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LucasArts took the opportunity afforded by Comic-Con 2007 to confirm that a Lego version of the Indiana Jones trilogy is indeed in production and slated for release some time next summer. The upcoming game, Lego Indiana Jones: The Video Game, is being developed by Traveller’s Tales, the same company behind the two Lego Star Wars titles, and will cover all three of the Indiana Jones films with the same humorous family-friendly style the Lego series has become known for. Let’s take a look;

Lego Indiana Jones: The Video Game is due to release as a multi-platform title in the summer of 2008.

• Lego Indiana Jones: The Video Game - LucasArts
• Lego Indiana Jones Comic-Con 2007 Trailer - GameTrailers.com

Well, here it is - the last of the content Microsoft has posted on Xbox Live for the Bringing it Home: Comic-Con 2007 promotion. Not much to get excited about here in my opinion, but there’s probably still a ton of stuff left from the day three update that you haven’t watched yet, so it all evens out in the end.

Now that Comic-Con is over, It should be interesting to see if Microsoft continues to add “Bringing it Home” events for things outside the direct sphere of gaming as they work on building their Video Marketplace brand. Anyway, enough of the speculation, let’s get on with the final content added to the Xbox Live Marketplace;

Videos & Trailers
Fable 2 - Lionhead Video Diary Episode 2 Video
Day 4 Wrap Up (HD)
Chuck Highlights (HD)
The Sarah Connor Chronicles Highlights (HD)
Supernatural Highlights (HD)
Chuck Full Panel Coverage
The Sarah Connor Chronicles Full Panel Coverage
Smallville Full Panel Coverage
Pushing Daisies Full Panel Coverage

It may have taken over a year and a half, but it appears as if Microsoft is finally ready to lower the price of the Xbox 360. According to CheapAssGamer, flyers obtained for the week of August 12th from both Walmart and Toys R Us are showing a $50 price drop on the Xbox 360 premium model.

While a price drop has been rumored for some time due to the recent decline in Xbox 360 console sales and the lower costs associated with the upcoming 65nm processor, this is really the first time that we’ve seen any kind of concrete proof that it’s really going to happen. Now we’re left with the questions of whether a $50 drop will be enough to reinvigorate sales of the 360 and if the price drop will be spread across all models of the console, or if it will just be an inventory cleaning solution prior to the roll out of the 65nm processors.

Hopefully Microsoft will clear things up a bit over the course of the coming week. We’ll be sure to let you know of anything we find out about this as soon as possible.

• Walmart & Toys R Us Ads Confirm $50 Xbox 360 Price Cut - CheapAssGamer

Day three of the Bringing it Home: Comic-Con 2007 promotion has now passed and it looks like there’s been a ton of video content added to the Live Marketplace since our last report. Looking at the below list, I think I can safely say that there’s just not enough time in the day to check out everything I’d like to watch - I guess I’ll start with the Babylon 5 and Blade Runner stuff and go from there.

Trailers & Videos
Smallville Trailer
Big Bang Theory :30 Spot
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales Full Panel Coverage
Blade Runner Full Panel Coverage
300 Full Panel Coverage
Daily Wrap-up 7/28 (HD)
Return to House on Haunted Hill Panel/Interview Highlights (HD)
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales Interviews (HD)
Warner Bros. Upcoming Theatrical Releases (HD)
Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Interview
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale Clip
New Frontier teaser
Legion/Kids’ WB! Promo
Legion sizzle reel
James Marsters video greeting
Hanna-Barbera: From H to B video
Batman/The Joining Clip
Batman/Kids’ WB! promo
Batman sizzle
Adam Baldwin Video greeting
Daily Wrap-up
Hanna Barbera/Popeye Panel Coverage
Moonlight
Chuck
Simplicity:  The Life and Art of Alex Toth
Sailor’s Horn Pipes:  The Voices of Popeye
I am Legend trailer
Get Smart trailer
Fred Claus Trailer 2
Babylon 5: Lost Tales
10,000 B.C.
Superman Doomsday Panel & Interviews Highlights
Superman Doomsday Trailer

If you’re a big sci-fi and comic book fan, I’m willing to bet you wish you had that 120GB hard drive right now, don’t you?

What a weekend - take the the frequent power outages initially caused by severe weather and later caused by what I can only assume was the general incompetence of my local power authority, along with the constant ISP issues I’ve been having of late, and I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to get this post ready for today. Admittedly, looking at this week’s release list, I really don’t think it would have been that much of a shame if I hadn’t have posted anything - yes, the cupboard is looking pretty bare.

The only title even remotely worth talking about this week is Mario Strikers Charged for the Wii. Yes, Nintendo once again looks to make it’s magic by injecting it’s popular characters into a sports game - and since they generally to a pretty good job of it every time, this one will most likely please the Nintendo faithful.

As for the rest, once again it’s looking like a good week to catch up on games you’ve been meaning to play while putting some cash aside for the fall blockbuster rush.

• Bratz Ponyz - DS - 7/31/2007
• Chameleon: To Dye For - DS - 7/31/2007
• Drake & Josh - DS - 7/31/2007
• Mario Strikers Charged - WII - 7/31/2007
• Mission: Combat Force - PC - 7/31/2007
• Pet Alien - DS - 7/31/2007
• PicrossDS - DS - 7/31/2007
• Brave Story: New Traveler - PSP - 8/1/2007
• Glory Days 2 - DS - 8/1/2007
• Harvest Moon: Boy & Girl - PSP - 8/1/2007
• Professional Fisherman’s Tour: Northern Hemisphere - DS - 8/1/2007
• Spelling Challenges and More! - DS - 8/1/2007
• World Championship Cards - PS2 - 8/1/2007
• World Championship Cards - PSP - 8/1/2007
• Let’s Ride: Friends Forever - PC - 8/2/2007
• Ride! Carnival Tycoon - PC - 8/2/2007
• Attack on Pearl Harbor - PC - 8/3/2007
• Hidden Expedition Everest - PC - 8/3/2007
• Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst - PC - 8/3/2007
• Virtual Villagers: The Lost Children - PC - 8/3/2007
• Combat Mission: Shock Force - PC - 8/4/2007
  

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

The updates continue on the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, as version .117u2 is now available for download. This update contains several fixes to some of the big changes made in version .117 including changes to the new input system and GUI. If you upgraded to v.117 and have been having issues, this could be the answer to your problems. If you’re not experiencing any issues, I’d suggest sticking with your current installation until all the bugs are worked out. As for those of you interested in testing this build for the dev team, feel free to download the update and then head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.

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

• MAME - Official website
• MAMEDev - Official site of the MAME development team

Resident Evil 5 is one of those games that’s been keeping a low profile since it’s initial announcement in 2005. While we’ve been treated to little snippets of information and teaser trailers on an annual basis, we’ve not really been allowed to see just what we can expect from this latest installment of Capcom’s long-running franchise. That has now changed.

Capcom has released a new, extended version of the E3′07 Resident Evil 5 trailer, and it is, in short, a breath-taking ride. We catch up with Chris Redfield 10 years after the Raccoon City incident and find him tracking down information on a supposed outbreak in what appears to be Africa. There seems to be some actual gameplay footage mixed in with the CGI, and from that footage, we can assume that the game will use the third person “over-the-shoulder” view that was pioneered in Resident Evil 4.

Now that I’ve set up the trailer for you, I’ll step back and let you enjoy what I consider the first real look at Resident Evil 5.

Now that you’ve seen the good news, I’m going to give you a bit of the bad. According to RE5’s Wikipedia entry, in an interview with RE5 producer Jun Takeuchi, Weekly Famitsu was informed that the game’s release date has been pushed back into 2009. I’m hoping that’s one story that will turn out to be false, as it’s been too long since we’ve had a game that dealt with the main Resident Evil storyline. (Of course, a delay would give me more time to finally finish Resident Evil 4 and take it off my damned “should be playing” list.)

• Resident Evil - Official website
• Resident Evil 5 - Wikipedia entry
• Resident Evil 5 E3 2007 Extended Trailer - GameTrailers.com

Day two of the Bringing it Home: Comic-Con 2007 promotion has come and gone, and quite sadly, not much in the way of freebies hit the Live Marketplace during it’s reign, so this is going to be a pretty short post. In fact, there were only two free items on yesterday’s list, and both of them are promotional items for Rush Hour 3. Yeah, I’m as thrilled as you are.

Themes
Content: Rush Hour 3 Theme
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: This summer they’re kicking it in Paris. Make sure you download the Theme and Gamer pics of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3, in theaters August 10th.

Gamer Pictures
Content: Rush Hour 3 Picture Pack
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: This summer they’re kicking it in Paris. Download the Rush Hour 3 GamerPics and don’t forget the Theme. Rush Hour 3 in theaters August 10th.

Wow, those crickets sure are deafening, aren’t they?

To celebrate yesterday’s release of the Heavenly Sword demo, I broke out my digital camera and recorded video of the demo from start to finish. Now, before you watch it, I feel the need to tell you that my digital camera, for want of a better term, sucks. I do apologize for the graininess of the four videos below, but it was this or nothing - and I figured those of you following the game who haven’t bought a PlayStation 3 yet would really like to see what the rest of us are playing.

So, without further delay or introduction, check out the below four videos which will take you through the complete, short-but-oh-so-good, demo of Heavenly Sword.

You can also check out the full sized version of these videos at the YouTube links below. Enjoy.

• Heavenly Sword - Official site
• Heavenly Sword Demo - Part One (1 of 4) - YouTube
• Heavenly Sword Demo - Part Two (2 of 4) - YouTube
• Heavenly Sword Demo - Part Three (3 of 4) - YouTube
• Heavenly Sword Demo - Part Four (4 of 4) - YouTube

While all of these items may not be specifically related to the Bringing it Home promotion for Comic-Con 2007, they do all have two things in common;

1. They all appeared in the Xbox Live Marketplace on the first day of Comic-Con
2. They’re all FREE downloads.

So, because we all love freebies, here’s the list of the free stuff that appeared in the Marketplace on July 26th.

Trailers
Content: New Resident Evil 5 2007 Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: All regions except Japan
Size: 143.45 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)] The Resident Evil series continues with this highly anticipated sequel. Witness real-time footage from Resident Evil 5!The story unfolds in a land simmering in the heat of a merciless sun where the contrast between light and dark enhances the feeling of dread as a new evil draws closer.

Content: All-Pro Football 2K8 Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: Only in Canada, United States
Size: 67.56 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) MILD LANGUAGE] Over 240 NFL legends make their return to the gridiron, including Hall of Famers such as Johnny Unitas, Dick Butkus, Joe Montana, Mike Singletary, Reggie White and Walter Payton. Legends have their own signature moves in the game - Barry’s spin, Walter’s scissors kick, and Jerry’s one-handed grab.

Content: Surf’s Up Trailer (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: All regions except Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) CRUDE HUMOR,LANGUAGE] Surf’s Up Game Trailer

Content: Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Trailer (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Size: 54.96 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) Cartoon Violence] Download this trailer.

Content: Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Trailer (SD)
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) Cartoon Violence] Download this trailer.

Content: Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Trailer 2 (SD)
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) Cartoon Violence] Download this trailer.

Content: Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Trailer 2 (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Size: 150.61 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) Cartoon Violence] Download this trailer.

In Game Content
Game: Test Drive Unlimited
Content: Free Holden Efijy Concept
Price: Free
Availability: All regions
Dash Text: Download the Holden Efijy Concept for free (in-game currency still required for purchase at respective dealer).

Game: Splinter Cell Double Agent
Content: XBOX360 DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
Price: Free
Availability: All regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (MATURE) BLOOD, LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE] 2 new multiplayer maps (Kinshasa and Secret base), 4 new challenges on those maps and a brand new character with 3 outfits : the Spy Girl.
Size: 83.48 MB

Game: Project Sylpheed
Content: 6 New Missions & Weapons + Leaderboards
Price: Free
Availability: All regions except Japan
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) FANTASY VIOLENCE,MILD BLOOD,MILD LANGUAGE,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES,USE OF ALCOHOL] Think you are truly an ace pilot? 6 new missions will challenge your skills and add 6 new super-weapons to your arsenal plus Xbox Live Leaderboard suppport to track your rank. Requires Project Sylpheed full retail game. Access Challenge Missions from the EXTRAS menu.

Game: Vamipire Rain
Content: VR Bonus Level 2
Price: Free
Availability: All regions except Japan, Korea, Taiwan
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,INTENSE VIOLENCE] Thanks for supporting Vampire Rain. Ready for another gathering mission? Play as Duane Hanson in this bonus level to see how fast you can pick up all required equipment for your mission. Difficulty: 3 stars. Requires full retail game.

Gamer Pictures
Content: Comic-Con 2007 Gamer Picture
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: Download this gamer picture.

Content: Alien Hominid HD - Vehicle Picture Pack
Price: Free
Availability: All regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) BLOOD AND GORE,CARTOON VIOLENCE] This set of 5 pictures contains some of the most destructive vehiciles that our little yellow friend uses in the game. Get your hand on these 5 Gamer Pictures today!

Video
Content: MLG Heavyweight Match 1 Video (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: All regions
Size: 902.29 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)] 2V2 Halo 2. The debut episode features up and coming pros Lunchbox and Roy vs. Halogod and VictoryX. Let the games begin!

PlayStation 3 owners dreams have finally been realized as a playable demo of Heavenly Sword is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Approximate download size is 996MB.

"The complete game is still set for September, but I think you’ll find this demo is a great sample of what’s in store and it’ll certainly give you a good idea of the look and feel of the game. To set the stage here, at the beginning of this demo, our heroine, Nariko, gains consciousness after a violent encounter with the evil King Bohan and his army. Nariko learns that Bohan is holding her father, Shen, prisoner inside a massive temple complex so she sets out to fulfill her destiny and embarks on a quest for vengeance against the invading King and his army." - Kyle Shubel, Producer, Heavenly Sword (as quoted in PlayStation.Blog)

This one is something that I’ll stop playing the new Civilization expansion for. Enjoy the demo all!

• Heavenly Sword - Official website
• Yes, The Heavenly Sword Demo is Coming … - PlayStation.Blog

Just a quick note here to let everyone know that Telltale Games has announced that Sam & Max will be returning for a second season this fall. While I’m absolutely thrilled by this news, I do hope that Telltale takes the criticisms of Season One to heart and makes the game a bit more involved this time around. Check out a screenshot from the new season below.

Let the cheering commence.

• Telltale Games - Company website
• Sam & Max Season Two News! - Telltale Games
• Sam & Max Season One - Telltale Games
• Sam & Max - Wikipedia entry

In a post over at PlayStation.Blog, Sony confirmed that Lair has gone gold and will be releasing for the PlayStation 3 on August 14th, 2007.

• Lair Dev Complete, August 14th Release Set! - PlayStation.Blog
• Lair - Official website

A demo of Dynasty Warriors: Gundam for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace in The United States, Mexico and Canada. Approximate file size is 484.62MB.

• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam - Official website

A demo of THQ’s MotoGP ‘07 for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace in all regions except Asia. Approximate file size is 901.46MB.

• MotoGP ‘07 - Official website

Microsoft has announced that they’ll be running an Xbox Live Bringing it Home promotion for Comic-Con ‘07 from July 26th through August 7th.

"From July 26 to August 7, Xbox LIVE and Xbox.com/comiccon will feature full access to all of Warner’s Comic-Con featured game trailers, show panels, movie and TV trailers and sneak peeks, celebrity interviews, show exclusives and customization themes for Xbox LIVE. Plus, action film and comic book fans will have access to an array of exclusive themes from 300 and DC Comics available for download." - Microsoft Media Alert

We’ll keep you updates on all the free Live Marketplace happenings throughout the promotion.

• Sometimes I Wear Spandex and Beat-Up Bad Guys - Gamerscore Blog
• Comic-Con 2007 Starts Tomorrow - Microsoft media alert
• Xbox Live Bringing it Home: Comic-Con 2007 - Xbox.com

This… this may be my last post. It’s here now, and it knows where I am. I’ve tried to fight it, but it knows I’m weak. Before this night is through, only one of us will remain - and I know it will not be me.

I will tell you my story…

Some of you who are about to see the picture I’m about to post will understand, because you may have once been among the affected.

Maybe you’ve only had a small taste and weren’t completely hooked, maybe you’ve spent years fighting it as I have, or maybe you were in remission until this very moment… if that’s the case, I do apologize for what I am about to do…

The rest of you… have no idea. None at all.

Tell them I tried, I truly did, but it comes again… the madness comes again.

Okay, melodrama aside, I do have a few things I want to say about the release of Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword before it completely takes over my life;

1. According to the box, they’ve added 10 new civilizations, 64 new buildings, 11 scenarios, 5 wonders, 6 new technologies, corporations, a new espionage system and expanded trade routes. Sounds pretty nifty to me.
2. One of those new scenarios is something that I can’t wait to play - apparently “Afterworld” is a scenario where it’s you against the zombie uprising. It’s a good thing I’ve got my copy of the Zombie Survival Guide on hand, otherwise it could be over fast.
3. Despite the pedigree the Civilization series has, my local store only got 1-3 copies of the game in - and according to their website, there are no more on the way. While I’m glad I managed to get the last one, it really is sad to see how far the PC game industry has fallen at retail. I mean, this was not your average throwaway PC title.
4. Am I the only one who is bothered when you get that last copy of a game at a store and it’s been opened and used as a display model? Sure, they may have shrink wrapped the contents, but I always wonder if I’m really getting everything that was in the box.

Looking at it, the only real question is whether I try a full game or that Afterworld scenario first. I’m thinking zombies for the win, Chuck.

• Civilization - Official series website
• Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword - Product page at Civilization.com

It’s another double feature week in the Xbox Live Arcade as Wing Commander Arena and Super Contra should be available for purchase by the time you read this.

Wing Commander Arena is an original game from Electronic Arts set in the Wing Commander universe - so those of you expecting a remake of the original Wing Commander are going to be in for a bit of a disappointment. From what I know of this one, it has both a single player mode as well as support for multiplayer dogfights over Xbox Live with up to 16 players. I’ve heard mixed things about the game, so I’d highly recommend you download the demo prior to making any purchase decision about Wing Commander Arena.

In addition to the game itself, StarSoldier Magazine, a downloadable instruction manual done in the style of the classic Wing Commander manuals from back in the game’s PC heyday is available on the game’s Xbox Live Arcade product page. Be sure to check it out.

Title: Wing Commander Arena
Developer: Gaia Industries
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 7/25/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-16
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone - Fantasy Violence)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Wing Commander™ is back with an all-new game, Wing Commander™ Arena, for Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Create a squad and take on your opponents. Use your gravity bombs or fire torpedoes as you try to climb the leaderboard, destroying enemy armadas along the way. Featuring four modes of gameplay, nine maps, and the first 16-player action on Xbox LIVE Arcade, Wing Commander™ Arena is the perfect mix of classic arcade fun and modern multiplayer chaos.

• Sixteen players: Wing Commander Arena offers the largest multiplayer melee experience on Xbox LIVE Arcade, with up to 16-player space combat action.
• Multiple gameplay modes: Four modes of gameplay, including single player, multi-team, multiplayer battle, and duels one-on-one and multiplayer.
• Ships, maps, and more: Eighteen ships are provided including bombers, light and medium fighters. Team maps, free-for-all maps, and dueling maps provide a multitude of environments for your intense battles.
• Classic experience: The classic Wing Commander gameplay is brought to Xbox LIVE Arcade, offering everything a pilot rookie or hardened space combat veteran could want." - Xbox.com

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not excited at all about our next arcade offering. Super Contra was never a favorite of mine in the arcades, and I doubt anything will change now. As with it’s predecessor Contra, it’s essentially a 2d scrolling shooter, though there are some levels that switch to a more free-form top down format.

Title: Super Contra
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 7/25/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone - Fantasy Violence)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"The fight for freedom continues in Super Contra! The alien menace, Red Falcon, has fought back and it’s up to Lance and Bill to stop them. Play multiplayer over Xbox LIVE® with upgraded graphics and sound. Do you have what it takes to save the world again?

• Gameplay: Enjoy the authentic original gameplay of the arcade classic. Super Contra features two player co-op gameplay, just like the original.
• Multiplayer: Play co-op on the same console or on Xbox LIVE. Communicate with your buddy by voice using the Xbox 360 headset.
• Leaderboards: Xbox LIVE Leaderboard statistics are kept for Arcade (single player—high score, all time and weekly) and Xbox LIVE co-op (high score—all time and weekly).
• Achievements: Score 12 achievements worth 200 gamer points with a range of simple, challenging, and hard achievements." - Xbox.com

While I passed on last week’s offering Yie Ar Kung-Fu, I did pick up Bomberman Live, and I’ve got to say it’s an excellent rendition of the game - Bomberman fans should not miss it. However, since the Bomberman series tends to be one people seem to either love or hate, be sure to download the demo if you’re unfamiliar with the series.

It’s another double feature week in the Xbox Live Arcade as Wing Commander Arena and Super Contra should be available for purchase by the time you read this.

Wing Commander Arena is an original game from Electronic Arts set in the Wing Commander universe - so those of you expecting a remake of the original Wing Commander are going to be in for a bit of a disappointment. From what I know of this one, it has both a single player mode as well as support for multiplayer dogfights over Xbox Live with up to 16 players. I’ve heard mixed things about the game, so I’d highly recommend you download the demo prior to making any purchase decision about Wing Commander Arena.

In addition to the game itself, StarSoldier Magazine, a downloadable instruction manual done in the style of the classic Wing Commander manuals from back in the game’s PC heyday is available on the game’s Xbox Live Arcade product page. Be sure to check it out.

Title: Wing Commander Arena
Developer: Gaia Industries
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 7/25/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-16
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone - Fantasy Violence)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Wing Commander™ is back with an all-new game, Wing Commander™ Arena, for Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Create a squad and take on your opponents. Use your gravity bombs or fire torpedoes as you try to climb the leaderboard, destroying enemy armadas along the way. Featuring four modes of gameplay, nine maps, and the first 16-player action on Xbox LIVE Arcade, Wing Commander™ Arena is the perfect mix of classic arcade fun and modern multiplayer chaos.

• Sixteen players: Wing Commander Arena offers the largest multiplayer melee experience on Xbox LIVE Arcade, with up to 16-player space combat action.
• Multiple gameplay modes: Four modes of gameplay, including single player, multi-team, multiplayer battle, and duels one-on-one and multiplayer.
• Ships, maps, and more: Eighteen ships are provided including bombers, light and medium fighters. Team maps, free-for-all maps, and dueling maps provide a multitude of environments for your intense battles.
• Classic experience: The classic Wing Commander gameplay is brought to Xbox LIVE Arcade, offering everything a pilot rookie or hardened space combat veteran could want." - Xbox.com

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not excited at all about our next arcade offering. Super Contra was never a favorite of mine in the arcades, and I doubt anything will change now. As with it’s predecessor Contra, it’s essentially a 2d scrolling shooter, though there are some levels that switch to a more free-form top down format.

Title: Super Contra
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 7/25/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone - Fantasy Violence)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"The fight for freedom continues in Super Contra! The alien menace, Red Falcon, has fought back and it’s up to Lance and Bill to stop them. Play multiplayer over Xbox LIVE® with upgraded graphics and sound. Do you have what it takes to save the world again?

• Gameplay: Enjoy the authentic original gameplay of the arcade classic. Super Contra features two player co-op gameplay, just like the original.
• Multiplayer: Play co-op on the same console or on Xbox LIVE. Communicate with your buddy by voice using the Xbox 360 headset.
• Leaderboards: Xbox LIVE Leaderboard statistics are kept for Arcade (single player—high score, all time and weekly) and Xbox LIVE co-op (high score—all time and weekly).
• Achievements: Score 12 achievements worth 200 gamer points with a range of simple, challenging, and hard achievements." - Xbox.com

While I passed on last week’s offering Yie Ar Kung-Fu, I did pick up Bomberman Live, and I’ve got to say it’s an excellent rendition of the game - Bomberman fans should not miss it. However, since the Bomberman series tends to be one people seem to either love or hate, be sure to download the demo if you’re unfamiliar with the series.

Sony has made the latest update to the PlayStation 3’s system software available for download via the PlayStation Network or the System Update page at PlayStation.com. The v1.90 software adds some new features to the PlayStation 3 including the ability to use custom wallpapers for the XrossMediaBar, emoticon support for text messages and upsampling for audio CDs. Check out the full text of the update note below to see all the newly added features;

The PLAYSTATION®3 system software version 1.90 update includes the following:

• Customizing wallpaper (Theme Settings)
• You can now display an image as the background of XMB™ (XrossMediaBar).

Using emoticons

• You can now use emoticons when creating messages under [Friends].

Entering text in the Internet browser

• You can now enter text directly into text entry fields of Web pages using a USB keyboard.

Upsampling audio CD output

• Upsampled output of audio CDs is now supported.

Other new or revised features in version 1.90:

• Settings
  • [44.1/88.2/176.4 kHz] has been added as an option in [Audio CD Output Frequency] under [Music Settings].
  • [Type 2] has been added as an option in [Bitmapping] under [Music Settings].
  • [On] has been added as an option in [BD 1080p 24 Hz Output (HDMI)] under [BD/DVD Settings].
• Video
  • The [Image Quality Adjustment] option in the control panel has been changed to [AV Settings].
  • You can now play AVCHD-format video files that are saved on Memory Stick™ media or on the hard disk of a video camera.
  • You can now operate the (Slow (Back)) and (Frame Reverse) functions when playing video files saved on storage media or on the hard disk.
• Game
  • You can now adjust screen display settings while playing PlayStation® and PlayStation®2 format software.
• You can now sort games that are saved on the hard disk.
• Network
• [Add to Bookmarks] has been added as an option in the [File] menu of the Internet browser.
• Friends
  • When an avatar is displayed during a voice / video chat, the avatar now moves in response to audio.
• Overall
  • [Eject Disc] has been added in the options menu for discs.
  • You can now select [Group Content] when changing a file or folder icon.

For further information on how to use the above features, head on over to the PlayStation 3 System Update page at PlayStation.com.

• PlayStation 3 - System Software Update - PlayStation.com

A demo of 2K Sports All Pro Football 2K8 for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace in The United States and Canada. Approximate file size is 681.90MB.

• All Pro Football 2K8 - Official website

A demo of Electronic Arts NASCAR ‘08 for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace in Australia, Canada, Germany, The United Kingdom & The United States. Approximate file size is 589.32MB.

• NASCAR ‘08 - Official website

While checking out yesterday’s Penny Arcade comic, I noticed that in his write-up, Tycho mentioned that the long-awaited demo of Heavenly Sword for the PlayStation 3 would be hitting the PlayStation Store on Thursday, July 26th.

Since Ninja Theory has already announced that the demo is complete and a post over at Three Speech (by way of Kotaku) indicates that the European demo will be dropping on Thursday, it’s probably a good bet that this one will turn out to be true. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed!

• Heavenly Sword - Official website
• The Tournémon, Part One - Penny Arcade (Newspost)
• Heavenly Sword Demo Hits PS3 This Week - Kotaku
• New Content Available on the PSN - Thursday 26th July - Three Speech

Somehow I forgot to post this one with the news last week. An Xbox 360 demo of The Darkness is now available for download in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 1.27GB. This one is definitely a game worth checking out, so if you have a 360, be sure to give the demo a try.

• The Darkness - Official website

Another week comes, another week goes - the one thing that stays the same is that we’ve got a new crop of games hitting retail. While this week’s list may be another short one, there are some gems to be found here - let’s take a look;

I’ll open with the one game I fear the most on the list - Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC), the second expansion for the latest title in the Civilization series. Now, I don’t fear these games because they’re terrible, nor do I fear them because I’m not any good at them… it’s actually quite the opposite. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll mention it again for those of you just joining us at home - you see, I have a horrible Civilization addiction - one that dates back to 1991 and the first game in the series. I just barely managed to escape Civ IV: Warlords with my sanity intact a few months back, and already there’s another temptation to face. If I’m not back in 72 hours, call the president.

Next up, we’ve got Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80’s (PS2). As someone who grew up in the 80’s, I’ve got to say that I may actually be more excited about this version of Guitar Hero than I am about the upcoming Guitar Hero III. Looks like I’ll be breaking out my PS2 Gibson and rocking out once more. Oh, and if anyone from Activision is listening, you can shove the inevitable and overpriced Xbox 360 downloads of the songs where the sun doesn’t shine. Fix the pricing plan and I’ll consider it.

Those of you who happen to like endlessly driving in circles are also in for a treat this week as Electronic Arts releases NASCAR ‘08 (360, PS2 & PS3), the latest in it’s long running stock car racing series. NASCAR isn’t my thing, but I know a lot of you can’t get enough of it - I may be passing on this one, but I hope you enjoy it.

Sega treats us to some retro re-make love as a new version of it’s 1986 classic Alien Syndrome comes to the PSP and Wii. Larry Holland’s Totally Games is behind the re-make and have fashioned the game into an action RPG. As much as I’ve loved Holland’s other works, I unfortunately don’t own a PSP or Wii, so I’ll have to live vicariously through others on this title.

Finally, Square goes back to the well yet again as Final Fantasy II comes to the PSP. I’d say a few words, but with the number of times the first few Final Fantasy games have been re-released, you should know the deal by now.

That’s about it for my take on this week, check out the list below for all the thrilling - and not so thrilling - details. Enjoy.

• Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword - PC - 7/24/2007
• Its the Big Game, Charlie Brown - PC - 7/24/2007
• Let’s Ride: Friends Forever - PC - 7/24/2007
• NASCAR 08 - PS2 - 7/24/2007
• NASCAR 08 - 360 - 7/24/2007
• NASCAR 08 - PS3 - 7/24/2007
• Ride! Carnival Tycoon - PC - 7/24/2007
• Alien Syndrome - PSP - 7/25/2007
• Alien Syndrome - WII - 7/25/2007
• Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighter’s Battle - DS - 7/25/2007
• Final Fantasy II - PSP - 7/25/2007
• Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80’s - PS2 - 7/25/2007
• Mission: Combat Force - PC - 7/25/2007
• NHRA Countdown to the Championship - PS2 - 7/25/2007
• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Special Edition - PS2 - 7/25/2007
• Ultimate Puzzle Games: Sudoku Edition - DS - 7/25/2007
• Chameleon: To Dye For - DS - 7/28/2007

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

ArsTechnica (by way of Joystiq, CVG and Kotaku) is reporting that Bungie is currently looking to shelve the online co-op mode in Halo 3 - at least temporarily. In an upcoming interview with EGM, Bungie’s Frank O’Connor apparently highlighted one of the main issues behind the possible exclusion of the mode;

"I think the biggest problem for us for online co-op is that we have a situation where you can be in a Warthog with five troops, almost a mile away from the other player. That’s a significant challenge. And there’s lots of design things you could do to prevent that from happening, but they would make it not feel like Halo anymore. If we can make it happen in a way that works well, we will - and if it works badly, we won’t" - Frank O’Connor as quoted in the alleged EGM article

O’Connor supposedly did not rule out the possibility of online co-op being included via download at a later date. Since the issue the interview was supposedly printed in hits newsstands August 11th, I guess we’ll know more then.

Keep your fingers crossed that it all gets worked out before launch - or expect to pay yet more money for the complete Halo 3 experience. (Sorry, I’m still a little bitter over the current situation regarding the content that won’t be included with the Legendary edition of the game)

• Halo 3 - Official website
• Bungie - Company website
• Halo 3 online co-op in question - ArsTechnica
• Halo 3 co-op heads offline - CVG
• Online Co-Op for Halo 3 is Tricky - Kotaku
• Halo 3 co-op is offline, for now - Joystiq

Following in the footsteps of the latest MAME update, MAME32 v.117.1, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.117u1 is now available. The same advice I gave about the latest build of MAME applies 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 updates continue on the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, as version .117u1 is now available for download. This update contains two big changes to the emulator as it will now support multiple keyboards/mice under XP and Vista and will also include it’s own minimalist frontend. Because of these changes, unless you’ve been having problems with your current installation of MAME, I’d advise sticking with v.117 until the next full release. However, if you’re interested in testing this build for the dev team, feel free to download the update and then head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.

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

• MAME - Official website
• MAMEDev - Official site of the MAME development team

Now that I’ve shown you trailers for the top system exclusive first person shooters from E3, we’re going to move on to role playing games. I figured there’s no better game to start off with than one of the titles on my "most anticipated’ list, Bioware’s Mass Effect. I’m not even going to spoil this one by posting some rambling comments - just sit back, watch and enjoy.

Mass Effect will be available exclusively for the Xbox 360 this November.

• Mass Effect - Official website
• Mass Effect E3 2007 Trailer - GameTrailers.com
• Mass Effect - Video page at GameTrailers.com

Today’s PlayStation Store update saw the release of Konami’s classic PlayStation title Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the PlayStation 3 and PSP. While I won’t be grabbing this one myself, at $9.99 it’s worth every penny for those of you who don’t have some way to play the game. (The only reason I won’t be buying this one is that I already own the original game for the PlayStation (Hooray backwards compatibility!) - and because I also bought the Xbox Live Arcade version)

Please note: I believe this version is a straight port of the original game and does not include any of the enhancements made for the Xbox Live Arcade version. Since no demo is available, I can’t confirm whether or not the original CD soundtrack is included either. You have been warned.

Just a quick note here to let you know that a demo of THQ’s Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Japan and South Korea via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Approximate download size is 1.31GB. Is it just me, or does the title of this game sound like something other than a racing game?

• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights - Official website

According to Major Nelson, Capcom will be making the first two map packs (Map Pack 1 and Map Pack 2) for the Xbox 360 version of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition free downloads starting today. This is apparently being done in the spirit of fairness as the four maps are being released (for free) on the PC version today as well. Free is always good, so if you’ve got the game and haven’t bought the map packs yet, now is the time to do it.

Please note that the Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Map Pack 3 will not be included as a free download.

• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Official website
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Map Pack 1 - Product page at Xbox.com
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Map Pack 2 - Product page at Xbox.com
• Lost Planet Maps to become free this Friday - Major Nelson

According to Major Nelson, Capcom will be making the first two map packs (Map Pack 1 and Map Pack 2) for the Xbox 360 version of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition free downloads starting today. This is apparently being done in the spirit of fairness as the four maps are being released (for free) on the PC version today as well. Free is always good, so if you’ve got the game and haven’t bought the map packs yet, now is the time to do it.

Please note that the Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Map Pack 3 will not be included as a free download.

• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Official website
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Map Pack 1 - Product page at Xbox.com
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Map Pack 2 - Product page at Xbox.com
• Lost Planet Maps to become free this Friday - Major Nelson

I’m in a bit of a rush this morning to get these posts up as I wound up working late yesterday, caught up on some much needed sleep and, most importantly, received my invite to the PlayStation Home beta. Unfortunately, due to the non-disclosure agreement included with the beta, I can’t discuss anything about the service at this time. Rest assured I am keeping notes, so once the NDA is lifted, I’ll be sure to tell you all about it.

• PlayStation Home - Press release at PlayStation.com
• PlayStation Home - Wikipedia entry

You thought we were out of first person shooters to show off, didn’t you? Well, I figured that since we’ve spent the last three days showing you the upcoming exclusive shooters for each of the console systems, we’d show the PC a little love too. As such, we’ve got some new footage of Crytek’s Crysis, and, as has been the case with the game from day one, it looks stunning.

I’m assuming that the video you’re about to watch takes place early stages of the game, as it appears that the player is still facing off against human enemies instead of an alien invasion. Perhaps the most interesting feature displayed in the video is that the player seems to be employing some kind of cloaking device during their infiltration of the enemy camp.

Crysis - the game so beautiful it will make your video card cry. Let’s check it out;

Crysis is scheduled to release for Windows PC’s on September 4th, 2007. Despite rumors to the contrary, there are no official plans for the game to appear on any of the latest consoles at this time.

• Crysis - Official website
• Crysis - Wikipedia entry
• Crysis - Video page at GameTrailers.com
• Crysis E3 2007 Gameplay Trailer - GameTrailers.com

In a completely unexpected and shocking turn of events, Peter Moore, corporate vice president of entertainment and devices at Microsoft, has tendered his resignation effective July 30th, 2007. Moore, who has essentially been the face of the Xbox 360 since it’s launch will be joining Electronic Arts as president of the EA Sports line of games.

You know, when I first saw the story break yesterday as a rumor at Kotaku, I could scarcely believe that it was possible. If it weren’t for the fact that I trust Kotaku’s Managing Editor, Brian Crecente, to not post every rumor he hears, I would have just written it off in my mind as wild speculation. By the time I got home, Microsoft and Electronic Arts had confirmed the story, MS had already spoken with most of the major game news outlets and Moore’s new salary had already been uncovered. It’s certainly a case of things happening at a lightning fast pace.

While rumors regarding the situation are certainly flooding the internet, Microsoft has stated that Moore’s decision to move on from the company was due to his desire to return to California. I’m sure the 1.5 million dollar signing bonus, $550,000 annual salary, possible $412,500 in bonuses, $330,000 in moving expenses and option to buy 400,000 shares of EA stock had something to do with it as well. Yeah, that’s a while lot of money.

Microsoft wasted no time in naming current external advisor to Microsoft and former EA Worldwide studios president Don Mattrick as Moore’s replacement. While Moore is due to step down on the 30th, he will be remaining with Microsoft for a few weeks beyond that date in order to assist during the transition period.

You know, I did think it was kind of strange that Moore didn’t really headline this year’s Microsoft E3 press conference, but I just chalked it up to someone in marketing having a “brilliant” idea for the show. I never would have thought that it could be a sign that Moore was on his way out. (Please note that I’m just speculating about that being the reason Moore wasn’t front and center at the E3 press conference)

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to miss Moore. He may have had a bit of a used car salesman vibe about him at times, but the man sure could talk a good game. Anyway, I’ll be in the corner picking up my jaw for the next few hours if anyone needs me.

• Peter Moore to Head EA Sports? - Kotaku
• Peter Moore Resigns, Mattrick Steps In - Kotaku
• EA Confirms Moore’s New Job - Kotaku
• Bach, Mattrick Talk Moore, EA - Kotaku
• Peter Moore’s New EA Salary - Kotaku
• SEC reveals Moore’s multimillion-dollar EA deal - Gamespot

Continuing with our look at the trailers coming out of E3, we’ll round out the big three shooters with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Nintendo Wii. Utilizing the Wii’s unique control scheme, the game should help highlight features that the Wiimote/Nunchuck combination can bring to the genre.

My biggest concern based on the trailer you’re about to watch, as well as demonstrations of the game I’ve seen, is that there may be a bit too many platforming elements for most die hard shooter fans. Then again, I’ll admit to not having played the last two Gamecube installments of the series, so for all I know, those elements could be hallmarks of the series. (I know, it’s shameful that I haven’t played Metroid Prime 1 & 2 - they’re on my list . Honest!)

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption will release on August 27th, 2007 exclusively for the Wii.

• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Product page at Nintendo.com
• Metroid Prime 3 - E3 2007 Trailer - GameTrailers.com

The Xbox Live Arcade doubles up once more this week as both Bomberman Live and Yie Ar Kung-Fu make their appearances in the Xbox Live Marketplace.

I’ll open up with the Live Arcade title that so many people have been waiting for since it’s announcement… Bomberman Live. Hudson’s classic multiplayer battle royale finally gets the 360 respect it deserves following the utterly horrible Bomberman: Act Zero as the series returns to it’s cutesy, gameplay oriented roots. If you’ve never played a Bomberman game, here’s what you need to know - the game by itself isn’t the worlds deepest experience. You control one of four on screen characters who use a variety of bombs to try and eliminate each other. Adding some complexity to the matter is that in order to reach your opponents, you must also use your bombs to open paths in the maze of crates that defines each level. Those crates can contain a variety of power-ups which can give the players that find them some serious advantages.

It’s a game that can be a bit boring in single player, but add three friends and some trash-talking and you’ve got one hell of a good time on your hands. It’s for this reason that I’d recommend that you not only try the game, but if at all possible, try it with friends.

Title: Bomberman Live
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 7/18/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone - Comic Mischief & Tobacco Reference)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Bomberman has gone live—Xbox LIVE®! The pioneering party game, which has appeared in over 60 iterations on all major game consoles, now comes to Xbox LIVE Arcade as Bomberman Live. Drop bombs with reckless abandon and blast your enemies into oblivion! Compete with up to eight players online as you battle through eight exotic arenas with your own customized Bomberman. Unleash your fury in ongoing tournaments to prove you’re the best.

• Fun-filled online play: Up to eight players can compete online in a single arena. Choose from any of eight all new arenas and start dropping your bombs, kick fiery surprises across the arena, and send your enemies to their doom.
• Tournament play: Ongoing tournaments will allow you to compete globally to determine who’s the best Bomberman of all.
• Your own personal Bomberman: Each Bomberman can have a custom head or hat, facial expressions and features, and a costume. There are over 10,000 custom possibilities, so you may never see another Bomberman exactly like yours!
• Classic gameplay updated: One of the greatest game series of all time comes to Xbox LIVE Arcade. Take control of your customized Bomberman and use your bombs to knock out your opponents, discover upgrades, and dominate the arena." - Xbox.com

Next up, we have Konami’s Yie Ar Kung-Fu. I have to say that while I played the game a bit as a kid, it’s one that certainly hasn’t held up to the test of time in my book. Even back in the day I felt the controls and fighting system were a little too loose to really get any kind of precision attacks going, and I really can’t see the Xbox 360’s controller helping that issue in any way. That’s just my opinion though, so be sure to download the demo and decide for yourself if it’s worth your hard earned money.

Title: Yie Ar Kung-Fu
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 7/18/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+ - Cartoon Violence)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Oolong has spent his entire life training for the Martial Arts Championship. The Championship has attracted masters of different disciplines, all fighting to be named champion. In Yie Ar Kung-Fu®, Oolong must use his own fighting moves and face masters of the throwing shuriken, nunchaku, bo, chain, and more to fulfill his destiny. With enhanced graphics, hand-painted backgrounds, and new achievements, this classic fighting game is sure to test your skills. Will you fight like a tiger or run away in shame?

• Classic gameplay: Authentic original gameplay of the arcade classic.
• Enhanced game elements: Play with the original arcade graphics or go enhanced with stunning hand-painted models and backgrounds. All the music and sound effects have been digitally enhanced to provide a richer, deeper gaming experience.
• Leaderboards: All-time and weekly high score leaderboards.
• Achievements: Twelve achievements provide up to 200 gamer points for your Gamerscore." - Xbox.com

No report for you on last week’s Live Arcade releases as I just didn’t have the time to really try either of them. What little I played of Sonic The Hedgehog seemed accurate enough, though I seem to remember being able to "charge-up" a spin in place, which I wasn’t able to do in the Live version. I’ll chalk that one up to my memories confusing Sonic 2 with the original game and not as some flaw in the XBLA port.

I completely passed on Golden Axe despite it having been a favorite of mine in the arcades when it was released. While it’s one of those titles that probably will play quite well with the 360’s standard controller, time has just kind of passed this one by. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Capcom’s Warriors of Fate, but I just can’t get as excited by Golden Axe as I once did.

This originally wasn’t the only post I had planned for the early part of the day, but once again it appears that my internet connection is down. I really don’t quite know what to make of the recent run of issues I’ve had with my connection other than to know that should I call my provider, they’ll blame my cable modem - just as they always do - and then claim ignorance when the problem suddenly clears up.

Anyway, before I go too far into an off-topic rant, today’s E3 video selection is Sony’s answer to Halo 3 - Killzone 2. You may remember that the first time Sony unveiled video of Killzone 2, there was a huge scandal because they initially claimed the stunning visuals seen were in-game footage, but later admitted that the entire trailer was just a “target video” done in CGI.

In this E3 2007 demonstation, we get to see what should be actual gameplay footage. While the game is certainly looking good, it doesn’t come close to that original “target” trailer we saw back at E3′05. One thing that disturbs me is the apparent lack of a self preservation instinct in the enemy AI. I’m hoping that this is just a case of setting the demo to it’s easiest level for the demonstration, but it’s something I’ll be keeping my eyes on as we get closer to release. Still, after how long it’s been since we’ve seen anything regarding Killzone 2, it’s nice to see that it’s generally coming along well.

Killzone 2 is scheduled to release exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in 2008.

• Killzone 2 - Official website
• Killzone 2 E3 2007 On-Stage Demonstration - GameTrailers.com

Over the next week, we’ll be highlighting some of the better trailers to come out of E3 this year, and what better way to start off then by showcasing Microsoft’s biggest title for 2007 - you guessed it, Halo 3.

The trailer you’re about to watch is the first one that gives us a bit of a glimpse into the campaign mode’s story and thankfully, unlike Halo 2, it looks like much of the game will take place on Earth. I’m hoping we finally get a chance to play through some large scale conflicts inside of a modern city for more than just a few minutes.

Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 is scheduled to hit retail on September 25th, 2007. While there’s been no word on a PC port as of yet, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before one is announced.

• Halo 3 - Official website
• Halo 3 E3′07 Trailer - Gametrailers.com

This week’s release list may not be jam full of titles, but there are certainly a few games worth keeping your eyes on - at least if you’re a fan of sports titles. We’ll open up with the title I’m sure you all knew I’d have to highlight this week, All Pro Football 2K8.

All Pro Football 2K8 (360 & PS3) is 2K Sports answer to Electronic Arts exclusivity deal with the NFL. Rather than simply present teams full of generic players, the folks at Visual Concepts went out and signed 240 of the best retired superstars and fashioned a game around them. If you’ve been following our news posts for the last few weeks, you probably have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this one. With a little luck we’ll be play testing the game as soon as it comes out and letting you know if it lives up to the 2K legacy.

All Pro Football isn’t the only football title we get this week as Electronic Arts hits the college scene once more with NCAA Football ‘08 (360, PS2, PS3 & XBX). Last years NCAA game was (in my opinion) surprisingly better than EA’s premiere offering in the form of last year’s Madden title. Hopefully the game can continue it’s winning ways.

Our friends from across the pond see some love as EA also releases Rugby ‘08 for the PlayStation 2. I really don’t know what to say about this one as I once tried to figure out the game with a previous version on the Xbox and just couldn’t make heads or tails of it. It probably would have helped had I known anything about Rugby.

In the world of strategy, Civilization 4 Gold (PC) hits the shelves just in time to lay down some support for next week’s launch of the game’s latest expansion pack “Beyond the Sword“. This “gold” version of Civ 4 includes the original game as well as the “Warlords” expansion - this way you’ll be completely up to date by the time Beyond the Sword hits.

Finally, we see the return of an old friend as PaRappa the Rapper makes his debut on the PSP. I don’t know about you, but I’ve kind of missed Master Onion.

That’s about it for my take on this week, check out the list below for all the thrilling details. Enjoy.

• All Pro Football 2K8 - 360 - 7/17/2007
• All Pro Football 2K8 - PS3 - 7/17/2007
• Mission: Combat Force - PC - 7/17/2007
• Smash Court Tennis 3 - PSP - 7/17/2007
• Civilization IV: Gold Edition - PC - 7/18/2007
• Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 - PC - 7/18/2007
• Hot Shots Tennis - PS2 - 7/18/2007
• Let’s Ride: Friends Forever - PC - 7/18/2007
• NCAA Football 08 - 360 - 7/18/2007
• NCAA Football 08 - PS2 - 7/18/2007
• NCAA Football 08 - PS3 - 7/18/2007
• NCAA Football 08 - XBX - 7/18/2007
• PaRappa the Rapper - PSP - 7/18/2007
• Ride! Carnival Tycoon - PC - 7/18/2007
• Rugby 2008 - PS2 - 7/18/2007
• Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology - PSP - 7/18/2007

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

Rumor confirmed. In an update to our earlier story regarding Sony’s plans for the 60GB model of the PlayStation 3, following somewhat conflicting statements by numerous Sony executives, it has been confirmed that the 60GB model of the PlayStation 3 is heading off into the sunset.

Gamespot is reporting that in an interview with VGTB, SCEI president Kaz Hirai officially confirmed that the 60GB model has been discontinued;

“From a hardware perspective, the $499 price adjustment we did for the 60GB version for the American market, we’re no longer in production for that product. Once that product is gone from the retailer shelves, then we’re back to a $599 SKU only, so it’s not like we have a two-price strategy in the US market. We found out very early on how consumers react to having just one SKU as opposed to two.” - Kaz Hirai

Based on that statement and subsequent confirmations from SCEA’s chief communications officer Dave Karraker, it now appears that the price drop on the 60GB model is basically a sale price designed to clear inventory of the existing 60GB model stocks prior to the introduction of the new 80GB model.

For those of you wondering why Sony would discontinue the 60GB model rather than just using it in the new bundle, my guess is pretty simple - it’s due to the removal of the PS2 “Emotion Engine” chip. Sony could ill afford the consumer lawsuits and retail confusion that two 60GB models with different features would cause. Further, having to differentiate between the two 60GB models on the shelves (until the “original” 60GB model supply would run out) would also bring much more attention to the removal of the Emotion Engine chip.

Bottom line is this - if you want a PlayStation 3 that includes hardware based backwards compatibility, you better hurry and get one of the $499 machines before stores run out. It’s a little sad to see, as since the price drop the sales of the PlayStation 3 have apparently seen huge increases - enough so that it’s been listed as the #1 selling item in Amazon.com’s video game department for most of the last week.

• E3 07: Hirai: 60GB PS3 “no longer in production” - Gamespot

This week’s PlayStation Store update brings us another original game in the form of Nucleus. The game, which runs under the premise of fighting viral attacks inside the human body, plays like a cross between a level based shooter (like Mutant Storm) and some form of gathering game. Unfortunately, the demo, which is available through the PlayStation Store as well, is rather short and really doesn’t give you much of a feel for the title. In the two levels I played, I was charged with either capturing certain objects within a set time limit and collecting groups of cells in order to move them to specific locations.

What I took from the demo is that Nucleus really needs a longer demo. The game isn’t really explained well in the demo’s current form and doesn’t come off as a game that’s really all that much fun to play. It was because I couldn’t get a good feel for Nucleus that I went out hunting for some video of it to show you, and in doing that I saw that the game does seem to have some other elements that could make it a worthwhile purchase. Let’s take a look;

The full version of Nucleus is available in the PlayStation Store for $9.99.

• Nucleus - Product page at PlayStation.com
• Nucleus - Gameplay video at GameTrailers.com

A demo of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Download size is appx 510.40mb. Maybe I was just spoiled by the Lost Planet demo last year, but this year’s bunch of E3: Bringing it Home demos have been kind of disappointing.

Here’s a list of the final batch of E3 2007 Xbox 360 trailers available in the Xbox Live Marketplace;

• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™ - E3 2007 Trailer (HD)
• Stranglehold: The E3 Trailer (HD)
• Fatal Inertia (HD)
• Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground (HD)
• The Last Remnant (HD)
• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (HD)
• Spider-man: Friend or Foe (HD)
• Half Life 2: The Orange Box - E3 2007 (HD)
• Fracture (HD)
• NHL 08 (HD)
• Skate

So much for a long term price cut… GamesIndustry.Biz (by way of Kotaku) is reporting that in an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves, Reeves answered the question of why Europe was not seeing a price cut by announcing that once Sony expends all it’s existing stock of the 60GB PlayStation 3 in the United States, the company will only supply 80GB models to the region;

"GamesIndustry.Biz: How concerned are you about possible criticisms that you should have given European consumers what SCEA has given US consumers, i.e. the option to pay a lower price?

David Reeves: Well, they’re not really are they, because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD 599 version with one game. All they’re doing is taking their stock in trade that they’ve got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July.

GamesIndustry.Biz: So once the 60GB is gone, that will be the end of the 60GB then?

David Reeves: In America, yes." - GamesIndustry.Biz interview with David Reeves

Now, either Reeves is just trying to cover for the lack of a European price drop or Sony really does plan on shooting itself in the foot yet again. What a public relations nightmare this one is going to be. Leave it to Sony to take the one positive piece of press they’ve gotten recently and totally screw it in a matter of days.

• E3: David Reeves Talks PS3 - GamesIndustry.Biz
• 60GB PS3 Being Taken Out To Pasture - Kotaku

Microsoft has added another batch of original Xbox titles to the Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility list. Here’s the list of what titles have either been added or updated this time around;

• America’s Army (New)
• Auto Modellista (New)
• Bass Pro Shops Trophy Hunter 2007 (New)
• Blinx 2 (New)
• Bloodrayne 2 (New)
• Burnout (New)
• Crash Bandicoot 4 (New)
• Crash Bandicoot 5: Wrath of Cortex (Updated)
• Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (New)
• Drive to Survive (New)
• Drive to Survive (EM) (New)
• ESPN College Hoops (New)
• ESPN NHL 2K5 (New)
• Evil Dead Regeneration (New)
• Exaskeleton (New - Japan only)
• FIFA Street 2 (New)
• Full Spectrum Warrior: 10 Hammers (New)
• Guilty Gear XX #Reload (New)
• Harry Potter: And the Chamber of Secrets (New)
• Harry Potter: And the Prisoner of Azkaban (New)
• Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge (New)
• Jet Set Radio Future (Updated)
• Justice League: Heroes (New)
• King Arthur (New)
• Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders (New - No Xbox Live Access)
• Magic: The Gathering: Battlegrounds (New)
• Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (New)
• Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (New)
• Mech Assault 2 (New)
• MLB Slug Fest 2003 (New)
• Morrowind (New)
• MotoGP2 (New)
• Myst III: Exile (New)
• NBA Live 2002 (New)
• NCAA Football 06 (New)
• Nobunaga no Yabou Ranseiki (New - Japan only)
• Outlaw Golf 9 More Holes of X-mas (New)
• Outlaw Volleyball: Red Hot (New)
• Outrun 2 (New)
• Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast (New)
• Pac Man World 3 (New)
• Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory (New - EMEA only)
• Pro Cast Sports Fishing (New)
• Project Gotham Racing (New)
• Project Gotham Racing 2 (New)
• RoadKill (New - No Xbox Live Access)
• Rogue Ops (Updated)
• Sega GT 2002 (Updated)
• Sega GT Online (New)
• Shadow Ops (New)
• Showdown: Legends of Wrestling (New)
• Silent Hill 2: Dreams (New - US/EMEA only)
• Sponge Bob Square Pants: Lights, Camera, Pants! (New)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Melee (New)
• The DaVinci Code (New)
• The Sims 2 (New)
• The Urbz: Sims in the City (New)
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2X (New)
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (New)
• Transworld Surf (New)
• Trivial Pursuit Unhinged (New)
• Winning Eleven 8 (New)
• Without Warning (New)
• WWE Raw (New)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny (New)

Unfortunately, ESPN NFL 2K5 is still waiting to join the ranks of the backwards compatible - I had been hoping with APF2K8 on the horizon that the ESPN Football franchise would see some BC love. Click here to see the full list of Xbox games playable on the Xbox 360.

Sorry if today’s posts seem a little short, but my internet connection was down until roughly 3:30am. As you can imagine, I’m now not only trying to get everything online at once, but I’m also tired as all hell. At least it gave me time to finish The Darkness. While I don’t have time to post a full review of the game at the moment, I will say this - The Darkness is a highly enjoyable game that’s bolstered by solid writing and excellent voice acting. If you take your time with the game, playing it the way you can see the developers meant for it to be played, you’ll find it’s going to take you on one hell of a ride.

(Editor’s note 4:37am - I’ve once again lost my internet connection - not sure what time any of today’s updates will get posted, so ignore any confusing references to time)

A demo of THQ’s Stuntman: Ignition for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 642MB.

Here’s a list of the second batch of E3 2007 Xbox 360 trailers available in the Xbox Live Marketplace;

• BlackSite - E3 2007 Trailer (HD)
• The Bourne Conspiracy Trailer (HD)
• Assassin’s Creed (HD)
• Eternal Sonata (HD)
• Frontlines: Fuel of War (HD)
• Bee Movie (HD)
• Two Worlds (HD)
• Army of Two (HD)
• NCAA 08 (HD)
• E3 2007 Press Conference part 1 Video (HD)
• E3 2007 Press Conference part 2 Video (HD)
• E3 2007 Press Conference part 3 Video (HD)
• E3 2007 Press Conference part 4 Video (HD)
• E3 2007 Press Conference part 5 Video (HD)
• E3 2007 Press Conference part 6 Video (HD)

MAME32, the Windows GUI port of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, has now made the jump to v.117, incorporating all of the changes seen in the most recent build of it’s command line based parent.

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

• MAME32 - Official home of MAME32

The latest version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator is now available. Version 1.17 incorporates all of the changes made in the last series of interim updates, including full support for Capcom CPS-3 games. if you were having problems with anything in v.115 or have boards for some CPS-3 based games, this new version may be the one for you.

The updated 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
• MAME v.117 "What’s New" File - MAMEDev

Allow me to repeat myself… I’d like to preface this post by saying that I normally hate reporting on anything I haven’t seen in person. Since I had to work today, I was unable to catch the Sony press conference, so instead I followed along with Kotaku’s liveblog of the event. While I trust Kotaku’s take on things, keep in mind that I could be wrong about a lot of the below information as I didn’t have the perspective of actually seeing the same thing the folks at Kotaku were seeing, nor did I have the luxury of following the transcript uninterrupted.

Based on what I read, here are the more important bits of information that came out of the briefing. If you’re looking for a more complete breakdown of Sony’s conference, check out the full text of Kotaku’s liveblog here.

• 160 games coming to PS2 over the next year
• PSP has seen a 90% sales increase since the last price drop.
• They hope to ship 9 million PSPs’s this fiscal year.
• 140 new games coming for PSP.
• New model PSP announced – will offer come kind of PSP to HDTV function.
• New PSP is 33% lighter, 19% slimmer than current PSP.
• You can now upload PSP video to TV via a cable.
• New PSP comes out this September.
• New PSP will come in black and ice silver.
• Ice silver model will be a sold in a $199 bundle including a 1gb memory stick duo, Jak & Daxter and the Family Guy Friggin Sweet Pack UMD.
• Another bundle – a Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron branded PSP (White with Darth Vader’s image on the back) and the Renegade Squadron game - $199.99.
• Wipeout HD shown.
• PlayStation Home to be released this fall.
• Tretton claims PS3 sales have doubled since the price drop.
• NCSoft making a game for PS3.
• Haze to release on PS3 this holiday season – since they’re saying “you can only play it this holiday on PS3″, I’m assuming that means the PC/360 versions will be coming a bit later.
• Unreal Tournament 3 will be a PS3 exclusive for this year (again, PC/360 versions to follow later)
• UT3 will allow the use of PC Umods via the PlayStation Network.
• Midway & Epic have signed a deal to help optimize their engine (Do they mean Unreal Engine 3?) for the PS3
• UT3 comes out this November
• Rock Band confirmed as coming to the PS3 (there were rumors about a 360 exclusive deal)
• Metal Gear Solid 4 announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive.
• Hideo Kojima comes out to demonstrate the game and announces this is the end of the current series, Snake and his (Kojima’s) involvement with the franchise.
• MGS4 to have a worldwide release… “very soon”
• Infamous announced – a super hero game where you can play as a hero or villain. (I’m assuming like a comic book version of Fable)
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue coming to the PlayStation Network this holiday – with online support.
• Killzone 2 trailer shown - this time with real gameplay footage.

I think I’ll have to make sure that I schedule a vacation day for at least the first day of E3 next year - because I’m really not pleased with these last two posts.

• Liveblogging the Sony Press Conference - Kotaku

I’d like to preface this post by saying that I normally hate reporting on anything I haven’t seen in person. Since I had to work today, I was unable to catch the Nintendo press conference, so instead I followed along with Kotaku’s liveblog of the event. While I trust Kotaku’s take on things, keep in mind that I could be wrong about a lot of the below information as I didn’t have the perspective of actually seeing the same thing the folks at Kotaku were seeing, nor did I have the luxury of following the transcript uninterrupted.

Based on what I read, here are the more important bits of information that came out of the briefing. If you’re looking for a more complete breakdown of Nintendo’s conference, check out the full text of Kotaku’s liveblog here.

• DS market share is almost 25% of U.S. hardware sales
• Typically 80 percent of gamers are male – on DS it’s only 67% - Looks like the DS is crossing traditional borders
• DS has now sold over 40 million units - #1 handheld in the world
• They expect the Wii to take #1 console shortly
• Wii Zapper unveiled (new housing for Wiimote and Nunchuck) – available this year for $19.99
• Wii Zapper “approved” for RE: Umbrella Chronicles
• Games: Medal of Honor (Wii - 32 player mp), Smackdown vs Raw (Wii), Soul Calibur Legends(Wii), Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS), Dragon Quest: Swords (Wii)
• Super Smash Bros Brawl coming Dec 3rd.
• Metroid will have 3 sensitivity modes and a lock-on mode.
• 5.6 million downloads via Wii shop so far
• “Check Mii Out” channel announced (You can enter your Mii in online popularity contests)
• Mario Kart Wii will be online in the first quarter of next year
• Custom Wii wheel will be available for Mario Kart (Another housing for the Wiimote)
• Super Mario Galaxy coming Nov 12
• Brain Age 2 coming Aug 20
• Flash Focus (DS Observation training) coming to the US
• WiiFit coming - aerobics, weight training, yoga and balance exercises. Will include a weight sensing footpad.

As you can imagine, Nintendo is pretty thrilled with how things are going for them at the moment - hell, who wouldn’t be?

• Liveblogging the Nintendo Presser - Kotaku

Here’s a list of the first batch of E3 2007 Xbox 360 trailers available in the Xbox Live Marketplace;

• Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (HD)
• Xbox Live Arcade Montage (HD)
• Xbox 360 Games Montage (HD)
• Civilization Revolution (HD)
• Games For Windows Montage (HD)
• Too Human (HD)
• Project Gotham Racing 4 (HD)
• Xbox LIVE Marketplace Montage (HD)
• Lost Odyssey (HD)
• Viva Pinata Party Animals (HD)
• Mass Effect (HD)
• Bomberman LIVE (HD)
• NBA Live ‘08 (HD)
• Beautiful Katamari (HD)
• Crash of the Titans (HD)
• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (HD)
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (HD)
• Halo 3 (HD)
• Halo Arms Race (HD)

The first batch of E3 2007 trailers for the PlayStation 3 are now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Here’s a list of what you can expect to find;

• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
• Killzone 2 First Look
• PS3 E3′07 “Sizzle” video montage
• Lair
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• Unreal Tournament 3
• High Velocity Bowling
• Warhawk
• LittleBigPlanet
• Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
• PAIN
• Folklore
• Blacksite: Area 51
• Go Sports Ski
• Blast Factor: Advanced Research
• Everyday Shooter
• Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice
• E3′07 Closing video

There’s still no sign of the rumored Heavenly Sword demo, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

A demo of Namco’s Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 309MB.

There’s a lot of ground to cover today, so I’m going to dispense with the history lessons this week and just give you the release information for these two titles. Let’s get to it.

Title: Sonic the Hedgehog
Developer:
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 7/11/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

“Sonic, the fastest blue hedgehog on earth, will rocket through hair-raising loop-de-loops and take dizzying dives past bubbling lava, waterfalls and more in Sonic the Hedgehog Arcade. Gather up the rings and stop Dr.Eggman’s (aka Dr. Robotnik) schemes for world domination!

• Enhanced version: Newly enhanced graphics bring this 1991 console classic to life as never before. Once again, you can thrill to Sonic’s adventures, but this time in an updated environment.
• Leaderboards: Top Score leaderboards are there to keep track of your progress.
• All new achievements: Twelve new achievements, range from simple such as clearing the Green Hill Zone or collecting one hundred rings, to more challenging, such as trying to complete the game without losing a life.” - Xbox.com

Title: Golden Axe
Developer: Secret Level
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 7/11/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: Not Available
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

“Three mighty heroes have a score to settle with the evil Death Adder in this classic action game, now adapted for Xbox LIVE® Arcade. As a powerful fighter, a female Amazon, or a mighty dwarf, fight through Adder’s henchmen with weapon and magic attacks, or ride the fearsome, fire-breathing dragon in Golden Axe.

• Enhanced graphics and sound: Relive all those classic arcade moments with an adaptation of one of the most important arcade games released. Golden Axe is one of SEGA’s most treasured brands, and they’ve treated this classic well, with updated graphics and sound effects.
• Leaderboards: Two high score leaderboards are used, one for Normal, and one for Hardcore play.
• Multiplayer capability: Now you and a friend can join in on the action.
• Achievements: Twelve new achievements are included to master, ranging from the easy such as playing every character, to the difficult, such as winning the game without having to use a continue.” - Xbox.com

As for last week’s release, Missile Command, I’ve got to say that I was a little disappointed by it. While the original version of the game was spot on and the controls are workable, the enhanced mode just left a lot to be desired. I think for me it was the almost haphazard way the bolts of lightning you shoot (instead of missiles) streak out, which makes it very hard to time your shots. It’s not a horrible game, but it’s one you definitely want to try before you buy.

As announced at the Microsoft E3 press briefing, both Sonic the Hedgehog and Golden Axe are now available for purchase via the Xbox Live Marketplace at a cost of 400 points ($5) each. It’s been a long evening and there’s currently no product information on either game at Xbox.com, so I’m going to cut this post short and talk more about both titles tomorrow.

A demo of Mistwalker’s Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is 1.10GB.

A demo of Electronic Arts NCAA Football ‘08 for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is 683.53MB.

Well, it’s still a few hours away, so as you can imagine, there’s not much to report right now. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether Microsoft will have some surprise up it’s sleeve for tonight’s address. Will the Xbox 360 see a price cut? Will Peter Moore unveil a tattoo of Metal Gear Solid 4? Will anyone actual read this while I’m liveblogging it? All those questions and more should be answered tonight.

In case you’re wondering about the whole “E3Outsider.com” deal… Back when the site went to it’s daily gaming news format last year, I took out the address as a joke of sorts - you see, the old official E3 website was located at www.e3insider.com and since I sure as hell wasn’t going to be invited, I thought it would be a great idea to cover the show from an outsiders perspective - hence the name. While that specialized coverage of E3 never really surfaced, it’s still something that’s on the drawing board here at nylatenite.com, and I figured I should at least get some usage out of my domain registration fee.

That said, we’re now in the holding pattern for the start of our show. Here’s to hoping the comment system actually works.

11:21pm - We’re just a few minutes away from the start - according to G4, there’s a rumor that MS will have a special guest during the presentation…

11:34pm - And here we go - a live band from Illinois is playing the Halo theme music

11:38pm - The band has been going on so long, I think Moore must have gotten lost on his way to the conference.

11:39pm - Peter Moore has taken the stage.

11:40pm -According to Moore, every demo shown tonight will be from a game released this year.

11:40pm - The folks from Harmonix have taken the stage with Moore and it looks like they’re going to demo Rock Band with Moore.

11:41pm - Wow, out of tune singing and missed notes - it’s just like Karaoke night at most bars.

11:41pm - Please, make it stop. This isn’t the kind of game that you can really get a feel for by watching others play, and this “exhibition” is just painful. I envy the deaf.

11:43pm - Thankfully, G4 has cut to a commercial. I guess the press conference has been designed with commercials in mind this year since G4 is exclusively carrying the video feed.

11:44pm - Since I’m watching a commercial for it, I’ve got to ask - does anybody use PeoplePC online?

11:45pm - Some bald guy is trying to sell me his hints on becoming a millionaire. I’m thinking if he knew, he sure wouldn’t be hawking a crappy money-making scheme on G4 - am I right?

11:47pm - A trailer for Mass Effect is now showing - and guess what - we missed it during the commercial break. Moore has announced Mass Effect will be available this November.

11:48pm - This year, people will spend more money on games than music according to Moore.

11:49pm - 2/3 of all third party games are on the Xbox 360. Moore also showed some install figures that didn’t look quite right.

11:50pm - Moore is continuing to push the Xbox 360’s catalog of games as compared to the competition.

11:52pm - Madden, Halo & Grand Theft Auto sold 75 million units in 2004 when they released near each other. Moore drives home the point that you can only play all 3 on the 360.

11:53pm - Video montage of games - PGR4, Dynasty Warriors Gundam, Half Life 2: The Orange Box, Call of Duty 4, Stranglehold, GH3, Beautiful Katamari, Lost Odyssey, NBA Live ‘08, Mass Effect, Fatal Inertia, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Tiger Woods PGA 08, Ace Combat6, NHL 08, Assassin’s Creed, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, The Simpsons Game, Splinter Cell: Conviction, NASCAR ‘08, Eternal Sonata, BioShock, Madden NFL’08, Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, Crash of the Titans (Crash Bandicoot Game), Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix, Bee Movie, Rock Band & Naruto: Rise of a Ninja.

11:55pm - Microsoft’s Marketing Man Jeff Bell takes the stage and announces Scene it! will be coming to the 360 exclusively.

12:00am - Bell is now talking about Xbox Live and Electronic Arts. I noticed they didn’t mention APF2K8 earlier…

12:00am - Bell just confirmed that EA’s sports games (NCAA Football & Madden) will run at 60fps on the 360 while only running at 30fps on PS3.

12:01am - Reggie Bush is brought out to play Madden NFL’08.

12:02am - Bush vs. Bell at Madden. Wow, compared to last year’s conference, there’s a whole lot of fluff going on.

12:02am - Reggie Bush runs one all the way on a hand off.

12:03am - Back to Bell talking about Live. They predicted last year that they would have 6 million members by now - according to Bell, the number is actually 7 million. No word on if they mean Gold members only or both gold and silver. They now predict 10 million by next year.

12:04am - More than 100 games on Xbox Live Arcade by end of the year. Montage of Xbox Live Arcade games coming soon - Bomberman Live, Sonic The Hedgehog, War World, Sensible World Soccer, Every Extend Extra Extreme, Geono, Wing Commander : Arena, Feeding Frenzy 2, Track & Field, Spyglass Board Games, Golden Axe, Space Giraffe, Super Puzzle Fighter 2: Turbo HD, Word Puzzles, Marathon: Durundal, Poker Smash, Switchball, Tetris Splash, Puzzle Quest & Boku Soduku.

12:08am - Sonic The Hedgehog and Golden Axe will be available today as Xbox Live Arcade games.

12:10am - Xbox Live Marketplace has generated $125 million in sales via downloadable content.

12:11am - Microsoft has signed a deal with Disney where many of their movies will be available immediately on Xbox Live in HD. (Disney, Touchstone, etc)

12:12am - Xbox 360 Elite will go on sale in Europe on 8/24.

12:13am - Shane Kim (Microsoft Game Studios) takes the stage.

12:14am - Kim is talking about Microsoft Game Studios high level of quality. He predicts Forza 2 will break 1 million units by the end of the month.

12:15am - 2 guys from Bizarre Creations have come out to show off PGR4 - and this time, the game includes motorcycles!

12:16am - PGR4 wil feature over 120 cars in addition to the bikes.

12:16am - I hate G4. I really do. They keep cutting away to commercials whenever things get good. They suck.

12:17am - I’ve switched to the smaller feed over at Xbox.com - at least they don’t cut away when the going gets good.

12:18am - PGR4 video ends. Bell is the only one clapping. PGR 4 will be out in September.

12:19am - He’s talking about upcoming games - Fable 2, Halo Wars, Too Human and a new Halo branded game from Peter Jackson (since they aren’t showing them, they won’t be out this year)

12:20am - Here comes footage of Lost Odyssey.

12:21am - Lost Odyssey trailer plays, G4 is still showing commercials. This proves my, “G4 sucks” theory.

12:22am - Trailer ends. no one claps - I guess this is a no clapping area. Upcoming RPG’s - Lost Odyssey, Mass Effect & Blue Dragon.

12:22am - Now on to PC games - Viva Pinata is coming to PC. Kim also confirms Gears of War will be coming to Windows.

12:22am - CliffyB takes the stage - uses Windows Live to connect to a friend.

12:23am - CliffyB has just said Gears PC will have 5 new single player chapters!!!!

12:23am - Gears has a new multiplayer mode (deathmatch?) and new multiplayer maps.

12:24am - Remember the Brumak from the early Gears trailers? (The big creature with the rocket launcher attached to it) - Well, it’s in one of the chapters in the PC version of Gears. I so hope this content comes to the 360 as well…

12:25am - The level they’re fighting the Brumak in looks a little empty - almost like they’re fighting it in a school yard. Maybe they should rename it “The Gooch”

12:26am - Well, at least CliffyB stated that Gears will be available on XP and Vista. None of that Vista only crap.

12:27am - Moore retakes the stage.

12:28am - Sega, Eidos and THQ have signed on for Games for Windows Live.

12:28am - Moore has stated that Epic will be making Games for Windows Live support part of Unreal Engine 3

12:29am - …and naturally, G4 cuts away to a commercial. Back to the internet feed.

12:30am - Games for Windows montage - Gears of War, Universe at War, Blacksite: Area 51, Crysis, BioShock, World in Conflict, Age of Conan, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, Lost Planet, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals, Juiced 2 & Viva Pinata.

12:32am - Call of Duty 4 trailer is shown. (One we’ve all alreay seen) - oh look, G4 is still in a commercial break.

12:33am - Some folks from Infinity Ward are coming to the stage to show off Call of Duty 4. New gameplay footage!

12:35am - I think they also showed Earth Defense force in that last montage as JG from Gamer’s Lounge just mentioned it in an IM to me. See what you miss when you watch the G4 feed and switch back and forth?

12:36am - The sniper mission being shown in CoD4 seems to be pretty cool, but it doesn’t seem very free-form. One of those “you have to do this, then that, then that other thing” kind of feeling.

12:39am - Then again, I’d assume that’s what being a sniper is really all about.

12:39am - Damn, no one in this place ever claps.

12:40am - Multilplayer Xbox 360 beta for CoD4 coming. Check www.charlieoscardelta.com for more details!

12:41am - Splinter Cell: Conviction mentioned shortly as an Xbox 360 exclusive.

12:41am - Grand Theft Auto IV trailer plays. According to Moore, both GTA4 trailers were made with the Xbox 360 version.

12:42am - Yeah, it’s official. No one in the audience knows how to clap.

12:43am - Moore confirms two exclusive episodes for GTA4 will be on the 360 by Spring ‘08.

12:44am - Ace Combat 6 and Eternal Sonata will be 360 exclusives.

12:45am - Moore is about to show a game that WILL NOT be available on the 360 this year - he figures he can break his promise for this one…. it’s Resident Evil 5.

12:46am - Hey, it got applause!

12:46am - Jade Raymond & company come out to show off Assassin’s Creed.

12:47am - Okay, the jump from a very high building into a cart of hay that they just showed looks like crap. Beyond that, it’s looking very good - especially the crowd interactions.

12:50am - Combat looks good, but the multiple enemy fights seem to fall into the “only one or two guys will attack you at a time” trap.

12:52am - Jade Raymond. I’d hit it. I’d hit it like the fist of an angry god.

12:54am - Halo 3 time…

12:54am - Halo 3 video shown. No new game footage, just an “arm ‘em up” scene with the USNC marines.

12:56am - New model Xbox 360 - Halo 3 Special Edition console (no specific details) and accessories.

12:57am - Moore seems to be wrapping this up. He’s talking about the strength of the 360 lineup again.

12:58am - Are we going to see a new tattoo?

12:58am - Looks like there won’t be a bombshell announcement - but they are showing a new Halo 3 trailer - with gameplay footage!

12:59am - Of course, on G4 - Adam Sessler interrupts it AND they cut away in the middle to a commercial. Yes, you heard me, they cut away to a commercial DURING the Halo 3 trailer…

1:00am - And that, as they say, is that.

1:10am - Fixed some typos.

As usual, Microsoft kicks off E3 with it’s traditional pre-E3 press briefing, and this year I’m going to be liveblogging it for those of you who can’t or don’t want to watch the whole thing.

Because the standard format of this website is not conducive to a rapidly updating format (as you should know from my frequent griping about the subject), I’m going to open up the still unfinished blog based version of the site for one night via E3Outsider.com, so if you’re up to it, head on over around 11:30pm EST and join in the fun - after all, the comment system should work just fine.

On a somewhat sadder note, this will probably be the only live blog of the big three’s press conferences that we’ll be doing. Unfortunately, both Nintendo & Sony will be holding their talks tomorrow morning - a time when I’ll be sitting behind my desk out in the desert of the real. (a place also called my “real” job - you know, the one that pays the bills.) Don’t worry though, I’ll be sure to post anything of interest from those two events just as soon as possible. See? It’s not the end of the world.

I’ve got some last minute details to take care of, so I’ll sign off right now. It’s E3 2007… can you feel the excitement?

• E3Outsider.com - Home of the nylatenite.com liveblog of the Microsoft E3 2007 press conference.
• Microsoft E3 2007 Press Conference  liveblog - E3outsider.com

GamesIndustry.Biz is reporting that Sony Computer Entertainment America has confirmed that the newly announced 80GB model of the PlayStation 3 will not include the PlayStation 2 Emotion Engine chip, instead depending on software based emulation for backwards compatibility.

“The current 60 GB model utilizes a hardware and solution for backwards compatibility, namely the Emotion Engine chip. The new 80 GB PS3 will use a software solution for backwards compatibility, similar to that currently found in the PAL model.” - Kimberly Otzman, SCEA - as reported by GamesIndustry.Biz

So let me see if I understand this right… Not only is Sony asking gamers to shell out $599.99 for a bundle that doesn’t seem to be worth the sum of it’s parts, but now they’re actual taking away one of the selling points of the console? I don’t know what they’re smoking over at SCEA, but it must be some really freaky stuff.

Because it seems a given that once existing stocks of the PlayStation 3 are sold out, future shipments of the 60GB model will follow suit, those of you planning on buying a PS3 soon may want to accelerate those plans to ensure you get an Emotion Engine equipped model.

• New 80GB PS3 eliminates “emotion engine” chip - GamesIndustry.Biz

In a post over at PlayStation.blog, Sony Senior PR Manager Patrick Seybold confirmed the rumored PlayStation 3 $100 price drop and took the opportunity to announce that Sony will be making an 80GB model of the PlayStation 3 available with a bundled copy of MotorStorm for $599 starting this August.

"…we’re introducing a new PS3 model with a 80GB hard drive which will include a free copy of MotorStorm, all for the retail price of $599. This 80GB package will be available starting in August, just a few short weeks from today. The larger hard drive will give players more of an opportunity to take advantage of all the downloadable games and trailers on the PLAYSTATION Network, including the content from our forthcoming download service which will include videos, movies and other entertainment content.

In addition, as some of you speculated last week, we confirmed today that we are lowering the price of our current 60GB PS3 by $100, to $499, effective immediately in North America. I know many of you were eager to hear this and we’re thrilled to share this with you now as we head into E3." - Patrick Seybold

While I believe the price drop was an absolute necessity for Sony, I’ve got to question the wisdom of this new 80GB SKU. In essence, what Sony is offering here is a copy of MotorStorm ($59.99) and an extra 20GB of hard drive space for $100. It just doesn’t add up - why not just buy the 60GB model for $499, a game of your choice at $59.99 and keep the rest for another purchase.

One big question being repeated by commenters over at PlayStation.blog is whether the 80GB SKU will include the PlayStation 2 Emotion Engine chip or rely on software based emulation for backwards compatibility. We’ll be sure to keep you updates on any additional information about the new SKU as it becomes available. Personally, I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that Sony will throw early adopters some kind of bone to make up for the price drop and lack of titles available.

• New PS3, New Price Drop & More News Coming - PlayStation.blog

Just a quick note here - Sony has announced that they will be putting many of the trailers and videos of upcoming PlayStation 3 games on the PlayStation Network over the course of the coming week. There is no word on whether they’ll be throwing playable demos into the mix as well, but we can all hope.

• PlayStation Network - Information page at PlayStation.com

If you thought last week’s release list was bad, you haven’t seen anything yet. This week’s list is so devoid of anything worth talking about that my advice to you is to save your cash, catch up on the games you’ve been meaning to play and follow the announcements coming out of E3 - maybe even catch up on some personal correspondence if you have the time. How about calling your mom? You never call, you know. Remember all those shows you have saved on your TiVo but haven’t had the time to watch? Now is the time to do it.

I could go on and on, but there’s more important news afoot, so I’m going to cut this short and go to the list. Enjoy.

• Jewels of Cleopatra - PC - 7/10/2007
• Blitzkrieg Strategy Pack - PC - 7/11/2007
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - GBA - 7/11/2007
• Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception - 360 - 7/11/2007
• Riviera: The Promised Land - PSP - 7/11/2007
• Smash Court Tennis 3 - PSP - 7/11/2007
• Sword of the New World: Granado Espada - PC - 7/11/2007
• Vegas Casino: High 5 - DS - 7/11/2007
• Let’s Ride: Friends Forever - PC - 7/12/2007
• Ride! Carnival Tycoon - PC - 7/12/2007

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

Activision has released the latest trailer for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and what we find in this new video is that what we may have viewed as a smaller, regional conflict based on the previous trailer is actually just a small part of a far larger global crisis. While specific details as to the game’s plot still haven’t been made available, I think you’ll agree that with this second trailer, things are really starting to heat up.

One thing to note is that according to Activision, everything seen in this trailer is from actual gameplay footage.

Those of you who want to watch the above video in high-definition, download it to your computer or check out other Call of Duty 4 videos should head on over to GameTrailers.com. Call of Duty 4 is currently scheduled to release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC in late 2007 or early 2008.

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Official website
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Video page at GameTrailers.com
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: Exclusive E3 2007 Trailer - GameTrailers.com

Today is July 7th, 2007 - a day that most media outlets tell me is supposed to be the luckiest day of the century. Well, I don’t know about that, since apparently my version of “getting lucky” was oversleeping until 3:30pm, but I’m sure someone out there is having a great time.

The point of the matter is that for no actual reason, Bungie has declared today Bungie Day and made some gifts available for today and today only. Now that I’ve got your attention, those gifts take the form of a special Halo 3 theme and gamerpic set available to Xbox 360 owners via the Xbox Live Marketplace. As I stated before, these freebies will be taken down at the end of the day, so donwload them now or lose out forever.

• 7/07/07: Love, Bungie - Bungie.net

Following in the footsteps of the latest MAME update, MAME32 v.116.4, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.116u1 is now available. The same advice I gave about the latest build of MAME applies 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 fourth and final planned update to v.116 of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version .116u4, is now available for download. This update mainly focuses on more updates to the Capcom CPS-3 drivers, though it does include some newly working drivers for Change Lanes and DJ Boy. As usual, unless you’ve been having problems with your current installation of MAME or have the boards for Change Lanes or DJ Boy and are feeling a bit impatient, I’d advise sticking with v.116 until the next full release. However, if you’re interested in testing this build for the dev team, feel free to download the update and then 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 due to the ongoing issues with the Xbox 360’s dreaded Red Ring of Death system failures, the company will be extending the system’s factory warranty to cover the defects that cause the issue to 3 years from the date of purchase.

I can’t begin to mention just how huge of an announcement this is. Microsoft has basically admitted that the failure rate on the Xbox 360 is far higher than they would like and have taken action to make sure that their customer base is treated fairly. To give you an idea of the scale of the problem, Microsoft will be taking a 1.15 billion dollar pre-tax charge to their earnings for the quarter ending June 30th to cover the cost of the extension. (If you’re wondering, this means that the cost of supporting the warranty will not be included in fiscal year 2008, meaning that Robbie Bach’s prediction that the Xbox line would be in the black by 2008 is still a reasonable possibility.)

In an open letter to their customers, Microsoft’s Peter Moore apologized to Xbox 360 owners for any inconveniences they may have experienced due to system failures and promised that the company would be retroactively reimbursing any fees paid by 360 owners for repairs due to the issue.

“As of today, all Xbox 360 consoles are covered by an enhanced warranty program to address specifically the general hardware failures indicated by the three flashing red lights on the console. This applies to new and previously-sold consoles. While we will still have a general one year console warranty (two years in some countries), we are announcing today a three-year warranty that covers any console that displays a three flashing red lights error message. If a customer has an issue indicated by the three flashing red lights, Microsoft will repair the console free of charge—including shipping—for three years from the console’s purchase date. We will also retroactively reimburse any of you who paid for repairs related to problems indicated by this error message in the past. In doing so, Microsoft stands behind its products and takes responsibility to ensure that every Xbox 360 console owner continues to have a fantastic gaming experience.

If we have let any of you down in the experience you have had with your Xbox 360, we sincerely apologize. We are taking responsibility and are making these changes to ensure that every Xbox 360 owner continues to have a great experience.” - Peter Moore

It should be noted that the extension (years 2 and 3) only cover issues related to the three red ring failures and does not cover the rest of the system. To clear up any confusion, Microsoft has made a FAQ available that covers many of the questions Xbox 360 owners may have about the updated warranty and have advised that they will continue to update the FAQ over the next few days.

One question that wasn’t covered in the aforementioned FAQ was what affect this would have on the warranty status of those who purchased the Xbox 360’s 2 year extended warranty directly from Microsoft. To get an answer to that issue, I called Microsoft’s customer support help line at 1-800-4MY-XBOX, and after waiting on hold for 1 hour and 15 minutes was advised that the extended warranty will begin once the 3 year warranty period has expired and that all services would be covered during that time.

I found that answer a little strange as one would assume that only the coverage for the Red Ring failures would continue into the 4th and 5th year of the warranty period, but the representative I spoke with assured me that this was indeed the case. While I’m taking that part of the answer with a grain of salt, I am at least confident in believing that those who purchased the extended warranty via Microsoft will have protection from general system failures (Red Ring of Death failures) for 5 years from the date of purchase.

My guess is that since Microsoft also stated that they believe they’ve found a way to fix the problem that this move may essentially be a long-term recall. If the problem is such that they know that most Xbox 360’s will fail within 3 years, this would allow them to repair the problems without the massive negative publicity a true recall would bring. The move should also allow Microsoft some breathing room at E3 in regard to the failure rate, so while it’s certainly a great move for the consumer, I wouldn’t go sending mushy love notes to the company just yet. Still, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy at the moment. Between the rumors of the PlayStation 3 price drop and Microsoft’s warranty extension, it’s been a pretty good day for gamers. For more information on the announcement, warranty procedures and what it all means to you, check out the below links.

• Microsoft Expands Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage - Official press release
• Xbox 360 Expands Warranty - Gamerscore Blog
• Open Letter From Peter Moore - Xbox.com
• Expanded Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage FAQ - Xbox.com

That’s the current rumor floating about the internet. According to Kotaku, a poster over at the DVD Talk forums is advising he got an early look at the Circuit City sale circular for the weekend of July 15th. According to the poster, the 60GB PlayStation 3 will be advertised with a $100 price break, bringing the cost of the system down to $499.99.

Many would argue that the circular could be taken to indicate either an as-of-yet unannounced price drop or perhaps just a one week sale to clear inventory, GameDaily Biz followed up the story by announcing that they had received confirmation from an insider at “one of the world’s biggest retailers” that the price of the PlayStation 3 will be dropped by $100 effective July 12th. Looks like Sony has one heck of an announcement on their hands for E3, eh?

While I think it’s definitely the right move for Sony given the relatively lackluster sales of the PS3, as an early adopter - and someone who understands that early adopters always take some degree of risk - I can’t help but feel completely shafted now. I’ll tell you why;

1. Unlike other systems I’ve owned, even after 8 months I really don’t feel like I’ve gotten any benefit by having been an early adopter. There hasn’t been a single “must have” game on the system since launch (and I’d even dispute whether one could call Resistance: Fall of Man a “must-have” title) and at this point, a price drop would just serve to reinforce the “sucker” feeling.
2. I get the feeling that by the time Sony gets any product worth playing that hasn’t been on other platforms into the stores, my factory one year warranty will either have expired or be close to expiring. From a piece of mind perspective, I would have liked to have seen that the PlayStation 3 could handle the load of being played on a daily basis. Now, given the low number of failure reports for the PS3, I doubt this will be an issue, but it’s one of those nagging thoughts that sticks with me.
3. Between the rumored price drop, new 5 Blu-Ray Disc movie offer and the prospects of having to purchase new Sixaxis controllers when the vibration feedback enabled models become available, I just can’t help but feel like Sony has taken advantage of me.
4. Everything I’ve experienced with the PlayStation 3 to this point has really made me feel like I paid to beta test the system. From the disorganization of the PlayStation Store to the lack of quality titles on the shelves, everything just feels like it wasn’t quite ready for release.

Again, I know this is a move Sony must take in order for the PlayStation 3 to have any chance of surviving, and I know that as an early adopter, there’s always an inherent risk of getting burned, but I’m not going to lie and say that I’m happy with the situation as it stands. The only thing I can hope is that since Sony has not made any official comment on the matter as of yet, there’s always a chance they will do something to show a bit of loyalty to those who were willing to buy the system at it’s original price.

I’ll be sure to update this story with any new information that comes in. As of right now, it’s looking pretty solid, so to those of you who have been waiting for a price drop before picking up a PlayStation 3, your wait may finally be nearing an end.

• PLAYSTATION 3 $100 Price Cut Hits July 15 - Kotaku
• Report: PS3 $499 on July 12 - GameDaily BIZ
• Circuit City Prices: July 15 - July 21, 2007 - DVDTalk Forums

Gamefly dropped me an e-mail yesterday advising that after some testing, they will be changing the mailers they use for all standard disc-based games. From the sound of it, they’ve made a few changes to the overall design and removed the protective cardboard insert they used to place in each mailer - a move that I’m not particularly fond of.

“We’ve changed our mailer! As of this week, you may see your games arrive in a newly redesigned mailer that opens vertically instead of horizontally.

This new mailer does not include any cardboard inserts. Please do not attempt to use your old cardboard inserts when returning games in this new mailer.

Also, when returning your games, you will insert the disc into the top of the return mailer, instead of into the side.

Please note - handheld games (PSP, DS, GBA) will continue to be mailed in the usual mailer with the cardboard insert. Please return these handheld games with the cardboard in the same mailers they arrived in.” - Gamefly

I guess that extra dollar they tacked onto all membership plans back on June 18th just wasn’t enough to cover the cost of using the inserts. I just hope they are ready for the inevitable slew of damaged discs they’re going to start getting back.

• Gamefly - Official website

This story has been sitting on my “to post” list for about a week now and seeing how as of tomorrow both player’s packs for the Xbox 360 version of Rainbow Six Vegas will be free downloads, I figured now was the time to post it.

Back on June 29th, Major Nelson reported that Ubisoft had finally fixed the problems they were having with the recently released Player’s Pack: Black Edition for the Xbox 360, and announced that the pack was supposed to have been a free download. As a way of making up for the confusion, Ubisoft had opted to put the “Black Pack” back on Live as a free download and announced that the older Player’s Pack: Red Edition would also become a free download effective July 6th - you know… today.

“Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas Black Pack Downloadable Content for Xbox 360 Live was originally intended to be free content for the fans of Rainbow Six Vegas. We apologize for the error. All players who purchased the Black Pack will be reimbursed automatically.* The Black Pack will be posted Saturday June 30th and will be free of charge. Also, as a token of our appreciation for the Rainbow Six community, we are making the Red Pack free as of Friday July 6th as well. Thanks for playing and we hope you enjoy this free content.” - Ubisoft

That’s a whole lot of freebie goodness right there, so if you have R6V and haven’t picked up either pack yet, you should be golden by the end of today. One last thing to note is that anyone who purchased the Black Edition pack during it’s short time as a pay download can expect to see a refund automatically within 8-10 weeks.

• Rainbow Six Vegas - Official website
• Rainbow Six Vegas Black Pack Update (good news) - Major Nelson
• Rainbow Six Vegas Player’s Pack: Red Edition - Product page at Xbox.com
• Rainbow Six Vegas Player’s Pack: Black Edition - Product page at Xbox.com

Yes, we’re focusing on All Pro Football 2K8 yet again today. Gamespot has posted another preview of the game in which they take a closer look at the special abilities players can have in the game. If you’re a little confused as to what that means, let me explain; In addition to the usual stats all players have, the “Legendary” players all have special attributes that are used to make them play more like they did during their NFL careers. For example, a player that was king of the late-game comeback may have the “4th quarter comeback ability” - which increases all that players stats during the 4th quarter. It’s one of the little things that 2K Sports is doing to try and make the title stand out.

Now that you know what the special attributes are all about, let’s take a look at the full list of them as per Gamespot;

• Signal Stealer — Press X with our QB or defender to try to steal your opponent’s plays.
  
• Scrambler — QB is talented at throwing the ball out of the pocket.
• Rocket Arm — QB has top-flight arm strength with QB charge.
• Quick Release — QB has a quick throwing motion.
• Pocket Presence — QB is at his best when in the pocket.
• Play Fake — QB’s play action fake is great at fooling defenders.
• Pass Threat — QB’s threat of passing makes draw plays more lethal.
• Laser Arm — Pinpoint accuracy with QB charge.
• Deception — QB’s pump fakes are more likely to deceive defenders.
• Cadence — QB’s cadence is good at drawing defenders offside.
• 4th Quarter Comeback — QB is at his best when trailing in the 4th quarter.
• Strength Bonus — Player has top-notch strength for his position.
• Stamina Bonus — Player doesn’t tire easily.
• Speed Burner — Player has top-notch speed for his position.
• Secure Ball Bonus — Player is good at holding onto the football.
• Run Coverage — Player is good against the run and when pursuing ball carriers.
• Quick Feet — Player has top-notch agility for his position.
• Leadership Bonus — Player makes his teammates better.
• Hops — Player has excellent jumping ability.
• Durability Bonus — Player is resilient to injuries and very dependable.
• Acrobatic Catches — Player is able to make difficult circus catches.
• Branching Tackles — Player is good at shaking off tackles by tapping A.
• Break Away Burst — Player has an extra gear when running away from defenders.
• Bump Buster — Player is talented at beating bump and run coverage.
• Cutback Ability — Player is quick out of cuts.
• Deep Threat — Receiver is skilled at catching deep passes and draws extra attention from safeties.
• Mr. 3rd Down — Receiver is clutch in 3rd down situations.
• Possession Receiver — Receiver is particularly talented at running short routes.
• Return Specialist — Player is skilled at returning punts or kicks.
• Route God — Receiver is great route runner.
• Ankle Breaker — Player has a 2nd level charge juke move.
• Battering Ram — Player has a 2nd level charge shoulder charge.
• Spin — Defender has a 2nd level charge spin.
• Arm of Steel — Player has a 2nd level charge stiff arm.
• Stop on a Dime — Player has a 2nd level charge stop.
• Tough in the Middle — Receiver isn’t afraid to get hit on catches in the middle.
• Workhorse — Ball carrier gets better the more he gets the ball.
• Soft Hands — Player has excellent hands.
• Special Team Demon — Player is talented at covering punts or kicks.
• Magic Feet — Player has the footwork and balance to stay in bounds on sideline catches.
• Brick Wall — Player has superior pass blocking skills.
• Bulldozer — Player has superior run blocking skills.
• Stonewall — Linemen is such a stalwart that the QB is extra composed around him.
• Clutch — Player’s performance is best in all-clutch situations and games.
• Scissor Kick — Player has a scissor kick special move by using RS.
• Finesse — Player has a 2nd level spin and juke move.
• Power — Player has a 2nd level shoulder charge and stiff arm.
• Finesse and Power — Player has a 2nd level spin, juke, shoulder charge, and stiff arm.
• Ball Strip — Player is adept at forcing fumbles.
• Big Hit — Defender is particularly adept at big hit tackles with RS.
• Bull Rush — Defender has a 2nd level charge bull rush.
• Bump Master — Player is skilled at bump and run coverage.
• Closing Speed — Defender is able to cover ground quickly when closing in on the ball.
• Club — Defender has a 2nd level charge club.
• Loose Ball Magnet — Defender has a knack for recovering fumbles.
• Reach Tackle — Defender has the strength to pull down ball carriers with reach tackles.
• Rip — Defender has a 2nd level charge rip.
• Run Reader — Defender has a sixth sense that allows him to hit the hole.
• Sack Master — Defender is particularly skilled at sacking the QB.
• Wrap Up Tackler — Defender is a textbook wrap tackler.
• Coverage Bonus — Player has excellent pass coverage skills.
• Pass Rush Bonus — Player is skilled at rushing the passer.
• Run Coverage — Player is good against the run and when pursuing ball carriers.
• Ball Hawk — Defender has a keen sense of the ball on passes.
• Footsteps — Defender strikes fear in receivers and this can result in gator arms.
• Return Specialist — Player is skilled at returning punts or kicks.
• Coffin Corner — Player is good at pinning punts inside the 10-yard line.
• Kick Accuracy Bonus — Player has excellent kick accuracy.
• Kick Power Bonus — Player has excellent kick power.

For more details on player special abilities in All Pro Football 2K8, check out the full article over at Gamespot.

• All Pro Football 2K8 - Official website
• All-Pro Football 2K8 Special Abilities Spotlight - Gamespot