If you're a fan of the Elder Scrolls series of games and plan on purchasing an Xbox 360 this November, you might want to re-think getting the "core" version, that is if you plan on playing Oblivion.

In an interview with Game Informer, Producer at Bethesda (developers of Oblivion) Todd Howard has shed some light on the subject.

We've known since day one that there would be versions of the 360 without a hard drive, so Oblivion will still work on every 360," assures Todd Howard, executive producer at Bethesda. "That being said, Oblivion takes full advantage of the hard drive and uses it extensively, so we'd certainly recommend that everyone gets one.

There it is from the horse's speak-hole, if you wanna play Oblivion, you're advised to go for the more expensive "premium" Xbox 360 package, which weighs in at a hefty USD 399.99/Euro €399.99/UKP 279.99.

Will Elder Scrolls IV Work On Xbox 360 Without a Hard Drive?

Related:
A Tour of The Xbox 360 Testing Labs
Xbox 360 Back-Compatibility is Gonna Cost You
Official Xbox 360 Peripheral & Price Listings
Official Xbox 360 Pricing Scheme
Will Xbox 360 fail in Japan?
Report: Cost to Create an Xbox Game: $1.82 million
Sony Expected to Announce PS2 Price-Cut
Microsoft signs Exent in distribution deal
Top 10 most important Xbox 360 Launch Titles
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
Discussion >>

When I was finished with my old Nes console, I do believe it was either sold or passed down to a young relative. If you still have yours lying around and want to put it to some productive use, you can now turn the pad into a TV remote control.

Ever wanted to control your TV with an old school Nintendo controller? No? Well, I have and now I do. A few weeks ago I picked up an old school Nintendo controller from eBay and began thinking of a project for it - then it hit me! Controlling the basic functions of my TV through a NES pad would not only be awesome, but it would make me one step closer to that darned Captain-N.

NES Controller TV Remote - a somewhat thorough walkthrough

Related:
Meet "The Encyclomedia"
PC cooled with vegetable-oil, huh?
Discussion >>

This is where we get to glimpse cool new technology we can't afford. Well at least I can't, I will just hope that you're in the same boat. Since it's that time of the year where Nvidia (and usually ATI) unleash their new flagship graphics cards upon an unsuspecting public, Alienware too, has cranked things up another notch. The uber-expensive new Alienware Aurora 7500 PC will now be equipped with a new liquid cooling technology that may spell good news for the snobs among you that can't take a little noise from the fan.

The new Aurora 7500 will feature both Nvidia's 7800 graphics card and liquid cooling technology designed by the company. Alienware boast a 30% improvement in thermal performance down to the new cooling solution which should spell a much quieter operation, down to the fact that less fans will be used.

If you the cash, head on over to Alienware and check out the full specs of this monster.

Health Warning: Price-tag may induce symptoms of depression/ or disbelief.

Aurora 7500 Unleashed

Related:
Expensive Graphics Cards, for enthusiasts or snobs?
Nvidia unleash 7800 GT
XPS 600 Reviewed
Dell pull a SLI one on customers
Discussion >>

Edge-Online has scored an interview with Far Cry Instincts' Alexandre Mandryra, during a recent visit to see Far Cry Instincts at Ubisoft Montreal. Mandryra is responsible for the multiplayer design of the upcoming shooter, which is slated for an Xbox release this September, and also playable on Xbox-Live.

EO: Are Microsoft headed in the right direction with Xbox Live, the Gamertag becoming a more detailed statistical profile that embodies the player and represents them online? Doesn’t this make online gaming more competitive rather than less?

AM: I couldn'’t blame them because I, for one, really want to have e-sport on telly. When I was really into hardcore gaming, I couldn'’t go to bed before having checked one or two demos of Quake III the latest matches via live feed. It had the real potential to be a show in itself. But this does focus on the most hardcore. The real turning point will be providing something that'’s casual– something that makes clear enough who is the best and why they'’re leading. Is it luck? Is it skill? Are the game rules at fault? The problem now is that in all multiplayer games, you don'’t see what your opponent does, while in soccer or chess, for example, you see everything. So that makes understanding from the spectator point even harder, because you have to compute two things that don'’t relate to each other. It is hard, but it'’s certainly going to be a huge market for entertainment, just like car racing. Everyone that owns a car wants to see good drivers, everybody that plays chess wants to see good players everybody will play games like Far Cry Instinct [laughs] you see my point.

Q&A - Far Cry Instincts' Alexandre Mandryra

Related:
No Far Cry: Instincts for PS2
Official site
Discussion >>

It seems the next-gen DVD war is leaning towards Sony more and more as each week goes by, a new ray of hope shines in their direction, a blue ray if you will. Earlier this week one of the world's largest music companies Universal, signed up to pledge support for Blue-ray.

Not long after Universal got onboard the BR gravy train, Lion's Gate Home Entertainment said it wants in on some of the action.

Lions Gate Home Entertainment (LGHE), a division of Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF; Toronto), announced today that it will release content on the new high definition Blu-ray Disc format. As part of its cooperation with the Blu-ray Disc Association, LGHE will begin releasing new films, TV programming and other titles from the company's vast library in that format when Blu-ray hardware launches in North America.

Leaving you to wonder just what support HD-DVD has and if this DVD war will be a much shorter lived battle than previously expected.

Blu-ray wins two more backers, while HD DVD looks doomed

Related:
Blue-ray gains momentum with Universal backing
PS3's Blu-ray to Thwart Jolly Roger Pirates
What is Blu-ray?
Kutaragi is not Krazy, he's a Marketing Genius
Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3
How Blue-Ray sunk the moral ship
Blue-Ray all the way, consumers say
Xbox 360 to side with HD-DVD?
Kutaragi: No agreement on Next-Gen DVDs
Discussion >>

We recently received a somewhat bizarre e-mail from Jack Thompson. You might remember him from such adventures as "Who stole little Johnny's Hot Coffee", and "Mommy, what's that fluffy thing underneath my sim's clothes?". Thompson is a lawyer based in Miami, Florida who has been fighting the games industry for nearly twenty years in a war he describes as "the entertainment industry's distribution of adult entertainment to children".

Jack was recently appointed by New York senator and former 1st Lady Hillary Clinton to bring her up to speed with his investigations into the so-called "Hot Coffee" mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Hot Coffee is a hidden piece of code in the game that can only be accessed by downloading a hack online. The mod purportedly lets you see sexual intercourse between two fictitious characters in the game (shocking).

As a result of Thompson's actions, and the actions of many politicians, San Andreas was given an "Adults Only" rating and even an outright ban in Australia. It's pretty hard to believe that a game which needs special software to see a naked scene with gaming characters is somehow deemed as a "moral" threat to society.

So in essence, the actions of Thompson and others who think they are representing the will of the community have actually deprived a lot of people of their only form of enjoyment. Now if I was in Jack Thompson's shoes I would certainly not be looking for a pat on the back from the gaming community, who rate San Andreas as one of "better" games to come out on PC this year.

So what does Thompson do when he gets some death-threats via e-mail, he acts surprised? His e-mail to Igniq details over 10,000 hate mails from gamers, some of which threatening his life if he doesn't give up his war on games. One of the e-mails he received included a pic of the Miami lawyer expressing his love for Hillary Clinton, physically (Thank all good and true that pic was never leaked *shudder*).

I have to confess, the most comical part of his e-mail was when he mentioned people he describes as "virtual reality terrorists" contacting hundreds of innocent third-party organizations and businesses telling them, via e-mail, that Jack Thompson wants their products.

and so the dutiful companies respond. I have had hundreds of free United States Postal Service supplies delivered to my office, at taxpayer expense. Just last night I got a call from a Mormon gentleman asking me when he could deliver the forty copies of the Book of Mormon to me at my home. These cyber jerks couldn't care less about bothering this dutiful, religious man.

Stop laughing, it gets better...

Finally, but not exhaustively as there is not enough space here to recount all that these "free speech" advocates have done, I have received dozens of telephone calls from "relay call" services who provide, wonderfully, telephone service to deaf people who can communicate through the relay operator their words by typing on a computer screen. The video gamers have used this service to avoid detection of their identity and in doing so have had dear ladies who are transcribing their words to me repeat incredibly filthy sexual comments intended to harass me. It is these innocent women who are harassed the most, all in the name of "freedom."

I really don't know what to make of this guy. He's funny in small doses it has to be said, this I cannot deny the guy. Although I have to believe a career in comedy is not what the Miami-based attorney had in mind when he started his war on video games.

If you're even remotely interested in hearing anymore from Thompson, why not check out this hour long interview (MP3). You will get a better understanding of what the guy is about after 10 minutes of listening to this shit.

Still unsure as to how you feel about Thompson? I think this line pretty much sums up the guy's attitude:

I am just one victim of the growing terrorist attitude within the
"virtual world" that criticism of the excesses of this technology will
not be abided. Step out of line with our anarchic agenda, and we will
anonymously harass you, threaten to kill you, all in the name of
"freedom of speech."

Virtual Extortion by Jack Thompson

Discussion >>

Eurogamer report that Peter Jackson's King Kong is lined up as a launch title for the Xbox 360.
Ubisoft confirmed that King Kong and Ghost Recon 3 are to be released toward the end of November, simultaneously with the launch of Microsoft's next-gen console.

Kong will mark one of Ubisoft's biggest-ever launches, debuting on no less than eight platforms at the same time. Jackson himself collaborated closely with Ubisoft, to ensure the game was a true extension of the movie universe.
The actual King Kong movie is slated for a world-wide release on the 14th of December.

King Kong, Ghost Recon 3 to appear at Xbox 360 launch

Related:
King Kong movie trailer
Peter Jackson's King Kong on IMDb
Jackson's King Kong, screenshots posted
Discussion >>

Following the news that Sid Meiers Civilization 3 is to get a budget re-release, an interesting nugget of information has surfaced from Meiers himself.

A recent Q&A session with the legendary Civilization creator has revealed a Firaxis title, possibly Civ, is on the cards for the Nintendo DS.

When asked by a fan about developing for the console, Meiers said:

It's certainly something we're exploring. Our goal is to make great games and deliver them to players on whatever platforms make sense for the game. I agree that the Nintendo DS would be a good match for some of our titles...so stay tuned for more info. soon!

Firaxis: Ask Sid via Kotaku

Related:
Firaxis.com
CivAnon.org
Civ 4 screenshots
Civilization IV promo trailer
Civilization IV: 30 September
Civ IV among CNN's Six Games to Watch
Fragland: Q&A with Barry Caudill (Civ IV producer)
Civilization IV at E3
2K Games Expand Deal With Firaxis (3 May)
Civilization IV to use Gamebryo 3D Engine

Discussion >>

The Mercury News has a lengthy though interesting article posted about a visit to Microsoft's California campus, the location for hardware testing the Xbox 360.

The testing was very rigorous; a bug-count of thousands had to be narrowed down to exactly zero, so the engineers roasted, cooled and for some reason simulated lightning strikes on the console to cover every possible eventuality:

She walked by a table with a bunch of wiring and some more decapitated Xbox 360s and said they test them to see if they can withstand surges that come from lightening strikes. There is something called an “ESD gun” on the table. I think to myself, if lightening strikes my house, I don’t think I will keep playing my game. She also said they have to test for dealing with voltage changes and brown-outs.

A Walk Through The Xbox 360 Evaluation Lab At Microsoft’s Mountain View, Calif. Campus

Related:
Xbox 360 Back-Compatibility is Gonna Cost You
Official Xbox 360 Peripheral & Price Listings
Official Xbox 360 Pricing Scheme
Will Xbox 360 fail in Japan?
Report: Cost to Create an Xbox Game: $1.82 million
Sony Expected to Announce PS2 Price-Cut
Microsoft signs Exent in distribution deal
Top 10 most important Xbox 360 Launch Titles
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
Discussion >>

Gaming fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Epic's Unreal Engine 3, but amazingly, the company have revealed that the 4th version of the top games engine is already 2 years into development.

Speaking with CVG.com, Epic's Mark Rein said that "just one guy" is currently working on the engine:

It certainly doesn't have a full team yet, it's just one guy and you can probably guess who that guy is. [Well we'd hazard a fair old guess it's Tim Sweeney].

[...]

"Unreal 4 is totally groundbreaking and totally the way games will be done in the future," Rein continued. " I don't expect it to be staffed up as a team for a while. But when people come to work at Epic, they know they're going to be shaping the future of the videogame business."

REIN: "WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON UNREAL 4 FOR TWO YEARS"

Related:
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VU announce Unreal 3 Licensing Deal
Unreal Engine 3 Demo Video
EpicGames.com
UnrealTechnology.com
Unreal Engine 3 detailed overview
Epic announce Unreal Engine 3 for Sony's Ps3 (18 May)
Discussion >>

A Chinese exchange student living in Japan who used a hacking program in Lineage II to instantly beat opponents and steal their items has been arrested.

The student was part of a group who set up a scam exchanging the items for game credits, which were then placed up for auction on the Internet, earning them real currency.
According to Gamespot, the items sell for between $21 and $73, suggesting this was a nice little earner before the police moved in to close the group down:

The stolen credits and weapons are put up for auction on the Internet and often go for high prices. The successful bidder deposits money into a designated account, and when payment has been confirmed, their characters meet at a designated time and place within the game and the items are transferred.

Officials at Internet Association Japan, estimate the market for game credits and items to range between 5 billion and 10 billion yen. On one site, single items are traded for between 2,300 and 8,000 yen each.

"As long as there are people willing to buy items over the Internet, the abuse won't stop," said Akio Kokubu, vice president of the association.

'Lineage 2' game hackers used robot program to steal online items

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Cheeky Hackers Flood EverQuest II with Fake Money
Videogame Sweatshops
Chinese Gamer Gets Suspended Death Sentence For Sword Murder
Arrested for Deleting MMORPG Items
Discussion >>

Nintendo have announced the release dates and pricing for the new GameBoy Micro. The console will launch in Japan on 13 September, the U.S. on 19 September and in Europe on the 4th of November. The pricing: $99.99 in the U.S. and £69 sterling (~€100) in Europe.

The super-slim Micro will weigh less than an iPod Mini while still featuring compatibility with GameBoy Advance game cartridges. It will also feature customizable faceplates, with four available for launch, silver, blue, green and pink.

Gameboy Micro Priced

Related:
GameBoy Micro images
GameBoy Micro specs
GameBoy Micro Unveiled (17 May)
Pink, Blue Nintendo DS Hitting Europe in October
DS Price Drop Confirmed...Wohoo
Discussion >>

I haven't seen any of Mr. Boll's movies yet, but a quick search on Yahoo reveals a Wikipedia article that says his movies have achieved "critical hatred" and "dismal box office sales", while further down the results page is a "Stop Uwe Boll" petition.

So it's not looking too good for fans of Metal Gear Solid as the director has expressed an interest in turning the classic game series into a movie:

In an interview with film website Insomniac Mania, Boll said that the latest games to catch his eye are "Postal and Metal Gear." As we reported previously Boll has already acquired the rights to produce a game based on Running With Scissors' appalling FPS, but this is the first we've heard of Boll's interest in doing an MGS movie.

Dungeon Siege Update Straight From Director Uwe Boll via Eurogamer

Related:
Metal Gear Solid 4 for Tokyo Games Show
Metal Gear Solid 4: PS3 Only (16 June)
Discussion >>

The third instalment in the mega-popular Age of Empires series is to get a special Collector's Edition.

Ensemble have revealed the Collector's Edition will come in an "over-sized beautifully embossed box" containing:
· A hardbound 210 page "The Art of Empires" Book
· The "Making of Age of Empires III" DVD with behind the scenes video and commentary
· The Age of Empires III Soundtrack
· A 43inch * 27 inch full-colour poster of concept art by artist Craig Mullins
· An exclusive Age of Empires III Player's Guide
· Collector's Edition Game Manual

The Collector's Edition is priced $69.99 and is available to pre-order now.

The game is due for release on PC on the 25th of October, and has been described as "graphically the most ambitious RTS ever developed".

Related:
AgeofEmpires3.com
Age of Empires MMOG? (12 July)
Age of Empires Coming to Nintendo DS
Age of Empires III announced (4 Jan)
Discussion >>

THQ and Revolution Software have announced the fourth instalment in the adventure game series Broken Sword is under development for PC.

The as-yet untitled game is chalked up for a release in the summer of next year. Broken Sword was originally planned as a trilogy, with the most recent title, The Sleeping Dragon , acting as the finale but demand pushed Revolution to extend the series:

"The demand from fans for another game in the Broken Sword series has been overwhelming, " said Charles Cecil, Managing Director, Revolution Software. "Broken Sword had originally been designed as a trilogy with Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon intended as the finale. We were delighted to relent and are very pleased to be working with THQ again to enthrall fans and carry on innovating in the adventure genre."

Related:
Broken-Sword.com
Revolution Software
About the Broken Sword series
Discussion >>

There was no news from Sony on a price reduction of the PlayStation 2 at the German Games Conference in Leipzig today. The company had been expected to announce a reduction of the price to possibly as low as $100 for the Christmas period in order to compete with the launch of the Xbox 360. Though it hasn't been officially announced yet, senior sources at Sony have described the planned reduction as "common knowledge", but they instead focused on the european launch of the PSP at the conference.

The company will have ten first-party PSP titles ready for the 1 September launch, as well as third party titles and up to thirty UMD movies.

Sony also claimed the console could reach a potential 8.1 million consumers in Germany alone, based on it reaching 25% of the 15-45 yr old demographic.

The price reduction for the PS2 is still expected to be on the cards, though whether Sony plan on announcing it over the remaining days of the conference remains to be seen.

GC: No PS2 price drop as Sony focuses on PSP

For more info about the German Games Conference, view the official site here.

Related:
Sony Expected to Announce PS2 Price-Cut
Report: Cost to Create an Xbox Game: $1.82 million
PS2 Pricecut Trick for Xbox 360 Launch? (30 July)
Discussion >>

Konami has today announced that Rumble Roses XX is scheduled for release on Microsoft's Xbox 360 in North America. The girl-only wrestling title saw its debut on the PS2, but this sequel is promising to deliver a lot more where it matters most.

Of course the graphics overhaul is a given, down to Xbox 360's powerful processors and graphics capability.

Rumble Roses XX will feature greatly expanded move sets for each wrestler, online play, and tag-team action, as well as new battle royale and elimination modes. Accompanying the announcement of a domestic release for the game was a teaser-trailer that showed off some snippets of gameplay and a few of the new double-team attacks.

Rumble Roses XX confirmed for North America

No release date has been set for the game, and no release outside of North America can be confirmed.

For more on the game's content, check out Gamespot's preview.

Related:
Xbox 360 Back-Compatibility is Gonna Cost You
Official Xbox 360 Peripheral & Price Listings
Official Xbox 360 Pricing Scheme
Will Xbox 360 fail in Japan?
Report: Cost to Create an Xbox Game: $1.82 million
Sony Expected to Announce PS2 Price-Cut
Microsoft signs Exent in distribution deal
Top 10 most important Xbox 360 Launch Titles
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
Konami
Discussion >>

Nintendo have announced pink and blue versions of the Nintendo DS will go on sale in Europe on the 7th of October.

The alternate versions are set to coincide with the release of Nintendogs, the tamagotchi-style game that's set to launch in the U.S. on the 21st of August.
The console has racked up over 1 million sales in Europe since its launch back in March, and Nintendo have a goal of shifting over 3 million by the end of the year.

Though no announcements have been made thus far, it's possible the company will reduce the price of the console in Europe in order to reach that figure; a $20 price-cut has already been announced for the U.S. market when Nintendogs goes on sale there this Sunday.

Related:
GameBoy Micro Release Date Announced
Report: Nintendo DS Games Cost on Average $338,286 to Create
U.S. DS Price Drop Confirmed...Wohoo
Free Worldwide Shipping Offer For PSP, Nintendo DS (18 July)
Adult gamers choose DS over PSP
Original Resident Evil Coming To Nintendo DS?
Mount Everest Climbers Pack Their DS
Discussion >>

The Seattle Post Intelligencer is carrying the big news from Leipzig today that the Xbox 360 price has been unveiled, and that two versions of the console will go on sale.

The console is going to come in two flavours - a $299.99 basic "Core System" version and a $399.99 "Premium" version that includes a wireless controller, headset and hard drive.

The hard drive is said to be an essential part for ensuring backwards compatibility with original Xbox games, so it looks like gamers will have to fork out extra for the premium edition if they want to play the likes of Halo 2 on their brand new 360:

Koch said the component of the console that enables backward compatibility -- the ability to play games made for the original Xbox -- relies on the hard drive.

That means someone wanting to play "Halo 2" or another game made for the original Xbox would need to buy the full-fledged Xbox 360 with hard drive, or continue using an original Xbox console.

Xbox 360 Launch Price will be $399.99

Related:
Official Xbox 360 Peripheral & Price Listings
Official Xbox 360 Pricing Scheme
Will Xbox 360 fail in Japan?
Report: Cost to Create an Xbox Game: $1.82 million
Sony Expected to Announce PS2 Price-Cut
Microsoft signs Exent in distribution deal
Top 10 most important Xbox 360 Launch Titles
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
Discussion >>

Major Nelson has the complete list of peripherals to come with both flavours of the Xbox 360. The official pricing for both versions was leaked earlier today via an article on the LA Times website.

If you're the kind of person that must have it all and screw the cost, the premium package is for you. For $399.99 U.S./€399.99/£279.99 you will get:

• Xbox 360 console. Sexy styling that packs a punch — three powerful core processors are poised to pump out 720p/1080i output, 16×9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box.
• Xbox 360 Hard Drive (20 GB). 20 GB and detachable, the hard drive allows gamers to store their games, music, downloaded trailers, levels, demos and community-created content from Xbox Live Marketplace.
• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. Hassle-free high-performance precision wireless gaming features the Xbox® Guide Button for quick access to digital movies, music and games libraries as well as a range and battery life of up to 30 feet and 30 hours of life on two AA batteries.
• Xbox 360 Faceplate. The removable Faceplate comes in stylish “chill” (white) and can be swapped out with custom Faceplates to reflect gamers’ personalities or decor.
• Xbox 360 Headset. This lets gamers strategize with teammates or trash-talk opponents while playing games on Xbox Live.
• Xbox 360 Component HD-AV Cable. This connects gamers to the world of Xbox 360 games and graphics through high-definition and standard-definition connections.

• Xbox Live Silver membership. With this, gamers can chat with friends online, send and receive voice and text messages, and access new content from Xbox Live Marketplace demos such as trailers and casual games from Xbox Live Arcade.
• A bonus Media Remote. Included for a limited time, the integrated control center for the entire digital experience lets consumers play DVDs, movies and music, as well as access their Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PC’s controls with a single remote.

If you are a little more conservative with your next-gen console endeavours, the core package will probably be to your liking. For $299.99 U.S./€299.99/£209.99 you will get:

• Xbox 360 console. As with the premium edition, three powerful core processors pump out 720p/1080i output, 16×9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box.
• Xbox 360 Controller. This wired controller features an extended nine-foot cable and a comfortable, enhanced ergonomic design.
• Xbox 360 Faceplate. Like no other console before, the Xbox 360 console allows customization and a removable Faceplate that comes in stylish “chill” (white), which can be swapped out with other custom Faceplates to reflect gamers’ personalities or decor.
• Xbox 360 Standard AV Cable. This connects gamers to the world of Xbox 360, delivering great next-generation graphics and games using standard-definition connections.

Xbox 360 details, prices and images

Related:
Official Xbox 360 Pricing Scheme
Will Xbox 360 fail in Japan?
Report: Cost to Create an Xbox Game: $1.82 million
Sony Expected to Announce PS2 Price-Cut
Microsoft signs Exent in distribution deal
Top 10 most important Xbox 360 Launch Titles
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
MS: PS3 Won't be Affordable in Normal Households
Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3
Discussion >>

According to an article on the LA Times website, Microsoft has officially announced the pricing schemes for its upcoming Xbox 360 console. The bare-bones package will cost you $299 which will get you the console, cables and 1 wired controller. The $399 flavour will offer your box a 20GB hard-drive, a wireless controller, headset, ethernet cable and also a wireless remote control.

So the premium Xbox 360 package weighs in at approximately the same price as Sony's PS3, which is expected to retail for around the same price next year.

Microsoft have officially broken the news that they will release the Xbox 360 console in 2 different package variations costing US$299 and US$399 each.

Microsoft staff have been quoted as saying that the Xbox 360 console will cost either $299 or $399 when it is launched this "holiday season."

Official: Xbox 360 Prices are $299 and $399

Related:
Will Xbox 360 fail in Japan?
Report: Cost to Create an Xbox Game: $1.82 million
Sony Expected to Announce PS2 Price-Cut
Microsoft signs Exent in distribution deal
Top 10 most important Xbox 360 Launch Titles
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
MS: PS3 Won't be Affordable in Normal Households
Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3
Discussion >>

What do you do when your mom won't let you have a PC in the living room? You make a PC out of encyclopedias. It may look like any old set of encyclopedias, but on closer examination, a processor, ram and harddrive lie beneath the illusion.

From a vegetable oil-cooled PC to an Encyclomedia? This is getting strange, first of all where do these people get the ideas from and secondly, how do they accomplish such feats?

If you head on over to Mini-itx.com, you can see how this little piece of creative genius was assembled, with plenty of pics.

Simple, I wanted a PC connected to the TV, to watch DVDs (and DivX). The problem was my mother, who didnt like the idea of having a grey pc in her "beautiful living room".

So, I had to hide the PC somehow, and I needed Mini-ITX!

The "Encyclomedia" | Via Boing Boing

Related:
PC cooled with vegetable-oil, huh?
Discussion >>

Alice links to a really cool conceptual video for the PSP. The small marketing clip shows people playing the portable while being attacked by a gathering of PSP icons. It's really well done, actually I had not even thought about getting one until now.

Check it out, apparently it was produced my Alice Jnr.

Related:
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Euro PSP's to Ship With Version 2.0 Firmware
Windows and Linux on a PSP
Even More Features Headed PSP's Way?
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GAME Out of PSP's Already
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PSP on Xbox 360...Sexy
Homebrew Apps Running on PSP 2.0
New PSP Browser Reviewed
New PSP Update "Tough Cookie To Crack" (28 July)
PSP Hacks and Mods List
Discussion >>

OK, this is the most bizarre thing I've seen all week. Apparently some guy has found a new way to cool his PC for maximum performance and noise-reduction. No, he's not using a water-cooling solution, this mad-egg is using oil (vegetable-oil to be exact).

The German PC enthusiast (I guess that's what we'll call him) has lashed together a cooling solution for his Intel celeron 550MHz PC. Jeez, if this works I might just be onto him for a cooling solution of my own.

PC cooled with Vegetable Oil | Via the inquirer

Discussion >>

Here's one of those inventions that make you wonder whether or not the inventor was sucking on the bong when they concocted such a thing. The new PSP Windshield Mount is designed to let 'passengers' play their PSP in your car while you're doing all the driving. The company insists that it is very sturdy and will not lose its suction, personally I'd me more concerned about the driver getting distracted for a split second by some PSP porn and toppling the car.

I can'’t help but think this is just going to cause trouble. I mean, if it mounts to the windshield, it'’s probably going to be in the view of the driver, which isn'’t going to be good for driving I imagine. And imagine how silly it’ll look for this big ol stick to be sticking out your windshield. But I guess I must not be thinking straight, because PSP411 gave this thing 99/100, calling it near-perfect. Retail price for the mount is $30.

PSP Windshield Mount Review

Related:
Euro PSP's to Ship With Version 2.0 Firmware
Windows and Linux on a PSP
Even More Features Headed PSP's Way?
PSP Grip Dock
Make Your Website PSP-Ready
GAME Out of PSP's Already
Sony take Lik-Sang.com to court over PSP Imports
PSP on Xbox 360...Sexy
Homebrew Apps Running on PSP 2.0
New PSP Browser Reviewed
New PSP Update "Tough Cookie To Crack" (28 July)
PSP Hacks and Mods List
Discussion >>

1up.com has an uber-thorough write-up in which it puts forth 20 reasons why the Xbox 360 might fail in Japan.

Many factors surround the release of the Xbox 360 console in Japan later this year. Microsoft has got on-board every Japanese publisher to jingle to the beat of 360 and we will be seeing some much-loved and highly anticipated titles coming to Bill's latest box. Has Microsoft done enough though, to ensure that the Japanese public will also jingle to DJ Gates and team MS? A question that will be answered sooner rather than later.

But why should you care whether Xbox 360 succeeds in Japan? Well, it's important if you like diversity in your Xbox game collection - a range of developers are working on games in an even more varied set of genres. In short, there's a reason why Japan-powered games like Viewtiful Joe and Resident Evil 5 are on PS2 and GameCube (and not Xbox) - it's not worth releasing an Xbox version in Japan when only 500,000 have one in their homes.

There are enough reasons (we have ten) to believe things will be different next round, and Xbox 360 will eat away at PlayStation's dominance in Japan. Yet there are those who still believe Japan will never embrace a non-Japanese game console (and we've got ten reasons why these arm-chair analysts are correct.) Warm up your typing fingers as we give you ten reasons why Xbox 360 could kick ass in Japan, and ten reasons why it could bomba bomba in Kutaragi's backyard.

20 reasons why Xbox 360 will fail in Japan (or not)

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Discussion >>

It seems that Sony are one step closer to realizing their vision of a Blue-ray tomorrow as Universal, one of the world's largest music companies has pledged to back the format, and use Sony's Blue-ray disks for future music releases.

Sony is at present in direct competition with Toshiba who are developing HD-DVD disks. Each has their own pros and cons, certainly for gaming it could be argued that the Blue-ray disks are a clear winner down to their sheer size, but on cost-effectiveness, the torch must be handed to Toshiba.

Sony will be launching PS3 next year with a fully capable Blue-ray drive, although it's still a long battle ahead before we have a clear winner in the next-gen DVD wars but one thing is certain, there can be only one.

The backing by Universal Music, whose talent roster includes Elton John, Mariah Carey and U2, is of little surprise. The company is listed as a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association on its website.

Blu-ray is expected to be introduced by Sony in its next video-game console, the PlayStation 3, by spring 2006. Devices that run Toshiba's HD-DVD are expected to be in stores by this fall.

Blu-Ray Closer to Being Universal

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What is Blu-ray?
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How Blue-Ray sunk the moral ship
Blue-Ray all the way, consumers say
Xbox 360 to side with HD-DVD?
Kutaragi: No agreement on Next-Gen DVDs
Discussion >>

I just had to share my experience with the MAME arcade emulator. I know it's been around for years and it's not exactly breaking news, but for old-school fans of games like Street Fighter II, Final Fight, Midnight Resistance, Ghosts & Goblins etc, the MAME arcade emulator allows you to play all of these games just like you remembered them in the arcade all those years ago when you scrimped together a fiver to get in a few games.

The roms for the emulator are the exact same software that was used in the arcade machines, you even need to mimic the 'insert coins' action by pressing the '5' key.

There's really hours of enjoyment to be had here, go grab the MAME emulator from the official website. You can then head over to Rom Nation and grab some roms.

Enjoy !!

Related:
MAME on your PSP
Official MAME website
Rom Nation (MAME Roms)
Discussion >>

I guess there's a lesson to learn here, if you don't want your mom to know you're up at 3 in the morning playing WoW, don't post on WoW forums that she reads herself.

Some kid that plays WoW religiously was up late the other night posting on the official WoW forums about his play, little did he know that his mother is an avid fan of the game and actually reads the forums too.

It would seem that Brion is going to have to take up another game, or else find a way to play the game when his WoW-mom is running errands.

((OOC))

Pardon me for hijacking the thread, here..

But, Brion - if you don't want your mother to know you were up and on the computer at 3:29 in the morning - DON'T post on a forum that she reads.

Busted.
Grounded.

Mom pwns son on WOW thread

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World of Warcraft
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Discussion >>

Earlier we reported on a mod that would allow a person to play Classic Doom on the Doom 3 engine. Softpedia was hosting the mod which it said was 'Mac only'. I recently received an email from Sonic Clang (Brian Kline) who informed me that it is not bound to Apple Macintosh, and Softpedia were merely hosting a Mac launcher for their mod.

So anyway, I hope this clears things up. Head on over to Flaming Sheep Software's website and pick up the mod for Windows (or Linux).

Classic Doom 3 - Beta 0.56

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Quake 4 to be "Better Game" than DOOM 3
Yay, a Quake 4 logo contest
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Discussion >>

id Software's John Carmack gave a 90 minute + keynote speech at the recent QuakeCon 2005, and now a Bit Torrent is available of the entire speech.

Among other things, Carmack used the speech to give his thoughts on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, revealing a preference for the Xbox 360 from a developers point of view, but in general saying that the lists of specs Sony and MS are dazzling us with should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Carmack also announced that Quake 3 would be released under an open-source GPL license soon and fielded questions from the audience.

Download the torrent here; the video file itself requires Winamp.

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Carmack Snubs PS3, likes Xbox 360
High-Def DOOM Movie Trailer
Quake 4 to be "Better Game" than DOOM 3
Yay, a Quake 4 logo contest
New Quake Wars Details Let Loose
Classic Doom on Doom 3 Engine
Discussion >>

Kotaku reports on a project in development that melds The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time into an online game played within Halo Custom Edition, a multiplayer-only edition of Halo for the PC.

The game started out as a map mod using locations from Ocarina of Time, but eventually Hyrule characters were added and the weapons were changed to create a completely new game:

With a completely new weapon system and combat system, this game is no longer Halo. The characters have their own custom animations, all the weapons have unique and equally useful properties. Vehicular combat will also be supported involving horse fighting by land and flying on an owl through the sky all throughout the various lands of Hyrule. Also, many different horse types will have their own unique abilities such as one allowing passengers or another allowing more than just 1 weapon to be used.

Zelda Online for Halo CE

Related:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Delayed
The Legend of Zelda Confirmed for Nintendo Revolution
Discussion >>

Nintendo have announced their super-slimline GameBoy Micro handheld is to launch in the U.S. on the 19th of September, though no pricing has yet been announced.

Reports from earlier this month that the Micro would launch on the 20th anniversary of the release of Super Mario Bros. on the Famicom were only out by six days.

Nintendo surprise-announced the new console at the E3 in May, revealing it would weigh less than an iPod mini and boast the best screen the company have ever used in a handheld. At the event, Nintendo also stressed that it won't be a successor of the Nintendo DS or GameBoy Advance but rather a new branch of the GameBoy brand aimed at the "image conscious gamer".

Nintendo DS Price Cut; GB Micro Date; Zelda Delayed

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GameBoy Micro images
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Discussion >>

A German language page on Microsoft.com may have leaked the price for the Xbox 360 before someone realised the mistake and it was hastily modified.

The original page offers bonuses for Microsoft Partners, including a "new XBOX 360™ game console worth CHF 600!" 600 CHF (Swiss francs) translates to approximately €387, $479 by today's exchange rates.

Gizmodo.com has a screengrab of the original page, while the modified version can be viewed here.

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400,000 Xbox 360 units for Europe
Xbox 360: €349?
Discussion >>

Blizzard's George Wang has nixed rumours that this year's inaugural BlizzCon event will see the unveiling of Diablo 3 or StarCraft 2.

Speaking with CNN's Game Over Column, Wang said Blizzard will be showing off a new product, that will be related to World of Warcraft.

It's likely that the product is the expected expansion pack for the monstrously successful MMOG. In June, a post on the official WoW forums revealed that an expansion was in the works, and that Blizzard would make more details available "as soon as we can".

The BlizzCon is due to take place in California on 28th-29th of October; more information on the event is available at Blizzard.com.

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Rumour: Diablo 3? (8 Feb)
World of Warcraft Expansion In The Works
Blizzard's Desire To Be The Best
Discussion >>

A new report by Japan's CESA (Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association) has revealed the Xbox is the most expensive current console to develop games for. The association collected data from 28 games companies to come up with the average cost of game development. Games for the rival PS2 cost about 877,000 to develop, while GameCube games come in at an economical 822,000.

Interestingly, the cost of producing a PSP game is about the same as one for the PS2, while developers on the Nintendo DS see a serious saving with an average price tag of 338,286.

However because Japanese studios have not invested in producing Xbox software on the same level as the PS2, the numbers may not be wholly reliable:

The figures for the Xbox are skewed somewhat, of course, because so few Japanese studios have ever invested significantly in producing Xbox software - meaning that they don't realise the same economies of scale that they have over the lifespan of the PS2.

CESA report cites Xbox as most costly platform to develop for

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Discussion >>

A trademark application has revealed SEGA have a new version of OutRun in the works. The company filed the application on 26 July for a game called "OutRun: Coast to Coast" at the U.S. Patents and Trademark Office.

When asked for specific details on what platform the game would appear SEGA declined to offer any comment, but nevertheless rumour has began that we may see the new OutRun on Xbox 360:

Thus far, gossip points towards an arcade and Xbox 360 follow-up, though nothing has been confirmed at time of going to press. Further speculation claims a December launch date, tallying with the 360 chat. An enhanced version of Outrun 2 SP has also been widely mooted.

OUTRUN COAST 2 COAST trademark application - New Outrun Confirmed! Xbox 360 Offering Mooted!

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Discussion >>

A rumour has hit the Web that Street Fighter 4 may make an appearance at the JAMMA (Japanese Amusement Machine Manufacturers' Association) trade show in September. A list of the line-up for the show has appeared, credited to the site thestingerreport.com

The full list is hidden behind a subscription, but has been duplicated on forums around the Web. Apparently Capcom are set to display the arcade-only Street Fighter 4 at the event, though Spong.com casts some doubt on the story:

Specifically, Stinger reports that Capcom is poised to show the (for now) arcade-exclusive Street Fighter 4, though the specifics offered by the UK-based game-guessers leave a lot to be desired. The report claims that the game - a completely unknown and unannounced title - will hit Sammy’s AtomisWave coin-op platform, the outdated Dreamcast-based machines which are these days charged with Pachinko routines more often than high-profile game releases.

Street Fighter 4 mooted for JAMMA 2005

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Street Fighter 4 in the works?
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Discussion >>

Version 2.0 of the PSP's firmware will come pre-installed on the console when it hits Europe on 1 September, Sony have confirmed to Gamesindustry.biz

European customers will be able to use the official browser for the console straight out of the box, as well as other features like the ability to share photos wirelessly between two PSP's.

The version 2.0 firmware also includes a major update to the security of the console. On previous versions of the firmware, hackers had managed to bypass the security features and allow the running of unofficial programs, including emulators for the GameBoy and SNES. These have been disabled with version 2.0, but a recent explanation and video on PSPUpdates.com may prove that the version 2.0 security has already been breached.

PSP will launch in Europe with version 2.0 firmware

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Discussion >>

Microsoft have announced deals with three major manufacturers who will produce the Xbox 360. Celestica and Flextronics previously worked on the original Xbox, while a new deal with Taiwan-based Wistron has also been inked.

All three plants that will produce the new console are based in Southern China. Microsoft's Todd Holmdahl commented that having three manufacturers onboard will enable the company to keep up with customer demand as the Xbox 360 gears up for a simultaneous launch in the U.S., Japan and Europe later on this year. The console will be released in other territories, including Australia and New Zealand, in 2006.

Manufacturing Powerhouses Lined Up To Produce Xbox 360

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Discussion >>

Eurogamer reports that Sony may use the German Games Convention, which begins tomorrow, to announce an expected price-cut for the Playstation 2, while it appears likely that we won't hear any major news on the Xbox 360 front.

None of the top execs for Xbox, J Allard, Peter Moore or Robbie Bach, will attend, so announcements on an Xbox 360 release date or price appear unlikely.

Sony on the other hand might use the conference to announce a Christmas price-cut for the Playstation 2, a rumour which began last month. Senior Sony sources now describe the price-cut as "common knowledge", though whether the price will get slashed down to about $100 is unclear at this point.

PS2 price cut expected; Xbox 360 date unlikely, price leaked?

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Discussion >>

A high-definition trailer for the upcoming DOOM Movie has been released, and is available now on the official site.
The trailer looks impressive enough, but doesn't tell us whether the movie will actually be any good. A panel on the movie was one of the events at the recent QuakeCon 2005, and a report has some good things to say, at least about the first-person perspective sequence that pays tribute to the game:

The NVIDIA event was cool but it was overshadowed by a Doom the movie presentation, where we were all treated to new footage of the spectacular first person shooting sequence. Yes, there are moments in this film where you'll see things from the marine's perspective and there will actually be a gun bobbing up and down on the right side of the screen, but trust me when I say that those working on the film have done an amazing job. Before the clip was shown I was convinced it would be super corny, but was pleased to discover that it kicks major @$$.

DoomMovie.com - QuakeCon 2005 report

The DOOM movie is due for release on the 21st of October, and will star The Rock and Karl Urban of The Lord of The Rings.

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Discussion >>

A few days ago, many sites were reporting on a possible reduction in price for Nintendo's DS. This rumour has just been confirmed as true by Nintendo themselves. The Nintendo DS will now be sold for a digestible $130 down from $150. The price drop is due to come into effect this Sunday which will coincide with the release of the highly anticipated "Nintendogs" game.

To date, the DS has sold more than 2.5 million units in North America alone, 5 million worldwide since its launch last November.

But Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable, which retails for $250, stole the limelight in March with its all-in-one entertainment system that lets players watch movies, listen to music, play games and view photos. Sony has sold almost 2 million units in North America and shipped more than 5 million worldwide.

According to market research firm DFC Intelligence, the worldwide portable game market is expected to grow from $4 billion in 2004 to $11.1 billion by 2007. Nintendo is credited for creating the market in 1989 with its Game Boy series.

Nintendo cuts price of handheld system | Via Joystiq

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Discussion >>

Gamespot is hosting a demo of the upcoming ww2 flight combat sim, Heroes of the Pacific. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of V-J Day, Codemasters has made available the demo of Heroes of the Pacific which features three sample levels of the single-player game, also included in the demo is a miltiplayer dogfight mission which can include up to 8 players.

The single-player missions include a scramble to defend Pearl Harbor, buying time for a senior admiral to make his escape from Wake Island, and taking out a Japanese airfield in the Marshall Islands.

The game is scheduled for release in the UK for PC, Xbox and PS2 on September 9th, although a North American release date is still to be confirmed.

Join the Heroes of the Pacific in new PC demo (322Mb)

Related:
Official website
Codemasters
Discussion >>

Nvidia has released new drivers for its GeForce line of graphics cards. With the recent launch of the 7800 GTX and GT models of the company's graphics processor, this release is likely aimed at that card. Although there is SLI support for the GeForce 6600 and GeForce 6600 LE with this 77.77 release.

• Support for GeForce 7800 GT
• SLI support for GeForce 6600 and GeForce 6600 LE
• New SLI rendering mode (SLI Antialiasing) for increased antialiasing performance
• Broader SLI optimizations and validation for the latest games
• Resolved SLI Antialiasing issues with some applications and generating screen shots. For a full list of other issues resolved, please view the driver release notes.
• Microsoft's DirectX 9.0c and OpenGL 2.0 support

For the more info on other fixes, head on over to Nvidia's driver download page.

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Discussion >>

Software developer WildSnake has announced that Alexey Pajitnov will be joining with the studio to work on a new range of titles.

Pajitnov is the brains behind the classic 'Tetris' game, also he is noted for Pandora's Box and Hexic. There is not much details available about the 1st game Pajitnov has collaborated on, only that it is currently in development with WildSnake and will be officially announced soon.

Tetris creator joins WildSnake

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Discussion >>

An interesting article over on PCWorld examines the rising cost of PC gaming, in terms of hardware costs. The article is titled "Would You Pay $600 for a Graphics Card?" and takes a look at the types of people who are willing to fork out such a ludicrous amount of cash for one peripheral of the PC, albeit a pretty important one.

The article is certainly contrary to AnadTech's recent outlook that graphics cards are going down in price.

And if you're lucky enough to own a dual-card ready SLI motherboard, you can spend a cool $1200 to load up with two of these bad boys.

My first two cars cost less than $1200, total. NVidia's move irritated some of my tech-savvy friends, a few of whom seem to think that access to the fastest gear on the planet is an inalienable geek right.

Building a high-performance PC can be outrageously expensive. But does it have to be?

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Discussion >>

Some potentially upsetting news coming in for Zelda fans. It appears that Nintendo are set to delay the development of Twilight Princess. In a press release that will likely leave a sad mark on some fans, Nintendo has revealed that they wish to put a lot more work into the game before they unleash it upon the public.

From the press release:

Our development team has decided to take extra time to add some incredible new elements to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. As a result, the game will now launch in 2006 globally. We recognize there may be some disappointed fans, however we firmly believe this additional time will result in a much more enjoyable gaming experience.

Pro-G.co.uk has the low-down

Although the press release does not shed any light as to when in 2006 the game will surface, it does mention a few interesting titles coming to the GameCube later this year.

The press release went on to list a number of titles that GameCube owners can look forward to this year including Mario Smash Football, Battalion Wars, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, but a list the size of an elephant on a 'Super Size Me' diet won't mask the disappointment of videogame fans across the world as they struggle to find a way to carry on this winter.

Related:
Official website
Discussion >>

Microsoft has signed Exent Technologies as its premiere distributor of digital titles. MS has given Exent the rights to distribute Microsoft PC games, including Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, Dungeon Siege, Mechwarrior, Rise of Nations and Zoo Tycoon product lines.

This is the first time Microsoft-made games will be widely available over the internet via Exent's network of Games-on-Demand service providers.

Ed Ventura, Director of Franchise Development, Xbox Worldwide Content and Marketing at Microsoft.:

Microsoft is committed to helping expand the PC game industry. By making our titles available through Games-on-Demand services, we can broaden our reach to new audiences and monetize additional release windows. Exent's distribution channels help us to extend the lifecycle of our game catalog and to build a firm foundation for the future.

Zvi Levgoren, CEO of Exent had this to say about the new deal:

The addition of Microsoft to our growing line-up of game publisher partners is a leap forward in the evolution of digital game distribution. Customers will be pleased with the richness of our expanded content offering, augmented by the unique suite of usability features provided as part of our services. We're delivering the very best user experience, which in turn maximizes end-user acquisition and retention for our customers.

Microsoft Selects Exent Technologies as Worldwide Digital Distribution Partner for PC Games

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J Allard on Xbox 360 and Mountain Bike Stunts
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Homebrew Apps Running on PSP 2.0
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
MS: PS3 Won't be Affordable in Normal Households
Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3
Discussion >>

A new study recently commissioned by the UK games industry has suggested parents don't bother reading warning labels on games to see if the game may or may not be suitable for children.

The study suggests that parents have little concern about the ratings of games and instead, make up their own minds whether or not a game is appropriate for their children.

The issue of violent games was raised when one couple tried to blame the game 'Manhunt' for their 14-year-old child's death. Police though, dismissed these claims after coming to the conclusion that Manhunt was not an influence in the case.

Parents perceive age ratings as a guide but not as a definite prohibition
Jurgen Freund, Modulum
But the case rekindled the debate over 18-rated games that appeared to relish in gore and carnage.

Like movies, all games receive an age classification. This works through a two-tier system involved the British Board of Film Classification and a voluntary European setup known as Pegi.

But the research presented at the Elspa (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) summit in London suggests that few parents pay much attention to the age ratings.

Parents 'ignore game age ratings'

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Discussion >>

The popular MMORPG Second Life is set to get it's very own streaming video network. Developers Linden Lab are behind the endeavour that will see players creating their own "compelling program content".

Linden Labs stress that Second Life TV will be used as a "Marketing Tool", but more importantly, a means for fans to broadcast their virtual lives to the outside world.

Jesse Linden explains:

By making video streaming tools accessible to the community and providing technical support, our hope is that there would be many 'Video Lindens' covering a wide variety of activities in-world. We will provide the bandwidth, domain hosting, and an affiliate bonus program.

'Second Life' Web TV Network Planned

Related:
Official website
Fan art
Discussion >>

Fans of the upcoming F.E.A.R. game may be pleased to learn that a Director's Cut edition is also in the works. Over on Sierra' website, there is a mention of the extended edition with extra features that will be coming via the DVD.

• Live action "Declassified" interviews with Alma
• Behind the Scenes Documentary video
• Developer's Roundtable Commentary video
• F.E.A.R. Machinima episodes
• F.E.A.R. Comic Book created by Dark Horse Comics (in-box)
• A Chance to win the "Golden Ticket" Sweepstakes (in-box)
• Plus, all the F.E.A.R. installation files conveniently on one DVD-ROM

The game is set for an Autumn release to PC. Don't forget, you can grab the demo from F.E.A.R.'s website.

F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) is an intense combat experience with rich atmosphere and a deeply intense paranormal storyline presented entirely in first person. Be the hero in your own spine-tingling epic of action, tension, and terror… and discover the true meaning of fear.

F.E.A.R. Director's Edition

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Discussion >>

J Allard was recently speaking to US gaming magazine Game Informer. In an interview he suggested that the Xbox 360 will come in different variations, possibly over the next 5 years. Microsoft's main message from the unveiling at E3 was that the Xbox 360 is adjustable to suit your needs and you can make it as personal as you like.

Apparently Allard said that with the case of the Xbox 360, it won't be a 'one size fits all' situation. In the interview he also stressed the message to developers, not to rely on the harddrive being there. This lends support to the theory that MS will have an Xbox 360 package with a HDD and one without.

"We've said [to developers], 'Hey look, don't bank on the hard drive always being there,'" he revealed. "'There may be a scenario in the future where we don't want to have a hard drive, and in that case, we have to make sure that the games that you've created are accessible to the broadest possible audience.'"

With developers being told not to rely on the hard drive, we can assume that the primary use of the storage will be for added multimedia functionality that Microsoft has up its sleeve. It has also been rumoured that later versions of the Xbox 360 will be shipped with the added benefit of an HD-DVD drive.

Allard confirms multiple Xbox 360 versions (Xbox 360)

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Discussion >>

It appears Rockstar may have cooled down the so-called 'Hot Coffee' mod sooner than expected. Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive were forced to fix the controversial game with a new version that excludes the Hot-Coffee material, or lose a lot of sales down to the game being tagged with an 'Adults Only' rating.

GameStop online appears to have a listing for an Xbox version of San Andreas scheduled for release this August 22nd. The online retailer's policy is not to stock games that are an 'Adults Only' rating, which leads you to believe this is the version of San Andreas that is fresh from a cold shower courtesy of Rockstar North.

One GameStop employee told GameSpot that the retailer is already taking preorders for the Xbox product. "The SKU [GameStop's internal product code] that it's under suggests it's indeed the game, not a strategy guide or anything else. All Xbox game SKUs start with a certain number. It's how we look them up. It's also under the same SKU as it used to be when it was sold, and up until now has been listed as a recalled product." Games at the retailer generally don't get a specific ship date listed with a reservation SKU unless officials are "confident enough in the date to allow us to share the info with customers."

San Andreas coming clean August 22?

Related:
MP3 Interview With Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson up to his old tricks
Jack Thompson after Sims 2 'nudity'
Rockstar Admit Percolating Hot Coffee
Modder: "the scriptcode, the models, the animations and the dialogs by the original voice-actors were all created by RockStar"
Rockstar Again Denies Stirring Hot Coffee (14 July)
Clinton Statement Praises ESRB, Smacks Rockstar
Take-Two press release announcing ratings change
id CEO voices concerns over Hot Coffee
Discussion >>

Pro-G.co.uk has posted up what it believes are the most important titles to launch with the Xbox 360. There will be purportedly a grand total of 40 games ready for the launch of Microsoft's mean little console come November, but which titles will stand out as important factors in the success of the first next-gen games machine.

• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Ridge Racer 6
• N3: Ninety-Nine Nights
• Dead or Alive 4
• Call of Duty 2
• Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
• Project Gotham Racing 3
• Madden NFL 2006
• Perfect Dark Zero

Microsoft are saying that anywhere up to 40 games could be released for the Xbox 360 during its launch period, but which of those will make or break the console's launch? We choose our ten most important Xbox 360 launch games.

Top 10 Launch Games for Xbox 360

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J Allard on Xbox 360 and Mountain Bike Stunts
PSP on Xbox 360...Sexy
Kutaragi is not Krazy, he's a Marketing Genius
Homebrew Apps Running on PSP 2.0
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
MS: PS3 Won't be Affordable in Normal Households
Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3
Discussion >>

Paramount Pictures has handed development of the Splinter Cell movie over to Dreamworks, according to Hollywood news site Variety. The film based around the popular game has been in production since last Winter.

The movie was previously a Paramount Pictures project and has been in development since last winter. Peter Berg, who was originally set to direct, co-wrote the screenplay with J.T. Petty - the man who scripted all three SC games. However, it now seems that Daniel Pyne (screenwriter for the recent Manchurian Candidate remake) will produce a new version.

Tom Clancy's manager Michael Ovitz is set to produce the film, while UBIsoft's Yves Guillemot is purportedly down to executive produce alongside Clancy.

Still no word as to who will be taking on the role of Sam Fisher.

Splinter Cell movie still on track

Related:
Has Ubisoft and Sam Fisher Left Gamers Hopeless?
Discussion >>

When you log into Steam today to play some Valve games like Counter Strike: Source and Day of Defeat, you might see something that's just not quite right. Rag Doll Kung Fu is a new game developed by Lionhead employee Mark Healy and due for release through Steam in the near future.

The game itself was initially showcased by Healy in the Experimental Game area of the Game Developers Conference earlier this year.

In Rag Doll Kung Fu you act as a puppeteer in a martial arts world, but that doesn't really describe what this game is about. With most games we would use this space to describe what its like to play, but in this case we don't think it's possible -- you'll just have to watch the gameplay trailer to understand. In short, it's all about Chi power.

No release date for the game has been announced yet, Valve just said it would be released through Steam in the "coming weeks", so watch this space for more.

Steam News

Related:
Rag Doll Kung Fu Official Website
Steampowered />
Discussion >>

Designing the Xbox 360 is tough work and always a challenge, but not quite as bone-crunching an endeavour as breaking your left arm's radius and scaphoid. Something Microsoft's J Allard knows all to well, as he was out mountain biking he fell off and damaged his left arm. Major Nelson is reporting on the incident, as Allard visited him recently to share his experience.

A few of you have emailed me asking what is up w/ J Allard and his injury. In case you have not heard, he broke his left arms radius and scaphoid. He stopped by my office today and told me about it. It was a pretty nasty fall he took while mountain biking up in Whistler, B.C. In addition to the damage to his left arm, he also cracked a couple of ribs. Below are photos that J took of himself (with his camera phone) when he was in the ER getting treated. (On a side note, he was biking with another member of the Xbox team who separately on another run broke his LEFT hand.)

J Allard injury report

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PSP on Xbox 360...Sexy
Kutaragi is not Krazy, he's a Marketing Genius
Homebrew Apps Running on PSP 2.0
Xbox 360 Launch Date, Price May Rise to Match PS3
MS: PS3 Won't be Affordable in Normal Households
Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3
Discussion >>

Publisher Digital Jesters is holding a level-design competition for its upcoming PC shooter, Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport. The object is to deign a multiplayer level for the game. The contest is sponsored by AMD and first place will pick up a $3,000 PC equipped with AMD's FX-57 processor as well as a $3,000 cash prize. Second, third and Fourth places will receive an AMD processor/prize money assortment.

If you think you have what it takes, then head on over to the game's official website to get the low-down.

Digital Jesters is teaming up with AMD to let fans of Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport create the ultimate multi-player map, to be called the AMD ARENA, that will push the AMD 64-bit processor and Bet on Soldier to its absolute limits.

Digital Jesters are looking for talented level designers to create the ultimate multi-player map for Bet on Soldier. Using 3D Max designing software, designers need to create a multi-player map, complete with environment textures, models and a description of the different gameplay mechanics. (i.e. spawn points, ticket points, physical moving objects, etc.) A good appreciation of what makes a superb multi-player FPS map is essential.

The maps will be judged by the Bet on Soldier developers, Kylotonn, and AMD, and the winning map will be made into a full multi-player level to appear on the official site after the launch of the game. The winner will receive a $3,000 top of the range FX-57 system with all the peripheral goodies, as well as a $3,000 cash prize. Second and Third prizes include a mixture of top of the range processors and cash. Fourth prize will be an AMD processor.

Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport AMD ARENA Level Design Competition

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New Quake Wars Details Let Loose
Classic Doom on Doom 3 Engine
A Look At The Characters of Quake IV
Discussion >>

Sony's PSP is set for a September release in Australia and if the company's predictions are in any way accurate, the Aussies will be netting a cool $100 million for Sony. According to an article in The Australian, Sony plans to unleash between 200,000 and 250,000 PSPs down under, and at $399.95 a pop Sony will roughly meet its target of $100 million.

This is excluding the money gained from accessories for the machine, including memory sticks and games, the latter of which will retail for AUD $79.95 each. Universal Media Disks will weigh in at AUD $34.95 each.

PSP will also launch in Europe on September 1st, with a price of UKP 179.

Sony predicts $100 million PSP success down-under

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Even More Features Headed PSP's Way?
PSP Grip Dock
Make Your Website PSP-Ready
GAME Out of PSP's Already
Sony take Lik-Sang.com to court over PSP Imports
PSP on Xbox 360...Sexy
Homebrew Apps Running on PSP 2.0
New PSP Browser Reviewed
New PSP Update "Tough Cookie To Crack" (28 July)
PSP Hacks and Mods List
Discussion >>

id Software founder John Carmack recently talked about the next generation of gaming hardware in his keynote speech at the recent 10th annual Quakecon convention. His speech was mainly based around the two rival next-gen gaming consoles, Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360.

According to Carmack, the Xbox 360 is "the best development environment" he has seen for a console. Expressing his delight for the development tools and architecture of Bill's 2nd Xbox. He then went on to express doubts over the PS3's hardware architecture, in saying that early work on games for the PS3's hardware "will initially be disappointing", and that it is going to take some time for developers to make full use of PS3's parallel processing power.

He wasn't completely down on Sony, however, explaining where PlayStation 3 had a potential advantage over the Xbox 360: "The particularly interesting thing on the other side of the fence with Sony is that they are at least making noises about having it be an open platform. This has always been an issue I disliked about consoles. I don't like closed development platforms and the fact you have to be a registered developer. I've always loathed that aspect. It's why I've always preferred the PC market, so we can do whatever we feel like – we can release mission packs and patch things - all of this good stuff that you're not allowed to do on consoles." Although he admitted that it wasn't clear how or if this openness would work, it was clearly something he would embrace if it existed: "If you had something like the Amiga used to be, which was a fixed format with a graphics focus, that would certainly be very interesting." And this was clearly his perceived advantage for PS3, saying that "Microsoft are certainly going to have nothing to do with" such an open attitude.

Carmack Talks Next-Gen In QuakeCon Keynote

Related:
Quake 4 to be "Better Game" than DOOM 3
QuakeCon.org
Official site for Quake 4
id Software
Raven Software
Yay, a Quake 4 logo contest
New Quake Wars Details Let Loose
Classic Doom on Doom 3 Engine
A Look At The Characters of Quake IV
Discussion >>

At this year's Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, member of the Ofcom Content Group and Group CEO of MCPS-PRS Alliance Adam Singer gave a speech on his vision of video games and how he felt that one day they will replace the television as the mass medium.

Games are going through a struggle to find a voice. Film took its time to develop a language. Film started its life in slot machine at the end of piers. The growth of game and their containment in arcades, on platforms or cartridges is analogist to the early box containment of films. Broadband is to games what projection was to movies.

Singer notes that in the current climate of today, games are more or less looked upon as a 'teenage' thing and they will need to make a lot of changes if they are going to move into mainstream acceptance.

The definition of a medium is to be able to communicate three things; stories, truths and eroticism. If you can't do all three things, then you're not a medium.

Personally I don't watch tv, I gave up years ago. All I see when the television is turned on is advertisements, with endless reality shows worked around the ads. I know there is and has been some great shows on tv, but having to sift through and take in all the ads was to much for me. It's no wonder that companies are realizing this lapse and recognizing that more and more of the 18-34 demographic are axing the idiot box in favour of a PC or console. Unfortunately what we are seeing is more and more in-game advertisements becoming mainstream.

I predict one day, that I will have to put gaming on the shelve for the very same reason, but it's quite a ways off at this juncture. I wonder what I would do, maybe take up stamp-collecting?

To date, the games industry has positioned itself as the "teenage rebel" of the entertainment milieu. In order to move into mainstream acceptance, games have to become more than just a form of entertainment. As Singer suggests: "The definition of a medium is to be able to communicate three things; stories, truths and eroticism. If you can't do all three things, then you're not a medium."

Videogames to one day replace TV, says Adam Singer

Discussion >>

This sounds like a larf (if it's genuine). Some little runt of a kid playing Rainbow Six 3 forgot to turn off his microphone when he lashed out at his mother for bringing him regular milk. Apparently the kid wanted chocolate milk and a mistake by his mom of this magnitude just doesn't sit right.

I want some motherf'ing chocolate milk! This is bull!

the kid lets loose at poor mom.

I haven't heard it yet because you have to sign up and I'm just too lazy, but I thought I'd mention it if you guys wanna check it out.

Just not enough chocolate milk to go 'round (41.70Mb)
Discussion >>

Tom's Hardware Guide has launched a vicious attack on EA Games and DICE, the folk that brought us Battlefield 2. It is also an attack on the marketing of games and the strict and sometimes unrealistic deadlines put in place. As we all know, EA released a patch for Battlefield 2 that was supposed to fix problems that were inherent from the game's launch. Sadly the patch did not fix anything and actually caused memory leaks with sustained play.

Fans of the franchise were waiting a long time for the sequel and this sort of bungling has not revealed the marketing behind the game as competent in any way shape or form.

The Battlefield series is the best example of market pressures and complete and utter incompetence combining to completely and utterly bugger up a game. When the original Battlefield 1942 arrived, it was as buggy as a derelict house - the netcode was unstable, and the game was prone to crashing. All kinds of actual gameplay imbalances and quirks existed that took the better part of two years to completely fix and bring the game to what it should have been on the day of release.

Pain With Patches

Related:
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EA going stale in the creativity department?
EA release Battlefield 2 modding tool
Battlefield 2 sells 1 million units worldwide
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 >>

AnandTech has some good news for all you hardware enthusiasts out there. It appears that graphics card prices are falling like there's not tomorrow, even the high-end have taken a fall. According to the article, it's a great time to be thinking of purchasing a new card, even the latest offering from Nvidia they claim has dropped its price by 20%.

Also, the 7800 GT which has been spotted on a number of sites for as "low" as $399. Anandtech has a review of the 7800 GT if it's something you had your eye on. The 7800 GT is slated as the card to have at the moment, considering it's pretty much the same as its bigger brother (the GTX) and it has no competition from ATI just yet.

Thursday's launch of GeForce 7800GT also looks promising, since it's already been spotted for $399 at a couple vendors. Check out AnandTech's review for a complete performance breakdown, but it's anticipated to trump any card in its price range, since it's just a slightly lower clocked 7800GTX with 4 less pixel pipelines, 20 instead of 24.

This month also yields significant reductions in the high and mid-range graphics cards, all adjusting themselves from the top down to NVIDIA's product introduction. There's also another exciting newcomer to our guide in the sensible mid-range.

As we go through our price guide, you may want to check out AnandTech's Real Time Price Engine where you can see all of the prices in this guide for up-to-the-minute updates!

Price Guides, August 2005: Video Cards

Related:
Nvidia unleash 7800 GT
XPS 600 Reviewed
Dell pull a SLI one on customers
Discussion >>

Yet even more good news for the gaming industry as news of the 2nd annual Games for Health conference is announced. This is a get-together of health-care professionals and games devs alike, to discuss the benefits of gaming technologies in the field of health-care.

The conference is being funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and produced by the Serious Games Initiative and will kick off this coming September 22nd and 23rd in Baltimore, Maryland.

The conference will feature panel discussions, roundtables, and a demo exposition for upcoming projects in the field. Applications shown will work on improving simulation training, direct patient care, and even rehabilitation.

Games For Health Conference set for September

Related:
Study finds no link between video games and aggression
EA Announce "Teaching With Games" Study
Nerd blogs ultimate gaming tattoo tribute
Discussion >>

Browse our archives:

Igniq.com Weekly News Archives

Archive for this week:

19.8.05 Elder Scrolls IV Will Require Xbox 360 HDD?
 Nes controller turned TV Remote
 Alienware delivers new cooling solution for Aurora 7500
 Far Cry Instincts' Q&A with Alexandre Mandryra
 Lions Gate Entertainment Pledge Blue-ray Support
18.8.05 Thompson receives death threats, Clinton sex pic via e-mail
 Jackson's King Kong Confirmed for Xbox 360 Launch
 Civilization Coming to DS?
 A Tour of The Xbox 360 Testing Labs
 Unreal Engine 4 Already 2 Years Into Development
17.8.05 Lineage II Scammer Arrested
 GameBoy Micro Pricing, Release Dates
 Uwe Boll Eyes Metal Gear Solid Movie
 Age of Empires 3 Gets Collectors Edition Box
 Broken Sword 4 Announced
 No PS2 Price-cut Announcement from Sony
 Rumble Roses XX Confirmed for Xbox 360
 Pink, Blue Nintendo DS Hitting Europe in October
 Xbox 360 Back-Compatibility is Gonna Cost You
 Official Xbox 360 Peripheral & Price Listings
 Official Xbox 360 Pricing Scheme
 Meet "The Encyclomedia"
 Cool PSP Marketing Video
 PC cooled with vegetable-oil, huh?
 PSP Windshield Mount, a good idea?
 Will Xbox 360 fail in Japan?
 Blue-ray gains momentum with Universal backing
 Hours of fun with MAME Arcade Emulator
 Mom busts son on WoW forum
 Classic Doom on Doom 3 confirmed for Windows
 John Carmack's QuakeCon Speech Video
 Zelda Meets Halo
 GameBoy Micro Release Date Announced
 Official Microsoft Page Leaks Xbox 360 Price?
16.8.05 No Diablo or StarCraft Sequels for BlizzCon
 Report: Cost to Create an Xbox Game: $1.82 million
 Trademark Blows Cover on New OutRun Game
 Rumour: Street Fighter 4 On Show Later This Year?
 Euro PSP's to Ship With Version 2.0 Firmware
 Three Manufacturers Lined Up for Xbox 360
 Sony Expected to Announce PS2 Price-Cut
 High-Def DOOM Movie Trailer
 DS Price Drop Confirmed...Wohoo
 Codemasters Release Flight Sim Demo for V-J Day
 Nvidia ForceWare Release 77.77
 Tetris Developer Joins Forces With WildSnake
 Expensive Graphics Cards, for enthusiasts or snobs?
 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Delayed
 Microsoft signs Exent in distribution deal
 Parents don't care for game-ratings
 Second Life TV Coming Soon
 F.E.A.R. to sport Director's Cut Edition
 Allard discusses the many faces of Xbox 360
 San Andreas coming soon, caffeine free
15.8.05 Top 10 most important Xbox 360 Launch Titles
 Splinter Cell movie still on track
 Rag Doll Kung Fu kicks its way into Steam
 J Allard on Xbox 360 and Mountain Bike Stunts
 Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport - Level-Design Comp
 Sony predict $100 million take-away down-under
 Carmack Snubs PS3, likes Xbox 360
 Gaming to replace the idiot-box?
 I want some motherf'ing chocolate milk! This is bull!
 Tom's Hardware Guide Trounces EA & Dice
 Graphics card prices plunge, even high-end
 Games for Health Conference Coming September