| Midway mystery man Mark Thomas settles with creditors, receives $5 mil
June 8, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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|   We'll be straight with you -- the whole Midway legal debacle is far from over. We are, however, one step closer to the dissolution of Midway as it stands now, with the company's creditors and 87% shareholder Mark Thomas reaching an agreement and ending at least one lawsuit. After purchasing the stocks from former majority shareholder Sumner Redstone for the low, low price of $100k, Thomas is cashing out -- he'll be receiving "as much as $5 million ahead of other creditors, whose claims aren't backed by collateral," according to Bloomberg.  First they hit one million players within weeks of release. Then they hit 2 million a week and a half later. Where does the Free Realms population stand right now? I...  E3 2009: Publisher confirms latest survival horror shooter passes Resident Evil 2 as new franchise sales leader after quintuple-platinum milestone. LOS ANGELES--Last week...  Capcom multi-platform survival horror title Resident Evil 5 is a big gtame. How big? To the tune of 5 million big. The Osaka-base game developer has shipped over 5 million copies of the game, which went on sale this past March.  Apparently, struggling publisher Midway has more than just Warner Bros. bidding on its remaining assets. After last week's announcement of WB's $33 million dollar offer to acquire the lion's share of Midway's properties...
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| iPhone dev says AppStore is over-hyped
June 8, 2009 at 10:40 pm
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|  Some sobering words this morning from iPhone developer Rick Strom, who has two applications on the AppStore's Top 100 paid list. He mentioned that an app sitting at the #35 slot (which one of his is) is bringing in (on average) around $20 per day. Strom goes on to say that the store is a little more like a lottery, with only a few getting the real wealth, than the gold rush it's been portrayed as.  I called Just Cause 2 the best thing I saw at E3. That's a big call for a sequel to a so-so game. So, just in case you think I've gone mad, watch this. It's the same developer demo I sat through behind closed doors at E3.  Today at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced that a new iPhone will be released entitled the "iPhone 3GS" which Apple calls "the most powerful, fastest iPhone we've ever made.  The Conduit developer High Voltage is bringing the original arena sport to the Wii with Gladiator A.D., part fighting game, part roleplaying game. At first glance, Gladiator A.  BioWare is currently developing a Mass Effect spinoff for the iPhone. And if Bethesda has its way, another popular RPG franchise may eventually be making the jump. The developer just needs to settle on the right design.
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| Tracking The Ups And Downs Of Microsoft's E3 Press Conference
June 8, 2009 at 10:30 pm
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|   After looking at the "popularity contest" study done on Nintendo's E3 press conference yesterday, many asked when it would be Microsoft and/or Sony's turn. Today, it's Microsoft's turn. Bitmob's Andrew Hiscock has applied the same methodology - tracking the positivity or negativity of comments on hardcore gaming board NeoGAF - used for the Nintendo study, only this time with one key difference.  While this year's E3 was chock-full of major announcements, none of them had to do with price drops. Two major gaming CEOs are not happy about that. IGN is passing along... I called Just Cause 2 the best thing I saw at E3. That's a big call for a sequel to a so-so game. So, just in case you think I've gone mad, watch this. It's the same developer demo I sat through behind closed doors at E3.  Namco Bandai announced that Tekken 6 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 would one-up its arcade counterpart with the "Scenario Campaign" mode, a single and two player online co-op campaign that makes for great screen shots.  Sega's first game to cash in on the Aliens license is Aliens Vs. Predator, which, if I can count correctly, is the ninth video game* to chronicle the epic battle between Aliens and Predators.
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| Tetris Claymation Watches Tetris Orgy
June 8, 2009 at 10:00 pm
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|  What better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tetris than with a claymation Tetris block watching hot square on square action? There's block masterbation. And moaning and "Korobeinki". Hardcore Tetris Pornography [Topless Robot]  Time magazine weighs in on Tetris' birthday, implying that it is by far the most lasting success of the Soviet Union. "Sputnik burned up in the atmosphere, Berlin is now one city...  Hot off its Project Natal demonstration, Microsoft is saying the Xbox 360 will have a ten year life cycle. "We firmly believe that the Xbox 360 has a life cycle through 2015 (10 years after the launch)," explained Microsoft exec Shane Kim.
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| Nintendo sneaks out Monado: Beginning of the World trailer
June 8, 2009 at 10:00 pm
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| You remember watching the Nintendo E3 keynote liveblog just last week and seeing the huge reveal of Monado: Beginning of the World, right? And then Ms. Dunaway returned to the stage, clad in JRPG couture, ready to challenge Reggie Fils-Aime to a turn-based battle. It all seemed like a dream. After looking at the "popularity contest" study done on Nintendo's E3 press conference yesterday, many asked when it would be Microsoft and/or Sony's turn. Today, it's Microsoft's turn. I called Just Cause 2 the best thing I saw at E3. That's a big call for a sequel to a so-so game. So, just in case you think I've gone mad, watch this. It's the same developer demo I sat through behind closed doors at E3.  You already know what we think about this year's E3 winners and losers, but we want to know what you think, Joystiq Biomass™. Did the inner speed hair teaser in...  Following our eyes-only demo of Alan Wake, Remedy lead writer Sam Lake explained the game's levels are structured like a television series season. "The story is divided into episodes...  The new Ratchet and Clank might be the most changed edition of the franchise since the multiplayer-centric Deadlocked, but that's not the comparison the developers probably want us making.
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| New SCEE head thinks Wii owners will eventually 'upgrade' to PS3
June 8, 2009 at 9:48 pm
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|  The new president of SCEE, Andrew House, isn't wasting any time taking over the reins from David Reeves and causing a stir. After having been in his new office for only a little over a month, House is already making daring statements, telling Edge-Online that he believes Wii owners will eventually 'upgrade' to PS3. His logic is based off prior figures that pit the lifecycle of PS2 against that of N64 (he probably meant GameCube),  What new digital treasure await the Wii Point and DSi Point bearing Nintendo fan this week? Perhaps most noteworthy is arrival of Mario vs Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, announced last week for the Nintendo DSi and available right now.  We've already gotten a peek at Nintendo of America's newly released, but still tentative, Wii release schedule, which shows 2010 will be very good year. But what about...  Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth.
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| Nintendo Scrapped New Portable Hardware Over "Momentum" Concerns
June 8, 2009 at 9:40 pm
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|  Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata isn't afraid to make hard decisions, having recently scuttled a new piece of Nintendo hardware that might never see the light of day, never to put smiles on faces. According to a report from CNBC, Iwata says that Nintendo had another handheld gaming system in the works as recently as three years ago. What that platform would have been, which market it would have targeted and what kinds of games it would play, Iwata didn't say. After looking at the "popularity contest" study done on Nintendo's E3 press conference yesterday, many asked when it would be Microsoft and/or Sony's turn. Today, it's Microsoft's turn. You already know what we think about this year's E3 winners and losers, but we want to know what you think, Joystiq Biomass™. Did the inner speed hair teaser in...  Sony and Microsoft both had something up their sleeves when it came to motion-based controls at this year's E3, revealing a new controller and Project Natal, respectively.  Shigeru Miyamoto is no longer suffering the GameCube blues, we learned at E3. In fact, he's been turning heads. But he is still trying to shake the criticism that Nintendo's Wii games are shallow.  In a week full of startling gaming news, from Microsoft's virtual controller to Nintendo's biometric add-on, Sony's launch of a digital-download only gaming system has the greatest potential to be a game changer for the industry.
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| A Bright Idea: Sims 3 USB Christmas Lights
June 8, 2009 at 9:20 pm
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|  To go with the reviewers' copies of The Sims 3 Collectors Edition (plum-bob USB memory stick included), EA also sent a set of USB Christmas lights, also in the shape of plum-bobs. The tips of the lights are sharp enough to cut skin or a small child's mouth should they attempt to gum them. According to a Flickr post from last month, it looks like I have EA Singapore to thank for the lights. They'll look great on my Hanukkah bush. Or in my cat's mouth.  We play with some adorable cel-shaded lions in THQ's new zoo keeping game. There are games that let you care for and play with virtual pets. There are games that let you create and manage the day-to-day workings of a zoo.  If you're reading this, there's a very good chance that you've heard about The Sims. It's been difficult to escape the popular franchise's web, what with two full games and a seemingly endless stream of expansions.  Releasing during E3 always strikes me as risky. Gamer interest might be high, but everyone's talking about what's coming out in the next year, not what's coming out now.
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| This Is Why I Thought Just Cause 2 Was "Best In Show"
June 8, 2009 at 9:00 pm
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| I called Just Cause 2 the best thing I saw at E3. That's a big call for a sequel to a so-so game. So, just in case you think I've gone mad, watch this. It's the same developer demo I sat through behind closed doors at E3. It runs for around 10 minutes, but it's definitely worth watching the whole thing. As for why I thought this was "best in show", well...I value innovation and originality in gaming as much as the next man, but sometimes, I just like to see things explode.  Nathan Fouts' Grapple Buggy immediately conjures up warm, fuzzy feelings of Bionic Commando, Super Metroid, Contra III: The Alien Wars and Blaster Master. Damn good retro company to be kept in. Following our eyes-only demo of Alan Wake, Remedy lead writer Sam Lake explained the game's levels are structured like a television series season. "The story is divided into episodes... The new Ratchet and Clank might be the most changed edition of the franchise since the multiplayer-centric Deadlocked, but that's not the comparison the developers probably want us making.  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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| Swords & Soldiers Crosses the Big Pond
June 8, 2009 at 8:58 pm
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|  You are about to meet the largestpeppers in your life! Swords & Soldiers is out! At long last Ronimo Games releasestheir highly anticipated Swords & Soldiers. The game is available in America forWiiWare on June the 8th 2009. 1000 Wii Points will get you a fresh andinnovative side scrolling realtime strategy game with lots and lots of tacticpeppermowing, barbecue action and epic fights for sauce and glory. The new president of SCEE, Andrew House, isn't wasting any time taking over the reins from David Reeves and causing a stir. After having been in his new office for only a little over a month... We've already gotten a peek at Nintendo of America's newly released, but still tentative, Wii release schedule, which shows 2010 will be very good year. But what about... Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth.
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| CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PSN Now Available
June 8, 2009 at 8:42 pm
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| Today Ubisoft announced thatCellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars is now available on Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox360 and PlayStation Network. CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars is a fast-pacedfirst-person multiplayer shooter that puts players in the center of the battleof technology vs. humanity. Complete with next-gen graphics and robust gameplay,CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars allows players to wage war by using their choiceof gunfire and/or telekinetic superpowers. You already know what we think about this year's E3 winners and losers, but we want to know what you think, Joystiq Biomass™. Did the inner speed hair teaser in... Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth.  The Big Surf Island expansion for Burnout Paradise is coming this Thursday to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. How much does Criterion's biggest add-on yet cost? It's not cheap...  Gearbox has confirmed its casual E3 mention to Joystiq that it plans to release Borderlands this October. A company representative told us today that it's looking forward...  Trine, the cooperative platformer from Frozenbyte, has until now been thought to be a PSN/PC exclusive (which is a fancy way of saying it's not on Xbox Live Arcade). We were surprised upon entering Atlus's booth to find Trine running on .
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| Hands-on: Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny
June 8, 2009 at 8:42 pm
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|  Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny, the latest in SNK's long-lived weapons-based fighting game series, feels totally different from its predecessors. The K2-developed fighter doesn't just add 3D graphics to the series more successfully than the version on the short-lived Hyper Neo Geo 64 system -- it adds some 3D movement as well, in the form of a dodge move.  At E3, EA Sports chief Peter Moore let us in on his master plan to guarantee an EA Sports fighting game every year. It's an odd-numbered year this year, and so it is that EA Sports shall give us a boxing game. The Conduit developer High Voltage is bringing the original arena sport to the Wii with Gladiator A.D., part fighting game, part roleplaying game. At first glance, Gladiator A.  If you love fighting games and obscure Japanese anime characters, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is a match made in heaven.NOTE: FIX Formatting and IMAGES, Please: All are IGN Watermarked.  June 4, 2009 - Excited about the upcoming Wii game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars? Not really so much? Well, what if we told you that you can do almost a trillion in damage in a single attack combo? That's what we thought.
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| Mario Vs. Donkey Kong Mini-Marches To DSiWare
June 8, 2009 at 8:40 pm
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| What new digital treasure await the Wii Point and DSi Point bearing Nintendo fan this week? Perhaps most noteworthy is arrival of Mario vs Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, announced last week for the Nintendo DSi and available right now. This week's new downloadable titles for WiiWare, DSiWare and the Wii Virtual Console has a focus on history, as the historical military simulation Ghengis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf, originally for the Super Nintendo, joins the not so historical Swords & Soldiers, each a Virtual Console and WiiWare game, respectively. The new president of SCEE, Andrew House, isn't wasting any time taking over the reins from David Reeves and causing a stir. After having been in his new office for only a little over a month... We've already gotten a peek at Nintendo of America's newly released, but still tentative, Wii release schedule, which shows 2010 will be very good year. But what about... Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth.
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| Games For Cheaper Auto Insurance
June 8, 2009 at 8:20 pm
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|  Allstate Insurance and Posit Science, a San Francisco start-up, are looking into brain-training video games as a way to give drivers a discount on auto insurance. SF Gate reports that a driver who played used the "brain-training software" game called Jewel Diver narrowly avoided a car accident when another driver ran a red light at intersection. The driver, W. Larocca, says: Time magazine weighs in on Tetris' birthday, implying that it is by far the most lasting success of the Soviet Union. "Sputnik burned up in the atmosphere, Berlin is now one city...  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.  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...
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| Trophies Not Coming to PlayStation Portable
June 8, 2009 at 8:17 pm
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The last few hardware iterations and firmware updates to the PlayStation Portable have made the device share more in common with its console cousin, the PlayStation 3... Namco Bandai announced that Tekken 6 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 would one-up its arcade counterpart with the "Scenario Campaign" mode, a single and two player online co-op campaign that makes for great screen shots.  Polyphony Digital's "real driving simulator" Gran Turismo is finally coming to the PSP this October, some four years after it was announced as Gran Turismo 4 Mobile. But now it's just simply Gran Turismo.  The head of marketing for the PlayStation brand told us at E3 that Sony's new PlayStation 3 motion-control tech could be the thing to get hardcore players into "motion gaming.  With Sony's Trophy system coming up on its one-year anniversary this month, we were eager to learn how Sony could enhance the service, leveraging the PlayStation brand and distancing itself from the Xbox 360's Achievements system.
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| Burnout Paradise's Big Surf Island Price Confirmed
June 8, 2009 at 8:02 pm
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| Criterion continues to support Burnout Paradise with tons of downloadable content, and they've just given official word on the price for one of the largest and most anticipated packs so far. Big Surf Island, which is set to release this Thursday, will be available for 1,000 Microsoft Points ($12.50 USD) or $12.99 on PlayStation Network. That's right, on the Xbox 360 you save a whopping 49 cents. We presume this is because 1,040 Microsoft Points would just be too odd of a figure. Check out the trailer above as you get ready to rev your engines once again.  June 8, 2009 - It seems Xbox 360 owners who suffer from the dreaded red ring of death will have to begin shipping Microsoft their own coffin. Joystiq reports the company...  How much will you pay for 15 new events in Burnout Paradise? Criterion is hoping the answer is $12.99 (£9.99), because that's what it's charging for the upcoming Big Surf Island DLC pack, available this Thursday.  Good news, everyone: Microsoft can now guarantee you'll never have to put a broken Xbox 360 into one of their custom "coffin" boxes for repairs again. The bad news: It's... The Big Surf Island expansion for Burnout Paradise is coming this Thursday to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. How much does Criterion's biggest add-on yet cost? It's not cheap...
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| Impressions: Invizimals
June 8, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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|  While conducting some tests for SCEI, a researcher at Sony's HQ in Japan realized that the PSP Go!Cam could see a visual spectrum far beyond human vision. Scattered throughout the world is a mystical energy that only the PSP camera could detect. Clearly, this is the beginning of something big! However, what if this energy fell into the wrong hands? Couldn't someone harness the energy for the purposes of evil? What if someone were to create a weapon with this mysterious energy?  Journey back into the magical land of Rivellon in Divinity 2: Ego Draconis, Larian Studios PC and Xbox 360 follow-up to their poorly-title action roleplaying game Divine Divinity.  While I saw plenty of amazing games at E3, the one moment that sticks with me is when BioWare was demonstrating the new conversation interrupt system for Mass Effect 2.  There's something very important you need to know about The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition: It may look new, but the classic, the original you love is always just a button push away.
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| New Tekken 6 Campaign Mode Spawns E3 Screen Shot Of Show
June 8, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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| Namco Bandai announced that Tekken 6 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 would one-up its arcade counterpart with the "Scenario Campaign" mode, a single and two player online co-op campaign that makes for great screen shots. You might be able to kick giant pandas in the face or battle women made of wood in the game's arcade mode, but to see triple the Roger in repose and the ladies of Tekken 6 on screen at the same time, you're gonna have to take it to Scenario Campaign mode. Sega's first game to cash in on the Aliens license is Aliens Vs. Predator, which, if I can count correctly, is the ninth video game* to chronicle the epic battle between Aliens and Predators. The head of marketing for the PlayStation brand told us at E3 that Sony's new PlayStation 3 motion-control tech could be the thing to get hardcore players into "motion gaming.  Namco Bandai has capitalized on this year's E3 with a batch of new screen shots for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of its 3D fighter Tekken 6. Cheeky high kicks abound. The Big Surf Island expansion for Burnout Paradise is coming this Thursday to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. How much does Criterion's biggest add-on yet cost? It's not cheap...
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| Hands-on: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
June 8, 2009 at 7:50 pm
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| "I've heard 'Shat-On Memories.' That's a good one," remarks Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett, taking the complaints from the so-called "unreasonable" Silent Hill fans in stride. Remaking -- or "re-imagining," rather -- a horror classic is no easy task, least of all when the leading platform's scariest trait is its abundance of minigames... The new president of SCEE, Andrew House, isn't wasting any time taking over the reins from David Reeves and causing a stir. After having been in his new office for only a little over a month... We've already gotten a peek at Nintendo of America's newly released, but still tentative, Wii release schedule, which shows 2010 will be very good year. But what about... Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth.
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| Microsoft Addresses 360 Hulu-Support Rumors
June 8, 2009 at 7:47 pm
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|  Microsoft is keen on providing multimedia internet services on the Xbox 360, but one of the most persistent rumors -- Hulu functionality on the system -- has so far gone unfulfilled. It does sound, however, like the company is considering their options. G4 talked with Microsoft corporate VP John Schappert about the rumors. "I will say that we are always -- I think as evidenced by our partnerships that we've announced -- we're always looking at new opportunities," he said. Namco Bandai announced that Tekken 6 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 would one-up its arcade counterpart with the "Scenario Campaign" mode, a single and two player online co-op campaign that makes for great screen shots. Sega's first game to cash in on the Aliens license is Aliens Vs. Predator, which, if I can count correctly, is the ninth video game* to chronicle the epic battle between Aliens and Predators. June 8, 2009 - It seems Xbox 360 owners who suffer from the dreaded red ring of death will have to begin shipping Microsoft their own coffin. Joystiq reports the company... Journey back into the magical land of Rivellon in Divinity 2: Ego Draconis, Larian Studios PC and Xbox 360 follow-up to their poorly-title action roleplaying game Divine Divinity.
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| Rock Band Wiikly: Iron Maiden and friends
June 8, 2009 at 4:45 pm
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|  With no real change to Rock Band Weekly since the Iron Maiden announcement a couple weeks ago, we gave the long-running feature a break last week during the E3 madness. However, the newbie, Rock Band Wiikly, still has to work it this week. Not only did it receive the aforementioned Iron Maiden content, but an additional 13 tracks previously released on the other consoles. Don't forget to download "Charlene" from Stephen and the Colberts for free. Check out the full list after the break.  During Kevin and Bean's Breakfast with Green Day this morning on KROQ 106.7 FM, Green Day confirmed that they'll be doing When an audience member asked them when their songs would be appearing in Rock Band...  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...  The Beatles: Rock Band has been playable at E3 this week. So, being fans of both The Beatles and Rock Band, we figured we'd go check it out. Thing is, while "we" may be fans of The Beatles, "I" am not.
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| Microsoft kills 'coffin' policy, time to pack your RRoD Xbox yourself
June 8, 2009 at 4:34 pm
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|  Microsoft – the manufacturer of the RRoD-prone Xbox 360 – has confirmed to Joystiq that it's discontinued its policy of providing a prepaid box with shipping label, more commonly referred to as the "coffin," for all Xbox 360 repairs. As of May 26 the policy was discontinued "in an effort to expedite the repair process." Customers will have the option of receiving an e-label to slap on the box they ship their bricked consoles in, but the days of the "coffin" are now over.  This is the latest Japanese Xbox 360 commercial — it's for the Platinum Collection budget line of games and low priced 360 consoles. It features a yet-unreleased track from Japanese rapper Seamo.  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.  We check out the first official gameplay footage of The Beatles: Rock Band, complete with shaggy beards, psychedelia, and giant rabbit costumes. Since its announcement in October last year...  Starting this fall, movies and television shows from Zune Video will be playable on the Xbox 360 in 1080p HD. Microsoft says that video start up using their new service...
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| New Games This Month: June 2009
June 8, 2009 at 4:33 pm
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|  Summer's just two weeks away, and traditionally it brings with it year's worst drought of good new releases. June 2009 is actually holding up pretty well though with a few big ticket items like Red Faction: Guerrilla and Ghostbusters and a slew of new Overlord games. Hit the gallery for the full list, and be sure to let us know which ones you'll be picking up.  Apple is launching iPhone OS version 3.0 next week, bringing with it a slew of new features, including cut and paste, undo, MMS support and more. But what about the gaming features? We already knew that Apple would allow for in-application purchases...  Nintendo announced at their E3 press conference last week that a new Mario vs. Donkey Kong game, subtitled Minis March Again!, was headed to DSiWare this week. And sure enough...
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| Burnout's Big Surf Island Gets Priced
June 8, 2009 at 4:20 pm
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| The Big Surf Island expansion for Burnout Paradise is coming this Thursday to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. How much does Criterion's biggest add-on yet cost? It's not cheap, but it should be worth it, adding a much-needed infusion of new drivable real estate to Burnout Paradise, with a handful of new cars to boot. How much will it set you back? We're looking at 1,000 Microsoft points on the Xbox 360, which translates to $12.99 on the PlayStation 3. For those of you in foreign lands, that's €12.99 or £9.99.  News of a deal that brings Last.fm to the Xbox 360 was kind of lost in the flood of information coming out of Microsoft's E3 press conference last week. So let's go back to it.  The icon arcade dance title is back again and we got to check it out on the E3 2009 show floor. After numerous iterations, Dance Dance Revolution is back yet for another year.  A couple pages for Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island went live early, giving up the game's price and list of achievements and trophies. Tipsters who spotted the price page before it was removed said the game will cost $12.  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...
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| High Voltage's Gladiator A.D. First Impressions
June 8, 2009 at 4:10 pm
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| The Conduit developer High Voltage is bringing the original arena sport to the Wii with Gladiator A.D., part fighting game, part roleplaying game. At first glance, Gladiator A.D. looks like a rather simplistic sort of fighting game. Players take on the roles of warriors of the ancient world, driving sword against shield and spear against bone in a variety of combat arenas, but High Voltage assures us that it's much more than that. Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth. Sony and Microsoft both had something up their sleeves when it came to motion-based controls at this year's E3, revealing a new controller and Project Natal, respectively.  Overlord Dark Legend is an all-new Wii adventure set in the fractured fantasy world of the dark lord and his minions. The game puts players in the steel shoes of a younger... If you love fighting games and obscure Japanese anime characters, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is a match made in heaven.NOTE: FIX Formatting and IMAGES, Please: All are IGN Watermarked.
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| Sin And Punishment 2 Hands-On: Up, Down, Up, Down, Shoot, Shoot, Shoot
June 8, 2009 at 4:00 pm
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| Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth. A sequel to a Nintendo 64 game that wasn't offered stateside until the Virtual Console release of the original Sin And Punishment getting that much attention is a good thing. Because Sin And Punishment 2 feels right on the Wii. Sony and Microsoft both had something up their sleeves when it came to motion-based controls at this year's E3, revealing a new controller and Project Natal, respectively.  Although we weren't surprised when Gas Powered Games revealed it had been working on a sequel to Supreme Commander, we did scratch our heads at the partnership that would see Japanese publisher Square Enix distribute the title.  NEW ZELDA Wii GAME: Take a look at the first image for the upcoming next video game in The Legend of Zelda series, which is headed to the Nintendo Wii in 2010. ALSO READ:...
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| Hands-on: LittleBigPlanet PSP
June 8, 2009 at 3:41 pm
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|  Perhaps Sony and Media Molecule could have thought up a more clever title: LittleBigPlanet: Portable Sized Platforming ... or Pint-sized Super Playfield. Ignoring the fact that these are terrible title suggestions, we'd have to say LittleBigPlanet PSP works so well because it captures the simple essence of what this game is all about. This is without a doubt LittleBigPlanet on-the-go, nuts, bolts and stickers included.  With all the complex new methods of interactivity and storytelling we saw out on the show floor, we desperately longed for something a bit less groundbreaking -- a palette cleanser, if you will.  Sony certainly knows how to tie together their first-party titles. Just after the E3 reveal of The Last Guardian, we get word from Media Molecule that Team Ico will be honored this week with a Little Big Planet pack.  It's Team Ico week in LittleBigPlanet, with both Shadow of the Colossus and now Ico itself getting burlap sack representation on Thursday. Yes, the teaser image did mean something.  It's starting to feel like summer, with a robust lineup of more than 40 releases led by Prototype, whose protagonist is sorta like Altair meets Plastic Man. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again...
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| EA Invites Players On A Burnout Vacation To Big Surf Island
June 8, 2009 at 3:41 pm
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| Criterion Games, an Electronic ArtsInc. studio today announced that the Burnout Paradise Big Surf Island expansionpack will be available to download for $12.99 on the PLAYSTATION®Network andXbox LIVE® Marketplace (1000 MS Points) on June 11 Worldwide. Burnout Paradise Big Surf Island isa brand new playground that enhances and expands the amazing world of theaward-winning driving game, Burnout Paradise. Highlights include fun challengesand events for groups of friends to play online, The Big Surf Island expansion for Burnout Paradise is coming this Thursday to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. How much does Criterion's biggest add-on yet cost? It's not cheap...  Getting excited about the big games of 2009 is sooo 2009. Did you know that a major portion of the great games hyped at E3 last week aren't out until 2010? We've charted it. A couple pages for Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island went live early, giving up the game's price and list of achievements and trophies. Tipsters who spotted the price page before it was removed said the game will cost $12.  Listen -- not every game at E3 is a winner. The Joystiq heavyweights get to go play all the big games and interview all of the developer hotshots, and that's the stuff you love reading about.
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| Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time Preview: Time For Change
June 8, 2009 at 3:40 pm
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| The new Ratchet and Clank might be the most changed edition of the franchise since the multiplayer-centric Deadlocked, but that's not the comparison the developers probably want us making. The third Ratchet & Clank game on the PS3 in as many years was on display at E3 to a pack of reporters curious if there was going to be anything new this time around. NEW ZELDA Wii GAME: Take a look at the first image for the upcoming next video game in The Legend of Zelda series, which is headed to the Nintendo Wii in 2010. ALSO READ:...  When it was first released in 2002, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell focused on the military operations of the fictitious government organization, Third Echelon. Since 2006's Splinter Cell: Double Agent...  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!)...
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| Hands-on: Army of Two: The 40th Day
June 8, 2009 at 3:36 pm
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| With all the complex new methods of interactivity and storytelling we saw out on the show floor, we desperately longed for something a bit less groundbreaking -- a palette cleanser, if you will. Our unique thirst was quenched during our EA booth tour, in which we got our hands on Army of Two: The 40th Day for PSP. Gearbox has confirmed its casual E3 mention to Joystiq that it plans to release Borderlands this October. A company representative told us today that it's looking forward...  The original Mafia won critics and gamers over with its deep storytelling an intriguing new gameplay conventions -- but for some reason, it never seemed to become a mainstream hit as much as the industry's other huge...  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... 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...  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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| EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Tees It Up And Ships Today
June 8, 2009 at 3:34 pm
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| Electronic Arts Inc., announcedtoday that Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 10 has shipped in North America. Tiger WoodsPGA TOUR 10 brings to life the spectacle and drama of tournament golf, featuringhighly innovative online modes, an all-new character progression mode calledTournament Challenge where you can recreate golf history, and a true sportsmotion experience on the Wii™, along with a host of other exciting enhancements. Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth. The Conduit developer High Voltage is bringing the original arena sport to the Wii with Gladiator A.D., part fighting game, part roleplaying game. At first glance, Gladiator A. Sony and Microsoft both had something up their sleeves when it came to motion-based controls at this year's E3, revealing a new controller and Project Natal, respectively. Overlord Dark Legend is an all-new Wii adventure set in the fractured fantasy world of the dark lord and his minions. The game puts players in the steel shoes of a younger...
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| Here's what Last.fm on Xbox 360 looks like
June 8, 2009 at 3:27 pm
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|  Click for the first of many Last.fm images One of the more interesting questions that arose from Microsoft's keynote during last week's E3 was just how Last.fm would be implemented. Well, let Joystiq help clear the air of confusion, as Microsoft has dished out some screens depicting the interface for the soon-to-be Xbox 360-compatible music service. It looks pretty streamlined, if we may say so, with easily identifiable links to tags and and artists similar to what you're currently listening to.  We made plenty of new video game friends during E3, but, we still care about our old friends for, as the Girl Scouts remind us, one is silver and the other is gold. Why... News of a deal that brings Last.fm to the Xbox 360 was kind of lost in the flood of information coming out of Microsoft's E3 press conference last week. So let's go back to it.  In a one-on-one interview with Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor during E3 2009, we questioned why the developer was attempting to bring the series back to the console...  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 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.
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| Chris Taylor Saves (My) Face At E3
June 8, 2009 at 3:20 pm
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|  The partial facial paralysis I suffered on the Friday before E3 is a bit better today, thanks in no small part to the advice of Gas Powered Games founder and CEO, Chris Taylor. I stopped in to see Chris for an appointment I had to look at Supreme Commander II, but I was running a little late. I took an outside route between the two main show halls, and with the sun just peeking out from behind a week-long bank of clouds, The new Ratchet and Clank might be the most changed edition of the franchise since the multiplayer-centric Deadlocked, but that's not the comparison the developers probably want us making. Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth. Click for the first of many Last.fm images One of the more interesting questions that arose from Microsoft's keynote during last week's E3 was just how Last.fm would be implemented. Sony and Microsoft both had something up their sleeves when it came to motion-based controls at this year's E3, revealing a new controller and Project Natal, respectively. Although we weren't surprised when Gas Powered Games revealed it had been working on a sequel to Supreme Commander, we did scratch our heads at the partnership that would see Japanese publisher Square Enix distribute the title.
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| Bethesda Considering Fallout For iPhone
June 8, 2009 at 3:02 pm
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| BioWare is currently developing a Mass Effect spinoff for the iPhone. And if Bethesda has its way, another popular RPG franchise may eventually be making the jump. The developer just needs to settle on the right design.Speaking with Joystiq, Bethesda executive producer Todd Howard said, "I think that the world of Fallout is unique enough that it could work on any platform. I think some of the things we do like VATS, I think that could translate to any platform, particularly the iPhone." The new Ratchet and Clank might be the most changed edition of the franchise since the multiplayer-centric Deadlocked, but that's not the comparison the developers probably want us making.  Star Defense is Ngmoco's take on tower defense games. Yes, that means yet another tower defense game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Even with its impressive track record of top-notch titles... Apple is launching iPhone OS version 3.0 next week, bringing with it a slew of new features, including cut and paste, undo, MMS support and more. But what about the gaming features? We already knew that Apple would allow for in-application purchases...  We took some time out at E3 2009 to further investigate Dexter, the iPhone title from Marc Ecko Entertainment based on the hit television series about a cop by day, serial killer by night.
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| New Pokemon WiiWare Title Announced
June 8, 2009 at 2:58 pm
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| Pokémon is returning to WiiWare, but there won't be any ranching this time around. Instead, the little creatures are actually going into battle. The Japanese television show Pokémon Sunday had a sneak preview for the newly announced Melee! Pokémon Scramble, with the trailer depicting pretty much what you would expect -- a multiplayer battle royale. Up to four players will be able to compete in a top-down brawl, with playable Pokémon including classics like Rattata, Charmander and Squirtle.  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.  I was initially drawn to "Critter Crunch" by its unique art style, but once I picked up the controller I was sucked in by it's simple and addicting, fast paced arcade gameplay.  June 3, 2009 - (4:32:32 PM): And that's it. All finished. Finitio. (4:32:16 PM): It's a DDR game with 150 downloable songs through XBL and the PSN. The game will feature a new Octomat for eight-way dancing.  We saw a very brief glimpse of Left 4 Dead 2 this morning at Microsoft's press conference, now we get a bit more details from publisher Valve. "A large part of how Left...
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| Apple's New iPhone Pumps Up Battery Life, Graphics
June 8, 2009 at 2:52 pm
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|  Apple's newest iPhone 3GS will be the most powerful yet with more robust graphics and a faster network connection when it hits on June 19 for $200 to $300, the company announced today during their annual World Wide Developers Conference. The iPhone 3GS will hit the same week as the new game-centric 3.0 firmware for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The 3GS will sell for $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB version. The original 3G will stay on the market for $99 with 8GB of storage. BioWare is currently developing a Mass Effect spinoff for the iPhone. And if Bethesda has its way, another popular RPG franchise may eventually be making the jump. The developer just needs to settle on the right design. Star Defense is Ngmoco's take on tower defense games. Yes, that means yet another tower defense game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Even with its impressive track record of top-notch titles... Apple is launching iPhone OS version 3.0 next week, bringing with it a slew of new features, including cut and paste, undo, MMS support and more. But what about the gaming features? We already knew that Apple would allow for in-application purchases... We took some time out at E3 2009 to further investigate Dexter, the iPhone title from Marc Ecko Entertainment based on the hit television series about a cop by day, serial killer by night.
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| Some original voice cast returning to Monkey Island
June 8, 2009 at 2:45 pm
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|  Here's a bit of good news for those worried about Telltale's Tales of Monkey Island capturing the spirit of the series. The episodic title will welcome back Dominic Armato as Guybrush Threepwood and Alexandra Boyd, who portrayed Elaine Marley in Curse of Monkey Island. The two other returning characters, LeChuck and the Voodoo Lady, have new voice actors attached but (unsurprisingly) Telltale says it's very happy with them. OK purists, are you totally excited yet?  With a presentation given by Tim Schafer himself at last week's E3, the anticipation for his heavy metal opus Brutal Legend is greater than ever. Yet, in a sad turn of events... The partial facial paralysis I suffered on the Friday before E3 is a bit better today, thanks in no small part to the advice of Gas Powered Games founder and CEO, Chris Taylor. The new Ratchet and Clank might be the most changed edition of the franchise since the multiplayer-centric Deadlocked, but that's not the comparison the developers probably want us making. Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth.
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| Itagaki has only nice things to say about Team Ninja's Metroid project
June 8, 2009 at 2:45 pm
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|  Being away from Tecmo seems to have done wonders for Tomonobu Itagaki's attitude. In an E3 interview with 1UP's James Mielke, the former Team Ninja head said he was "very honored and pleased to be of service" in response to the suggestion that Ninja Blade was a close imitation of Ninja Gaiden. He admitted he was "pretty tired" of making games featuring super-unrealistic women. He even went so far as to praise Tekken 6 director Katsuhiro Harada, only hating on Tekken when pressed.  Development of the modern, 3D Ninja Gaiden games has always been overseen by one man: former Team Ninja boss/ Dark Lord Tomonobu Itagaki. But what happens now he can no longer work on the series? Well, someone else has to work on the series.  Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki has left Tecmo's Team Ninja. He's been away, but has returned with a new start-up, Tokyo Vikings. He's also back to fill the vacuum of Japanese game developer trash talk.  I didn't like Ninja Gaiden II much. From what I saw of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, though, I like it a lot better. Amazing what an extra 12 months development time can do for a game...  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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| iPhone OS 3.0 Hits June 17th, Makes iPhone Gaming Even Better
June 8, 2009 at 2:45 pm
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| Apple is launching iPhone OS version 3.0 next week, bringing with it a slew of new features, including cut and paste, undo, MMS support and more. But what about the gaming features? We already knew that Apple would allow for in-application purchases, ushering in the era of microtransactions via add-on game packs and other downloadable types of content. iPhone OS 3.0 also adds new options for developers to tap into other new features, including new "push" notification technology, Google Maps availability in any application, peer-to-peer support for paid apps and much, much more. Summer's just two weeks away, and traditionally it brings with it year's worst drought of good new releases. June 2009 is actually holding up pretty well though with a... BioWare is currently developing a Mass Effect spinoff for the iPhone. And if Bethesda has its way, another popular RPG franchise may eventually be making the jump. The developer just needs to settle on the right design. Star Defense is Ngmoco's take on tower defense games. Yes, that means yet another tower defense game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Even with its impressive track record of top-notch titles... Apple's newest iPhone 3GS will be the most powerful yet with more robust graphics and a faster network connection when it hits on June 19 for $200 to $300, the company announced today during their annual World Wide Developers Conference.
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| Taylor: Changing design philosophies because of Square Enix partnership would be 'missing the point'
June 8, 2009 at 2:44 pm
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| Although we weren't surprised when Gas Powered Games revealed it had been working on a sequel to Supreme Commander, we did scratch our heads at the partnership that would see Japanese publisher Square Enix distribute the title. In a one-on-one interview with Gas Powered CEO Chris Taylor at E3 2009, we wondered if changes to the core design philosophies of Supreme Commander 2 were made due to the new partnership. The partial facial paralysis I suffered on the Friday before E3 is a bit better today, thanks in no small part to the advice of Gas Powered Games founder and CEO, Chris Taylor. In a one-on-one interview with Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor during E3 2009, we questioned why the developer was attempting to bring the series back to the console...  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.  Square Enix's Yosuke Saito is overseeing development of new action title Nier. So yesterday, we caught up with him, to have a chat and take a first look at the game. Nier is being developed by Cavia...
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| Hands-on (and flapping like wings): Wii Fit Plus
June 8, 2009 at 9:39 am
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| While the idea of leaning on a board and waving a stick around may no longer carry an inherent wow factor after everyone has introduced a motion controller, it's clear from just a few minutes with Nintendo's Wii Fit Plus that the company has been thinking of new ways to use its existing technology in gameplay. We weren't allowed to demo the new strength or yoga exercises in the expanded version of the megahit Wii exercise game -- thus sparing a crowd of gaming's best and brightest the sight of us stretching -- but the new balance games were open to us.  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.  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.  I was fairly impressed with Project Natal's ability to strip away the physical controls for Burnout Paradise and still deliver and relatively similar racing experience.
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| Pokemon Gold/Silver remakes let you train Pokemon by walking
June 8, 2009 at 9:26 am
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|  Turns out that the same technology used in Personal Trainer: Walking to train you will also help you train Pokemans in Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. According to Andriasang, the Pokémon Sunday TV show revealed a new pedometer device used in the game, called the "Poké Walker," that resembles a cross between a Pokeball and the Pokémon Mini handheld. For some reason, Nintendo decided to make another wireless pedometer peripheral for the DS rather than allowing people to use the existing one.  If there was one driving theme behind this year's E3, it was that motion controls are too cool for school. However, even with both Microsoft and Sony jumping onto the bandwagon with their own gesture-based antics...  Nintendo had some ups, and downs, during their E3 2009 press conference. So Bitmob's Andrew Hiscock decided to do a little rough science and note just when, and how high/low they were when they occurred.  It's not enough that Pokémon Gold/Silver are getting DS remakes this fall. Oh no, they're getting remakes and a pedometer. (Think a new Pokémon Pikachu.) Dubbed the Poké Walker...  Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto wasn't the only game developer checking out the competition, the folks behind Gran Turismo did as well — getting up close and personal with Forza 3.
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| Halo: Reach Is The Wild Bunch, Only With Spartans?
June 8, 2009 at 8:30 am
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|  We know nothing about Halo: Reach other than the fact it's a new Halo game, and that it's due sometime next year. So in the absence of facts, then, let's speculate! While the game's trailer lets us know the obvious things - it'll deal with the Covenant's attack on the human colony of Reach - the end of that trailer, and the game's first artwork, hint at a little more. I didn't like Ninja Gaiden II much. From what I saw of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, though, I like it a lot better. Amazing what an extra 12 months development time can do for a game...  Tons of companies were at E3 to show off their game accessory series, but nobody had a more eye-catching setup than Gametech's WaSaBi line. The accessory line, which features traditional Japanese patterns and ukiyo-e artwork...  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.  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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| Miyamoto flattered, not worried by Sony, Microsoft motion controllers
June 8, 2009 at 8:28 am
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| If there was one driving theme behind this year's E3, it was that motion controls are too cool for school. However, even with both Microsoft and Sony jumping onto the bandwagon with their own gesture-based antics, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto tells the BBC that he's "not worried at all" about being left behind. Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto wasn't the only game developer checking out the competition, the folks behind Gran Turismo did as well — getting up close and personal with Forza 3.  Want to know what the second best meme of this year's E3 was? Bam! Here it is. During the Sony press conference, Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi took the stage to talk Gran Turismo PSP.  Linking the PlayStation Store to current events or causes isn't new; SCEA donated $10,000 to Earth Day in a video store promotion. But Sony Hong Kong's leveraging of swine flu is a bit dubious.  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 .
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| Itagaki Bayonetta Creator Hate May Provide Game Clues
June 8, 2009 at 8:00 am
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| Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki has left Tecmo's Team Ninja. He's been away, but has returned with a new start-up, Tokyo Vikings. He's also back to fill the vacuum of Japanese game developer trash talk. From an excerpt of Itagaki interview with 1Up comes this bit about Platinum Games developer Hideki Kamiya, who is currently making Devil-May-Cry-in-heels action title Bayonetta: Development of the modern, 3D Ninja Gaiden games has always been overseen by one man: former Team Ninja boss/ Dark Lord Tomonobu Itagaki. But what happens now he can no longer work on the series? Well, someone else has to work on the series. I didn't like Ninja Gaiden II much. From what I saw of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, though, I like it a lot better. Amazing what an extra 12 months development time can do for a game... Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto wasn't the only game developer checking out the competition, the folks behind Gran Turismo did as well — getting up close and personal with Forza 3.  We recently unearthed the first significant news about Team NINJA founder, Tomonobu Itagaki's upcoming reentry into the game-making hemisphere. But with his arrival in Los Angeles for the E3 convention...
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| Where To Now For The Ninja Gaiden Series?
June 8, 2009 at 7:30 am
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| Development of the modern, 3D Ninja Gaiden games has always been overseen by one man: former Team Ninja boss/ Dark Lord Tomonobu Itagaki. But what happens now he can no longer work on the series? Well, someone else has to work on the series. And that someone else is Yosuke Hayashi, the new leader of Tecmo's Team Ninja, and the man responsible for where the series goes from here. Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki has left Tecmo's Team Ninja. He's been away, but has returned with a new start-up, Tokyo Vikings. He's also back to fill the vacuum of Japanese game developer trash talk. Nintendo had some ups, and downs, during their E3 2009 press conference. So Bitmob's Andrew Hiscock decided to do a little rough science and note just when, and how high/low they were when they occurred. News of a deal that brings Last.fm to the Xbox 360 was kind of lost in the flood of information coming out of Microsoft's E3 press conference last week. So let's go back to it. I didn't like Ninja Gaiden II much. From what I saw of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, though, I like it a lot better. Amazing what an extra 12 months development time can do for a game...
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| Tracking The Ups & Downs Of Nintendo's E3 Press Conference
June 8, 2009 at 6:30 am
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| Nintendo had some ups, and downs, during their E3 2009 press conference. So Bitmob's Andrew Hiscock decided to do a little rough science and note just when, and how high/low they were when they occurred. Taking hardcore gaming forum NeoGAF as his subject matter, Hiscock tracked the comments on the site's Nintendo presser thread, and catalogued how many of them were positive or negative. And after cataloguing them, he put them on this graph here, to give us an idea how a bunch of people who take their games very seriously felt about the whole thing. Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto wasn't the only game developer checking out the competition, the folks behind Gran Turismo did as well — getting up close and personal with Forza 3.  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.  Last week we polled you, our readers, to see which of the writers covering E3 you thought would walk the most during the show. The results? I won by a landslide, with McWhertor getting the least votes.  Earlier this week Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony each hit the show with big news, unveiling a slew of major titles, major surprises and innovative technology. But despite a strong showing across the board at the big three press conferences...
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| Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver Come With Pedometer
June 8, 2009 at 6:00 am
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| It's not enough that Pokémon Gold/Silver are getting DS remakes this fall. Oh no, they're getting remakes and a pedometer. (Think a new Pokémon Pikachu.) Dubbed the Poké Walker, the bundled item sends infrared signals to the DS and can be used to hold one Pocket Monsters as you walk around, building experience and gain "watts" which are type of currency. We know nothing about Halo: Reach other than the fact it's a new Halo game, and that it's due sometime next year. So in the absence of facts, then, let's speculate! While... If there was one driving theme behind this year's E3, it was that motion controls are too cool for school. However, even with both Microsoft and Sony jumping onto the bandwagon with their own gesture-based antics... Development of the modern, 3D Ninja Gaiden games has always been overseen by one man: former Team Ninja boss/ Dark Lord Tomonobu Itagaki. But what happens now he can no longer work on the series? Well, someone else has to work on the series. Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki has left Tecmo's Team Ninja. He's been away, but has returned with a new start-up, Tokyo Vikings. He's also back to fill the vacuum of Japanese game developer trash talk.
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| Taking A Closer Look At Last.fm On The Xbox 360
June 8, 2009 at 5:30 am
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| News of a deal that brings Last.fm to the Xbox 360 was kind of lost in the flood of information coming out of Microsoft's E3 press conference last week. So let's go back to it. The service will be made available later this year, and will be free to all Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Once accessed, the Last.fm section of the 360 dashboard will function in much the same way as the popular internet radio station does on your PC, allowing users to do things like: In a one-on-one interview with Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor during E3 2009, we questioned why the developer was attempting to bring the series back to the console...  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... 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 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.
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| Pirate Ban Monday!
June 8, 2009 at 5:00 am
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|  Are you surprised? Tim Curry sure as hell is. Today is Monday. Ban Monday. No, Pirate Ban Monday. What is Pirate Ban Monday? Not sure — we just wanted to post a photo of Tim Curry. But we can tell you what Ban Monday is! While we don't have any problem banning on regular days, we turn up the Ban Hammer sensitivity to MAXIMUM on Ban Monday. Needed with the post-E3 influx. Here's how it's works:  At the start of Konami's Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, a psychiatrist performs an evaluation on players, prodding them with some fairly personal questions. Answering...  E3 2009 has been a week-long blur of surprising announcements, sensational videos, and sweet new technology. It's been one hell of a week, folks. Bungie unveiled Halo: Reach...  A rather tepid "religious" protest of Dante's Inferno outside E3 yesterday turns out to have been driven by EA all along. A group of about a dozen members of a group...  We are not only amazed Sony was able to fit Fat Princess into a trailer, but delighted. Now where the hell is our cake?
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