSP/DS Compatibility Rumours Swirl Discussion >> By Gary Are hackers stealing your cyber-money? - Korean media reports are suggesting that hackers are using daring new tactics in an attempt to steal cyber-money from players of MMORPG titles. The report claims that popular websites are being hacked in order to seed password stealing software which then collects users' passwords. The passwords are then used to hack into the player's account were the hacker can help themselves to all the cyber-money he or she can hold. A 37-year-old man named Lee is said to have hired eight Chinese hackers who installed Trojan horses on popular Korean websites and are said to have stolen 50,000 usernames and passwords in May. Another 37-year-old, named Cho, is alleged to have launched a denial-of-service attack against a popular massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) website and stole $150,000 in "cyber-money" from users of the game. A man named Kim, 22, is said to have used a Trojan horse to have stolen $50,000 in "cyber-money". In the last couple pf weeks alone, Korea's MSN website has been hacked and malicious code planted in an attempt to steal from players of the popular 'Lineage' online fantasy game. Suspected gang who stole from online game players arrested in Korea, Sophos reports Related: Chinese Gamer Gets Suspended Death Sentence For Sword Murder Discussion >> By Gary Second Life 'London Bombing' Memorial - Residents of Second Life got together recently for a memorial, in response to the recent bombings in London. The gathering in this virtual world was to pay tribute to the people killed in the terrorist attacks of last Thursday. What struck me -- and I thought that I already knew this, but maybe I didn't know it as strongly as I know it now -- was that what was happening in the virtual worlds was exactly what was happening in my neighborhood. I'm a hermit, and generally avoid people as much as possible. But in the aftermath of Sept. 11, I found myself walking around Berkeley, talking to strangers, sharing a laugh, and connecting with people for reasons I can't begin to comprehend. I never fully captured that spirit about games -- that for all their blustery sounds and graphics, what we love most about online worlds is that they give us a chance to interact with strangers, not just to go on adventures, but also to say hello. To announce that we exist. And to chat with old friends, virtual or otherwise. In-game memorial \| Via Wonderland Related: MMORPG Players Salute Superman Discussion >> By Gary 'Operation Site Down' closes 8 illegal game servers - The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has applauded efforts by the U.S. and other foreign law enforcement agents for taking down multiple servers hosting the download of copyright-protected games. Dubbed 'Operation Site Down' (how corny), the global anti-piracy enforcement initiative was involved in the dismantling of at least eight online servers who were shelling out millions of dollars worth of games for people to download freely. We commend U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of JusticeÂs Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section, U.S. AttorneysÂ offices nationwide, and participating foreign law enforcement officials for their tremendous efforts in targeting these online piracy groups, which represent major priorities for the interactive video game industry,Â said Doug Lowenstein, president of ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. ÂThis kind of global enforcement action sends a clear message to the pirate community: when it comes to fighting piracy, there are no borders. Intellectual property theft will continue to be pursued aggressively through the combined efforts of foreign law enforcement officials the world over. The operation targeted release groups who manufacture copied games, software etc. Some groups on their list were 'Myth', 'Vengeance', and 'Gamerz,' who they claim were specialists in the 'early distribution of pirated games throughout the world via the Internet.' U.S. and foreign law enforcement officials conducted close to 100 searches worldwide within a 24-hour period. Searches occurred in the U.S., Canada, Israel, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, and Australia. The investigation has identified more than 120 individuals around the world, including many leaders or high-level members of piracy groups. The Department of Justice expects that additional targets will be identified and pursued during this ongoing investigation. Video Game Industry Applauds Worldwide Piracy Raids In 'Operation Site Down' Related: The Shadow Internet (02 01 05) Discussion >> By Gary Brando's recordings not fit for Godfather game? - According to the New York Times, Marlon Brando's voice will not be used in the upcoming Godfather game. The NWT suggest that Brando's 'fragile condition' prevented the actor from producing any recordings that could be even considered for use in the game. EA however, claim that some of his audio work may still be used. Instead of hearing the legendary actor, in his place will be a professional voice mimic, guided by Brando's voice to try imitate him as accurate as possible. Marlon Brando's condition was purportedly so bad during the recording sessions for the game, that he needed the assistance of an oxygen tank in order to breath. It was the noise of Brando breathing through a tube to the oxygen tank that rendered the recordings unusable. When asked for clarification, EA spokespersons said the company had "recorded multiple sessions with a sound-alike to capture the entire performance of the Don Vito character, something we were not able to do with Mr. Brando." However, they said some of the actor's voice may end up in the final game. "It's still to be determined how the development team will choose to use what was recorded with Mr. Brando," said a rep. Brando not voicing Godfather? The game itself is slated for release to PC, Xbox 360, GameCube, PS2 and PSP later this year. Related: Coppola No Fan of Godfather Game Godfather film director whacks Godfather game Coppola Slams Godfather Game Caan, Duvall join Brando to voice Godfather (2 Feb) Discussion >> By Gary Xbox 360 In Black - 12.7.05 Though users will be able to change the faceplate of the Xbox 360, it will be the only next-gen console that won't be made available in alternative colours when it's released. So a fan has created a concept-image of what a black 360 would look like, and personally I think I prefer it to the official colour. Check out a high-res image of the black Xbox 360 via Kotaku Related: Hundreds of Fan-Created Xbox 360 Faceplates Report: Xbox 360 Mass Production To Start In August Japan yawns at Xbox 360 Xbox 360 Beta Kit Image Hits The Web PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? Xbox 360 Beta Dev-Kits Shipped To Developers Team Ninja chief attacks Xbox 360 DVDs PS3/Xbox360/PSP/DS Compatibility Rumours Swirl Discussion >> By Rob Updated Space Invaders Coming To PSP - Gamespot are reporting that Marvellous Interactive are 85% of the way to completing an updated Space Invaders for the Sony PSP. Entitled Space Invaders: Galaxy Beat, the game will include many modern enhancements from the original arcade classic, including 3D graphics, a first-person view and an updated look for the invaders. In addition to the main game, Galaxy Beat will feature a 4-player wireless mode, and a clever matchup mode that will let two players play against each other with one PSP - each player will hold one end of the handheld turned 90 degrees as they battle each against each other. Also included will be a mode to play the original Space Invaders, replete with black and white graphics. Official site for Space Invaders: Galaxy Beat (Japanese) - More information over on Gamespot Related: Marvelous Interactive official site (Japanese) Space Invaders facts on the Wikipedia Discussion >> By Rob Age of Empires MMOG? - A job listing on Ensemble Studio's website has started a rumour that an Age of Empires massively-multiplayer online game might be in the works. The company are recruiting for a Senior Server Programmer to assist in creating "a world-class massively multiplayer game", listed as a "must" for the position is experience with shipping an existing MMOG. It's unclear if the plan is for an Age of Empires MMOG, or for another unnamed project; so far there has been no official comment from Microsoft. Ensemble Studios Jobs - via Eurogamer Related: Ensemble Studios AgeofEmpires3.com Age of Empires 3 Gameplay Footage and Previews Age of Empires Coming to Nintendo DS (18 May) Age of Empires III Announced (5 Jan) Discussion >> By Rob Atari Flashback 2 To Include Activision, Homebrew Games - Atari have announced they will be licensing Pitfall and River Raid from Activision, and will be including the classic titles in the Atari Flashback 2.0 console. The Flashback 2.0 will be modeled after the Atari 2600 - right down to the wood-grain paneling and joysticks - and will also include 40 Atari titles like Centipede, Asteroids and Missile Command. Interestingly, Atari also plan to make the console hackable, allowing users to run their own homebrew games on them. The company have also embraced the homebrew dev community further by including some of their games officially with the console. The Flashback 2.0 is planned for release next month, with a budget price of under $30. ATARI AND ACTIVISION INK LICENSING AGREEMENT FOR ATARI(R) FLASHBACK 2 Related: Atari Flashback 2 (19 May) GREAT GAMES NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE: ATARI FLASHBACK 2.0 ANNOUNCED (April '05) Original Atari Flashback console: Atari 7800 experience Discussion >> By Rob Watchdog Jumps Into GTA Sex Mod Debate - The National Institute on Media and the Family has added its voice to those outraged by the discovery of a sex mini-game apparently hidden away in GTA: San Andreas by Rockstar Games. The group has issued a National Parental Warning about the game and added a FAQ to their website, warning parents that their children could be exposed to pornographic material. The scandal began last month when news of the 'Hot Coffee' mod for GTA San Andreas appeared on the web, alongside claims that it was official code left in the game by Rockstar Games. A Californian assemblyman laid the blame at the feet of the ESRB, who he said should have given the game an AO (Adults Only) rating; in response, the ESRB have launched an official investigation into San Andreas, promising "appropriate action" if it finds Rockstar have violated the rules set down by the organisation. Rockstar have since told Gamespot that they did not include the code in the game, but today the hacker who uncovered it insisted that it is official code: Now widely reported in the Associated Press and other outlets, the mod was authored by 36-year-old Patrick Wildenborg, a Dutch gamer and a member of the modder community, those computer users who alter a game's programming for creative purposes, often adding new character "skins," altering weapons, or adding new items as aspiring game developers. The retail release of the game does allow for the game's protagonist, CJ, to indulge in blatantly sexual activity with his girlfriends--any in-game activity of that sort takes place behind closed doors and is merely accompanied by suggestive sounds. The Hot Coffee mod lets gamers into the bedroom to watch CJ get in flagrante delicto with a lady and even have control over the participants' actions. Wildenborg insists that the X-rated code is already in the game and that all his patch does is bypass the game's "censor flags." Rockstar has remained largely quiet on the situation, but a representative from the company did tell GameSpot on Friday that the explicit code was not inserted by Rockstar or its agents in the retail discs. Debate intensifies over Hot Coffee sex in GTA Related: Modder: "the scriptcode, the models, the animations and the dialogs by the original voice-actors were all created by RockStar" NIMF Stirs GTA Hot Coffee Debate to Next Level GTA sex scandal goes down under ESRB investigating San Andreas sex minigames Rockstar Deny Sex in GTA: San Andreas Discussion >> By Rob Wireless Router For Nintendo Revolution, DS? - Hot on the heels of the news that Sony have been forced to drop the router functionality from the PS3 because it would be too expensive, it's being reported that Nintendo have plans to produce a router that will allow access to the Nintendo WiFi network from the DS and upcoming Revolution: The router plugs into a USB 2.0 port and transfers your computers internet connection wirelessly into your next-gen Nintendo devices. Nintendo feels this is a easier and better solution than providing an accessory to allow a hardline connection, and I tend to agree. Details, pricing, and release date have not been announced. Nwizard.com: Nintendo Making a Revolution Router via Slashdot Related: Nintendo and GameSpy Team Up for Free DS WiFi (11 May) Nintendo ON Creator Uncovered No Revolution 'til after PS3? Revolution To Be Much Cheaper than Xbox 360, PS3 Nintendo's Amazing E3 Interactive Floor Display Revolution Controller Mockups Gallery Discussion >> By Rob Report: Xbox 360 Mass Production To Start In August - It's being reported that mass production for the Xbox 360 is due to begin next month, though Microsoft have yet to give official confirmation. A report appeared on the news section of the official site for the Taiwan government which said two companies, Foxlink International and Ji-Haw Industrial will begin to deliver components to the assembly line in August: Two Taiwan companies, Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co. (Foxlink) and Ji-Haw Industrial Co., Ltd., have won orders for connectors used on the new-generation game consoles Xbox 360 from Microsoft of the U.S. Foxlink will start delivering Xbox 360 connectors in August. The firm's chairman T.C. Gou claimed that his company does not rule out venturing into game-console assembly business in the future. Ji-Haw said that it has poured NT$90 million (US$2.84 million at US$1: NT$31.7) into establishing a new production line of Xbox connectors, which will be ready for mass production in August. (The story has since disappeared from the Taiwan website, though it can be viewed through Yahoo cache.) Story via Spong.com Related: Japan yawns at Xbox 360 Xbox 360 Beta Kit Image Hits The Web Sony's Kutaragi: MS playing catch up with PS2? Kutaragi: Microsoft Still Not a Blackbelt Xbox 360 Beta Dev-Kits Shipped To Developers Apple Powering XBox 360 Demos at E3? (20 May) Discussion >> By Rob Titan Quest Website Launched - Publisher THQ has now launched the official website to Iron Lore's upcoming action adventure Titan Quest. Set in the mythical worlds of ancient Greece and Egypt, and developed by the co-creator of Age of Empires, Brian Sullivan, the game does not even try to hide its resemblance to Diablo by offering fast-paced hack'n'slay action with a plethora of items to loot and a flexible class system for the main character. You will battle hordes of evil minions in famous locations such as the Great Pyramids or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. While Diablo's graphics were outdated the day it was released, Titan Quest's lush 3D world may set a new benchmark for the genre. To get an impression of the game's visual quality, the website comes along with an interesting video showing in-game scenes and several screenshots. The game is likely to hit the shelves in spring 2006. Related info: Titan Quest Website Iron Lore THQ Discussion >> By Chris id Software no longer leading games innovation? - Veteran animator Steve Bowler has an interesting write-up over on Next-Gen.biz in which he discusses what he calls 'How Id Lost its Crown'. Bowler looks at the rise of popular 3d gaming from the now 12 year old Doom game, right up to present day Doom 3 from id Software. According to the article, id has somehow lost touch with what today's gamers are looking for in a game. 'But one day, the industry changed', Steve says, that id did not take into account. Bowler looks towards Counter Strike and Unreal Tournament as possible culprits of id's demise in popular gaming. Yes, it's upsetting. I tried not to admit it either. But it's undeniably true. Some have even argued that Doom 3 is a step backwards in FPS gaming, that even when it hit the shelves we were already years past where it hoped to position itself. The problem, it seems, lies at the core of where Doom came from, and the hopes we had for Doom 3. It was a tale of gameplay, graphics, and mistakes. Doomed: How Id Lost its Crown Related: Doom Movie Logo? Universal Pictures listing for Doom The Movie Doom (2005) on IMDb.com Doom Coming to Phones (7 June) Doom 3 Expansion, uninspiring money grabber? id Software Biopic In The Pipeline (15 April) Doom 3 Mods List Discussion >> By Gary EA advise fans to uninstall Battlefield 2 - Battlefield 2 was greeted with a lot of praise upon its release, but very soon a lot of problems turned happy gamers into frustrated demons. First Battlefield 2 disappointed fans of lower end graphics cards when they discovered they would not be able to play the game with their GeForce 4 graphics cards, that plus a number of other bugs forced EA to release a patch for the game. This did not help anything as the patch itself appeared to be a buggy endeavor all on its own, the main concern was a memory leak that caused some servers to reboot. EA has recently owned up to the buggy patch and given fans the advice of uninstalling Battlefield 2, then reinstalling but this time not to download their last patch. Advice I'm sure, fans will not be very happy with but that's the bottom dollar folks. In the meantime, gamers have been officially told to uninstall Battlefield 2 and play without the patch; advice that many fans are not happy to hear. Meanwhile, some sites are still offering the 1.01 patch for download on their front pages, only adding to the confusion. When are game companies going to learn? Quality assurance and play-testing should not be an afterthought!" EA's Advice is to Uninstall Battlefield 2 Related: Battlefield 2 GPU Wars, ATI Vs Nvidia EA expected to tackle BF2 server issues EA launch first Battlefield 2 patch Battlefield 2 video card dilemma Battlefield 2 demo, mirrors and torrent Official website Dice EA Games Discussion >> By Gary Massive ads coming to Atari's RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 - More on the topic of in-game ads, as Atari sign a deal with US firm Massive Inc. to bring rich media adverts into PC management sim RollerCoaster tycoon 3, via a downloadable update to the game. Ney York Business website claims the ads will appear in parts of the game environment; billboards, shop windows etc. The ads will be common place in the game as soon as players download the latest update, which is purported to include enhancements to the game. As reported previously, Massive predicts that in-game advertising via its network can contribute between USD1-2 in incremental profit per unit. Global advertisers already signed up include Coca-Cola, Dunkin' Donuts, Honda, Intel, NestlÂ©, Paramount and T-Mobile. Atari to utilise Massive's in-game ads technology Related: Massive Ad Network Featured in New York Times The Massive Advertising Network Adverts are the new music NYT on In-Game Advertising Ads for Sprite, Motley Crue Appear in Anarchy Online Grimwell Online - Mmmmm Marketing Discussion >> By Gary Meqon announce 1.5 upgrade to physics system - Just when you thought physics in games was at a crossroads, Swedish middleware developer Meqon recently announced it has released version 1.5 of its physics engine system. The company has made available a downloadable version of the new SDK (software development kit) with a full evaluation license. The company, which already has development deals with companies including Atari, Illusion Softworks and, perhaps most notably, 3D Realms for Duke Nukem Forever, claims to have integrated a large number of advances into v1.5 of the SDK. Meqon say they have been working for 18 months, and that the new version of their popular physics engine is totally optimized for fast, flexible and efficient game development. Meqon upgrades physics to version 1.5 Head on over to their official website to get your evaluation free kit. Related: Alpha Prime physics demo (25 05 05) Duke Nukem Forever Physics Pass HL (25 03 05) Discussion >> By Gary Free US Navy game to entice young Americans into serving - The US Navy is looking to follow in the footsteps of America's Army. A new game on the horizon, Navy Training Exercise: Strike and Retrieve will be free to download from the official US Navy website. The Navy are holding nothing back in terms of the game's overall purpose, which is to interest you men and women in joining the Navy. Some critics are calling the use of interactive software for recruitment, cynical and divisive. There's no word of a release date for the game just yet. The Navy Recruiting Command hopes the title will "help build interest and awareness of Navy high-tech jobs," and the title is designed to give you a taster of life on the high-seas, as you race to the scene of a crashed plane to retrieve secret documents, battling underwater terrain and sea life in a race to the plane with enemy craft. "While Navy Recruiting continues to reach out to this audience via more conventional recruiting methods, gaming and interactive electronic media have increasingly become an aspect of this audience's daily lives," said Capt. David Faasse. "Accordingly, the Navy is working to reach them via these new avenues." US Navy Game Sets Sail "America's Navy" announced Related: America's Army - Stryker-Overmatch Screenshots America's Army Gunning For Unreal 3 Discussion >> By Gary Japan yawns at Xbox 360 - It seems the Japanese are Playstation lovers through and through and no Xbox 360 is going to change that. In a recent poll conducted by a Japanese news service, 1,000 gamers were asked to pick their most-wanted Next Gen console. A pitiful 2% picked the Xbox 360 as a coveted possession. Sony received a more digestible fate with the Playstation 3 garnishing an impressive 60% of that 1,000. It would appear that not much has changed in Japan, as far as Xbox popularity goes. Since its launch, the Xbox has sold only 460,000 units in Japan, a far cry from the Playstation 2 which sold the same amount in its first 2 days of its release. The reason Japanese gamers find the PS3 more appealing is partly the massive brand recognition Sony has, of course; but it's also probably got a lot to do with the sheer numbers of sequels, franchises, and re-makes that Sony has at its power to command. Read the survey data: eighty percent want well-known franchises; 71.2 want RPGs. You're looking at another long string of repetitive Square Enix titles, my friend. As much as we might complain about lack of innovative game titles in the West, Japan has it even worse. Some of the quirkiest, most fascinating games ever made come from Japanese game studios, but they wither under the unending domination of Dragon Quest. A new console launch is not going to change that trend any time soon. Too bad. No Love for XBox 360 in Japan Related: Xbox 360 Beta Kit Image Hits The Web Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks Sony's Kutaragi: MS playing catch up with PS2?Kutaragi: Microsoft Still Not a Blackbelt Xbox 360 Beta Dev-Kits Shipped To Developers Apple Powering XBox 360 Demos at E3? (20 May) Slashdot: Sony drops Router Functions from PS3 Playstation 3 tech specs PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? The Kraziness of Ken Kutaragi PS3 Not a Toy, But a Linux Supercomputer Discussion >> By Gary PS3 Router Function Dropped - 11.7.05 Sony have taken the dubious lead of being the first next-gen console maker to drop one of the features from their console. Ken Kutaragi has said in a new interview that the router functionality of the Playstation 3 has been dropped because it would have been too expensive to manufacture: ... Sony now expects that users will continue to use their existing router hardware, which is becoming more commonplace in households with broadband internet connections. Whether that means the bank of network ports on the back of the box has actually been reduced to a single port is not clear, however, as the company has previously hinted that it has other plans in mind for the multiple network ports. Router functions dropped from PS3 spec Related: Slashdot: Sony drops Router Functions from PS3 Playstation 3 tech specs PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? The Kraziness of Ken Kutaragi PS3 Not a Toy, But a Linux Supercomputer (14 June) Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks (14 June) Sony's Kutaragi: MS playing catch up with PS2? (10 June) Kutaragi: Microsoft Still Not a Blackbelt (2 June) Ken Kutaragi: PS3 An "Entertainment Supercomputer" (25 May) Apple Powering XBox 360 Demos at E3? (20 May) PlayStation 3 SDK Hardware Images On The Web Discussion >> By Rob Heavenly Sword For PS3 Screenshots - Eurogamer report that Ninja Theory have released a new batch of screenshots for their Playstation 3 title Heavenly Sword. The screens are high-res captures from the impressive demo of the game shown at E3. There isn't much other official information about the game available, except that it is a "stunningly beautiful martial arts drama", that sees a girl with only a few days left to live embarking on a final act of redemption against a king and his invading army. View the new screenshots here. Related: About Heavenly Sword Ninja Theory - Developers Eurogamer: Heavenly Sword interview Download a video of the Heavenly Sword E3 demo on Gamespot (reg. req.) Gamespot's impressions of the E3 demo Discussion >> By Rob Wild West FPS In Development - Darkroom Studios have announced they have a new FPS set in the Wild West in development. Entitled Lawmaker, it will see players take the role of a certain Colt Kaufman, who comes home during the 19th century gold rush to find his father has been murdered and his mother gone into hiding. The main plot will follow Kaufman's search for vengeance, and along the way players will get to take part in historical gun battles, bank heists and Wild West gang wars. No release date nor specific platforms have been announced yet, but Eurogamer spotted "customizable Dual Weapon Hotkey Combinations" listed as one of the features, which strongly suggests a PC version at least. Darkroom also promise a teaser trailer in the near future. View more information and screenshots on the official site. Related: Darkroom Studios Discussion >> By Rob Heroes of Might & Magic V - E3 Clip #3 - Ubi Soft has released the third E3 demo clip on Heroes of Might & Magic V which is 47 MB in size, plays for about 3 minutes and can be downloaded for free here. The trailer introduces the game's improved battle mode. Apart from being in full 3D now, the still turn-based battles will feature smaller armies but a higher tactical element. The clip shows a fight between good and evil where the forces of good seem to be overrun by evil, but a few clever tactical decisions result in tipping the scales in favour of the good army. It's all looking quite impressive, but it better will be if it was to correspond with the ambitions of Nival Interactive's creative director, Alexander Mishulin, who said in the developer diaries: Our ambition is the “Best PC Game” of the year – the “Best Strategy” at least. Related info: Heroes of Might & Magic Second Heroes of Might & Magic V Clip Available (30 June) Heroes of Might & Magic E3 Demo (23 June) Discussion >> By Chris Rockstar Deny Sex in GTA: San Andreas - Rockstar Games have commented for the first time on the 'Hot Coffee' sex mini-games discovered in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, after the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) launched an investigation into the content of the game. Last month's news that GTA: San Andreas contained pornographic sub-games prompted a member of the Californian assembly, Leland Yee, to lay the blame at the feet of the ESRB for not giving it an AO (Adults Only) rating. The ESRB has reacted with a new investigation, and the promise that "we will take appropriate action" if the game is found to have violated the rules set down by the organisation. Rockstar have since said they are aware of the investigation and are co-operating fully, but for the first time denied the 'Hot Coffee' game was an official part of GTA: San Andreas: This afternoon, when asked if the "Hot Coffee" code was included in game discs manufactured by Rockstar or its agents, the company commented more fully then it had previously. A spokesperson told GameSpot News it was not. ESRB investigating San Andreas sex minigames Related: Leland Yee's GTA: San Andreas press release Gaming rocked by GTA smut revelation Sex scene stirs up a fuss over Grand Theft Auto Sex controversy over GTA game GTA: San Andreas under fire, again? Discussion >> By Rob Pariah FPS Single-Player Demo Released - A single-player demo has been released for Pariah, the FPS released by Digital Extremes back in March: A spiraling plunge into destruction, despair and disease. Jack Mason is a burnt-put doctor and an outcast rejected by society. With no will to live, until he nearly dies in a transport crash, Jack and his infected patient are stranded deep within the most vicious prison sectors of a wasteland called 'Earth'. Download the single-player demo - multiplayer demo Related: Pariah official site Digital Extremes Discussion >> By Rob Downloadable Games Over Legal P2P - It has been announced that the legal file sharing network Peer Impact will introduce downloadable video games over the coming weeks. Users of Peer Impact will be able to legally download the games and earn cash back for sharing them; by leaving Peer Impact running and allowing other users to download the games for purchase, they get reimbursed with credits towards their own future purchases. According to the press release, over 1000 games will be made available, with most under $20. The titles include The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Warlord Battlecry III and casual games like Diners Dash. More information Related: Peer Impact Peer Impact Frequently Asked Questions Discussion >> By Rob Fable: The Lost Chapters Coming To Xbox - Lionhead and Microsoft Game Studios have announced Fable: The Lost Chapters will make its way to Xbox as well as PC this autumn. The Lost Chapters was announced back in March, but only as a PC title "optimized for the Windows platform." Just this month, Lionhead also revealed a Mac version is in the works, and will be published by Feral Interactive. The game will build upon the original Xbox hit Fable, adding more content, a deeper storyline and new monsters for players to fight. Lionhead also announced the game will be offered at a budget £19.99 price as a Platinum Hits title for the Xbox. Fable: The Lost Chapters Comes to Xbox Related: Official site for Fable: The Lost Chapters Fable: The Lost Chapters screenshots Fable: The Lost Chapters for Macintosh Lionhead.com - Developers Fable: The Lost Chapters New Trailer (27 June) Fable: The Lost Chapters Coming to PC (15 March) Discussion >> By Rob Star Wars Tactics - Star Wars Tactics is a new website recently launched, the site claims to offer up to date news, articles and information on all Star Wars games. Hlfallout also report on SWT as an extension of its network. Might be worth a look, their forums are all setup and the site has a nice layout. SWT will attempt to focus its coverage on the 5-7 most recent Star Wars games including but not limited to, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Wars: Empire at War, Star Wars: Galaxies, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, and Star Wars: Republic Commando. Star Wars Tactics is a new fan site focused on Star Wars gaming for the PC, with a special emphasis on upcoming and newly released games based on the Star Wars universe, modifications/total conversions for those games and modifications/total conversions which take advantage of the Star Wars intellectual property but are for other games. The site will attempt to follow PC gaming only, but at times will probably extend its coverage to console games as needed or warranted. Forums for discussion of console gaming, the movies, expanded universe (books and non-cannon references), and general Star Wars discussion are integrated into the message board structure, but will not be covered on the main site on a daily basis. Star Wars Tactics Discussion >> By Gary PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? - Gamespot report that there may be Xbox 360 shortages already as many online retailers are no longer taking pre-orders for the next-gen console, including both of America's two top game retailers. "We ran out of our first allotment, which is set by corporate [headquarters], earlier this week," said a manager of a San Francisco GameStop. "We just got the second one in, but we're almost at our limit again...We'll try and get a third allotment, but there's no guarantee those will arrive by Christmas." Also, Amazon, Circuit City, and Best Buy are not taking anymore preorders either. Perhaps the shortage is real, or perhaps one can pick up the faint scent of a marketing ploy in the air. In other news, more talk of the Playstation 3's price tag. Some interesting articles have been making the claim that the PS3 will be the most expensive console of all time. "PS3 is going to be expensive", said PS3station.com. Also Gizmondo cited an article from July 6th on T3, the article was titled "PS3: Most expensive games console ever?", which quoted an interview with Ken Kuteragi from Japanese business magazine Toyo Keizai in which Kuteragi said Sony's goal was: for consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else. If the quote sounds familiar, it's because it was lifted verbatim from a June 28 GameSpot story which directly translated a quote from the original, Japanese-language article--an article which speculated the PS3 will sell for $399. While higher than the PlayStation 2's $299 initial sticker price, a $399 PS3 would not be the most expensive console in game history. That distinction belongs to the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, which went on sale in 1993 for a whopping $699 a pop. Given the short-lived 3DO non-phenomenon and stiff competition from Microsoft, the chances of a sky-high-priced PS3 are slim. Rumor Control: Xbox 360 shortages and the P$$$3 Related: The Kraziness of Ken Kutaragi Xbox 360 Beta Kit Image Hits The Web Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks (14 June) Sony's Kutaragi: MS playing catch up with PS2? (10 June) Kutaragi: Microsoft Still Not a Blackbelt (2 June) Ken Kutaragi: PS3 An "Entertainment Supercomputer" (25 May) "Father of PlayStation" Ken Kutaragi (5 April) Xbox 360 Beta Dev-Kits Shipped To Developers Apple Powering XBox 360 Demos at E3? (20 May) PlayStation 3 SDK Hardware Images On The Web Discussion >> By Gary Battlefield 2 cheat codes (you know you want them) - For all you naughy players who don't have the patience to learn and get good at a game the old fashion way. Cancel the elbow-grease and head on over to gamepro.com, where you will find cheat codes for Battlefield 2. All the usual plethora of delights at your disposal; invincibility, infinite ammo, health and all that stuff. Go ahead, sell your soul riiiiiiiight NOW. Related: Ultimate Cheats series - GTA San Andreas Discussion >> By Gary Secret Level to develop classic Sega franchise - According to an article on Gamesindustry.biz, San Francisco developer Secret Level has signed a new development deal with Sega which will see the company re-create a classic Sega franchise on PS3 and Xbox 360. Recent endeavours by Secret Level include Karaoke Revolution on the Xbox for Konami, plus currently they are working on America's Army: Rise of a Soldier for Xbox and PS2. Also, fans of the old arcade classic will be pleased to know SL are working on Final Fight: Streetwise for the Xbox. It is still unclear as to what franchise the developer will be working on for Sega. Some have hinted at Sonic the Hedgehog but this is mere speculation at best. "The talented design team at Secret Level has demonstrated innovation in game development," according to Sega of America president and COO Simon Jeffrey, "and has a history of technical achievements that will help Sega reinvigorate a vintage and highly commercial franchise." Of all the Japanese publishers, Sega has been arguably the most bullish in its approach to next-generation development - showcasing Xbox 360 titles such as Full Auto in fully playable form at E3 earlier this year, when most other publishers were simply showing rolling demos, if anything. Secret Level to "re-create" classic Sega franchise on next-gen Related: PS2 to welcome SEGA classics Discussion >> By Gary ATI, target for hostile takeover? - Andrew Lee, an analyst with TD Securities and someone who specializes in ATI, has hinted that ATI might be a target for a possible stock takeover. This according to a report in the National Post that saw the graphics card giant's stock see a much needed boost. The stock hovered around CAN$14.50 for most of the week, but after a dip Thursday to $14.00, the stock shot up to 15.77, up 8.6 percent for the entire week. It had reached a peak of $15.90, which is still a far cry from the $25 range enjoyed before June, when the stock started to tank. Shares hit their 52-week low on July 7, at $13.90. Takeover rumors started in June, when the company's third quarter results were less than impressive, and were followed by weak projections for the fourth quarter. Rumors indicate that both AMD and Intel are interested in ATI, as are Broadcom and Texas Instruments. ATI a takeover target? Related: ATI shell out 8 million for Half Life 2 deal Discussion >> By Gary Battlefield 2 GPU Wars, ATI Vs Nvidia - In a recent article, AnandTech took a very close look at graphics card performance in Battlefield 2. The article looks at both ATI and Nvidia cards and how both fair out in terms of playing the game at the highest possible resolutions. It does appear that Nvidia has slightly taken the lead, some problems with ATI cards and the higher res modes, perhaps this is a driver issue that ATI can work around? After hearing feedback on the article, we went back and ran tests on the GeForce 6800 GT and the Radeon X800 XL in order to fill in an upper midrange price gap. Note that there are no tests for the X800 XL at 2048x1536 due to difficulties getting the card to run properly at this resolution (it would only render the upper left 1600x1200 of the screen). Though we have alluded to it before, we would like to note that while we have had zero issues running NVIDIA cards at very high resolutions, it has been a constant struggle to get ATI cards to properly render resolutions above 1600x1200 on analog monitors. As far as performance of this update goes, the X800 XL slightly trails the 6800 GT without AA enabled, but performs much better after all the options are turned up. Battlefield 2 GPU Performance Analysis Related: EA expected to tackle BF2 server issues EA launch first Battlefield 2 patch Battlefield 2 video card dilemma Battlefield 2 demo, mirrors and torrent Official website Dice EA Games Discussion >> By Gary Archives Browse our archives: Archive for this week: 16.7.05 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Dated? GTA Hot Coffee Also Confirmed On PS2 Interview With Assemblyman At Centre of GTA Sex Mod Row Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Game Worms Coming To PSP, Nintendo DS EVE Online Cold War Edition Deployed 15.7.05 President Bush and Lowenstein under fire from disgruntled lawyer Xbox to make the big splash on November 4th? No Godfather game in '05, Cube release not likely Blue-Ray all the way, consumers say EA snub Revolution? Battlefield Sector Nintendo Revolution "Deepthroat" Dropping Hints? 14.7.05 Rockstar Again Denies Stirring Hot Coffee Marvel MMOG's Coming To Xbox 360 Battlefield 2 Expansion Pack Announced Mythic Put Sci-Fi MMORPG On Ice Planetwide Announce Comic Book Creator Become a Drug Lord in "The Dope Game" Black & White 2 Mailbag & Screenshot Brothers in Arms Mod Kit Released You can't handle the G-man! Senator Clinton climbs onboard Hot-Coffee witch hunt Hulk website officially live I want the house, the kids, oh and the avatars EA look to boost market share in Japan Sony and Nvidia, buddies forever? 13.7.05 Tomb Raider's Djimon Hounsou and Bono to tackle poverty Xbox 360 design team bare all Are hackers stealing your cyber-money? Second Life 'London Bombing' Memorial 'Operation Site Down' closes 8 illegal game servers Brando's recordings not fit for Godfather game? 12.7.05 Xbox 360 In Black Updated Space Invaders Coming To PSP Age of Empires MMOG? Atari Flashback 2 To Include Activision, Homebrew Games Watchdog Jumps Into GTA Sex Mod Debate Wireless Router For Nintendo Revolution, DS? Report: Xbox 360 Mass Production To Start In August Titan Quest Website Launched id Software no longer leading games innovation? EA advise fans to uninstall Battlefield 2 Massive ads coming to Atari's RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Meqon announce 1.5 upgrade to physics system Free US Navy game to entice young Americans into serving Japan yawns at Xbox 360 11.7.05 PS3 Router Function Dropped Heavenly Sword For PS3 Screenshots Wild West FPS In Development Heroes of Might & Magic V - E3 Clip #3 Rockstar Deny Sex in GTA: San Andreas Pariah FPS Single-Player Demo Released Downloadable Games Over Legal P2P Fable: The Lost Chapters Coming To Xbox Star Wars Tactics PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? Battlefield 2 cheat codes (you know you want them) Secret Level to develop classic Sega franchise ATI, target for hostile takeover? 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