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In the latest Bungie Weekly Update, Bungie’s official Content Monkey, Frank O’Connor announced that two "new" maps will be released for Halo 2 on April 17th. I use the term "new" because as it turns out, the maps are based on some old friends from the original Halo.

The first map, Tombstone, is based on "Hang ‘Em High"…;

"Now, did I say that Tombstone was 90% Hang ‘Em High? I did! There are some subtle and some not so subtle differences. Obviously the graphical look is very, very different. Gone are the senseless pieces of geometry with no context. Now it is perfectly obvious, even to an idiot, that the giant crane put them there. We won’t go into why. It just did.

The massive main ramp has been changed too. It was something of a death trap in its Halo CE form, so now there’s a grav lift that boosts you past the really dangerous part (although the grav lift noise will give enemies some indication that you used it) and the internal corridor structure has changed on that side. There’s even some new areas up there, but they’re pretty small. And we’ve added another way into those corridors, you’ll just have to see when you play." - Frank O’Connor, Bungie

…and the second, Desolation, is based on "Derelict";

"The next most popular question was, “Why Derelict?” Easy. Right now, some of the most active players are competitive players. They get a lot of use out of these smaller symmetrical maps, since the tightly tuned variants they play require a certain amount of predictability. Derelict made the perfect foundation for that. Now, while Tombstone is a cool 90% remake of Hang ‘Em High, Desolation has been significantly altered for competitive play.

Gone are the meaningless upper floor tunnels, replaced instead by ramps that allow easy access to the ground floor, and create tight close quarters battles, and occasional grenade traps. The teleports have been replaced by rapid grav lifts, more direct and quicker to use than the ramps. Graphically it’s changed quite a bit as you can see, but it will feel familiar to Halo CE fans, although we dare say, much better." - Frank O’Connor, Bungie

Now for the important part - when these maps were originally announced, they were designated as being for the Xbox 360 only, however things have changed. Bungie has announced that the maps will be available for both the Xbox and Xbox 360 at a cost of $4.00 for both…

…and there’s the rub. I didn’t give the price in Microsoft Points, because the maps will not be available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Because of the fact that the original Xbox is not supported by the Marketplace, the maps will only be available by direct purchase through Halo 2’s in-game interface - just like the pre-360 Halo 2 downloadable content. In other words, you’ll need to buy the maps via a credit card.

In addition to that little hitch, the maps are not transferable - they’ll only work on the system you download them for, meaning that if you have both an Xbox and Xbox 360, you’ll need to decide which one you want to play the maps on. There’s also no official word on whether or not the maps will be re-downloadable should you need to have your Xbox or Xbox 360 replaced. (O’Connor says the maps will be tied to your Live account as well as being tied to the machine you downloaded them to, which is why you can’t have the maps on both an Xbox and Xbox 360 you own.)

"Because of that, we can’t use Xbox Live Marketplace – it obviously doesn’t exist on the old Xbox. So this will be one of the last times you use a credit card proper to buy a map. In the Halo 2 game interface, you simply select the download option from the main interface, and it will show the new content there. This likely won’t ever be available on a disc, like the last maps, so this is your only method for the moment. These maps could in theory be made free eventually, like last time, but the truth is that we’ll have moved on to Halo 3 by then and it won’t be a priority. So don’t hold your breath. If you don’t have a credit card, simply buy a $4 Visa gift card at a supermarket. Bam!…

…You WILL have to pick which box to install it on. It’s tied to the box you download it to, as well as your Live account, so you effectively can’t have it on more than one system. Sorry." - Frank O’Connor, Bungie

So there you have it gang - come April 17th, Halo 2 will take a shot at re-taking it’s place as the number one game on Xbox Live. Will Gears of War fall before the Master Chief’s onslaught? I guess we’ll know in about 3 weeks.

• Bungie Weekly Update 3/30/07 - Bungie.net
• Bungie - Official website

Rockstar Games has seen fit to grace us all with the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV, and I’m thrilled to say that it looks like we’re heading back to Liberty City. I’ve got to admit that they’ve done a really nice job in capturing the look of midtown Manhattan this time around, so much so that I couldn’t stop laughing at the MetLife building becoming the "GetaLife" building. It’s juvenile humor for certain, but for some reason it cracks me up every time I watch it.

Grand Theft Auto IV is scheduled to release on October 16th, 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

That’s at least the word over at Destructoid. According to this story, Mass Effect, the highly anticipated opening to Bioware’s sci-fi trilogy, will be gracing Xbox 360 owners with it’s presence on June 5th, 2007. While the folks over at Bioware aren’t confirming the date, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this one turns out to be true.

While we’re on the topic of Destructoid, I’d also like to give a huge shout-out to them on celebrating their first anniversary just two days ago - you guys make me feel so inadequate, it’s not even funny. Congratulations on building an awesome site and community!

• Mass Effect (finally) has a release date - Destructoid
• Destructoid says June 5th release date, is this right? - Mass Effect forums
• Mass Effect - Official website

If you follow this site regularly, then you’re probably well aware that I’ve battled a Civilization addiction for a good portion of my adult life. While of late, I’ve managed to avoid getting overly drawn into the game, it’s still with some trepidation that I pass along the news that "Beyond the Sword", the second expansion for Civilization IV has just been announced by 2K Games;

"Civilization is close to our hearts here at Firaxis and we’re excited to up the ante on the series once again with what we consider to be our best expansion pack ever,” said Steve Martin, president of Firaxis Games. “Fan requests and a constant stream of new ideas motivate our team to continue delivering more and better gameplay for our premier series. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is a must-have expansion for every Civ® fan.” Key features include:

• Expanded Epic Game: Firaxis Games delivers a massive increase in new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with additional focus on the late-game time periods.
• New Game Scenarios: The expansion will deliver 12 new scenarios, many containing themes never before included in the Civilization series, custom designed by the team at Firaxis and select members of the Civ Fan Community.
• New Civilizations: The expansion pack includes ten new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylon and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings.
• More Civilization Leaders: Sixteen new leaders including leaders for the ten new civilizations, as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations.
• Corporations: A new gameplay feature that allows players to create corporations and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources.
• Espionage: Now available much earlier in the game, this expanded feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend their government’s secrets.
• Events: New random events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens will challenge players to overcome obstacles in order for their civilizations to prosper.
• New Wonders: Five new wonders await discovery including the Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, Shwedagon Paya, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and the Moai Statues.
• Expanded Space Victory: Winning the race to Alpha Centauri will now require more strategic planning and tactical decision making.
• Apostolic Palace: The United Nations will become available earlier in the game, providing a way for players to win a diplomatic victory earlier. New resolutions will also be added which will expand the available diplomatic options.
• Advanced Starts: A major fan request, this new feature will enable players to “buy” components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion pack in a shorter amount of time.
• Enhanced AI: The AI has received many enhancements, making it tougher to beat on the higher difficulty levels. The ways in which the AI will attempt to achieve victory have also been expanded." - Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword press release

Is it just me, or is everyone else recovering from Civ-addiction feeling a little twitch in one of their eyes?

• 2K Announces Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword Expansion Pack - Official press release
• Civilization.com - Official series site
• Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword - Official product page

The folks over at 2K Games dropped me a line to announce that The Darkness, a first person action game based on the comic of the same name, will finally be hitting retail shelves on June 25th, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

You know, I’ll freely admit that I never played the original Jetpac, so I really don’t have much to talk about regarding this Xbox Live Arcade release. That said, Rare has released an updated version of the game in the form of Jetpac Refuelled, which is now available for purchase via the Xbox Live Marketplace. My advice would be to download the demo before you shell out any cash for this one.

Title: Jetpac Refuelled
Developer: Rare Limited
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 3/28/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Xbox Live Aware: Yes
HDTV Support: 1080i
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) - Mildly Fantasy Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Rare’s Jetpac Refuelled is a revamped and modernized version of the 1983 classic space blaster Jetpac. Clear a path through hordes of aliens to refuel your ship and amass a fortune over the course of 128 hi-definition levels, complete with achievements, leaderboards, and simultaneous multiplayer action.

Jetpac Refuelled provides everything you loved in the classic, plus 128 new levels of enhanced gameplay. Jetpac Refuelled can be played solo, or against another player on the same console or over Xbox Live.

• Retro version: Grab your controller and enjoy the classic eighties version of the game. 
• Refuelled version: Rare’s remake of the classic comes complete with entirely new hi-def graphics, menacing enemies, new smartbombs that produce an electromagnetic pulse, modernized weapon upgrades, and updated gameplay for next-gen gamers.
• Achievements: Earn up to 12 achievements and 200 Gamerscore points as you blast your way through space.
• Updated graphics: The completely updated graphical look of the game gives you a truly hi-def and in-depth gaming experience. - Xbox.com

I’d normally take a moment here to talk about last week’s XBLA release, but due to technical difficulties I still haven’t had a chance to play the XBLA port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - maybe next week will be a double dose of mini-reviews. Maybe. (Here’s to hoping Microsoft can get my 360 back in my hands by the time Guitar Hero II launches next week)

According to Kotaku, many Gamefly subscribers have received e-mail notices from the company stating that they’ll (at long freaking last) be opening a distribution center in Pittsburgh, PA to serve members in the eastern half of the United States.

While this could certainly be great news for those of us who are quite some distance from the current center in Inglewood, California, I do hope that this doesn’t cause any delays due to the company splitting their inventory between the two sites. Certainly, over the years the most frequent reason I heard for people canceling their Gamefly memberships was that it just took too long to get titles in the mail. While they’ve certainly gotten better ever since they instituted their "Fast Return" policy (for reference, my turnaround time has dropped to 2-3 days each way since Fast Return’s inception), anything that can get my games to me quicker is always welcome.

While we’re talking about Gamefly, allow me to stick another shameless plug in my attempts to get a free Nintendo DS-Lite from them into this post. If you’ve never been a member of the service and have been considering taking them up on their free trial offer, why not use this link to sign up? Should five of you wonderful readers choose to remain with the service after the end of the trial period, they’ll bestow me with a free shiny DS-Lite for having gone through the trouble of referring you. (Once a member, you can also take advantage of the same referral offer to try and get yourself a free DS-Lite)

I’ll tell you right now, unless it’s a game that I have to get "right now", I generally buy all my games from Gamefly using the "keep it" option. Their used prices just can’t be beat, and if you rent the game the day it comes out, you’re essentially getting a brand new game at a significant savings - and the savings get better the longer you remain a member.

Okay, self-serving advertisement aside, I would like to state that I am a bit hurt about the fact that i wasn’t one of the people who got the aforementioned e-mail. It kind of stings, you know?

• GameFly Expands To East Coast - Kotaku
• Gamefly - Company website
• The magical link you should use if you want to join Gamefly and help me get a free DS-Lite - Self-serving advertisement

A little behind on this one, but Sony has upgraded the PlayStation 3’s system software to version 1.60, and this time around, the new features are more than just cosmetic. Before we get to the full upgrade description, let’s stalk about the most important (imho) aspect of the v1.60 system update, and that’s the addition of background downloading. Just like the Xbox 360, you can now use your PlayStation 3 while downloading content from the PlayStation store without having to interrupt your download except in the following circumstances;

• When playing a Blu-ray Disc or DVD
• When using network features of online games
• When starting PlayStation®2 format software
• When starting (Folding@home™)
• When using voice / video chat
• When performing a system update
• When adjusting setting items under (Settings)

Background downloading was without a doubt at the top of many people’s wish lists for the PlayStation 3, and I’m glad to see that Sony has begun to implement it. Now if they can just speed up the download rate from the PlayStation Store, things would really be cooking.

Here’s the full patch message as per Sony’s PlayStation 3 system software page;

"The PLAYSTATION®3 system software version 1.60 update includes the following:Precision Zoom and Resolution settings (Internet Browser)

Precision Zoom: You can automatically enlarge to optimal viewing size the area on the screen where the pointer is located. By analyzing the Web page source, the system automatically calculates the best enlargement ratio based on the area where the pointer is located. Select here for details.

Adjusting the resolution: You can adjust Web page size for optimal viewing based on the PS3™ system’s video output resolution. A setting to reduce flickering of the screen when outputting in interlace mode has also been added. Select here for details.

Full-size keyboard You can now use a full-size on-screen keyboard to enter text. Select here for details.

Background DownloadSupport for background downloading of data has been added. Select here for details.

Folding@home™You can now download and use the Folding@home™ program. Folding@home™ is a distributed computing project that is run by Stanford University. The goal of the project is to research protein folding mechanisms in the hope that this will lead to medical treatments for related diseases. Using the Folding@home™ program, you can participate in this project over the Internet. Note that the program must first be downloaded and installed on your PS3™ system. Select here for details.

Remote play via an access point

You can now use the remote play feature from a PSP® system via an access point. You can establish a remote play connection with a PS3™ system that is not equipped with the wireless LAN feature (20 GB model). Select here for details. Other new or revised features in version 1.60:

• Overall
  • Support for playback of BD-RE (Blu-ray Disc Rewritable) ver 3.0 has been added.
  • The PS3™ system can now automatically detect an HDMI connection to a TV. If the PS3™ system is turned on with an HDMI cable connected, the screen for switching video output settings will be displayed automatically.*
    * Does not function unless the TV that is connected by the HDMI cable is turned on.
    * If you are already using the HDMI OUT connector, the screen for switching video output settings will not be displayed.
• Settings
  • Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Chinese (Simplified) and Chinese (Traditional) have been added as options in [System Language] under [System Settings].
  • You can now select the character set to be used for file names under [System Settings] > [Character Set].
  • [Enable WMA Playback] has been added as an option under [System Settings].
  • [Disc Auto-Start] has been added as an option under [System Settings].
  • You can now restore backed up data to another PS3™ system under [System Settings] > [Backup Utility].
  • You can now register a keyboard and a mouse under [Accessory Settings] > [Register Bluetooth® Device].
  • [Remote Play Settings] has been added as an option.
    
• Music
  • Support for playback of DSD (Direct Stream Digital) discs has been added. *
    * These discs are music discs created using SonicStage Mastering Studio Version 2.1 or later or DSD Direct Version 2.0 or later (both Sony products, sold separately).
• Video
  • Motion JPEG and AVCHD (.m2ts) have been added as playable formats.
• Network
  • [Download Management] has been added as a feature.
    
• Friends
  • [Start New Chat] has been added as an option." - PlayStation 3 system software page

Following right behind the latest MAME update, MAME32 v.113.4, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.113u3 is now available. The same advice I gave about the latest build of MAME apply to this version of MAME32 as well.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

• MAME32 - Official home of MAME32

The latest "update" version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version .113u4, is now available for download. It would appear that the work on unifying the emulator’s code continues, and while those corrections should promote a few games from "not working" to "working" status, from what I can see there really aren’t any "high profile" titles the fix has added to the land of the living just yet. (Be sure to check out the what’s new file to see if any of your arcade PCB’s have been added to the list).

In other words, for the average user there really isn’t much need to upgrade this time around - unless you’ve been having difficulties with the previous release. As usual, I’d still advise most users to stick with v.113 until v.114 hits to save themselves from any potential headaches. On the other hand, should you happen to be the type that loves a good headache and don’t mind helping to test the latest build for the MAME team, you should head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started. Take two aspirin and call me when you run out of quarters.

The updated emulator files can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see the full list of what’s new in this update.

• MAMEDev - Official site of the MAME development team

P class=”storytext”>The rumors are true… partially. Microsoft has officially announced the existence of the Xbox 360 Elite, but it’s not quite as revolutionary as expected. While the console does indeed come in black, includes a built in HDMI port and ships with a 120gb hard drive, the system is not IPTV ready nor does it contain the newer 65nm architecture.

"In regards to the rumor that the Xbox 360 Elite would contain a smaller, quieter, cooler processor than the current Xbox 360 model, Rodman said that that particular part of the rumor was untrue, and that the “internal workings” of all the Xbox 360 models would be identical." - Game|Life

The system will join the Xbox 360 Core and Premium models on shelves come April 29th, creating three different SKU’s for the system and will be priced at $479.99. That price gets you the Xbox 360, 120gb hard drive, wireless controller, headset, combination composite/component cables, HDMI cable and a one month Xbox Live Gold trial membership.

Microsoft will also be making the 120gb hard drive available separately for $179.99 including a bundled hard drive transfer cable which will allow current 360 users to move their content from one drive to another. Apparently Microsoft still hasn’t gotten the memo about how overpriced the 20gb hard drive was and has decided to take things a step further with the newer drive model. Seriously Microsoft, the need for the larger drive is due to downloadable content and the video marketplace, so why charge users an arm and a leg for a device that’s main function is to allow users to buy more downloadable content. The company also stated that they will not be offering any kind of upgrade deal, though retailers would be allowed to offer trade-ins if they so desired.

Bottom line? If you don’t have an Xbox 360 already, have a TV with a HDMI port and want the larger hard drive, this system may well be the one for you. When you break down the numbers and take the 120gb hard drive out of the equation (at retail cost), the system is priced almost identically to the other two SKU’s - but whether or not you want to pay a premium for the additional hard drive space is up to you.

• Xbox 360 Elite - Xbox.com
• Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Elite - Xbox.com
• Microsoft Gets Elite - Kotaku
• Microsoft’s John Rodman Talks Xbox 360 Elite - Game|Life

The Xbox 360 version of Shivering Isles, the final expansion pack for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, is now available for purchase in the Xbox Live Marketplace. The download will run you 2,400 Microsoft points ($30) and take up roughly 996mb of hard drive space. Of course, Xbox Live will be down today between 3am EST and 5pm EST, so you may have to wait a little bit longer to take the plunge.

Since we’ve now reached the apparent end of Oblivion’s product line, let’s take a quick look at just how much an Oblivion addict may have spent on the title, shall we?

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Collector’s Edition - $69.99 (+ tax)
• Horse Armor - 200 points ($2.50)
• Knights of the Nine (Expansion pack) - 800 points ($10)
• Mehrune’s Razor - 250 points ($3.15)
• The Orrery - 150 points ($1.88)
• Shivering Isles (Expansion pack) - 2400 points ($30)
• Spell Tomes - 80 points ($1)
• Wizard’s Tower - 150 points ($1.88)
• Thieves Den - 150 points ($1.88)
• The Vile Lair - 150 points ($1.88)

All together, we come out with 4,330 Microsoft points in add-ons, bringing the total here to $124.16 for the collector’s edition, and $114.16 for the standard edition (plus whatever applicable tax you paid on Oblivion). Whether or not that’s money well spent is completely up to you.

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Official site
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Shivering Isles - Official site

While it’s not the most robust release list I’ve seen recently, there are a couple of titles worth getting excited about this week, so let’s get to it.

We’ll start off with Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, the continuation of Electronic Arts long running RTS series. Choose to play as the Global Defense Initiative (GDI), Brotherhood of Nod or the Scrin - an invading alien race that has been added to the mix for C&C3. There’s a demo of the game available at most PC file sites, so if you’re still on the fence about this one, be sure to give it a try before you buy.

Next up, Bethesda brings the Shivering Isles expansion to the PC and Xbox 360 this week, much to the delight of Oblivion fans everywhere. You should already know what to expect from Isles, so just keep in mind that this one will be offered on the 360 as a download via Xbox Live only - and that the service will be down for most of the day on the 27th, so don’t bother coming down with a case of Sickaworka.

Moving along, Metal Slug Anthology is due for the PlayStation 2 this week, and any game that gives you seven (7) different Metal Slug games in one package is always worth mentioning. If you’ve never played any games in the Metal Slug series and consider yourself a fan of side scrolling shooters, you owe yourself a rental of this one at the very least.

Finally, any game called "Super Granny 3" needs a mention of some kind. I poked around on the ‘net and found the game’s homesite, and it would appear it’s some type of platforming, arcade style game - let’s see what the company line on this one is, shall we?

"The most unlikely hero ever is back for all-new, action-packed, kitty-saving fun! In her most ambitious adventure yet, Granny must navigate a run-down theme park and rescue her arch-nemesis, Dr. Meow, from the clutches of the even more dastardly Mr. Fang! Help Granny run, dig, climb, and float through five new worlds with over 200 levels of puzzle-solving, item-tossing, hilariously addictive fun. Will Granny and her kitties ever make it home?" - Super Granny 3 product description

You go, Gramma, you go. Now on to the depressingly Air Cargo Pilot free release list for the week;

• Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars - PC - 3/27/2007
• Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars - Kane Edition - PC - 3/27/2007
• DEFCON - PC - 3/27/2007
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Shivering Isles - 360 (Download only) - 3/27/2007
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Shivering Isles - PC - 3/27/2007
• Hard Rock Casino - PSP - 3/27/2007
• Made Man - PS2 - 3/27/2007
• Medal of Honor Vanguard - PS2 - 3/27/2007
• Medal of Honor Vanguard - WII - 3/27/2007
• POGO Island - DS - 3/27/2007
• Virtua Tennis 3 - PSP - 3/27/2007
• Alien Disco Safari - PC - 3/28/2007
• Baseball Mogul 2008 - PC - 3/28/2007
• Dance Dance Revolution: Universe - 360 - 3/28/2007
• Honeycomb Beat - DS - 3/28/2007
• Konami Classics: Arcade Hits - DS - 3/28/2007
• Meet the Robinsons - 360 - 3/28/2007
• Meet the Robinsons - DS - 3/28/2007
• Meet the Robinsons - PC - 3/28/2007
• Meet the Robinsons - PS2 - 3/28/2007
• Meet the Robinsons - WII - 3/28/2007
• Purr Pals - DS - 3/28/2007
• Red Star - PS2 - 3/28/2007
• Splinter Cell: Double Agent - PS3 - 3/28/2007
• Super Granny 3 - PC - 3/28/2007
• The Settlers - DS - 3/28/2007
• Westward - PC - 3/28/2007
• Metal Slug Anthology - PS2 - 3/29/2007
• Test Drive Unlimited - PC - 3/29/2007

Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.

The folks over at Stardock & Ironclad Games have announced that anyone who pre-orders their upcoming space RTS game, Sins of a Solar Empire, through the TotalGaming.net store will be given access to the initial beta test of the game starting on March 27th;

"Sins of a Solar Empire represents the birth of the RT4X genre, seamlessly blending spectacular tactical combat with grand-scale space strategy. Players must conquer worlds, engage in diplomacy and trade with other civilizations, and use the resources at their disposal to enhance their economy, develop new technology and increase military power. They must then test their mettle on a 3D tactical battlefield, where their ships will fight it out in stunning visual glory."

“We’re thrilled to finally give loyal Stardock and Ironclad fans the opportunity to experience Sins of a Solar Empire themselves” said Brian Clair, Director of Games Publishing for Stardock Entertainment. “Their input and gameplay feedback will ultimately help us deliver an incredibly fun, balanced and stable game later this year.” - Sins of a Solar Empire press release

The initial test will only contain one playable civilization and will not support multiplayer modes, but for those out there who have been breathlessly awaiting this one, I’m quite sure that any taste of Sins will be more than welcome.

I originally planned on pre-ordering this one this weekend to take full advantage of the offer, but those PC issues I mentioned yesterday have basically eaten up my entertainment money for the next week or two, so I guess I’ll just have to wait a bit longer to fool around with this one. If you do happen to pre-order the game, feel free to let me know what you think of the beta - inquiring minds want to know!

• Sins of a Solar Empire Beta Plans Unveiled - Sins of a Solar Empire forums
• Sins of a Solar Empire - Official site

I apologize for the lateness (and lack of) today’s updates, however it would appear that one of the hard drives on my PC has finally kicked the bucket, and I’ve been dealing with that situation for most of the day. Hopefully things will be a bit more normal by tomorrow and we’ll be back with out regularly scheduled updates.

Problems aside, Microsoft has announced that the Xbox Live service, Xbox.com and the Xbox.com forums will be taken down for maintenance on Tuesday, March 27th 2007. The maintenance period is scheduled to being at 3am EST and run through 5pm EST, though given the nature of server maintenance, don’t be surprised if it runs longer than that. Microsoft is also wants to state that this is not a dashboard update, so don’t expect to see anything new when the service comes back online.

• Xbox Live Server Maintenance - Major Nelson

Following right behind the latest MAME update, MAME32 v.113.3, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.113u3 is now available. The same advice I gave about the latest build of MAME apply to this version of MAME32 as well.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

• MAME32 - Official home of MAME32

The latest "update" version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version .113u3, is now available for download. It would appear that the work on unifying the emulator’s code continues, including some serious changes to MAME’s Sega System E, Sega Model 2 and Konami drivers. While those corrections should promote a few games from "not working" to "working" status, from what I can see there really aren’t any "high profile" titles the fix has added to the land of the living just yet. (Be sure to check out the what’s new file to see if any of your arcade PCB’s have been added to the list).

In other words, for the average user there really isn’t much need to upgrade this time around - unless you’ve been having difficulties with the previous release. As usual, I’d still advise most users to stick with v.113 untilv.114 hits to save themselves from any potential headaches. On the other hand, should you happen to be the type that loves a good headache and don’t mind helping to test the latest build for the MAME team, you should head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started. Take two aspirin and call me when you run out of quarters.

The updated emulator files can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see the full list of what’s new in this update.

• MAMEDev - Official site of the MAME development team

Is Microsoft planning on shutting down FASA Studios? According to Game|Life, that’s the word around the old internet water-cooler. The rumor got started due to a post on the forums for the company’s upcoming title Shadowrun by what would appear to be a disgruntled ex-employee. The rumor has been further backed up by Game|Life’s editor Chris Kohler, who stated that he’s heard the very same thing from a source he has close to Microsoft. Let’s take a look at the two most important comments made on the aforementioned post in the Shadowrun forums;

"Fasa Studios is closing and good riddance. After years of substandard management (Mitch) and bad hiring decisions (Evan). Many of its employees (my friends) left to greener pastures because of the reasons stated earlier. It seems that someone finally took notice and decided to cut the tumor that is Fasa studios from the body of Microsoft. The Shadowrun game offers nothing new in the aspect of first person shooters and that it looks visually uninspiring and mediocre. Save your money for Halo3" - BoomStick, poster who started it all

The same poster later continues his assault making it apparent that much of his anger is based on the way many current and past FASA Studio employees have been treated by the company’s human resources department. He also makes it clear that much of the staff has already been informed that their services will no longer be required by the company. The thread itself was quickly closed by the site admin, however one of FASA’s employees did respond to the allegations right before that;

"Shadowrun will be shipping soon.  It’s been a long three years for many on the team.  I’m certain that some folks will be leaving us to do other things after we ship.  That’s normal, and it’s healthy, too.  As for our contingent staff here, they’re just that - contingent.  They have a maximum amount of time they can work here before taking a mandatory break.  Many of them are complete star performers, but when the job’s done, they move on, and the job’s almost done." - Kimona, Project Lead - FASA Studios

As Game|Life pointed out, you’ll notice that they never actually denied that FASA will be closing in that statement, which is something that I really would have assumed they would have done right off the bat. Is this a case of an ex-employee just looking to cause trouble, or a story in the process of breaking? - the world may never… oh wait, we’ll actually probably find out the truth right after Shadowrun hits retail.

• Rumor: Something’s Up With FASA - Game|Life
• Studio closing - Official Shadowrun forums
• FASA Studios - Company website
• Shadowrun - Official website

This is one of those times when the fact that my Xbox 360 is currently among the ranks of the dead really hurts. By the time most of you read this, Konami’s Xbox 360 port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is going to be available for download in the Xbox Live Arcade in all of it’s enhanced glory. Symphony was the game that actually introduced me to the Castlevania series, and I remember not being able to put it down for days. I won’t spoil one of the greatest aspects of the game for those of you who’ve never tried it, suffice to say that truly completing the game is more difficult than how it appears to be.

What more can I say about the game beyond it truly is a masterpiece of the genre and for the 800 points ($10) this one is selling for, you’d have to be crazy to skip it.

Title: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 3/21/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Xbox Live: Yes
HDTV Support: 1080i
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: T (Teen) - Animated Blood & Gore, Animated Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Recreated and enhanced for Xbox 360™, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is better than before with enhanced graphics, new achievements, and Xbox Live® leaderboards.

Years ago, Richter Belmont faced the nightmare creature Dracula in what was supposed to be the final showdown to rid the world of his evil. Instead, Dracula’s castle has once again risen from the mists to threaten the safety of the world.

Alucard, a mysterious figure with his own motivations, has taken it upon himself to enter the new castle, confront the evil, and attempt to destroy Dracula once and for all. With swords and magic, he must face hordes of undead demons who will attempt to stop him from harming their master. Unknown allies also await Alucard to help him in his journey. Can Alucard uncover the full truth behind the source of Dracula’s power

• Two versions: Play the original version of the game or experience it in enhanced mode with improved graphics and modernized audio and sound effects.
• Non-linear gameplay: Collect items, weapons and armor to defeat the powerful boss monsters that block access to key areas of the castle.
• Xbox 360 enhancements: Earn 12 achievements and 200 Gamerscore points, and check the top players with the online leaderboards." - Xbox.com

As for last week’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I’ve got to say that I really wasn’t overly thrilled with it. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the game itself, it’s that I forgot just how annoying those boss battles could be from a "constantly dying" perspective. Still, the game controls well and is certain fun when you get a bunch of friends together on Live.

That said, you go pick up Symphony of the Night and I’ll go and sulk in the corner over there. Curse you Red Baron, curse you!

While talking to a friend on IM late last night, I heard that Sony had announced that the PlayStation 3 version of MLB 07: The Show has been delayed until May. Now, it’s not that I don’t trust my buddy, but he often attempts to poke fun at the fact that I purchased a PS3 despite all my misgivings about it (not that I don’t do an excellent job of that myself) - so when he mentions that one of the few first party titles expected in stores anytime soon is getting kicked back on the release schedule, it’s time to hit the newswires.

Sure enough, Gamespot is reporting that the PS3 version of MLB 07 has indeed been pushed back to an undisclosed date in May… which isn’t a good thing when you consider that depending on when it releases, the baseball season could already be 2 months old. Anyway, thanks for the tip nyisles, looks like "The Shoe" certainly doesn’t fit on April - just like you said.

That’s the rumor over at CheapAssGamer (by way of Kotaku) - It appears that several CAG forum members have noticed the Xbox 360’s HD-DVD player on sale at Walmart for the much reduced price of $130.00. While the price isn’t listed on the company’s website, those of you feeling the need to pick up the peripheral may want to check your local Wallyworld over the next few days to see what pricetag they actually have on the drive.

It should also be noted that ever since the launch of the PlayStation 3, Blu-Ray has been starting to pull away from HD-DVD in the high-def movie format war, so this may be a pretty good indication that we’re going to have an early winner. In other words, don’t blame me if you buy the damn thing tomorrow and the HD-DVD format goes in the crapper later in the year. While I wouldn’t say the war over just yet, if the stories on the CAG forums about Walmart saying they’re clearing out their inventory are true, it certainly is a major blow to the format.

• Was there a big price drop on xbox 360 hd dvd players - CheapAssGamer
• Rumor: 360 HD DVD Players Now Cheaper? - Kotaku

It’s a really big day for rumor-mongoring, so let’s move on to the next one. According to Kotaku, this months Game Informer magazine is carrying a story that Microsoft will be launching a new model of the Xbox 360 some time next month. This new model will not only come in black, but will feature a 120gb hard drive as well as a built in HDMI port. The projected cost of the system? $479.99.

While the issue in question is the April edition of the magazine, meaning that this could just be another April Fool’s hoax, Kotaku is also reporting that they’ve received confirmation from a senior editor over at Game Informer that the story is indeed true. Since that confirmation didn’t come on April Fool’s Day, I’ve got to assume that at the very least, the folks over at Game Informer believe the story to be true.

While the article also states that the updated system will not feature a built in HD-DVD drive, it doesn’t provide any details on whether this model will include support for Microsoft’s foray into IPTV service. Finally, there was also an indication that the 120gb hard drive will be sold separately for "under $200".

• Game Mag Says Black Xbox 360 Is Coming - Kotaku

Not much else to say on this one, is there? Like the title says, New Line Cinema has apparently purchased the rights to make a Gears of War movie. If it ever sees the light of day, let’s hope it doesn’t suck.

• Report: New Line grabs Gears movie rights - Gamespot

Not much else to say on this one, is there? Like the title says, New Line Cinema has apparently purchased the rights to make a Gears of War movie. If it ever sees the light of day, let’s hope it doesn’t suck.

• Report: New Line grabs Gears movie rights - Gamespot

Not much else to say on this one, is there? Like the title says, New Line Cinema has apparently purchased the rights to make a Gears of War movie. If it ever sees the light of day, let’s hope it doesn’t suck.

• Report: New Line grabs Gears movie rights - Gamespot

Not much else to say on this one, is there? Like the title says, New Line Cinema has apparently purchased the rights to make a Gears of War movie. If it ever sees the light of day, let’s hope it doesn’t suck.

• Report: New Line grabs Gears movie rights - Gamespot

Not much else to say on this one, is there? Like the title says, New Line Cinema has apparently purchased the rights to make a Gears of War movie. If it ever sees the light of day, let’s hope it doesn’t suck.

• Report: New Line grabs Gears movie rights - Gamespot

Not much else to say on this one, is there? Like the title says, New Line Cinema has apparently purchased the rights to make a Gears of War movie. If it ever sees the light of day, let’s hope it doesn’t suck.

• Report: New Line grabs Gears movie rights - Gamespot

Based on an interview ShackNews held with Dan Connors, CEO of Telltale Games, it would appear that Sam and Max, everyone’s favorite dog and rabbity-thing, will indeed be making appearances on the Xbox 360 and Wii as has been rumored;

"Well, we’re hoping to get on to both consoles, with Live Arcade and Virtual Console–I’m sorry, on all three consoles! But we’re starting with Wii and Xbox, on both of their online services and retail as well. We want to open as much distribution as possible and reach as many people as possible, so when we go out and talk to a license holder we can say, “Hey, we can get your license in front of all these people. Come with us and we’ll make sure it’s a great product.” The distribution channel drives a lot of that, especially if you’re independent and you’re an emerging media publisher. I think there’s some room for us to grab a stake." - Dan Connors, CEO Telltale Games

What’s interesting to note is how the PlayStation 3 is really an afterthought in that statement. Whether that’s Telltale indicating where they believe the next-generation market is going, a result of the supposed difficulties involved in making PS3 games or just an indication of the state of Sony’s PlayStation Store is anyone’s guess, but I’d have to say it certainly means something. No matter how you look at it, what it does mean is that even more people will get to enjoy the often hilarious, dead-on writing of the current Sam & Max series while simultaneously complaining about the length and substance of the game. I know I’m beating a dead horse here, but I really do feel that the episodic nature of the game is holding it back from becoming a timeless classic.

• Telltale CEO Dan Connors on Sam & Max - ShackNews
• Telltale Games - Company Website
• Sam & Max: Season One - Telltale Games

Based on an interview ShackNews held with Dan Connors, CEO of Telltale Games, it would appear that Sam and Max, everyone’s favorite dog and rabbity-thing, will indeed be making appearances on the Xbox 360 and Wii as has been rumored;

"Well, we’re hoping to get on to both consoles, with Live Arcade and Virtual Console–I’m sorry, on all three consoles! But we’re starting with Wii and Xbox, on both of their online services and retail as well. We want to open as much distribution as possible and reach as many people as possible, so when we go out and talk to a license holder we can say, “Hey, we can get your license in front of all these people. Come with us and we’ll make sure it’s a great product.” The distribution channel drives a lot of that, especially if you’re independent and you’re an emerging media publisher. I think there’s some room for us to grab a stake." - Dan Connors, CEO Telltale Games

What’s interesting to note is how the PlayStation 3 is really an afterthought in that statement. Whether that’s Telltale indicating where they believe the next-generation market is going, a result of the supposed difficulties involved in making PS3 games or just an indication of the state of Sony’s PlayStation Store is anyone’s guess, but I’d have to say it certainly means something. No matter how you look at it, what it does mean is that even more people will get to enjoy the often hilarious, dead-on writing of the current Sam & Max series while simultaneously complaining about the length and substance of the game. I know I’m beating a dead horse here, but I really do feel that the episodic nature of the game is holding it back from becoming a timeless classic.

• Telltale CEO Dan Connors on Sam & Max - ShackNews
• Telltale Games - Company Website
• Sam & Max: Season One - Telltale Games

Last week, Gamespot’s "Rumor Control" reported that there was a strong possibility that Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, Beautiful Katamari Damacy and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos would be coming to the Xbox 360. This rumor was based on a supposed cell phone camera photo of Blockbuster Video’s inventory database in which the three titles were listed as future titles for the 360.

Yesterday, Kotaku added to the story when they reported that not only is the current issue of Famitsu backing up the story as far as an Xbox 360 version of Ace Combat 6 is concerned, but that the article apparently also states that the title will be an Xbox 360 exclusive. If this turns out to be true, it’s the case of another series that has always been associated with the PlayStation brand making the jump to other platforms. You’ve got to think that someone at Sony has to be getting pretty concerned with how things are going, because right now, I’d be sorely tempted to find a solid reason to tell anyone to choose the PlayStation 3 over the Xbox 360, unless of course you choose to take the 360’s reliability issues into account.

• Katamari, Mark of Chaos, Ace Combat rolling to 360s? - Gamespot
• Kotaku Magu: Ace Combat Landing On Xbox 360 - Kotaku

Last week, Gamespot’s "Rumor Control" reported that there was a strong possibility that Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, Beautiful Katamari Damacy and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos would be coming to the Xbox 360. This rumor was based on a supposed cell phone camera photo of Blockbuster Video’s inventory database in which the three titles were listed as future titles for the 360.

Yesterday, Kotaku added to the story when they reported that not only is the current issue of Famitsu backing up the story as far as an Xbox 360 version of Ace Combat 6 is concerned, but that the article apparently also states that the title will be an Xbox 360 exclusive. If this turns out to be true, it’s the case of another series that has always been associated with the PlayStation brand making the jump to other platforms. You’ve got to think that someone at Sony has to be getting pretty concerned with how things are going, because right now, I’d be sorely tempted to find a solid reason to tell anyone to choose the PlayStation 3 over the Xbox 360, unless of course you choose to take the 360’s reliability issues into account.

• Katamari, Mark of Chaos, Ace Combat rolling to 360s? - Gamespot
• Kotaku Magu: Ace Combat Landing On Xbox 360 - Kotaku

Well gang, today Capcom dropped the bomb we’ve all been hearing about for the last few months - Devil May Cry 4 will be going multiplatform. According to a press release posted over at Capcom’s Japanese website, the company has made the decision to bring versions of DMC4 to the Xbox 360 and PC in addition to the already announced PlayStation 3 version;

"Capcom Co., Ltd., a world-wide leader in the gaming industry, is proud to announce the development of “Devil May Cry 4″ for the PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360™ and PC platforms.

　”Devil May Cry” is a series of popular, stylish action games, with a cast of unforgettable characters. Since the release of the original “Devil May Cry” in 2001, the series has shipped 6,800,000 copies as of December 31st, 2006, proudly making it one of Capcom’s flagship titles. The series appeal is not limited to games; an animated TV series to be broadcast on Japan’s WOWOW network is slated to air Spring 2007. The latest iteration, “Devil May Cry 4″ will take advantage of each platform’s hardware strengths to achieve the most stunning visuals in the series to date, and the introduction of a mysterious new protagonist will keep the action fast and fresh. Even before its release, “Devil May Cry 4″ has been met with tremendous anticipation, as fans patiently endured long lines at TOKYO GAME SHOW 2006 for the chance to play the demo. “Devil May Cry 4″ will be released simultaneously for the PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360™ platforms." - Capcom Japan press release

This one has certainly got to sting for the folks over at Sony as the Devil May Cry series has always been a staple of the PlayStation diet, and seeing it head to other platforms is an indicator that Capcom is either losing faith in the PlayStation 3, making some serious money with their Xbox 360 releases or finding that next-generation game development is simply so expensive that without a large-scale industry leader, they need to recoup every possible dollar spent on development that they can.

While I was preparing this post, Tenwyn over at the Gamer’s Lounge forums posted a link to this story over at PS3Fanboy that seemed to have a different wording for the above release. After a little bit of digging around the internet and the usual haunts, it would appear that Capcom USA has issued a press release that explains the situation in a little more detail;

"”Capcom is committed to making its titles available to as wide an audience as possible, and has been building its technology base to meet that goal,” said Mark Beaumont, executive vice president, officer and head of Capcom consumer software publishing in the Americas and Europe. “This announcement means that PS3, Xbox 360 and PC owners worldwide will be able to experience the latest installment of one of Capcom’s pillar franchises.”" - Capcom USA press release

As you can see, it’s pretty much the same story given in the Japanese release with the addition of the information about Capcom adapting it’s development process to be more friendly in terms of making multiple versions of a title. If you remember, last year Capcom had mentioned several times that they were taking this type of an approach as it would allow them to do most of the work in developing a game on a "generic" base which they could then refine for release on different consoles. It’s really a smart strategy when you consider that this generation of consoles wars is going to run a lot closer than the last few have.

Those of you interested in the full text of the Capcom USA press release should check out this post over at Kotaku as the information has yet to be added to Capcom’s U.S. website.

• Capcom - Corporate web portal
• Devil May Cry - Official website
• Capcom’s “Devil May Cry 4″ Goes Multiplatform! Mega-hit Title set for PLAYSTATION® 3, Xbox 360™ and PC! - Capcom Japan
• Devil May Cry 4 going mutliplatform - Gamer’s Lounge
• Devil May Cry 4 Goes Multiplatform - Kotaku

While the number of releases has certainly increased this week when compared to previous weeks, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited about this time around, and quite interestingly the highlights for this week are both games that were released some time ago.

We’ll open with Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which finally finds it’s way to the PlayStation 3. If you have a PS3 and missed out on the PC and 360 versions of the game, I strongly suggest giving it a try - you won’t be sorry. The second title we’re highlighting this week stretches all the way back to 1997. You guessed it, Konami’s Castlevania: Symphony of the Night makes it’s way to the Xbox Live Arcade this week, and while I normally don’t list downloadable titles in the chart, this game deserves to be mentioned anywhere possible. If you’ve never played it and are a fan of the series, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

Beyond that, the only titles that could really be called exciting would be Virtua Tennis 3 (360 & PS3) along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie adaption (360, DS, PC, PS3, PS2 & Wii).

Still no sign of Air Cargo Pilot - if anyone knows the status of our old friend, feel free to drop me a line!

• Custom Robo Arena - DS - 3/20/2007
• ETROM: The Astral Essence - PC - 3/20/2007
• Major League Baseball 2K7 - DS - 3/20/2007
• Mission: Blackhawk - PC - 3/20/2007
• Silverfall - PC - 3/20/07
• Tetris Evolution - 360 - 3/20/2007
• Top Spin 2 - PC - 3/20/2007
• After Burner: Black Falcon - PSP - 3/21/2007
• Armored Core 4 - 360 - 3/21/2007
• Armored Core 4 - PS3 - 3/21/2007
• Berkley’s Bass Tournament - PC - 3/21/2007
• Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII - WII - 3/21/2007
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - 360 XBLA - 3/21/07
• Cooking Mama: Cook Off - WII - 3/21/2007
• Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai Another Road - PSP - 3/21/2007
• Earth Defense Force 2017 - 360 - 3/21/2007
• F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon - Gold Edition - PC - 3/21/2007
• Full Auto 2: Battlelines - PSP - 3/21/2007
• Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade - PC - 3/21/2007
• H.C. Andersen’s Ugly Prince Duckling - PC - 3/21/2007
• Jewel Quest 2 - PC - 3/21/2007
• Kororinpa: Marble Mania - WII - 3/21/2007
• Mind Quiz - PC - 3/21/2007
• Mission: Combat Force - PC - 3/21/2007
• Petz Vet - PC - 3/21/2007
• Puzzle Quest: Challenge of Warlords - DS - 3/21/2007
• Puzzle Quest: Challenge of Warlords - PSP - 3/21/2007
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl - PC - 3/21/2007
• Shining Force EXA - PS2 - 3/21/2007
• Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific - PC - 3/21/2007
• Sproink - PC - 3/21/2007
• Steel Horizon - DS - 3/21/2007
• Test Drive Unlimited - PC - 3/21/2007
• Test Drive Unlimited - PS2 - 3/21/2007
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - PS3 - 3/21/2007
• The Godfather: The Don’s Edition - PS3 - 3/21/2007
• The Godfather: Blackhand Edition - WII - 3/21/2007
• Theme Park - DS - 3/21/2007
• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 360 - 3/21/2007
• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - DS - 3/21/2007
• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - PC - 3/21/2007
• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - PS2 - 3/21/2007
• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - PSP - 3/21/2007
• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - WII - 3/21/2007
• Travelogue 360 Paris - PC - 3/21/2007
• UEFA Championships League 2006-2007 - 360 - 3/21/2007
• UEFA Championships League 2006-2007 - PS2 - 3/21/2007
• UEFA Championships League 2006-2007 - PSP - 3/21/2007
• Virtua Tennis 3 - 360 - 3/21/2007
• Virtua Tennis 3 - PS3 - 3/21/2007
• Wing Island - WII - 3/21/2007
• Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2007 - DS - 3/21/2007
• Test Drive Unlimited - PSP - 3/22/2007

Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.

While doing my usual check for system software updates or new stuff for the PlayStation 3, I noticed that a demo of Electronic Arts‘ Def Jam Icon is now available for download in the PlayStation Store. The demo weighs in at approximately 380mb and features the same one on one fight found in the Xbox 360 demo.

With a little luck, Sony will soon realize how important demos can be to your service and start actually advertising the fact that new ones have been made available.

If you’ve got a good memory, you probably remember that back in August of last year, the folks over at Penny Arcade and Hothead Games announced that they had entered into an agreement to create Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, a game based on the Penny Arcade characters. Things have been pretty silent on that front since then… until now.

The first trailer for the game has been made available, and the folks over at Joystiq were kind enough to put it up on YouTube. Before you watch it, I must remind you of one thing… this is a game based on Penny Arcade - in other words, it may not be safe for you to watch this one at work. (Mainly due to everyone’s favorite kitchen appliance) - check it out below;

• Penny Arcade - Official site
• Hothead Games - Official site
• Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness - Hothead Games
• Penny Arcade Adventures Trailer - YouTube

It was just a big day for Xbox 360 news yesterday as Gamerscore Blog unveiled the packaging and pricing for the Halo 3: Legendary Edition. The good news here is that the set will come in an attractive slip case (as shown below) and include all the goodies previously announced as being part of the set. The bad news? It appears Microsoft has decided that $99.99 just wasn’t a high enough price for such a bounty and have consequently raised the cost of the Legendary Edition to a whopping $129.99.

Now I’m a huge game collector, but even I’m flinching at the thought of spending $70 over the cost of the base game for what amounts to a bunch of promotional materials. While I’ll probably wind up caving in and keeping my Legendary pre-order, those of you who decide that it’s just not worth the money still have the option of getting the Collector’s Edition at $69.99 (two discs packaged in an attractive metal case) or the standard “basic” edition at $59.99.

• A Halo 3 for Everyone: Three Editions of 2007’s Most Anticipated Video Game Are Coming This Fall - Gamerscore Blog
• Three editions of Halo 3 coming - Xbox.com
• Halo 3 - Official website

At long last, Microsoft has revealed the date that Konami’s classic PlayStation title Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will be arriving on Xbox Live Arcade. On March 21st, Alucard will be rising to fight Dracula once more - all for the low cost of 800 points ($10). Thankfully, I have the game on the original PlayStation and can drown my red-ringed sorrows in that version until I’m able to grab the XBLA port.

As you may have gathered from that last post, an Xbox 360 demo of Sega’s Virtua Tennis 3 is now available for download in the Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo is available in all regions except Asia, has no listed Gold/Silver restrictions and weighs in at approximately 849.1mb. Enjoy!

After 15 months, it finally happened to me. While downloading the Virtua Tennis 3 demo last night, my Xbox 360 locked up. When I rebooted, I was visited by the dreaded creature known as The Red Ring of Death. My Xbox 360… is dead.

I headed on over to Xbox.com and tried all the troubleshooting tips in an attempt to revive my friendly neighborhood console with no success. A short conversation with the folks over at 1-800-4-MY-XBOX and it was confirmed that my console had breathed it’s last. As I purchased the extended warranty on the console, I was informed that a return shipping box would be arriving in 3-5 business days and that once sent back, it would be up to 14 business days before a warranty replacement would be arriving. Given the fact that I’ve taken a vacation day from work on April 4th in order to spend the day playing Guitar Hero II, I’m seriously hoping that the return process will be considerably faster.

I’d like to take a moment here to say two things… First, this naturally is going to slow down the progress on my Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel review. Secondly, don’t listen to companies that tell you console skins don’t leave any residue on your console. In removing mine from the 360, I’ve discovered that my entire console is now essentially one large lint brush. Nice.

The only good news in all of this is that there are still plenty of games for me to spend time with while I wait, so it’s not as if I’ll go through game-withdrawal of any kind, though I was really hoping on playing through Gears of War again this weekend. Oh well.

After a short delay, MAME32 v.113.2, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.113u2 is now available. The same advice I gave about the latest build of MAME apply to this version of MAME32 as well.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

• MAME32 - Official home of MAME32

Telltale Games has announced that they’ve entered into a partnership with The Adventure Company to offer a retail version of all six episodes of Sam & Max: Season One a few months after the series is complete. While no price point has been set at this time, the press release does mention that the boxed set is expected t hit retail some time this August.

One thing I’m hoping is that this isn’t going to become a case where the people who pre-ordered the first season in it’s entirety specifically for the chance to buy the game on disc at the end of the current season get screwed as an even more "complete" version becomes available for nearly the same price in stores. Right now, the only information available on this matter is the following quote made by a Telltale employee on the official company forums in reference to the question of whether the retail version will be the same as the one offered to Season One subscribers;

"No, we’ll be doing our own packaged version for season holders. And no, before you ask, it’s not “the cheap version,” it’s just a different version. Promise.

Also, we can’t tell you what will be on the Telltalegames.com Season Set customers’ version, or what will be on the TAC version, or how they’ll be different, etc etc yet because we haven’t figured any of that out yet! We’ll let you know, though, with requisite trumpets, cherubs etc." - Jake, Telltale Games forums administrator

We’ll keep you updated on this story as more information becomes available in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

• The Adventure Company and Telltale Announce Partnership to Bring Sam & Max: Season 1 to Retail - Official press release
• Telltale Games - Official website
• The Adventure Company - Official website
• Sam & Max Retail CD Announced - Telltale Games Forums

The latest "update" version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version .113u2, is now available for download. It would appear that the work on unifying the emulator’s code continues, so for the average user there really isn’t much need to upgrade here unless you’ve been having difficulties with the previous release. I’d still advise sticking with v.113 until the next full release unless you’re interested in testing the latest build for the dev team, in which case head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.

The updated emulator files can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see the full list of what’s new in this update.

• MAMEDev - Official site of the MAME development team

Microsoft has announced that their Games for Windows - Live service will be launching on May 8th and, as with Xbox Live, will be available in 2 flavors - Gold and Silver. For those of you who missed the memo, Games for Windows - Live is Microsoft’s attempt to bring an "Xbox Live" type experience to PC gamers. Before we talk about just what GFW - Live is, let’s first talk about the biggest issue that’s been floated about on this one, and that’s the subject of PC gamers having to pay a fee in order to play games online.

Despite rumors to the contrary, it would appear that Microsoft is not expecting PC gamers to pay for the privilege of playing their purchases online. According to the press release, the ability for PC gamers to play against other PC gamers will be included in the free Games for Windows - Live Silver membership. Based on the information available, it would appear that pay "Gold" level membership (priced at $50 per year) is geared towards those who want to use custom online matchmaking tools or those who wish to play the upcoming cross-platform PC/Xbox 360 titles against Xbox 360 owners. In addition, Microsoft has also advised that the two services (Xbox Live and GFW-Live) are part of a unified service. If you have one, you have both - so there are no additional fees involved for Gold members of either service. Gamertags will also be linked across the two services, so existing Xbox Live members won’t have to stress over having to use two different identities between the services..

So what do you get with each service? Well, according to yesterday’s press release the following features are included with the two levels of service;

• Silver (Free) Membership Features
  • Single gamertag
  • Common gamer profile
  • Common gamerscore
  • Single player achievements
  • Private chat via text and voice
  • Common friends list and online presence
  • PC only multiplayer including browsing a list of active PC games

• Gold ($50 per year) Membership Features
  • All Silver membership features
  • Multiplayer matchmaking with friends
  • TrueSkill™ matchmaking
  • Multiplayer achievements
  • Cross-platform gameplay

While I for one would certainly welcome a simple, universal way to play PC titles against friends, I really do wonder just how Microsoft plans on pulling this one off. Unlike the Xbox brand, Microsoft really has little control over the PC game market, so the idea of them being able to control a universal service for online PC gameplay seems a bit far-fetched. Rather, I see this as becoming more of a service that PC developers will be able to use as an additional advertising tool for their titles. Further, with the direction Microsoft seems to be taking Games for Windows (using it to push games that will only run under Windows Vista), I really do have to wonder just how much of a benefit the service will be in the near future.

For those of you who want all the juicy details about the upcoming service, check out the full press release at this link. If that’s not enough for you, check out this FAQ on the service over at the Games for Windows site. For those of you who don’t, you may now return to your regularly scheduled internet surfing.

• Microsoft Unites Xbox and PC Gamers With Debut of Games for Windows — LIVE - Gamerscore Blog
• Games for Windows - Live FAQ - Games for Windows

I refuse to yell Cowabunga or any other nonsense like that over this one. You see, I was a fan of the original Eastman & Laird Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic back in the day, and if you read that comic, then you know just what a travesty the cartoon series this game is based on was. That said, Konami’s 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game was a great game to play with a couple of friends, and one of the more enjoyable side scrolling beat-em ups out at the time.

Unlike many other Live Arcade titles, I really don’t see there being many control issues with this one, and given the fun the original title was, unless there’s something seriously wrong with this version, I’ll be adding it to my collection. My advice to you however, is to be sure to download the demo first and see what you think of it before committing to a purchase. Better safe than sorry, I always say. Here are the details as listed at Xbox.com - my guess is the whole bit with Konami not publishing the game has to do with who’s currently holding the license to the series.

Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Developer: Digital Eclipse / Konami
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 3/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Xbox Live: Yes
HDTV Support: 720p
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) - Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Everyone’s favorite totally tubular turtles bring their radical ninja skills to Xbox Live Arcade. The 1989 arcade classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is true to the original arcade classic.

Choose from one of four Ninja Turtles—Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, or Raphael—and master their unique ninja weapons and abilities. Play through the original seven levels alone, or with up to three others cooperatively via Xbox Live.

• Classic gameplay: Re-live the nostalgia of the original 1989 arcade classic on Xbox 360.
• Different turtles: Choose from one of four Ninja Turtles—Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello or Raphael—and master their unique ninja butt-kickin’ abilities.
• Comic book characters: Interact with unforgettable characters, including Splinter, Casey Jones, April O’Neal, Baxter Stockman, and Shredder." - Xbox.com

On a side note, while I didn’t pick up Worms last week, I did pick up Paperboy. I’ve got to say I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Xbox 360’s controller worked with the game and have had a pretty good time with the title. If you were a big fan of the original arcade machine, I’d probably tell you to move this one up to "buy" on your list.

Just a quick note here - Major Nelson has announced that a playable demo of Viva Pinata is now available for download in the Xbox Live Marketplace The demo weighs in at approximately 1gb and is available to both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members in the United States.

Seeing how Spore is one of those games that everyone wants despite not really knowing how exactly the game will play, I’ve decided to post another short video on it from this year’s Game Developer’s Conference.

The video you’re about to watch seems to break down how each phase of your creation’s existence will play out from the cellular level to space exploration. There’s no dialog or explanation to go along with the video, so you’re going to be on your own as far as putting it into context. One thing I will say is that it definitely looks like some strategic elements are being added to the game, and I really do like the apparent feature of designing your own civilizations weapons as well. Check it out below;

• Spore - Official website
• Spore videos shown at GDC’07 - YouTube

If you liked Line Rider, you’re probably going to really love this one. Free Rider takes the map creation concept from Line Rider and adds gameplay elements into the mix. In short, you can either create or import tracks for your rider to traverse, but the trick here is that you must use the keyboard to adjust your riders speed, shift his weight, do tricks and more. Perhaps the neatest feature of the title is the ability to go to the game’s forums, copy the code for maps that other players have made and then attempt to complete those maps yourself. While the game may not be all that and a bag of chips, it certainly deserves at least a mention - and a few minutes of any Line Rider fans time. Check it out at the links below.

• Free Rider - OneMoreLevel.com
• Free Rider Forums - OneMoreLevel.com

Truth be told, this demo dropped in the Xbox Live Marketplace last week and I completely forgot to list it here. My bad. Sorry. For those unfamiliar with the title, this would appear UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 is yet another Electronic Arts soccer game. Since soccer isn’t my thing, I’ll just stick with saying that the demo weighs in at 1.32GB and is probably available to both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members by now. (The demo was originally released only for gold members)

Major Nelson dropped word that a demo of Star Trek: Legacy is currently available in the Xbox Live Marketplace for both Gold and Silver members. The demo weighs in at 1.02gb. Now prepare yourself to boldly go where dozens of bad reviews have gone before.

As previously announced, H.R. Kauffman, the president of Xidy (once known as Exidy), has given the MAME team the rights to freely distribute many of the company’s older titles for non-commercial use. This week the team has announced that both Car Polo and Robot Bowl are now ready for download. Sure these titles are 30 years old right now, but I still think that it’s absolutely great that Kauffman has given the go ahead for the free release of any of the titles from Exidy’s catalog. The titles are available via the ROM Page at MAMEDev.org.

• MAMEDev.org - Official site of the MAME development team
• MAMEDev ROM page - ROM images legally released for non-commercial use by their owners
• Exidy - Wikipedia Entry
• Car Polo - Killer List of Videogames entry
• Robot Bowl - Killer List of Videogames entry

After a short delay, MAME32 v.113.1, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.113u1 is now available. The same warnings I gave about the latest build of MAME apply to MAME32 as well.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

• MAME32 - Official home of MAME32

If you take away all the throwaway PC releases this week, there’s really not much hitting retail this week. My guess this is because not many publishers are stupid enough to go up against God of War II. Yes, Kratos returns from Olympus to once again kick the ever-living crap out of just about anything that has ever walked, crawled or swam. I finally got a chance to play through the "Colossus battle" demo this weekend, and I’ve got to say it was a blast - definitely a great opening to the game. On a somewhat sadder note, this may be the last hurrah for the PlayStation 2 as far as big name exclusives go. Sony is certainly going to be pushing ahead with PlayStation 3 game development, and that won’t leave much room for the aging king of the last generation. Still, if it has to go, at least it’s going out in style.

One last note - Air Cargo Pilot, if you’re out there, please call home - we miss you!

• Carol Vorderman’s Sudoku - PC - 3/13/2007
• Model Train 3D - PC - 3/13/2007
• Runaway: Dream of the Turtle - PC - 3/13/2007
• Top Spin 2 - PC - 3/13/2007
• Tortuga Two Treasures - PC - 3/13/2007
• Call of Duty 3: Roads to Victory - PSP - 3/14/2007
• College Hoops 2K7 - PS3 - 3/14/2007
• God of War II - PS2 - 3/14/2007
• Gold Miner Vegas - PC - 3/14/2007
• Great Invasions - PC - 3/14/2007
• IL 2 Sturmovik 1946 - PC - 3/14/2007
• Making History: The Calm & the Storm - PC - 3/14/2007
• Mind Quiz - PC - 3/14/2007
• Mind Quiz: Your Brain Coach - DS - 3/14/2007
• Slingo Quest - PC - 3/14/2007
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - WII - 3/14/2007
• Air Battles: Sky Defender - PC - 3/16/2007
• ETROM: The Astral Essence - PC - 3/16/2007
• Herbie Rescue Rally - DS - 3/16/2007
• Rag Doll Kung Fu - PC - 3/16/2007

Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.

Sorry about the delay in getting today’s news up, but I’ve spent the better part of the day cleaning the pigsty that I call home, and even now the pigs are still looking at me as if to say I’ve got a long way to go. I think anytime you have to spend a day cleaning just so you’ll be able to do some spring cleaning in a few weeks, you know you have a serious mess on your hands.

Anyway, if you’ve been playing along with the home version of our game, you know that I have a love/hate relationship with Peter Molyneaux. To put it plainly, I love the man’s creative vision and innovation, but I absolutely hate the grandiose promises he makes that make the end result of said creative vision feel lackluster and unfinished in the end. Still, he somehow manages to hook me on his ideas time after time despite my previous experiences. While Molyneaux has purposefully scaled his promises back following the debacle that was Fable, he still can really sell what he’s working on with the best of them.

You want a case in point? Well, I have one for you. Below are four videos of the Fable 2 demonstration Molyneaux gave at the Game Developer’s Conference this year, and I’ve got to admit that the concept of the dog is already breaking down my resistance to buying into Molyneaux’s vision of Fable for a second time. If this dog works as he says it will - and given his history, I have some doubts about that, then I could easily see myself spending hours just goofing around with the thing while completely ignoring whatever challenge I’m supposed to be accomplishing. Just ask me about my mighty break-dancing, crowd pleasing Tiger creature from the original Black & White some time and you’ll know what I mean.

Now, in all honesty, Fable wasn’t a bad game - it was just a bad game when compared to what we were told it’s going to be. I think most people who didn’t listen to any of the pre-game hype - or waited for the release of The Lost Chapters, were probably pretty pleased with the project. I want to stay optimistic about Fable 2, but I also don’t want to feel like Peter’s bitch again either. That’s the thing - I love the fact that there is someone in charge of a major studio that is willing to take risks to give us something unique, I just wish that it wasn’t me handing the cash over sight-unseen every damn time. Unfortunately, like I said earlier, I just know the promise of the dog is going to make me grab this one at release too.

Fable 2 is being designed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It’s currently slated to be released exclusively for the Xbox 360 at an as-of-yet unspecified date. Now then, you watch the videos, I’ll go back to cleaning. Enjoy.

• Peter Molyneaux - Wikipedia
• Lionhead Studios - official site
• Microsoft Game Studios - Official site
• Fable 2 - Official site
• Fable 2 - Xbox.com product page
• Peter Molyneaux at GDC ‘07 - Bowerstone - YouTube
• Peter Molyneaux at GDC ‘07 - Dog: part 1 - YouTube
• Peter Molyneaux at GDC ‘07 - Dog: part 2 - YouTube
• Peter Molyneaux at GDC ‘07 - Dog: part 3 - YouTube

The MAME32 team has released the Windows GUI version of the latest complete MAME build. While MAME32.113 is now available for download via the MAME32 official homepage, it appears that the changes to the timing code I mentioned in the discussion of MAME 113u1 is causing a bit of a delay in the conversion of the update. It could well be that the MAME32 team is waiting for the code to stabilize before starting work on implementing it.

• MAME32 homepage - Official site of MAME32

I tell you, turn your back on the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator development team for a few days and they suddenly start pumping out the updates. Since we last checked in with them, they have released both v.113 as well as v.113u1.

We’ll start off with v.113 - it appears the work being done on the sound emulation is now basically complete. With the completion of the work, the dev team did feel the need to point out some important changes to the way things work;

"The sound code in particular bears mentioning because its new behavior has tripped up a few people. Sound output is now exclusively controlled by the emulation, not by the OS layer. This means that it is very important to have accurate timing and throttling. Because of this, the throttling code has been rewritten to be more forgiving of “hiccups” and other anomalies.

One non-obvious side effect is that if you are running your games with -triplebuffer or -waitvsync on a system with a 60Hz video mode (like most LCDs have), and you are running a game with a framerate greater than 60fps (any of the common older Namco titles will do fine), then you will experience sound hiccups unless you enable a little bit of frameskipping, either automatic or a frameskip of 1. This is because you are hard-limiting the game to run at 60Hz due to your monitor’s refresh, but it needs to produce more than 60 frames per second, so you are always running behind the emulation." - MAME Dev team

With that work completed, the development team has moved on and put out version .113u1, which begins the work of unifying much of the code controlling the timing of each game. As usual, I’ll tell you to avoid going with the update version this time around unless you think the latest update could fix any problems you’re currently having or want to help test the latest build for the team. In the latter case, head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.

The files for both v.113 and v.113u1 along with their respective changelogs can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org.

• MAMEDev - Official site of the MAME development team
• MAME v.113 "What’s New" File - MAMEDev
• MAME v.113u1 "What’s New" File - MAMEDev

Ever since the first time I played Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved on the Xbox 360, I’ve been hoping that Microsoft would port the game over to Windows - specifically so I could run the game on my arcade machine and perhaps someday build a replica of the Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved machine seen in the player garages of Project Gotham Racing 3. When Microsoft announced that Bizarre Creations was working on a PC version of the game a few months back, I was damn near overjoyed - it looked like my hopes were about to become reality.

Well, consider those hopes dashed - at least for the foreseeable future. Microsoft has indeed made Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved available on the PC, but unfortunately it will only run under Windows Vista - which effectively kills any plans I had for running it on the arcade machine as I really don’t plan on upgrading it’s o/s anytime soon. Regardless, for those of you who don’t have an Xbox 360 and do happen to have Windows Vista, the arcade goodness that is Geometry Wars is now available to you for $7.95 plus tax at MSN Games - there’s even a free trial available for those of you who may not be willing to take my word about how great the game is.

Geometry Wars release is part of Microsoft’s new "Vista-Optimized Casual Games" series that debuted at MSN Games this week. I’ve taken the liberty of listing the full range of titles currently available below based on the information at Gamerscore Blog and MSN Games. Please remember that all of the titles listed require Windows Vista to run. You know, Looking at the prices listed, it appears Geometry Wars is being used as a lure to get people interested in the service, because if you ask me, all of the other titles seem wildly overpriced.

• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
  
  • Remaining faithful to the gameplay that made this “Retro Evolved” shooter an Xbox 360 favorite, the Windows Vista-optimized version has players navigating their geometric ship through a retro grid world, facing off against waves of deadly spinners, snakes and repulsars. Combining mind-blowing 21st-century graphics and retro-arcade “Asteroids”-like gameplay, “Geometry Wars” is easy to play yet nearly impossible to master. Developed by Bizarre Creations Ltd. Price: $7.95
• Bliss Island
  • Enter the world of “Bliss Island,” mixing all the fun and addictive action of an arcade-style puzzler with the frenetic energy of pinball. Help the adorable, furry blue Hoshi the Zwooph compete in more than 90 mini-game challenges, all requiring player dexterity and skill. From guiding fruit into hungry mouths to blasting creatures through an obstacle course, players complete each challenge by navigating objects and creatures with small blasts of air delivered from Hoshi’s trunk. Developed by Codemasters Software Company Ltd. Price: $19.95
• Crystal Quest
  • In this action title, players must pilot their ship through 60 waves of frenzied action, collecting crystals and evading the ever present, out-to-get-you Nasties. These unique baddies spawn from portals on each side of the screen; firing the main gun or deploying a smart bomb quickly vaporizes every Nasty on the screen. Players must work quickly to grab all the crystals, opening the gateway that completes each level. Players can also gather up the goodies in each wave to grab bonus points, extra smart bombs and even an occasional mega-crystal for massive points. Developed by Codemasters Software Company Ltd. Price: $19.95
• Darwinia
  • Combining fast-paced action with strategic battle planning, “Darwinia” features intuitive gameplay and a graphical style ripped from ’80s retro classics such as “Tron” and “Defender.” It’s a game that can quickly turn a 10-minute game-playing break into an absorbing 10-hour experience. “Darwinia” has an easy-to-follow story line concerning a tribe of nomadic sprites trapped in a modern 3-D world who must be saved from the threat of extinction. The game’s addictive action is deceptively simple, providing endless entertainment for novices while challenging even the most seasoned battle strategist. Developed by Introversion Software. Price: $19.95
• Jewel Quest II
  • In the jewel-matching adventure “Jewel Quest II®,” players are immersed in the wilds of Africa as they solve more than 50 new puzzles to complete the “jewel quest.” Players must race against the clock as they rearrange precious relics to create columns or rows of three or more of the same type, turning tiles into gold as they advance through an increasingly challenging series of puzzles. As players progress, the playing fields also take on different shapes, making this puzzler a true visual adventure. Developed by iWin Inc. Price: $19.95
• LUXOR 2
  
  • The much anticipated sequel to the No. 1 casual game of 2005, “LUXOR 2” sets a new standard for action puzzlers. “LUXOR 2” takes players on a beautiful voyage through 88 all-new, gorgeously rendered levels set amid the scenery of ancient Egypt. Offering all the brain-teasing fun of the original and packing more explosive power-ups than ever before, “LUXOR 2” challenges players to control the mystical winged scarab to shoot and destroy the approaching magical spheres before they reach the pyramids at the end of their path. Developed by MumboJumbo. Price: $19.95
• Spinword
  
  • “Spinword” combines puzzles and arcade action in a fun word-making challenge. A mix of the best of “Scrabble,” “Tetris” and “Bejeweled,” “Spinword” challenges players with frenetic tests of vocabulary dexterity. The players’ goal is to make as many words as they can, as fast as they can. Words are created from a selection of letter cubes and must be at least three letters long and spelled left to right or top to bottom. “Spinword” offers more than 60 levels based on word, action and puzzle challenges. Developed by Slam Games. Price: $19.95

The funny part about all the titles listed above is that while I might actually pay $19.95 for Geometry Wars - the one title that isn’t $19.95, I would never pay that much for any of the other titles listed.

• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved - Product page at MSN Games
• Geo Wars and other Windows Vista-optimized casual games launch on MSN Games - Gamerscore Blog
• MSN Games for Windows Vista - MSN Games

Yesterday at the Game Developer’s Conference, Sony unveiled their plans for the future of the PlayStation 3’s online service. The new feature, named PlayStation Home, looks to be an integration of the matchmaking capabilities of Xbox Live with the personalization of the Mii avatars on the Wii.

"Home is a real-time online 3D, networked community available on the PLAYSTATION®Network.  It allows PS3 users to interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share private content and even build and show off their own personal spaces to others in real time.  Home will be available as a free download from the PLAYSTATION®Store and will launch directly from XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) on PS3." - Sony press release

In short, PlayStation 3 owners would create virtual avatars that could move around in a 3d online world where they could use all aspects of Sony’s network service - without paying a monthly fee, I might add. At first glance it all seems very cool, just the same way the 3DNA desktop seemed like a fabulous idea for the PC. However, when you stop and think about it, when you’re trying to get to a specific piece of data, be it a demo, a video or entering a waiting room for an online game, do you really want to spend time walking there or do you just want to get in, get what you want and get out? Further, the idea of being constantly surrounded by many of the very people I go out of my way to avoid when I’m online certainly isn’t a selling point to me. Basically, I look at the core concept of the PlayStation Home as being something that old school PC users would say is "very pretty"- in other words, nice to look at, but totally impractical - and probably one that won’t be used by many as the main interface for Sony’s network services.

That’s not to say that there aren’t a few ideas in there that I don’t find very appealing. First and foremost is the idea of a public/private trophy room. I look at this as a virtual version of the achievement points system, which I think we all know is one of Xbox Live’s big hooks. This feature could conceivably eliminate part of the advantage I feel the Xbox 360 versions of multiplatform titles currently hold.

Secondly, I like the idea of being able to create a personal space where you could show videos, leave general messages, etc. It seems to me to be a potentially great way to share information without having to log off to check the internet. Even more intriguing is the ability for developers to essentially set up an online marketplace for their products. What I see in this is the potential for these spaces to become a virtual E3 of sorts where developers could allow the public an even closer feel than we currently get on any competing service. Think about it, not only could a developer present demos and videos of their game from this marketplace, but you could make announcements, run live contests and even have employees interact with your customers. Is that view an extremely ambitious idea for how the service could be used? Sure, but until we know just what the network’s limitations are, the sky really could be the limit.

There are other things that I worry about, things like latency, pricing and longevity. How much will all of these visual elements affect the performance of the PlayStation network service as far as actually playing games goes? Will Sony turn to a model of charging for every little thing you may want to do in order to keep the service profitable? Will Sony provide support for their games for more than just a few token years, or will we see games being removed from the service long before the console it’s played on heads off into the sunset.

Rather than ramble on and on, I’ll cut this one short until I know more about what we can really expect from the PlayStation Home. In the meantime, I found some of the video from Sony’s presentation on YouTube, so check it out below to learn more about what to expect when the PlayStation Home launches later this year.

• PlayStation.com - Official PlayStation website
• Game Developer’s Conference ‘07 - Official website
• PlayStation Home demonstration - YouTube
• PlayStation Home announcement - Sony press release

We have wormsign! They always say the third time’s the charm, so with a little luck, by the time you read this Worms will be available for purchase in the Xbox Live Arcade. While I’ve always had a few issues with some of the core gameplay aspects of the game, I know many of you out there like nothing better than to arm a bunch of invertebrates and let mayhem ensue, so grab a thumper, some hooks and go get yourself a worm.

Title: Worms
Developer: Team 17 Software Ltd
Publisher: Team 17 Software Ltd
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 3/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Xbox Live: Yes
HDTV Support: 1080i
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Worms is a cleverly balanced turn-based strategy game in which teams of worms battle across bizarre randomly generated landscapes for supremacy. Each team takes its turn to pick off the opposing teams using crazy weapons, tools, and other utilities, as well as whatever foul strategies they can devise.

Worms die when they lose all of their energy or plunge into the water. The winning team is the one that manages to survive the mayhem and have worms left standing when the dust settles. Sound simple? Easy to play but difficult to master, it’s a game of deep strategy that belies its simple appearance.

• Strategy and action: The game is a cleverly balanced mix of strategy and arcade action that is not only simple and easy to understand but contains real depth and massive replay-ability.
• Multiplayer modes: Play offline turn-based play for up to four players, or go online for turn-based play for up to four players over Xbox Live®.
• Game options: An assortment of game options abound, from the landscape on which to battle on, to turn time, round time, and the starting weapon arsenal of each team.
• Tutorials: Three detailed tutorials are included to introduce the mechanics to those who haven’t played the game before.
• Variety of challenges: With 20 increasingly difficult single player challenges and three graphical themes on which to play, a random landscape generator means no two landscapes generated are ever the same.
• Weapon selection: Choose from 22 weapons and utilities to deploy against your enemies.
• Customization: Make the game your own, from worm and team names, to what they say and the gravestone they leave behind when they die." - Xbox.com

The other day I was lamenting the fact that we hadn’t seen any news on Heavenly Sword in quite some time and I was starting to worry that as the game had entered development hell just like a few other prominent PlayStation 3 titles have recently. Well, it appears the game is at least still being used as a promotional tool by Sony, which I figure has to be a good sign.

On last night’s episode of Heroes, Nikki and Micah are seen playing Heavenly Sword during a moment of downtime, and Sony used the opportunity to show off a whole ten seconds of new footage. What we got to see was what appears to be more of the “God of War” style, single button press action system and naturally, it left us wanting more. The good folks over at Kotaku put the video up at YouTube, so here it is (spoiler free for those of us who are still playing catch-up with our Tivo’ed episodes of the show.)

If you remember, awhile back we announced that Sony had listed today’s date on the Heavenly Sword information page as the game’s release date. Obviously, the game isn’t coming out today and Sony replaced that information with a plain “2007″ marker a month or so back. Hopefully we’ll get some new news about when we can expect to see this one at retail soon. While we’re waiting for that news, I’ve taken the liberty of listing a few other Heavenly Sword videos below to help us pass the time.

• Heavenly Sword - official site
• Heavenly Sword on Heroes - YouTube
• Heavenly Sword GC’06 Trailer - YouTube
• Heavenly Sword Gameplay Footage - You Tube
• Heavenly Sword E3′06 Demo Footage - YouTube

The other day I was lamenting the fact that we hadn’t seen any news on Heavenly Sword in quite some time and I was starting to worry that as the game had entered development hell just like a few other prominent PlayStation 3 titles have recently. Well, it appears the game is at least still being used as a promotional tool by Sony, which I figure has to be a good sign.

On last night’s episode of Heroes, Nikki and Micah are seen playing Heavenly Sword during a moment of downtime, and Sony used the opportunity to show off a whole ten seconds of new footage. What we got to see was what appears to be more of the "God of War" style, single button press action system and naturally, it left us wanting more. The good folks over at Kotaku put the video up at YouTube, so here it is (spoiler free for those of us who are still playing catch-up with our Tivo’ed episodes of the show.)

If you remember, awhile back we announced that Sony had listed today’s date on the Heavenly Sword information page as the game’s release date. Obviously, the game isn’t coming out today and Sony replaced that information with a plain "2007" marker a month or so back. Hopefully we’ll get some new news about when we can expect to see this one at retail soon. While we’re waiting for that news, I’ve taken the liberty of listing a few other Heavenly Sword videos below to help us pass the time.

• Heavenly Sword - official site
• Heavenly Sword on Heroes - YouTube
• Heavenly Sword GC’06 Trailer - YouTube
• Heavenly Sword Gameplay Footage - You Tube
• Heavenly Sword E3′06 Demo Footage - YouTube

It would appear to be a pretty good week to be a PlayStation 2 owner as the console sees the release of both Burnout Dominator (PS2 and PSP) and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PS2). While Vice City Stories may just be a rehash of the PSP title of the same name, Dominator holds the promise of a return to the series’ previous non-traffic checking glory - and that’s something to potentially be excited about.

On the next-gen front, both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 get Def Jam Icon and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 while the PlayStation 3 will also see MotorStorm as well as a port of Electronic Arts NBA Street Homecourt.

Finally, I’d like to send a shout-out to Air Cargo Pilot on it’s return to the release list. We missed you last week and were starting to get a little worried. You should have called, you know.

• Aircraft Collection Second Edition - PC - 3/6/2007
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories - PS2 - 3/6/2007
• Rayman Raving Rabbids - DS - 3/6/2007
• Shrek Smash and Crash - DS - 3/6/2007
• Titan Quest: Immortal Throne - PC - 3/6/2007
• Tortuga Two Treasures - PC - 3/6/2007
• Wario: Master of Disguise - DS - 3/6/2007
• Air Cargo Pilot - PC - 3/7/2007
• Burnout Dominator - PS2 - 3/7/2007
• Burnout Dominator - PSP - 3/7/2007
• Carol Vorderman’s Sudoku - PS2 - 3/7/2007
• Carol Vorderman’s Sudoku - PSP - 3/7/2007
• City of Heroes Good Vs. Evil Edition - PC - 3/7/2007
• Def Jam Icon - 360 - 3/7/2007
• Def Jam Icon - PS3 - 3/7/2007
• Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 - 360 - 3/7/2007
• Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 - PC - 3/7/2007
• Great Invasions - PC - 3/7/2007
• Medal of Honor Collection - PS2 - 3/7/2007
• Mission: Blackhawk - PC - 3/7/2007
• MotorStorm - PS3 - 3/7/2007
• NBA Street Homecourt - PS3 - 3/7/2007
• Pimp My Ride - PSP - 3/7/2007
• Slingo Quest - PC - 3/7/2007
• Sonic Mega Collection Plus - PC - 3/7/2007
• UFO Extraterrestrials - PC - 3/7/2007
• Model Train 3D - PC - 3/9/2007

Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.

Today I’ve got a video of Irrational Games upcoming title BioShock for you. This video, titled "Hunting the Big Daddy", focuses on some of the unique combat aspects of the game while showcasing some truly stunning visuals. I’ve been on the fence for awhile now about BioShock, but this video has certainly improved my opinion of the title.

BioShock is being published by 2K Games and is currently slated to release exclusively on the Xbox 360 and Windows XP/Vista platforms on August 21st, 2007.

• BioShock - Official website
• Irrational Games - Official website
• 2K Games - Official website
• BioShock: Hunting the Big Daddy - YouTube
• BioShock - Wikipedia Entry

Following in the footsteps of the command line version, MAME32 v.112.4, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.112u4 is also now available. The same warnings I gave about the latest build of MAME apply to MAME32 as well.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

• MAME32 - Official home of MAME32

The latest "update" version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version .112u4, is now available for download. From the update notes, it appears the work on the new sound drivers is just about done, meaning a full release shouldn’t be that far behind. If you’ve been having any difficulties with v.112 proper, now may be the time to upgrade, otherwise I’d still advise sticking with v.112 until the next full release. In the event that you are interested in testing the build for the dev team, head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.

The updated emulator files can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see the full list of what’s new in this update.

• MAMEDev - Official site of the MAME development team

As the rumor mill hinted at awhile back, it appears that Sony’s PlayStation 3 title Warhawk will no longer be seeing a full retail release. According to an article over at Kotaku, IGN’s weekly webcast features an interview with the developers over at Incognito Entertainment, where they confirm that the game will indeed be reduced to a multiplayer game only available via a download from the PlayStation Store. According to Warhawk’s director, Dylan Jobe, the reason behind the change is that the single player mode just wasn’t coming along well, so they decided to just focus on the multiplayer aspects of the game.

I’m getting more and more nervous about Heavenly Sword’s fate. It seems to me that the less Sony mentions a game, the worse things are going for it - and we haven’t heard anything official about Heavenly Sword in awhile now. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.

• Warhawk Goes Multiplayer, Download Only (Really, This Time) - Kotaku
• IGN Weekly - IGN (the episode you’re looking for is #38)

Telltale Games dropped me a note to say that Sam & Max: Episode 4 - Abe Lincoln Must Die is now available for download to those who have pre-purchased the entire first season of the series. Those of you who are picking up the series episode by episode will unfortunately still have to wait for the previously announced March 8th release date.

"That’s right, Season 1 customers can get Abe Lincoln Must Die! starting today, a full week before the general episode 4 release on March 8.

Why? Well, there are many reasons, but one of the biggest is that we love you.

If you’re a Season 1 customer you should have received an email today with a download link. Didn’t get it? Go here for other download options.

As Abe Lincoln would say, “The time to act is now…” - Telltale Games

Before you think I’m having a Sony love-in today, it’s time to prove that Sony can never have a good day without stepping in it at the same time. Here’s the short version of today’s Public Relations nightmare;

It apparently began when Kotaku’s Brian Crecente contacted Sony regarding a story they were looking to break. The story was in reference to a service Sony will apparently be introducing at next week’s Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) which will be a mix of Microsoft’s Achievement point system and Nintendo’s Mii avatars. Rather than just giving the usual "We don’t comment on rumors" line, Dave Karraker, Sony’s senior director of corporate communications, contacted Crecente and basically advised them not to run the story under threat of harming Kotaku’s relationship with Sony.

Thankfully, Crecente decided his loyalty was to his readers and games journalism, not Sony. As such, he politely responded to Sony that they would be running the story anyway… and then it got ugly. Karraker responded to Crecente’s e-mail by advising them that he "can’t defend outlets that can’t work cooperatively with us." and notifying Crecente that effective immediately, Sony would be cutting off Kotaku from any official communications with Sony. They cancelled all interviews scheduled with Kotaku staffers during the GDC and revoked the site’s invitation to their media event next week. Pretty grim, eh?

What Sony didn’t realize at the time, and probably still don’t fully understand, is something that I’ve touched on here a few times before. This isn’t 1995. Simply put, the days when print magazines had to kiss ass because the only place to get news about a console was directly from the manufacturer are long gone. Truth be told, Sony probably needs Kotaku more than Kotaku needs Sony.

Regardless of whether you agree with that last point, what happened next was pretty amazing. The story was picked up by multiple game sites and within a few short hours, the sheer amount of negative press made Sony rethink their position. Karraker contacted Crecente one last time, and both decided that while they would agree to disagree on the issue at hand, it was in the best interests of both Sony and Kotaku to renew their relationship.

First off, let me give a huge salute to Brian Crecente and the folks over at Kotaku who kept their heads during the few hours all hell must have been breaking loose around them. There’s a reason why Kotaku is my number one stop for gaming news, and that’s because since I started reading their site, I’ve grown to trust them to be honest about what they think and feel. As a reader, knowing that someone can’t buy or bully Kotaku into saying something other than what they really believe is a huge selling point.

Secondly, let me say that it really is time someone at Sony wakes the hell up and smells the internet. If you want positive press, earn it - no one worth reading is going to just give it to you just because you say so. No one is going to just accept the company line without questioning the stupid things you may say. Accept it, Deal with it and adapt to the new world. Thank you.

• Rumor: Sony To Unveil PlayStation Home - Kotaku (the story that started it all)
• Sony Blackballs Kotaku - Kotaku
• Sony and Kotaku Make-Up - Kotaku

Kotaku is reporting that in an interview with Newsweek’s N’Gai Croal, Sony’s Phil Harrison leaked the news many PlayStation 3 owners have been waiting to hear… Sony is working on bringing DVD upscaling to the PlayStation 3;

“I think in order to engender trust in our users, we have to share some things that might be not quite perfect, but are ready to give you an indication of what’s coming. So we could say, “You know, we’re not sure when it’s coming, but we’re going to have DVD upscaling on Playstation 3.” - Phil Harrison

For those of you who don’t know what the big deal is, DVD upscaling is a process in which standard DVD’s which are normally only capable of being displayed at 480p are digitally upgraded to support 720p resolution. In other words, it makes regular DVD’s play in high-definition. While you can buy regular DVD players that perform the same function, the fact that this is something that can apparently be added free of charge via a firmware update will definitely be a positive boost to the PS3’s image.

• PS3 Getting DVD Upscaling - Kotaku

At long last, the PlayStation 3 version of Namco Bandai’s Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is available for purchase in the PlayStation Store. The download weighs in at approximately 555mb and the price of admission to the fight is $19.99.

Gamespot is reporting that Sony has finally settled with Immersion Corporation on the vibration feedback patent dispute case that most believe resulted in the Sixaxis controller not supporting vibration feedback. In addition to settling the dispute over the patent infringement issues with the PlayStation 2 and Dual Shock Controller, Sony has also entered an agreement to work with Immersion on bringing "advanced vibration feedback" to the PlayStation 3;

"Our new business agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment is specifically intended to enable advanced vibration capability for the benefit of the PlayStation gaming community, we are happy to provide our technology in this regard and hope to make technical proposals very soon with respect to use of our technology in the PlayStation products." - Victor Viegas, CEO Immersion Corporation

Let me go on the record right now as saying I don’t care what anyone else may say about having to buy additional controllers, should Sony roll out vibration feedback, unless Sony does something exceptionally stupid , I’ll be more than happy to purchase 2 new controllers for my PlayStation 3 if it means that I can get some rumblin’ action.

• Sony and Immersion Patch Up - Gamespot

Sony has made another small update to the PlayStation 3’s firmware. Here are the details for v1.54 as per the PlayStation 3 System Update page.

"The PLAYSTATION®3 system software version 1.54 update (with 1.50/1.51) includes the following:

• Users
  
  • You can now select an image to use as the User icon from [Photo].
• Settings
  
  • [Key Tone] has been added as an option under [Sound Settings].
  • [Delete Backup Data] has been added as an option under [System Settings] > [Backup Utility].
  • WEP 128, WPA-PSK (TKIP) and WPA-PSK (AES) have been added as security methods that can be used with [AOSS™] under [Automatic].*
    * If you have already set up for AOSS using an earlier version of the system software, you must perform AOSS setup again to use the security methods listed above.
    * When [Automatic] is selected, the security method to be used is automatically set.
    * AOSS is a trademark of Buffalo, Inc.
• Game
  
  • New for 1.51: Support for PLAYSTATION®3 format software titles has been expanded.
• Friends
  
  • New for 1.54: [Screen Mode] has been added as an option in the options menu for video chat. The image of the person you are chatting with during video chat can now be changed to match the screen size.
  • New for 1.54: You can now use a compatible USB camera compliant with USB video class (UVC) for video chat.
    

    * For information on supported models and usage instructions, contact the retailer where the cameras are sold.

  • The method for saving your password / signing in automatically under PLAYSTATION®Network has been changed. There are now two separate options.

• Other
  
  
  • You can now enter text in Korean using the on-screen keyboard" - PlayStation Network System update message

The update can be downloaded either directly via the PlayStation 3 or from the system update page itself.

• PlayStation 3 Network Updates - PlayStation.com

Just a quick note here - a demo of Konami’s Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 is now available for Xbox Live Gold members in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The demo weighs in at approximately 1.2gb as per Xbox Live Director of Programming, Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.

• Demo: Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 - Major Nelson
• Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 - Konami.com

This week’s Xbox Live Arcade release is Alien Hominid HD, a fully rebuilt version of the original Alien Hominid flash based game. For those unfamiliar with the title, Alien Hominid is an extremely difficult side scrolling shooter that got it’s start as a free web-based flash game. I’ve never really been a huge fan of the title, though from what I hear it’s been completely rebuilt for Live. Things are still pretty backed up here, so I guess I’ll be checking out the demo to see if they’ve made any huge changes to the game a little later in the week. Since I can’t talk from experience, I’ll let the product information page at xbox.com do the rest of the talking for me.

Title: Alien Hominid HD
Developer: The Behemoth
Publisher: The Behemoth
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 2/28/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Xbox Live: Yes
HDTV Support: 1080i
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

“They’ve got your spaceship, so blow up anything in your path to get it back. Completely hand-drawn high-definition graphics coupled with old-school game play results in ultimate mayhem. This addictive, side-scrolling shooter features cute, quirky humor and adjustable cartoon gore.

Alien Hominid HD features jump-in-anytime multiplayer action, immersive environments, award-winning bosses, and over 30 fashionable hats. This 2-D console experience comes jam-packed with seven mini-games, including several four-player party games. All You Can Eat, Neutron Ball, and PDA Games will keep the party going for hours on end.

• Full-blown console title: Alien Hominid is the first full-size console title on Xbox Live Arcade.
• New and improved: All 16 levels and seven mini-games are included in this version, in addition to 720p HD support and 150+ brand new PDA mini-game levels.
• Multiplayer support: Two players locally in the main game, and up to four players offline or on Xbox Live in mini-games.
• Per-player difficulty: Difficulty settings can be adjusted on a per-controller basis.“ - Xbox.com

Since there was no Live Arcade title last week, I don’t have any new Live Arcade impressions to share with you. I will say this though, while playing Q*Bert on the PlayStation 3, a thought occurred to me… I find it pretty ironic that Sony chose the game as the first downloadable classic arcade title for the PlayStation 3. You see, the original arcade version was one of the first games to use vibration feedback in the form of a “kicker” located inside the cabinet of the machine that generated a “thump” whenever the player died.

We’re starting tonight off with a bang… literally. I don’t know what it is with Electronic Arts, but of late they seem utterly fascinated with the idea of publishing games about mercenaries. I mean, first we had Army of Two, then they picked up the publishing rights to Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and now they announce Battlefield: Bad Company. You’d almost think they’re obsessed with people who will do anything for money. (I know, I’ve used the joke before, but it never gets old.)

The below trailer is supposedly composed from inside the game engine and is actually pretty funny to watch. Check it out!

Battlefield: Bad Company is currently slated for release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.