Price Cut?

Patrick Klepek - 1UP Wed Aug 23, 9:19 AM ET

There has been speculation that Microsoft is heavily considering dropping the price of

Xbox 360 this Christmas in order to build a larger gap between its next-generation offering and Sony's PlayStation 3.

Microsoft has denied report after report, but price drops are happening, they just haven't been necessarily spurred by the company -- and we're not talking about the hardware's performance in Japan.

A Microsoft spokesperson speaking to Eurogamer confirmed several European retailers, with the publication pointing out Play.com as an example, have dropped the price of Xbox 360's Core package from 209.99 pounds to 199.99 pounds. No changes appear to have been made to the Premium bundling, so could the drop have been spurred by sales performance? No one's really saying.

"Retail price is set by our retail partners," said a Microsoft spokesperson. "Retailers are already selling Xbox 360 Core System from 199.99 pounds, which we believe is outstanding value to consumers."

Gary's Take: Historically, this precedes one of two things. One is an actual price cut by the hardware company, or two...an act of desperation from the retailers to stop carrying the product.

Signs point more favorably to number 1.

Madden sells like Mad..den.

US console charts: August 14-20

It's a mad, mad, Madden world as EA's exclusive football franchise dominates the Best Buy charts.

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot

Posted Aug 24, 2006 12:20 pm PT

When Electronic Arts scored exclusive rights to make NFL games in late 2004, many football fans lamented the demise of the ESPN NFL 2K franchise. Given that the two series' fierce rivalry had spawned innovations on both sides, some doomsayers predicted EA's monopoly would lead its venerable gridiron property to stagnation.

Judging by the mixed-to-positive reviews of Madden NFL 07, the series' quality seems to have survived mostly intact. Not that it mattered at retail, though. Preorders of the game--which officially shipped on Tuesday--dominated the most recent Best Buy sales rankings.

The PlayStation 2 edition of Madden NFL 07 was the week's top seller, followed by the 360 version (second), and the Xbox version (third). Two Hall of Fame Editions of the game also made it into the top 10--the PS2 version in fourth and the Xbox 360 version in ninth. Right behind was the PlayStation Portable edition of the game, rounding out the top 10.

If you weren't sacking quarterbacks this week, chances are you were smacking zombies. Dead Rising, Capcom's Xbox 360 horror survival game that lets you use everyday objects as weapons, was the fifth-best-selling game of the week. It landed just above a resurgent Xbox 360 edition of Tomb Raider: Legend, which owed its boost to its now-discounted price of $29.99.

The remaining two slots in Best Buy's top 10 both belonged to the Nintendo DS. Though not a new title anymore, New Super Mario Bros. jumped into ninth place, just two slots down from the ever-popular Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day.

What do they know?

Analysts Predict Massive Unit Reduction For PS3 Launch

Japanese analysts are predicting that issues in the manufacturing process could leave Sony far short of the magic six million...

Posted: 11:54 on 24 Aug 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

At E3 2006, Sony announced that around six million PlayStation3 units would be available between launch in November and the company's end of fiscal year, though analysts from Japan are reporting that the actual figure could be far less.

Representing Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, analyst Masahiko Ishino argued that Sony is facing problems obtaining the required quantities of certain parts for the next-gen system - and that only three million PS3s may be ready for the launch period.

As a result of Ishino-san's remarks, shares in Sony fell by over 3%.

Games is good.

by Glenn Chapman Fri Aug 18, 1:04 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Video games are being treated as serious medicine in the battle against health woes ranging from obesity to cancer and dementia.

Several hundred US game developers, medical workers and government policy makers were set to collaborate in Maryland in September at the Games for Health Project devoted to putting video games in the US medicine chest.

"We think there is a huge potential for games to be used for good," said Richard Tate of HopeLab, the company that created Re-Mission game for children being treated for cancer.

"It is just a matter of designing them thoughtfully and targeting what you want to achieve with the design."

Re-Mission combined biological accuracy with animated heroine "Roxxi," billed as "a gutsy, fully armed nanobot that seeks out and destroys cancer cells throughout the human body."

Patients that played the game were more apt to take their medicine, undergo needed therapy and believe they could beat cancer, according to HopeLab, which is based in Palo Alto, California.

HopeLab had filled more than 30,000 orders for the game from 55 countries since launching Re-Mission in April, according to Tate.

HopeLab is working on games to treat autism, depression, sickle cell anemia, and childhood obesity, according to Tate.

"We do think the model can be replicated," Tate said.

HopeLab planned to share what it learned about researching and designing the game at the Health Games gathering at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

The third annual conference was informally referred to as "the exergames" in the spirit of meshing exercise and play.

Among those expected to attend were representatives from the US

National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, according to organizer Ben Sawyer.

What I've been playing:

Dead Rising. This games owns me.

Brain Age

Convention Corner:

"By now I am sure you have heard about the tragic event that took place on June 24th. The murder of Tracy Bennawit, owner of the Kinetix LAN gaming center, sent shockwaves through the gaming community of Central Florida, and in response the community would like to do something to honor her. If you would be interested in supporting an event in Tracy’s honor, in any way, please let me know and I will get you updated information about the direction the event is headed as soon as possible. Any support is welcome, and we are looking for this event to be, at its very least, community wide, so no effort is too big or too small."

So we're heading out to this event on Saturday, August 26th at about 6pm.

Location:

Gigabits LAN

12243 University Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32817

(407) 281 – 0020

Starts at 3pm.

It's for a good cause and is basically a gaming day event to celebrate this woman's life and have some fun.

They are arranging things still, so the particulars of the charity portion aren't as clear as I'd like, but I'll update when I get that info.

If you have some spare time, please come out and hang for a bit.

Also:

MLG Tournament Event

Orlando

August 25-27, 2006

Wyndham Orlando Resort

In the peak Summer months, MLG will head to the beautifully sunny lands of Orlando for its fifth and final Regular Season stop on the 2006 Pro Circuit tour. In addition to the $50,000 in cash prizes, this event will serve as the last chance for players to earn invitations for the Playoffs that will afford them the luxury of skipping the frantic and harrowing Wild Card portion of the New York event. With so much on the line, there is no doubt that the competition will reach ridiculous levels in a massive struggle for Pro Status and Playoff invitations.

Fight for Good.

By Marc Saltzman, Special for USA TODAY Tue Aug 15, 7:10 AM ET

Video games are not just about reaching high scores or blowing off steam after a long day at work or school. The $10 billion interactive entertainment industry is also finding that games can be a tool for good - from healing your mind and body to solving world problems.

The latest positive pursuits in games range from burning calories and fighting cancer to tackling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"We've known for a while that games can sharpen memory and improve hand-eye coordination, but they can also be used to teach problem-solving skills, increase our awareness of world issues, help with social phobias and can even treat those with serious illnesses," says Ben Sawyer, co-founder and director of the Games for Health Project, an organization that brings together medical professionals, researchers and gamemakers to explore new ways to improve health care practice and policy. "What we're realizing now is that gaming, as a medium, has become more than just entertainment."

Among the two dozen or more games scheduled to be on display at the Games for Health Conference, scheduled for Sept. 28-29 in Baltimore, are Re-Mission, a game that gives cancer patients a chance to blast malignant cells; Food Force, about the

United Nations' struggles in delivering food to needy parts of the world; and Peacemaker, a game about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Gaming has the capacity to teach us that problems are multifaceted," Sawyer says. "This is a clear case of learning by doing. The U.N. game, for example, can show you what an organization is all about - and let's face it, it's far more effective than a pamphlet."

Video games clearly have a powerful effect on gamers, says David Walsh, president of the National Institute for Media and the Family.

"The really good ones tend to be very, very addictive. But these games can be good teachers. We just have to pay attention to what they are teaching," he says. "As the industry becomes more mature, hopefully the creative possibilities will be applied to more positive themes."

On popular video systems, games that exercise the mind and body have become big hits. Konami has sold more than four million Dance Dance Revolution games in North America since 2001. (Players connect a dance mat to a video game console, choose a song and step on the correct arrows according to the on-screen instructions.)

Nintendo has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide of Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day since its 2005 launch and more than 250,000 copies of Big Brain Academy in the two months it has been available in the USA.

These two games ($20 each) for the portable Nintendo DS system offer brain-sharpening activities that range from reading and counting exercises to word games and drawing challenges to Sudoku puzzles.

Their appeal? "Video games serve as relaxing getaways as you become temporarily entranced by them, melting away the days' stressors," says Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a Long Island, N.Y.-based psychologist.

Gary's Take: This plus news recently about ADD children finding focus from video games, and where do you hear about it? Not on the local news...

RUMOR CENTRAL:

There was a huge rumor going around that MS was going to force people to buy a HD-DVD add on to play certain games.

"Microsoft hasn’t determined whether to do Xbox 360 games in blue-laser HD DVD, but has ruled it out for "this holiday" when it ships its HD DVD drive for movie playback through the Xbox 360, said Dave Luehmann, gen. mgr.- Microsoft Game Studios."

Although MS quickly said no to this, it didn't stop fan boys from frothing at the mouth and making photoshops to their little hearts content in the effort to appear humorous.

UPDATE: Looks like we can put the issue to rest. Microsoft has, once again, officially denied they will be releasing games on the upcoming HD-DVD format, confirming the add-on will be movie-exclusive. The statement released from the company this afternoon makes that pretty clear, and they don't appear to be leaving room to budge:

We're seeing lots of speculation about our upcoming HD DVD Player, and whether we have plans to publish HD DVD games. The answer is no.

XBOX Live to allow user created games

August 14, 2006

BREAKING: Microsoft To Enable User-Created Xbox 360 Games

BREAKING: Microsoft To Enable User-Created Xbox 360 Games Talking on the eve of its Gamefest event in Seattle, Microsoft has revealed XNA Game Studio Express, a new product which will allow indie developers and students to develop simultaneously on Xbox 360 and PC, and share their games to others in a new Xbox 360 'Creators Club'.

The details of the new tech are as follows: XNA Game Studio Express will be available for free to anyone with a Windows XP-based PC, and will provide them with what's described as "Microsoft's next-generation platform for game development." In addition, by joining a "creators club" for an annual subscription fee of $99, users will be able to build, test and share their games on Xbox 360, as well as access a wealth of materials to help speed the game development progress.

[UPDATE - Further information on the new XNA product has been released by Microsoft as part of an official XNA FAQ, including plenty of specific details on how and when the service will debut, and what pre-requisites to game sharing and collaboration are included.]

In an official statement related to this major announcement, Microsoft suggested that the new product "...will democratize game development by delivering the necessary tools to hobbyists, students, indie developers and studios alike to help them bring their creative game ideas to life while nurturing game development talent, collaboration and sharing that will benefit the entire industry."

The games created with XNA Game Studio Express will not initially be available to regular Xbox 360 users, but a longer-term goal is to create a less restricted distribution market using Xbox Live - the company has commented that "Eventually, you’ll be able to distribute that code to other Xbox 360s, opening up a unique publishing avenue which will democratize game development on consoles."

In the meantime, a second XNA toolset named Game Studio Professional, originally scheduled tentatively for an early 2006 release, is now due in spring 2007, and is intended to cater more directly to professionals aiming for Windows and XBLA game releases.

ALSO

Genesis collection revealed

Sega reveals full list of games from 16-bit system to be included in upcoming retro compilation for PS2, PSP.

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot

Posted Aug 17, 2006 2:39 pm PT

Last week, Sega announced that it was bringing a retro compilation of Genesis games to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable later this year. The publisher confirmed that Golden Axe, Sonic the Hedgehog, Shinobi III, Altered Beast, and a Phantasy Star game would be among the included titles.

After a week of speculation, Sega has provided gamers with a full list of 28 Genesis titles that will be included in the collection. The rest of the originally promised "more than 30" games should be accounted for by unlockable arcade games.

It turns out each of the previously confirmed franchises (except Altered Beast) will be represented by multiple games, with Phantasy Star and Golden Axe each seeing installments included in the compilation. Joining that list of Sega luminaries will be a number of lesser-known (but still fondly remembered) games like Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Ecco the Dolphin, Kid Chamelon, and Vectorman.

The full list of Genesis titles included in the collection follows:

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle

Altered Beast

Bonanza Bros.

Columns

Comix Zone

Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head

Ecco the Dolphin

Ecco II: The Tides of Time

Ecco Jr.

Kid Chameleon

Flicky

Gain Ground

Golden Axe

Golden Axe II

Golden Axe III

Phantasy Star II

Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium

Ristar

Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Super Thunder Blade

Sword of Vermilion

Vectorman

Vectorman 2

Virtua Fighter 2

Bully being bullied

By K.C. Jones

TechWeb Mon Aug 14, 8:11 PM ET

A Florida lawyer said Monday that he is on a mission to stop the release of Bully, a video game scheduled to come out in October.

Developer Rockstar claims the game will teach young people how to navigate through the tricky and sometimes brutal social pitfalls of high school. Bully puts the player in the position of a new kid who has to confront bullies, deal with teachers, get the girl and avoid detention at a corrupt boarding school. Though it has not been released yet, a sneak peek reveals that the main character, Jimmy Hopkins kicks and wields a baseball bat during his journey.

Attorney Jack Thompson, who has appeared on 60 Minutes, CNN and ABC World News Tonight, has crusaded against violent lyrics and video games for years. He called the yet-to-be-released game a "Columbine simulator."

Thompson represented the parents of three children killed in Paducah, Ky. in 1997, when one of their classmates went on a shooting rampage. He and investigators said that 14-year-old Michael Carneal had spent hours playing video games that simulate violence.

Thompson tried unsuccessfully to obtain damages from game creators, claiming they were negligent in distributing games that spawned violent behaviors in children. The case was dismissed, but Thompson said his interactions with the family launched a lifelong commitment.

"These people changed my life, broke my heart," he said. "I believe people are going to be harmed because of these games. This is not just some effort by some 55-year-old guy dictating entertainment taste for other people's children. I've got a dog in this hunt and I know where their skeletons are. I think this is the most ridiculous game anyone has come up with."

Thompson, who has also targeted rappers like N.W.A., is seeking a congressional subpoena for an early copy. He said he is prepared to file suit Friday in Miami if he does not gain help from U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns (news, bio, voting record), a Florida Republican.

His ultimate goal is to prevent the release of the video. He said that once the video is out, "the horse will be out of the barn and it will be too late to do anything about it." He said he plans to argue that it violates Florida's public nuisance laws, which prohibit activities that can injure the health of the community.

What I've been playing:

Dead Rising!!!!

Uno

Anime News:

No Anime Explosion this month, taking time off after AFO.

Con Corner:

Comic Con this weekend!

Caribe Royal
8101 World Center Drive
Orlando, Fl.

In the wake of E3

Gen Con expands gaming focus, moves into LA Convention Center digs; Austin Game Conference to host largest show yet next month.

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot

Posted Aug 10, 2006 1:42 pm PT

The Electronic Entertainment Expo is downsizing, but it appears that other conferences are getting bigger. The 2006 Austin Game Conference will have more exhibitors and sponsors than ever before, while the Indianapolis Gen Con hobby game convention is increasing its focus on video games and relocating its satellite Gen Con So Cal show to better accommodate the gaming industry.

The Austin Game Conference organizers today said they have tallied a record 100 exhibitors and sponsors for the show, which will take place September 6-8 in the Austin Convention Center. This year's show, the first to be stretched out over three days, will also feature more than 100 speakers. The Casual Games Conference, Game Writers Conference, and Game Audio Conference will take place during the same span of time and share space in the convention center.

Also this week, Gen Con organizers announced that their hobby game conventions will step in to fill the void left by E3--literally. Gen Con So Cal 2006 is set for November 16-19 in Anaheim, California, but starting next year, the show is moving into the Los Angeles Convention Center, longtime home of E3.

"This move will better serve the entertainment industry, so prevalent in the gaming industry and more importantly make Gen Con more accessible to consumers who wish to see the latest and greatest in all things gaming," the company said in a statement.

As for its main show, the Indianapolis, Indiana-based Gen Con Indy, the 2006 edition of which kicks off today and runs through Sunday, it too is expanding. The company will add an extra 43,000 square feet of space for the 2007 show "in order to better accommodate the video game business..."

Halo the Musical? Nope...

By Borys Kit and Tatiana Siegel Thu Aug 10, 1:06 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Commercials and music video director Neill Blomkamp will make his feature debut on "Halo," the big-screen adaptation of the video game series.

The games follow Master Chief and his companion Cortana as they try to save the galaxy from alien forces called the Flood. Halo refers to an artificial ringworld that actually is a weapon capable of destroying the galaxy. Alex Garland ("28 Days Later") wrote the screenplay.

The South African native is known for commercials that feature robots and a dose of urban grittiness. His eye-popping commercial for Citroen, which featured a car that transformed into a hip-hop-dancing robot, won three Clio Awards. He also directed "Alive in Joburg," a documentary-style short about space aliens trying to live in the slums of Johannesburg.

The film's executive producer

Peter Jackson saw some of Blomkamp's work and flew him to New Zealand for a meeting. Jackson's Weta effects shop is providing creatures, miniatures and visual effects for the production.

Universal will distribute domestically, and Fox will handle foreign territories. The movie is eyeing a 2008 release.

Squeenix console?

Yoichi Wada speaks to Japanese financial site about his company's possible hardware plans...

Posted: 10:54 on 08 Aug 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Speaking to the online financial publication Nikkei Business Online, Square Enix and Taito CEO Yoichi Wada has suggested that his company plans to enter the hardware market - in one shape or another.

In the interview, which has subsequently been translated by US-based Gamespot, Wada-san commented: "This is one of the reasons Square Enix will collaborate with Taito, a company that produces physical hardware..In our talks with Taito, ideas for an actual physical product have come up. In any case, we will be releasing some 'thing.' It's interesting in that it's not the sort of thing you expect from Square Enix."

With Taito focusing in the past on arcade machines, it would seem that likely that Square-Enix would enter into that area of hardware - the idea that they'd 'do a Microsoft' and enter the home console market is pretty much unthinkable thanks to the vast costs involved.

PS3 struggling

By Justin Mann, TechSpot.com

Published: August 10, 2006, 4:13 PM EST

Despite the increased pressure from Microsoft to come out with something amazing, Sony is still fumbling a bit with the PS3. Lately, two additional titles planned for the PS3 have been cancelled. The titles, "Dark RPG" and "Black Blade" were both being developed by FROM Software. Given that FROM wasn't willing to comment on the cancellation, it probably was something bitter between Sony and them. This is in addition to other cancellations Sony has seen recently, leaving some a bit disheartened about the PS3 release. Even if your console is the best thing since sliced bread, without games nobody will bother. I for one hope Sony can still get a good library of great games ready for it, because I am not willing to put down a large chunk of money for something with a microscopic game selection. To their credit, they have well over 100 titles planned.

The two games in question were for the Japanese release, and initially announced in 2005. FROM Software is also developing Armored Core 4, a mech sim game.

Ubi Confirms Prince of Persia Wii Rumours

After online speculation, Ubisoft confirms that the time-twisting Persian Prince will be heading for Wii...

Posted: 12:15 on 08 Aug 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Following the release of the third part in the Sands of Time trilogy, The Two Thrones, earlier in 2006, speculation as to when the Prince of Persia would make a return to console has continued - most recently with online whispers that the franchise would be heading to Wii.

Though not forming part of the launch line-up for Nintendo's next-gen console, Ubisoft has today confirmed to US entertainment publication IGN that the rumours were true: Prince of Persia will be coming to Wii at some point in the future.

In the statement, a Ubisoft representative said, "I can confirm that a game based on the popular Prince of Persia franchise is one of many titles Ubisoft has in development for Nintendo's Wii. At this time we cannot provide an official date for the game or any additional information about it."

HD on 360 on the cheap

By Derek Sooman, TechSpot.com

Published: August 10, 2006, 5:07 AM EST

Microsoft has promised that the HD DVD solution to be made available for the Xbox 360, due for release later this year, will be the cheapest HD DVD Player on the market.

The company recently demonstrated the HD DVD player for the Xbox 360 at the DVD Forum event in Los Angeles, and although an exact price has yet to be made known, many are expecting a price point somewhere in the region of $200, which is very reasonable indeed. However, Microsoft's director of global marketing, Albert Penello, has said that the company has as yet not finalized the price of the HD DVD player internally.

"Here's the truth, we're still thinking about it. Here's what I can tell you for sure, it's going to be the cheapest HD-DVD player you can buy... without a doubt, when it comes out," said Penello. "Everybody is very enthusiastic with the direction we're going. There are still a few surprises left. I don't want to spill the beans yet, but I think people are going to think it's a great value."

The cheapest HD DVD players on the market currently cost in the region of $400 to $500. However, since the Xbox 360 itself will be handling a lot of the work involved in the necessary processing, the Microsoft player will be substantially cheaper.

What I've Been Playing:

Chromehounds

Brain Age

Dead Rising!!!

Anime News:

Speed Racer!!!

Wachowski's "Speed Racer" Ready

Posted: Monday August 7th 2006 12:12am

Source: Production Weekly

Author: Garth Franklin

The Wachowski siblings proposed live-action adaptation of Japanese anime classic "Speed Racer" is now on the starting line awaiting the greenlight at Warner Bros. reports Production Weekly.

The production has set up shop on the Burbank lot, taking over the offices that were home to Bryan Singer's now defunct "Logan's Run" remake. The move comes two years after the film was first proposed by actor Vince Vaughn who confirmed last month he still remains committed to the project.

The film would see Vaughn play Racer X, the long-lost but protective brother of the title character who is a young driver that travels from race to race with his family.

Con Corner:

Screamfest!!

October 13-15 at the Wyndam Orlando Resort, home of AFO!!

Video Game News:

E3 downgraded to a category  E1

By Lisa Baertlein Mon Jul 31, 7:01 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Entertainment Software Association said on Monday it will pare down and refocus its Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3Expo) trade show at the urging of game publishers who are moving to new video game consoles.

The success of new games and devices can be made or broken at the annual E3Expo, which is the biggest and most influential conference for an industry that rivaled Hollywood box office revenue with U.S. sales of nearly $13 billion last year.

E3Expo will continue to be a showcase for new games and consoles, but will have a more intimate and targeted format, said ESA president Douglas Lowenstein.

"The world of interactive entertainment has changed since E3Expo was created 12 years ago," Lowenstein said. "It is no longer necessary or efficient to have a single industry 'mega-show."'

The show, which turns a profit, is an overwhelming extravaganza of light, sound and over-the-top marketing that includes hiring attractive models to work as "booth babes." Some 60,000 people turned out for the 2006 show in May.

ESA is not privy to the number of deals forged at the event.

The original intent of the E3Expo was to raise the profile of the industry and to foster relationships between game makers and retailers. As the industry has grown and matured, numerous niche trade shows have sprung up, catering to different aspects of the now-mainstream entertainment product.

E3Expo's new format, which Lowenstein said has the unanimous backing of ESA's board, will be less disruptive to studio development schedules, while offering publishing teams the chance to have more personal and effective meetings, according to one large game maker that asked not to be named.

Emergence Day Revealed

Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games reveal North American/European release dates for Gears of War...

Posted: 14:01 on 03 Aug 2006

By: Chris Leyton

Coming mere minutes after our last report on Gears of War and the looming "Major Announcement", Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games today officially lifted the wraps on when Emergence Day will occur.

Scheduled for release in North America on November 12th and 17th in Europe (just in time for the PS3), Gears of War will be released in both standard and limited editions. The latter will provide an even greater insight into the world of Gears of War, with an official "Destroyed Beauty" art-book and a bonus "Making Of..." DVD.

"'Gears of War' represents the emergence of a thrilling new franchise for Xbox 360 and is the must-have game of 2006," said Shane Kim, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. "Combining the best in innovative gameplay, next-generation graphics and interactive storytelling, Epic has harnessed the extraordinary power of Xbox 360 to create an extremely powerful and immersive entertainment experience."

"Our vision is to deliver a one-two punch of cinematic action paired with a thrilling and compelling interactive experience," said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer at Epic. "With 'Gears of War' we've created a title that will place gamers directly in the shadows of a ravaged world, surrounded by the beautiful remnants of a destroyed city and the horrific dangers that hide in the rubble."

The Ubisoft 7

Blazing Angels, Far Cry, Open Season, and more join Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids as day-one games for Nintendo's console.

By Tim Surette, GameSpot

Posted Aug 3, 2006 12:08 pm PT

Monster 4X4: World Circuit.

In mid-July, one unnamed hedge fund manager told TheStreet.com that there was one publisher well prepared to reap success from the launch of the Nintendo Wii. Citing the high-profile game Red Steel, the source said only Ubisoft correctly tapped into the crowd-pleasing potential of the Wii, while other publishers were caught flat-footed by the console's successful stint at E3 2006.

Apparently the source's comment was an understatement. Ubisoft today revealed exactly how prepared it was for the Wii's launch--the publisher has seven launch titles prepped for the Wii's first day in stores. Previously, Ubisoft only revealed that Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids would be available at launch. In comparison, the most prolific publisher for the Xbox 360's launch was Electronic Arts, who boasted five games.

"Media and analysts agree that Ubisoft has the greatest potential for reward with the new console's launch because we believed in it from the beginning," said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America.

The five new titles should sound familiar to many gamers. Blazing Angels lands on the Wii after battling it out on the Xbox 360, Xbox, and the PC earlier this year. A game based on the Far Cry franchise will allow Wii owners to control hero Jack Carver with the Wii-mote. Also confirmed was a Wii version of Open Season, based on the movie of the same name, which also hits several other platforms. Ubi will also bring over a pair of racers--Monster 4X4: World Circuit (previously released on the Xbox) and GT Pro Series, from the developers of the GT Advance series.

Naruto invades again.

Posted: 10:59 on 03 Aug 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Earlier in the summer, rumblings from Japan emerged about a possible return to PlayStation2 for the Jump franchise, Naruto. The news was that the game (called Naruto: Konoha Spirits) would be arriving on Japanese store shelves in Autumn 2006.

Today Namco Bandai has announced that the game, re-titled Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles, would also be heading for North America during the Winter months. Following the story of Naruto and his friends, Uzumaki Chronicles features a brand new storyline and 'large-scale ninja combat' as the young ninja tries to reach his goal of becoming one of the most admired ninjas of all time.

"On the heels of the resounding success of 'NARUTOTM: Ultimate Ninja,' fans of the series have been clamoring for new NARUTO adventures on the PlayStation 2," said Naruo Uchida, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.'s Senior Vice President. "With 'NARUTO: Uzumaki Chronicles,' we will deliver another layer of gameplay depth to the franchise by introducing an original storyline and providing an opportunity for fans to engage in large-scale ninja combat, all the while exploring familiar locations of the Naruto universe in an adventure setting."

Whilst a European publisher for the game remains unknown, the fact that a Naruto title for Xbox 360 was confirmed back in April 2006 by Ubisoft, may mean that the French company will decide to distribute Uzumaki Chronicles too.

Industry responds to E3 decision.

By Laurie Sullivan

TechWeb Tue Aug 1, 7:48 PM ET

Entertainment Software Association President Doug Lowenstein confirmed on Tuesday that the Electronic Entertainment Expo would become a smaller intimate by-invitation-only event known as E3 Media Festival likely held in a hotel lobby, according to various reports.

News began trickling out Sunday that the conference organizer would downsize and overhaul E3. By Monday, the ESA confirmed the move.

E3 treats more than 60,000 industry professionals each year to video games and sensory overload in the Los Angeles Convention Center. But that has all become a thing of the past. The E3 media festival expects to host as few as 5,000 guests.

Reaction from game developers is mixed. "It's a little like downsizing Mardi Gras in New Orleans," said Bruce Haring, editor in chief of the Global Gaming League (GGL) Web sites, which design and host online video game competitions. "It drew so many people that a smaller event would allow greater media access to specific publications."

E3 has been the showcase for game publishers to preview their lineups for the past 12 years. The 2006 show brought out hundreds of games expected to launch next year, and first-time hands-on demonstrations of the Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii game consoles.

Greg Schumsky, president at Covenant Studios Inc., a small developer of Christian video games and animation, welcomed the news. "E3 could be a little more personal," he said. "It's really difficult to get the time you need with the console makers. I like the Game Developers Conference because it's a lot smaller and easier to talk with the people you need to connect with."

Schumsky said there's been talk that several publishers would turn to holding company-specific events to showcase their wares.

What I've been Playing:

Chromehounds

99 Nights

Brain Age

Saint's Row--I actually liked it!

Kameo

Anime News:

Con Corner:

AFO Recap:

I loved it.

Is This Real?