Advertisements  Yeahronimo, the new owners of Commodore have revealed the first product in their strategy to bring the brand back from the annals of gaming history.At the CES 2006 in Las Vegas, the "Commodore Combo" was unveiled, which as the name suggests will do more than just play games. 5 NES games will come pre-installed, with an extra 90 available for purchase online, but the Combo will also sport a 20GB hard-drive running Windows CE, mp3/mp4/video playback and GPS functionality. Yeahronimo have also taken an open approach to how it can be used: owners will be able to install software on the device, and developers will be able to create plugins according to The Inquirer. Yeahronimo also have an interesting content-delivery system planned for the Combo; owners will be able to download content from special kiosks installed in retail outlets, with the retailers taking a cut of the profits for the downloads. There are no details on a release date or price range, though The Inquirer speculates the device could be a steep $700. In September, Yeahronimo announced a three-step strategy for Commodore's return to the gaming business, the first phase of which will be to exploit the continuing popularity of the retro Commodore game licenses on plug and play, mobile and handheld devices like the Combo. The second phase will involve a range of specialised gaming hardware and accessories; self-contained Commodore games machines akin to the Atari Flashback are planned. The eventual third phase will see new game licenses issuing forth under the Commodore brand, mainly for mobile and handheld devices but also for PC's and consoles. The Inquirer: Commodore comes back as a handheld Related: New SEGA Megadrive Game Coming Soon Commodore To Make A Gaming Comeback C64, ZX Spectrum Games Still Being Produced Discussion >> By Rob
 As part of its "Geek Week", a segment of BBC's Newsnight has been broadcast from inside the virtual-world Second Life.The show's producers enlisted a designer who runs a business in the game to recreate the television studio, as well as a lifelike avatar for presenter Jeremy Paxman: "Here", I said to Newsnight's real life editor Peter Barron, "why don't we broadcast Newsnight from inside a computer game." Secret Prison Uncovered in Second Life How to know if you play MMOG's too much Firefox Coming to Second Life (6 June 2005) Discussion >> By Rob
 Following the rumour that a brand new game is in development for the Dreamcast, Gaming Steve reports a new RPG is in the pipeline for the even older-school Genesis/Megadrive.Originally released as "Xin Qi Gai Wang Zi" in Taiwan in 1996, the English -language version will be entitled Beggar Prince, and will see a release in the U.S. and Europe this Spring. The game will work on any Genesis, Megadrive or Nomad system in any region, and is being developed by Super Fighter Team, an American company that focuses on creating games for classic videogame systems according to Gaming Steve. The storyline concerns a prince called Steven who leaves his castle to get a taste of life among the commoners. In typical Grand Vizier fashion, an evil Minister takes control of the throne while he's away and bars Steven from returning, launching Steven's quest to prove his identity and retake the throne: Beggar Prince looks like your standard Genesis-style RPG with towns to visit, people to talk to, quests to conquer, monsters to battle, and so forth ... your typical RPG of the time. Graphically the game looks stunning and the combat system seems quite interesting. After flipping through the Beggar Prince web site and viewing the bright, crisp graphics makes you almost yearn for the days of 16-bit gaming. Dreamcast Title Set For Release Next Year? Commodore To Make A Gaming Comeback C64, ZX Spectrum Games Still Being Produced Graphics don't make a game fun, or do they? Discussion >> By Rob
 With more than 250,000 gamers chomping at the bit to get a chance to beta test its upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: Stormreach title, Atari made certain those who won't make the cut will soon have a chance to play the game for real. According to GameSpot, the MMORPG will go live in North America on Feb. 28 for a cost of $49.99. The game owes its roots to good old fashion paper and pencil Dungeons & Dragons and will feature the classic creatures of the tabletop version: dwarves, orcs, elves and more. The game's European release is expected in March. Stormreach is in the final testing phase by its developer, Turbine. The company was responsible for Asheron's Call and the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online: Shadow of Angmar. The game is the first officially licensed D&D MMORPG, and will be based on the 3.5 edition rules of the brand. Players can expect lots of dice-free dungeon-crawling, physical and magical combat, and an encouraged sense of community, all in a persistent realm. Related: D&D Online: Stormreach Will Feature Integrated Chat Dungeons & Dragons MMOG Delayed Atari's Uncertain Future Discussion >> By Sherri
 The glossy Microsoft presentation at CES 2006 in Las Vegas featured a few big announcements for Xbox 360.Xbox boss Peter Moore announced an external HD DVD drive for the console will be released later this year, and 50 high-def games by top publishers like 2K Games, Capcom, EA and Ubisoft will be released by June. No specific release date or pricing details for the drive have yet been announced. Moore also focused briefly on Xbox Live Arcade during his speech, and announced a bevy of over 20 new Arcade games will be released by March - including the early-90's favourite Street Fighter II, Marble Blast Ultra and the ubiquitous Texas Holdem Poker. Elsewhere in the presentation, a glimpse of Flight Simulator X, the next instalment in the long-running series was shown as an example of the graphics capabilities of Windows Vista. Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer also played a few rounds of EA Sports' Fight Night Round 3 for Xbox 360, which is due to be released on the 14th of February. As a promo, Microsoft are also offering a playable demo of the game to all owners of Xbox 360 over Xbox Live. The full presentation is now available for viewing on Microsoft's website. Related: Man Pays $800 for Empty Xbox 360 Box on eBay Smashed Xbox 360 For Sale on eBay Nissan Concept Car Comes With Xbox 360 Xbox 360's Second Week in Japan: Outsold by GameCube Xbox 360: A Tale Of Two Markets Japan Gives Xbox 360 Tepid Welcome Discussion >> By Rob
 The Danish makers of the upcoming MMORPG Seed announced recently they have contracted with Alchemic Dream Inc. to set the customer support, localization and game mastering services for the upcoming release. The online game, a first for Runestone, will be one among many managed by Alchemic, including Second Life, Dungeons & Dragons Online and Project Entropia. Seed brings a new vision of the MMG gameplay experience to the market,” explains Aurélien Merville, CEO of Alchemic Dream Inc. “AI technology and stories systems involve the player in the universe to a new extent. We are happy to provide our dedicated services to Runestone in order to help this company getting and keeping a satisfied audience in a lively virtual world!” Seed, which will not include standard RPG combat, is expected to launch later this year. Players will focus on their interpersonal stories and building an online community rather than killing mobs and forming raids. It will cost about 15 Euros to play. Related: D&D Online: Stormreach Will Feature Integrated Chat Namco Begins Beta Test of its Debut MMORPG How to know if you play MMOG's too much Discussion >> By Sherri
 According to The Miami Herald, the city of Hollywood, Florida, is a little more than paranoid about the February release of Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. The game, created by Atari for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PCs, follows Trane, the game’s hero, on a mission to fight the authorities of fictitious New Radius, a city where freedom of speech doesn’t exist and oppression is the norm. Players will control Trane as he speaks out with his can of spray paint, scales walls and dodges cops while gaining supporters. The game’s combination of action, drama and an involved storyline have already drawn the attention of the other Hollywood – California, that is. The game is being made into a movie by MTV. Rated M by the U.S. games rating board, the game technically would be sold only to those age 17 and older. Despite the rating, the city of Hollywood is considering a resolution protesting the release of the game, saying it will incite players to bring fiction to life. The Ohio-based American Association of Code Enforcement would like Atari to set aside money for anti-graffiti education and warning signs displaying the potentially harmful effect of graffiti on communities. When will people get a clue? Games, movies, television shows and music do not create society’s woes – people do. Those who choose to break the law do not know right from wrong or they just don’t care. These same people will not respond to warning labels and while they might try to blame a game for their actions, it is they who are responsible. And therein lies the problem; it’s easier to blame a game, a television show or a song than the person who committed the crime in the first place. In an age where Americans have turned their criminals into “victims,” allowing their actions to be blamed on bad parenting, bad movies or anything but the lawbreaker him or herself, actions such as those proposed in Hollywood should come as no surprise to anyone. Related: X360 Boycott Called For After MS Agrees to Censor Blogs Opinion: Say 'No' To Family Entertainment Protection Act Discussion >> By Sherri
 A new extension has been released for Firefox that lets users check the status of realms in World of Warcraft within the browser. The extension is accessible through the Firefox Tools menu and lets you view current information about all realms on WoW, like which ones are up or not, the type of realm (RP,PVP,Normal), and their population size. It can also be set up to track an individual realm and alert you if the status changes.The extension is currently in BETA status and can be downloaded here. Via Digg Related: WoW, Xbox 360 Among Top Google Searches in 2005 Cheaters Don’t Win On World Of Warcraft WoW Theme for Windows XP Discussion >> By Rob
 Both Yahoo and Google's year-end lists of top searches for 2005 reveal a large percentage of Internet users were searching on games-related topics.The massive success of World of Warcraft in 2005 managed to make a dent in the top-gainers list on the Google Zeitgeist for the year, coming in ahead of Green Day and Leonardo Da Vinci. Of all searches on Google News, the Microsoft hype-machine was sufficiently powerful to push Xbox 360 to 4th place, putting it ahead of Brad Pitt, Michael Jackson and Harry Potter. Searches for plain old Xbox also made an appearance at number 7 on the top-ten list for Froogle, the shopping search part of Google. More people searched on Xbox than iPod Nano on Froogle according to the list. Sony's PSP also did well on Froogle, coming in at 5th place. Over on Yahoo's top Product Searches List, the PSP did even better - coming in ahead of the Xbox 360 overall. The buzz around Kutaragi's PS3 wasn't enough to push it onto Google's Zeitgeist, but it did come 6th place for all searches for electronic products on Yahoo. Google Zeitgeist 2005 - Yahoo! 2005 Top Searches Via The Google Blog Related: World of Warcraft Hits 5 Million Mark Sony Anticipates PSP Sales Will Double Blog Speculation: Apple Mac Mini as Next Game Console Discussion >> By Rob
 Clickable Culture has uncovered a creative approach Linden Labs use to deal with troublesome players in their virtual world game Second Life; they throw them into a secret in-game prison called The Corn Field. The Corn Field is just that - rows and rows of corn eerily lit by moonlight. Communication with the main grid of Second Life is cut off, and players can't build anything while they're there. The only company they have is an elderly tractor and a couple of television sets that run an old 40's movie: Despite the boredom Second Life's criminals may face, the fact that The Corn Field is an exclusive and normally inaccessible area of the virtual world may not be working in its favour. Second Life's residents are known for their curiosity: Will petty crime increase in a bid to get a first-hand glimpse of The Corn Field? How to know if you play MMOG's too much Firefox Coming to Second Life (6 June 2005) Discussion >> By Rob
 Not to be out done by Blizzard’s announcement that World of Warcraft had hit the 5-million account mark, Sony unveiled two upcoming expansions for its popular EverQuest line of MMORPGs. The original EverQuest will soon expand, yet again, with the Prophecy of Ro, due out in February. This expansion (roughly the 11th) will offer players more than 30 new missions and increase players’ ability to interact with the world. Sony Online Entertainment also has plans to expand EverQuest II in February. The new expansion, the second since the game’s launch just over a year ago, will increase level caps to 70 and introduce AA experience, or alternate advancement, which is already employed in EQI. Kingdom of Sky will be available for download on Feb. 21 and available retail at about the same time. Both expansion packs will cost under $30 USD. The fear for many EQII players is that the expansion, which is being released just on the heels of the first – Desert of Flames – will be “unfinished” when it goes live. If the fear is confirmed, that will mean lots of down time as developers rush to tweak the release on the live servers. This latest EQII expansion also brings the game in line level-wise with EQI; a journey that took players and developers of that game several years to achieve. EQII is just over a year old. It will be interesting to see if developers have in fact “rushed” the release or if they’ve learned lessons from the pitfalls experienced in the early years of EQI. Sources: Ogaming EQII forum, EQ forum Related: Sony Announces New EQ Titanium Collection EQ: Depths of Darkhollow Site Launched New EQ Expansion & Tutorial Details EQ II Station Exchange Poised For Launch Discussion >> By Sherri
 New Year predictions are always fun to read, and Joystiq has picked up on a good one from the blogosphere.It concerns one blogger's prediction that Steve Jobs will make a move into the games industry with the Mac Mini in 2006. The prediction is based on the idea of Apple positioning the Mini as an all-in-one digital multimedia hub; the magic ingredient that would push it into Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo's turf would be the inclusion of a top graphics card in an updated Mini, that would attract games developers fairly easily: With a new mac mini including a killer graphics board, Apple could relatively easily attract a large number of game producing companies. By doing this, Apple would be integrating into one product the chief technologies of home entertainment: video, music, and games. Xbox 360: A Tale Of Two Markets Nissan Concept Car Comes With Xbox 360 Xbox 360's Second Week in Japan: Outsold by GameCube Poll: Which Next-Generation Console Will You Buy? Discussion >> By Rob
 Atari has taken online gaming to the next level with its announcement integrated voice chat will be included with its upcoming release of Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach. Any gamer who has been around the block a time or two with titles like PlanetSide and World of Warcraft knows how difficult relaying messages in the heat of battle can be. For those who love video games, but cannot type with any speed, the situation can be crippling. Imagine being on the last mob of an all-day epic battle and failing because critical commands couldn’t be relayed in an expedient manner. It happens all the time! To combat the issues typing presents, many gamers have turned to hosting their own voice servers through services like Team Speak, but the D&D release is expected to be a cut above. Since it’s designed specifically to work with the massively multiplayer RPG, the voice system should function a lot better than other ancillary programs do. Plus, it will eliminate the problem of some players having the program and others not. Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach is expected to be released in March 2006 in the United States for PC players. Source: TotalVideoGames.com Related: Dungeons & Dragons MMOG Delayed Atari's Uncertain Future New Range of Retro Atari Watches Announced Discussion >>< By Sherri
 Fans of the fast-paced fighting action and amazing graphics of Unreal Tournament might have to wait a bit longer than they expected to get their hands on a copy of the 2007 version. 1Up.com is reporting that the new title will not launch when Sony’s PlayStation 3 hits the market later this spring. According to 1Up, an official at Atari, which published Epic Games’ last version of the game, said a launch was not currently scheduled. Speculation has UT 2K7 coming out sometime near the PS3’s launch, which many believe will be around the holidays instead of spring. Only time will tell when the game will actually hit market, but those who were geared up to buy a PS3 to check out Unreal Tournament’s newest installment might just wait until the title is released to buy both game and console. For those just psyched about the PS3’s upcoming launch, the following titles have been discussed for release when the console launches: Dark Sector, Devil May Cry 4, EA Sports Fight Night Round 3, Final Fantasy PS3, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Omikron 2. These titles are among about 30 expected to launch along with Sony’s next gen console. Source: 1Up.com Related: Unreal Tournament 2007 to use Unreal 3 engine High-res Unreal Tournament 2007 screens PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3 Discussion >> By Sherri
 Players who can’t stand the bland appearance of their gaming consoles can jazz them up with graphics from 50 Cent: Bulletproof thanks to a new partnership announced recently between Gamer Graffix Worldwide, 50 Cent and G Unit Records. The endorsement deal with start with 50 Cent: Bulletproof Gamer Graffix skins for consoles, which are based on the upcoming Vivendi Universal Game’s release of 50 Cent: Bulletproof. It will eventually include a full product line with Gamer Gaffix and other endorsements. I'm excited about this new partnership with Gamer Graffix. I like to stay on the cutting edge of product development and I look forward to us working together. The skins we created to support my video game, Bulletproof, are outta control," says 50 Cent. Gamer Graffix makes skins for a number of gaming consoles, including the Xbox. Its skins include those emblazoned with Marvel Comics images, such as X-Men, Hulk and Spiderman. It also has licenses with Playboy, Nintendo and more. Related: Mew Pink Nintendo DS for Japan 50 Cent: Bulletproof, Official Trailer 50 Cent Game revealed, Gangster style Discussion >> By Sherri
 Gamers with a passion for Pokemon will have a new reason to rejoice in 2006 when the little monsters make their way to Nintendo DS with a few new titles and Wi-Fi capability to boot. This development will bring multi-player gaming capabilities for Pokemon to new levels as players around the world will now be able to battle it out with their favorite Pokemon. For those with children who live and breath Pokemon, this latest development bears watching. While it will be a blast for kids to connect with up to 15 other players for a multi-player game, convenience of the DS with a Wi-Fi connection could prove to very addictive indeed! According to GameShout, the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection will even include the new Pokemon titles for the DS: Diamond and Pearl. Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl will introduce new Pokemon and new evolutions and pre-evolutions for existing Pokemon. The game will take place in a new region. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl will be compatible with Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald (meaning, you can transfer your Pokemon from these games). Also, the game will support up to 16 players to connect to each other using the Nintendo DS wireless feature." Related: Nintendo and GameSpy Team Up for Free DS WiFi Sony Dismiss Nintendo DS as a "Gimmick" Pokemon Cancer Gene Renamed After Legal Threat Discussion >> By Sherri
 If you’ve ever doubted the popularity of online games in the U.S., the numbers might be shocking. According to an article on Financial Express, it is estimated the revenues from U.S. online gaming services will triple by 2009. A report from Park Associates estimates just the U.S. figures alone will climb from 2005’s figure of $1.1 billion to $3.5 billion in 2009. MMOGs will remain a strong favorite while other forms of online gaming such digital downloads will make their presence known, too. And although online games will climb in popularity, it’s the entire industry that’s showing some major boom action. In 2004, gaming sales topped Hollywood box office receipts – not Hollywood’s total income, but still pretty impressive. This should be great news to gaming developers like Blizzard and EA and even better for gamers who enjoy their favorite online games and fear the fun might someday go away. Many say that the gaming industry across the globe has taken off and has a long way to go, and hopefully pretty fast. Once a niche market and considered by some as a curiosity in mid-1970s – when it started first – the video game industry took in about $31 billion in 2004. Contrary to a popular belief, the video game industry is not bigger than Hollywood yet. The US film industry made $44 bn in the same year. However, the video game sales in the US have exceeded the movies’ total box-office revenues (excluding ancillary revenues from sales of DVDs, sales to foreign distributors, cable TV, satellite TV and broadcast TV networks) each year since 1996.” Related: E3 MMOG Round-Up How to know if you play MMOG's too much Sony Projects: Action, Strategy MMOG's, Free PSP WiFi Classic MMOG Rescued from Dumpster by Fans Discussion >> By Sherri
 Rumors are starting to spread that the once dead Dreamcast may have another title due out soon – at least in Japan. A report on Joystiq says that Under Defeat, which is a helicopter shooter that’s popular in Japanese arcades, will hit stores in Japan around March 23. The retail price of the box would be about $52 American. Sega has yet to give any official news on this, but considering it doesn’t even list the Dreamcast on its official American site as a viable platform for games, this doesn’t seem likely. Only time will tell if this is a comeback for the old system, starting first in Japan. For those who own the system and enjoy it, new titles would be welcomed. While it doesn’t compare to the flash and dazzle of the next gen consoles, the Dreamcast is a great starter console for younger gamers. Source: Joystiq.com Related: Secret Level to develop classic Sega franchise SEGA's Next-Gen Surprise: After Burner? SEGA Answers Call For Family Video Games Discussion >> By Sherri
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