| Top 10 Trailers of E3 2009 June 6, 2009 at 7:09 pm |
|  E3 means a lot of things every year: a week's worth of sensory overload; more games to check out than there are hours in the day to see them; large, unwashed masses trying to cram as many of said games into said hours as best as they can; and of course, trailers. Lots and lots of trailers.While we'd always rather be playing games than watching them, a well produced clip of an upcoming title can still create a lot of buzz.  One of Microsoft's quieter E3 announcements was confirmation that Perfect Dark would be released over Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Now they've quietly released the first images of what it'll look like...  It's hard if not impossible for Team Joystiq to decide on a place to eat dinner, so choosing the coolest thing we saw at E3 was all but unthinkable. Instead, we asked each member of the team to pick the best thing they saw at the show...  Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it.  No Banjo Kazooie at E3? No Viva Pinata? Blame Project Natal. We've been looking for Rare at E3. Microsoft's Shane Kim, corporate v. p. at Microsoft for Xbox 360 strategy and business development...
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| Video: Xbox 360 Games on Demand service June 6, 2009 at 6:37 pm |
|  Curious how the Xbox 360's recently announced "Games on Demand" service is going to look in your Dashboard? Microsoft made this helpful video, walking you through the entire process. First off: Buying Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, for $19.99 (note: no Microsoft Points here, folks). Next: Booting up the already purchased BioShock. Simple as pie, no disc needed. And the cherry on top: Quick Launching Mass Effect from inside BioShock. Looks like a great feature ...  We take this fighting sequel for a spin at E3 2009. Nothing says "summer" quite like a bunch of video games crammed into a convention center. And if there's anything...  Day two of E3 is over. What a day! We got to go to not one, but two press conferences. Lucky us. No, lucky you. Here's a round-up of the day's E3 coverage. It's right here.  E3 2009: Over 30 games available at launch, including Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed; games re-downloadable for free on any machine, Halo, Fable, and Gears of War avatar costumes coming.  Microsoft will be offering full retail games like Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect as downloadable games via Xbox Live Marketplace Games On Demand starting this August.
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| 45 Second Booth Tour: Microsoft June 6, 2009 at 5:27 pm |
|  We're privileged enough to get the chance to walk around and view the numerous multi-million dollar E3 booths, so we figured we'd share the experience. Albeit, condensed into 45 seconds. View Microsoft's E3 booth in the 45 Second Booth Tour vid that's embedded above and click through the photos below. If you can spot Cliff Bleszinski, we award you a (virtual) scrumptious brownie.  One of Microsoft's quieter E3 announcements was confirmation that Perfect Dark would be released over Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Now they've quietly released the first images of what it'll look like...  It's hard if not impossible for Team Joystiq to decide on a place to eat dinner, so choosing the coolest thing we saw at E3 was all but unthinkable. Instead, we asked each member of the team to pick the best thing they saw at the show...  June 4, 2009 - E3 2009 was a truly wondrous occasion. It will be known for the ages as the E3 that brought the show back from the brink of oblivion. The booths were big, the babes were mostly attractive, and the announcements were awe-inspiring.  E3 isn't just about the big, triple-A games, there are also plenty of indie games as well. Yesterday I wandered over to the quiet indiecade corner of E3 to check out Snapshot and talk to its two man development team, Kyle Pulver and Peter Jones.
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| Over 10,000 Steam Members Pledge to Boycott L4D2 June 6, 2009 at 4:39 pm |
|  One of the bigger surprises of E3 was Valve's announcement of Left 4 Dead 2, mainly because -- given Valve's history of post-release support -- no one expected a sequel to the original game to come this soon. But for many, the announcement has garnered much more than just surprise. Kotaku Significant content for L4D1 was promised, and never deliveredValve put little faith in L4D1 since they almost certainly started working on L4D2 right after releaseThe fact that L4D2 is nearly identical to L4D1 will decimate the community for both gamesThe announced date is not nearly enough time to polish content or make significant gameplay changesThe new character designs seem bland and unappealing so farL4D2 is too bright to fit in with L4D1's visual aestheticThe fiddle-based horde music is extremely disliked,  Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it.  Spanish horror film REC 2, the sequel to 2007's excellent REC, is another exercise in claustrophobic horror. While the prequel was heavy on the hand-held camera, REC 2 employs camera mounted on the soldiers' helmets.  While other members of Team Kotaku are busy flying/driving home today, I had one last E3 appointment to attend: spend some time with 4mm Game's hip-hop karaoke title Rapstar.  Elena Fisher, shrewdly describing herself as "last year's model," is back in Uncharted 2, breaking with the standard serial adventure ethos that values the one-and-done romantic interest over long-term attachment.
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| Endless Ocean 2 trailer: More endless than ever June 6, 2009 at 4:38 pm |
|  How is it possible to make an experience as truly expansive as 2007's Endless Ocean any more ... erm, endless? Crocodiles! It's the trailer for Endless Ocean 2, folks. No joke. So here's the thing -- we're not absolutely sure there weren't crocodiles in the first Endless Ocean, due to it's, ya know, endlessness, but we don't recall any swamps or bayous in the game. If you spent the requisite forever with former of the series, let us know what new stuff you spot in the trailer.  There seems to be no end to the ways gamers propose to their brides. A North Carolina man successfully popped the Q with using a hacked Ms. Pac-Man ROM and a modded cocktail table cabinet.  My hands-on demo with God of War III was a familiar journey, having seen the same stretch of the PlayStation 3 game played through three times by someone else. I knew exactly what to do.  When dropping by the Sony Online Entertainment booth at E3 for our appointment with upcoming PlayStation 3/PC MMO The Agency, we found out some rather troubling news regarding the game's promised cross-platform functionality.  We were extremely impressed with our time with Scribblenauts on the E3 show floor, but in a weird way, we felt this primal desire to conquer it. After an evening of brainstorming...
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| German Pols Push to Ban Development of Violent Games June 6, 2009 at 4:00 pm |
|   Germany's latest demagogue tantrum against "killerspiele" - violent video games - could be shrugged off as hot air, except for the fact it would ban even their development. So Germany-based Crytek would have to move. The interior ministers of Germany's 16 states have unanimously asked the German legislature to ban outright the distribution, sale, and development of violent video games. Such games have been a big part of the national conversation since a 17-year-old went on a gun rampage March 11,  Realtime Worlds was announced as the latest EA Partner at E3 09 and marked the occasion with a first look at All Points Bulletin. The EA Partners program includes such gaming luminaries as Valve...  After a PC-exclusive run with the first Crysis (pictured above) and its spin-off, Crysis Warhead, EA has announced today that Crysis 2 will make its way to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.  Hours before its press event, Electronic Arts announces that German developer Crytek is finally bringing its cutting-edge graphics shooter series to consoles. After years of hints and tech-demo teases...  Crysis, the gorgeous sci-fi shooter from German developer Crytek Frankfurt, is a PC game. So is its sequel, Crysis 2 — that, and an Xbox 360 and a PS3 game. The...
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| Miyamoto Spotted at Microsoft's Project Natal Demo June 6, 2009 at 3:46 pm |
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Microsoft's announcement of Project Natal, their new Xbox 360 full-body motion control device, was a clear challenge to Nintendo's Wii...  Considering both of Nintendo's rivals announced motion-control projects, one might wonder what Shigeru Miyamoto's reaction would be. The BBC asked if Ninty was "in danger of getting left behind by the competition.  This E3 was packed with explosive news and announcements, from confirmation of the PSP Go and Sony's motion controls to the whispers of a new Metroid and Zelda. But one of the most startling may have been Microsoft's Project Natal.  At his developer roundtable event, Shigeru Miyamoto sprang artwork from the next Legend of Zelda game on us. It killed us to be unable to share the image with you, because photography was prohibited.  Earlier this week Microsoft let me try Project Natal in a hotel suite where test-versions of the new gaming sensor array was set up. Three times, I thought I found a flaw in the systems.
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| Video comparison: 'Trico' leak and 'The Last Guardian' debut June 6, 2009 at 3:34 pm |
|  When we first saw the year-old leaked footage for Team ICO's third game – then known only as "Trico" – we had only one thought: we really want a kitty dragon. Okay, fine. We had two thoughts. First: we really want a kitty dragon; and second: we wonder what the game looks like now. Lucky for us, Sony's E3 keynote answered the latter, with a fresh dose of video footage of the game, newly dubbed The Last Guardian. Here's the thing though: the first three and a half minutes of the trailer were shot-for-shot identical to the leak,  Media Molecule has big things planned for LittleBigPlanet, including a batch of new Shadow of the Colossus themed content coming next week. On June 11th, Team Ico fans...  E3 2009 Q&A: Discussing E3 and the current console cycle, president Ben Feder declares the just-announced PS3 exclusive has the Houser Bros. and Rockstar North's "A team working on an AAA title.  Sony's "Play Create Share" initiative picks up speed with the debut of ModNation Racers for the PlayStation 3, a kart racing title that lets you build the track, the kart, and the racer.  At Konami's E3 Booth yesterday I got my first chance to play the video game adaptation of the smash hit horror film series Saw, leaving me questioning the limits of my violence tolerance.
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| First Images of Perfect Dark on XBLA June 6, 2009 at 3:05 pm |
|   One of Microsoft's quieter E3 announcements was confirmation that Perfect Dark would be released over Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Now they've quietly released the first images of what it'll look like, with a few pictures popping up on the Xbox Live Marketplace website.As you can see, it looks like Perfect Dark, but now lacking that trademark Nintendo 64 blurriness. That would be because this XBLA port will have the added benefit of running in as high as 1080p resolution,  Rare's Nintendo 64 first-person shooter Perfect Dark is coming to Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Winter, says Microsoft. This is what it looks like. In a word, Perfect Dark looks sharper...  Activision's booth yesterday played host to more than just sweaty gamers and DJ Hero videos: Call of Duty 4-developer Infinity Ward was rewarded with a Guinness World...  Microsoft announced at E3 2008 that a South Park game was coming to Xbox Live Arcade. We couldn't find it at E3 2009, but we did get an update. "South Park actually is coming...  Microsoft's Larry Hryb just posted a little note on his Twitter account, saying that the original Perfect Dark - originally released on the N64 - will be out on Xbox Live Arcade later this year.
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| Hacked Ms. Pac-Man ROM Wins Hand in Marriage June 6, 2009 at 3:00 pm |
|   There seems to be no end to the ways gamers propose to their brides. A North Carolina man successfully popped the Q with using a hacked Ms. Pac-Man ROM and a modded cocktail table cabinet. This came from Kotaku reader Daniel, who is friends with Chad H., a librarian at the U. of North Carolina. Chad and his girlfriend, Melissa, recently constructed an arcade cocktail table using IKEA furniture and an old laptop. Building on that success, and his girl's love for Ms. Pac-Man, Chad set out to make an in-game proposal.  Over 100 contestants competed in a seven hour (!) King of Fighters XII tournament in Hollywood yesterday, and when the smoke cleared, one winner was awarded a stately paper crown.  This is it, here it is, Christian Bale's acting debut: Appearing in a 1983 Pac-Man cereal commercial at the age of 8. It's shocking.  Christian Bale is best known for bananas at some cinematographer. He's also an actor! And like millions and millions of people on Earth today, he loves video games. While promoting Terminator Salvation, Bale told PhilStar.
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| Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks June 6, 2009 at 2:31 pm |
|  The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was a solid game with a few disruptive flaws -- the most memorable of which being the oft-repeated Temple of the Ocean King that left many players frustrated enough to return the title to the GameStop from whence it came. It came close, but possessed no cigar. Now, Nintendo's hoping to get it right with the next DS iteration of the triforce-filled franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.  At his developer roundtable event, Shigeru Miyamoto sprang artwork from the next Legend of Zelda game on us. It killed us to be unable to share the image with you, because photography was prohibited.  The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a return to the stylus-controlled Link of Phantom Hourglass, but with a twist. In Spirit Tracks, not only do you get to play through segments of the game on a train...  Despite being set in ye olde fantasy lands of impossibly large swords and questionable female attire, there's something anachronistic about Dragon Age: Origins. An uncomfortable...
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| Billy Mitchell Denies and Denounces Taunting Tweets June 6, 2009 at 2:00 pm |
|   Some unsportsmanlike tweets attributed to Billy Mitchell are 100 percent fake, says the Donkey Kong world record holder. G4TV has reported that Mitchell, via Twitter, taunted rival Steve Wiebe after his unsuccessful attempts this past week to claim the Donkey Kong world mark that Mitchell holds. "The day after #Wiebe could not pull it off feels even better. His three pathetic attempts at breaking MY world record were almost honorable," said one.  Got to give it to Nintendo — this year's E3 press conference was better than last year's train wreck, don't cha think? The company announced some big news. All that and more after the jump.  Microsoft's Larry Hryb just posted a little note on his Twitter account, saying that the original Perfect Dark - originally released on the N64 - will be out on Xbox Live Arcade later this year.  Major Nelson just confirmed via his Twitter that Xbox Live will be receiving a care package this winter in the form of Rare's Perfect Dark. Major made no reference to price or improvements to game content...  Nintendo of America's VP of of sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway showed off the new DSi version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong at the company's press conference this morning.
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| Tetris, 25 Years Later June 6, 2009 at 1:30 pm |
|  Today marks the 25th Anniversary of Tetris, the classic puzzle game made by Alexey Pajitnov in Russia. This documentary explores the Tetris Effect and the history of the popular game, explaining how Henk Rogers discovered the game at a Las Vegas trade show and went on to license it from the Soviet government.  Germany's latest demagogue tantrum against "killerspiele" - violent video games - could be shrugged off as hot air, except for the fact it would ban even their development.  E3 2009: ESA declares trade show's return to large-scale format a success, will be back at the Los Angeles Convention Center June 15-17 next year. E3 to LACC: "I'll be back.  In the cartoon world, there is no conflict more storied or epic than the struggle between cat and mouse. Soon you will live that story. The Tom and Jerry MMO is coming.
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| Joystiq's Best of E3 2009 June 6, 2009 at 1:30 pm |
|   It's hard if not impossible for Team Joystiq to decide on a place to eat dinner, so choosing the coolest thing we saw at E3 was all but unthinkable. Instead, we asked each member of the team to pick the best thing they saw at the show, with very few restrictions. And here are the results: Dave Hinkle: Scribblenauts, for its sheer magic.  One of Microsoft's quieter E3 announcements was confirmation that Perfect Dark would be released over Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Now they've quietly released the first images of what it'll look like...  Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it.  Bobby Kotick, the Activision CEO, says that in these hard times the console makers should all do their part and lop a hundy off the retail price of the current generation rigs, so gamers can buy more full-price sequels.
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| L4D Sequel Met with Much More than Indifference June 6, 2009 at 1:00 pm |
|   Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it. Since the game was unveiled June 1 at E3, a Steam group called L4D Boycott (NO-L4D2) has assembled 9,742 members as of Saturday, and seems to be growing. Far from being enthused about a new game, they have nine complaints, most of which concern L4D2 obviating the need for, and undermining the value of, L4D1 - and just a year after the fact:  Not even Silent Hill is afraid of the Wii's casual audience. Speaking to Joystiq during E3 2009, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett described the game as being very much a true franchise entry (and we can attest to that!)...  I totally forgot Katamari Forever was going to be at E3, but when I trundled up to Namco's booth and saw it languishing unattended, was glad I found myself with half an hour to kill.  Recently revived 90's boyband hitting the PS3 and PS2 later in this year. With E3 wrapped up for another year, and Sony basking in the warm glow of its press conference unveilings...  If you don't want to know anything about Mass Effect 2, don't read more. But if you're curious about just how dangerous this new game is.... Mass Effect 2 lead designer...
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| Monday Means iPhone News, Confirmation of Apple's Gaming Push June 6, 2009 at 12:30 pm |
|   Don't forget that Apple's World Wide Developers Conference kicks off Monday. The press conference is sure to have at least some iPhone gaming news from the company. Earlier this week we reported on a rumor that Apple was gearing up for a much stronger gaming presence, hiring game in-house game developers, preparing their microtransactions-friendly firmware update, and getting ready to announce a new iPhone with a built-in 3D graphics chip for gaming that will hit in July.  One of Microsoft's quieter E3 announcements was confirmation that Perfect Dark would be released over Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Now they've quietly released the first images of what it'll look like...  My hands-on demo with God of War III was a familiar journey, having seen the same stretch of the PlayStation 3 game played through three times by someone else. I knew exactly what to do.  This E3 was packed with explosive news and announcements, from confirmation of the PSP Go and Sony's motion controls to the whispers of a new Metroid and Zelda. But one of the most startling may have been Microsoft's Project Natal.  So, there's good news and bad news for those of you who'd like to carry the apocalpyse in your pocket. Bethesda wants to bring the Fallout series to smaller screens ..  Despite being the world's most popular sport, and also EA's biggest-selling annual title, FIFA 10 was relegated to a small backroom presence at E3 while Madden was everywhere.
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| Miyamoto Laughs (Kinda) at Other Motion Control Projects June 6, 2009 at 12:00 pm |
|   Considering both of Nintendo's rivals announced motion-control projects, one might wonder what Shigeru Miyamoto's reaction would be. The BBC asked if Ninty was "in danger of getting left behind by the competition." Laughter has no translation, but if Shiggy's did, it might be "The f—k you talking about ...?"  This E3 was packed with explosive news and announcements, from confirmation of the PSP Go and Sony's motion controls to the whispers of a new Metroid and Zelda. But one of the most startling may have been Microsoft's Project Natal.  At his developer roundtable event, Shigeru Miyamoto sprang artwork from the next Legend of Zelda game on us. It killed us to be unable to share the image with you, because photography was prohibited.  At a developer's roundtable the other day, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto showed a select group of people some concept art for the new Zelda game. That select group is about to get a lot bigger. I don't know about you, but that's no Princess Zelda...  E3 2009: SCEA SVP of marketing confirms third-party publishers and developers are already working with the LED-based motion-sensing tech shown during Sony's press event.
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| Interview: Nouredine Abboud: The Producer on C.O.P.: The Recruit June 6, 2009 at 11:39 am |
|  Just a few hours after Nintendo unveiled Ubisoft's sandbox DS game C.O.P.: The Recruit at its press conference, we found producer Nouredine Abboud at the Nintendo booth and spoke to him about the new game. A rather animated Abboud was only too happy to talk with us about cramming what amounts to a full 3D sandbox game into the DS, releasing said game on the system in a post-Chinatown Wars world, and the recent trend of DS cop games. He started by giving us some insight into the game's title.  Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it.  Sid rips into this nutty third-person action shooter and finds potential. Dead to Rights Retribution is a simple game with simple goals. You control Jack Slate, a hardass cop who beats and blasts criminals like he's serving up parking tickets.  I totally forgot Katamari Forever was going to be at E3, but when I trundled up to Namco's booth and saw it languishing unattended, was glad I found myself with half an hour to kill.  At a developer's roundtable the other day, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto showed a select group of people some concept art for the new Zelda game. That select group is about to get a lot bigger. I don't know about you, but that's no Princess Zelda...
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| Wii MotionPlus Arrived June 6, 2009 at 11:30 am |
|   I found these two orphans sitting on my doorstep when I arrived home Friday night. The MotionPlus add-ons came sheathed in oversized remote jackets and an instruction manual warning me to keep my original jacket in case I ever wanted to use the remote without MotionPlus. If you're not quite as worried about breaking things as Nintendo, you can extract the MotionPlus sensor and use it latex-free.  Tucked away at the foot of Nintendo's E3 press kit is an exhaustive list of the known (and in some cases unknown) release dates for what looks like every single announced Wii and WiiWare game.  When Nintendo's Wii fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl launched in 2008, it was touted for its user-generated stage designs and replay data. That service, sadly, will soon cease.  While waiting in line to get our hands on Wii Sports Resort, a gentleman approached us, proposing a question that, when issued in the fine city of Los Angeles, would normally be cause for concern: "Wanna see something cool?" Our interest was piqued...  Last year, Nintendo only had three playable games from Wii Sports Resort: Disc Dog, Power Cruising, and Swordplay, all of which were used to show the precision of the Wii MotionPlus device.
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| Activision CEO Unhappy No Console Price Chop Announced June 6, 2009 at 11:00 am |
|   Bobby Kotick, the Activision CEO, says that in these hard times the console makers should all do their part and lop a hundy off the retail price of the current generation rigs, so gamers can buy more full-price sequels. Speaking to Bloomberg news, Kotick said he was "disappointed not to see any sort of aggressive price cutting," at E3. "Of all the things that the hardware companies need to be doing right now, it's recognizing the difficulties of the economy and pricing their hardware appropriately."  When Activision purchased Bizarre Creations, all eyes were on the former Project Gotham Racing developer was going to do next. While it's no surprise that Bizarre is sticking to racing games...  During E3, Activision finally worked the gumption up to show off the DJ Hero turntable in the flesh. Since most of you weren't there, though, here's some renders of the thing.  Checking in on Activision's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, I chatted for a bit with producer Jason Ades, who explained the sad business truth behind the lack of a Generation One Transformers video game.  E3 2009: Publisher taking developer Double Fine to court over EA Partners game it passed on after Vivendi Games merger; Tim Schafer offers lyrical response. LOS ANGELES--This...
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| Blur Preview: Disco Scene June 6, 2009 at 10:30 am |
|   When Activision purchased Bizarre Creations, all eyes were on the former Project Gotham Racing developer was going to do next. While it's no surprise that Bizarre is sticking to racing games, you may be surprised what direction they're taking the genre in. What Is It? Bizarre Creations' 2009 arcade racer will be the first game published from the developer by Activision. Developers say they took all of the things that are fun about racing titles and put them into their highly stylized,  Sid goes hands-on with the PSP Go's launch racer Gran Turismo, and learns that Polyphonal Digital refuses to compromise even in the handheld genre. As an admirer, but not a follower...  While wandering through the EA booth on the last day of E3, we noticed the smiling figurehead of Blur developer Bizarre Creations on the back of a man playing ... Need for Speed: Shift.  E3 2009 marks the first time Konami let us get our hands on Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for the Nintendo Wii, and while the hands-on were brief, they were definitely illuminating.  While speaking to BioWare's leaders slash doctors, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, Joystiq managed to confirm that the second batch of DLC for Mass Effect (that's the first game!) would be announced and detailed soon.
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| Kotaku Originals: But Wait, There's More! June 6, 2009 at 10:00 am |
|   E3 week delivered a deluge of stories, previews, impressions, hands-on, live blogs and well, just coverage, but that doesn't mean the flood stops here. Let's recap a mammoth news week - more than 250 posts on E3, nearly 100 of them classified grade-A originals - but remember much more is on the way. Probably another week's worth of E3 coverage is in the works, some of it the best stuff the team gathered down in L.A.  Think Shadow of the Colossus meets Halo for this nutso sci-fi shooter. More Lost Planet 2 Coverage I'll keep this short and sweet: Lost Planet 2 is roughly one thousand times more interesting than the original game...  Sid goes hands-on with the PSP Go at E3 2009, and he likes it...mostly. Let's be honest: The PSP has room for improvement. The existing PSP is a slick device, but overlarge...  Sid goes hands-on with the PSP Go's launch racer Gran Turismo, and learns that Polyphonal Digital refuses to compromise even in the handheld genre. As an admirer, but not a follower...  "Play, Create, Share" hits the PSP and Sackboy is just like his bigger brother on the PS3. READ: PSP Go hands-on impressions LittleBigPlanet was a curious beast on the PlayStation 3.
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| Conan Addresses Super Mario Backdrop Claims June 6, 2009 at 2:58 am |
|  You might have heard earlier this week how a website was claiming that Conan O'Brien's new set looked suspiciously like a Super Mario Bros. level. Well, tonight on his show Conan addressed the accusations, saying that "it's absurd -- there's no way that you could ever see Super Mario Bros. in this set." And then he delivered the punchline, which you can see in this clip:  Tonight on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Conan O'Brien addressed the Photoshop that's been flying around the internet that show similarities between his show's backdrop and Mario Bros.  The most identifiable new feature of New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the casually competitive multiplayer. Players are ostensibly competing for coins and score, but the gameplay...  Now that we've seen how Super Mario World's level design has helped shape Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show backdrop, we had to get Nintendo's reaction. We did. "That's great...  It. Just. Doesn't. End. We had another day of E3. Day one, two, three, actually! Lots of new, lots of coverage, lots of posts. We've gathered them up and put them in one place.
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| Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is ... mom-friendly? June 6, 2009 at 2:32 am |
|   Not even Silent Hill is afraid of the Wii's casual audience. Speaking to Joystiq during E3 2009, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett described the game as being very much a true franchise entry (and we can attest to that!), but one that would enjoy the benefits of a wider audience and an intuitive control system on the Wii.  I found these two orphans sitting on my doorstep when I arrived home Friday night. The MotionPlus add-ons came sheathed in oversized remote jackets and an instruction...  Tucked away at the foot of Nintendo's E3 press kit is an exhaustive list of the known (and in some cases unknown) release dates for what looks like every single announced Wii and WiiWare game.  Here's a link to a review of the Resident Evil remake for GameCube that came out in 2002. Capcom didn't put any effort changing anything about the game before bringing it to the Wii under the moniker Resident Evil Archives...  Many of you likely remember the punishing gameplay of Astro Boy: Omega Factor. In fact, our first question to the High Voltage rep that demoed the game at the D3 Publisher booth was just that...
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| Perfect Dark XBLA Looks Sharp, No Expansion Pak Required June 6, 2009 at 2:00 am |
|   Rare's Nintendo 64 first-person shooter Perfect Dark is coming to Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Winter, says Microsoft. This is what it looks like. In a word, Perfect Dark looks sharper, thanks to its high-definition upgrades and "sporting a silkier framerate than ever before." In hard numbers, that translates to 1080p resolution and 60 frames-per-second. The official Xbox.com product page also touts "All the original game features are included plus new Xbox LIVE ones."  Spanish horror film REC 2, the sequel to 2007's excellent REC, is another exercise in claustrophobic horror. While the prequel was heavy on the hand-held camera, REC 2 employs camera mounted on the soldiers' helmets.  click to enter full-screen mode SouthPeak's Raven Squad -- which has dropped the Operation Hidden Dagger subtitle since last year -- has a very interesting concept. Raven Squad...  Turn 10 Studios is celebrating the announcement of Forza Motorsport 3 this week by offering up a free car to Forza 2 players who reply to their blog with their Xbox Live gamertag attached.  While checking in with Epic's upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title Shadow Complex again today, we were given a nice little tidbit of info from Epic programmer Rob McLaughlin.
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| Well... What Did You Think of E3? June 6, 2009 at 1:45 am |
|   E3 is over. Done. Dusted. Time to talk. This is Tell Us Dammit, no, make that TELL US DAMMIT. Here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person.  It's hard if not impossible for Team Joystiq to decide on a place to eat dinner, so choosing the coolest thing we saw at E3 was all but unthinkable. Instead, we asked each member of the team to pick the best thing they saw at the show...  Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it.  Bobby Kotick, the Activision CEO, says that in these hard times the console makers should all do their part and lop a hundy off the retail price of the current generation rigs, so gamers can buy more full-price sequels.  During E3, Activision finally worked the gumption up to show off the DJ Hero turntable in the flesh. Since most of you weren't there, though, here's some renders of the thing.
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| PSP Go and buy all-new accessories June 6, 2009 at 1:42 am |
|   Sony had a spot in its press-only booth area reserved for showing off the various accessories that will be available for PSP Go when it hits US shelves on October 1. There were cases, wrist straps, Sony-branded screen protectors ... and wait, what was that? Since the handheld doesn't have a standard mini USB port like the PSP-3000, we'll have to buy all new accessories? Sad, but true.  Sony's John Koller, director of hardware marketing, stated in a recent interview that the company is considering a UMD game trade-in program for PSP Go customers. Speaking with Gizmodo...  This E3 was packed with explosive news and announcements, from confirmation of the PSP Go and Sony's motion controls to the whispers of a new Metroid and Zelda. But one of the most startling may have been Microsoft's Project Natal.  E3 2009 Q&A: Discussing E3 and the current console cycle, president Ben Feder declares the just-announced PS3 exclusive has the Houser Bros. and Rockstar North's "A team working on an AAA title.  Novarama's PSP game Invizimals may smack of an obvious Pokémon clone, but the PSP Camera-enabled pet collection game is still fascinating to look at, with magical appeal that younger games might just eat up.  The Sony press conference had a lot in it, but did it have enough for us to get a Bingo... Nooooooo! We all lost, again, for a third time! It's all so sad. Well, next year we're doing just "news" Bingo and leaving out the press conference part.
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| Google Celebrates Tetris Birthday June 6, 2009 at 1:38 am |
|   So I was just about to search for something on Google and noticed that the search engine changed its logo -- to a Tetris theme! Why? To celebrate the iconic videogame's birthday. It was 25 years ago today that Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris. How cool is that? Over the past 25 years Tetris has sold over 70 million copies, and we named it the #1 game of all time in our Top 100 Games of All Time feature in EGM. So happy birthday, Tetris. I really hope Alexey is out celebrating right now.  It's hard if not impossible for Team Joystiq to decide on a place to eat dinner, so choosing the coolest thing we saw at E3 was all but unthinkable. Instead, we asked each member of the team to pick the best thing they saw at the show...  Don't forget that Apple's World Wide Developers Conference kicks off Monday. The press conference is sure to have at least some iPhone gaming news from the company. Earlier...  Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it.  When Activision purchased Bizarre Creations, all eyes were on the former Project Gotham Racing developer was going to do next. While it's no surprise that Bizarre is sticking to racing games...
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| The Great Wii Release Schedule Caper June 6, 2009 at 1:30 am |
|   Tucked away at the foot of Nintendo's E3 press kit is an exhaustive list of the known (and in some cases unknown) release dates for what looks like every single announced Wii and WiiWare game. The list covers both first and third-party releases. Can't find a game you're after? Take it up with Nintendo. We're just the messengers.  I found these two orphans sitting on my doorstep when I arrived home Friday night. The MotionPlus add-ons came sheathed in oversized remote jackets and an instruction...  Not even Silent Hill is afraid of the Wii's casual audience. Speaking to Joystiq during E3 2009, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett described the game as being very much a true franchise entry (and we can attest to that!)...  Monado: Beginning of the World didn't get much attention from Nintendo during its E3 2009 media briefing this week, but it cared enough to upload media for the Wii role-playing game.  June 3, 2009 - For years, EA has been the biggest third party publisher in the world. Wandering around their E3 booth this year, it was hard to avoid reckoning with that fact.
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| Conan O'Brien Comments On Super Mario Bros. Set June 6, 2009 at 1:00 am |
|   Tonight on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Conan O'Brien addressed the Photoshop that's been flying around the internet that show similarities between his show's backdrop and Mario Bros. What's his response? According to Conan, "There's no way you could ever see Super Mario Bros. in this set." Even if it was accidental or planned or whatever, Nintendo thinks it's "great".  I found these two orphans sitting on my doorstep when I arrived home Friday night. The MotionPlus add-ons came sheathed in oversized remote jackets and an instruction...  Considering both of Nintendo's rivals announced motion-control projects, one might wonder what Shigeru Miyamoto's reaction would be. The BBC asked if Ninty was "in danger of getting left behind by the competition.  Tucked away at the foot of Nintendo's E3 press kit is an exhaustive list of the known (and in some cases unknown) release dates for what looks like every single announced Wii and WiiWare game.  At a developer's roundtable the other day, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto showed a select group of people some concept art for the new Zelda game. That select group is about to get a lot bigger. I don't know about you, but that's no Princess Zelda...
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| Katamari Forever Rolls Up A Preview June 6, 2009 at 12:30 am |
|   I totally forgot Katamari Forever was going to be at E3, but when I trundled up to Namco's booth and saw it languishing unattended, was glad I found myself with half an hour to kill. Why? Because while the past few Katamari games - the ones without the input of creator Keita Takahashi - were sucky, this isn't a "new" Katamari game. It's a re-release of the original, with a handful of new levels thrown in.  Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it.  Capcom had this cartoony brawler on display at their E3 booth, so we took the time to beat up on some cybernetically-enhanced baddies. Spyborgs is a good example of how...  Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's EyePet is one of the increasing number of games that's hard to go hands-on with. The augmented reality pet-simulation is played mostly...  We get an updated look at this fantasy-themed turn-based strategy sequel and get new details on the first expansion pack. It wouldn't be E3 2009 without hundreds of games crammed into the cavernous halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center...
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| EA exec states there won't be more Godfather games June 5, 2009 at 11:40 pm |
|   Electronic Arts told the LA Times during an interview this week that the Godfather franchise is done at the publisher. EA Games label president Frank Gibeau told the paper, "We're not going to do another one." He then noted that there was no Godfather game in the schedule going out three years. EA's PR followed up with the Times to say no decision had been made about the fate of the mafia franchise and that "Paramount is a great partner." The speculation is that EA it toning down on licensed properties and working on making a stable of original franchises to exploit.  EA's The Godfather II sold only 241,000 copies in the U.S. — disappointing for a name title. No wonder EA Games label president Frank Gibeau is ready to wash his hands of the franchise.  E3 2009: Publisher taking developer Double Fine to court over EA Partners game it passed on after Vivendi Games merger; Tim Schafer offers lyrical response. LOS ANGELES--This...  Yahoo reports that Activision filed a lawsuit against Double Fine, developer of the Jack Black-fueled Brütal Legend, on Wednesday to "stop the release" of the game.  E3 2009 Q&A: Dave Jones and company discuss Realtime Worlds' new distribution deal with Electronic Arts; online persistent shooter shifts to next year. In a day packed with announcements...
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| God Of War III Hands-On: Half-Goat, Half-Lion, Half-Snake June 5, 2009 at 11:30 pm |
|   My hands-on demo with God of War III was a familiar journey, having seen the same stretch of the PlayStation 3 game played through three times by someone else. I knew exactly what to do. Kill some rank and file undead, ride harpy, kill scores more Chaos Blade fodder, fight the Centaur commander, kill the Chimera—described by God of War III director Stig Asmussen as "half-goat, half-lion, half-snake"—launched a massive bolt at Helios, all that. It was largely the same sequence we'd seen in February, when the newest God of War didn't look nearly as sharp as its E3 presence.  "Play, Create, Share" hits the PSP and Sackboy is just like his bigger brother on the PS3. READ: PSP Go hands-on impressions LittleBigPlanet was a curious beast on the PlayStation 3.  Sid approves of the impressive graphics and controls for this portable fighter, and catches a glimpse of special guest fighter Kratos from God of War. I could go on and on about this one, but it's best left short and sweet.  The release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Gyakuten Kenji has done wonderful things for Nintendo DSi sales in Japan, almost doubling them week-to-week. In fact, improvements were almost across the board.  When dropping by the Sony Online Entertainment booth at E3 for our appointment with upcoming PlayStation 3/PC MMO The Agency, we found out some rather troubling news regarding the game's promised cross-platform functionality.
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| This Spanish Movie Looks Like Some First-Person-Shooter June 5, 2009 at 11:00 pm |
|   Spanish horror film REC 2, the sequel to 2007's excellent REC, is another exercise in claustrophobic horror. While the prequel was heavy on the hand-held camera, REC 2 employs camera mounted on the soldiers' helmets. It's a bit like watching a first-person-shooter. This is hardly a first — other movies have done this before. But REC was quite effective in the scary department, so we're willing to give REC 2 the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions. The upside? It should be easy to make a game version of this flick.  Rare's Nintendo 64 first-person shooter Perfect Dark is coming to Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Winter, says Microsoft. This is what it looks like. In a word, Perfect Dark looks sharper...  Defend America from invasion in this explosive new shooter! Homefront is an upcoming first-person shooter developed by Kaos Studios (Frontlines: Fuel of War) and published by THQ.  GamePro's E3 Contest Winner, Kenneth Pereira, writes his first preview for GamePro. I am the winner of the GamePro E3 Expo 2009 contest and I just back from the show floor.  click to enter full-screen mode SouthPeak's Raven Squad -- which has dropped the Operation Hidden Dagger subtitle since last year -- has a very interesting concept. Raven Squad...
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| Section 8 brings user-created dedicated servers to Xbox 360 June 5, 2009 at 10:45 pm |
|   We got a chance to see Section 8 at E3 this year. Summing things up, our experience was pretty much in line with what we played at GDC earlier this year. So, let's just skip that and get to the news, shall we? Section 8 will be the very first Xbox 360 game to allow users to set up their own dedicated servers, according to producer Robert Siwiak.  Think Shadow of the Colossus meets Halo for this nutso sci-fi shooter. More Lost Planet 2 Coverage I'll keep this short and sweet: Lost Planet 2 is roughly one thousand times more interesting than the original game...  This destructive racer is of Sid Shuman's favorite games from E3 2009. Split/Second unveiled at GDC 2009 Much has already been said about Split-Second, a rollicking, furious racing game that has its eye on being the Burnout Beater of 2009.  Sid approves of the impressive graphics and controls for this portable fighter, and catches a glimpse of special guest fighter Kratos from God of War. I could go on and on about this one, but it's best left short and sweet.  Sid blasts his way through Tekken 6, and tries out two levels from the new co-op, Streets of Rage-esque Scenario mode. Get ready for the next battle! READ: Talkin' Tekken...
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| Overheard@E3: STUNNED! June 5, 2009 at 10:36 pm |
|   While toiling away in the press room on Wednesday, entrenched and blogging the scoops, we heard a couple of other game journos discuss the sheer magnificence of one Square Enix. Apparently, these guys were big fans. Game Journo #1: "Did you see Final Fantasy XIV?" Game Journo #2: "Yes, and I was stunned. STUNNED!"  E3 2009: Konami and Kojima's original stealth actioner heads to Sony's online platform later this month for $10. LOS ANGELES--Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII and EA's...  Shigeru Miyamoto dominates day two of E3's clips selection — appearing not once but twice to talk about the absence of Zelda from E3 and sort of talk about a new game mechanic.  Sony boss Jack Tretton may have spoken a bit too soon when he said that Final Fantasy XIV would be exclusively on PS3. At today's Square Enix press conference, senior...  We sky dive, fly an airship, and ride a Chocobo in this surprising addition to the Crystal Chronicles series. We weren't sure what to expect when we went hands-on with The Crystal Bearers at Square-Enix's booth.
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| DJ Hero Turntable Pics June 5, 2009 at 10:30 pm |
|   During E3, Activision finally worked the gumption up to show off the DJ Hero turntable in the flesh. Since most of you weren't there, though, here's some renders of the thing.  E3 2009: Publisher taking developer Double Fine to court over EA Partners game it passed on after Vivendi Games merger; Tim Schafer offers lyrical response. LOS ANGELES--This...  Activision Rep: "Have you been to the booth yet?" Xav: "Not yet. I want to check out Brutal Legend... wait sorry, that's EA. You guys used to have it." Activision: "Yeah.  Activision's booth yesterday played host to more than just sweaty gamers and DJ Hero videos: Call of Duty 4-developer Infinity Ward was rewarded with a Guinness World...  By Josiah Munsey E3 is Vegas on crack, lights pulsing, base thumping, nunchucks swinging, people dancing for joy to DJ Hero's remix of "Holla Back Girl" ( Thanks Activision).
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| Strategy First Announces Bill 'Spaceman' Lee Out of the Park Baseball 10 Release Date June 5, 2009 at 10:11 pm |
|  Strategy First Inc. and Out of the ParkProductions are proud to present Bill ‘The Spaceman’ Lee Out Of The ParkBaseball 10, which will be released June 9, 2009. Out Of The Park Baseball 10 is the 10thinstallment of the award-winning baseball management simulation game. The gamewill add more features to an already unparalleled feature set and improvealready existing ones. With an improved artificial intelligence, which resultsthe most realistic baseball management experience, Out Of The Park Baseball 10continues the tradition of innovative management simulations.  27 BEST GAMES OF E3: We pick our favorite video games shown at E3 2009! ALSO READ: The Best and Worst of the E3 2009 Keynotes ALSO READ: E3 News Roundup! ALSO READ: The...  Gearbox's long-awaited sci-fi action role-playing game finally gets a release date, right at the end of Take-Two Interactive's fiscal year; new trailer inside. Another delay would've made this fellow even more agitated.  . Our time spent with Darksiders' creative director Joe Madureira yielded more than a confirmation of release date and a demo, as we noticed a familiar voice ringing out throughout our play session.
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| Pokemon In 3D! June 5, 2009 at 10:00 pm |
|   On October 14, the first two Pokémon 3D anime film shorts will be returning once again to Japanese movies theaters in a remastered Pokémon 3D Adventure double bill. Originally opening in 2005 as the first 3D Pokémon film, the 11-minute Mew o Sagase! (Find Mew!) has been given a new ending for the re-release. The 14-minute Pikachu no Kaitei Daiboken (Pikachu's Great Underwater Adventure) hit select theaters the following year.  Think Shadow of the Colossus meets Halo for this nutso sci-fi shooter. More Lost Planet 2 Coverage I'll keep this short and sweet: Lost Planet 2 is roughly one thousand times more interesting than the original game...  Tonight on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Conan O'Brien addressed the Photoshop that's been flying around the internet that show similarities between his show's backdrop and Mario Bros.  Tucked away at the foot of Nintendo's E3 press kit is an exhaustive list of the known (and in some cases unknown) release dates for what looks like every single announced Wii and WiiWare game.  Rare's Nintendo 64 first-person shooter Perfect Dark is coming to Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Winter, says Microsoft. This is what it looks like. In a word, Perfect Dark looks sharper...
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| Sony considering UMD game trade-in program for PSP Go digital versions June 5, 2009 at 9:45 pm |
|   Sony's John Koller, director of hardware marketing, stated in a recent interview that the company is considering a UMD game trade-in program for PSP Go customers. Speaking with Gizmodo, Koller stated the company plans to unveil a "good will program," allowing customers to link digital copies of their games to their Go.  Sony had a spot in its press-only booth area reserved for showing off the various accessories that will be available for PSP Go when it hits US shelves on October 1. There were cases, wrist straps, Sony-branded screen protectors .  This E3 was packed with explosive news and announcements, from confirmation of the PSP Go and Sony's motion controls to the whispers of a new Metroid and Zelda. But one of the most startling may have been Microsoft's Project Natal.  One of the biggest hurdles to getting Playstation Portable owners to upgrade to the recently announced PSP Go is their existing library of UMD games which won't work on the device.  E3 2009 Q&A: Discussing E3 and the current console cycle, president Ben Feder declares the just-announced PS3 exclusive has the Houser Bros. and Rockstar North's "A team working on an AAA title.
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| E3 2009, as told by Jason Sudeikis June 5, 2009 at 9:37 pm |
|   While Joystiq sends bloggers to E3 for teh newz, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon sends Jason Sudeikis for teh lawls, as the latest episode of the late-night program shows. Available to watch right now on Hulu, highlights include Jason's brief stop by the Bayonetta area at Sega's booth, and a rather hilarious exchange with Infinity Ward about Modern Warfare 2. It's quality entertainment, and Sudeikis does a good job of making lighthearted fun of a show that we worked so hard to cover super seriously this week. Enjoy.  Joystiq doesn't just cover E3, it covers french fries as well. Seeking to add a taste of home to our exotic Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles fare, Joystiq's Kevin Kelly concocted this new condiment...  Pictured: the mouth of former Joystiqer, now Engadgeteer, Ross Miller Joystiq readers, you know we love you. We wouldn't be out here covering E3 if it weren't for you checking us for stories, browsing our galleries, and sending us tips.  While speaking to BioWare's leaders slash doctors, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, Joystiq managed to confirm that the second batch of DLC for Mass Effect (that's the first game!) would be announced and detailed soon.  Activision's booth yesterday played host to more than just sweaty gamers and DJ Hero videos: Call of Duty 4-developer Infinity Ward was rewarded with a Guinness World...
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| E3's Fuzziest Controller Causes Cute Overload June 5, 2009 at 9:30 pm |
|   This "Pluff" controller/application is more than a graduate student's master thesis — it's the cutest damn thing ever. Diana Hughes from the University of Southern California created Pluff to function is a combination Furby/Tamagotchi pet that's both a controller and a virtual pet. Petting him makes him happy, slamming his head against a desk makes him sad. The better you treat him, says Hughes, the easier it is for the user to teach him tricks.  Tucked away at the foot of Nintendo's E3 press kit is an exhaustive list of the known (and in some cases unknown) release dates for what looks like every single announced Wii and WiiWare game.  E3 is over. Done. Dusted. Time to talk. This is Tell Us Dammit, no, make that TELL US DAMMIT. Here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever.  Not even Silent Hill is afraid of the Wii's casual audience. Speaking to Joystiq during E3 2009, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett described the game as being very much a true franchise entry (and we can attest to that!)...  I totally forgot Katamari Forever was going to be at E3, but when I trundled up to Namco's booth and saw it languishing unattended, was glad I found myself with half an hour to kill.
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| Bioshock 2 Multiplayer Screens June 5, 2009 at 9:00 pm |
|   Keen for some 10-player Bioshock deathmatch action? Then you'll have to wait until Bioshock 2 is released. Until then, you'll have to make do with these MP screens.  So, there's good news and bad news for those of you who'd like to carry the apocalpyse in your pocket. Bethesda wants to bring the Fallout series to smaller screens ..  FIFA 10 is new. You knew it was coming, but still, new is new. And after reading our impressions of the game, why not sink your studs into the soft, fleshy shins of these screens  Tecmo's "TPS" Quantum is reporting for PlayStation 3 exclusive duty in 2010. The third-person shooter looks very Japanese in its visual design, but Western in its cover system-focused gameplay.  After a development time that can only be described as comedic, Gran Turismo will finally be coming to the PSP this October. Here are some surprisingly honest screenshots.
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| The Agency cross-platform play 'yet to be determined' for launch June 5, 2009 at 8:45 pm |
|   When dropping by the Sony Online Entertainment booth at E3 for our appointment with upcoming PlayStation 3/PC MMO The Agency, we found out some rather troubling news regarding the game's promised cross-platform functionality. While the demo we watched employed the much vaunted feature, we were told by the folks from SOE that the game may not launch with players on each platform able to play with each other. "Technologically, it's fine.  Recently revived 90's boyband hitting the PS3 and PS2 later in this year. With E3 wrapped up for another year, and Sony basking in the warm glow of its press conference unveilings...  With insane amounts of people flocking to Free Realms, what does Sony Online Entertainment have planned to keep them all occupied? I probed Senior Producer Andrew Sites and PR specialist Ryan Peters for answers.  We silently infiltrate a party full of the world's most influential people, then make a not-so-silent exit during a two-player cross-platform E3 demo. The Agency is an MMO set in the modern world of high-end, high stakes espionage.
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| WRUP: E3 recovery edition June 5, 2009 at 8:33 pm |
|   We are soooo tired. By the time this post goes live, we'll likely be in the air back to our respective locations and/or asleep. Please let us know what you're playing this weekend. Alexander Sliwinski (@XanderSliwinski): Rewarding myself with some inFamous. I've heard nothing but good things and need some solid post-E3 decompression. Andrew Yoon: I really want to finish inFamous this week. And when not blogging, I'll be in Uncharted 2. Oh, and something super secret... Ben Gilbert (@BigBossBgilbert): Playing "get back to Philly and sleep." Also, Wolverine. Christopher Grant (@ChrisGrant): ...  This "Pluff" controller/application is more than a graduate student's master thesis — it's the cutest damn thing ever. Diana Hughes from the University of Southern...  During E3, Activision finally worked the gumption up to show off the DJ Hero turntable in the flesh. Since most of you weren't there, though, here's some renders of the thing.  We got a chance to see Section 8 at E3 this year. Summing things up, our experience was pretty much in line with what we played at GDC earlier this year. So, let's just skip that and get to the news...  While toiling away in the press room on Wednesday, entrenched and blogging the scoops, we heard a couple of other game journos discuss the sheer magnificence of one Square Enix.  While Joystiq sends bloggers to E3 for teh newz, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon sends Jason Sudeikis for teh lawls, as the latest episode of the late-night program shows.
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| 11-Year-Old Genius Says Video Games A Waste Of Time June 5, 2009 at 8:30 pm |
|   Normally, you'd never listen to an 11-year-old kid; but this one's graduating with honors from East Los Angeles Community College this month with a degree in Liberal Studies. That could make him a genius, right? Moshe Kai Cavalin started college when he was 8. He tutored his older classmates, scored some martial arts competition awards and is graduating with a 4.0. NBC Los Angeles News reports that the prodigy is planning on writing a book for kids on how to succeed in school.  There's a growing sect of Joystiq writers who are walking away from E3 2009 with the same title constituting their Game of the Show. Surprisingly, it's not a big-budget blockbuster...  Alexey Pajitnov, the father of puzzle video games, like the idea of full motion controls, but thinks any such system faces major hurdles. "I am a little bit skeptical about (Project Natal)," he said.  Watch out PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade games recharge! GamePro Senior editor Sid Shuman and I discuss the state of Xbox Live Arcade versus PlayStation Network games on a weekly basis.
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| Japanese Console Sales Jump On Kingdom Hearts Release June 5, 2009 at 8:00 pm |
|   The release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Gyakuten Kenji has done wonderful things for Nintendo DSi sales in Japan, almost doubling them week-to-week. In fact, improvements were almost across the board. Thanks to a batch of brand new releases, tepid hardware sales overseas saw a little kick in the pants. It was the DSi that saw the biggest gain, but PSP, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sales were all up. Those platforms can mostly likely thank Yuusha 30, Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Empires and HAWX for that.  27 BEST GAMES OF E3: We pick our favorite video games shown at E3 2009! ALSO READ: The Best and Worst of the E3 2009 Keynotes ALSO READ: E3 News Roundup! ALSO READ: The...  Japanese gamers snapped up a ton of new titles in Japan this past week as the new Kingdom Hearts game for the Nintendo DS topped charts. The top ten was full of new, including Gyakuten Kenji and.  Microsoft executive Shane Kim says plan calls for current hardware to be on store shelves until 2015. The original Xbox launched in November of 2001, and stopped manufacturing the console in early 2006.
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| Scribblenauts passes our ten-word challenge with flying colors June 5, 2009 at 7:45 pm |
|   We were extremely impressed with our time with Scribblenauts on the E3 show floor, but in a weird way, we felt this primal desire to conquer it. After an evening of brainstorming, we developed ten words we were certain would stump the game's seemingly infinite vocabulary -- the surprising results of our little experiment are posted after the jump!  He'll fight for freedom wherever there's trouble, and the E3 show floor is no exception. We went hand-to-hand with EA's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for the Xbox 360. What Is It? G.  Not a year after Valve's Left 4 Dead hit Steam, its sequel is already dancing across E3 screens, and the changes are worth killing for. The E3 show floor is packed to the gills with gamers from around the world...  The man who gives voice to Mario, Sir Charles Martinet (not actually knighted - nor a sir), was on the E3 show floor early yesterday and doing his thing. Speaking of his thing...  Sony introduced the PSP Go at today's E3 media briefing, a smaller, pricier alternative to the already available PSP-3000. That new model was available on the E3 show floor, attached to new PSP games.
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| PSN Friday: E3 lag edition June 5, 2009 at 7:45 pm |
|   What's that you say? It's Friday? Yeah, we've been a bit busy with E3, hence the release of the PSN update post a day late. Plus, it took us forever and a day to type up the ridiculous amount of content that's been dropped, including over twenty videos, three PS1 games, two full PSN games and two demos. Not to mention the usual DLC. Enjoy!  This "Pluff" controller/application is more than a graduate student's master thesis — it's the cutest damn thing ever. Diana Hughes from the University of Southern...  During E3, Activision finally worked the gumption up to show off the DJ Hero turntable in the flesh. Since most of you weren't there, though, here's some renders of the thing.  We got a chance to see Section 8 at E3 this year. Summing things up, our experience was pretty much in line with what we played at GDC earlier this year. So, let's just skip that and get to the news...  While toiling away in the press room on Wednesday, entrenched and blogging the scoops, we heard a couple of other game journos discuss the sheer magnificence of one Square Enix.  While Joystiq sends bloggers to E3 for teh newz, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon sends Jason Sudeikis for teh lawls, as the latest episode of the late-night program shows.
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| E3: It Never Ends June 5, 2009 at 7:30 pm |
|  To: Owen It's been one of the busiest E3's in recent memory, and the stories on Kotaku prove it. We've reported on everything from the new tech of Project Natal, the PSP Go and Vitality Monitor to Shigeru Miyamoto slipping up and telling us about Nintendo's save system. We also managed to drop a rumor post about the details and timing of Apple's new iPhone. Busy week.  Sony's John Koller, director of hardware marketing, stated in a recent interview that the company is considering a UMD game trade-in program for PSP Go customers. Speaking with Gizmodo...  The release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Gyakuten Kenji has done wonderful things for Nintendo DSi sales in Japan, almost doubling them week-to-week. In fact, improvements were almost across the board.  This E3 was packed with explosive news and announcements, from confirmation of the PSP Go and Sony's motion controls to the whispers of a new Metroid and Zelda. But one of the most startling may have been Microsoft's Project Natal.  So, there's good news and bad news for those of you who'd like to carry the apocalpyse in your pocket. Bethesda wants to bring the Fallout series to smaller screens ..
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