Gaming News May 2007

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Vol. 1
SNK :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES Volume 1 announced for PlayStation®2 system

The Sims Bowling Gone Mobile
EA :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
In The Sims Bowling, players can choose and customize a Sim and then hit the lanes. The better your bowling skills, the more popular your Sim becomes, but as your Sim’s popularity rises so too does the game’s difficulty.

Need for Speed Prostreet
EA :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Compete in the ultimate street racing showdown with EA’s blockbuster racing franchise

Hour of Victory on Xbox Live
Midway :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
The Hour of Victory demo will give the player a sneak peak into the rugged North African level. Players will be able to pick any of the three characters in the game, the Covert Operative

Cell Factor Revolution
Overclock 3d :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Cell Factor is a game that I’ve been awaiting the final release of for some time. Showcasing Ageia’s PhysX card and API, the promise of the game at early beta was good. See what we think now…

The Euro Vision: Can Ubi Live With The Big Boys?
Gamasutra Columns :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
It?s end of financial year time for Ubisoft, and in this week?s The Euro Vision column, wannabe analyst Jon Jordan just can?t restrain his calculator as he piles into comparing Europe?s hotshot publisher with the big four American companies, EA, Activision, THQ and Take Two.

Carmack “magic” powers new id Software franchise
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Id Software’s Todd Hollenshead has revealed that the Quake and Doom creator is working on a new gaming franchise powered by a brand new engine from developer John Carmack.

Peter Moore to speak at Casual Connect
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
The Casual Games Association has announced that Xbox boss Peter Moore will deliver a keynote speech at the Casual Connect Conference, set to take place in Seattle this July.

Videogame Style Guide available now
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
P3 Power Play Publishing has announced the launch of a The Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual, a new book written for games journalists.

Ubisoft eyes studio acquisitions
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Ubisoft chairman Yves Guillemot has said that the company is on the look out for possible acquisitions, although the publisher wants to stay cash positive.

Blizzard boss to speak at Austin GDC
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
CMP has announced that Michael Morhaime, president and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, will deliver a keynote speech at this year’s Austin Game Developers Conference.

No new DS colours for Europe
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Nintendo UK has told our sister site, Eurogamer.net, that there are no plans to release any new DS Lite colours in Europe at present.

Oberon Media acquires I-play
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Oberon Media is acquiring mobile publisher and developer I-play, with the company now holding significant interests in TV, online and mobile casual gaming

Valve teams up with AMD to offer free Steam games
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007

Online market worth USD 13 billion by 2012 – DFC
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
The worldwide online gaming market will surpass USD 13 billion by 2012, according to DFC Intelligence, with digital distribution via home consoles accounting for USD 1 billion.

Blitz expands Arcade division following Burger King success
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Blitz Games is expanding its Arcade division following the success of its specially created Burger King games, which to date have sold over 3.2 million units.

New York Assembly Restricts Game Sales
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Games and morals face off in a fight to the finish.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Image
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3)The first look at Ken’s final in-game model.

Fighters Hit the Archives
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
SNK Playmore and Arc System Works deliver PlayStation classics.

Need for Speed Turns a Corner
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Need for Speed ProStreet (PS3)EA announces Pro Street, the world’s first street racing simulation. First media included.

Top 10 Tuesday: Games Starring Stars
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Finally, celebrities get their chance to shine.

Guitar Hero III Hands-on
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Guitar Hero III (PS3)The rock fest continues with Neversoft at the helm. First look at the wireless guitar and screens are here.

Now Hiring: PlayStation Editor
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
We need help and you need to eat.

PLAY! A Videogame Concert San Jose Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Traveling symphonic multi-media show proves that gaming music ain’t just for kids anymore.

Magic in the Air: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Game Scores
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Composer James Hannigan takes the reins on the latest installment of the videogame franchise.

Nintendo DS Gaming Service Tops 5 Million Users, 200 Million Game Sessions
Nintendo DS :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
There’s always someone ready to play

Games for Windows LIVE Launches
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
The release of Shadowrun and Halo 2 for Windows Vista mark the first of many games to come which will support the Games for Windows LIVE service.

New Halo 3 Info Disclosed
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
The latest issue of GamePro has the first info and details on the info discovered by modders in the Halo 3 beta code plus the world’s first images of the new HAZElike armors.

id Software Working on Brand New Franchise and Engine
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
The CEO of id Software has revealed that the company is working on an allnew franchise with an allnew John Carmack engine.

Medal of Honor Airborne Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Today EA has released a bunch of new screenshots of Medal of Honor Airborne for your viewing delight.

Phantasy Star Universe Special Edition Texter
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Blue Orb, Inc. today announced a new accessory product for players of Phantasy Star Universe that allows them to type text messages directly from their game controller.

Need for Speed ProStreet Announced
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that the blockbuster Need for Speed franchise is introducing a new version that drives the series in a new direction. Check out the first screens and trailer!

Hour of Victory Demo Available
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
With news of the demo, we bring you three new screenshots of Hour of Victory, a firstperson World War II shooter built by Midway using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3.

The Darkness Box Art
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
2K released today the box art of The Darkness, the video game adaptation of the TopCow’s cult comic hit.

Ubisoft Announces Surf’s Up has Shipped to Store Shelves
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
In anticipation of the June 8 release of Columbia Pictures’ Surf’s Up, Ubisoft has shipped the Surf’s Up video game to store shelves.

WarTech Senko No Ronde in Stores Now
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Ubisoft announced today that it has shipped WarTech Senko No Ronde for the Xbox 360.

Forza 2 Race Weekend
Xbox Live :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Register your gamertag and enter the Forza 2 Leaderboard Tournament and compete against the best Forza players.

BlackSite: Area 51 Demo Details
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 31, 2007
A teaser demo has been released for BlackSite: Area 51 and is available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

$25,000 mod- and map-making contest launched.
Turbo Squid :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
GameFlood Announces Groundbreaking Community Mod And Map Making Contest

Forge of Freedom Gets Update
Matrix Games :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
A Major Update Released for American Civil War Grand Strategy Game

Penumbra: Overture now available on Linux
Frictional Games :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
First-person survival horror now accessible to Linux fans.

Nintendo DS Gaming Service Tops 5 Million Users, 200 Million Game Sessions
Nintendo :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
5 million DS owners now Wi-Fi connected, with 200 million gaming sessions chalked up between them.

Burger Island Fires Up The Grill Online
Yahoo Games :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
eGames, Sandlot Games Burger Flipping Game Available Exclusively on Yahoo! Games

The Guild 2 – Pirates Of The European Seas – Demo Released!
JoWood :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Citizens and noblemen are not longer bound to town and country, now the oceans are open for them! Setting sails, establishing trading routes from harbour to harbour or thrilling battles at sea: Exciting gameplay in the scenario of the 15th century is guaranteed!

Nintendo Wii Review
ThinkGaming :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Better late than never, I suppose…

“The release of the Nintendo Wii in November 2006 has brought a different look to next generation consoles. Since is release it has sold over 7 million units. The Wii uses wireless (Bluetooth) remotes, called Wiimotes. Yes, other consoles offer wireless remotes, but they don’t offer what the Wii does, interaction. The remote and receiver combination is more of a virtual simulation where how you move physically is affected in the game. This is very different than any other console. Yet some gamers may find this to completely destroy their purpose of video gaming. This usually is to just sit around rather than move. This gives the opportunity for people to lose weight and enjoy themselves while doing it. Who knew that video games could come to this?”

Critical Reception: Microsoft’s/Bungie’s Halo 2
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to the newly released PC port of Halo 2, which has been labeled as “achingly, repulsively mediocre” and “a relic” by disappointed reviewers.

The China Angle: EA Backed The9 Plans Casual Coup
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
In Gamasutra’s latest China Angle column, Pacific Epoch’s Shang Koo analyzes the implications of EA’s investment in operater The9, as the latter launches its latest MMO beta, and a Chinese court rules on whether virtual items have real monetary value.

DS Wi-Fi surpasses 5 million users
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Five million DS users worldwide have connected to Nintendo’s Wi-Fi service playing more than 200 million game sessions since launch in November 2005.

Microsoft unveils new touch sensitive computer
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division – the same department responsible for Xbox 360 – has unveiled a new computer designed to be used without a mouse and keyboard.

Wii helps sales double for Nintendo Australia
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
The launch of the Wii has helped Nintendo of Australia record sales of AUD 138.8 million (EUR 84.5m), almost double that of the previous year.

Eurogamer announces joint venture with MediaClash
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Eurogamer Network has teamed up with MediaClash to launch a new customer publishing venture offering full service solutions for games retailers, publishers, developers, distributors and more.

BBC to make first Second Life broadcast
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
The BBC is to broadcast its first ever full programme in a virtual world this Friday, with the current affairs show The Money Programme looking at the businesses of Second Life and massively multiplayer online gaming.

Expected PS3 price cut won’t improve sales, says Bank of America
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
An expected price cut of Sony’s PlayStation 3 will not help improve sales described as ‘stagnant’ by Bank of America analyst Michael L. Savner.

Ubisoft profits up more than 70 per cent
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Ubisoft has released its financial results for the the year ending 31 March 2007, revealing net income of EUR 40.5 million – a 70 per cent increase over last year’s total of EUR 11.9 million.

UK Charts: Spider-Man spends fourth week at No.1
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Activision’s movie tie-in celebrates a fourth week at number one, holding off new entries Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Mario Strikers Charged Football.

New Name for Lair in Japan
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Lair (PS3)Wise from your Wair!

UK Charts: Mario Fails to Score
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Spider-Man 3 sticks to the top spot for a fouth week running.

DiRT AU Preview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
DiRT (PS3)A racer of many faces. Race modes explored.

AU Community Competitions Return
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Your chance to score games, fame and glory.

Outreach Inbox: May 30
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
GTA4 Lite, games for tired dads and a Waldorf Salad. Fun for all!

Joust Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Joust (PS3)The Struthio camelus invades… again.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Video Documentary
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)Get a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming game.

Faydwer’s Echoes Silent on PS3
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Sony Online debunks port rumors.

Blog: A Different Kind of Cover
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
John Woo Presents Stranglehold (PS3)Inspector Tequila puts a twist on the recent trend of cover systems.

Nintendo’s Mario Party 8 Brings the Carnival to Town
Nintendo News :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Mario Party 8 is Now Available on Wii!

Three New Classic Games Announced for Wii Shop Channel
Nintendo News :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
ActRaiser and J.J. & JEFF Now Available!

Drew Carey to Play U.S. Soccer Stars in FIFA 07
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
An EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 07 for Xbox 360 challenge will pit Drew Carey against six players from the U.S. National Teams to raise some serious cash

Majesco Announces Kengo Legend of the 9
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Developed by Genki, Kengo Legend of the 9 sets players in feudal Japan on a mission to become the best samurai warrior in the land.

New Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Media
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Thanks to a “glitch” we noticed a bunch of new items and custom hosting options. Check out a bunch of screens and the first video of the Wraith in action!

Peter Jackson Halo 3 May Help Revive Halo Movie
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
The director of The Lord of The Rings trilogy and King Kong expects that the release of Halo 3 will renew interest from Hollywood studios in the Halo movie, which is currently on hiatus.

Ubisoft Reports Fiscal Year 20062007 Results
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Ubisoft reported today its results for the 20062007 fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. Sales were up 24 percent.

Warren Spectors Next Game Revealed Ninja Gold
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Set in modern day, the game focuses on a group of ninjas facing organized crime syndicates. John Woo will direct the film based on the game.

This Week in Xbox: May 23-30, 2007
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Games Editor Denny Atkin brings you all the latest in what’s going on this week on Xbox.com.

Guitar Hero II Contest
RedOctane :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Top players offered chance to perform in front of 3,000 fans next month at Donington Park.

New Wii Shop Channel Releases
Nintendo :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
ActRaiser, Kid Chameleon and J.J. & JEFF available in the States this week.

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 Online Problems Acknowleged
Konami :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Xbox Live connection problems to be addressed.

Chuzzle On Mobile Phones
PopCap :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Award-Winning Match-3 Game Optimized and Available for Mobile Play

The First Screen Shots And Gameplay Details Of Fantasy MMORPG Red Stone
K2 Networks :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
First screenshots available, along with info about prizes on offer to players.

Dungeon Runners is Free-to-Download-and-Play
NC Soft :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
NCsoft’s first free-to-play game, a downloadable multiplayer sword combat RPG.

Accelerate Your Week With “Mad Tracks” This Wednesday on Xbox LIVE Arcade 
Microsoft :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Party racing game available worldwide tomorrow. Unless you’re Korean. Sorry.

SteelSeries Gaming Products
Driver Heaven :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
There are many companies who manufacture input devices and computer headsets but few who specialize in gaming products. It is easy to comprehend that a casual gamer could be satisfied with using a typical keyboard or set of headphones, but hardcore gamers demand the best performance and are willing to pay for it. A newly founded company, SteelSeries, has the needs of gamers set as their top priority and they offer a wide range of input devices, headsets and accessories specifically designed for hardcore gamers. We received a few of their products for evaluation and we will give them a test drive today.

Spector and Woo team for movie and game project
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Warren Spector and movie director John Woo are collaborating on new property Ninja Gold.

Legitimate ‘gold farming’ could be vital to MMO business – Turbine
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Turbine executive producer Jeffrey Steefel believes MMO business models will change in the next five years to accommodate using real-life money to buy in-game currency and items.

Sony and Microsoft have failed to understand our market – Nintendo
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sony’s Sixaxis controller and Viva Piñata for Xbox 360 are both failed attempts to capture the traditional Nintendo customer, according to NoA boss George Harrison.

Euro Charts: God of War and Spider-Man dominate top ten
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sony’s God of War II and Activision’s Spider-Man 3 are some of the strongest titles in Europe for May, taking key positions in the Spanish, Italian and German charts.

Ubisoft confident of new Splinter Cell direction
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Splinter Cell producer Mathieu Ferland believes that Ubisoft’s decision to reinvent the famed stealth series – ditching much of its light-and-shadow gameplay – will ultimately be vindicated by player reaction, despite the obvious risk.

Wii shortages could continue for second Christmas – analyst
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Shortages of the Wii are set to continue throughout 2007 according to analysts, with Nintendo potentially missing key sales during the Christmas season for a second year running.

Sims movie on the way
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Two more videogame franchises are set to get the big screen treatment following the acquisition of the movie rights to The Sims and King of Fighters.

Foundation 9 studio goes independent
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Development collective Foundation 9 has announced that its Canadian studio based in Prince Edward Island has gone independent.

Paul Jenkins Sheds Light on The Darkness
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Darkness (PS3)Original comic writer talks videogame development, game violence and donkeys in hotel rooms.

Rampage: World Tour Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Rampage: World Tour (PS3)To eat is to appropriate by destruction.

Codemasters Announces PreOrder Program for DiRT
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Codemasters announced today a preorder program for DiRT.

Epic UT3 is Gears on Crack, Cover is for Wimps!
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Check out the first details on the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3.

The Club Music
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
SEGA revealed today some of the musical secrets behind the worlds most deadliest organisation, The Club.

Mad Tracks Arrives This Wednesday on Xbox Live Arcade
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Mad Tracks will be available for download on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday, May 30, at 900 a.m. GMT.

Shadowrun Available for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Microsoft Game Studios is launching Shadowrun onto retailers across North America. HD launch trailer inside!

BioShock Footage Seven Minutes of NonStop Action
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A seven minute clip of BioShock is having the entire Xbox community drooling over the “spiritual successor” to System Shock 2.

Halo 3 Campaign Levels and Achievements Exposed
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Guess what modders found in the code of the Halo 3 multiplayer beta? *** SPOILERS ***

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 Connectivity Issues
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Konami is aware that a small number of users playing Pro Evolution Soccer 6 are facing connectivity issues. Microsoft is currently working actively with Konami on this issue.

Fable 2 Dene Carter Interview
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Creative Director of Fable 2 discusses different aspects of Fable 2 the style its going for, whats going on with towns, simulation and how theyll be dealing with different players skills.

Free DVD with all preorders and week one purchases
G2 Games :: Monday, May 28, 2007
Buy Enemy Engaged this week and get a free DVD.

An Inconvenient Truth about your PC gaming
Tweak Town :: Monday, May 28, 2007
“You thought you knew what controversy was, well we are talking it to the next level as we bring you The Inconvenient Truth… about your PC gaming! Al Gore would be proud.

With our new toy, the Prova Power Analyzer WM-01, or as popular TweakTown staff like refer to it – that power thingy, it was time to get down and dirty to see what your games are doing to the environment. Are multiplayer gamers that play games based on the Source engine looking after the environment more than those playing Prey? And which game type is better, FPS or RTS? There was only one way to find out, to do our normal array of benchmarks and see what results that new super dopper power thingy gave us.”

Blogged Out: ‘Healthy Mercs’
Gamasutra Columns :: Monday, May 28, 2007
In his latest ‘Blogged Out’ column, veteran UK writer Jim Rossignol takes a look at the world of developer blogging with views on convergence, freelancing, and invisible grenades.

Release This: Mario Party 8, Forza 2 Prepare to Hit U.S.
Gamasutra Columns :: Monday, May 28, 2007
Gamasutra’s “Release This!” takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, which will see heavy-hitters like Mario Party 8, Forza Motorsport 2, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and Shadowrun finding their way to stores worldwide.

Mercenaries 2: Meet Your Mercs
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 28, 2007
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3)A first look at the three gun-toting trouble-makers you’ll use to cause destruction on an epic scale.

UnleashX V0.39.0528 Build 584
Xbox-Scene :: Monday, May 28, 2007
A new dashboard replacmenet for your original xbox .. *Fixed: Problem displaying Zipped skins properly. *Fixed: Black color in images are rendered as transparent. *Fixed: Dash lockup when scrolling up in Game Manager. *Fixed: MP3 files are now playable directly from USB FAT32 devices. *Changed z-buffer bit depth to 16-bit from 32-bit to decrease memory footprint. *Added: “Compress Texture” in video settings. Default is Off/No/False. Settings this to true enables the Dash to use Texture compression for big images, decreasing the memory requirement to display those in exchange for a lesser quality image. You can set this to “Yes” if you are using a skin with lots of videos/images *Added: “Browse Folder” in Music manager. You can now select folders containing MP3 and WMA files and the dash will queue them *Added: WMA playback support for ISO9660 disc/USB FAT32 devices. Note: Files are copied to a temp folder. File streaming in XACT appears to be broken so I can’t play from the media source directly. Note: Live Update server will only work with V0.39.0515A Build 583 Download: n/a (built with XDK (/xdk.php ))

360 Flash Dump Tool V0.1
Xbox-Scene :: Monday, May 28, 2007
This tool will allow you to decrypt and extract various parts of a XBox360 flash dump. The flash is devided into 2 major parts 1) The Cx sections (CB,CD,CE & 0,1 or 2 CF & CG sections). CB, CPU bootup CD, unpacker for CE CE, contains the HV and Kernel in a .cab archive CF&CG are upgrade patches The tool will extract and decrypt sections CB, CD, CE. Additionally it will extract the .cab file in section CE. This can be opened with winrar and the content (xboxkrnl.img) extracted. The first 256K of xboxkrnl.img is the Hypervisor, the remainder is the 2.0.1888 Kernel. 2) The Flash File System. The tool expects a dump to contain the data (512 bytes) followed by the ECC (16 bytes). The ECC bytes are used to locate FS entries & identify the version. The tool consists of the exe and CxKey.txt. CxKey.txt is delivered with 32 ‘0’s and they should be replaced with the key obtained from the 1BL. After all the fuss about AACS keys recently it seems risky to put the key in the exe Wink The Cx sections extracted from a dump will only decrypt correctly if the correct hex digits are inserted in the CxKey.txt file To do to it Add support for CF & CG sections Patch and re-encrypt pairing data in CB and CF News-Source: xboxhacker.net (http://www.xboxhacker.net/index.php?topic=7691.0 )

Riddick’s Video Chronicles
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (PS3)First direct-feed of Dark Athena’s work in progress.

PS3 Game Upscaling: Fact or Fiction?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Do PSX and PS2 games look much better? You be the judge.

Riddick on the Record
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (PS3)Starbreeze Studios waxes fantastic on its sci-fi remake, Dark Athena.

Blog: Tuning Up
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Madden NFL 08 (PS3)The team at Tiburon is hard at work, tweaking some game modes for Madden NFL 08.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Progress Report
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS3)We spent the day with Ryu and only lost an arm.

Square Enix Starts New Game Service
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Featuring lots and lots of Chocobo.

Half-Life 2: Opening Up the Orange Box
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Half-Life 2: Orange Box (PS3)Video Preview, hands-on, and in-depth features on the best deal of the year.

Zabransky Talks Tricks
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
NCAA cover athlete is blown away by Statue of Liberty. Video of play included.

Guitar Hero III – Blog Topic of the Week: Guitar Hero III
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Guitar Hero III (PS3)Is the third time going to be a charm?

Next Gears of War Title Update Brings New Achievements
Team Xbox :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
The next title update for Gears of War will incorporate new achievements to the game related to Annex and the Hidden Fronts downloadable content.

Xbox Live Arcade New Content for Worms Next Week
Team Xbox :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Team17 has announced that the first release of downloadable content for Worms on Xbox LIVE Arcade is coming next week. Find out exactly when.

Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel Price Drop
Team Xbox :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Microsoft has lowered the price of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel just in time for the launch of Forza Motorsport 2.

EA SPORTS NHL Simulation Predicts Senators Win
Team Xbox :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
The Ottawa Senators will be the Stanley Cup Champions, according to a simulation of the Stanley Cup Finals using the EA SPORTS NHL videogame to predict a winner.

Tenchu Z for Xbox 360 Goes Gold
Team Xbox :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Microsoft announced today that the Xbox 360 exclusive Tenchu Z has gone gold and will sneak onto store shelves across the nation on June 12.

Nudity Caused Delay of Halo 2 for Windows Vista
Team Xbox :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Microsoft found out at the last minute that a map editor tool contained a photograph of an individual showing his bare backside…

Canon and Toshiba Announce SED Delay
Team Xbox :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
The prolonged patent lawsuit with NanoProprietary Inc. has affected the scheduled 2007 launch for SED and now there’s doubt over the commercial viability of this new flat display technology.

Jack Sparrow Invades Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Play as the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann to prevent Jack’s dark past from catching up with him. For a taste of the swashbuckling action, download the first level demo and help Jack escape the prison fotress.

Video Interview with Nick Baker: Xbox 360 Architecture
Xbox-Scene :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Channel9’s “Going Deep (http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Going_Deep )” show interviewed Nick Baker about the Xbox 360 Architecture: [QUOTE] What is the XBox 360, exactly? How do you go about designing and building a game console that meets the high standards of today’s gamers and handles the computational pressures of today’s highly realistic games (think real time physics computation, incredibly rich graphics, etc)? Did you know the XBox 360 team saw into the multi-core future before most anybody else? Well, who better to talk to about all of this (and more) than Nick Baker. Nick is a hardware engineer and Director who leads the team that thought up the XBox 360 hardware architecture. It’s an impressive piece of machinery. In fact, Nick recently won the Outstanding Technical Leadership award for the effort. Here, Nick takes us through the design history and some of the implementation details of the XBox 360. What were some of the design trade-offs? How different is the XBox 360 that you can buy today from what you, Nick and his team were initially thinking? It’s a very interesting story. We get pretty geeky here, so be prepared to learn a thing or two about game console hardware architecture, the future of XBox 360 as it relates to multi-core, game programming language evolution in the multi-core, and more. [/QUOTE] Download/Stream video interview: channel9.msdn.com (http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Going_Deep ) (FYI: MS owned blog)

Microsoft drops ERP of Xbox 360 Steering Wheel for Forza2
Xbox-Scene :: Sunday, May 27, 2007
From the press release: [QUOTE] Microsoft Game Studios today announced that “Forza Motorsport? 2” will speed onto U.S. retail shelves Tuesday, May 29, and that the estimated retail price (ERP) of the Xbox 360? Wireless Racing Wheel has been lowered to $129.99 in the U.S. Tuned and developed with the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, “Forza Motorsport 2” supports true force feedback, setting a new precedent for realism in the racing simulation genre that will have gamers feeling every bump in the road and every jolt of acceleration as they take the corners on 12 of the most renowned tracks on the globe. With the game running at an astounding 60 frames per second, authentic simulation physics, and rumble functionality with the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, “Forza Motorsport 2” offers incredible realism and depth for a complete racing experience in gaming. [/QUOTE] Read the whole press release: here (http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/05/25/550678.aspx )

Brain Age 2 Facts & Screenshots
Nintendo :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? (DS)

Pirates Constructible Strategy Game Online (with Screenshots)
Sony Online Entertainment :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
Next Expansion to Feature Asian-Themed Ships, New Faction and Exclusive 10-Masted Chinese Pirate Junk

This Week Virtual Console Lets You Save The Planet, Journey Through Space And Overthrow An Evil Tyrant
Nintendo :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
Super Mario Bros. 2, Mach Rider and Blazing Lazers arrive in Europe.

Mario Strikers: Charged Football
Nintendo :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
Who Will Be The Champion? Find out as Mario Strikers: Charged Football launches this Friday, 25th May, exclusively on Wii

Lancashire Criminals Locked-Up For Amassing Thousands From Illegally Copied Games 
3 Pir8s Nicked for Nicking :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
Three jailed after North West counterfeiting conspiracy exposed

Lancashire Criminals Locked-Up For Amassing Thousands From Illegally Copied Games 
3 Pir8s Nicked for Nicking :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
Three jailed after North West counterfeiting conspiracy exposed

A World of My Own Beta (with Screenshots)
Game Domain :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
30,000 free beta places available in virtual island paradise, with 50 integrated games to try.

Call for Heroes: Pompolic Wars
Strategy First :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
Second demo available, titled “The Amazon Girl” if that helps.

Best 3dfx Glide Games Article 
OCIA :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
“We all know how the story played out for 3dfx, the graphics company that had dominated the industry for several years in the late 90s with their Glide API. The Glide API was created by 3dfx and optimized the overall gaming experience when used in conjunction with the Voodoo hardware. Having a specialized API was both the highlight and the downfall for 3dfx. For the few short years that Glide reigned supreme, there were several games released that implemented this proprietary API. Today we will take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the best games ever that used Glide…”

Michal Madej “The Witcher” PC
Driver Heaven :: Saturday, May 26, 2007
The Witcher is a very modern adaptation of the classic RPG, where great effort is placed on an intricate, non-linear, and absorbing plot. Additional strong points of the game are its original, unusual, and adult fantasy world, which the player gets to explore through Geralt – the story’s main character, the legendary monster slayer, known also as the White Wolf. Moreover, “The Witcher” offers electrifying, dynamic, and visually spectacular combat. Largely thanks to these characteristics, I strongly believe that the game will strike a positive chord with a wide section of gamers. After all, who of us has not fallen spell before to an intriguing plot, stimulating action, and charismatic heroes?

Wii WarioWare Smooth Moves Review 
Red & Blackness Mods :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Wario, the infamous Nintendo character that has shown up in a number of games, is back once again, this time to tackle the Nintendo Wii in the game WarioWare Smooth Moves. This time, he’s back with a large cast of characters and an even larger set of minigames that attempt to take advantage of the Wii’s unique game play. Will the latest Wario adventure live up to his famous name? Read on to find out more in today’s video game review.

Gaming PCs vs. Consoles: Dell/Gateway Win, Sony Loses
Digital Trends :: Friday, May 25, 2007
PC makers are coming on strong in the gaming community with compelling new products and the battle between the PC and game console is heating up.”

Saling The World: Mario Strikers Charges UK, Forza 2 Impresses in Japan
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Gamasutra’s “Saling The World” column this week sees Mario Strikers Charged Football debuting to brisk sales in Europe, while Forza Motorsport 2 debuts at an impressive number two for the Xbox 360 in Japan.

The Euro Vision: Criterion Goes Back To College
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 25, 2007
This week’s edition of Gamasutra’s ‘The Euro Vision’ column sees Jon Jordan at the department of computing, Imperial College, London for its GAME 07 conference, where Criterion’s Richard Parr discussed the programming techniques behind games such as Burnout and Black.

Critical Reception: Atlus’/Vanillaware’s Odin Sphere
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 25, 2007
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to Atlus’ Odin Sphere, a unique 2D brawler/RPG hybrid that is variously described by consumer press reviewers as “lengthy and engaging” or “clich?d and predictable.”

No news updates on Monday
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007

Nintendo to launch live ad campaign in UK cinemas
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Nintendo has teamed up with CommentUK to launch live interactive adverts in UK cinemas as part of a campaign which is billed by the communications agency as “an advertising first”.

Japanese charts: Nintendo consoles still on top
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Media Create has released Japanese software and hardware sales figures for the week ending May 20, revealing that the DS and Wii are still outperforming rivals by a healthy margin.

IDG already planning E for All 2008
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007
There may be more than four months to go until the first annual E for All expo, but organisers IDG are already making plans for next year’s event.

Games on demand services are failing customers, says GDI boss
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007
GamesIndustry.bizcan reveal that GDI is preparing for the beta launch of AWOMO, a new games on demand service that proposes to beat the competition by offering content within minutes rather than hours.

Halo 2 delay due to “partial nudity”
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Microsoft has revealed that the discovery of content featuring “partial nudity” was the reason the Windows Vista version of Halo 2 was delayed.

Atari US appoints temporary CFO
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Arturo Rodriguez has been appointed temporary chief financial officer of Atari US until a permanent replacement can be found.

Tech firm sues Sony over Blu-ray
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007
California-based firm Target Technology has filed a lawsuit against three Sony companies – including SCEA – claiming that the Blu-ray format infringes on a patent it has held since March 2006.

E3 conference schedule released
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 25, 2007
The ESA has published a schedule of events due to take place at this year’s E3, with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all set to hold conferences along with nine third-party publishers.

Motorstorm Online Pack Coming to Japan
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
MotorStorm (PS3)Not feeling as screwed over as before.

TimeShift Reborn: Competing in the Post-Unreal Engine 3 World
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
TimeShift (PS3)A look at the game’s stunning new visuals. Before and after shots included.

Australian Game Charts
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Find out what sold last week in Oz.

Orange Box: Stepping Through the Portal
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Half-Life 2: Orange Box (PS3)Valve takes us through the Looking Glass.

MVP Interview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Montel Vontavious Porter talks Benoit, his outfit, and catching on fire.

Game Scoop! Ep. 37: Going Commando
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
LEGO Star Wars gets new legs and EndWar aims to end the console RTS curse.

Medal of Honor: Airborne Hands-On
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Medal of Honor: Airborne (PS3)Death from above. New screens, video and interview.

Championship Sprint Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Championship Sprint (PS3)Old-school racing hits the PlayStation Network.

LEGO Star Wars Builds a Complete Saga
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (PS3)LEGO Star Wars goes next-gen.

Beowulf Film and Game Share Assets
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Beowulf (PS3)Let’s hope this extends to Angelina’s “assets” as well.

Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights Video
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (PS3)Women and gameplay in one trailer.

Interview Nights: Juiced 2
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (PS3)What’s next for THQ’s big racing franchise? Company reps explain away.

Grand Theft Auto IV Editor Impressions
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)We gazed upon the next coming of GTA and lived to tell about it.

Grand Theft Auto IV Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 25, 2007
We bring you new screenshots of Grand Theft Auto IV, the nextgeneration console debut of the genredefining Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Geometry Wars Coming to the Wii and DS
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 25, 2007
The emblematic Xbox Live Arcade game is coming to the Nintendo Wii and DS. For the first time ever, the Geometry Wars videogame will let players battle via hot seat, coop, simultaneous and versus in multiplayer mode.

Forza 2 Races Into Living Rooms Next Tuesday
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Microsoft Game Studios announced today that Forza Motorsport 2 will speed onto U.S. retail shelves Tuesday, May 29.

Tenchu Z Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Take a look at the latest screenshots of Tenchu Z, a ninja stealth action game created by K2 and From Software.

Project Sylpheed Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 25, 2007
We bring you five new screenshots of Project Sylpheed, a 3D makeover of the classic, mid80s scrolling shooter franchise Silpheed.

Core Gamer Signs Transformers Licensing Agreement
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Core Gamer Inc. announced today it has entered into a licensing agreement with Hasbro to produce specialty video game accessories based on the TRANSFORMERS brand and highly anticipated liveaction TRANSFORMERS feature film.

Ubisoft Officially Announces Beowulf
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Ubisoft officially announced today the the video game based on Paramount Pictures and ShangriLa Entertainments Beowulf.

GamesIndustry.biz: Microsoft Needs to Act Now on Hardware Failures
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 25, 2007
From GamesIndustry.biz’ Newsletter (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletter.php?aid=25307 ): [QUOTE] There is another problem which Microsoft faces at the moment – one which the company has shown even less sign of understanding, or addressing. It is the problem of hardware reliability and customer service, an area in which the Xbox 360 has a track record that is nothing short of utterly appalling – and an area which Microsoft absolutely must address, or risk handing the goodwill of the market back to its rivals. This problem hasn’t gone away; in fact, from a consumer point of view, Microsoft appears to have done precisely nothing to address it. While the attention of the media may have turned to scrutiny of Sony’s failings, the vast numbers of Xbox 360 owners who have been let down first by Microsoft’s shoddy manufacturing, and subsequently by the company’s arrogant and unfair policies with regard to customer service, have increased. Their voices are contributing to a groundswell of unrest and negative buzz which will hurt Microsoft very badly indeed if it is not addressed. To hardcore gamers, consoles are “special case” items; they are early adopters, generally have a large disposable income, and are willing to accept all manner of problems and flaws in order to enjoy the games they want to play. However, they are a small – if vocal – market. To everyone else, to the vast ocean of consumers to whom Microsoft must now appeal, if the PlayStation brand is to be unseated, a console is just another piece of consumer electronics, and it is subject to the same standards you would expect from your DVD player, your digital camera or your toaster. You wouldn’t buy a specific DVD player, no matter how nice the feature-set, if a friend had told you that he bought one last year and had to return it to the manufacturer three times. Right now, those horror stories are proliferating; the word of mouth about Xbox 360 is that the games are great, but the hardware is a nightmare. If Microsoft is serious about reaching an audience with Xbox 360 which is bigger than the 20 million units achieved by Xbox, then that simply isn’t good enough. It’s time for Redmond to stop burying its head in the sand over this problem, and start coming up with solutions – before its unhappy customers become one of Sony’s best assets. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamesindustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletter.php?aid=25307 )

CNet’s 5 Best Console Controllers of all Time: Xbox360 1st
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 25, 2007
From crave.cnet.co.uk (http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gamesgear/0,39029441,49290548-1,00.htm ): [QUOTE] Gamers love banging on about how good their favourite console is, but there’s one thing and one thing alone that makes a good game system great, and that’s a brilliant controller. But what are the best controllers ever? Here’s our utterly unscientific, totally subjective top five — feel free to heartily disagree in comments below. #05 Atari 2600 #04 Super Nintendo Entertainment System #03 Nintendo 64 #02 PlayStation 2 #01 Microsoft Xbox 360 It’s not terribly pretty — it’s beige, for a start — but the Xbox 360’s pad is a winner on several counts. For starters, it was the first wireless pad to come as standard. Its comfy, solid design offers dual analogue joysticks and two analogue trigger buttons underneath. There’s also a built-in jack for connecting a headset, so you can hear and talk to your n00b opponents. [/QUOTE] Full Story: crave.cnet.co.uk (http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gamesgear/0,39029441,49290548-1,00.htm )

Report: Microsoft Wants Nintendo Land
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 25, 2007
From next-gen.biz (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5747&Itemid=2 ): [QUOTE] Microsoft is bidding on a vacant lot currently owned by Nintendo in Redmond, Wash., the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. A Nintendo exec told the paper that Microsoft is just one of the bidders that is interested in the 27-acre piece of empty land. Microsoft and Nintendo of America’s headquarters are located in Redmond. [/QUOTE] Full Story: next-gen.biz (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5747&Itemid=2 )

Analysts: Halo 3 to push Xbox business into the black
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 25, 2007
From gamespot.com (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6171483.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;0 ): [QUOTE] There’s no question that Halo 3 is going to be big. Several weeks ago, a rumor surfaced that GameStop had already collected an outlandish 4 million preorders for the game. Today, a quartet of Goldman-Sachs analysts released their own projections for the game’s September 25 launch, with numbers nearly as gaudy. While Halo 3 is releasing right at the end of Microsoft’s first fiscal 2008 quarter (which runs from July through September), Goldman-Sach’s industry watchers are expecting the game to contribute about $170 million in revenue for the quarter, with more than 4.2 million copies shipped into the retail channel. That’s nearly one copy for every three Xbox 360s in the world, going by the analysts’ projections of an installed user base of 13.2 million by September. Perhaps more significant than the sales figures that Goldman-Sachs expects Halo 3 to put up is the analysts’ expectation that by the end of its first week of release, the game will have driven Microsoft’s Xbox division to its first profitable quarter ever. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamespot.com (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6171483.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;0 )

New Content on XNA Creators: New Mini Game, Tutorials, Samples
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 25, 2007
From XNA Team Blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/xna/archive/2007/05/24/more-content-now-available-on-creators-xna-com.aspx ) (FYI: MS owned blog): [QUOTE] We’ve got more great content available on http://creators.xna.com (http://creators.xna.com ) this month, including a new mini game, new tutorials, and new samples to keep you busy throughout the month of June. If there’s specific content you’re interested in, be sure to leave feedback on our blog as your suggestions help us build better content. Enjoy the new additions! Mini Game * Catapult: Catapult is a complete XNA Game Studio Express minigame. The project comes ready to compile and run, and it’s easy to customize with a little bit of C# programming. You are free to use the source code as the basis for your own XNA Game Studio Express game projects, and to share your work with others. The goal in Catapult is to launch a pumpkin from your catapult as far as you can. You do this by moving the catapult towards the log and launching the pumpkin. If you wait too long, the catapult will smash into the log and you will have to try again. The all-time high score is kept in the upper-left corner. Video Tutorial * (Available Next Week 05/28/07 – 06/01/07 ) Video Tutorial 4: Make a Game in 60 Minutes Tutorials * Collision Series 1: 2D Rectangle Collision * Collision Series 2: 2D Per-Pixel Collision Samples * Shader Series 2: Colors and Textures * Particle Series 2: 3D GPU Particles with Point Sprites * Color Replacement * Content Pipeline Importer: Custom Mesh Format * Picking * Aiming * 3rd-Person Chase Camera [/QUOTE] Full Story: XNA Team Blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/xna/archive/2007/05/24/more-content-now-available-on-creators-xna-com.aspx ) Official Site: http://creators.xna.com (http://creators.xna.com )

InFeCtuS Programmer 0.0.3.4.D and Infectus Tool 1.1
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 25, 2007
New tools for the versatile multi-platform dev. InFeCtuS modchip (that can read/flash/patch the NAND of Xbox360, PS3 and Wii) have been released. * Infectus Programmer v0.0.3.4.D What’s new/fixed (since v0.0.3.3): – Note: Remember to update the Actel Firmwares to the last version Infectus : – Fixed a “bastard” problem in wizard – Hidden the commands write/erase when xbox flash is selected – Fixed a problem in memory size for SST-39SF020A – Fixed Flash ID Detector (cause problem on wizard and first connection) – Changed gui interface. If the flash isn’t recognized all the commands are hidden. – Add Double Nand Flash controller – Fixed a delay on HY27US08281A reading – Update the reseller list – Flash Support for: SAMSUNG K9F1208U0B XBOX 360 DEV – NOT TESTED Loader: – Compatibility fix for NAND Flash and Double NAND Flash Firmware: – NAND Flash – Double NAND Flash controller ( PS3 ) * Infectus Tool v1.1 (check badblocks from any NANDDump, also an option to display a logfile with all badblocks) What’s new/fixed (since v1.0): – Easier to use for noobs ;-) Official Site: www.infectus.biz (http://www.infectus.biz ) Download: Programmer 0.0.3.4.D (http://www.infectus.biz/downloads.php ) | Tool v1.1 (http://www.infectus.biz/forum/index.php?topic=143.0 ) Thanks to Hitman43 for the news/links.

Hybrid Innovations MSC (Motion Sensitive Controller) Board
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 25, 2007
Looks like we’ll get a 4th commercial ‘Tilt addon’ for the Xbox 360 controller. After the Talismoon tiltBoard (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZVlAFAyAcokIHdsb.php ) (made with Adam Thole), GreenGiant’s Xilt (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZylyVlVkJgDVTvMA.php ) and Team Xtender’s XCM BesTilt (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZlZkyuVVvMlIbLcV.php ), Hybrid Innovations informed us they are working on the MSC (Motion Sensitive Controller) Board (tentative name). ‘Tilt addons’ essentially replaces the left analog stick of the Xbox 360 controller to allow the user to controller the item or character in the game with actual motion (a bit like the Wii Controller and Sixaxis). Here’s the list of features we got from them: * 3 levels of sensitivity (we realize, depending what game, some actions need to be more fluent than others, i/e: playing a racing or flying game). The levels of sensitivity are Low-Medium-High. Sensitivity can be controlled externally by pressing a sequence of buttons on the controller. We chose the LB and RB (L1 & R1) buttons to dictate this function (why? – these are the buttons least used in games). -In order to get into the sensitivity choosing mode, one must simply hold the R1 button and then switch through the different modes by hitting the L1 button (hit L1 once for medium level, twice to go to high level). To reset it to the lowest level, one must hold the R1 button for 5 seconds without touching L1. * Ability to turn the chip on and off – this is done by pressing the L1 & R1 buttons simultaneously for 5 second. There is no external switch needed. * Low Wire count – just 9 wires! * Surface mountable – completely fits inside the controller without any modification to the plastic enclosure. * Practicality – although there is a version that enables USB support, we have noticed in our research that this is not practical. One would always have to open the back cover to access the PCB, this is where the USB Connector is located thus making the board inconvenient. In addition, with the different levels of sensitivity present on our design, it eliminates the strain the user would have to go to by messing around the degrees of motion themselves. * CHEAP – we promise to deliver the LOWEST price from any of our competitors, currently the estimated retail price is $29.99. We also include a tool to open the xBox 360 controller in every package – NONE of the competitors offer this. * MSC Board is not limited to the xBox 360 – however, the pre-installed code is specifically for the xBox 360 controller. Upon a dealer’s request, we can slightly edit the code to add motion sensitive control to almost any device that has an analog output! Official Site: soon – not online yet (by Hybrid Innovations)

Scissor Sisters Joining Halo 3 Beta
Microsoft :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Jake and Babydaddy to play gamers from across Europe on the Halo 3 Multiplayer BETA via Xbox LIVE

Guitar Hero 3 Details
Activision :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Come Out, the Third Installment of Guitar Hero Rocks to A Whole New Level

New PS3 Firmware Adds PS2 Upscaling Support
Sony :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Latest PLAYSTATION 3 Firmware Update Provides PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and DVD Upscaling Remote Play on PSP (PlayStation Portable) via the Internet and DLNA transfer of media content also enabled

Assassin’s Creed Xbox 360 Facts & Screenshots
Ubisoft :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Assassin’s Creed merges technology, game design, theme, and emotions into a world where you instigate chaos and become a vulnerable, yet powerful, agent of change.

EverQuest 2 Game Updates (with Concept Art)
Sony Online Entertainment :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Game Update 35 tempts us with the naughty Arasai race.

Jam Sessions Facts (DS)
Ubisoft :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Whether you are an experienced musician or merely a fan of music, Jam Sessions offers liberation through music, making it a must have title for all Nintendo DS owners.

Halo 2 for Vista
Microsoft :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Microsoft Games Studios today announced the eagerly awaited Halo 2 for Windows Vista, will be available on 8th June. The sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved brings Master Chief to Windows Vista™ allowing PC gamers to play the critically acclaimed Halo phenomenon against others for the first time.

Di-Gata Game Launching on Jetic
The Game Factory :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Join the Di-Gata Defenders in their battle against the evil Order of Infinis

Hour of Victory Approaches (Xbox 360)
Midway :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Demo To Go Live Next Week On Xbox LIVE Marketplace

Mountain Bike Adrenaline featuring Salomon
Nobilis :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Nobilis’ collaboration with Salomon, established in 2004, has lead to the creation of a genuine respect for “Action & Outdoor sports™”.

Ubisoft working on Beowulf Video Game
Ubisoft :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Games based on upcoming motion picture in cinemas 16th November, 2007

Made Man PC Game Review
Gamepyre :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Made Man, back when I first heard about it as ‘Interview with a Made Man’, sounded like it had a lot of potential. Even this game in the state it is in now has a bit of potential. It seems as if too many times changing hands, too many delays, a company going under, and many other factors really tore this game apart.

Spiderman 3 Game Review
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
“The main story of the game, as you can surely guess, follows the same plot as the movie, but Treyarch knew this wouldn’t be enough and thankfully, gave many parallel side missions with famous villains from the comic books too, keeping the spider within all of us contempt. Overall, that’s forty-two different missions, without counting the extra challenges like skydiving and such spread out throughout the city. But will you actually want to finish these numerous missions? Well, the answer might surprise you…”

FIFA 08 heading to PS3 and Wii
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
FIFA 08 will be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC, PS2, DS, PSP and mobile this autumn, marking the first appearance of the game on Sony and Nintendo’s next-gen consoles.

Red Mile gets Sin City licence
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
California-based developer and publisher Red Mile Entertainment has acquired the rights to produce games based on comic book franchise Sin City.

More details of GDC China revealed
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Event organisers CMP have unveiled plans for GDC China, which is due to take place in Shanghai this August.

Ubisoft has big plans for EndWar’s World War III
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Ubisoft has told GamesIndustry.bizthat it believes it can exploit the World War III scenario established in Tom Clancy’s EndWar for a variety of projects.

Sales up 31 per cent for Square Enix
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix has revealed sales of JPY 163.5 billion (EUR 1bn) for the year ended March 31 2007, a 31 per cent rise over the previous year.

Industry must adopt new sales models, says Cecil
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Revolution Software’s Charles Cecil believes games should move away from the one-size-fits-all approach to software pricing as it’s getting in the way of sales.

Steam surpasses 13 million users
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Valve Software’s digital distribution service Steam has surpassed 13 million active users.

Final call for GCDC speaker submissions
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
The GC Developers Conference has made a final call for speaker submissions for the Leipzig event.

British Government is driving devs out of business – Doak
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
A lack of Government concessions to the games industry is driving up development costs and seeing big contracts and local talent disappear abroad, David Doak tells GamesIndustry.biz.

GTA IV: An Introduction to Liberty City
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)Take a walk on the wild side as we take in a few of the sights and sounds of Rockstar’s latest epic.

Akitoshi Kawazu Steps Down
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Square Enix exec leaves board to focus exclusively on games.

Blog: Buggy Running Beeps
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
SingStar (PS3)Test, test and test again: the developer’s mantra.

EA Kicks off FIFA 08
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
It’s coming this Autumn on every format possible, including debuts on Wii and PS3.

Team Fortress 2: Class Warfare
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Half-Life 2: Orange Box (PS3)In-depth with Valve’s fast-paced online shooter.

IGN is AFK Podcast: Star Wars/LucasArts Anniversary
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Star Wars is 30 and LucasArts is 25. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Crusty Demons Publisher Delivering Sin City
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Frank Miller is on board to bring gamers to his gritty city.

Joust Rides onto the PlayStation Network
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Joust (PS3)Grab your favorite ostrich and controller.

GameStop Enjoys Best Q1 Ever
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
The game retailer has been added to the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations.

Warhawk Beta Heads Up
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Warhawk (PS3)Were you accepted?

LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga Announced
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
LucasArts and TT Games celebrated today the 30th anniversary of the classic movie series that spans generations with the announcement of LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga.

Lionhead Video Diary Episode One
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Episode One of the Lionhead video diaries will debut on the official Lionhead Studios Website and Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Watch it right here!

Colin McRae DIRT Demo Available
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Codemasters launches the Colin McRae DIRT playable demo, now available to download from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Hour of Victory Demo to Go Live Next Week
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Midway’s highly anticipated World War II FPS title, Hour of Victory, will be live and playable for the first time next week via Xbox Live Marketplace. More info inside.

Ronaldinho Headlines FIFA 08’s Lineup of Superstars
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
EA announced today that twotime FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho will headline a global lineup of superstar athletes to be featured on the front packs of FIFA 08

Nintendo We’ll Sell 35 Million Wiis in the U.S. by 2012
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Nintendo revealed it expects to sell as many as 35 million Wii consoles in the U.S. by 2012.

GameStop Reports Best Ever First Quarter Results
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
GameStop Corp. announced today that its quarterly profit more than doubled, boosted by strong sales of interactive video game consoles.

Madden NFL 08 Fans to Rock with Ozzy Osbourne
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
EA announced today that the EA SPORTS Madden NFL 08 ingame soundtrack will feature Ozzy Osbournes I Dont Wanna Stop single.

CGS Announces First Six Franchise Cities
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Championship Gaming Series (CGS), the first worldwide professional gaming league, announced today the first six franchise cities.

Ubisoft Announces Splinter Cell Conviction
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Ubisoft announced that it is developing Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction exclusively for Xbox 360™ and for Windows® PC. The fifth episode of the Splinter Cell franchise is being developed entirely by Ubisoft’s award-winning Montreal studio and is scheduled to launch fall 2007.

Forza 2 Released, Wireless Racing Wheel Price Drop Announced
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Microsoft Game Studios today announced that Forza Motorsport 2 will speed onto U.S. retail shelves Tuesday, May 29, and that the price of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel in the U.S. has been lowered to $129.99.

First Fable 2 Video Diary Released
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Episode One of the Lionhead video diaries for Fable 2 is now available on the official Lionhead Studios Website and Xbox LIVE Marketplace, kicking off an ongoing series of video diaries with the Fable 2 team, including Peter Molyneux.

Treit & True: A Word Between Halo 3 Marathons
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Ryan takes a breather from the Halo 3 beta madness to offer up impressions and insights.

Wireless Racing Wheel Price Drop Announced
Xbox Hardware :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the price of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel in the U.S. has been lowered to $129.99.

New NBA STREET Homecourt Downloads
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 24, 2007
To keep your game fresh, we’ve added lots of free and premium content to Marketplace, now available for NBA STREET Homecourt. Defend your turf with new characters, shoes, and outfits, or grab some brand new courts to show off your game.

Test Drive Unlimited PC Review
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
TTGamer have posted a review of Test Drive Unlimited for the PC. Months have passed by since the Xbox 360 release in 2006, but even so, the PC version hasn’t managed to iron out all its kinks.

Third Life: The line blurs between virutal and reality
Bonafide Reviews :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Virtual Worlds.You’ve probably all seen them before in science fiction in comics. Worlds where jacking in via VR helmet or Neuro Implant send us to some fantastical internet life separate from our real one. It’s quite a dream that’s for sure, except it might not be as much of a dream as we once thought. Though we are decades away from “The Matrix” and gladly so, virtual worlds have existed for sometime now, and are evolving day by day.

Circus Empire Now Shipping
Enlight Interactive :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
World’s First 3D Circus Simulation Now Available to Ringmasters Everywhere

Steam Surpasses 13 Million Accounts
Valve Software :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Becomes a Leading Destination for Millions of Gamers Worldwide

Profits soar for GameStop
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
GameStop has recorded profits of USD 24.7 million (EUR 18.3m), a rise of 111 per cent, and sales of USD 1.28 billion (EUR 949m), up 23 per cent, for the first quarter of 2007.

IGA signs ad deal with Artix
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
In-game advertising network IGA has announced an exclusive agreement with casual gaming company Artix to supply its titles Adventure Quest, Dragon Fable and Battalion Minigames with advertising.

PSP gets video, voice calls and messaging
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Sony has signed a four year contract with BT to offer video calls, voice calls and messaging to the PSP.

EVE Online boss questions glut of fantasy MMOs
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
EVE Online boss Hilmar Veigar Petursson has questioned developers that create World of Warcraft clones, suggesting there are plenty of other genres to exploit.

Denki launches on DirecTV
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Dundee-based casual game developer Denki has struck a deal with American satellite TV giant DirecTV to feature its games on its interactive TV service.

Euro Charts: God of War II conquers top ten
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Sony’s PlayStation 2 sequel God of War II has taken the top two spots in the Spanish all-formats charts, while also recording strong sales in Italy.

Nintendo bucks seasonal sales trend, says Fils-Aime
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Nintendo claims that its new hardware is managing to break the traditional videogame sales cycle where top titles only sell well during busy holiday periods.

CMP announces consumer-focused PC event
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
CMP has announced a dedicated event targeting PC gaming consumers with support from hardware manufacturers Dell and Alienware.

Nintendo expects to sell 35 million Wiis in US
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Full line-up announced for Hollywood and Games Summit
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The full line-up for this year’s Hollywood and Games Summit has been finalised, with film maker and videogame collaborator Clive Barker delivering the keynote speech.

Ubisoft announces Beowulf movie tie-in
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The conference which kicked off Ubisoft’s Ubidays event in Paris tonight ended with the announcement that the publisher is to produce a game based on new movie Beowulf.

“E3 is only for the US now,” says Ubisoft boss
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Yves Guillemot kicked off the two-day Ubidays event in Paris tonight by telling the audience it is Ubisoft’s answer to E3 – which the publisher now considers to be “only for the US”.

Endwar: Real-Time Armageddon
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tom Clancy’s EndWar (PS3)An exclusive interview with Ubisoft Shanghai on the war to end all wars.

Brothers In Arms Update
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway (PS3)We ride shotgun with Gearbox on Hell’s Highway.

Assassin’s Creed Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Assassin’s Creed (PS3)It aint easy being a fulltime killer…

Blazing Angels 2: First Look
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions (PS3)Ubi cranks up the excitometer on this WWII flyer.

Assassin’s Creed Trailer Impressions
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Assassin’s Creed (PS3)Ubisoft’s newest trailer unfortunately wasn’t all that new.

Haze Co-op Shots
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Haze (PS3)Be nice and play together.

No FFXIII This Year
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)Just in case you were still hoping.

1080p Upscaling for DVD on PS3
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Latest firmware update adds 1080p upscaling for PSone and PS2 games too.

Wireless Axes Confirmed for Guitar Hero III
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Guitar Hero III (PS3)First Guitar Hero III info: new tracks, guitars, online mulitplayer and more.

Half-Life 2: Episode Two Hands-On
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Half-Life 2: Orange Box (PS3)We face Gordon Freeman’s tough new enemy and (barely) live to tell about it.

Top 10 Tuesday: Characters In Need of a Spin-Off
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
These ten are tired of sitting on the sidelines.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tom Clancy’s EndWar (PS3)Tom Clancy blitzes the world of the future in the new title, EndWar.

Haze Preview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Haze (PS3)Free Radical’s latest shooter has undergone some changes, and we have a feeling we haven’t seen all of them.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (PS3)We’re at wit’s end.

JoWood Announces Gothic 4
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Gothic IV (PS3)Pluto 13 stripped of development privileges.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar Media
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
We have the latest screenshots and the first trailer for Ubisoft’s upcoming RTS.

HAZE Media
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Haze, the new AAA shooter from Ubisoft and Free Radical, puts players in the boots of a new recruit in the privately run Mantel army.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
We bring you the first screenshots of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction.

New Assassin’s Creed Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Take a look at these new screenshots of Assassins Creed, the nextgen game developed by Ubisoft Montreal that will redefine the action genre.

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 Media
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Those mischievous bunnies are back! We bring you the first images and trailer of the sequel to Rayman Raving Rabbids.

Blazing Angels 2 Secret Missions of WWII Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
We bring you new screenshots of Blazing Angels 2 Secret Missions of WWII, an intense actionadventure air combat game that takes place during WWII.

Naruto Media
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Top Anime Series arrives on Xbox 360. Watch the first trailer and screenshots of the game.

Guitar Hero III Announced, Wireless Axes Confirmed
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
We’ll get the game just because it includes Beastie Boys’ Sabotage!

Shadowrun Demo Dated
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
FASA announced today the release date for an Xbox 360 demo of Shadowrun.

Scissor Sisters Take on Master Chief Next Week
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Scissor Sisters will be taking on gamers from across Europe in a unique Game with Fame event on the Halo 3 multiplayer beta via Xbox Live.

Reuters Addresses Xbox 360 Game Prices
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The news agency did some research on the real prices that gamers are paying for Xbox 360 games. The cost of Xbox Live Gold and postrelease downloadable content can raise a games real price up to $80 or even $100.

HAZE FourPlayer CoOp Confirmed
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Free Radical Director Dr. David Doak announced today that Haze will feature fourplayer coop in both campaign and online modes.

Ubisoft Working on Beowulf Movie TieIn
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Ubisoft announced today in Paris that the developers of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter are working on a videogame adaptation of Paramount’s Beowulf film.

The Dark Knight The Joker Revealed
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
See the first picture of Heath Ledger as The Joker.

New Overlord Media
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Noone said it was going to easy being a tyrant so, ahead of the game’s launch this June, take a glimpse of what it means to be a true Overlord in this new 60 fps high definition video.

The Return of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Xbox Addict looks at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Hollywood Goes Gaming: MLB Pitcher Rich Harden Games on Xbox 360
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Catch our interview with pitcher Rich Harden of the Oakland Athletics, who spends a lot of time during the season gaming on Xbox 360.

This Week in Xbox: May 16-23, 2007
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Games Editor Denny Atkin brings you all the latest in what’s going on this week on Xbox.com.

Kevin Bachus Talks About The Legacy Of The Original Xbox
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
From mercurynews.com (http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2007/05/guest_essay_kevin_bachus_talks_about_the_legacy_of_the_original_xbox.html ): [QUOTE] Here’s a guest essay by Kevin Bachus, co-creator of the original Xbox and one of a handful of guys who got Microsoft serious about the console business. When we came up with the notion to build a game console at Microsoft, the idea was considered by most people — both inside and outside the company – to be preposterous. Go back and read the early articles and web postings. “Port-box,” the die-hard gamers called it, certain that there would be no original, compelling games for the system that dared to take on Sony and Nintendo. And certainly we’d never get the huge Japanese game publishers’ on board, they proclaimed. Indeed, most gamers who’d never even seen Xbox, but for whatever reason harbored fear and resentment of Microsoft, loudly predicted nightmare scenarios populated by “blue screens”, driver conflicts and installer bugs. I’d swear that as late as the night before we launched most of the gaming world expected to see a Start Menu when they fired up the box. And the early criticism from inside Microsoft was almost as deafening. But what few people got at first was that our hopes for Xbox really did come from a simple, pure place: we wanted to build the console we’d always dreamed of developing games for ourselves. Powerful, easy to program, tricked out with mature, capable tools we’d grown up using in the PC gaming world. But a console at its heart — always a console. For us, Xbox wasn’t about taking market share from Sony or piling up even more buckets of money for Microsoft (although we always knew the money would come). We wanted to win over the hearts and minds of developers — and by winning over the developers, we knew we could win over the hearts and minds of gamers by enabling truly wonderful new games to be conceived. And sure enough, one by one, they came. First a few, then dozens, and then an army. Considering the amazing pace of technology advances, our very first thoughts on Xbox included the somewhat misguided notion that we might upgrade the system every TWO years. Now wouldn’t that have been disruptive! [/QUOTE] Full Story: mercurynews.com (http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2007/05/guest_essay_kevin_bachus_talks_about_the_legacy_of_the_original_xbox.html )

Survey Reveals Wii60 Effect, Console Popularity
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
From gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14038 ): [QUOTE] Gamasutra has obtained data from analyst firm Frank N. Magid Associates originally compiled for the MI6 marketing conference, and detailing some fascinating survey data on Wii/Xbox 360 purchasers buying a second console, as well as overall consumer purchasing enthusiasm for next-gen consoles. When surveying Xbox 360 owners, 52% are neutral or more likely to buy a PlayStation 3 because of their first purchase, and a much larger 66% are neutral or more likely to buy a Wii because they now own an Xbox 360. In fact, in this last case, 19% of the Xbox 360 owners say that they are somewhat or much more likely to own Nintendo’s next-gen console because of their ownership of the Xbox 360, by far the highest of those surveyed. For next-gen consoles, the Xbox 360 led in terms of respondents either owning the console or more concretely intending to get one, with 10% already owning an Xbox 360, 5% saying they will definitely pick one up, and 3% saying they will probably get one – for a total of 18%. However, 11% of those replying said they had a 50/50 chance of picking one up, and 54% say they definitely would not. The PlayStation 3 performed weakest in the owning, definitely buying, and probably buying categories, with 4%/5%/5% for a total of 14%, but 13% of those replying said they had an even chance of buying Sony’s hardware, and 54% said they would definitely not – the same number as Xbox 360. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14038 )

Connect360 v3.1 patches video problems
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
NullRiver released a new version of Connect360(info (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/Connect360.php )), it’s a tool to stream your music, images and videos from your Mac OSX to your Xbox 360 console. The release doesn’t include the changelog for v3.1, but xbox360fanboy (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/05/22/connect360-patches-video-problems/ ) has the details on the new release: [QUOTE] Connect360 v3.1, which fixes some issues had with streaming video after the Spring Update. According to Alex Lovett of Nullriver, there was a rounding error on a floating point number that was inadvertently causing the wrong data to be output at random intervals. Either way, it’s been addressed in the update and any of you who have been having issues with video streaming should have smooth sailing. [/QUOTE] Official Site: http://www.nullriver.com/index/products/connect360 (http://www.nullriver.com/index/products/connect360 ) Download: here (http://dwl.xbox-scene.com/xbox360pc/streamers/Connect360_3.1.zip )

Backyard Hockey DS Gets Nicklas Lidstrom
Humongous Games :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Latest Edition in Popular Kids’ Video Game Franchise Scheduled For Fall 2007 Release on Nintendo DSTM

POTC: At World’s End in Shops Now (Xbox 360, PS3, DS)
Disney Interactive :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Titles inspired by both the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films now globally available. More than 2.8 million copies shipped worldwide.

Mad Tracks XBLA Racer Available “Soon”
Load Inc. :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
“Mad Tracks XBLA is half Micro Machines-style, power-up-laden arcade racing and half silly, action-based multiplayer challenge” says OXM (Official Xbox Magazine) in its latest edition.

Two Worlds
Technic 3d :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The RPG Game “Two Worlds” from Zuxxez arrived Technic3D. Better than the Games Gothic 3 and Oblivion? See you in the following Review.”

Saitek X52 Pro Flight Control & Pro Flight Rudder Pedals Review
i4u :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
“The joystick portion of the X52 has a precision centering mechanism and the spring tension gives realistic feedback. Three spring loaded toggle switches are located below the joystick and can be mapped to two functions per switch. The main trigger is made from metal and is two position allowing you to control two functions from the trigger.”

Ancient Wars Sparta PC Game Review
Gamepyre :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
For the hardcore RTSer, the game will mostly revolve around the “all your goldmines are belong to us” strategy, for whoever controls the mines has a noticeable advantage. When this game gets put on the $20 shelf it’s time to buy it, but not before or you’ll feel like you wasted your cash. Don’t get me wrong, I like the game, I just don’t think it’s worth the $40 that most stores ask for.

Release This: Halo 2 PC, Odin Sphere Top Wishlists in U.S.
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
This week’s “Release This!” sees Odin Sphere and the PC port of Halo 2 headlining in the United States, Europe getting its first shot at Wii online multiplayer with Mario Strikers Charged Football, and Japan enjoying an early look at Forza Motorsport 2.

Blogged Out: ‘Exploring Truths’
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
In his latest ‘Blogged Out’ column, veteran UK writer Jim Rossignol takes a look at the world of developer blogging with views on the recent acquisition of Vanguard developer Sigil, a remake of Syndicate, and exploring game exploration.

Saling The World: Osu! Tatakae! Odin Sphere
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
This week’s “Saling The World” charts report a large slip in sales for former chart leaders Spider-Man 3 and Command & Conquer 3 in the U.S. and Europe, while Odin Sphere and the sequel to Inis’ Elite Beat Agents clean up in Japan.

Playing Catch Up: Gabriel Knight’s Jane Jensen
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
In this week’s Playing Catch-Up, we follow the career of Jane Jensen as she moves from creator and designer of Sierra?s Gabriel Knight series of adventure games and novels, to co-founder of casual games publisher Oberon, where she hoped to bring gaming to “older people and more women.”

The Euro Vision: ‘Behind Worms’ XBLA Success’
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The latest edition of Gamasutra’s The Euro Vision column sees Jon Jordan heading to York for the Northern Exposure games conference, where Team 17’s Martyn Brown revealed the estimated sales figures for Worms? recent release on Xbox Live Arcade.

Critical Reception: Activision’s/Toys for Bob’s Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to the PlayStation 2 port of Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, an interesting case in which a well-received Wii launch title is “not quite as fun” on the PS2.

The China Angle: Causes, Effects, And Consequences
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
In Gamasutra’s latest China Angle column, Pacific Epoch’s Shang Koo reports rumors of IDG putting $15 million into a new game company to operate the sequel to hit dance MMO Audition, and operator Shanda offering $26,000 bounties for gold farming plug-in creators.

Desert Island Games: Creative Assembly’s Dan Toose (Medieval II: Total War)
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
In today’s latest Desert Island Games column, Creative Assembly designer Dan Toose (Medieval II: Total War) gives us a rundown of his all-time top five games, with in-depth analysis of titles such as Quake II, SoulCaliber, and Wipeout 2097.

Release This: MLB 07 Strikes U.S. PS3s; Japan Cheered By Ouendan 2
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Gamasutra’s “Release This!” takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, as MLB 07: The Show and Etrian Odyssey hit the U.S., Europe gets a taste of Raw Danger!, and Japan cheers on Ouendan 2.

Blogged Out: ‘The Problem’
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
In his latest ‘Blogged Out’ column, veteran UK writer Jim Rossignol takes a look at the world of developer blogging with some views on comparative morality concerning violence and sexuality in gaming, and continued arguments over scoring and rating games.

Record sales for Pro Evo as Konami profits drop
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Konami has released its latest financial report showing that profit was down 29.5 per cent for the past year, although the company’s Pro Evolution Soccer has still managed to shift over eight million copies in 12 months.

Valve: we won’t charge for downloadable content
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Valve has no intention of charging for downloadable content for games like Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2, despite the increased prevalence of premium add-ons in the PC and console markets.

Bushnell joins casual publisher NeoEdge
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, has joined casual games company NeoEdge Networks.

Registrations for Leipzig GC hit record level
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007

GTA IV to get special edition
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Grand Theft Auto IV will be available in a special edition come its release in October, Rockstar has revealed.

Ubisoft ramps up casual games production
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Ubisoft is the latest publisher to strengthen its offering in the casual games market, as the French giant looks to expand with a new product offering for Wii and DS.

UK Charts: Spider-Man holds top spot
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Activision continues to see success with its multi-format movie tie-in Spider-Man 3, as the game remains at the top of the All Formats charts for a third week.

Eurogamer Network appoints Ingham as chairman
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Eurogamer Network, publisher of GamesIndustry.bizand Eurogamer.net, has appointed Greg Ingham as chairman.

Pirates of the Caribbean Drop Anchor
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (PS3)At World’s End is at retail.

Ozzy Osbourne Loves Madden ’08
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
“I Don’t Wanna Stop” to lead off in-game soundtrack.

UK Charts: Spidey Stays on top
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Third week at number one for your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

World War III: Reader Responses
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Our readers weigh in with their thoughts on this round of consoles.

Riddick Reborn on PS3
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (PS3)Assault on Dark Athena brings Vin Diesel to the next generation.

Half-Life 2: Building The Orange Box
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Half-Life 2: Orange Box (PS3)Valve co-founder Gabe Newell reveals the origins of Half-Life as we take a peek inside the highly-anticipated Orange Box.

The Bigs Movies
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Bigs (PS3)Check out some highlights of The Bigs in action.

The Bigs Hands-on
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Bigs (PS3)Turbocharged impressions from the highlight focused ballgame.

Assassin’s Creed Image
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Assassin’s Creed (PS3)A solo shot of Altair flying through the air.

Limited Edition for Creed
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Assassin’s Creed (Limited Edition) (PS3)Ubisoft’s Assassin gets the special treatment.

GTA IV Gets a Special Edition
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition (PS3)Available for pre-order now.

Need for Speed ’07 Teaser Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Need for Speed 2007 (PS3)Highway to the Danger Zone.

Half-Life 2 Images
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Half-Life 2: Orange Box (PS3)The saga begins with these screens.

Cockpit View in GT5 Confirmed?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)The French say so.

My Video Game Odyssey
Nintendo News :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
DS? Check. Stylus? Check. Graph Paper. Good to…

Nintendo’s Summer Lineup Satisfies Core and New Gamers
Nintendo News :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
There is something for everyone.

Xbox Live Arcade Mad Tracks Available Soon
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Mad Tracks has passed Microsoft dreaded final certification and will be available soon to millions players around the globe.

Assault on Dark Athena Officially Announced
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Vivendi Games’ Sierra Entertainment officially announced today The Chronicles of Riddick Assault on Dark Athena.

Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End Available Now
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Inspired by the events, locations and characters from both the second and third “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, the Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End video games are now available at retail stores worldwide.

Mass Effect Prequel Novel Now Available
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Experience the events that lead up to the highly anticipated Xbox 360 roleplaying game in the novel Mass Effect Revelation.

New Ace Combat 6 Fires of Liberation Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Taking advantage of the Xbox 360, players will be able to control all air, ground and sea units at one time, as they all take on different objectives on the battlefield.

Heroes Hits Xbox Live Marketplace
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
For the first time, fans of the series can customize their Xbox 360 experience with images depicting key events and characters from the Heroes universe.

New Stranglehold Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Midway released today new screenshots for its John Woopowered third person action game, Stranglehold.

Need for Speed 11 Teaser Trailer in High Definition
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The next Need for Speed is coming and we have the first teaser trailer of the game.

Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition Announced
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition will be presented in a customized Grand Theft Auto metal safety deposit box. The box will contain…

Halo 3 Beta Updated, Big Team Battle Unlocks Banshee!
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Bungie has introduced Big Team Battle Training and now you can get to ride the new Banshee.

Medal of Honor Airborne Fight Anywhere Trailer
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
EA shows us what they mean when they say you can Fight Anywhere with Medal of Honor Airborne.

BioShock Splicers Concept Art
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Splicers are among the many enemies you’ll encounter in BioShock, a firstperson shooter that requires you to think every time you pull the trigger.

The Chronicles of Riddick Assault on Dark Athena Spotted
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
VU Games has teamed up again with Tigon Games, Starbreeze Studios and Universal Pictures to bring a nextgeneration version of The Chronicles of Riddick Escape from Butcher Bay.

The Brilliance of Forza Motorsport 2
Xbox 360 Games :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
We take a look at some of the highlights in developer Turn 10’s simulation racing masterpiece, Forza Motorsport 2.

T-Mobile Sidekick Theme
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Preview the themes available on Xbox Live Marketplace from T-Mobile.

T-Mobile Sidekick Picture Pack
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Preview the gamerpics available on Xbox Live Marketplace from T-Mobile.

Ocean’s Thirteen Gamer Pictures
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Preview Gamer Pics for the movie Ocean’s Thirteen, in Xbox Live Marketplace today!

Ocean’s Thirteen Theme
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Preview this new theme available on Xbox Live Marketplace from the new movie Ocean’s Thirteen.

Tony Hawk’s Project 8 (PS3)
Driver Heaven :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Throughout the years sports games evolved from the classic soccer and basketball simulations. While Pro Evolution Soccer and NBA Live still have the biggest player base, some of the more radical games still managed to break through. The SSX snowboarding series comes to mind, or the even more of the hook basketball arcade franchise NBA Street. What is the thing that all of these games have in common that separates them from their more serious cousins? Tricks. Leg-breaking, jaw-dropping, I-eat-1080’s-for-breakfast tricks. And it was none other than Tony Hawk with his Pro Skater game that started this.

Hero’s Path Games, A Web-Portal For Heroic Games Reaches Milestone
Promaginy :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Portal offering thirty downloadable titles for “fantasy and heroic game lovers”.

Stranglehold to include HD version of John Woo’s “Hard Boiled” Film (PS3)
Midway :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Special Limited Edition to Include John Woo’s Acclaimed Action Film “Hard Boiled” and Game On Single PLAYSTATION3 Blu-ray Disc

Manga Fighter – The Latest Info
OnNet :: Monday, May 21, 2007
OnNet USA and OnNet Korea announced today that they have reached a licensing agreement for Manga Fighter in the U.S market. Manga Fighter is scheduled to be released in the U.S. in the second half of 2007.

Atari Announces the Ultimate Chapter in the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Series
Atari :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Game Set for WiiTM and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system

Lava Lord Games Heats Up Their Market Presence With Levelup Communications
Lava Lord :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Lava Lord Games, an independent online game developer and operator, has signed on the dotted line with Levelup Communications to expand their marketing and public relations strategy and initiatives.

Release This: Halo 2 PC, Odin Sphere Top Wishlists in U.S.
Gamasutra Columns :: Monday, May 21, 2007
This week’s “Release This!” sees Odin Sphere and the PC port of Halo 2 headlining in the United States, Europe getting its first shot at Wii online multiplayer with Mario Strikers Charged Football, and Japan enjoying an early look at Forza Motorsport 2.

80GB PS3 “could be an option” for other markets, says Sony
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Sony Computer Entertainment has said that the company could release the 80GB

Edge editor quits Future
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Margaret Robertson, editor of Future Publishing’s Edge magazine, has resigned from her role, GamesIndustry.bizcan reveal.

EA buys 15 per cent stake in The9
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Electronic Arts has bought a 15 per cent stake in Chinese online games specialist The9, worth around USD 167 million (EUR 124.1m).

Valve confirms plans to stay independent
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Valve boss Gabe Newell has told GamesIndustry.bizthat he believes maintaining independence is key to the company’s ongoing success.

Leipzig GC organisers planning Singapore conference
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
The organisers of the Leipzig Games Convention have announced plans to hold the first ever GC Asia Conference in Singapore this September.

No plans to bring 80GB PS3 to Europe, says Sony
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
A Sony spokesperson has confirmed to GamesIndustry.bizthat an 80GB PlayStation 3 is to go on sale in Korea – but said there are currently no plans to launch the model in Europe.

Capcom to close Flagship studio
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Capcom has announced it will be closing its Flagship subsidiary, the division mainly responsible for portable games for the GBA and DS.

Blizzard unveils StarCraft II
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Blizzard unveiled StarCraft II on Saturday in Korea, revealing that the long-awaited PC real-time strategy sequel has been in development since 2003.

Console exclusives are highlights for Capcom
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Xbox 360 titles Dead Rising and Lost Planet: Extreme Condition have been singled out as highlights of Capcom’s financial year, along with PSP hit Monster Hunter Portable 2nd.

80GB PlayStation 3 is coming, says Sony Korea website
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
New information on the website for Sony Computer Entertainment Korea suggests that an 80GB version of PlayStation 3 will be arriving in the territory next month.

Crytek opens new Budapest studio
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Crytek continues its European expansion with the opening of a new studio in Hungarian capital Budapest.

PS3 Gets More Gigs in Korea
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Sony launches with 80 gig model, 15 games.

Rampart Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Rampart (PS3)Which to choose: a cannon ball or a wrecking ball?

Transform your DS into a guitar with Jam Sessions
Nintendo DS :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Play guitar when, where and how you want.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest Now Available on the Wii Shop Channel!
Nintendo News :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Three New Classic Games Announced!

Xevious and Rush ‘n Attack Coming to XBLA This Week
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Cold war combat and a blast from the past arrive on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday.

Electronic Arts Buys Stake in The9
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 21, 2007
The two companies also announced a licensing agreement that gives The9 exclusive publishing rights for EA SPORTS FIFA Online in mainland China.

Fable 2 Peter Molyneux Reveals Further Info
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 21, 2007
The head of Microsofts Lionhead Studios talks about Fable 2s combat system, the new camera, NPCs and the prototypes that didnt make it into the game.

Cars Goes Platinum
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 21, 2007
Cars was the number one selling kids video game brand, as well as the number two overall best selling video game in 2006.

Halo 3 Beta Code Confirms 4 Player CoOp Over Xbox Live
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 21, 2007
The code of the Halo 3 Beta has revealed several unannounced features for the game, including four player coop over Xbox Live.

Defcon Gameplay Guide
Introversion :: Sunday, May 20, 2007
Tips on the Global Nuclean Domination Game

“Age of Empires III” Expands Into the Eastern World This Autumn 
Big Huge Games :: Sunday, May 20, 2007
Big Huge Games to develop second expansion pack for massively popular Games for Windows franchise

Transformers: The Game Voice Talent Revealed
IGN Playstation 3 :: Sunday, May 20, 2007
Transformers: The Game (PS3)From old school to new.

Nintendo DS Lite Impressions
Think Gaming :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
“I know the DS lite has been out for a long while now, but I really never had the chance to play one for a long period of time. I’m not a real big handheld gamer, more or less because I don’t really travel that much and I’m not out a lot for me to have free time to play handhelds. Back in November I received a Sony PSP to review on ThinkComputers. I really liked it and thought it was really cool. I picked up a few games and it served me well. Sad thing is I haven’t touched it since my trip to Las Vegas in January. Maybe it’s the lack of good games, I mean there are a few good games (Lumines, GTA, etc), but you can only play those games so much. So after thinking about it I went ahead and sold my PSP and went out and got a Nintendo DS Lite. I really could not justify having 2 handheld systems, and with the announcement of Sim City and amazing screenshots from Zelda Phantom Hourglass I had to get a DS Lite.”

StarCraft II — Not For Consoles
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Thanks for spoiling everything, StarCraft Ghost…

Square-Enix Merchandise Interview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
General Manager Hidemi Matsuzuka tells us what to expect from their newly expanded online store.

Harmonix: Rock Band Will Be Affordable
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Rock Band (PS3)How can you afford your rock and roll lifestyle?

Spider-Man 3 Guide
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Do whatever a spider can with our comprehensive guide.

Game Scoop! Ep. 36: Madden in the House
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Producer David Ortiz stops by to chat about Madden NFL 08.

Sony Gamers Day: Day 1 Presentation
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Watch the whole thing from start to finish.

Timeshift Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
TimeShift (PS3)The hands on the clock go round and round.

Madden NFL 08 Hands-on
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Madden NFL 08 (PS3)It’s a Madden holiday. Exclusive impressions, movie, screens, developer blog, podcast and more.

NPD: Best-Selling Games of April 2007
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
The PS3 sees a slowdown in software sales.

Joust Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Joust (PS3)Midway’s old-school classic is almost set to hit the PlayStation Network.

Slant Six Interview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
SOCOM: Confrontation (PS3)The developer behind the two newest SOCOM titles brings us up to speed on the team’s history.

Halo 3 is Feature Complete, Enters Bug Fixing Stage
Team Xbox :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Bungie has revealed that all the content for Halo 3 is done, and now the game requires a lot of bug fixing and optimization.

Hour of Victory High Action Moments
Team Xbox :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
In addition to the high definition video, we also bring you two new screens showing action from the neverbeforeseen Berlin level.

April NPD Guess What? Nintendo Dominated Sales Again
Team Xbox :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Nintendo dominated the competition for the fourth consecutive month. Find out how the Xbox 360 performed.

Tenchu Z The Way of the Ninja Senses
Team Xbox :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
To survive in the world of stealth, you will need to hone all five of your senses none can be neglected. Tenchu Z features a new Ki (life force) Meter to aid you in covert actions, allowing you to move more like a real ninja.

Call of Duty 3 Bravo Map Pack Trailer in High Definition
Team Xbox :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
We bring you a 60second trailer showing you the new Marseilles map, which is a remake of a fan favorite from Call of Duty United Offensive.

Halo Uprising Comic Book Series Interview
Team Xbox :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Find out what happens between Halo 2 and Halo 3.

Shrek the Third Game Vignette
Team Xbox :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
In honor of DreamWorks Shrek the Third movie premiering nationwide today, we thought wed keep the Shrek love going by bringing you a new Shrek the Third game vignette.

Warhound Concept Art and Renders
Team Xbox :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Techland has released new renders and concept art of Warhound, a nonlinear first person perspective action shooter set in modern times.

MS: What do YOU want to see on Xbox Live Arcade?
Xbox-Scene :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
From the Microsoft’s Games Global Marketing team blog (http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/05/18/546058.aspx ): [QUOTE] Do you have a favorite game that you just can’t wait to see on Xbox LIVE Arcade? Is there some feature that you wish more Xbox LIVE Arcade games offered? (i.e. a specific game-play mode?) Are there non-game features that you’d like XBLA (the destination) to implement? Lastly, are there events or promotions that you wish were a regular occurrence on XBLA? We want to hear your ideas! Please share your thoughts in the comments of this entry. Don’t limit yourself to past console games, current game-play features, or events/promotions you’ve seen elsewhere. Think of games that fit the “pick-up-and-play” promise of XBLA. Think of non-game features that make XBLA a more enjoyable place to download and play those games, in general. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamerscoreblog.com (http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/05/18/546058.aspx ) (FYI: MS owned blog)

Compare Console Sales After First 6 Months
Xbox-Scene :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
From infendo.com (http://www.infendo.com/gamecube/wii-outsells-the-mighty-ps2-for-the-same-period/ ): [QUOTE] To steal a term coined by Kotaku, I put together the above charticle juxtaposing the first six month console sales of Wii, 360, PS3, PS2, Xbox, and GameCube [US only!]. First, the Wii has sold better than the mighty PS2 after the first six months. Amazingly, both the PS3 and 360 sold worse than the GameCube for the same period (!). (http://www.infendo.com/gamecube/wii-outsells-the-mighty-ps2-for-the-same-period/ ) [/QUOTE] Full Story: infendo.com (http://www.infendo.com/gamecube/wii-outsells-the-mighty-ps2-for-the-same-period/ )

Rumor: Modders accidentally leak Halo 3 information?
Xbox-Scene :: Saturday, May 19, 2007
From gamesradar.com (http://www.gamesradar.com/us/xbox360/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=20070518101018271074&releaseId=2005000000000000000350 ): [QUOTE] A Halo modding community (http://forums.halomods.com/viewtopic.php?t=59697&start=20&sid=ef56bad382fa64074ec2fb47e4be532a ) has accidentally made various hidden game files public, found by retrieving hidden data in the Halo 3 Beta code. Before we go any further, a warning: the following are in no way official or confirmed features of Halo 3. * New equipment: Instacover ; Smoke (suggested this might be a smoke grenade?) ; Jammer * New vehicles: Chopper ; Pelican ; Shadow * New weapons: Flamethrower ; Claymore Grenade * New mode: Infection (described as “Destroy the Flood or become infected. Score points for killing flood or big points for infecting a human. The player with the most points wins.” * New rankings: The highest rankings are now Killpocalypse and Killionaire, instead of Double Kill and Triple Kill. * A reference to a map editor has also been found, a returning feature from Halo 2. [/QUOTE] News-Source: gamesradar.com (http://www.gamesradar.com/us/xbox360/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=20070518101018271074&releaseId=2005000000000000000350 )

SingStar for PS3 Info
Sony :: Friday, May 18, 2007
A perfect addition to the social gaming genre, SingStar will revolutionize the way you spend time with friends and family.

Dark Sector Facts (Xbox 360)
D3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Dark Sector thrusts players into the role of Hayden Tenno, an elite black-ops agent sent on a dangerous assassination mission into Lasria – an Eastern European city on the brink of ruin that hides a deadly Cold War secret

Donkey Kong Country 2 on Wii Virtual Console
Nintendo :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Donkey Kong Country 2™: Diddy’s Kong Quest™ is available now for 800 Wii Points.

PS3 version of TimeShift
Sierra Entertainment :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Sierra Entertainment and Sabre Interactive make PLAYSTATION 3 system debut at Sony Gamer’s Day 2007

Crash Bandicoot returns in “Crash of the Titans” (with Screenshots)
Sierra Entertainment :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Crash’s Latest Adventure Features Titanic Enemies, Acrobatic Combat and More Signature Bandicoot Humor

Guiuld Wars Trial Promotion
NC Soft :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Exclusive trials for Guild Wars Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall to appear simultaneously across Future’s PC gaming magazines.

Dragon’s Lair HD
Digital Leisure :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Dragon’s Lair Comes to Blu-ray Disc* in True 1080p HD

Just Flight Super Sale
Just Flight :: Friday, May 18, 2007
This Monday, one Just Flight product will be slashed to half price. But which? Ooh, the suspense.

Age of Empires 3: Asian Dynasties Expansion
Microsoft :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Big Huge Games to develop second expansion pack for massively popular Games for Windows franchise

MumboJumbo Sponsors “Readers Are Leaders” Summer Reading Program for Dallas Area Youth
MumboJumbo :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Annual Mayor’s Summer Reading Program Gets Casual Gaming Boost

Blogged Out: ‘Exploring Truths’
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 18, 2007
In his latest ‘Blogged Out’ column, veteran UK writer Jim Rossignol takes a look at the world of developer blogging with views on the recent acquisition of Vanguard developer Sigil, a remake of Syndicate, and exploring game exploration.

Saling The World: Osu! Tatakae! Odin Sphere
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 18, 2007
This week’s “Saling The World” charts report a large slip in sales for former chart leaders Spider-Man 3 and Command & Conquer 3 in the U.S. and Europe, while Odin Sphere and the sequel to Inis’ Elite Beat Agents clean up in Japan.

The Euro Vision: ‘Behind Worms’ XBLA Success’
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 18, 2007
The latest edition of Gamasutra’s The Euro Vision column sees Jon Jordan heading to York for the Northern Exposure games conference, where Team 17’s Martyn Brown revealed the estimated sales figures for Worms’ recent release on Xbox Live Arcade.

Sony must cut PS3 price, says Ubisoft boss
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has called on Sony to reduce the price of PlayStation 3, warning that the company’s market share will be reduced in this console cycle.

Hardware sales drop in Japan
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Japanese hardware data for the week ended June 13 reveals that sales are down across the board, as the region recovers from the traditionally busy Golden Week holidays.

Sony highlights new software for 07/08
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Sony has pulled out its big titles for the rest of 2007 and into 2008, unveiling over 30 titles for multiple PlayStation formats at a special event in the US.

Sony may have been “overly ambitious”, warns Pachter
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has warned that Sony will have to make difficult decisions regarding the PS3’s price point if sales of the console are to improve.

Nordic Game: Rock Band will be affordable, says Harmonix exec
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Harmonix art director Ryan Lesser has told GamesIndustry.bizthat the company is doing everything it can to ensure forthcoming title Rock Band is affordable for consumers.

In brief: this week’s new game announcements
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Plus what’s hitting retail this week

Tretton queries Microsoft’s commitment to Folding@Home initiative
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
SCEA boss Jack Tretton has questioned whether Xbox 360 has enough power to take part in a Folding@Home-style initiative – saying he’d be “very disappointed” if the company is just seeking out good PR.

Rare helped differentiate 360 from Xbox, says Moore
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Microsoft’s Peter Moore has paid tribute to Rare’s recent product history, defending the developer against claims that its output has struggled to keep touch with the critical and commercial successes of its work prior to its acquisition by the Xbox platf

Tiga backs Entertainment Law handbook
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Tiga is backing the publication of the Entertainment Law Handbook, which includes a section on videogames and a model contract for developers and publishers.

Microsoft bans modded 360s from Xbox Live
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Microsoft has started to ban modified Xbox 360 units from Xbox Live, describing the move as “an important part of our efforts to try and maintain a fair gaming environment for the large majority of gamers that play by the rules”.

Europe is key to winning next-gen war, says Florin
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Electronic Arts’ international publishing boss, Gerhard Florin, has declared that Europe is key to determining who will win the battle of the next-generation consoles.

NPD: Nintendo dominates hardware and software sales for April
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 18, 2007
The latest NPD sales figures show continuing dominance for Nintendo as the GBA outsells Sony’s PS3 – but its predecessor, PlayStation 2, is still doing better than Xbox 360.

Blog: First Producer Blog Entry
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
NBA Live 08 (PS3)The development team starts anew on NBA Live 08.

Blog: Where Has Franchise Been?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Madden NFL 08 (PS3)The franchise mode returns in full force for Madden NFL 08

TimeShift Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
TimeShift (PS3)Time is merely a concept.

PS3 Price Cut Needed, Says Ubisoft CEO
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Despite this, hints at PS3 exclusive title.

Register for Warhawk Beta
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Warhawk (PS3)Master Chief isn’t the only one with a high-profile beta this month.

Premium MotorStorm Download Incoming
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
MotorStorm (PS3)Download pack containing new track and vehicles expected in June.

PS3 Video on Demand “This Calendar Year”
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Sony UK Boss confirms PAL downloadable content plans.

PS3 Drops to Four Digits in Japan
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
System outsold by PS2.

Rumor: Pandemic to Develop New Batman Game
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Insiders allege that the studio is hard at work on the videogame sequel to Batman Begins.

NPD: PS3 Sells Below Estimates
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Sony fails to garner more interet in its next-gen system.

ESA Names New President
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
A former advisor to the Bush administration will be overseeing the industry’s interests.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)See it here first, in HD.

Sony Caught Using PGR3 Again?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Once is weird enough, but twice…?

Eidos Confirms Next Deus Ex
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Deus Ex project [unofficial title] (other)The new Eidos Montreal studio is reviving the action RPG.

The Darkness Demon Arm Video in High Definition
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 18, 2007
This new video from The Darkness depicts the power of the Demon Arm. Gamers can use this spiked tentacle to impale enemies, smash out the lights, pick up and throw cars, and much more.

Transformers Activision Signs Voice Talent from Film
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 18, 2007
In addition to Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the original voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron, Activision has hired Shia LaBeouf and Megan “Why Is She So Hot” Fox.

Scarface The World Is Yours Sells Over 2 Million Units
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Scarface The World Is Yours, the videogame based on the 1983 classic film from Universal Pictures and published by Sierra Entertainment, has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide at retail stores.

Halo Wars Update
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Ensemble Studios spills the beans on their Halo Wars multiplayer tests and the debut of the Sparrowhawk.

Microsoft Starts Banning Modded Xbox 360 Consoles
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Everyone jumped onto Xbox Live to play the Halo 3 beta, including modders. Those who have modified their Xbox 360s’ firmware found out today that they have been banned from Xbox Live.

The King is Dead! Long Live the King!
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Find out why Halo 2 is no longer the king of Xbox Live.

Sony Using PGR 3 to Promote the PlayStation 3 Again
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Once again, we caught Sony promoting the PlayStation 3 using Project Gotham Racing 3. Dude, they really love Bizarre’s racing game!

Xbox Ambassadors Update
Xbox Live :: Friday, May 18, 2007
Xbox Live members are ambassadors of Xbox Live community! These are community members who have been around the block and are willing to show the new guys around, and we’ve got ’em in 23 countries around the world in over 30 different languages!

Hero Theme 4
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Friday, May 18, 2007
New themes for Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

Xbox 360 Keypad Impressions and QandA
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 18, 2007
From teamxbox.com (http://hardware.teamxbox.com/articles/xbox/1994/Xbox-360-Keypad-Impressions-and-QA/p1/ ): [QUOTE] To get a bit more insight into the mysterious Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device, we called on the expertise of Xbox Live’s Group Program Manager Jerry Johnson. * TeamXbox: Did you have any particular games in mind when creating this? * Jerry Johnson: While we are sure that game developers will implement this keyboard into their titles down the line, this peripheral was created to make text chat and IM over the Xbox 360 easier and more convenient. We are excited to see how game developers use this accessory in the future, but games were not the primary reason for its creation. * TeamXbox: Why did you decide to create a keyboard that was added to the controller, as opposed to a full-sized standalone keyboard? * Jerry Johnson: A USB keyboard can already be used with the Xbox 360 today. Rather than create another standalone keyboard, the Xbox team decided to bring something entirely new to the gaming market. The new keypad for the Xbox 360 is the first ever that connects directly to the controller. Because it fits seamlessly into the 360 controller, gamers can use it while playing games without having to interrupt game play. We have created a very easy and convenient way to type messages to friends without having to ever pause the game or put down the controller. We’re really looking forward to using Windows Live Messenger with the Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device, as it will easily change how people interact when engaged in an Xbox 360 endeavor (no more pecking at the virtual keyboard – whew!). The quality and seamless integration of the Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device also gets us amped for the future possibilities of this device, as any text-based MMORPG or title needing more buttons for assignments will clearly benefit form such a quality piece. Even if you don’t plan on playing games of a MMO nature or chatting with your friends via Live, you’ll at least consider the Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device as a favorable ergonomic upgrade for your current 1st party 360 controller. [/QUOTE] Full Story: teamxbox.com (http://hardware.teamxbox.com/articles/xbox/1994/Xbox-360-Keypad-Impressions-and-QA/p1/ ) (4 pages)

InFeCtuS Xbox360 Flat Cables
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 18, 2007
InFeCtuS will soon release ‘Flat Cables’ for Xbox360 DVD drives … this will allow you to easily install the InFeCtuS modchip on your Xbox360 ODD drive (this versatile modchip allows you to flash/patch the onboard DVD flash, serve as dual FW chip or act like a Globe360 or NME 1.2 chip): [QUOTE] INFECTUS QUICKSOLDER FLAT CABLES FOR X360 DRIVERS In few days the new QUICKSOLDER FLAT CABLES allowing an easy and fast installation of infectus on the DVD DRIVE MAINBOARDS will be ready. MORE FLAT CABLES for PS3, WII and other consoles will be available soon, as well! (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/infectus/x360infectus_quicksolder.jpg )[/QUOTE] Official Site: www.infectus.biz (http://www.infectus.biz )

Microsoft Starts Banning 360s on LIVE – MS Confirms
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 18, 2007
With the amount of posts (http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=603326 ) we see on our forums … it’s clear, Microsoft decided to start banning Xbox360 with modified firmwares today (both Hitachi-LG and Toshiba-Samsung drives). While it’s the same release date as Halo3 beta, it seems that people who didn’t download Halo3 also get banned. They probably detect backup discs (and not the modified firmware) when you play ’em online (not confirmed yet). Even people using the new firmwares with disc-jitter added get banned, so it looks like Microsoft found another way to detect it. However we also see reports of people with modified firmwares that are not banned (yet). Microsoft is known to ban with delay though, so it’ll probably take a while before we got a good view on who got banned for what reasons. Just like on Xbox1 it looks like Microsoft bans the console unique ID (serial), not the LIVE user. Microsoft will not allow anyone to login on LIVE on a banned console. Many people on the official xbox.com (http://forums.xbox.com/14/ShowForum.aspx ) forums also claim they got banned but didn’t have a flashed firmware … we’ll have to see how that story develops in the coming hours and days. (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/banned/cimg0452ir3.jpg ) Picture by Eraser77. This is what you get when you go to test connection and after xbox live fails click on network adapter Update: This was just posted on Microsoft’s Games Global Marketing team blog (http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/05/17/545414.aspx ): [QUOTE] One of the great things about LIVE and the unified community is that we work hard to create a level playing field for all gamers and have a no tolerance policy towards inappropriate behavior like hacking or cheating. As part of our commitment to our members, we do not allow people that we have detected to have modified their console to connect to LIVE. This is an important part of our efforts to try and maintain a fair gaming environment for the large majority of gamers that play by the rules. This topic is more important than ever given the recent release of the Halo 3 beta. As a result, some consumers that try to login to LIVE who we detect have illegally modified their console will get an error code (Status Code: Z: 8015 – 190D) when trying to connect to the service. These users will not have their account automatically banned from LIVE, but they will no longer be able to access the service from the console they modified. We have stated in the past that customers can only enjoy access to the Xbox LIVE community through the use of a genuine, unmodified, Xbox console and we will continue to enforce this rule to ensure the integrity of our service, the protection of our partners and the benefits of our users. [/QUOTE]

Halo 3 Beta Impressions 
Think Gaming :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
“Today was the launch of the Halo 3 beta for everyone who was lucky enough to get into it. After about a full day of gaming we wanted to give you our thoughts on the game and give you a video of some of the gameplay if you were unable to get into the beta. You should have received an e-mail from Bungie giving you your download code. I downloaded the beta first thing this morning. It really did not take long at all. After you download is complete you can go ahead and go into your game demos and you will see the beta. Read on to see our thoughts on the beta and see our gameplay video!”

Toy Golf 2 for PS2 And PC
Telcogames :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Partnership will bring mobile IP Toy Golf 2 to a wider audience

Tomb Raider Animated Series – With Pics!
GameTap :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
GameTap is using it’s Turner Broadcasting affiliation to milk that cash cow… We got pics of the new animated series.

Playing Catch Up: Gabriel Knight’s Jane Jensen
Gamasutra Columns :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
In this week’s Playing Catch-Up, we follow the career of Jane Jensen as she moves from creator and designer of Sierra’s Gabriel Knight series of adventure games and novels, to co-founder of casual games publisher Oberon, where she hoped to bring gaming to “older people and more women.”

Nordic Game: PSP needs more new titles, says LocoRoco creator
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
LocoRoco creator Tsutomo Kouno has told GamesIndustry.bizthat too many of the games available for PSP are sequels – and that he plans to redress the balance.

EA recouping Godfather costs with sequel
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Industry analyst Todd Greenwald has revealed that Electronic Arts is recouping the development costs associated with it’s Godfather titles by using the engine in five different franchises, with the publisher also working on a sequel

Skype to launch games channel
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Skype network is to launch a new games channel with the help of EasyBits Software.

Microsoft fixes Halo 3 beta problem
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Microsoft has released a new update for the Halo 3 beta after players experienced difficulties with downloading, announcing an extension of the beta deadline.

Microsoft: We have “absolutely no plans” for Blu-ray
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Following the re-emergence of rumours suggesting Microsoft may support Blu-ray in the future, the company has confirmed it has “absolutely no plans” to support any other optical formats.

ESA names new president
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Entertainment Software Association has announced that Mike Gallagher has taken the role of president.

GSC confirms more S.T.A.L.K.E.R. titles
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
GSC Game World has confirmed it is working on more titles in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series.

PS3 price point is “a challenge”, says Tretton
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Sony Computer Entertainment America boss Jack Tretton has admitted that the PS3’s high price poses “a challenge” – but observed that the content available for the console will help to justify the cost.

Sony expects further game losses
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Sony vice president Takao Yuhara has predicted the company’s games division will see losses of around JPY 50 billion (EUR 305 million) for the year ended March 2008.

Sega adopts Unreal Engine 3 for next-gen projects
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Sega has signed Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 for use in a selection of titles currently in development.

Midway signs online tech for next-gen titles
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Midway will be using Quazal’s online technology for several upcoming next-gen games.

Turning a Powerhouse Into a Home
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Home (PS3)Intervew: Sony invites us round to its virtual apartment to talk about what’s in store for Home.

LittleBigPlanet UK Hands-on
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
LittleBigPlanet (PS3)Join Sack Boy and pals as we get our hands dirty with LittleBigPlanet.

Ratatouille First Look
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Ratatouille (PS3)We cook up impressions of the upcoming Pixar movie game.

Hands-on with LittleBigPlanet
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
LittleBigPlanet (PS3)No creation yet, but the fundamentals are there.

Conan Progress Report
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Conan (PS3)We hack and slash alongside the infamous barbarian for new impressions.

The Darkness Progress Report
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Darkness (PS3)We head into the shadows for new impressions.

Surf’s Up Hands-on
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Surf’s Up (PS3)Penguins and water sports? Now I’ve seen everything.

TimeShift First Look
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
TimeShift (PS3)We mess around with the flow of time for these first impressions.

Folklore Gameplay Videos
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Folks Soul: The Lost Folklore (PS3)Magic and action, HD style.

“PAIN” Gameplay Videos
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Pain (PS3)It’s all the in name, you’ll hurt for this game.

Heavenly Sword Gameplay Videos
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Heavenly Sword (PS3)All the sword-fighting goodness you could want in HD!

SOCOM: Confrontation Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
SOCOM: Confrontation (PS3)Find out what the game looks like in action.

Conan PS3 Images
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Conan (PS3)Barbarians rule.

Dark Sector Trio
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Dark Sector (PS3)Three new shots from the PS3 version.

Debut SOCOM PS3 Shots
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
SOCOM: Confrontation (PS3)See the confrontation for yourself.

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Grabs
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (PS3)A handful of new images from the mechanical slasher.

Even More SingStar Grabs
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
SingStar (PS3)Britney Spears is in this batch.

Eye of Judgment Imagery
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Eye of Judgment (PS3)Sony’s card game is coming to America. See it!

Eye of Judgment Update
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Eye of Judgment (PS3)We set eyes on Sony’s video card game and learn a few more tricks.

Sony Using Again PGR 3 to Promote the PlayStation 3
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Once again, we caught Sony promoting the PlayStation 3 using Project Gotham Racing 3. Dude, they really love Bizarre’s racing game!

World Cyber Games US Open
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The United States top gamers will meet June 23 at the Samsung Experience in New York City for the World Cyber Games US Open video game tournament.

Square Enix Officially Announces The Last Remnant
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Square Enix officially announced today The Last Remnant, its nextgeneration roleplaying game powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3.

ESA Announces New President
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Michael D. Gallagher will serve as the next president of the Entertainment Software Association.

Crackdown Functioning as Halo 3 Beta Key
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
We have recieved word that the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta is supposedly now available for download via Crackdown.

Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Crackdown Issue Update
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Find out what the solution is and when it is coming. ***UPDATE*** The fix is in…sorta.

Michael Bay Developing $25M FirstPerson Shooter
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The director of Armageddon, Bad Boys, The Rock, The Island and Transformers, is currently working on the development of a firstperson shooter at Digital Domain, the specialeffects house that created the Gears of War “Mad World” commercial.

Mad Catz Expands NFL License to Include New Regions
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The new agreement expands the original 2004 license agreement between Mad Catz and the NFL to allow Mad Catz to distribute licensed products in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, in addition to the U.S.

Prima Guide
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Two Prima Guide samples for Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars are available for download from Xbox.com.

Heroes and Villains
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
New picture packs for Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

Bravo Map Pack for Call of Duty 3
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
The new Bravo Map Pack for Call of Duty 3 contains five new maps for the game.

Verizon Action Hero Gamer Pics in Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Preview Gamer Pics for Verizon Action Hero, in Xbox Live Marketplace today!

Verizon Action Hero Themes
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Preview Verizon Action Hero themes available on Xbox live Marketplace.

Bunnie: Important Clarifications: HV Hack Authors, Talk with MS Explanation
Xbox-Scene :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Bunnie posted some important clarifications (http://www.bunniestudios.com/wordpress/?p=173 ) about the article he posted last week on the Xbox360 hacks presentation at the BlueHat Security Briefings in Redmond (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZApkyykkZnGJZwYg.php ): [QUOTE] There are some important misconceptions that need to be corrected. 1. I did no technical work on the Xbox 360 hack. Felix Domke (tmbinc) is the true technical genius behind the hack — please give him proper credit for his hard work. My role in this is entirely diplomatic; I was consulted because my previous work on the Xbox meant I was already familiar with the legal risks and the best contact methods. And, as with any hack, there were many other unsung heros involved who are forced to choose anonymity due to risks and circumstances out of their control. 2. No money was involved. The hack was reported to Microsoft per legal requirements, and per security industry standard operating practice. It is no coincidence that this is the exact same path that was taken on the first Xbox hacks (Hypertransport, 007 and Dashboard). The difference is that this time, Microsoft took the time to listen, and eventually invited us to their house to give a talk. 3. Finally, this was the opportunity to tell Microsoft that locking out low-level code development (and consequently Linux) will never work. It’s neither sound technically nor good for business development in the long term. We believe they have listened. Although this approach has never been tried before, based on their reactions, future Microsoft devices may not lock out homebrew; at least, we have planted the seeds of a feasible technical and business path to such a future in key minds at Microsoft. In closing, I don’t think Microsoft is right in locking down hardware to outside developers; I also don’t think that the pirates are right, either. As a result, I must walk a fine gray line, and I am continuously faced with many a difficult and ambiguous decision. And, to quote Felix, who posted in the comment round on a previous blog entry: “The reason to stay anonymous so long was…about not getting sued. But after Bluehat, it become clear that this was no issue anymore. And my strict demand for working on a project like free60 is that i can publish stuff in public, under my real name, without hiding anything, and still be able to sleep well at night. This would not have been possible if we hadn’t worked together with Microsoft.” [/QUOTE] Official Site: bunniestudios.com (http://www.bunniestudios.com/wordpress/?p=173 )

Microsoft PR: Firmly Behind HD DVD Format – No Blu-ray Addon for 360
Xbox-Scene :: Thursday, May 17, 2007
From Microsoft’s Games Global Marketing team blog (http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/05/16/545312.aspx ) (FYI: MS owned blog): [QUOTE] ‘Just want to clear up a few things surrounding several erroneous stories regarding alleged comments from Peter Moore about Xbox 360 supporting Blu-ray. Simply put…These reports are completely incorrect. Some online media outlets have picked up this story and are citing Internet speculation of an alleged Associated Press story that does not exist, along with comments taken out of context from a story in ITmedia that appeared back in January. This information is being reported as news and as a result of a recent interview, neither of which are true. In an interview with ITmedia back at CES in January of this year, Peter said Xbox 360 has the flexibility to adapt to consumers’ needs, allowing Microsoft to add features as consumers demand them – as evidenced by the offering of the HD DVD Player as an accessory. It is important to understand the context in which that statement was made. We firmly stand behind the HD DVD format as the best choice for consumers. Current reports indicating that Microsoft has a back-up plan, which includes Blu-ray support are incorrect. We’re fully committed to HD DVD and have absolutely no plans to support other optical formats. [/QUOTE]

Ship Simulator 2008
Lighthouse Interactive :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
After the worldwide success of the first Ship Simulator title in 2006, which sold more than 130.000 copies to date, Dutch developer VSTEP and publisher Lighthouse Interactive are proud to announce its sequel, Ship Simulator 2008. Slated for release in the UK and Scandinavia July 13th 2007, the new version contains many often requested features from the hugely active user community:

Prince of Persia Classic Comes to Xbox Live
Ubisoft :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Original 1989 Prince of Persia Game Gets a Next-Gen Makeover

Delta And Nintendo Provide Travelers Access To Free Video Game Demos
Nintendo :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Nintendo DS download program lands at JFK International Airport for peak summer travel season

MixMaster Online
SeedC Pacific :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Anime MMORPG, MixMaster Online will be starting its official commercial service for its English version from Friday 18 May 2007.

Midnight Club: Los Angeles for PS3 and 360
Rockstar Games :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Fourth Installment of the Blockbuster Racing Franchise Unveiled

Race – WTCC Game Expansion has Caterham Cars
Eidos :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Eidos Interactive Ltd., one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, in conjunction with SimBin Development Team, are pleased to announce the official ‘Caterham’ expansion for RACE – THE WTCC GAME.

Thrustmaster T-charge+ NW Nintendo Wii Accessory Review
i4u :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
“The Thrustmaster T-charge+ NW is a storage stand for two Wii remotes and Nunchucks that also features a quartet of rechargeable batteries with a charger built into one of the stands. The Wii remote protectors are designed so that you don’t have to remove them to access the batteries. A textured finish on the protectors makes gripping the Wii remote easier and more safe during extended play where your hands might get sweaty”.

DirectX 10 Benchmarking – Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
“Yesterday we showed that ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT video card had image quality issues on Call of Juarez and today we find out that ATI has many driver issues on Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Both of these PC game titles are DirectX 10, which is what people have been waiting many months to come out. Now the benchmarks and demos are finally available it’s obvious that ATI still has a way to go on their drivers…”

Critical Reception: Activision’s/Toys for Bob’s Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to the PlayStation 2 port of Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, an interesting case in which a well-received Wii launch title is “not quite as fun” on the PS2.

The China Angle: Causes, Effects, And Consequences
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
In Gamasutra’s latest China Angle column, Pacific Epoch’s Shang Koo reports rumors of IDG putting $15 million into a new game company to operate the sequel to hit dance MMO Audition, and operator Shanda offering $26,000 bounties for gold farming plug-in creators.

Babel launches new testing service
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Babel has added a new testing product to its outsourced services for the games industry: the International Gameplay Testing Service.

Consoles must embrace user-created content, says Valve
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Valve’s marketing director Doug Lombardi has told GamesIndustry.bizthat consoles must embrace user-created content if they want online to matter.

Burning Crusade boosts Vivendi profits
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The World of Warcraft franchise has once again helped Vivendi to impressive financial results, with the media company reporting Q1 profits of EUR 771 million, a increase of 22.8 per cent.

Reduced competition has led to rich times for developers – Jobling
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Eutechnyx boss Darren Jobling has revealed that his company is doing better deals following the closure of rival development studios over the past years.

Nordic Game: Program makes major grant gifts to developers
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Nordic Game Program has made its annual donations to developers of games based on cultural Nordic content, amounting to over UKP 170,000.

Nordic Game: Trophies handed out to top developers
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Funcom, Massive Entertainment and Vendler Game Consulting became the first companies to receive Nordic Game Awards at the inaugural ceremony last night.

SOE acquires Sigil Games
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Sony Online Entertainment announced yesterday that it had completed a transaction to purchase “key assets” of Sigil Games Online, developer of the recently-released MMO, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.

PS3 launch hits Sony profits
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
‘Strategic price’ contributes to a 68 per cent drop in operating profits as worldwide shipments of next gen console reach 5.5 million.

Nordic Game: Web has taken over from print, says journalists’ panel
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
It was the turn of journalists to take the stage at the Nordic Game conference yesterday for a panel session which included a discussion on the growth of Internet reporting and the decline of magazines.

Nintendo sponsors film-making prize
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Nintendo’s flagship US store, Nintendo World, is sponsoring a short film showcase as part of a New York film festival.

Halo 3 release set for September 25
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Microsoft and Bungie have announced that Halo 3 will be released in North America on September 25, with a European release a day later.

Croteam signs with Gamecock for next-gen project
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Serious Sam developer Croteam is partnering with publisher Gamecock on a next-gen project.

XLeague TV launches tomorrow
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
XLeague.TV, the first British TV channel dedicated to competitive gaming, will be launched tomorrow, May 16, on Sky channel 291.

Nordic Game: ‘New angles’ needed to beat WoW, says NCSoft
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
NCSoft Europe deirector of development Thomas Bidaux likened Blizzard’s all-conquering MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW) to a tyrannosaurus rex at Swedish expo Nordic Game today, telling developers of online games to pick fights in other “ecosystems”.

Nordic Game: Telltale exec says games are “too expensive”
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Telltale executive Kevin Bruner has revealed that his company thinks many games are “too expensive” and too restricted with regard to the choice of content on offer for consumers.

Nordic Game: Private label brands “may come to the games market”
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Keith Lincoln, author of recent book ‘Retailisation’, issued a stark warning to the games industry at Sweden’s Nordic Game conference today – pointing out that retail label brands such as those owned by Walmart and Tesco now far out-strip those traditiona

Nordic Game: PS3 is “too big”, says Parappa the Rapper creator
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
NanaOn-Sha boss Masaya Matsuura has said he believes the reason the Wii is outdoing PS3 in the sales stakes is because Sony’s next-gen console is “too big” for Japanese tastes.

Sony may consider PS3 price cut this summer – Pachter
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has stated that Sony could offer a PlayStation 3 price cut as early as this summer, due to a decrease in manufacturing costs.

Game revenues drop by $1M for Ziff Davis
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Ziff Davis Media has reported a 44 per cent drop in the company’s Game Group, the division responsible for US gaming titles Electronic Gaming Monthly, Games for Windows and 1UP.com.

Nordic Game: PS3 SingStar inspired by “mass customisation”, says Bozek
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Speaking in her keynote at this morning’s Nordic Game conference, Paulina Bozek focused on “mass customisation” and how current trends have influenced the development of the PS3 instalment in the SingStar series.

SEGA Licenses Unreal Engine 3
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
SEGA to use Epic’s engine in forthcoming next-gen titles.

Midnight Club Los Angeles-bound
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Fourth game in Rockstar’s street racer series hitting PS3 and Xbox 360 early 2008.

MLB ’07: The Show Slides into Retail
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
MLB ’07: The Show (PS3)Play ball!

Top 10 Tuesdays: Greatest Superhero Games
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
From Archangel to Zatanna, we bring you the best superhero adaptations.

IGN is AFK: Microtransactions
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Love ’em or hate ’em, they’re here to stay.

Video Head-to-Head: Spider-Man 3
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Does 360 or PS3 save the day?

PS3 Too Big?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The creator of PaRappa the Rapper thinks so.

Sony Could Suffer Biggest Loss in 4 Years
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Bloomberg expects the worst for the company’s Q4 results.

Square Enix Party Numbers Announced
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
It was crowded. We could’ve told you that yesterday.

Croteam Announces Next Project
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Croteam Project (PS3)Serious Sam creators partner up with Gamecock Media Group for untitled 2009 release. First screens included.

Google To Track In-Game Behavior?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Internet monolith may start monitoring how we play.

Eidos: Games Alienating Potential Customers
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
What might seem too simple for the hardcore crowd could be a huge hit with casual gamers.

MLB ’07: The Show Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
MLB ’07: The Show (PS3)Does the PS3 edition hit one out of the park?

NBA ’08: The Interview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
NBA ’08 (PS3)Sony unveils its latest trip to the paint and tells us all about it.

Official NBA ’08 Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
NBA ’08 (PS3)Get ready for tip off!

Game On! Delta and Nintendo Provide Travelers Access to Free Video Game Demos
Nintendo DS :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Nintendo DS download program lands at JFK Airport

Nintendo Seeks Brilliant Filmmakers for ‘Short Cuts Showcase’
Nintendo News :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Winner to receive $10,000!

SEGA Licenses Unreal Engine 3 for Upcoming Projects
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
SEGA of America and SEGA Europe announced today a licensing agreement with Epic Games to adopt the Unreal Engine 3 for use in several upcoming projects.

Xbox Live Arcade Hudson Announces Bomberman Live
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Fans can now compete with the best Bomberman players worldwide, as Bomberman Live delivers frantic 8player online.

Halo 3 Crackdown Owners Can’t Download the Beta
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Those who own the specially marked copy of Crackdown can’t download the Halo 3 multiplayer beta as of yet. Neither Bungie nor Major Nelson have provided any word on the subject. More info inside.

Rockstar Announces Midnight Club Los Angeles
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Rockstar Games is proud to announce the fourth installment of its criticallyacclaimed and genredefining Midnight Club franchise.

Microsoft Searches for Musical Talent in Britain
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Microsoft Xbox announces a national campaign to find Britains hottest new undiscovered music talent.

Two Worlds Multiplayer Details Announced
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
SouthPeak Games has announced multiplayer details for Two Worlds, its upcoming freeroaming RPG epic for the Xbox 360.

Halo 3 Release Dates Announced
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Microsoft plans to deliver the highly anticipated game this fall, and will also ship a specialedition Zune with a Halo 3 theme.

New Medal of Honor Airborne Media
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
A new highdefinition video showcasing the game’s Start Anywhere philosophy, along with a new batch of images.

New skate Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Somehow, skate looks better with every new build of the game. We have update the game’s image gallery with fifteen new screenshots.

Vivendi Reports Very Good First Quarter 2007 Earnings
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Vivendi reported forecastbeating firstquarter profits today, driven by its payTV, video games and Moroccan telecoms businesses.

Sony Online Entertainment Acquires Sigil Games
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
That means we’ll never get to see Vanguard Saga of Heroes, nor any other game from Sigil, on Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 Elite Commercial
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The first commercial promoting the Xbox 360 Elite is out. Watch it now!

New Genre of Digital Entertainment Announced
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Digital Bamboo announced today a group of unique Health Games developed on the basis of the heartbrain interaction theory. Gamers will be challenged to manipulate internal stress levels to successfully control the action on screen.

Team Fortress 2 Heavy Weapons Guy Trailer in HD
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Valve released today a new trailer of Team Fortress 2 featuring the Heavy Weapons guy. The trailer was created to showcase Valve’s next generation facial animation technology.

Prince of Persia Gameplay Trailer
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
We bring you the first gameplay trailer of the Xbox Live Arcade version of Prince of Persia.

Xbox 360 Lets No. 1 Dads Get Their Game On
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Fathers Day is June 17 and graduation is right around the corner, so nows the time to make sure that both dads and grads will be singing your praises when they receive the latest from Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 HD DVD Software Update Available Now
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Microsoft has rolled out a software update for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player that, among other improvements, improve HD DVD title compatibility and lets you choose the digital audio format you want to output.

Gamecock Media Group to Publish Croteam’s Next Project
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Croteam, the developer of the Serious Sam series, announced today that Gamecock Media Group will publish its asyetuntitled game, which is currently in development using the ‘Serious Engine 3’.

Metal Gear Solid Movie Update
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Find out if David Hayter, who voiced Solid Snake in the games, will be involved with the big screen adaptation of Metal Gear Solid.

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player Update Tomorrow
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Consumer Media Technology Group has announced that an update for the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is scheduled for release tomorrow.

Treit & True: The Ultimate Setup for Forza Motorsport 2
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Ryan Treit visits developer Turn 10 to find a hall-of-fame worthy gaming setup for Forza Motorsport 2.

Hollywood Goes Gaming: NBA All-Star Chris Bosh Takes it to the Street
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Catch our interview with NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, who logs a lot of hours playing Xbox 360.

This Week in Xbox: May 9-16, 2007
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Games Editor Denny Atkin brings you all the latest in what’s going on this week on Xbox.com.

Brand New Test Drive Unlimited Downloadable Content
Eden Games :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Available Now on Xbox Live® Marketplace, Test Drive Collection Volume 4

Three New Classic Games Announced For Wii Shop Channel
Nintendo :: Monday, May 14, 2007
It’s the age-old question: Which is cooler, ninjas or circular yellow dot-eaters? This week the Wii™ video game system’s Wii Shop Channel gives gamers the chance to explore this subject in depth, with three awesome classic games.

ATI versus nVidia — DirectX 10 Benchmarking
Legit Reviews :: Monday, May 14, 2007
“The only playable resolution for Call of Juarez was at 1024×768 with no AA enabled. The NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX with the just released Vista 158.42 drivers was able to take the performance lead and beat out the ATI HD 2900 XT by a small margin. The differences between the NVIDIA 158.18 and 158.42 drivers was significant as they managed to pull off a 20% performance boost by the driver update. The update took NVIDIA from losing this test by ten percent to actually winning it by ten percent…”

Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom for Sony PS3 Review
i4u :: Monday, May 14, 2007
“Game play is third-person and you can choose from three characters, a mage, a warrior and a female scout. While all three characters have their own unique fighting style and moves, none of them change weapons throughout the game, which gets a bit boring.”

Ninja Gaiden, Pac-Man, and Ninja Spirit Coming to VC
Think Gaming :: Monday, May 14, 2007
This week’s Wii Virtual Console update is much better than previous ones. We have 2 ninja games (who doesn’t love a ninja game!), and one of the most popular arcade games of all time! This week Pac-Man (NES – 500 Wii points), Ninja Gaiden (NES – 500 points), and Ninja Spirit (TurboGrafx16 – […]

Hands On: Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta
Xbox 360 Games :: Monday, May 14, 2007
The test version of Halo 3 contains only a taste of what you’ll find in the full game when it releases later this year—but a sweet taste it is, with three maps and a wide variety of multiplayer game types. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect.

Shadowrun: Behind the Scenes Q & A with Mitch Gitelman of FASA Studios
Xbox 360 Games :: Monday, May 14, 2007
We sit down with FASA Studios’ Studio Manager Mitch Gitelman and discuss Shadowrun.

The Tactical Art of the Ninja
Xbox 360 Games :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Stealth tips and assassination strategy is outlined for the ninja-inspired Tenchu Z for Xbox 360.

Hardcore and the Hardcore Appeal of Shadowrun
Xbox 360 Games :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Hardcore examines a few of Shadowrun’s in-game features deserving hardcore accolades.

Desert Island Games: Creative Assembly’s Dan Toose (Medieval II: Total War)
Gamasutra Columns :: Monday, May 14, 2007
In today’s latest Desert Island Games column, Creative Assembly designer Dan Toose (Medieval II: Total War) gives us a rundown of his all-time top five games, with in-depth analysis of titles such as Quake II, SoulCaliber, and Wipeout 2097.

Release This: MLB 07 Strikes U.S. PS3s; Japan Cheered By Ouendan 2
Gamasutra Columns :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Gamasutra’s “Release This!” takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, as MLB 07: The Show and Etrian Odyssey hit the U.S., Europe gets a taste of Raw Danger!, and Japan cheers on Ouendan 2.

Profits drop 34 per cent for Sega Sammy
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Full-year profits for Sega Sammy have dropped 34 per cent for the year ended March 31.

Benchmark invests $8 million in Power Challenge
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Benchmark Capital has invested USD 8 million in growing online sports games company Power Challenge.

Don’t dismiss potential of casual market – Eidos
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Lou Fawcett, head of Eidos’ new casual division SoGoPlay has urged developers to reconsider what they assume makes a good game.

Tiga to hold Content Market at Develop ’07
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Development trade body Tiga is to hold this year’s Content Market at the Develop Conference & Expo in Brighton, from May 25 – 26.

Next-gen business models are “embarrassing”, says Brennan
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
The spiralling costs of next-gen games development are embarrassing, unworkable and an ego trip for publishers, according to Blast’s Sean Brennan.

Sony committed to PS3 “for 10 years and beyond”
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
SCEA president Jack Tretton has confirmed that the company has long term plans for PlayStation 3, playing down concerns over initial sales figures.

SCi officially launches new casual games label
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
SCi Entertainment has become the latest software publisher to enter the casual games market, announcing the official launch of label SoGoPlay.

Last chance to register for Nordic Game
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Online registration for this year’s Nordic Game conference is set to close this evening with just hours to go before the event kicks off in Malmö, Sweden.

Avalanche to unveil new technology at Nordic Game
GamesIndustry.biz :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Avalanche Studios has announced it will be unveiling its new and improved Avalanche Engine at this week’s Nordic Game event.

Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground (PS3)Watch the birdman take to the sky in these first images.

Tony Hawk Has Something to Prove
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground (PS3)Activision announces its next skating opus.

SEGA Sammy Profits Fall 3rd Year in a Row
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Sonic is as popular as ever, but the hedgehog can’t lift its company out of its financial slump.

Square Enix Party Gallery — Main Event
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
A look at the Square Enix party.

Square Enix Party Gallery — Cos-play
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
The biggest fans show their love.

Square Enix Party Gallery — Goodies
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Stuff for sale (and not for sale) at the Square Enix Party.

Eyes-On Advent Children Complete
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
New scenes are coming to Blu-ray.

Final Fantasy XIII Screen
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)You get one from Square Enix Party 07.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII Image
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3)One shot given out at Square Enix Party 07.

Kingdom Hearts Set For TGS
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Kingdom Hearts X (other)For the two people who didn’t already expect as much.

MotorStorm v1.2 Coming
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
MotorStorm (PS3)Sony unveils new mode and plenty of improvements.

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (PS3)Twenty-eight new screens and not a Surfer in sight.

NBA 2K8
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Who will be on the cover?

Devil May Cry 4 Desktops
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
New Insider wallpapers.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (PS3)First trailer of the upcoming movie game on PS3.

Game Scoop! Episode 35: Celebrity Cameos
IGN Playstation 3 :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Condemned 2, Calling All Cars!, and the PS3’s fall lineup.

Pac-Man Now Available on the Wii Shop Channel!
Nintendo News :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Three New Classic Games Announced!

Bram Stoker would be proud of this Wii Shop Channel Game
Nintendo News :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Muscle up with New Wii Shop Classics

Activision Announces Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
For the first time, players will have the freedom to define their character, story and style based on the choices they make, the paths they choose and the style of skating they use.

Aegis Wing Launches This Week for Free
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Originally conceived by three Microsoft interns over the course of a summer, Aegis Wing will be available for free to all Xbox Live Silver and Gold members in North America for a limited time.

Square Enix to Use SpeedTree RT in The Last Remnant
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Interactive Data Visualization announced today that Square Enix will used SpeedTree RT in The Last Remnant.

Brand New Test Drive Unlimited Downloadable Content
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
The Test Drive Collection Volume 4 features six highly desirable cars, the Dino 246 GT, Ferrari Challenge Stradale, Cadillac Cien, RUF RK Spyder, Lamborghini Murcilago Roadster, and the TVR T440R.

Croteam Confirms Serious Sam 3
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Croteam has confirmed the development of the Serious Engine 3 and Serious Sam III plus a military tacticalaction shooter set in present day.

Crackdown Erased Saved Games Bug and Solution
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
The recently released Crackdown title update has caused some users to lose their saved games. Real Time Worlds is working to fix the issue but in the meantime it has provided steps to avoid the problem.

Mad Catz to Offer Halo 3 Licensed Merchandise
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Mad Catz Interactive announced today that it has entered into a multiyear agreement with Microsoft to produce faceplates featuring characters from Halo 3.

New BioShock Screenshots and Concept Art Images
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
We have updated the BioShock image gallery with new screenshots and concept art images from the game.

HAZE Mantel Soldier Trailer in High Definition
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Twentyfive years in the future. Governments have outsourced military operations to private multinational corporations, who have created ruthlessly efficient soldiers.

First Fantastic 4 Rise of the Silver Surfer Media
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
We bring you the first teaser trailer for the game as well as the first screenshots of the Xbox 360 version.

BlackSite Area 51 Media
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
BlackSite is poised to redefine the FPS genre with cuttingedge technology, game design and an illuminating storyline that creates the ultimate entertainment experience.

Bomberman Coming to Xbox Live Arcade!
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Hudson’s classic arcadestyle mazebased video game is finally coming to Xbox Live Arcade.

Crytek Opens New Studio, New Original IP in the Works
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
The creators of Far Cry and the highly anticipated Crysis have announced the elevation of their satellite offices in Kiev to full development studio status and the launch of a new project based on new original IP.

Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End Cut Scene in HD
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Summoned by Davy Jones himself, this new cut scene featuring the Kraken is similar to a memorable moment from last year’s blockbuster film, “Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest.”

Halo Contact Harvest Officially Announced
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Readers will experience the start of the HumanCovenant war from the perspective of Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson, Master Chief’s legendary confidant and mentor.

Halo 3 Beta Video
Team Xbox :: Monday, May 14, 2007
Here is a fanmade Halo 3 Beta video created by a Microsoft employee and therefore authorized by Bungie.

Xclio 188A Gaming Case Review
Tweaknews :: Friday, May 11, 2007
“The Xclio 188A is one of the best budget chassis’ I’ve worked with. Not only is this case very classy looking, the cooling is superb and there is plenty of room inside for most systems. The 250mm fan does its job quietly and efficiently and the integrated fan speed controller is a welcome feature.”

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams Screenshots
Think Gaming :: Friday, May 11, 2007
On the 2nd NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams was announced for the Wii. Well today we have got our hands on 5 screenshots from the game! People have been waiting for a sequel to the original NiGHTS for a very long time. Now it is here. The game will take full advantage […]

Crysis Multiplayer Gameplay
Think Gaming :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Damn Crysis looks amazing! Look at all the shadows and character models look awesome! I can’t wait for this game, hopefully it will play well on my video card!   [Via Link]

The Catan Phenomenon
Xbox 360 Games :: Friday, May 11, 2007
We break down the fundamentals of Catan for newcomers and how Xbox 360 improves on the already critically acclaimed board game.

Xbox Addict: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on Xbox LIVE Arcade
Xbox 360 Games :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Xbox Addict looks at the recreated and enhanced game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Windows LIVE Messenger on Xbox 360
Xbox Hardware :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Using Xbox 360, connect with your Microsoft Windows LIVE Messenger community directly from your television. Text chats with friends and family are integrated between Xbox 360, PCs, and mobile devices.

Maximus 360 FW Toolbox v3.1B with Hitachi-LG Xtreme v1.7
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Maximus released an update to yesterday’s 360 Firmware Toolbox(info (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/360FirmwareToolbox.php )) v3.1: [QUOTE] Maximus – FIRMWARE TOOLBOX V3.1B (With C4E/Garyopa Hitachi 1.7) The Credit on the Hitachi 1.7 is to C4E for his original Hitachi Jitter Fix and to Garyopa for layout those changes on other versions What’s new/fixed (since v3.1): * Added: Missing File was causing troubles to users with Classic Mode. On this release I am including a missing file that was causing problems to users that used the option of the external flashers mainly users with drives 59 and older, none 78 users complain We are on the same line to having 1 tool for all hitachi versions and to allow that we already have figured out how to solve the USB-SATA issues and some SIL issues to, so on next versions you can use that devices (for versions prior to 59) whithout glitches. Meanwhile since this version is not USB-SATA friendly you can use the “external flashers” option or use the C4E release earlier wich is MS-DOS (if your drive is 59 or lower) and this release if you have 78/79 [/QUOTE] Official Site: n/a (by Maximus/C4E/Garyopa) Download: n/a (might be illegal under DMCA/EUCD) News-Source: xbins.org (http://www.xbins.org/nfo.php?file=xboxnfo1584.nfo )

Commodore4Eva Xtreme Hitachi-LG v2.4 Stealth
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Commodore4eva has released his version of Xtreme v2.4 firmware for Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L drives. Whats new: (2.4) Added Disc-Jitter for Challenge types 5/7 to all Hitach firmwares. Always recommended: If your drive is flashed USE A RESTORE FIRST (Use the restore included on this package) Notes about this release: This version is a set of batch files, like the previous garyopa hitachi releases. This version has been done for several days, as c4e had originally implemented the disc-jitter on hitachi drives, but wanted to fully test all drives before public use. This version will not support v78 drives (use fw toolbox 3.1) but does provide the most stable flashing routines for v32-v59 Hitachi drives. This release still contains the F900 (game SS ripping core) and firmware Stealth, both of which are removed in fw toolbox 3.1 version. Official Site: n/a (by commodore4eva) Download: n/a (May Be illegal under EULA/DMCA) News-Source: xbins.org (http://www.xbins.org/nfo.php?file=xboxnfo1583.nfo )

Maximus 360 FW Toolbox v3.1 with Garyopa Hitachi-LG Xtreme v1.7 Jitter-Fix
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Garyopa, Maximus and C4E released a new Xtreme firmware + flashing tool for Hitachi-LG drives with the Disc-Jitter fix added and some support for v79 firmwares: [QUOTE] Maximus – 360 Firmware Toolbox(info (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/360FirmwareToolbox.php )) v3.1 (with Garyopa Disc Jitter Check) The Credit on the Hitachi 1.7 is to C4E for his original Hitachi Jitter Fix and to Garyopa for layout those changes on other versions WHATS NEW ON V3.1: * Added: Hitachi Xtreme 1.7 (Disc Jitter Fix) * Added: Smart Hack Patcher now works for all Production Drives V40 thru v79 * Added: Correctly show and handle of keys for Hit79 drives * Corrected: Bug displaying Samsung FW as spoofed (display error) * Corrected: Several other bugs * Improved : Checksum checkup when dumping * Added: OCX’s included on the release (they are available on Microsoft site anyway) Release Notes: On Xtreme 1.7 the F900 core and Stealth FW have been removed. This could be seen as a Step Back, but indeed is 2 steps ahead. By one side we are trying to build one solid application (toolbox) that would make easier the future Hitachi Releases (which currently its a pain because of all the variations) and by other side it incorporates Disc-Jitter check fix for Hitachi drives. The F900 core needs more work and can be easily incorporated on future versions along with other goodies that already are under development (media-stealth, single layer support, etc). The Fw Stealth was a good idea but it has been proven that the fw could be readed by other means, indeed the newer versions (78+) does not have the need to implement stealth so I think it will not be used anymore. WHAT IS NEXT ON FUTURE TOOLBOX VERSIONS ?: * Direct dump/flash of 79 drives * Smart Hack Patcher configurable by script (avoid hard coded rules) * Restore and Patch Wizards (for totally noobs) PLEASE ADD A NOTE REGARDING UPGRADING DRIVES UNTIL WE UPDATE THE TOOLBOX TO HANDLE NOOBS. Some users are Bricking their drives.. The following must be clearly noted if upgrading already patched drive. #1: Please read the “Tutorial”, it will save you time, and money fixing your bricked drive. #2: Please RESTORE using the same package to originally flash with (If use = Maximus-Garyopa-Xtrm-v2.3rev2 then you must restore with it first) #3: If your drive has Full Stealth from v2.3rev2 on it, you might not be able to restore if using USB to SATA. #4: USB to SATA is still not supported on the newer drives like v78 and v79. [/QUOTE] Official Site: n/a (Maximus, Garyopa) Download: n/a (might be illegal under DMCA/EUCD)

Spring07 Update Puts People Sharing GameSaves on Revocation List
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
From 360gamesaves.com (http://www.360gamesaves.com/plugins.php?load=News&function=details&newsid=4 ): [QUOTE] In the Spring Update, Microsoft has implemented a new protection against gamesaving by using our gamesave archive against us – they went through our gamesave archive and downloaded all the saves, then everyone who has uploaded saves in the past has had their current local “ConsoleID” values added to a Console Revocation List implemented in the new spring update. Decrypted Console Revocation List (http://360gamesaves.com/uploads/revokelist.txt ) Any gamesave coming from these ConsoleID values is now recognized as corrupt in the latest update. Which means if your on the list, saves created on your console will now only work on your console. Your transfer privledges have been revoked. If you are (or were) a member of 360gamesaves and uploaded any gamesaves, please check the forums for more information on determining if your ConsoleID has been “revoked”. If your ConsoleID is not in the list but you have uploaded a gamesave recently and wish it to be removed from the site please PM a forum admin. [/QUOTE] News Source: 360gamesaves.com (http://www.360gamesaves.com/plugins.php?load=News&function=details&newsid=4 )

360 TID Officially Dubbed the Chatpad
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
From xbox360fanboy.com (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/05/10/360-tid-officially-dubbed-the-chatpad/ ): [QUOTE] Formerly known as the TID (text input device), the thumb board, and “that thingy,” the Xbox 360 controller keyboard has received an official name. In the Spring Update help document (found by clicking the “Learn More” ad block on the Marketplace blade) the device is referred to as the Chatpad. Now all we need is a price and a release date. [/QUOTE] Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/05/10/360-tid-officially-dubbed-the-chatpad/ )

More Xtender XCM Products: XFPS Mini Guitar and HDMI-cable for Original 360
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Team Xtender already announced the XCM BestTilt (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZlZkyuVVvMlIbLcV.php ) and XCM XFPS 360 Pro (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZllpykukUBbtnsVv.php ) earlier … now they announced 2 other products that will be available in the near future (next 2 months): [QUOTE] 1.XFPS Mini Guitar — This is half the size of the original one, easy to carry and best choice for gamers, using the real guitar wood for authentic gameplay. This unit must be must used with the XFPS 360 when you wish to use it on the Xbox 360. It is also compatible with the PS2. 2.HDMI cable for original xbox 360 (White 360 console) , this will be the world first HDMI cable for xbox 360 (white console) and up to 1080i . [/QUOTE] Official Site: www.teamxtender.com (http://www.teamxtender.com/ )

Team Xecuter 360 Glow Mod
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
From team-xecuter.com (http://www.team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45614 ): [QUOTE] After many requests regarding the Blaster 360 LED glow being ported somehow to the 360 Ring of Light we have made a simple mod that makes the 360 Ring Of Light glow Red or Green. Only 5 easy wires to solder and you can choose between Green glow or Red glow. (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xecuter-360-glow-mod/GlowMod1.jpg ) (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xecuter-360-glow-mod/GlowMod2.jpg ) Very cool effect for those that like to mod their consoles. Only $9.99 from Divineo.com (http://www.divineo.com/php/affstart.php?affcode=xboxscene&prod=dd-36-glowmr ) and other resellers. [/QUOTE] Pre-Order ($10): red (http://www.divineo.com/php/affstart.php?affcode=xboxscene&prod=dd-36-glowmr ) | green (http://www.divineo.com/php/affstart.php?affcode=xboxscene&prod=dd-36-glowmg ) Official Site: www.team-xecuter.com (http://www.team-xecuter.com )

Limited Edition Simpsons-themed Xbox 360
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
From the press release: [QUOTE] The summer blockbuster movie season is quickly approaching, and soon fans everywhere will be lining up around the block for four exciting new Xbox 360(TM) games inspired by this summer’s big-screen favorites and a limited-edition console that will have fans of “The Simpsons” dreaming of donuts. Gamers will have the best seat in the house when “Shrek the Third(TM),” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “Ratatouille” and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” arrive on Xbox 360 for star-studded gameplay. With this cast of characters, players and movie fans of all ages can count on fun on Xbox 360. The entire family will be clamoring for encore performances — perfect for an evening of family fun. In addition, people everywhere will be seeing yellow as “The Simpsons” takes Xbox 360 by storm later this summer in advance of the famous Springfield family’s big-screen debut on July 27, 2007. Xbox 360 is partnering with FOX to help promote “The Simpsons Movie,” offering fans the chance to get their hands on one of 100 limited-edition “Simpsons” Xbox 360 Pro consoles through a series of special events and promotions. For anyone who is drooling like Homer about how to win, more details will be available at http://www.xbox.com. [/QUOTE]

XCM XFPS 360 Pro
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
XCM released a new version of their XFPS 360 keyboard&mouse adapter for the Xbox360: [QUOTE] The world’s first and only keyboard and mouse adapter for Xbox 360 just got a whole lot better! The XFPS 360 PRO now comes with TWO wheels for 16 possibles levels of X and Y sensitivity adjustement, paving the way for optimal shooting in FPS titles on the Xbox 360. The PRO version comes with 2 extra wheels with 16 levels of adjustment for X and Y sensitivity to adapt perfectly to every mice on the market. (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/XCM360XFPS/xfps-pro-1.jpg )[/QUOTE] Official Site: teamxtender.com (http://www.teamxtender.com/ ) / www.xcmlive.com (http://www.xcmlive.com/cgi-bin/xcmlive/engine.pl?function=viewid&id=RKS00097&cat=XBOX360-CABLES%20AND%20ADAPTERS )

TVersity Patch for the Xbox360 Spring 2007 Update
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
From tversity.blogspot.com (http://tversity.blogspot.com/ ): [QUOTE] As you may know Microsoft has released today a new firmware update for the Xbox 360 and this broke compatibility with TVersity Media Server(info (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/TVersityMediaServer.php )) (only with videos, audio and images work as before). We are glad to announce that we already have a patch that fixes this problem and also takes advantage of the new functionality of this spring update, letting you browse your video in a folder hierarchy instead of just a long flat list. Thank you everyone for helping us test this. It will be great if people with a 360 from different regions in the world will test it since in the past we had cases where European boxes behaved different than American ones. [/QUOTE] Official Site: www.tversity.com (http://www.tversity.com/ ) Download Patch: here (http://download.tversity.com/Xbox360Spring2007Patch.zip ) Download TVersity: here (http://tversity.com/download/ )

GaryOPA: Hitachi-LG Xtreme FW with Disc-Jitter WIP and Thoughts on MS Check
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 11, 2007
GaryOPA informed us that the Xtreme firmware for the Hitachi-LG ODD with added Disc-Jitter (like C4E’s Toshiba-Samsung Xtreme v5.3 (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZlukAyVpVmddZNKm.php )) will be released very soon and that you can expect more HLG Xtreme FW updates in the near future. He also shared his thoughts about the Disc-Jitter ‘check’ and suggests Microsoft might perform this check on request of the Xbox Live servers at some specific/unexpected moments when you’re trying to play online. Right now, according to member reports on our forums (http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=601531 ), it looks like all old Xtreme firmwares (for both TS and HLG) that were working on kernel 4552, seem to work fine on the 5759 kernel (Spring Update) too. So GaryOPA’s theory might be right, or MS is playing the delay-ban game again and are just collecting data … or they have even other plans with the check (if actually already implemented in the spring07 update). From GaryOPA: [QUOTE] Commodore4Eva made an Xtreme FW with Disc-Jitter for Hitachi-LG v47 (test stage). Testing is almost completed. Updates on all the versions is in process. I’m talking with Maximus in getting the Maximus 360 Firmware Toolbox(info (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/360FirmwareToolbox.php )) uptodate to handle all drive versions with this “c4e” fix, instead of “c4e” releasing the v47, then me releasing a v40 thru v59 package, and Maximus releasing a v78/v79 package. I think it would be better to have one solid program, to handle all the future Hitachi releases, as there is going to be a number of them shortly, but the “Jitter” one way or the other will be out within 24 hours or less. It would have been done earlier but I had a major hard drive crash, and have been working with older backups, and complete lost of all my emails. Another personal thought regarding the “Spring Update”: Was thinking about the update, for it to work 100% they might need to shut-down the Live service for a few hours on their end later and update the server side also, as this type of checking should be done only when playing a game on XBOX Live and should be a request from the XBOX Live service to RE-TEST or CHECK the disc and can be done anytime during disc spinning (yes / no?). Maybe also MS is waiting for the Bungie Halo3 beta startdate to start using this new feature, as getting everyone with a copy of CRACKDOWN on using HALO 3 beta would be the key to the puzzle and good press! [/QUOTE]

Blogged Out: ‘The Problem’
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 11, 2007
In his latest ‘Blogged Out’ column, veteran UK writer Jim Rossignol takes a look at the world of developer blogging with some views on comparative morality concerning violence and sexuality in gaming, and continued arguments over scoring and rating games.

Saling The World: Spider-Man 3, 360 Command & Conquer 3 Climb High
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Gamasutra’s latest “Saling The World,” covering the top five sellers for all platforms in every region shows ports of the popular Spider-Man 3 currently hitting the top of North American and UK charts, and the 360’s Command & Conquer 3 debuting high.

Tiga research questions value of games courses
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007

Poor US sales see revenues drop for Infogrames
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007
A sharp decline in US sales for the second half of the financial year has seen Infogrames revenues slide by 16.7 per cent to EUR 304.5 million, for the year ended March 31.

Sony readies Korean PS3 launch for June
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Sony is preparing to launch the PlayStation 3 in Korea next month, according to a report on Chosun Ilbo.

Crytek begins new IP project at Kiev studio
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Developer Crytek has revealed that its recently established Kiev studio has gone into full production of a new title based on original IP.

Blade enters middleware market with Infinite Worlds
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Ambitious developer Blade Interactive has announced plans to enter the middleware market with the release of the Infinite Worlds development system.

In-game ads sector risks cannibalising itself, warns Bartlett
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007
The in-game advertising sector is showing signs of cannibalising itself, with company acquisitions dividing up the market and making growth more difficult, according to IGA’s VP of publisher relations Ed Bartlett.

BSkyB launches gaming portal
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007
BSkyB has launched a new gaming portal offering a range of PC games to download or play online.

Bumper year for THQ as sales top USD 1 billion
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007
THQ ended its 2007 fiscal year by bursting through the USD 1 billion sales barrier and celebrating its 12th consecutive year of revenue growth.

SEGA partners with Gas Powered Games, unveils strong line-up
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 11, 2007
SEGA unveiled a raft of new games today including an original RPG collaboration with Gas Powered Games and a new Condemned title.

Saints Row 2 Confirmed by THQ
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Saints Row 2 (PS3)Meanwhile, PS3 version of the original is shot down.

Live From Tecmo’s Nite Out 07
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Tecmo meets the press, and we’ve got live updates.

WWIII: The Final Showdown
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 11, 2007
IGN AU crowns The King of All Consoles.

The Outreach Inbox: May 11 Edition
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 11, 2007
‘Moulded Arses’, Nigerian Scandals and more Nintendo ranting inside.

Ratchet and Clank: Interview of Destruction
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)What we’ll see at next week’s big Sony event and multiplayer’s ultimate fate revealed!

Reader Review and Forum Thread Winners
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Aussies, your prizes are ready.

Haze Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Haze (PS3)Here’s a new look at the upcoming Free Radical shooter.

Super Stardust HD Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Super Stardust HD (PS3)Blast asteroids, aliens and other things in this HD trailer.

Funcom Reveals The Secret World
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
From the creators of Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, The Longest Journey and Dreamfall comes a brave new massively multiplayer online roleplaying inspired by history and mythology, modern conspiracy theories and ancient mysteries.

Virtua Fighter 5 Screenshot
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
We managed to find one image for SEGA’s fighter that we didn’t have yet. Check it out.

Big Plans for JoWooD and DreamCatcher
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
DreamCatcher Interactive Inc. / JoWooD Productions Software AG have decided to take the next step and develop cutting edge console titles.

Moms Get Their Game On
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
The ESA today released a new survey of gamer moms and dads, showing that over a third of gamer moms play games by themselves at least once a week.

Tenchu Z Website and Fankit Launched
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Microsoft launches the Tenchu Z official website of the longrunning stealthaction franchise.

THQ Turns Record Income for Fiscal 2007
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
THQ Inc. today announced record results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007 and reaffirmed its guidance for fiscal 2008.

THQ Announces New Title Based on Saints Row
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
THQ Inc. today announced the next title in the awardwinning Saints Row franchise is currently in development at internal studio Volition, Inc.

Transformers Autobots and Decepticons Up Close
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
We bring you high resolution images of Autobots and Decepticons in their robot form as they will appear in the movie.

The Last Remnant Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Touted as SquareEnix’s roleplaying game for the world, this will be the company’s first game powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3.

New Halo Novel Contact Harvest
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
Contact Harvest tells the story, from multiple points of views, human and alien, of the first contact between the Covenant and Humans and how the war began.

The Simpsons Limited Edition Xbox 360 Picture
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 11, 2007
We bring you a high resolution picture of this Limited Edition Xbox 360 that will have fans of The Simpsons dreaming of donuts.

Jade Empire PC Review
Tweak Town :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
TTGamer have posted a review of Jade Empire for the PC. While it did see release on the Xbox in 2005, Jade Empire has taken this long to feature on the PC, only to see little in the way of PC focused changes.

Wii DecalGirl Skins Review
Red & Blackness :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Wii is one of the bigggest consoles these days and I have to admit that I find it quite fun to play Wii so far. The only problem with the Wii is that there are not different colors to choose from. Nintendo has decided to keep the Wii white while alot of people would have wanted different colors. This is where Decalgirl comes into play, they offer a sticker type of skin and this far we have had the chance to review both an Xbox skin and a Ps2 skin. Tonight we will look into a Wii skin from Decalgirl.

Pro Gaming: What exactly is it and is it for you?
Bona Fide Reviews :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Gaming, it’s a term that means many things to many people. Gaming like anything else exists on a spectrum. On one hand, there is gaming at its least concentration. This is what is known as casual gaming. On the other hand, there is gaming at its most and most serious concentration. This is what we call tournament or pro gaming. But, is the spectrum even that easily defined? Is there much of a difference between the two? What is it that makes a gamer “Pro.”

Virtua Tennis 3 PS3 Review
Tweak Town :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
TTGamer have posted a review of Virtua Tennis 3 for the PS3. Virtua Tennis is finally back, but does the once unmatched addictive series translate its former glory to the next generation of consoles?

Xbox 360 Elite Review 
Digital Trends :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
“Microsoft gives hardcore gamers a new system to choose from in the Xbox 360 Elite which features a large 120GB hard drive and HDMI output.”

OCZ Equalizer Laser Gaming Mouse Review 
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The OCZ Equalizer is a solid gaming mouse. The ease-of-use, extra buttons, and wide range of DPI settings (all in hardware) are features that one can’t ignore. Additionally, the Equalizer’s creature comforts such as the “Triple Threat” button and the side/thumb grips make the mouse stand out in a crowded market”

Armed Assault (PC) Review
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
This (re)volution happened back in 2001 and today the game has a huge following. But even though Bohemia did an exemplary job with OFP, some aspects of the game left fans crying for more. Over the years the insane amount of mods available made most of the complaints moot, but the announcement of OFP2 still made a lot of people ecstatic. After years without a single word from Bohemia, fans started to get worried and after Bohemia lost the rights to the franchise things looked very grim. Luckily Bohemia didn’t intend to go down without a fight and the result of their strong will is Armed Assault.

Review: Notebook Acer Aspire 3651 
Madbox PC :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
“Want a stylish and cheap notebook as secondary computer? Maybe a Celeron based notebook is what you need, cheap doesn’t mean bad or slow if you have some overclock skills. In our first notebook review you can see also some easy to do overclock tricks that move us from 1.46Ghz to 2.1Ghz.”

Napoleon Dynamite Announced for DS and PSP!
Think Gaming :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Crave Entertainment announced today that it will publish the first video game based on Napoleon Dynamite the movie. The game will feature Kip, Uncle Rico, Tina the llama, and of course Napoleon as characters. The game will be available on both the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP system. No word yet on […]

Microsoft Island in Second Life
Think Gaming :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Well it looks like Microsoft has created their own island in Second Life. Their island called Visual Studio Island looks to be pretty cool. No one is really sure what Microsoft is planning to do in Second Life, but a lot of people are excited. The teaser video above shows you most […]

Forza Motorsport 2 Demo Details
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Forza Motorsport 2 demo releases with 24 of the game’s 300 cars. Now available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the demo lets you try this next-gen racing title.

Crackdown Updates Available on Xbox LIVE
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The new update for Crackdown is now available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The update will install automatically next time you insert your Crackdown disc while connected to the service, and the update includes several cool new game play improvements.

Xbox 360 Video Playback FAQ
Xbox Hardware :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Have questions about video playback or video or audio streaming on your Xbox 360 console? Find the answers to your top questions here.

Crackdown “Gettin’ Busy” Bonus Pack Content Download
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
New vehicles, weapons, game modes, equipment, achievements—this is a huge update! For only 800 Microsoft Points, you’ll soon be the king of Pacific City with these expanded gameplay options.

Crackdown “Free for All” Content Pack Download
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
This free download for Crackdown includes many of the features players have been clamoring for since the game was released. Here is a brief rundown of the new features and modes you’ll be playing.

Playing Catch Up: Final Legacy’s Steve Englehart
Gamasutra Columns :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
In today’s Playing Catch-Up, Steve Englehart (Final Legacy, Tron 2.0) leads us through his career starting and ending in comics, with pitstops through the tumultuous heydays of Atari, Activision, Epyx, Electronic Arts, Sega and Brøderbund in between.

Guillemot to keynote EIEF 2007
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot is to keynote this year’s Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, GamesIndustry.bizcan reveal.

10 million DS Lites sold in Japan
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Nintendo DS Lite has sold more than 10 million units in Japan according to research by Famitsu.

Sony Pictures TV unveils new mobile games
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Sony Pictures Television has announced plans to release 14 new games for mobile phones in North America during the course of 2007.

Sony Japan to offer pre-pay PSN cards
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Sony Computer Entertainment has announced plans to offer pre-paid PlayStation Network cards to Japanese consumers from June onwards.

Namco Bandai profits up more than 70 per cent
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Namco Bandai has announced financial results for the year ending March 31, posting a 71 per cent rise in net profits to YEN 24.2 billion (EUR 148.9 million).

EA unveils new Simpsons game
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Electronic Arts is working on a new multi-platform Simpsons title that will parody games such as EverQuest, Grand Theft Auto and Medal of Honor.

Crave acquires Napoleon Dynamite licence
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Crave Entertainment has acquired the licence to publish games based on Napoleon Dynamite, the cult comedy from Fox Searchlight.

THQ acquires Universomo
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
PC and console game publisher THQ has acquired Finnish mobile game developer Universomo.

Nyko Intercooler PlayStation 3 Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
We put the console cooler to the test. Are two pieces better than one?

Calling All Cars! Guide
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Map tips and unlockables for all cars called.

The Golden Compass First Look
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Golden Compass (PS3)SEGA’s latest action game hones in on a popular children’s franchise.

Championship Sprint Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Championship Sprint (PS3)Sprinting to the PlayStation Network.

High Stakes on the Vegas Strip Poker Edition Preview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition (PS3)Small game, big title.

SEGA Rally Revo Impressions
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
SEGA Rally Revo (PS3)SEGA’s classic revs its engine on next-gen systems.

Video Interview: The Simpsons Game
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Simpsons Game (PS3)Check out our interview with EA’s Scott Amos regarding the next gen Simpsons game.

The Club Eyes-on
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Club (PS3)I’ll be forced to fight to the death if you don’t read this preview.

NASCAR 08 HD Direct-Feed
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
NASCAR 08 (PS3)Check out draft mode and more in these new clips.

The Club Screenshots
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Club (PS3)Bizarre Creations invites you to join.

Condemned 2 is Bloodshot
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Condemned 2: Bloodshot (PS3)Much anticipated sequel officially announced.

The Golden Compass Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Golden Compass (PS3)Sneak a brief glipse of SEGA’s take on the fantasy epic.

Top Author Penning Alone in the Dark
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Alone in the Dark (PS3)New York Times best-seller Lorenzo Carcaterra creating authentic NYC experience.

Square Enix Announces The Last Remnant
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Last Remnant (PS3)A new title for a new generation.

Square Enix Announces Star Ocean 4
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Star Ocean 4 (PS3)The new generation arrives for another popular RPG.

The Last Remnant Images
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Last Remnant (PS3)A couple of screens from what Square Enix is touting will be the company’s next big thing.

Australian Game Charts
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
For the week ending May 6.

Chunsoft on PS3
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Imabikisou (PS3)Sega partners up with digital novel masters for new PS3 title.

2D to 3D: A Tale of Two Dimensions
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
A look into how games grappled with the shift from 2D to 3D.

New The Club Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
We have updated The Club image gallery with new screenshots of this thirdperson shooter.

Universe at War Earth Assault Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Petroglyphs next project Universe at War Earth Assault, is an epic scifi RTS set on nearfuture Earth. Terrible and potent alien forces have brought their galaxyspanning war to our planets doorstep.

Monster Madness Pushed Back Two Weeks
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
You can still quench your thirst for slaying the undead and saving suburbia by downloading the Monster Madness Battle for Suburbia demo from theXbox Live Marketplace, now available to both Gold and Silver Members.

PGR 4 Update, First Gameplay Footage
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
We bring you info on PGR 4’s new dynamic weather system, its career mode and cars plus the very first gameplay footage.

SEGA Announces Condemned 2 Bloodshot
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Featuring allnew fighting mechanics and online multiplayer functionality, Condemned 2 Bloodshot is a firstperson action thriller immersing players in a world of psychological terror.

SEGA Announces Happy Tree Friends False Alarm
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Currently under development by Stainless Studios, Happy Tree Friends False Alarm is scheduled for release on Xbox Live Arcade this fall.

Universe at War Earth Assault Coming to Xbox 360
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Universe at War Earth Assault for the Xbox 360 will employ a control scheme built from the ground up to ensure smooth gameplay and ease of command for console gamers.

Project Gotham Racing 4 First Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
These new screenshots show the dynamic weather effect and some of the new cars featured in Project Gotham Racing 4.

Namco and KOEI Announce Dynasty Warriors Gundam
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Prepare for allout war as NAMCO BANDAI and KOEI announced today a copublishing agreement to deliver a new generation of combat with the latesummer 2007 arrival of Dynasty Warriors Gundam.

Alone in the Dark Update, New Screens
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
New York Times bestselling author Lorenzo Carcaterra has teamed up with Atari as script writer on Alone in the Dark. New screenshots inside.

Ready Set GOld! Forza Motorsport 2 Goes Gold
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Microsoft Game Studios announced today that Forza Motorsport 2 has gone gold. In addition, a brandnew playable demo of the games campaign mode is now available on Xbox Live.

Crackdown Title Update and Downloadable Content
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Microsoft Game Studios and Realtime Worlds announced today that there is still more crime to be purged and new ways to purge it with the release of both free and premium downloadable content for Crackdown.

Xbox 360 Has Movie Fans Seeing Stars
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Xbox 360 lets them jump into the cast as they become the lovable Shrek, infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, master magician Harry Potter or aspiring French chef Remy the rat.

Forza Motorsport 2 Demo Arrives Tonight
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Turn 10 has announced that the demo of Forza Motorsport 2 will be available for download tonight. Find out at what time.

GRAW 2 Throwback Pack Available Now
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Ubisoft today announced release of the Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Throwback Pack.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Two newly released images of the game based on the highly anticipated final book.

NASCAR 08 Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
EA fuels up and unleashes three new images of NASCAR 08 as it speeds around the track at Daytona.

NCAA Football 08 Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
College football may be a ways off, but it’s never too early to check out some new screens of the gridiron action.

Wing Commander Arena Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Today EA has released a batch of fresh images of their upcoming XBLA release of Wing Commander Arena.

EA Announces The Simpsons Game
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Created in partnership with Gracie Films and Twentieth Century Fox Television , The Simpsons Game features a hilarious, sprawling, and mindbusting storyline crafted by the TV shows Emmy Awardwinning writers.

WoW Report: Questing Through Hellfire Peninsula
Think Gaming :: Thursday, May 10, 2007
We talked about Hellfire Peninsula in our Burning Crusade report. Hellfire Peninsula is in Outland and is where you will be doing most of your questing once you pass through the Dark Portal. So in this week’s WoW Report we will go through some of the more interesting quests in Hellfire Peninsula.  

Napoleon Dynamite Announced for DS and PSP!
Nintendo :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Crave Entertainment announced today that it will publish the first video game based on Napoleon Dynamite the movie. The game will feature Kip, Uncle Rico, Tina the llama, and of course Napoleon as characters. The game will be available on both the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP system. No word yet on a release date. Read on for the full press release.

Critical Reception: Activision’s/Treyarch’s Spider-Man 3
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to the Xbox 360 version of Spider-Man 3, a popular recent release that wavers between “admirable,” and “rage-inducing,” according to reviews.

Future tweaks management structure
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Future plc has created new executive positions for senior UK management figures aimed at bringing the company into line with its competition and rewarding key talent.

Xbox 360 ‘Folding@home’ project a possibility, says Moore
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Microsoft games boss Peter Moore has indicated that the company would seriously consider running a research project similar to Sony’s Folding@home initiative, on the Xbox 360.

Nintendo swamps Japanese top twenty
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Nintendo has flooded the Japanese charts, with the top sixteen best-selling games all exclusive to the Wii or DS.

Nexon boss to be keynote speaker at Nordic Game
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
The organisers of the Nordic Game conference have announced that Joonmo Kwon, chief executive officer of Nexon, will speak at this year’s event.

Online registration opens for Leipzig Game Convention
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Online registration has opened for trade visitors wishing to attend this year’s Leipzig Game Convention, taking place on August 23 – 26.

New Xbox 360 update out today
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Microsoft will today release the first of its biannual Xbox 360 updates for 2007, due to be available for download via Xbox Live from around 10am GMT.

EA’s full-year sales reach $3.1 billion
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Electronic Arts has seen sales for its fourth quarter fall by 4 per cent to USD 613 million (EUR 452m), compared to last year’s USD 641 million (EUR 473m), with net losses of USD 25 million (EUR 18m), compared to USD 16 million (EUR 11m) in the previous y

UK Charts: Spider-Man swings to the top
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Activision’s multiformat movie tie-in Spider-Man 3 has swung to number one in the UK All Formats charts, knocking Sony’s God of War II off the top after one week.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar First Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Tom Clancy’s EndWar (PS3)Ubisoft lets loose the shots of war.

Gauntlet II Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Gauntlet II (PS3)Some mazes are best left unsolved.

World War III: IGN AU’s Next-Gen Console Showdown
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Part two examines Sony’s PS3 do-all wondermachine. But is this really living?

Official Rampart Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Rampart (PS3)The strategic classic in HD.

Rampart This Week
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Rampart (PS3)Bring down the walls on Thursday.

Top 10 Tuesday: Longest Game Titles
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
How many colons, hyphens, and roman numerals does one game need?

IGN is AFK Podcast: How to Get Our Job
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
IGN editors share stories about how they got into this zany industry.

Army of Two Shots
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Army of Two (PS3)Assorted screens from the upcoming co-op shooter.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar First Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Ubisoft has released the first screenshots of Tom Clancy’s EndWar, a war strategy game set on the battlefields of World War III.

Pioneer Provides Further Details on Project KURO Plasmas
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
The eight new models, ranging in size from 42inches to 60inches diagonal, will be available beginning next month. Prices revealed.

Video Games Live Concert Will Rock the House at E for All
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
IDG has announced that the acclaimed Video Games Live Concert is set to perform on Friday, October 19, 2007, during E for All Expo.

EA Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2007 Results
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Electronic Arts posted a wider quarterly loss and forecasts adjusted profit this year would miss Wall Street targets as its widely anticipated video game, Spore, was delayed.

GameStop Kicks off SpiderMan 3 Game at NYC Premiere
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
The event brought out celebrity gamers including the actor Elijah Wood, The Daily Shows Rob Riggle, David Lee from the New York Knicks, Brad Smith from the New York Jets and Barry Cofield from the New York Giants.

THQ Announces Nickelodeon Lineup for 2007
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Based on the popular Avatar The Last Airbender animated series, Avatar The Burning Earth will be the first Nickelodeon title for Xbox 360.

Pioneer Unveils World’s Best Flat Screen TV
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Is that a window on your home theatre? No, its my new Pioneer plasma.

Fracture Trailer
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
The first trailer of Fracture shows the core gameplay mechanic of the game, a destructive nextgeneration technology known as Terrain Deformation that let players reshape their surroundings.

Xbox 360 Spring Update Comes Tomorrow
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Starting tomorrow more than 6 million members of Xbox LIVE can instant message with people on PCs and mobile phones, one of the hundreds of enhancements coming with the Xbox 360 Spring Update.

Postal III First Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
One of the most controversial franchises in gaming is celebrating its 10th anniversary and for the special occasion, Running With Scissors has released the first screenshots of Postal III.

Xbox Live Arcade Undertow Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
We bring you the first screenshots of this fastpaced action shooter from Chair Entertainment that features a robust single player/coop campaign and up to 16player multiplayer action over Xbox Live.

Xbox Live Arcade Street Trace NYC Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Take a look at the first screenshots of Street Trace NYC, an allinone jetboard racing and arena battle game featuring multiplayer over Xbox Live with up to 8 players and up to 4 way split screen.

Xbox Live Arcade Spyglass Board Games Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
This Xbox Live Arcade game offers classic versions of the worlds most beloved board games.

Treit & True: Ryan Visits FASA Studios
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Ryan Treit details his visit to FASA Studios, the makers of Shadowrun for Xbox 360.

Hollywood Gaming Goes: Danielle Fishel—Actress and Xbox Freak
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
John Gaudiosi interviews Danielle Fishel, star of Gamebox 1.0, and self-confessed “Xbox freak.”

Game Gurus: This Week in Xbox: May 2-9, 2007
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Games Editor Denny Atkin brings you all the latest in what’s going on this week on Xbox.com.

GRAW2 – Throwback Pack Map Downloads
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Seven classic Ghost Recon maps are now downloadable for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2.

Can’t Access Xbox360 Messenger When Profile Created Before 18y
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Several people are reporting on our forums that they can’t access the new Xbox360 Messenger because their XBL profile is a ‘Child Account’ (users below 18 years created with parental consent). But even those who are already 18y but created their profile before 18y seems to have this problem. Here’s what Boiker said on our forums (http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=602044 ): [QUOTE] When I made my profile on XBL I was 17 so had to have parental consent to use it. The email I used is apparently still a child account even though I’m now 18. Consequently I can’t use Messeger on the 360 because it is a child account. How crap is that? Has anyone found a way to change the email address that you use for Messenger on the 360? If it’s tied to the profile, I see that as a big mistake. [/QUOTE] About changing the email address … here’s what majornelson.com (http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2007/05/09/some-dashboard-messenger-questions-answered.aspx ) (FYI: MS owned blog) posted about it: [QUOTE] Now that you have had a few hours to play with the new dashboard update, some folks have asked some questions about the new Messenger integration. Let me see if I can help clear a couple of things up: Q: I don’t want to automatically sign in to Live Messenger on my console…how do I turn it off? A: Sign in to Xbox LIVE, go to the Xbox LIVE blade, then select your gamercard and press A. Go down to ‘Auto Sign-in’ and press A. You can set your preference for Xbox Live and Windows Live Messenger separately here. Q: The email address assigned to my Xbox LIVE account is different to the email address I use on my PC for Windows LIVE messenger. Is there a way for me to still access my messenger account? A: Not at this time. We are working on the ability to allow users to change the email address they originally used when signing up for Xbox Live. The feature will be available in an upcoming release. [/QUOTE]

Team Xtender XCM BestTilt
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 09, 2007
We received this news from Team Xtender: [QUOTE] Team X-tender introduces the XCM BestTilt. The comprehensive solution in turning your Xbox 360 controller into a Tilt sensitive controller in 5 simple solders! Unlike other inferior brands out there, the XCM BestTilt doesn’t only come with a Tilt controller chip but a replacement shell as well. No complicated USB configuration required, simply plug and play. Get your XCM BestTilt from our authorized resellers today and experience motion sensing for the Xbox 360. [/QUOTE] Official Site: www.teamxtender.com (http://www.teamxtender.com/ )

Sam & Max: Bright Side of the Moon PC Review
Tweak Town :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
TTGamer have posted a review of Sam & Max: Bright Side of the Moon for the PC. This is the 6th and final episode in the first Sam & Max adventure game season from Telltale Games.

Media Consumption: Introversion’s Tom Arundel (Defcon)
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
This week’s Media Consumption speaks to Introversion co-founder and director Tom Arundel, discussing reaction to the studio’s Darwinia and Defcon alongside his media favorites, from Soma.fm to Sunshine to Wii Sports.

Release This: Command & Conquer 3 Hits 360 in U.S. and Europe
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Gamasutra’s “Release This!”, which looks at this week’s worldwide game releases, sees an Xbox 360 port of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars leading interest U.S. and UK interest, along with a new .hack, Picross DS, and Final Fantasy Tactics: Shishi Sensou.

Blogged Out: ‘Democracy’
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
In his latest ‘Blogged Out’ column, veteran UK writer Jim Rossignol takes a look at the world of developer blogging with some views on Democratic games, Democratic rights, and Democratic system specs.

Lineage helps boost NCSoft sales
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Korean MMO specialist NCSoft has reveal Q1 sales of KRW 84.7 billion (EUR 67.8m), a nine per cent boost, and profits of KRW 14.1 billion (EUR 11.2m), due to the strong sales and subscriptions of Lineage and Lineage II.

THQ expands Nickelodeon deal to Xbox 360
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
THQ has revealed it has six titles based on Nickleodeon’s properties due for release in 2007, including the companies first collaboration for the Xbox 360.

Fender signs with EA for Rock Band deal
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Electronic Arts has inked a deal with three iconic names in music manufacturing as Fender, BOSS and Roland have all agreed to appear in the upcoming game Rock Band.

Codemasters wins G3 shooting tournament
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Despite some tough competition, a team from Codemasters came out on top last Friday to become the winners of the G3 charity shooting tournament.

Satchell and Garriott announced as keynote speakers for Develop
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Richard Garriott and Chris Satchell have been confirmed as keynote speakers for the Develop Conference and Expo, which will take place in Brighton this July.

Euro Charts: Pokemon Ranger holds top spot
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Nintendo’s Pokemon Ranger for the DS is still at the top of the charts in Italy and Spain, for the week ended April 29.

Movie studios will decide next-gen console winner – Pachter
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Hollywood movie studios and the ongoing battle between the Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats will ultimately decide which next-generation home console becomes the most successful, according to Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter.

Miyamoto not interested in creating another Halo
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto has said that although he could create a game like Halo, he prefers to find new ways to go beyond gamers’ expectations.

Intel announced as main sponsor for Leipzig GCDC
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The organisers of the Leipzig Games Convention Developers Conference have announced that semiconductor manufacturer Intel has signed up as the main sponsor for the event.

Sony must cut PS3 price to boost sales – Lazard
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Sony should not expect a boost in its fourth quarter sales for the PlayStation 3 unless it cuts the price of the new console and delivers a stronger software line-up, according to Lazard Capital Markets.

Rock Band Signs Fender Instruments
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Rock Band (PS3)BOSS and Roland also set to have their brands in the game.

Pro Baseball Spirits 4 Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Pro Yakyuu Spirits 4 (PS3)It may be out in Japan, but here are 50 new images anyway,

Hydrophobia Info Leaks out
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Hydrophobia (PS3)Blade Interactive lifts the lid on its watery title.

Sony Announces PlayStation Network Tickets
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Those without a credit card can finally buy stuff from the PlayStation Store.

New Spider-Man Game Coming Soon?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (PS3)A teaser site is live for Spider-Man: Friend or Foe.

DiRT: The Damage Done
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
DiRT (PS3)See first hand the incredible destruction that awaits your rally car in Colin McRae’s latest racer.

Save the Children Disses the Games
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
We’ve got the ECA’s response to the latest claims that games are bad for kids.

Ratchet and Clank Future Grabs
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)It’s a Lombax and a robot — what else do you need to know?

Go! Puzzle Images
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Go! Puzzle (PS3)The latest batch of screens from the Sony crew.

A Night in Fantasia 2007 Photos
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Images from the recent Eminence Orchestra concerts.

ESRB Finds Increased Parental Responsibility
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
A study finds that game ratings work.

NBA Live 08 Video Interview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
NBA Live 08 (PS3)Get the scoop on EA’s latest.

Game Scoop! Ep. 34
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Burnout Paradise crashes onto the scene and the 360 is hindering GTAIV.

Mighty Bomb Jack, Final Fight and Ordyne Now Available for Wii Shop Channel
Nintendo News :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Three New Classic Games Announced!

Xbox Live Arcade Soltrio Solitaire Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
This is a collection of 18 different solitaire games, offering coop and competitive twoplayer solitaire game modes.

Xbox Live Arcade Rushn Attack Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Also known as Green Beret, this is a faithful nextgeneration update of this classic coinop arcade Konami game.

Xbox Live Arcade Mad Tracks Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
You must get this 3D racing party Xbox Live Arcade game when it launches!

Army of Two Weapons Design Contest, New Screens
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
When you’re a twoman army, your weapons are your best friends. EA launched today an Army of Two weapon design contest. Plus, we bring you five new screenshots of the game.

Fallout 3 Liam Neeson Leads Voice Actor List
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Neeson will play the role of the player’s father and will appear prominently throughout the game.

Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays Double Dragon
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The legendary arcade classic that introduced gamers to coop streetbrawling action is back and looking better than ever.

Rock Band Signs Fender, Roland and BOSS Instruments
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Harmonix and EA announced today that Fender will have their instruments exclusively featured in the upcoming videogame Rock Band. In addition, Roland and BOSS have agreed to have their brands featured in the game.

Square Enix’s Unreal Engine 3 Game Revealed
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
SquareEnix unveils its multiplatform roleplaying game designed with a special emphasis on the North American market.

Where’s J Allard? In Jamaica?
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
J. Allard has reappeared wearing long dreadlocks. Find out why.

SpiderMan Friend or Foe Revealed
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Activision has launched a teaser web site for “SpiderMan Friend or Foe,” a game that was previously known as SpiderMan Trilogy.

First Call of Duty 4 Screenshot
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
We bring you the first screenshot of Call of Duty 4.

Transformers The Game Cybertron Edition Detailed
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Following our previous story, now come the details of the Transformers The Game, Cybertron Edition, which will be sold exclusively at GameStop and EB Games and it is exclusive to the Xbox 360.

SED Nano’s Fraud Claims Against Canon Dismissed
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Canon does not have to pay additional damages to NanoProprietary Inc. over the violation of a patent license used to develop SED TVs with Toshiba.

skate First Gameplay Trailer in High Definition
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
EA has released the first gameplay trailer of skate, a game that will deliver all the style, fun, creativity and culture of skateboarding without the countless hours of practice, broken bones and hospital visits.

TimeShift Clocktower HD Trailer
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The latest highdefinition trailer showing off this new timealtering shooter.

Press Start forOWWW!
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
An NYU engineering student has developed an intimate controller and a platform where video games are played by couples touching each other

Rumor StarCraft MMO Announcement Next Week
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
If the rumors are true, Blizzard could steal the show the same week the Halo 3 multiplayer beta launches with the announcement of a StarCraft massively multiplayer online game.

Project Witches Revealed
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Sexy vixen fights an evil creature that has established a reign of slavery and terror throughout her land.

Shigeru Miyamoto I Could Make Halo
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The creator of Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong, and one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people, said he could create a game like Halo but he simply chooses not to.

Rumor Test Drive Unlimited 2 in the Works
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The game is rumored to be already in production for a March 2008 release, incorporating many new features. Find out what those feature are inside.

Monday’s VC Update!
Think Gaming :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Well it’s Monday again so that means another Wii Virtual Console update. None of these titles are very exciting for me, but my favorite out of the group has to be Final Fight for the SNES. The other 2 games are Mighty Bomb Jack for the NES and Ordyne for the TurboGrafx16. […]

$50,000 In Cash Awarded to WSVG Winners
Think Gaming :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
More the 80,000 people participated in the four-day World Series of Video Games event in China. Games ranged from Counter-Strike to World of Warcraft. It looked like a great event and gamers were awarded $50,000 in cash! Who said gaming won’t get you anywhere! The winners and money payout is explained […]

What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Think Gaming :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Well this is a very busy weekend for me so I probably won’t get much gaming in. I’m still thinking about getting a Gamefly subscription, any thoughts on that? If I do any gaming it will probably be WoW. I’m still stuck at 60 and I started a new character. There are still […]

Need a New Flash Drive?
Think Gaming :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Our Sister-site ThinkComputers has reviewed the Kingston DataTraveler Elite in their latest review and they really liked it! From the review, “Flash drives are becoming the standard for transporting files from one place to another. A lot of people use them to take important documents home from work and then back to work again. […]

ADAM and Colecovision Commercials
Think Gaming :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Wow now this is even before my time. Here is a clip of vintage advertising commercials for the Colecovision and ADAM. What computer company will give you $500 toward college if you buy a computer or a free Cabbage Patch doll if you buy their game system? Enjoy!

Hellboy
Xbox 360 Games :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
As a visceral brawler, Hellboy lets you unleash superhuman abilities as you smash your way through hordes of enemies with contextual use of the environment for added destructive power and strategy.

MercuryNews Peter Moore Interview
Xbox-Scene :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Mercurynews.com (http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2007/05/peter_moore_interview_part_three_answers_to_readers_questions.html ) posted an interview with Microsoft’s Peter Moore. They talk about the amount of shooter and driving games on the 360, a CG animated “HALO” series, tilt controllers, Folding@Home for 360, console failure rate, future projects and why they don’t buy a Japanese developer. A short excerpt: [QUOTE] * Q (from reader): I’d like a straight answer on issues with hardware quality (have suffered through 2 defective 360’s in a 7 month span and am about to call it quits with this system). MS claims an ‘accceptable’ 3% failure rate but I imagine the actual number to be much higher — perhaps 2x or 3x more? * A: I can’t comment on failure rates, because it’s just not something – it’s a moving target. What this consumer should worry about is the way that we’ve treated him. Y’know, things break, and if we’ve treated him well and fixed his problem, that’s something that we’re focused on right now. I’m not going to comment on individual failure rates because I’m shipping in 36 countries and it’s a complex business. * Q (from same reader): Also, will future models be designed to run quieter? The fan noise generated from my 360 is so loud as to distract. * A: Noise is something I don’t bury my head in the sand about, and it’s primarily the DVD drive. People get confused with the fan noise, but it’s actually, in some instances, the 12x spinning of the disc that annoys some people. The great majority of people actually don’t notice it, but it’s something we continue to look at. We take that feedback very seriously from consumers, and we’ll continue to look at it. Can’t tell you, can’t make you any promises, that it’s something that’s going to be fixed overnight. I don’t notice it, but maybe I’m different. But I am not oblivious to the fact that some people do. [/QUOTE] Full Interview: mercurynews.com (http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2007/05/peter_moore_interview_part_three_answers_to_readers_questions.html )

TheSpecialist’s HDDHackr v0.91 – Adds Support for WD BEVS-RST Drives
Xbox-Scene :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
TheSpecialist sent us a new update of HDDHackr(info (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/HDDHackr.php )) with added support for Western Digital BEVS-RST HDD series. So you can now create your own 20gb/120gb Xbox360 HDD with any WD-BEVS SATA 2.5″ PC/laptop HDD: [QUOTE] (v0.91) Added support for the WD BEVS-RST HDD series. This means that the hddhackr will now work with all WD-BEVS models currently available. Special thanks to the thethinker_uk for supplying an RST drive and homer2102 for supplying an x360 with vulnerable kernel :) [/QUOTE] Official Site: n/a, by TheSpecialist (TS) Full Readme/Instructions/FAQ: here (http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=601813&view=findpost&p=3984074 ) Download: here (http://dwl.xbox-scene.com/xbox360pc/harddrive/hddhackr091.rar ) (does NOT include hddss.bin as it’s copywrited)

Major Nelson: Spring 2007 Update ‘not in next 24h’
Xbox-Scene :: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
More talk about when the expect the Xbox360 Spring 2007 Update from majornelson.com (http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2007/05/07/may-07-update-news-7-7.aspx ) (FYI: MS owned blog): [QUOTE] I just heard from the Dashboard team that we’ll have to wait at least another day for the Dashboard update to be released. The update is not being released in the next 24-hours. That is all I know at this time, but I’ll get more information tomorrow afternoon (PT) and I will update this post as needed. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Edit: As has been pointed out by some community members, the official press release (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZyEFApuyMoWMkAJc.php ) does say the ‘week of May 7th’ for a release time. So we’re well within that so far. It sounds like some folks missed that part, so that’s why I wanted to post this update. [/QUOTE]

New Wii Virtual Console Releases
Nintendo :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Virtua Fighter 2, Wonder Boy in Monster World, Alex Kidd In The Enchanted Castle and Shockman out this week.

Saling The World: Spider-Man 3 Rules Europe, Eyes U.S. Charts
Gamasutra Columns :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Gamasutra’s “Saling The World” covers the top five sellers for every available platform in the United States, Japan, and Europe, as this week’s charts include a look at which ports of the just-released Spider-Man 3 are currently the most popular in Europe, and which could go on to lead U.S. charts in future weeks.

Mixed fortunes for Midway and Activision
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 04, 2007
In the latest round of financial results, Midway has revealed that its revenues fell in the first three months of 2007, while Activision announced record revenues for the same period, and its whole fiscal year.

Chinese game market explodes
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 04, 2007
A report published by market intelligence firm Niko Partners, specialists in the Chinese game industry, states that the country’s video game market saw spectacular growth in 2006.

New PS3 model rumoured
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 04, 2007
An Australian technology website has suggested that a revised PlayStation 3 could be less than 18 months away, citing “a Sony insider” as its source.

Microsoft Game Studios opens European arm
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Microsoft has announced that it is establishing a European base of operations for Microsoft Game Studios. The new publishing arm, based in Reading, will promote MGS games in Europe and manage its relationships with European developers.

Bach: Xbox will make a profit in 2008
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 04, 2007
The president of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division has said he expects the company’s console business to finally start making money next year.

Microsoft to block fake Xbox Live accounts
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Microsoft is finally moving to clamp down on people who set up foreign Xbox Live accounts in order to download content they can’t access locally.

THQ gets new marketing director
GamesIndustry.biz :: Friday, May 04, 2007
THQ has announced the appointment of John Webb, a former Infospace Europe and Eidos executive, as UK marketing director.

Clive Barker to Speak at Hollywood and Games Summit
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
The subject? The Interactive Parallel Universe.

Fracture Roundtable Impressions
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Fracture (PS3)A trio of editors discuss the latest from LucasArts.

NBA Live 08 Progress Report
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
NBA Live 08 (PS3)This year it’s about five-on-five basketball. Um, what?

IGN is AFK Podcast: April Under Review
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
The whole IGN gang raps about last month’s games.

Odyssey: 35 Years Later
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Gaming history: This month marks the 35th anniversary of the very first video game console.

LucasArts Declares Dedication to Innovation
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
The company wants to be known for more than just Star Wars.

Blog: Style, Grace and 9mms
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
John Woo Presents Stranglehold (PS3)Midway explains how it’s incorporating John Woo’s panache into Inspector Tequila’s next adventure.

SCEA Expands Its Business Development
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Licensed merchandise on the way.

PlayStation Store Thursday Bonus Update
IGN Playstation 3 :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Ten more classic titles now playable on your PS3.

GameStop Celebrates the Launch of SpiderMan 3 Game
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 04, 2007
GameStop announced today that it will host midnight openings at over 300 of its U.S. GameStop and EB Games locations on May 4, 2007, to celebrate the release of Activisions SpiderMan 3 video game.

Bungie Founder Likes the New E3
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Alex Seropian, the founder and former President of Bungie, says the E3 was “a big strokefest” and that the new format is a relief for developers.

Midway Reports 2007 Q1 Results
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Midway Games announced today results of operations for the three month period ended March 31, 2007.

Forza Motorsport 2 Fuel Your Fantasy Sweepstakes
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 04, 2007
GameStop announced today the Forza Motorsport 2 Fuel Your Fantasy Sweepstakes. One lucky grand prize winner will drive away with a custom Nissan 350Z, like the ingame car in the upcoming Microsoft driving simulator, Forza Motorsport 2.

THQ and Big Huge Games Announce Development Deal
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 04, 2007
THQ will publish the roleplayging game that Ken Rolston, the Lead Designer of Elder Scrolls III Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion, is creating at Big Huge Games.

Registration Opens for CGS Qualifier at The Bridge
Team Xbox :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Watch live professional gaming action thats two stories high and 60 feet wide, with ingame footage and playbyplay commentary all immersed in digital surroundsound and shot in highdefinition.

Top Ten 8-bit Games
Think Gaming :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Game Trailers counts down their top ten 8-bit games, and that it brings back some good memories. Blowing all kinds of stuff up in Contra, trying to survive in Punch-Out , and being unstoppable at Blades of Steel. I’m not going to ruin it all for you, enjoy the video!

At Trilogy’s End: A Spider-Man Evolution
Xbox 360 Games :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Ryan Treit goes hands-on with Spider-Man 3 and discusses what’s new, what’s different and what’s improved.

Ninja Stealth Action Returns
Xbox 360 Games :: Friday, May 04, 2007
We examine FromSoftware’s stealth ninja masterpiece for Xbox 360, Tenchu Z.

UEFA: A Champion Among Soccer Games
Xbox 360 Games :: Friday, May 04, 2007
We explore EA Canada’s UEFA Champions League soccer game for Xbox 360, and preview its revolutionary, card-based Ultimate Team mode.

Trophies for Top Alien Hominid HD Players
Xbox 360 Games :: Friday, May 04, 2007
Independent game and toy developer The Behemoth announced today the first shipment of exclusive handmade trophies honoring the top players of Alien Hominid HD on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Xbox 360 Marketplace Territory Controls Strengthened
Xbox-Scene :: Friday, May 04, 2007
From gamerscoreblog.com (http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/05/03/544632.aspx ) (FYI: MS owned blog): [QUOTE] Some Xbox LIVE members may experience some changes when downloading Marketplace content, as we strengthen the territory controls on the service with the Spring Update coming next week. As you may have noticed over the past few months, Xbox LIVE Marketplace has seen tremendous growth with tons of additional gaming and entertainment content, as well as a number of new partners. We are committed to providing great content to all of our users, however not all content is available for use in all countries. For example, as indicated in our Terms of Use, the movies and TV shows available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace are currently available only for use in the United States. Some of our contracts and agreements with content partners, particularly in the area of entertainment, restrict in which countries we may make certain content available. There are a number of reasons for these restrictions, including legal rights and regulations. In addition, various countries such as Germany have regulations when it comes to what content is acceptable for distribution to their residents. As a digital distributor of content, we are responsible and accountable to comply with those government regulations and the licensing agreements we have with our partners. As a general policy we try to get global rights to content, but in some cases, it’s not possible because of legal restrictions. In other instances, we have to get legal rights on a country-by-country basis, which unfortunately results with us having content on the service that has to be filtered based on geographical location. So what does this mean to you? Well, if you have an account that matches the country where you are located, then you will probably notice little to no difference. However, if you have set up an account that does not match the country where you are located, you will find that these new security measures will only allow you to purchase and download content that is licensed in the country where you are located. For example, if you are not located in the US, but have created a US Xbox LIVE account, you will not be able to download TV shows and movies that are currently available for use only in the US. Again, for most people this will not be an issue, but we have heard that there are a few folks out there who have tried to access restricted content this way. We understand that this may be frustrating for some users, and hope they understand our responsibility, and the necessary security requirements that need to be in place in order to comply with applicable laws and honor our agreements with content providers. [/QUOTE]

Wil “Wesley” Wheaton to keynote speak Penny Arcade 2007!
Penny Arcade :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Wil “Wesley” Wheaton to keynote speak at August’s do.

Fracture Factsheet
LucasArts :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Fact Sheet for Fracture from LucasArts and Day 1 Studios

Gears of War: Hidden Fronts Map Pack Available
Microsoft :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Recon reports are in. Stop. Front line surveillance indicates Locust movement. Stop. Four new sectors now under enemy control. Stop. Do we engage? Stop. Awaiting orders. Stop.

End transmission…

Discs of Tron on Xbox Live!
Disney Interactive :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Disney Interactive Studios Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Landmark Film “Tron” with the Re-Release of Tron and Discs of Tron – for Xbox LIVE Arcade

2K Sports Names Albert Pujols Cover Athlete for The BIGS
2K Sports :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols to brighten up the box.

Video games and violence – Are they related?
Bona Fide Reviews :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
We reflect upon the knee-jerk reaction some of the media, Jack Thompson included, had to the Virginia Tech shootings and relating them to video games.

SilverFall (PC) Review
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
What’s the hottest PC game out right now? Judging by the sales numbers World of Warcraft is still way ahead of the pack. Now, from a publisher’s perspective the best thing to do is to try and copy the game, hoping for an equally successful title to be made. The problem is, the market is kind of saturated right now, so not only is it hard to penetrate the market, it’s near impossible to make a title that is different enough from the rest yet at the same time generic enough to fit all tastes. A possible solution? Instead of copying WoW have a look at Blizzard’s back catalogue and do your best to mimic one of the games on the list. If it worked out for Titan Quest it sure as hell can for a game that has zombies with cannons sticking out from their abdomen!

The Future of Gaming is Now
Techware Labs :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Hard Knocks in Orlando is introducing Combat Sports, think of it as the bastard child of Airsoft and Laser tag and your getting close. What you have here is the ability to use realistic weapons in real environments where strategy and teamwork are your key to survival and all without the need to purchase expensive equipment, wear face masks, or worry about walking home with bruises. No bunny hoppers here. Read our article to find see why we think this is winning technology, why it works, to get a free hour of playtime.

PaRappa The Rapper PSP Screens
Think Gaming :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
PaRappa The Rapper was announced yesterday for the PSP and we have 8 PSP screenshots for you! The game features all of the characters, levels, and songs from the original game as well as a new 4 man head to head mode. Looks for this in stores July 2007. Enjoy the screenshots!

Click […]

Halo 3 Signature Xbox 360 for Charity
Think Gaming :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Now this is a definite have-to-have for any Bungie or Halo fan, the Halo 3 Signature Xbox 360. The entire console has been airbrushed in Halo 3 fashion and signed by all of the members of the Halo 3 development team. It also comes with a copy of Crackdown (your way into the […]

Gears of War Hidden Fronts Map Pack Exclusive HandsOn
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Check back after midnight PT for TeamXbox’s exclusive handson impressions of the upcoming Gears of War Hidden Fronts Map Pack.

2K Sports Announces Cover Athlete for The BIGS
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
2K Sports announced today the cover athlete for The BIGS, an innovative, actionpacked pickupandplay MLB licensed video game that will be available this summer.

Gears of War “Hidden Fronts” Map Pack Available Now
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
The four new actionpacked multiplayer maps are available now for download from Xbox Live Marketplace.

Gears of War Hidden Fronts Map Pack
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Ready your weapons and prepare for battle as Gears of War releases four new action-packed multiplayer maps in the thrilling “Hidden Fronts” Multiplayer Map Pack.

Xbox 360 Video Marketplace due in Europe in 2007
Xbox-Scene :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
From n4g.com (http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-37722.aspx ): [QUOTE] In an exclusive interview with 360Zine issue 5, Robin Burrowes, the UK’s Xbox Live Product Manager, reveals he’s on a personal mission to bring the video marketplace to Europe this year. “We hope to have some content that hits in 2007,” he said. [/QUOTE] Full Story: n4g.com (http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-37722.aspx ) and gamerzines.com (http://www.gamerzines.com/downloading-360zine_6.html )

Talismoon ElectroTwister Blue/Green Lightning Kit
Xbox-Scene :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Talismoon (http://www.talismoon.eu/cgi-bin/multipage/engine.pl?function=viewid&id=RKS00061&cat=XBOX360-MODDING ) released a new casemod product: [QUOTE] Now you too can “bend light”. The Electrotwister provides safe, cool, flexible accent lighting for any Xbox 360 mod installation. Safely route the light around corners to trace major components, or use as an underglow or other indirect lighting. The Electrotwister is cool to the touch and can fit almost anywhere! (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/talismoon/2.jpg ) The electrotwister is the most versatile lighting mod on the market today. It is a wire whose insulation glows brightly when powered by low voltage current. It requires no soldering, it is extremely easy to install. Can be used for highlighting details, or indirect lighting. It is recommended that you cover the cable with heatshrink or electrical tape in places that you don’t need to see it glowing. A perfect mod for people who feel that typical case mods are limiting or too standardized. (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/talismoon/3.jpg ) (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/talismoon/3green.jpg ) Important Information: 1) No soldering is required, just open your xbox 360 and plug in the electrotwister. 2) Cover parts of the wire that you do not want people to see glowing with electrical tape or heat shrink tubing 3) You can cut the electrtwister with scissors, but terminate the cut end properly you can cover teh cut end with electrical tape) 4) Fix the Electrotwister into place with non-conductive tape or a drop of epoxy super gluw is NOT recommended) [/QUOTE] Buy Now ($10): ElectroTwister Blue (http://www.divineo.cn/php/affstart.php?affcode=xboxscene&prod=360-tetb ) | ElectroTwister Green (http://www.divineo.cn/php/affstart.php?affcode=xboxscene&prod=360-tetg ) Official Site: www.talismoon.eu (http://www.talismoon.eu )

Xbox 360 not as useful as PS3 for Folding-at-home
Xbox-Scene :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
From pro-g.co.uk (http://www.pro-g.co.uk/news/03-05-2007-5386.html ): [QUOTE] Vijay Pande, creator of the Folding@home project, which harnesses the power of networked Playstation3s across the world to carry out essential research into Alzheimer’s Disease, has revealed to Pro-G that the 360 is of limited help to his work. After being asked if he thought the power of the 360 could be useful, he said: “Possibly, although the cell processor in the PS3 is much more powerful for our calculations than the CPU in the Xbox 360.” “We are simulating key processes in protein folding and misfolding in Alzheimer’s Disease. PS3’s are performing aspects of these simulations, and doing so about 20 times faster than a typical PC.” [/QUOTE] Full Story: pro-g.co.uk (http://www.pro-g.co.uk/news/03-05-2007-5386.html )

Free60 Adds Linux Support for Toshiba-Samsung Drives
Xbox-Scene :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Free60.org (http://www.free60.org/wiki/Main_Page ) now found a way to add support for Toshiba-Samsung ODDs (which hanged on the SATA device detection) to boot Linux on your Xbox360 (using the hypervisor vulnerability, KingKong shader hack and ODD FW hack – more info (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZVulZpElMoNujBFF.php )): [QUOTE] We now have a fix for Samsung users We will soon release an updated LiveCD (http://www.free60.org/wiki/LiveCD ). If you want to build your own kernel, see Linux Kernel Development (http://www.free60.org/wiki/Linux_Kernel_Development ) for patches against linux-2.6.21 [/QUOTE] Official Site: www.free60.org (http://www.free60.org )

360 Queenz Theme too Mature for Marketplace
Xbox-Scene :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
From xbox360fanboy.com (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/05/02/360-queenz-theme-too-mature-for-marketplace/ ): [QUOTE] It looks like Microsoft put their foot down and stopped the sexually charged 360 Queenz theme and gamer pictures from making it to the XBLM. Deacon, the guy who posted the exclusive 360 Queenz preview, updated the Unscripted 360 community saying that “Microsoft isn’t going to release it for whatever reason. too provocative? please. if this is too provocative then i’m at a loss for words”. (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/05/02/360-queenz-theme-too-mature-for-marketplace/ )[/QUOTE] Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/05/02/360-queenz-theme-too-mature-for-marketplace/ ) and unscripted360.com (http://www.unscripted360.com/2007/04/30/360-queenz-theme-from-konsole-kingz/ )

Tron and Discs of Tron Confirmed for Xbox Live Arcade
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Disney Interactive Studios announced today the classic arcade games Tron and Discs of Tron will be rereleased this summer through Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360.

Guitar Hero II Video Contest and National Tournament
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Play N Trade announced today the launch of its first National Guitar Hero II video contest and livein store tournament.

Atari Announces Staff Reduction
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
The reorganization plan reduces Ataris total workforce by approximately 20%.

LucasArts, Day 1 Studios Announce Fracture
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
This thirdperson shooter, which is targeted for a mid2008 release, features “terrain deformation” as an offensive weapon, a defensive protection, a way to solve puzzles and a method of navigation.

Sakaguchi Doesn’t Like the PlayStation 3, Kutaragi…and Microsoft’s Marketing Strategy for Japan
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Final Fantasy creator and Mistwalker founder Hironobu Sakaguchi had a few things to say about Sony, the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s marketing strategy for Japan.

New Madden NFL 08 Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
We bring you thirty new screenshots of Madden NFL 08.

Splinter Cell Conviction Revealed
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
The latest issue of Finnish video games magazine Pelaaja has revealed the next installment in the Splinter Cell series.

New Forza Motorsport 2 Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
We bring you ten new screenshots of Forza Motorsport 2.

Fallout 3 Teaser Trailer Countdown
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Find out when Bethesda will release the first teaser trailer for Fallout 3.

Virtua Fighter 5 First Xbox 360 Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
We bring you the first screenshots from the Xbox 360 version of Virtua Fighter 5.

Saints Row Achieves Xbox 360 Platinum Hits Status
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
THQ has announced that Saints Row has joined the list of Xbox 360 Platinum Hits.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Screens
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
We have updated the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix image gallery with new screenshots of the game.

NBA LIVE 08 Meaning of Hibachi Video
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
The Washington Wizards AllStar and cover athlete of EA SPORTS NBA LIVE 08 describes the meaning of Hibachi.

Activision Expands Its QuebecBased Studio
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Quebecbased video game studio, Beenox, a subsidiary of Activision, announced today that the company expects to triple its workforce over the next two years.

Halo 3 Pistol Confusion Clarified
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
An error on the Halo 3 web site caused a confusion regarding the pistol that will be available on Halo 3.

Shivering Isles Patch is Up, Fixes Form ID Bug
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
This 1.2 update for The Elder Scrolls IV Shivering Isles fixes the issues caused by Form ID bug.

BioShock “What’s in the Water?” High Definition Movie
Team Xbox :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
We bring you a new video that highlights one of the most fascinating aspects, technically and visually, of BioShock.

WoW Report: Starting a New Character
Think Gaming :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
I know we missed a WoW Report last week! We are back this week with a brand new one! Since Burning Crusade came out 2 new races emerged the Draenei (Alliance) and the Blood Elves (Horde). With these new races I definitely wanted to create a new character. Since I play […]

Teen Arrested for Counter-Strike Map
Think Gaming :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Now honestly this is stupid. A Chinese school student is arrested, his house searched, and then sent to an alternative education center. All because he created a Counter-Strike map based off his high school. I’m so glad I am not growing up these days. Back when I was in high school […]

Treit & True: Tales from the Shadowrun Beta
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Ryan Treit surfaces long enough from his marathon sessions of the Shadowrun beta to offer his impressions.

Tips and Tricks – A Novice’s Guide to Soccer Games
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Our basic guide introduces the casual gamer to soccer games, including tips and tricks needed for success.

Viva Piñata Wins Parents’ Choice Award
Xbox 360 Games :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Rare’s Viva Piñata for Xbox 360 has received a Gold Award from the Parents’ Choice Awards program. The Gold Awards are bestowed upon books, toys, games, videos, software, magazines, audio recordings, and television programs that are judged as the highest quality, most appealing products in their genre.

Xbox 360 Makes HD Simple
Xbox Hardware :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
High Definition TV is simple with Xbox 360. Denny Atkin explains HD and Xbox 360.

The Euro Vision: Number-Crunching GAME’s Gamestation Deal
Gamasutra Columns :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Following GAME’s purchase of Gamestation, Euro Vision columnist Jon Jordan reckons that while the figures on the £74 million ($147 million) deal add up in the short term, the bigger the games retailer gets, the harder it will be to drive up margins.

Gamers want shorter, better games – Dyack
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
“I don’t care how good the game is,” Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack tells gi.biz, “I don’t want to play something that’s one hundred hours long.”

RealNetworks Q1 gaming revenue up 28%
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
RealNetworks’ Q1 revenues from gaming products rose 28 percent year-on-year, the company said yesterday as it posted a record USD 129.5 million in sales for the first quarter.

EA invests USD 1 million in Canadian graduate scheme
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Electronic Arts will make a USD 1 million grant to the Masters of Digital Media (MDM) programme at the Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver, British Columbia – close to the headquarters of EA’s own Canadian operation.

Old E3 ‘served no purpose’, says ex-Bungie boss
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Alex Seropian, co-founder and former CEO of Halo developer Bungie, has said he’s relieved that E3 has been downsized into a smaller event – adding that it benefited publishers much more than developers.

LucasArts unveils new shooter IP for next-gen
GamesIndustry.biz :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Day 1 Studios’ Fracture gets big reveal on PS3 and Xbox 360, as the Star Wars publisher redoubles efforts to broaden portfolio.

Record Revenues for Activision?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
The company tentatively announces its whopping 2007 results.

360 Hindering GTAIV?
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)Rockstar says Microsoft’s console is limiting the game’s progress.

Fracture Video Interview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Fracture (PS3)Lucas Arts blows the lid off their new action title.

Australian Game Charts
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
For the week ending April 29.

LucasArts to Fracture PS3
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Fracture (PS3)Don’t just destroy the environment, transform it in Day 1 Studios’ promising new action title.

Fracture Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Fracture (PS3)The first look at LucasArts’ latest.

THQ’s Big Huge Announcement
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Big Huge Games RPG [untitled] (PS3)RPG legend Ken Rolston comes back to the genre he loves.

Official Transformers Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Transformers: The Game (PS3)See the game in action for the first time.

Interview: 3volution’s Jeremy Blair
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (PS3)The music producer talks about GRAW 2 and taking game audio to the next level.

Madden 08 Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Madden NFL 08 (PS3)Rookies and Moss light up 08.

Cars Will Call Later
IGN Playstation 3 :: Thursday, May 03, 2007
Calling All Cars! (PS3)Jaffe’s downloadable mayhem postponed a bit longer.

PaRappa the Rapper Fact Sheet (PSP)
Sony :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Fact Sheet on the Upcoming PSP Beat Game

Commodore Gaming responds with G and GS models
Commodore :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The two newly launched Commodore G and GS models are priced as follows:

Critical Reception: Vivendi’s/Day 1 Studios’ F.E.A.R.
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to the recently released PlayStation 3 version of F.E.A.R., a controversial port that critics are alternately calling “a decent shooting experience,” and “a port that hasn’t been optimized.”

GameStop “missed an opportunity”, says Pachter
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has stated he believes US retailer GameStop should have stepped in before GAME to buy high street chain Gamestation.

Wii sales hit 80k in Australia
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Xbox 360 may still have the largest installed base of all the next-gen consoles in Australia, but the Wii is catching up – with 80,000 consoles sold since December.

Gamestation acquisition necessary for market growth – Morgan
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
As specialist game retail in the UK shrinks from two major chains to just one, GAME boss Lisa Morgan has asked suppliers to be supportive of the move in order to help widen the market.

Final Fantasy creator takes aim at Sony and Microsoft
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, has criticised the PlayStation 3 for being difficult to develop for – and accused Microsoft of failing to promote Xbox 360 effectively in Japan.

1 million players register for free Acclaim title
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
One million players have downloaded and registered to play Bots!!, Acclaim’s free online fighting game.

Wii offers new challenge for third parties, says analyst
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon has warned that while the success of the Wii and DS will have a positive effect on the games industry as a whole, publishers now face a new set of challenges with regard to producing games.

D3P targets Live Arcade with 3 new releases
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
D3 Publisher has announced plans to bring three Xbox Live Arcade titles to market by the end of the year.

Atari slashes workforce by 20 per cent
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Troubled publisher Atari has announced plans to slash its 320-strong workforce by 20 per cent, including a reduction of admin staff of approximately 26 per cent.

GAME acquires Gamestation for £74 million
GamesIndustry.biz :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
European retailer GAME has acquired its nearest High Street competitor Gamestation for GBP 74 million.

GAME buys Gamestation for ?74 million
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
No name changes in the pipeline though for additional 217 stores.

Atari to cut Staff by 20%
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Job reductions a “significant first step in reorganising Atari”.

All-Pro Football 2K8 Video Interview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
All-Pro Football 2K8 (PS3)The Inside scoop on 2K’s new Madden killer.

Turok Looking Fine
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Turok (PS3)Dinosauring to new heights via screenshots.

Jerry Rice Interview
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Talking All-Pro Football 2K8 with the coolest legend in the game.

All-Pro Football 2K8’s Resurrection
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
All-Pro Football 2K8 (PS3)2K Sports’s resurrected football franchise to sport deep customization options.

E3 2007 Layout Revealed
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
They weren’t kidding: it really is a much smaller show.

Ryu Reveals Gaiden Box
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS3)Sigma’s final cover goes public.

Official Gauntlet II Trailer
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Gauntlet II (PS3)One of the most extreme close ups we’ve ever seen.

Call of Duty 4 Imagery
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3)Three framegrabs from the first trailer.

PS Network Runs the Gauntlet
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Gauntlet II (PS3)Sony Online prepares Midway sequel for Thursday.

Europeans Go Home
IGN Playstation 3 :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Home (PS3)A small group is digging into Sony’s newest beta

Hollywood Goes Gaming: Grace Park of Battlestar Galactica and Command & Conquer 3
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
John Gaudiosi interviews Grace Park, star of Battlestar Galactica and Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars

Gears of War is a Classically Great Game
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
We examine what makes Gears of War so special and why it’s important to the world of next-gen gaming.

This Week in Xbox: April 25-May2 2007
Xbox 360 Games :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Games Editor Denny Atkin brings you all the latest in what’s going on this week on Xbox.com.

Axe Themes in Marketploace
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Preview Axe themes available on Xbox live Marketplace.

Axe Gamer Pics in Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Preview Gamer Pics for Axe, in Xbox Live Marketplace today!

Dragon Electronics: Step Down AC Adapter for PS3 and Xbox 360
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Not really a unique product, but Dragon Electronics released a sharply priced ($19) Step Down AC Adapter for PS3 and Xbox 360 that can be useful for all European gamers importing consoles from N-America or Japan. It looks like a small PS3 and with its 500W output you’ll have more than enough output to power your 100-110V Xbox360 on a 220-240V network: [QUOTE] Use any Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 console from USA/Asia, that use 110V current, in countries that use 220V like Europe with this convenient power adapter. Plus it looks stylish and is very safe for your console. Specifications : * Built-in fuse for more safety * Compatible with Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 systems * Stable and high output power (500W) * Built-in cooling fan to keep temperature low * Step down function input: 220-240V // Output: 100-120V (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/dragon-xbox360/Step_Down_AC_Adapter.jpg ) [/QUOTE] Buy Now ($18.95): divineo.cn (http://www.divineo.cn/php/affstart.php?affcode=xboxscene&prod=360-sdacad ) Official Site: www.dragon-electronics.com (http://www.dragon-electronics.com )

Final Fantasy creator takes aim at Sony and Microsoft
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
From gamesindustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=24697 ): [QUOTE] Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, has criticised the PlayStation 3 for being difficult to develop for – and accused Microsoft of failing to promote Xbox 360 effectively in Japan. “Microsoft has to change its marketing strategy in Japan. There are a lot of excellent games on the 360, far better games than what’s on the Wii or PS3. But not a lot of people in Japan have a clear idea what games like Gears of War are all about,” he said. And it’s not just the marketing for Xbox 360 which Sakaguchi feels is lacking: “Just look at the Windows Vista commercial – it’s terrible,” he stated. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamesindustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=24697 )

UBS analyst Predicts sales by 2010: 51.9m Wii, 47.2m PS3, 38.9m 360
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
From gamedaily.com (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=16002 ): [QUOTE] UBS analyst Benjamin Schachter believes the PS3 will be just fine, just not as dominant as the PS2. By 2010, he forecasts that the PS3 will have sold over 21 million units in the U.S., just slightly behind the Xbox 360 with over 22 million, but ahead of the Wii (nearly 19 million). In Europe, the numbers by 2010 are also expected to be fairly balanced: 14 million for PS3, 15.5 million for 360, and 12.5 million for Wii. Interestingly, in Japan he believes the discrepancies will be far greater. By 2010 in Japan the 360 will have sold 900,000, but it’s the Wii that dominates with 20.5 million compared to the 360’s 11.7 million. On a worldwide basis, Schachter believes the Wii will slightly out pace the PS3, 51.9 million vs. 47.2 million. The 360, he predicts, will come in third globally with 38.9 million. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamedaily.com (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=16002 )

Gears of War, Hidden Fronts Multiplayer Map Pack
Xbox-Scene :: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
From the press release: [QUOTE] On Thursday, May 3, at 9 a.m. GMT, Xbox LIVE gamers should ready their weapons and prepare for battle as “Gears of War”, rated M for Mature, releases four new action-packed multiplayer maps in the thrilling “Hidden Fronts” Multiplayer Map Pack. For 800 Microsoft points, COG soldiers and the Locust Horde will clash once again for control of these four dynamic new areas, including Bullet Marsh, Garden, Process and Subway. * Bullet Marsh: In this Kryll-infested swamp, an old generator still powers the area lights. A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving combatants to fend for themselves against the Kryll. * Garden: This overgrown and crumbling conservatory still has a working fertilization and pesticide system. This system can pose a serious hazard to anyone who ventures into the greenhouse without first venting the air. * Process: Teams must fight for control of this subterranean Imulsion processing plant, still active despite the cessation of the Pendulum wars. * Subway: Timgad’s Central Subway station used to serve as a central hub for commuters. Now the tunnels are crawling with Locust. The “Hidden Fronts” Multiplayer Map Pack will explode onto Xbox LIVE Marketplace on May 3 for 800 Microsoft Points as gamers steady their aim, pull the pin from their grenades and get ready to battle once more! All four of the new maps will be made available at no cost over Xbox LIVE on Sept. 3, 2007. [/QUOTE] Full Story: press release (http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/05/01/544539.aspx )

Call of Duty coming to Mobile Phones
Glu Mobile :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Leading Mobile Publisher Adds Title from Critically-Acclaimed Franchise

4-Player PaRappa The Rapper?
Sony :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
PaRappa The Rapper for the PSP system mobilizes PaRappa’s hip-hop adventures and builds on the success of this iconic franchise.

Gametap Games Available on Day of Retail Release
Gametap :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Games to be available to subscribers on the day of retail release, starting with Tomb Raider: Anniversary.

Out of the Park Baseball 2007 PC Review
Tweak Town :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
TTGamer have posted a review of Out of the Park Baseball 2007 for the PC. If you fancy yourself a savvy baseball GM/Manager, then this game will surely put you to the test.

Silent Hunter-Wolves of the Pacific Review
Gamepyre :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
If submarines is your passion, you’d be a fool to overlook this great title, but at the same time, if naval warfare is not at the top of your list, you will hate yourself for making this purchase because this game can get boring extremely, extremely fast. The redundancy of the game is also noted in the sense that after a while everything looks the same (you looking through a periscope trying to sink another boat).

Media Consumption: Splash Damage’s Neil Postlethwaite (Enemy Territory: Quake Wars)
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
For this week’s Media Consumption, a column that looks at the media and art diets of our favourite industry personalities, we spoke to Neil Postlethwaite, Managing Director at Splash Damage and Producer of the studio’s upcoming PC title Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

Nintendo confirms 2007 release for key titles in Japan
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Nintendo has confirmed that more than a dozen Wii software titles will be released in Japan this year, including key titles Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid 3.

‘World of Warcraft has done us a great service,’ says Garriott
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Ultima Online creator Richard Garriott has praised hit MMO World of Warcraft for expanding the audience for online gaming – and thereby boosting sales of other games in the genre.

Gameloft sales up 54 per cent
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
French mobile game publisher and developer Gameloft has published quarter one financial results, revealing that sales for the period stood at EUR 22.7 million.

New MMO studio established by genre veterans
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
A new development studio which will specialise in producing MMO games has been set up by a team of 10 designers with extensive experience of working in the genre.

Sony unveils new PSP camera
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that a new camera accessory for the PlayStation Portable will launch across Europe on May 16, priced at GBP 34.99 / EUR 49.99.

UK charts: God of War II takes top spot
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Sony has scored its second No. 1 in the all-formats software chart with PlayStation 2 exclusive God of War II.

Kutaragi hints at plans for PS4
GamesIndustry.biz :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Ken Kutaragi, the ‘Father of PlayStation’, has revealed that he already has a vision for PS4, 5 and even 6 – despite having announced his imminent retirement.

Devil May Cry 4 Progress Report
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)We slice through demons with Nero. New impressions and details.

Devil May Cry 4 Screens
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)Slash through demons with this massive set of DMC4 screens.

Call of Duty 4 Trailer Analysis
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3)We put the Modern Warfare trailer under an electron microscope. You’ll be amazed at what we discovered.

Game of the Month: April 2007
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
First Encounter Assault Recon rules period number four.

Dark Sector HD Developer Commentary
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Dark Sector (PS3)Catch it if you can.

Kutaragi to Work with Sony on PS4, 5, 6
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Although he is moving on, the father of PlayStation will still be aiding the system’s development.

Harry Potter Screenshots
IGN Playstation 3 :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (PS3)Three new Order of the Phoenix shots.

New Devil May Cry 4 Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Even Baldur is going to cry after seeing this sixty new screenshots of Devil May Cry 4.

Gears of War Hidden Fronts Map Pack Announced
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Recon reports are in. Stop. Front line surveillance indicates Locust movement. Stop. Four new sectors now under enemy control. Stop. Do we engage? Stop. Awaiting orders. Stop. End transmission

D3Publisher to Bring Games to Xbox Live Arcade
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Among others, D3Publisher will bring to Xbox Live Arcade the muchanticipated racing game Mad Tracks, from developer Load Inc.

GameStop Announces Exclusive BioShock Edition
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
The exclusive edition will include a Big Daddy figurine, a behindthescenes DVD, a BioShock soundtrack CD and an embossed graphic cover art designed by the winner of a coverart contest.

Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Screenshots
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
You may find these screenshots familiar, but if you pay close attention, you’ll find out they are new.

Halo 3 Web Site Updated
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Bungie has updated the official Halo 3 web site with new content. Among other things, the site confirms the return of the M6D pistol.

SpiderMan 3 Launch Trailer in High Definition
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
See the banner above? It’s only four days until the SpiderMan 3 video game hits store shelves and that’s why we bring you the launch trailer.

XOS Technologies and EA SPORTS Declare “Game On!”
Team Xbox :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
XOS Technologies announced today it has licensed the technology used by Electronic Arts in EA SPORTS football video game franchises to develop a training simulator for collegiate and professional football teams.

New Gears of War Multiplayer Map Pack
Xbox 360 Games :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
On Thursday, May 3, at 9 A.M. GMT, ready your weapons and prepare for battle as Gears of War, rated M for Mature, releases four new action-packed multiplayer maps in the thrilling “Hidden Fronts” Multiplayer Map Pack.

Oblivion Content Guide
Xbox 360 Games :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
One stop shopping for the low down on every available content download for the The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Some Xbox360 Elite Consoles have BenQ DVD-Drive
Xbox-Scene :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
While we’ve already seen reports (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZZpupVlkRKDCPmxj.php ) of Hitachi-LG (v78 or v79) DVD-drives found in Xbox360 Elite consoles, apparently Microsoft is also using the new BenQ VAD6038 ODD on some of their Elite production lines. Earagon22 posted a picture of his Xbox360 Elite console with BenQ drive on the xbox.com forums (http://forums.xbox.com/12056843/ShowPost.aspx ). (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/elite/IMG_1727.jpg )

DFC Intelligence: Is Elite an Error?
Xbox-Scene :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
From next-gen.biz (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5410&Itemid=2 ): [QUOTE] With the launch of Xbox 360 Elite, Microsoft is now chasing Sony for the high-end market. But will this strategy alienate mass-market consumers? In this excerpt from its new report, DFC Intelligence weighs up the arguments… When video game systems are priced in the $200 range and lower a small price change can really move product and consumers tend to be very price sensitive. However, in the $300 and up range consumers tend to be a little more careful with their purchase. Consumers don’t want to spend $400 on a piece of hardware and be told they are not “elite” and only getting second best. At that range the tendency is to want to spend the money on the best or else wait until you can afford the best. The biggest problem with the Xbox 360 Elite is probably the issue of HDMI output. Consumers can understand what a bigger hard drive means and can also feel comfortable knowing that they can always upgrade their hard drive. However, it is a safe bet that the vast majority of consumers aren’t quite sure what an HDMI port means. You can be sure that the sales clerks in your average retail store will probably be telling a lot of different stories. Of course, this ignores the fact that a year ago Microsoft was arguing that you don’t need HDMI to do high definition and for the vast majority of consumers regular component cables will in fact work just fine. However, in the average consumer mind they don’t know that. All they know is that one day they may want a high definition system and if they are spending this kind of money they better go with the high-end system. Or maybe, they should just go home and play with their PlayStation 2 while they research the issue some more and let the market shakeout. [/QUOTE] Full Story: next-gen.biz (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5410&Itemid=2 ) (2 pages)

Semiconductor Insights Looks Inside Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Elite
Xbox-Scene :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
From eetimes.com (http://www.eetimes.com/rss/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199202543&cid=RSSfeed_eetimes_newsRSS ): [QUOTE] Semiconductor Insights got hold of the just-released Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite and kept the cameras rolling as they popped the lid and dove inside. The teardown is a follow-on to the company’s teardown of the Playstation 3 (view video (http://www.techonline.com/product/underthehood/194400657 )) and Nintendo Wii (view video (http://www.techonline.com/product/underthehood/194500380 )) last year and provides insight into what Microsoft is doing to remain competitive in a hotly contested three-way market. There has been considerable speculation regarding the lithography of the IBM processor. Some sources have claimed that it uses a 65-nm processes lithography, while other claim that it’s 90 nm. Semiconductor Insights (SI) performed a cross section of the device, measuring the transistor length, and confirmed that it’s the same as that used by the original XBox 360. “The CPU in the Xbox 360 Elite seems to be assembled in Canada whereas the CPU in the previous Xbox was marked ‘Taiwan’,” stated Rob Hilkes, a lead technology analyst at SI. “This may indicate that while the previous CPU was built on Chartered’s Fab7 in Singapore and assembled in Taiwan, the CPU of the Elite may be built in IBM’s Fab B323 in East Fishkill, New York and assembled at IBM’s assembly facility in nearby Bromont, Quebec.” IBM and Chartered share design data at the 90-nm node. “We seem to have evidence now that Microsoft is indeed using both sources for the XBox CPU.” Concern about the original Xbox 360’s power consumption may also have been addressed. “Microsoft has redesigned some aspects of the power architecture, resulting in a lower component count.” [/QUOTE] Full Story: eetimes.com (http://www.eetimes.com/rss/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199202543&cid=RSSfeed_eetimes_newsRSS )

Penny Arcade LIVE feature: Call the Fucking Police
Xbox-Scene :: Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Here’s Penny Arcades (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/04/30 ) latest web comic … they suggest a new feature for Xbox LIVE ;) Who knows what Microsoft will add in the spring 2007 update (hitting your Xbox360 the week of may 7th). (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/04/30 )