With fall looming ever closer, Microsoft’s plans for winning the next-gen battle are slowly coming to light.

First, it was the announcements of big games such as Halo 3, Forza 2 and Gears of War. Then came the denial of the price cut rumor that turned out to be no rumor at all.

Now it seems Microsoft is cutting some of the prices on games for its Xbox 360 system. The gaming company has announced a pricing structure it’s calling the Xbox 360 Classics range. The “classics” (kind of funny considering the console hasn’t turned 1 yet, but hey, it’s Microsoft) will include a series of older top sellers that will have their prices lowered from £49.99 to £19.99, per Virgin.

Word is Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero will relaunch in October with the new, lower pricing.

With a 10 pound price drop on the console already confirmed and now the game price drop, it’s clear Microsoft intends to battle in the affordability arena. While it’s unlikely it will ever be able to get down into the range Wii will offer, making the price gap between itself and Sony’s console even bigger is just downright brilliant. At the very least, it’s going to make my checkbook a lot happier when the “classics” roll out in the U.S.

I’m not entirely sure we’ll see a slashing as big as what’s being reported, but it sure would give MS a leg up on the competition.

Related:
Xbox 360 Price Cut Denied, Confirmed
Wii Pricing At $170, Maybe
PS3 Bundles Are Pricey
Wii Titles Will Have Current-Gen Pricing
Xbox 360 On A PR Campaign
Xbox 360 ‘Gears’ Up For PS3 Launch

Comments >>

A roundup of some of the stories featured on Igniq during the past month:

[MMOART.com Immortalizes Gamers’ Toons] – The folks behind the business took time out recently to answer some of our questions
[Ultima Online Overhaul Coming] – The granddaddy of them all is getting a new graphics engine, UI and lots of new content.
[Xbox 360 Indie Game-Making Beta Begins] – Microsoft’s YouTube for gamers?
[PSP A Terrorist Threat?] – An innocent game of Tekken PSP caused some concern in Washington, D.C. not too long ago.
[Retro Gaming Found In Ninja Loves Pirate] – The developers of the retro, side-scrolling arcade adventure game answered a few of our questions.
[Wii Web Address Now Nintendo’s Domain] – Wii.com now registered with Nintendo
[Xbox 360 Still Launching A Year Later] – The 360 is still making its debut in new locations.
[Shatner To Host Canadian Video Game Awards] – William Shatner will host the Canadian games industry “Oscars” on 14 Sept.
[PS3 Shortages Possible] – Sony still has not set a date to start manufacturing
[Xbox 360 Camera Coming Soon] – Word on the street has the camera releasing 19 Sept. with a guesstimated pricetag of $39.99
[Wii Rumored To Have Voice Recognition] – Source of the rumor: a patent Nintendo filed a few years back involving technology that can turn speech to text on screen.
[PlayStation Mag Editor Opts For Xbox 360] – Because of a lack of big-name launch titles and the fact she just isn’t impressed by Blu-ray.
[Wii Pricing At $170, Maybe] – Unofficial reports have the Wii costing less to produce than Nintendo expected
[Xbox 360 Controller Improvement Coming?] – Reports indicate Xbox 360’s clunky controller might be getting some much-needed overhauling.
[Organized Crime Hits MMORPG Worlds] – Microsoft: “those of you who are working on massively multiplayer online games, organized crime is already looking at you.”
[Video Game Industry 2, Illinois 0] – The state of Illinois has to pay the Entertainment Software Association more than a half-million in legal fees for a failed attempt to pass an unconstitutional gaming law
[Bully Trailer Out In The Face Of Protests] – Opponents say it will cause children to “act out” what they see on the screen.
[Duran Duran To Play On Second Life] – Simon Le Bon & Co will play the virtual world in “the near future”. Suzanne Vega has also signed on to perform live.
[Spore Won’t Spawn Until Late 2007] – Spore is coming; just a little later than Will Wright fans might have liked.
[Xbox 360 HD-DVD Will Be Cheap] – Microsoft: “it’s going to be the cheapest HD-DVD player you can buy…without a doubt, when it comes out.”
[PS2 Data Will Transfer To PS3] – Memory card adaptor will enable stored information from the PS2 to be transferred to the PS3 upon its release.
[WoW Has Its Own MySpace Place] – and 29,693 70K+ “friends“
[Quake 4 Demo For Mac Available] – The demo is the intro to the single player game
[LoTR Online In Alpha; Beta Open For More] -Turbine’s opened the door for more beta testers
[Xbox 360 ‘Gears’ Up For PS3 Launch] – Gears of War will come out right before the PS3 hits the scene.
[PS3 Will Launch Without Atari] – Atari has no intention of releasing PS3 titles earlier than 2007.
[E3 Restructuring Makes Sense] – E3 is to become less of a dog and pony show and more of a personalized event for gaming companies, retailers and media.

Browse all stories posted to Igniq during August

Related:
Every Sunday: Stories that are cool, but didn’t make the Igniq.com front page on their own for one reason or another.
Comments >>

The phenomenal success of Blizzard’s World of Warcraft is something that doesn’t seem to be taken for granted by the company’s Paul Sams, COO. In fact, it seems Blizzard is making some serious plans to retain players while engaging new ones.

During a recent interview with GamesIndustry.Biz, Sams talked about next-gen possibilities, game infrastructure upgrades and a push to roll out expansions every 12 months or so.

With more than 6 million players around the globe, WoW is the biggest MMORPG going. It has a market share Sony would kill for and its subscribers equal more than the populations of some countries.

Keeping that number up is the trick, Sams acknowledged. “Will we have the same number of subscribers in two years? I don’t know. I certainly hope so, but being realistic, that’s a tall order.”

To help fill that order, Blizzard is upgrading its global network and adding more data centers. It also sounds like it plans on beefing up its staffing.

As for The Burning Crusade expansion and others to follow, Sams says it’s “fast approaching the beta test period” and it’s looking to be on track for a winter release. Other expansions will follow, he promised.

In regard to a next-gen version of WoW, Sams didn’t say it was out of the question, but he did say it would face a number of hurdles.

As WoW barrels toward the 7 million mark in subscribers, it does sound as if Blizzard has a pretty good handle on how to keep gamers happy. The server upgrades might mean players will be in for a bumpy ride, but no more so than they already face. In the long run, the investment should pay off for Blizzard and its players.

If customer service is a priority, Blizzard’s likely to keep interest high. If Sony can keep interest up with EQ and EQII and the worst customer service I’ve ever come across in a game, Blizzard shouldn’t have a problem.

Related:
WoW Beats Jesus, George Bush On Searches
WoW Announces A Blurring Of The Lines
WoW Mass Protest Possible
WoW Hits 6 Million, Adds Spanish
Is 5 Million Too Many For World of Warcraft?

Comments >>

Windows-based players can now find out just how hard it is to create their own video games.

Microsoft has released a beta version of the promised XNA Game Studio Express. The software lets gamers create their own titles using “new, optimized cross-platform gaming libraries for Windows and Xbox 360.”

The catch with beta, however, is that the trial program will only allow the creation of games for Windows. The final version, due out this holiday season, will target Windows, and with a subscription to the XNA Creators Club, the Xbox 360, too.

Microsoft says it’s “proud of this beta milestone,” but warns it’s a stripped down version of the stripped down version game maker wannabes will get upon final release.

Some of the key features missing from the beta version include:

• XNA Framework Content Pipeline feature

• Support for retail Xbox 360 game development. This will be added with the final release, Microsoft says

• Starter kits and tutorials

Even though it’s not the real deal, the beta appears it will give amateur game makers a really good idea if they want to pay out the subscription fee at a later date. And, really, for about $100 and a chance to make Xbox 360 games for friends to play, my guess is many will.

Check out the beta download by clicking here.

Related:
Xbox 360 Indie Games Coming Soon
Xbox 360 HD-DVD Will Be Cheap
Mod Delivers Podcasts, More To Xbox 360

Comments >>

When it comes to video gaming at the high-end, speed is essential, but looks run a close second. In an effort to get a lock on gamers (and other entertainment fans) with a concern about appearances, both Sony and Epson have made some big announcements about upcoming products.

On the Sony front, the company has announced its new Vaio LS1 TV/PC combo. The system couples a PC with an LCD flat screen TV. The monitor itself has a framed display with a transparent border for a floating effect with a 19-inch measurement.

The system will offer an Intel Core Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250 gig hard drive. The machine will be Vista capable. The video card sounds like it might leave a little to be desired, but that’s what upgrades are for.

The perk for this machine is the fact its monitor can double as a flat-panel TV and it’s a wide screen to boot for those movie snobs out there (like me) who want their letter box and want it now.

The LS1 is expected to ship in early September with a hefty $2,100 price tag. It won’t be the best gaming machine on the market by a long shot, but it sure does look nice.

Epson’s big announcement is the new PowerLite Cinema 400. This thing has me drooling.

The front projector model is meant for major home theater nuts and gaming fanatics. It will have a true high-def image with a 720p native resolution. Reports are the Cinema 400 can create an image of 120 inches from 12 feet away.

This one’s coming out in September for a cool $1,600. The pricing isn’t all that bad compared to some of the big screens out there and it’s expected to offer a decent quality for the cost.

I’m thinking Halo would look kick butt on this thing.

Related:
Sony Says PSP UMD Is Misunderstood
Insane gaming with a 4 graphics card capable motherboard
Expensive Graphics Cards, for enthusiasts or snobs?
Halo 3 Development Moving Along

Comments >>

Earlier reports that Resident Evil would not be rambling onto Wii have been confirmed as inaccurate.

The folks at The Wiire contacted Capcom Europe directly and were told by Ben Le Rougetel, head of communications, the earlier story stemmed from a misunderstanding. That story had Capcom’s Jun Takeuchi saying he didn’t know if Resident Evil would shamble onto the console or not.

Rougetel told The Wiire it would and that Takeuchi thought he was being asked if a version of RE5 would be made for Wii.

“”Takeuchi-san’s answer does not contradict the announcement made at this year’s E3 which confirmed that a RE title for Wii was in development.”

Let me just say whew to this news! The RE title and the expected pricing for the console itself are the two things that are making me want a Wii so badly.

Sure, I’ll say I’m buying it for my daughter, but really it’s just for checking out RE and maybe even a Star Wars game with the nifty controller. I’m dying to see if the controller will respond to the fearful flailing that goes on in my house while RE’s being played.

OK, so I’m a geek.

Related:
Wii Pricing At $170, Maybe
Wii Could Bring Star Wars Action To Life
Nintendo Reveal Revolution-ary Controller
Wii Release Unknown, But Big Title Coming

Comments >>

As the official Nov. 17 PlayStation 3 launch date draws near, fans and those who are watching from the sidelines might be wondering just how important to the company the next-gen console’s success is to Sony.

“Critical,” says an article in Wired Magazine.

Pointing out that Sony’s electronics division has posted a profit only once in the last five years and that its share price has fallen, the article goes on to list some of Sony’s conga line of failures – Sony Connect, the Net MD Walkman, Mini-Disc, Betamax – you get the picture.

The PS3 is “critical to its entire strategy,” the piece stresses.

Up until a year or so ago, I wouldn’t have taken much note of the Wired piece. And, I probably wouldn’t have agreed with the above statement.

Sony, the company behind tons of brilliant tech gadgets, would never lose sight of its goals so far as to face a possible end. But, after its series of failures and what appears to be some seriously flawed decision making, I find myself wondering if a PS3 failure could push Sony down that slippery slope.

I’m afraid that could be the case.

Sony’s banking a lot on the PS3. So much so, in fact, it’s pushing it hard as a device that will meet a whole lot of needs beyond gaming. Justifying that high price tag is very important and in the midst of Microsoft’s latest Xbox 360 price drop announcements that justification seems even more vital.

The way things are shaping up, it honestly looks like Sony has hype while Microsoft has a plan. I’m not saying the PS3 doesn’t sound like an incredible console, because it does. And, I’m also not saying the Xbox 360 is perfect, because it’s far from it. But, MS seems to be a bit more visionary as of late while Sony’s coming across like a mad cat backed in a corner with a bucket of water over its head.

The now immortal words of Kaz Hirai (The next generation doesn’t start until we say it does) might just come back to bite Sony in a big way.

Is it too late for the giant that’s become a household name?

Not likely. As Wired points out, “Sony Electronics needs to embrace the networked world, obviously, but does it really need to be allied with a Hollywood film studio and a consumer-wary global music label in a global campaign against Microsoft? Probably not. It just needs to make cool products for the century we live in.”

I’m in a love-hate relationship with Sony myself. I love to hate and begrudgingly play its EQ line. I hate its customer service – something Wired also takes note of. I’m sorely disappointed in what I see as a major lack of planning in regard to the PS3 launch. But, at the end of the day, I really do love Sony’s stuff.

Here’s hoping the company eases up on the hubris and learns from its mistakes and the mistakes of others before it’s too late.

Related:
PS3 Release Date, Price Firmed Up
PS3 Shortages Possible
PS3 Can Replace A PC?
Xbox 360 Game Price Cuts Coming
PS3 Launch Could Mirror The Xbox 360′s
Xbox 360 ‘Gears’ Up For PS3 Launch
Xbox 360 Shortages To Continue

Comments >>

Having just celebrated its first anniversary in business, MMOART.com is an online company with a twist. Through the site, MMO gamers can have their favorite toons immortalized in art work that’s more than suitable for framing.

The brainchild of husband-and-wife team Nakiesha and Jomaro Kindred, MMOART.com offers pencil, ink and fully colorized pieces of art for clients all over the globe. The Kindreds are big City of Heroes players and when Jomaro drew a few pieces based on that title, his work got noticed and the business was born.

The Kindreds recently took a few minutes to answer some of our questions:

How long have you been in business?
Nakiesha: MMOART has been in business for one year. We just celebrated our first anniversary last week on the (August) 17th!

How did you get into this specialty?
Jomaro: One day last summer I was doing some sketching and thought I’d draw one of my favorite City of Heroes characters at the time. When I posted the drawing on the official forums, I got a tremendous amount of positive feedback and interest! After receiving several requests to draw others’ characters, I talked it over with my wife and we threw together a website to offer my art as a service to anyone who might be interested. And I’ve been drawing non-stop ever since!

Who is behind MMOart? Their backgrounds?
Nakiesha: MMOART is primarily run by Jomaro and I, just an ambitious husband-and-wife team. I handle the administrative/clerical side of the business (emails, client correspondence, production, shipping, etc.) as well as website maintenance. My background experience includes business administration, creative & technical writing, graphic & web design, and some photography.

Jomaro: I’m the man behind all of the artwork and design you see on the site, although I will be collaborating with another artist in the near future (Graver) to offer watercolor art as well. I’ve been a self-taught artist since age 7 and I have experience in illustration, digital coloring, graphic & web design, t-shirt design and color separation, and photography.

Nakiesha: Also working with us now are Jamus and Evelyn Spider. Jamus is our new PR agent, handling advertising and promotions. And Evelyn Spider is a creative writer who will assist our clients in developing a storyline for their characters should they be interested in commissioning a Comic Book Short.

The end products that are shown online are incredible. How do you do it?
Jomaro: Well I always start with a rough draft first, which is usually very scratchy and hard to understand lol. I clean them up a bit before showing the client to give them a basic idea of the layout in mind and its overall composition. Once they’ve approved the draft, I proceed to penciling the piece and depending on what type of piece they’ve ordered, I keep moving on from there until it’s complete. I’m a hopeless perfectionist so I tend to go overboard on details sometimes. But in the end it’s always worth the extra time I put in, just to make sure that my clients are 100% satisfied. I also believe that if it has my name on it and it’s representing what I do, it should be the best that it can possibly be.

Where do you all get your inspiration from?
Jomaro: Life in general really; from my son’s hyper antics, to the big Texas sky, to the hard working neighborhood mailman. Witnessing anyone do anything successfully is inspiring. And of course the games themselves inspire us. The effort and creativity that go into creating these virtual worlds and characters is amazing.

Are you gamers yourselves? If so, what games?
Nakiesha: Yes! Currently, we both play World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, City of Villains and the new ArchLord Beta. Sadly though, we hardly have any time to play with our workload.

Clearly the artist(s) involved is very talented. Why MMOART?
Jomaro: I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, there’s just nothing like being your own boss! MMOART has provided me a great way to work on my own terms, and also to be involved in two of my favorite fields: comics and gaming.

How do you manage to keep your prices so reasonable?
Nakiesha: We just try to strike that balance between keeping our services affordable to a variety of individuals, yet appropriate for the quality we’re offering and the amount of work and time that we invest.

What’s the turnaround time on a piece of work?
Jomaro: Turnaround times vary all the time! It greatly depends on how complex each piece is, and also how many there are to do. In the year we’ve been in business, pieces have taken anywhere from two weeks to three months or more to complete. There’s really just no way to provide an accurate estimate on how long it takes to create art in general.

What do clients need to send you to get a piece done?
Nakiesha: Our Queue List is limited, so they would first have to wait until an available slot on our Queue List is open to place an order. When we are open for orders though, what we’d need is for them to fill out our online order form with all of their info, their character’s info, images, etc. And we’d also need their 50% deposit before any artwork begins. Once both the completed order form and the deposit are received, their character’s name appears in the next available slot on our Queue List.

What’s the most odd piece you’ve created?
Jomaro: Lol, I’m not at liberty to say as that piece is part of a private collection.

Check out MMOART.com by clicking here.

Nods to Wonderland.

Related:
City Of Heroes Celebrates 2 Years
WoW Announces A Blurring Of The Lines
Planetwide Announce Comic Book Creator
MMORPG Titles Are More Than ‘Games’
Comments >>

It’s been quite a week in video gaming. From Leipzig Games Convention to Louisiana’s loss of its anti-video game law, the news has been breaking hard and fast. To help wrap up the week, here’s a look at some of the stories that didn’t make Igniq’s front page on their own, but they were too good to pass up.

Runescape Tops Yahoo Searches
This amazing little MMORPG doesn’t have World of Warcraft’s numbers, but it’s more than holding its own. Offering free and cheap play options, Runescape is different and the interest people are showing in it is amazing.

The game’s so popular, in fact, one writer found it was topping searches on the Yahoo engine. Check out the game here.

TinyWarz Expansion Is Out
MobRule Studios has rolled out the Battle Tactics expansion for its TinyWarz title. The expansion includes 21 vehicles, 44 vehicle mods, 10 buildings and more.

The nifty game is a browser- and turn-based strategy title that has players battling it out on distant worlds.

Within the game, players can create their own armies, customize units, assign crews and more. They can even hire crews to serve them. Check it out here.

Steam’s Piping Hot With New Releases
I received two media release this week about new titles available on Valve’s Steam.

Introversion’s DEFCON online strategy game will be available on the site in September for $14.95 and its Uplink title is already there for $9.95. It is also included with Darwinia for a package price deal of $19.95.

PopCap Games has also signed on to deliver its games via Steam. Titles such as Bejeweled and Zuma have made PopCap famous. The company’s titles will be out on Steam starting Aug. 30.

Ubisoft Seeking Next-Gen Input
I received an e-mail this week from Ubisoft. It looks like the company’s in the process of testing the next-gen waters by seeing what its followers want.

The company has sent out survey forms to some of its regulars, asking questions about their next-gen console preferences. The survey includes a chance to rank consoles by interest.

Ubisoft isn’t saying exactly what it intends to do with the feedback, but it looks like it might help it mold its game-making decisions.

With titles like Ghost Recon under its belt, anything Ubisoft decides will likely be big news on the gaming front.

EverQuest II Expansion Questions Answered
Echoes of Faydwer is coming up and gamers have lots of questions.

The folks behind the EverQuest II expansion have taken some time to answer a few of the burning questions about this add on that will be largely designed to cater to higher level players. There will be, however, some perks for newbies, too.

LucasArts, Free Radical Join Forces
The folks behind TimeSplitters are at it again. This time, LucasArts and Free Radical Design, are creating a game for multiple next-gen platforms.

“Free Radical has always been about titles with great gameplay and innovative design,” said Peter Hirschmann, Vice President of Product Development at LucasArts. “In the battle for videogame quality, these guys are at the front of the line. This team’s pedigree is one of the best in the business.”

WoW Going Next-Gen?
There’s no hard and fast answer to that question, but Blizzard’s CEO isn’t discounting the possibility.

When he was asked about a console version of World of Warcraft, Paul Sams replied: “We’ve met with Microsoft, we’ve met with Sony, and we are exploring these things, but the list of challenges is long. One really big challenge is that one of the key features of a massively multiplayer game, especially WOW, is consistent and regular content updates. They require hard drive space, and there’s a finite amount of that on each of those platforms.”

Related:
Louisiana Denied Anti-Video Game Law
Wii Could Sell For Less Than 250 Euros
WoW Beats Jesus, George Bush On Searches
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 3 Announced
EQII Map Mod Is Incredible
Tinywarz Indie MMO Hits The Web
Valve Greased For Xbox 360 Titles

Comments >>

UK Xbox gamers looking to get stuck in the middle won’t be able to do so just yet. The game’s reportedly been taken off the shelves.

Don’t worry though. The Aussie ban hasn’t spread.

According to Spong, the title was missing from a Gamestation store, so they did some checking around. It seems the BBFC 18 rating logo was not on the disks released for the Xbox. It was on the packages, however.

Evidently, UK law requires this logo to be on both the disk and the outer packaging, so the title was recalled.

The PS2 version of the game is available.

I’m all for putting suggested ratings on games. As a parent I appreciate them. But, really, on the disk, too? Seems a little over the top to me.

Plus, we’re talking a video game based on a Quentin Tarantino movie. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out it probably wouldn’t be appropriate for young players. (Not that I don’t think Tarantino rocks.)

Still, I’ll take this type of diligence to ensure the labels are correct over some of the laws politicians are trying to pass in the U.S. any day.

There’s no word from Edios when the labeling mix up will be fixed.

In the meantime, Xbox gamers itching to check out some Reservoir Dogs’ actions, can get a pretty quick, if not hysterical, recap of the movie here.

Related:
Aussies Won’t Get Stuck In the Middle
Reservoir Dogs Fires Up Gaming World
Opinion: Say ‘No’ To Family Entertainment Protection Act

Comments >>

As promised on the Spore Web site, there’s lots to report about Will Wright’s latest venture during this week of the Leipzig Games Convention. The game that still has no release date does have a lot of media attention and even some new screenshots and a trailer to boot.

Spore, which first made a splash during the 2005 E3, is still under development by EA and the world famous Wright. As the creator of The Sims, Wright’s one of those guys who when he speaks, the entire gaming industry listens.

The screenshots and trailer released for the game are making it look more and more intriguing, but as it is with the Wii, I have to admit, I’ll be happier when there’s some firm word on a release date.

The title will have gamers building their own universe from the ooze up, starting with a single spore. The idea is to eventually build an entire world and deal with such issues as space travel and beyond.

With Wright behind the wheel, there’s little doubt Spore deserves the attention it’s drawn. But it will be nice to play this title rather than talk about it!

Related:
Spore Won’t Spawn Until Late 2007
Spore Wins Top E3 Award
Sims’ Will Wright Honored For His Work
Robin Williams Goes Gaga Over Spore

Comments >>

After nine years of being one of the most frustratingly fantastic MMORPGs going, the granddaddy of them all is getting an overhaul. That’s right, Ultima Online is getting a new look.

Billed as “much more than an expansion,” Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn (which is the working title) is an upgrade to the original game. The makeover will include a new graphics engine, UI and lots of new content.

EA is promising the original content and features of Britannia will be preserved, but “enhanced” with new graphics.

“It’s been nine years since Ultima Online first proved that online games could be very popular,” said EA Mythic General Manager, Mark Jacobs. “And now, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the UO team and the support of the players over the years, a new day is dawning for this groundbreaking game.”

As of June 2006, in the MMOGChart listings, UO still held 1.1 percent of the market share for MMORPGs. Considering EQ and EQII both held under 2 percent compared to WoW’s unreal 52.9 percent share, that 1.1 percent isn’t too bad for an old game. The redo should only help those numbers.

There’s no word on when the title will come beyond 2007 or how much it will cost, but it sounds like the team behind the project has its work cut out for it. There’s more than 9,000 piece of art to redraw and more than 14 million tiles.

That’s a lot of work!

Related:
Tale In The Desert III: A Different MMORPG
Organized Crime Hits MMORPG Worlds
Conan MMORPG Delayed
Pirates Of The Caribbean MMORPG Announced

Comments >>

Xbox 360 gamers itching to get into the driver’s seat of Test Drive Unlimited have a few more days to wait, but Atari’s prepared a tease to help them survive the wait.

A new playable demo of Test Drive Unlimited is out and on Xbox Live for gamers with Xbox 360s to check out.

The new demo doesn’t sound half bad for a demo. It includes a sampling of both online and offline play with 40 miles of open roads in Oahu, Hawaii. New vehicles in this demo include the Ferrari F430, the Ford Mustang GT Coupe and a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. The demo comes with a lot of the game’s bells and whistles, too. These include speed blur effects that are customizable, gear changes and handling refinements.

It’s available for both Silver and Gold members of Xbox Live with a broadband connection.

“The first Test Drive Unlimited demo was an amazing success, placing third for all downloads during E3,” said Rick Mehler, Director of Marketing, Atari Inc. in a media release. “As a result of the demo, Atari’s belief that gamers want and deserve more from gaming – in terms of content, graphics, gameplay and online options – was confirmed. With this new Test Drive Unlimited demo, we will deliver M.O.O.R ., Massively Open Online Racing and a gaming experience that is reinventing the racing genre.”

Test Drive Unlimited hits the roads in North American stores on Sept. 5. Game Stop’s taking preorders on it for $39.99. The title will release for the 360 and other platforms such as the PS2.

Related:
Test Drive Unlimited Website Launched
Test Drive: Unlimited Design Contest

Comments >>

Swedish-based game developer Muskedunder Interactive is moving ahead with plans to release its retro, side-scrolling arcade adventure game Ninja Loves Pirate.

The multiplayer game will be PC based and will allow players to take on the roles of Ninja, Pirate or both. The good guys get to battle robots, zombies and “bad ass bosses” while they play through a tale that includes a humorous storyline.

Magnus Alm from Muskedunder recently took some time out to answer a few of our questions about the game, which recently had its Web site for the game go live.

Q: How long have you been making games?
A: Our company has a been in business since 2003, but we (recently) started to solely focus on commercial games. Before that we
worked with advertising and educational games.

Q: When will this be available for purchase?
A: That is not certain at the moment, since we are currently discussing with
publishers.

Q: How much will it cost?
A: Again, don’t know this for certain yet.

Q: Any idea where it will be available when it is?
A: Online and retail at regular computer games stores. Or perhaps XBLA. Nothing is decided yet.

Q: How did you come up with such a neat idea?
A: This actually was the idea of Patrik Liljecrantz (our lead programmer) and
Emanuel Garnheim (Our concept and pixel artist) who worked out the concept
for the Four elements contest on gamedev.net. The game won that contest and
also was nominated as best Swedish independent game the same year (in 2005).

Q: Will the game be single- or multiplayer?
A: It’ll be multiplayer which will allow the players to utilize the two
characters different styles and moves to solve different puzzles and
problems on the levels.

Alm reports the site has received a lot of traffic since its launch. “We are very pleased with the response we have gotten so far, and it looks like the gamers out there are pleased to see a classic platform game with nostalgic feeling hitting the market.”

Check out the site by clicking here. There’s a demo out for download and the game’s looking really retro as promised. The title’s been getting a lot of thumbs up from the industry.

Related:
Retro Gaming Available Online For Free
Play Your Retro Nes Games on the Go
New Range of Retro Atari Watches Announced

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It might be the most intriguing game in the pipeline (next to Spore), and it appears as if it’s just gotten a huge boost. Project Offset has a publisher and it’s looking for Xbox 360-experienced employees to boot.

For those who don’t know, Project Offset is a game that’s still under creation, headed up by a team of several known game developers who decided they wanted to create a first person shooter in an epic fantasy world.

There’s not a whole lot of information out about the game as of yet, but early screenshots and trailers and the concept behind the title make it look and sound absolutely fantastic. An epic FPS with monsters that look so real they kind of give me the creeps just looking at the screenshots – it doesn’t get better than that.

But, for Xbox 360 owners, it does. The folks behind Project Offset are looking for folks with 360 experience to work on the game. The confirmation of a 360 platform release couldn’t be much more clear.

If that’s not enough, it looks like Project Offset has gotten a huge shot in the arm toward getting this game off the ground. The company has secured a publisher, but isn’t saying which one. There is speculation out that it could be EA, Ubisoft or Activision. Regardless of who it is, I’m just pleased to see this title making headway.

The conformation on the publishing deal comes from Project Offset co-founder Travis Stringer who announced recently on the game’s site that one had been secured. He also pointed folks to the jobs page, which of course lists the need for Xbox 360 pros.

Check out Project Offset by clicking here.

You can bet I’ll be keeping my eyes on this one, and my wallet ready.

Related:
Project Offset: Fantasy FPS Under Development
Xbox 360 Surround Sound Rolled Out
Xbox 360 ‘Gears’ Up For PS3 Launch

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Do you think you’ve got what it takes to kick butt and take names in Call of Duty 3? If so, Activision, Spike TV and Best Buy want you to sign up for the “Game Head Call of Duty 3: Challenge.”

The boot camp-style competition will mesh gaming and survival in a reality TV special set to air on Spike TV’s “Game Head” Nov. 10 to coincide with the release of the Activision game.

Sixteen “recruits” are being sought for the challenge, which include a combination of gaming skills and actual boot camp events. Applications for the challenge are being accepted online at GameSpot.com.

The winner of the event will get VIP access to Spike’s “Video Games Awards,” a home entertainment system from Best Buy and a trip to Normandy, France.

Applicants are asked to create a five-minute movie that outlines why they should be chosen for the challenge. The 16 contenders will be picked by Activision. Submissions need to be in by 11:59 PDT Sept. 4.

Per the Activision media release, those selected will be flown to a “top secret” military location where they will play on virtual battlefields and take part in the real-life boot camp challenges. Shooting will take place Sept. 20-22.

“The ‘Game Head Call of Duty 3: Challenge’ combines the in-your-face action that the best-selling video game franchise is known for with the intense physical and mental challenges associated with a military boot camp,” said Will Kassoy, senior vice president, global brand management, Activision, Inc. “The result will be a reality TV event that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.”

Check out the competition by clicking here.

I’m not a big fan of reality TV, but this sounds like a blast of a competition. Plus, it will prove that gamers can actually get off the couch!

Related:
Call Of Duty 3 Trailer Out
Call of Duty: Deluxe Edition Ships
Call Of Duty 2 Ads Deemed Misleading

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Reporting on the fast-paced, exciting world of video games is an obsession that keeps me up at night – late at night.

But, try as I might, it’s impossible to cover it all!

In an effort to share all the cool stuff I come across each week, I’m rolling out this column you can count on seeing each Sunday. A roundup of some of tidbits, oddities and curiosities, if you will, Video Bytes will be dedicated to stories that are cool, but alas, didn’t make the Igniq.com front page on their own for one reason or another.

Arcade Action Coming To A Bar Near You
Sega Amusements USA and Sega Entertainment USA are cooking up plans to launch the ALL.Net platform in the U.S. later this year. The platform will let gamers in bars, arcades and entertainment centers like GameWorks play against each other with some serious online, tournament action. Games like Extreme Hunting 2 – Tournament Edition will be among the first to be rolled out. The concept has had more than a dry run in Japan, with action in place since 2004.

Shatner To Host Canadian Video Game Awards
William Shatner has signed on to host the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts Sept. 14. The awards will honor nominees in 37 categories and are meant to be the Oscars for the Canadian games industry. Winner will receive the coveted Elan.

VIA Wants Girls To Get Into The Game
In an effort to level the playfield between the sexes, VIA is launching its “Get the Girls into the Game” contest.

The contest will allow one lucky winner and her friend – who must also be a girl – to head to Sweden for some serious gaming training. The contest is open until Sept. 10 at the Home of Chrome site.

Female gamers are out there; this will just give them some uber training for beating the guys. Check it out here.

Video Games Promote Social Butterflies
This is yet another video game study, but this time the results show gaming isn’t all that bad. Seems the folks at the University of Illinois-Champaign and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that some MMORPGs “promote sociability and new worldviews.”

I could have told them that for a lot less than the study probably cost!

Wii Get Zelda In October
Rumors about the impending release date for the Wii and the much-anticipated Zelda: Twilight Princess are a flyin’! There’s some indication the title will make its debut in October. Check it out, here.

LoTR Online Looking For Guilds
With the doors for beta testing poised to swing open, the folks at Turbine are looking for a few good guilds – OK, probably lots of them – to test drive Lord of the Rings Online.

Not too long ago I signed up for the site’s forums and put a beta application in. While Turbine’s not coming out and saying it’s only favoring guilds, it does seem to have a preference for them in who it accepts.

I received this in my e-mail today: “Don’t forget to encourage other members of your online gaming guild to register – if someone in your guild gets into the Beta Program, it automatically increases your own chance of getting in.”

Check out the site and sign up for beta here.

Related:
LoTR Online In Alpha; Beta Open For More
Wii Oct. 2 Release Date Hidden In Code?
Female Gamers Are Nothing New
MMORPG Titles Are More Than ‘Games’
Sega Fans Buck For Next Next-Gen Console

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Despite some hopes, or perhaps in spite of them, Nintendo did not officially give out the final release date or the price for Wii during its big splash at the Leipzig Games Convention today. It did, however, reveal some other interesting bits of information, including a fairly firm confirmation about the console’s ballpark pricing.

“The price has not been decided yet, but I expect it to be … less than 250 euros,” Bernd Fakesch, Nintendo’s German operations head, told Reuters on the sidelines of a gaming industry conference.

Wii will also have some new titles coming its way. The sequel to Super Mario Strikers – Mario Strikers Charged – and Battalion Wars 2, or just BWii for short, are slated for some Wii action.

And, not to be outdone by the obnoxious pink line that Sony’s announced, Nintendo also confirmed a pink DS Lite would arrive in Europe sometime in October.

Word of Sony’s pink PS2 and PSP hit the web like wildfire yesterday. I was kind of hoping Nintendo would stop the insanity, but since Japan’s already been tickled pink with the DS Lite, I suppose it’s only fair to keep the ball rolling.

There’s some speculation the pink move on the part of both Sony and Nintendo is meant to appeal to more female gamers. Maybe that’s so, but could they have at least picked a shade that didn’t hurt the eyes so much?

Related:
PS2, PSP Tickled Pink For The Holidays
EA Confirms Wii At $170
Wii Oct. 2 Release Date Hidden In Code?

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Launching a new product comes with a whole lot of hassles these days, as the folks at Nintendo seem to have found out.

Not only are there issues with creating the said product, but then there are naming, production, pricing and marketing issues to contend with. And, then of course, in the computer age – you’ve gotta have the Web site, too.

That’s where the trouble came in for Nintendo’s Wii. Up until recently, Weyerhaeuser Corp., the paper company, owned the domain name www.wii.com. That’s not so any more as the folks at Go Nintendo have pointed out.

It seems Nintendo has finally locked up the site as its own.

The page loads blank right now and since Nintendo’s been using its main site to plug Wii, that might not change. But, at the very least, with Nintendo now in the driver’s seat it can prevent the domain from being sold to someone else. This, of course, could have had Wii.com being associated with anything imaginable and perhaps some things decent folks might not want to imagine.

As the big September Wii announcements draw closer, it will be interesting to see if Nintendo intends to use the site for anything, or if it was just purchased to ensure the company’s lock on the name.

Regardless, I’m with the folks at Go Nintendo. I wonder how much they paid to get the domain name away from Weyerhaeuser?

Related:
Wii Rumored To Have Voice Recognition
Wii Pricing At $170, Maybe
Wii Oct. 2 Release Date Hidden In Code?
Nintendo Wii: Why?

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PC gamers tired of accessories that just don’t get the job done right are in luck. Microsoft’s evidently taken notice of the problem. The computer giant has announced a new line of peripherals designed to make PC gaming more responsive.

Included in Microsoft’s lineup for gamers are three new accessories including the Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0, the 360 Wireless Controller and the Habu, another gaming mouse.

“We are reintroducing IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 in response to the demand from PC gamers worldwide,” said Bill Jukes, product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware US. The new mouse will have things such as a sensitive scroll wheel and a gaming toggle to allow fast switching between games and programs. It’s set to be released in October, along with the Razer/Microsoft Habu, which comes with a long list of features.

The wireless 360 controller for the PC with an integrated headset jack for PC headsets should release around December, giving PC gamers the ease of 360 playing.

Sounds like a decent lineup to help make gaming on the PC a little more responsive.

Related:
PC Is Gaming Machine Of Choice
Are new consoles ruining the PC experience?
Building the budget gaming PC and beyond

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One might think the new Xbox 360 title Dead Rising would be nothing but a bloody, zombie slaying fest. And, while it’s all that, loyal Igniq.com reader and contributor Dek says it’s a whole lot more, too.

Dek recently reviewed the game for us and he’s reported back that the title is more than worth the price of admission.

“Dead Rising really surprised me, at first I thought it was nothing but a zombie murder fest, but it turns out to be a very deep game. Where killing zombies is always a welcome option, you also have to solve several time dependent ‘cases,’ you can rescue survivors, fight psychopaths and work on your photography skills.”

The game has players assuming the role of Frank West, a freelance photojournalist with a penchant for getting into the action. West follows a story lead to a small town that has become overrun with zombies. He takes refuge at the local mall, thinking it will be a safe haven. Instead, that’s where the fun begins …

Dek gives the game four out of five flames and says it’s not only a blast to play, but also darn funny, as well.

Check out Dek’s full review here.

Related:
The House of the Dead III PC Demo
Perfect Dark Zero
Grand Theft Auto – San Andreas

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Maybe, just maybe, the announcement that the state of Illinois now has to pay the Entertainment Software Association more than a half-million in legal fees for its failed attempt to pass an unconstitutional gaming law will make lawmakers elsewhere think twice before passing similar legislation.

Nah, what am I thinking? The ignorant are doomed to repeat history and few have proven themselves more ignorant than lawmakers around the United States who are lining up to get on the anti-video game bandwagon.

OK, jabs aside, the Illinois case is a costly lesson that hopefully state lawmakers elsewhere will take into account. That half-million is a whole lot of money that could have gone toward other more worthy projects within the fine state of Illinois. Perhaps bolstering the education system, improving roads or even feeding the poor. Taxpayers there will never know, however, because lawmakers chose to squander their cash.

The ESA’s victory centers on the ill-fated Safe Games Illinois Act that was backed by Gov. Blagojevich and overturned last December. The courts felt the law was unconstitutional, just like most that have come down the pike. Since the ESA won its fight against the law, it was able to ask for its legal expenses to be reimbursed.

U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly agreed the ESA deserved some compensation, to the tune of $510,528.64. Kennelly has been quoted as saying the amount charged the state is for its “unconstitutional effort to enact a law banning the sale of violent video games.”

The ESA’s Doug Lowenstein sounded a little disgusted with his having to constantly defend the industry against similar illegal laws. “The sad fact is that the State of Illinois knew this law was unconstitutional from the beginning. Taxpayers have a right to know that over half a million of their dollars and countless government hours were thrown away in this fruitless effort.”

I’m with Lowenstein. Shame on lawmakers all over the United States who think they can win votes by supporting such costly foolishness. Intelligent people know you’re only stumping for votes, and many will keep incidents such as these in mind when they head to the polls.

Condolences to the taxpayers of Illinois. Condolences in advance to those in Louisiana and elsewhere who will most likely face similar payouts thanks to those who insist upon repeating history.

Related:
Opinion: Say ‘No’ To Family Entertainment Protection Act
Anti-Video Game Law Remains Blocked
ESA Head: Game Ban laws Unconstitutional
Jack Thompson On Another Witch Hunt
Tennessee Anti-Video Game Law Is Anti-American

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White, red and green might be the traditional colors of the holiday season, but Sony’s thinking pink should get equal billing.

The entertainment giant with a questionable taste in colors is planning to launch a pink PlayStation 2 this fall and it also seems the much heralded pink PSP will also make its debut in October for European buyers.

Pictures of the PS2 model show a shockingly nauseating console that’s decked out in what can only be described as a painfully bright shade of pink. Set to make its first appearance at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany Aug. 23-27, the console will sell for a reported €159.99 or £129.99 in UK in a bundle with SingStar Pop.

The price doesn’t sound that bad, but eww! Could they have made it any more of an eyesore? I don’t even think my frilly dress-loving daughter would want to play on that. I’m not sure Sony will be able to outsell the Xbox 360 with this model.

On the upside, Sony’s also planning an overall price drop for the current-gen console in Europe. The new prices for the PS2 will fall in under 95 pounds.

Related:
Pink, Blue Nintendo DS Hitting Europe in October
PS2 Outselling Xbox 360
No PS2 Price-cut Announcement from Sony
PSP Hacks and Mods List

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I’m not one to gloat, normally, but this one deserves a big I told you so.

U.S. District Judge James Brady has once again issued an injunction to block the enforcement of Louisiana’s ill-created anti-video game law.

Brady’s called the law an “invasion of First Amendment rights” and will not allow the state’s sheep, err lawmakers, to enforce it.

“Depictions of violence are entitled to full constitutional protection,” Brady wrote Thursday.

The lawmakers in the fine state of Louisiana chose to jump on the Jack Thompson bandwagon in a unanimous decision to throw taxpayer dollars out the window. They passed this thing knowing it was illegal. They passed it knowing it would face a challenge.

In fact, the ESA vowed to fight the law and Gov. Kathleen (It’s not my money) Blanco signed the piece of legislation into action anyway.

Louisiana lawmakers say they did it “for the children,” but in reality it’s my guess they did it to earn votes. Instead it will likely end up costing an already devastated state several hundred thousand dollars in legal fees.

While I’d really like to see the ESA stick it to these buffoons in office, it’s my sincere hope the organization refrains from suing for legal fees in this case – provided the folks in Louisiana vote these people out of office.
Otherwise, let the Illinois treatment begin!

The reason for my gloating?

Back when I wrote my original pieces on Louisiana’s misguided attempt to pass the doomed legislation, I received some nasty e-mails from one of the law’s backers, whom I’ll leave unnamed. This person told me there was no way the law would fail and that I should perhaps study my constitutional law more closely.

I chuckled at the time. I’m still chuckling.

Related:
Louisiana Passes Jack Thompson’s Law
ESA Says Leave Those Kids Alone
Jack Thompson On Another Witch Hunt
Anti-Video Game Law Remains Blocked
Video Game Industry 2, Illinois 0

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Microsoft’s not taking the credit, but it seems a modest price cut is happening in regard to the Xbox 360 core system anyway.

Retailers such as Play.com have dropped the console’s price to £199.99 from £209.99.

Rather than say the small price drop comes from the company, Microsoft is giving retailers themselves kudos for the price reduction. “Retail price is set by our retail partners,” a Microsoft spokesperson has been quoted as saying. “Retailers are already selling Xbox 360 Core System from £199.99, which we believe is outstanding value to consumers.”

Rumors of a pre-holiday season price drop for the Xbox 360 console have been very persistent in Europe and the United States. The theory is a drop, even a modest one, would put the 360 in a better market position when the pricey PlayStation 3 rolls out Nov. 17. Plus, it would help it better compete with Wii, which has its own cheap pricing rumors flying all over the place.

While a 10-pound drop isn’t a huge one, every bit might count when the other two next-gen consoles make their way onto the scene later this fall. Analysts are already drawing their lines in the sand as to which consoles they believe will win the next-gen race, and perhaps it will be the pricing issue and overall value that decides it.

Related:
Xbox 360 Price Drop Rumors Continue
Xbox 360 Price Drop Coming?
PS3 Bundles Are Pricey
Wii Pricing At $170, Maybe

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Whether you think the folks at Microsoft did it on purpose or not, it seems the much-heralded iPod killer has been poorly named.

Or, has it?

The portable entertainment device that will eventually be able to do everything from handle movie, TV and music downloads to playing video games has a name that translates to one nasty bugger of a word in Hebrew. Zune, it turns out, means “f**k” in that language.

It’s possible the people at Microsoft had no clue they’d done this. Really, coming up with a name that doesn’t have another meaning somewhere else in the world isn’t exactly easy. But, it’s also possible they did and hoped it would generate the kind of buzz it’s getting right now.

We could sit here all day and debate as to whether Microsoft intended this or if it just fell through the cracks.

That, however, wouldn’t be any fun.

Instead, we’ve decided to look at how the double meaning puts a new light on some old sayings, can make movie lines hysterical and even turn innocent headlines into belly laughing fun.

Here’s our Top 10 list of great ways to use Zune:

10) Zune off!

9) Go get zuned.

8) Zune you!

7) Zune you and the horse you rode in on.

And, some headlines we’ve seen:

6) Dude you’re getting a zune!

5) Bush comments on Zune

4) Zune interface blown-out and skinned

3) Zune no iPod killer

2) The dirt on Zune

1) And, in homage to my favorite movie, “Snatch”:

Turkish: Well the rabbit gets zuned.
Tommy: Proper zuned?

Zune’s set to arrived by the holidays with Toshiba taking a lead role in production.

Related:
Microsoft Games To Go By 2008?
Microsoft to Lockdown Xbox 360 Peripherals
Xbox 360 On A PR Campaign
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We’re living in a time when terrorists are willing to fill up a baby bottle with explosives and bring it and the baby that owns it onto a plane to wreak havoc, so it really shouldn’t be surprising that everything from lip-gloss containers to PlayStation Portables are under scrutiny as possible terrorist devices.

With its wireless, homebrew capabilities that are frankly quite amazing, the PlayStation Portable caused some concern in Washington, D.C., not too long ago. It’s being reported police there spent a great deal of time shaking down a guy for playing Tekken on his PSP outside a federal building at night. A once seemingly innocent act – playing a video game to pass the time – is now a cause for concern.

If the story’s right, it’s a sad commentary on the times we’re living in that everything from Gatorade bottles to portable gaming devices are suspect. Ultimately, the police in Washington did their jobs and did them well, as the poor guy who got shook down readily points out.

He also questions, however, whether the PSP is really a toy, if it could hack wireless networks to cause harm and if Sony’s desire to stop homebrew by pushing firmware updates is meant to actually prevent its portable wonder from being used for something much more nefarious than a game of Tekken.

The disconcerting fact of the matter is that he’s probably close to the mark on all scores. The PSP is much more than a toy. It can be used for more than meets the eye. And, it’s more than likely Sony knows this.

We live in troubling times where almost anything placed in the wrong hands could be dangerous – even a seemingly innocent baby bottle, an iPod, a digital camera or even a PSP.

My hat’s off to the D.C. police and also to the guy who wrote the piece for being perceptive enough to realize they were just doing their jobs to protect and serve.

We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Related:
PSP Hacks and Mods List
Homebrew Apps Running on PSP 2.0
PSP Web Browsing, TV Downloads Next Week

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As the only next-gen console without a firm price and release date, Nintendo’s Wii is shrouded in mystery and rumor. Those rumors have gotten pretty interesting lately, and now it seems there’s some decent confirmation Wii will be cheap.

GamesIndustry.biz recently spoke with Electronic Arts’ David Gardner about Wii and found out he’s heard the console will sell for about $170 in Japan. Gardner couldn’t say what the machine will go for elsewhere, but this does backup earlier rumors about the under $200 pricing.

But, it’s important to remember this is not the official word from Nintendo. That’s expected to come sometime next month along with a release date.

Right now, however, it’s looking like Nintendo’s strategy for Wii involves solid, fun playability, affordable pricing and cheaper games than the competition. With a desire to appeal to “everyone,” Nintendo seems to be setting itself up to do well in the next-gen race – an observation that wasn’t lost on Gardner.

“Nintendo has come up with a very clever strategy,” said Gardner. “They’ve made a choice which is great for the consumer. Now we’re going to have a choice whereby consumers can buy a Wii plus one other console.”

No matter what its official price ends up being, it looks like Nintendo is on the right track to appeal to a broader base of customers than its competition. How this will fall out in terms of sales would take a crystal ball to know for sure. But one thing’s for certain, it’s going to be an interesting show.

Related:
Wii Web Address Now Nintendo’s Domain
Wii Rumored To Have Voice Recognition
Wii Pricing At $170, Maybe
Wii Oct. 2 Release Date Hidden In Code?

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Nearly a year after its official and rather bumpy launch in North America, Europe and Asia, the Xbox 360 is still making its debut in new locations.

The folks in South Africa, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary have yet to get any Xbox 360 lovin’ and they still have to wait a bit longer. But, there’s a light at the end of that tunnel. The official release date for the next-gen machine in those locations is set at Sept. 29, according to Pro-G.

But that light’s not very bright. The launch titles could be a whole lot better considering how long these people have had to wait.

Right now it looks like the 360 will roll out there with only a handful of titles, such as Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero. More titles will follow, however.

Now I know you’re saying what’s wrong with these titles? Nothing really, but come on, couldn’t they roll out with a few more considering it’s a year later? I realize these locations aren’t the gaming hotspots of the world, but still there are gamers, obviously. Couldn’t they at least get a little Fight Night Round 3 or even Ghost Recon action?

But, I suppose it’s better than the wait people in locales such as India are still enduring.

For all those gamers out there who stood in long lines knowing there was no hope, paid too much and generally grumbled because they couldn’t get their hands on an Xbox 360 when they wanted one, just remember it could be worse.

And worse may be on the horizon. The PS3 is looking like its going to follow the Xbox 360 shortage storyline to the T.

Related:
PS3 Shortages Possible
Amazon Shortage = Empty Handed Xbox 360 Gamers
Xbox 360 Goes for Over $10K on eBay

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If action is the name of the next-gen game, then a Sierra Entertainment and Spark Unlimited deal is pretty big news.

In a media release, Sierra, which is a division of Vivendi Games, revealed it has signed a development agreement with Spark for an action title for next-gen consoles. Very little about the project was revealed in the release other than saying more details are to come soon. The title is expected to ship in 2007.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to work with
Vivendi Games and Sierra Entertainment. We share a common creative
vision for this upcoming project, but even more importantly, a desire
to deliver a truly unique and incredible game experience,” said Craig
Allen, CEO, Spark Unlimited.

Whatever Sierra and Spark are cooking up is likely to be good. Spark’s responsible for Call of Duty: Finest Hour and Sierra’s, well, Sierra. It’s been responsible for some serious titles, including one of my new favorites – F.E.A.R., which is coming to the Xbox 360, too.

You can bet my eyes will be peeled for more information on this undertaking.

Related:
Call of Duty Summation
Call Of Duty 3 Trailer Out
F.E.A.R. to sport Director’s Cut Edition
Vivendi’s E3 Lineup Packs A Punch

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