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In yesterday's post, I commented that I didn't expect big things from the Xbox Live Arcade version of Warlords because I believed that Stainless Games would once again saturate the game with needless video effects that would make the game unplayable…

Well, I'm the first to admit when I'm wrong, and rather than wait around for next week's Live Arcade wrap-up, I thought I'd say it now - I'm really digging the enhanced version of Warlords - enough so that I prefer it to the original arcade version. Well done Stainless, well done.

• Warlords - Xbox Live Arcade Product Page
• Stainless Games - Company website

It's been awhile since we've had two titles release simultaneously for the Xbox Live Arcade - but here we are. This week we've got Atari's much-loved classic Warlords appearing on the service alongside Buku Sudoku, a Sudoku title that, while a little late to the party, features the twist of offering multiplayer action.

Let's start off talking a bit about Warlords. What can I say about Warlords? Well, for starters, I'm sure that Stainless Games will once again butcher the enhanced version of the title with overdone effects, just like they've done with every other classic Atari title. Yet, even taking that into account, so long as the controls are workable, I'm more than willing to plunk down the required 400 points ($5) for the fun of playing the original game against friends online.

If you're unfamiliar with the game, the idea is simple - think of it as multiplayer Breakout. The object is to deflect or shoot the ball in play at your opponents walls, eventually creating a hole that will allow you to strike them with the ball. Four players play at a time, meaning that in order to win a game, you must be the last one standing, but not necessarily the one who eliminated all your opponents - as you can imagine, this opens the door to some interesting strategies.

Based on the last few classic Atari conversions, I strongly recommend you download the demo before making a purchasing decision.

Title: Warlords
Developer:Stainless Games
Publisher: Atari
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 5/28/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Warlords is one of the classic multiplayer experiences of the coin-op era. You and three other players (A.I. controlled or Human), join together in a Breakout-style battle, each controlling a paddle protecting their own castle from rebounding fireballs. Use your skill to deflect these missiles onto other players’ castles. Once you breach each opponent's walls, it's game over for them, until the last man standing wins the day! Fantastic, fast action fun!

• Classic arcade action: The original arcade game from Atari returns in all of its classic splendor, with its castle-destroying gameplay goodness for one to four players.
• Evo mode: A full 3-D totally new look is provided with advanced graphics and a pumping soundtrack. One to four players, either locally or over Xbox LIVE®, breed multiplayer mayhem which includes Xbox LIVE Vision Camera functionality.
• Achievements: Twelve new achievements are provided for you to master." - Xbox.com

Next up, we've got Buku Sudoku, which as you may have guessed, is yet another video game version of the highly addictive number puzzler. I'd like to get excited about it, but at 800 points ($10) and having played the game on so many other systems, I just can't.

Title: Buku Sudoku
Developer: Merscom LLC
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 5/28/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-8 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Experience the excitement of the world's hottest number game sensation! Buku Sudoku™ takes the pen-and-paper puzzler high-tech with HD graphics, helpful tutorials, single- and multiplayer game modes, multiple grid sizes, and the option to display hints, highlight errors, undo moves, and even solve puzzles. 1,200 puzzles give you plenty of opportunity to challenge your own brain, play cooperatively with friends, race head-to-head to see who can complete a board first, or compete in the new battle mode, where completing a line, row, or square will remove numbers from your opponent's board. It's Sudoku however you like to play it!

• Multiplayer: Three different modes offer new ways to play that are impossible on paper, including co-op, team battle, and even an active duel where your performance directly affects your opponent's puzzle.
• Puzzles galore: Fifteen books worth of Sudoku puzzles are ready for play at your leisure.
• Sudoku your way: Buku Sudoku supports multiple controllers, allowing players to choose how they wish to play. The player's ability to customize the game is furthered by a series of optional control schemes. With eight options to choose from, whether it's picking between the one-handed setup, the casual scheme, the faster-than-paper advanced scheme, or even a dance pad, there is a control option to suit any person or mood." - Xbox.com

As for last week's Live Arcade release, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is indeed a laugh riot, but as I haven't finished it yet, I can't speak for the game's longevity. Keep the 8 or so hour play time in mind and try the demo to see if it's worth your hard earned money (1600 points ($20)) - As a fan of Penny Arcade, I feel it's well worth the price, though I would hope with the base game already purchased, future episodes will not be as costly.

Day six of Operation: Sick as a Dog shows that there may well be some light at the end of the tunnel - or at least a cessation of the constant coughing. Good stuff indeed.

Admittedly, you're not here to listen to me ramble on about my health, so let's talk about the Xbox Live Arcade - or more specifically, Microsoft's plans at delisting underperforming titles. In an earlier post, I rambled on about how this could be the start of something I feared since the dawn of digital distribution… namely that there could be no way to recover some of the things you purchased. Well, in a recent post at Gamerscore Blog, Microsoft has clarified the situation by confirming that if you already have bought a game that's been delisted from the service, you will be able to re-download the title as needed. So much for my little rant, eh?

"Q:  If I bought a game, and deleted it, can I redownload it even if it's been delisted?
A:  Yes, you can.  Go to Download History under the Account Management section of marketplace (far left blade)." - Gamerscore Blog

So to clarify here, there are three criteria which have to be met for a game to be delisted from the Marketplace - they are;

1. The game has to have been available for at least six (6) months.
2. The game must have a Metacritic rating of below 65.
3. The game must have a conversion rate of less than 6%. (this is the percentage of trial downloads that became full purchases)

Now I don't have the sales figures for the Live Arcade, but I did compile a list of titles that scored below 65 on Metacritic. Please keep in mind that these are NOT the games that are being delisted, just a list of games that meet one of the three required criteria for delisting.

• Aegis Wing
• Arkadian Warriors
• Asteroids / Asteroids Deluxe
• Battlestar Galactica
• Battlezone
• Bliss Island
• Boogie Bunnies
• Brain Challenge
• Centipede & Millipede
• Contra
• Crystal Quest
• Cyberball 2072
• Defender
• Discs of Tron
• Double Dragon
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Fatal Fury Special
• Frogger
• Geon: Emotions
• Gyruss
• Hardwood Backgammon
• Hardwood Hearts
• Hardwood Spades
• Mad Tracks
• Marathon: Durandal
• Missile Command
• Mr. Driller Online
• New Rally-X
• Novadrome
• Pac-Man
• Rocketmen: Axis of Evil
• Root Beer Tapper
• Rush'n Attack
• Scramble
• Screwjumper!
• Soltrio Solitaire
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
• Spyglass Board Games
• Super Contra
• Tempest
• Tetris Splash
• Texas Hold 'em
• Time Pilot
• TiQal
• TMNT
• TotemBall
• Track & Field
• Triggerheart Exelica
• Tron
• Wing Commander Arena
• Word Puzzle
• Xevious
• Yaris

For more information about Microsoft's plans to delist some Live Arcade titles, check out the below posts;

• Wait… You are "delisting" Xbox LIVE Arcade Games?!? - Gamerscore Blog
• EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: MS to Delist XBLA Titles - Next Generation

Well now, day 5 of Operation: Sick as a Dog opens with a look at what you can expect to see at retail this week. While the next few weeks hold a good deal of promise with Metal Gear Solid 4, Ninja Gaiden 2 and GRID hitting the shelves, this week is a bit… lacking. As such, we'll be keeping this one short as well.

While for sheer reasons of nostalgia, I'd like to pick Super Dodgeball Brawlers as the game of the week, I just do't think it's got that kind of legs, so the vote goes to Mass Effect. If you've got a decent gaming rig and have been envying Xbox 360 owners for this one, your wait is almost over - enjoy!

Here are the more notable titles releasing this week …

• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (360 & PS3)
  • Id Software's multiplayer shooter makes it's console debut.
• Mass Effect (PC)
  • The epic space RPG makes it's way to the PC.
• Super Dodgeball Brawlers (DS)
  • Ah, a dodgeball game - it does so bring back memories.

The full release list, so to speak…

• Bus Driver  (PC) - 5/28/2008
• Death Jr.: Root of Evil  (WII) - 5/28/2008
• Dracula: Origin  (PC) - 5/28/2008
• Emergency Heroes  (WII) - 5/28/2008
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (360) - 5/28/2008
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (PS3) - 5/28/2008
• Kawasaki Snowmobiles (WII) - 5/28/2008
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Colonies Edition) (360) - 5/28/2008
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Colonies Edition) (PC) - 5/28/2008
• Mass Effect (PC) - 5/28/2008
• Stronghold: Crusader Extreme (PC) - 5/28/2008
• Super Dodgeball Brawlers (DS) - 5/28/2008
• The Monkey King: The Legend Begins (WII) - 5/28/2008
• USA Today Crosswords Challenge (GameStop Exclusive) (DS) - 5/30/2008
• World Championship Cards (PSP) - 5/28/2008

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

We’re into day four of Operation: Sick as a Dog here at nylatenite.com, and rather than thrill you with tales of my adventures during it, I figured I’ll instead just let you watch a movie… kind of like that teacher you had in 6th grade, but without the educational content.

Let me first give a warning about the video attached. It could be considered disturbing to some. Unlike many of the videos I post that have that age counter, this one deserves it. That said, what you’re about to watch are some gruesome endings people have come up with in Grand Theft Auto IV. Maybe I just have a very dark sense of humor, but Niko doing the "some Captain in him" stance while getting a hot dog amidst the carnage made me laugh pretty damn hard… too hard for a guy who’s sick at the moment.

As wrong as this is going to sound, it was almost as funny as a moment I had while playing the game myself yesterday, I had gotten into a bit of police trouble and decided it was time to get that "stay alive for 5 minutes at 6 stars" achievement. I ran into an alleyway to give myself some cover while I battled it out with the LCPD, and all was going well - I was simply tossing grenades at the squad cars whenever they would build up at the front of the alley in between gun battles. Well, at one point, I set off a chain reaction of three or four cars that was pretty impressive to watch… almost as impressive as the fact that what felt like a minute later, a flaming cop fell out of the sky a few yards away. All I could think of was that line from "Three Amigos" … "What, are gringos falling from the sky?" - like I said, I have an odd sense of humor.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand… Enjoy the video, but keep the kiddles away.

For those of you who’d like some background information on what goes into creating those screams of agony, there’s also this great audio interview with Michael Hollick (the voice behind Niko) available at GameTrailers.com (found by way of Kotaku)

• Liberty City Obituaries - GameTrailers.com
• GTA 4 Niko voice actor interview - GameTrailers.com
• Extended Audio Interview with Niko Bellic’s Voice Actor - Kotaku

Allow me to apologize in advance if this rambles a bit, I've got a nasty cold and I'm really just not thinking that straight at the moment.

In an interview with Next Generation, Xbox Live General Manager Marc Whitten announced that Microsoft has finally fixed the dreaded Digital Rights Management (DRM) issue in regards to downloaded content, and that the patch addressing the issues should be available sometime this June.

"…this new tool will officially launch next month on Xbox.com and will allow you to be able to consolidate these licenses onto one box so you can access things like Xbox LIVE Arcade games and TV show you have downloaded even if you are not online.  Because this involved allowing users to re-download licenses for content that belongs to our partners it has taken some time to work out the agreements with them to allow this, but we have heard the concerns from folks about DRM and are happy to announce that everything is nearly in place to roll this out in June." - Marc Whitten

While that may bring joy to many, one of his next statements quickly dampened the mood - Microsoft has also announced that they will be removing underperforming titles from the Live Arcade. 

"…we will be delisting older underperforming titles in order to keep the service focused on a section of high quality games." - Mark Whitten

"The way it will work is that the title will need to be at least 6 months old and have a Metacritic score below 65 and a conversion rate below 6% on the service.  This way titles are not just considered if they are not selling well or not getting good reviews, but actually a combination of both.  We will also give a three-month notice before delisting any title." - Mark Whitten

This has been one of my beefs about digital distribution. Without ownership of physical media, the user is really at the mercy of whatever company software has been purchased from. What happens to those who have bought de-listed games that have to have their hard drives replaced or lost the data for some other reason. Without any way to re-download the software, your purchase will last only as long as your data remains uncorrupted.

I'm hoping Microsoft is listening to it's Live Arcade users, including myself, who are up in arms over the concept of potentially losing software they've paid for. Microsoft, delist the games if you must, but leave some easy method for existing users to obtain the files they paid for.

• EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: MS to Delist XBLA Titles - Next Generation 

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz (found by way of Kotaku), in which he touched on XNA, the current backlog of Xbox Live Arcade titles and what the future holds for the brand, Xbox Live Arcade Worldwide Games Portfolio Editor David Edery confirmed that Microsoft will be raising the size limit for Live Arcade titles to 350MB.

"Q: And you're upping the size of Xbox Live Arcade games as well to 350 megabytes?

David Edery: Yeah, it's a steady progress. We've been listening to our partners, listening to our customers to try and get a feel for what's right. We don't want the size limit to hit the roof because we think there's some value in promoting small pick and play experiences that don't cost USD 20 million, it's good for the ecosystem." - GamesIndustry.biz interview with David Edery

For those of you wondering just how things work behind the scenes of the Live Arcade and what direction Microsoft plans on taking it in the future, this is an interview that should shed some light on both - be sure to check it out.

• Xbox Live Arcade's David Edery - GamesIndustry.biz
• Xbox Live Arcade Game Limit Upped To 350MB - Kotaku

It's a great week for the Xbox Live Arcade as, at long last, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness makes it's debut on the service.

Advanced word on this one has been pretty positive so far, with high marks being given for both the humor the game puts forward as well as it's mix of both rpg and graphic adventure game action. The game teams a character of your creation with an alternate reality version of Gabe & Tycho as the Startling Developments Detective Agency attempts to solve crime in New Arcadia.

Estimates for how long it will take to complete this episode range from 8 to 10 hours, which some may feel is a bit short for the 1600 point ($20) price the game is selling for. You see, while I freely admit I'm a big fan of both Penny Arcade and Ron Gilbert (yes, the same Ron Gilbert behind the first two Monkey Island games worked with Hothead on this one), and I was sold the moment I found out that a certain vigorous juicer would have a prominent role in the adventure, you may want to hold off for full reviews if you're not sure if this is going to be your kind of game.

Finally, I've heard some rumors that the game may not have a playable demo - as this would be the first XBLA game to go that route, I highly doubt those rumors are true, but with no verification either way, I've listed the demo status as "unknown"

Edit 8:03am: Based on Major Nelson's description of the title in his introductory blog post for the game, it appears there is indeed a demo of the game.

Title: Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
Developer: Hothead Games
Publisher: Hothead Games
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 5/21/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 1600 points ($20)
Rating: M (Mature) - Blood & Gore, Mature Humor, Strong Language & Violence
Demo?: Unknown Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"The wonderfully strange and hilarious minds of Penny Arcade creators Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins have joined with legendary game designer Ron Gilbert and veteran producers Hothead Games to bring you the insanity that is Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One. This first installment of the episodic role-playing adventure game series is set in the highly stylized 1920s universe of New Arcadia filled with bizarre characters, outrageous combat, and adult humor.

• Create-A-Player system: Create and develop your very own character to participate in the adventure.
• Episodic content: Penny Arcade Adventures keeps the fun going with new material released regularly, with pick up and play capabilities from any episode, and the ability to carry over your character's appearance, stats, and inventory from episode to episode.
• Dynamic combat: The turn-based combat system features over-the-top animations and team-up moves during enemy battles.
• Role-playing adventure: The classic adventure-style gameplay combines with RPG elements for a mysterious and puzzling good time.
• Twisted goodness: The crazed geniuses behind Penny Arcade promise a thrilling and wild ride, with story and dialogue written by written by Jerry "Tycho" Holkins and art by Mike "Gabe" Krahulik. Working with Gabe and Tycho of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, it will be your job to resolve the chaos and solve the mysteries of New Arcadia." - Xbox.com

As for the previous Live Arcade release, I was a little disappointed with Assault Heroes 2 - though that's more due to my high expectations for the title than any failings of it's own. It's certainly a good shooter, but it just didn't seem to have the same "feel" as the first game. If you're a fan of shooters, the demo (if not the full game) is certainly worth at least a look.

If you've been following the ongoing saga revolving around Electronic Arts' attempts to purchase rival Take-Two Interactive, you've no doubt noticed that Take-Two isn't particularly keen on the idea of being absorbed by EA, and has made no secret of that fact.

According to Gamasutra, to further emphasize that point following EA's deadline extension of their current offer, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zenick (I swear, his name sounds like it should belong to a comic book villain) reiterated that Take-Two's board still feels the offer undervalues the company's worth and asked shareholders to refrain from responding to EA's direct overtures.

"In response, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zenick has repeated his stance that the "highly conditional proposal" has already been "thoroughly reviewed and unanimously determined to be inadequate and contrary to the best interests of Take-Two's stockholders."

"As such, the recommendation of our Board of Directors that stockholders not tender their shares to EA remains unchanged," he continued. "The Board is committed to maximizing stockholder value and is exploring all strategic alternatives to do so."" - Gamasutra

So what happens now? Naturally, EA will continue to pursue individual stockholders in an attempt to gain control, and just as naturally, Take-Two will continue to point to it's recent successes as reasons why those same stockholders should stand with the company's current management. Who's going to come out on top right now is anyone's guess, but if I had to bet money on it, I'd say it's going to get a lot uglier before all is said and done.

• Take-Two Interactive - Company website
• Electronic Arts - Company website
• Take-Two: EA's Extended Offer Still 'Inadequate' - Gamasutra

My head is still pounding and there's not much coming out this week, so let's keep this one short, shall we? We once again dip into the realm of digital distribution for the pick of the week as On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, the first episode in Penny Arcade's episodic game series, releases on the PC and Xbox 360. Advance word on the game has been quite positive, so I'm really looking forward to giving this one a whirl.

Here are the more notable titles releasing this week …

• Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC)
  • By Crom, the world of Robert E. Howard's Conan gets the mmog treatment.
• Haze (PS3)
  • Find out the truth behind the Nectar drug in this futuristic first person shooter.
• Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness (Digital Distibution - 360 & PC)
  • The gang from Penny Arcade bring us a hybrid adventure/rpg featuring many of your favorite characters!
• WiiFit (WII)
  • Nintendo's latest creation comes to the Wii, bringing the dream of fitness through gaming a little closer.

The full release list, so to speak…

• Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC) - 5/19/2008
• Dracula: Origin  (PC) - 5/21/2008
• Haze (PS3) - 5/21/2008
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Colonies Edition) (360) - 5/24/2008
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Colonies Edition) (PC) - 5/24/2008
• Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness (Digital Distribution 360) - 5/21/2008
• Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness (Digital Distribution PC) - 5/21/2008
• SingsStar (Game only) (PS3) - 5/21/2008
• SingStar (Bundle) (PS3) - 5/21/2008
• Supreme Ruler 2020  (PC) - 5/21/2008
• WiiFit (WII) - 5/21/2008

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

Okay, I’ve got an absolutely splitting headache at the moment, so you get a trailer. Lucky for you, it isn’t just any trailer, but rather a trailer for Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Yeah, I thought that might get your attention.

Series producer and director Hideo Kojima says this is going to be Snake’s last hurrah, and that all loose threads will be tied up before the game is done. That’s a hefty order, but Kojima is one of the few guys who I’d believe could get it done.

I’ll be honest, MGS isn’t my favorite series by a longshot, as I’ve never been a fan of the whole "sneaking" genre - though Metal Gear Solid on the original PlayStation still stands as one of my favorite titles on the system. Somewhere in there, *cough MGS2/Raiden cough* it just went a bit overboard (for the record, I’m not even remotely a fan of the Splinter Cell series, so don’t think that it’s some kind of anti-Sony bias)

Still, I’ve got some high hopes for MGS4 - maybe the series can go out in such a way that even the run, gun and cover people like myself will flock to it. Let’s take a look;

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is scheduled to release exclusively on the PlayStation 3 on June 12th.

• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Official website
• MGS4: Guns of the Patriots - Courage is Solid Trailer - GameTrailers.com

A demo of Atari's Dragonball Z: Burst Limit for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in North America via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 480MB.

Please note: As of late November 2007, it appears that Microsoft has re-instituted the one week wait before free content becomes available to Xbox Live Silver members. As such, if you're not an Xbox Live Gold member, this demo most likely won't be available for download until sometime next week.

• Dragonball Z: Burst Limit - Official website

A demo of Atari's Dragonball Z: Burst Limit for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 478MB.

• Dragonball Z: Burst Limit - Official website

A demo of Codemasters' Overlord: Raising Hell for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 857MB.

• Overlord: Raising Hell - Official website

Sony has made version 2.35 of the PlayStation 3's system software available for download. While PlayStation.com hasn't posted the specific details of the patch, according to Eric Lempel, the director of PlayStation Network operations, the update does not add any new features, but rather focuses on fixing a few issues with select PlayStation 3 games.

"I just wanted to give everyone a quick heads up that a PS3 firmware update (v2.35) will be released shortly. This is a relatively minor update to improve stability of some PS3 titles." - Eric Lempel

While I wouldn't bet my life on it, it's probably a sure bet that some sort of fix for the ongoing issues with Grand Theft Auto IV are included with the patch.

• Firmware (v2.35) Coming Soon - PlayStation Blog
• PlayStation 3 System Update - System update page at PlayStation.com

The Xbox Live Arcade gets a treat this week as Assault Heroes 2, the sequel to Assault Heroes (naturally), hits the Marketplace. I was a huge fan of the original game, so it stands to reason that I'm pretty jazzed about this release. My understanding is that they've expanded the type and number of vehicles available to you and have beefed up the gameplay when you're on foot. Sounds good to me.

While I highly doubt this one could go badly, since a demo is available you should download the game and give it a try for yourself before dropping the full 800 points ($10) on the title. While you're at it, if you haven't tried the original game, give that demo a try too - it's a blast and was marked down to 400 points ($5) recently.

Title: Assault Heroes 2
Developer: Sierra Online
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 5/14/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: T (Teen) - Animated Blood & Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"The sequel to the award-winning Xbox LIVE® action extravaganza, Assault Heroes™ 2 continues to ramp up the excitement. Your original enemy was just a pawn of a more sinister alien force, and now you must fight on both land and in space to overcome this new threat. Fight alone or work with a friend in the enhanced two-player cooperative mode. Employ bigger and stronger weapons and enjoy a more intense on-foot combat experience. Battle through the extensive and intense levels in your trusty 4×4, or hijack enemy vehicles for even greater firepower. Take on even more relentless enemies and face-off with the most outrageous bosses you have ever seen on your way to the climactic battles in outer space!

• Enhanced multiplayer co-op: Quickly activate improved cooperative weapons to rain destruction on hordes of bazooka soldiers, kamikaze bombers, and more.
• Hijackable enemy units:  Steal the attack helicopter, armored tank, or mechanical walker from the enemy base for surprise attacks.
• More powerful weaponry: Utilize a superior arsenal of weapons including the newly designed sub-zero freezing ice cannon, homing missiles, rocket launcher, and upgraded firearms from the original.
• Frantic on-foot action: Survive on-foot warfare while equipped with all your weapons in expansive underground areas.
• Monstrous bosses: Face off against challenging mechanoid beasts before they destroy you.
• New diverse and interactive environments: Blast through the Snowy Mountains, Rainforest and Outer Space with extensive destructible terrain from burning trees to shattering buildings." - Xbox.com

As for the previous Live Arcade release, I didn't get a chance (or more accurately, didn't take the time) to get to try Wits and Wagers, but I'd be willing to wager it's one to avoid.

Gamasutra has posted the latest installment in their running "A History of Gaming Platforms" series with an excellent article on Mattel's Intellivision console. As a student (and participant) of gaming history, articles like this always make me smile as there's usually a tidbit or two that I haven't read (or at least remembered) from other sources, and more importantly, they tend to bring back fond memories of a misspent youth. 

As a kid back during the heights of Atari and Mattel's battles for home supremacy, I'm a little ashamed (and amused) to admit that I was a total Atari fanboy. Those television ads with George Plimpton bashing the Atari 2600 used to really stick in my craw, and there were few things about the system that I could find anything good to say about.

To me though, it wasn't about bashing the Intellivision, but about the fact that there just weren't many titles I'd want on it. Sure, I'd admit in a heartbeat that the Intellivision's sports games kicked the utter crap out of Atari's, but hey - if you wanted arcade translations, real arcade translations, then Atari was the way to go. (This was before the Atarisoft brand came along, and I will admit that during the latter part of the system's life, I fervently hoped that Activision's The Dreadnaught Factor would come to the ColecoVision - but that's another story) You see, as a kid with a limited budget (or more accurately, no budget), I just couldn't wrap my head around the concept of owning two game systems, and even if I could, that K.C. Munchkin and The Quest for the Rings on the Odyssey2 looked pretty nifty.

Anyway, years later when I began collecting those systems and games from my youth, I did drop whatever childhood prejudices I had against the Intellivision and managed to amass a decent collection of games. I found games that I never knew existed (because I just didn't look too closely at Intellivision news back in the days of Electronic Games magazine) - titles like Utopia, a game that could be considered a distant relative of Civilization, a series that I'm hopelessly addicted to.

Getting back to the matter at hand, as I mentioned, Gamasutra has once again posted a great look back on a classic system, and if you have any interest at all in the history of home videogame consoles, it's an absolute must read - as are the other four articles in the series. Be sure to check them out.

• A History of Gaming Platforms: Mattel Intellivision - Gamasutra
• A History of Gaming Platforms: Atari 2600 Video Computer System/VCS - Gamasutra
• A History of Gaming Platforms: The Commodore 64 - Gamasutra
• A History of Gaming Platforms: The Vectrex - Gamasutra
• A History of Gaming Platforms: The Apple II - Gamasutra

To think, I made fun of last week's release list. Compared to this, last week was like the Christmas rush. There is not a single retail release I can recommend here. Hell, in order to have a pick of the week, I had to add this week's Xbox Live Arcade release, Assault Heroes 2, to the list.

So yes, we don't have much to talk about, but if you've got an Xbox 360, at least there's one potentially good game coming down the pipe this week - it just won't be in stores.

So for the sake of repetition…

• Assault Heroes 2 (360)
  • Xbox Live's fun filled arcade shooter gets the sequel treatment this week. This one should be worth a look, but since there's a demo, be sure to try it first.

The full release list, so to speak…

• Assault Heroes 2 (360-XBLA Digital Distribution) - 5/14/2008
• ATV Thunder/Monster Trucks  (DS) - 5/13/2008
• Baseball Mogul 2009  (PC) - 5/14/2008
• Castle of Shikigami III  (WII) - 5/14/2008
• Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (360) - 5/16/2008
• Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (DS) - 5/16/2008
• Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PS2) - 5/16/2008
• Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PS3) - 5/16/2008
• Deca Sports  (WII) - 5/14/2008
• Drone Tactics  (DS) - 5/14/2008
• Ford Racing Offroad  (PC) - 5/14/2008
• Myst (DS) - 5/14/2008
• We Ski  (WII) - 5/14/2008

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

In the interest of fairness, I’ve got another video for you today (well, it’s either in the interest of fairness or the fact that I just don’t feel up to searching endlessly for a new article during a slow news weekend - you decide) - this time we’re going to look at one of Sony’s big exclusive titles - namely Killzone 2.

While the game isn’t due to hit until early 2009, it’s been on the lips of PlayStation 3 fans since before the console even launched. Looking at it, I’m not sure what all the excitement is about, as the original Killzone wasn’t exactly a great title and this one has yet to show me any sign of being something more than just another fps either.

Still, I know any new news on it brings a warm glow to most PS3 owners, so without further introduction, here it is - the latest Killzone 2 trailer as shown at Sony’s PlayStation Day event courtesy of GameTrailers.com

Killzone 2 is currently scheduled to release exclusively on the PlayStation 3 in February of 2009.

• Killzone 2 - Official website
• Killzone 2 - PlayStation Day trailer - GameTrailers.com

Have I got a treat for you today! Last night, GameTrailers.com got an exclusive peek at Gears of War 2, and since they were kind enough to share it with the rest of us, it’s the subject of today’s Lazy Day Trailers segment.

Where the first game focused on a tiny part of the Coalition Overlord Government’s battle against the Locust Horde in the form of Delta squad’s solo trek to deliver the lightmass bomb, if this video is any indication, it looks like we’re going to see the war on a large scale this time, with Delta taking it’s place among the front line troops battling the Locust.

While many took issue with the story from the first game, I felt it was a perfect fit. Gears wasn’t trying to give us a overview of the entire conflict, but rather just a look at the war from the eyes of four men facing insurmountable odds. (Okay, I will admit that I’m hoping they tone down Colonel Hoffman just as much as the rest of you, as I’m quite sure much of the flack the voice acting in Gears took was because of his performance.)

That said, let’s let Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszkinski set the scene up for us, so we can relax and enjoy the pure gaming goodness of Gears 2.

Gears of War 2 is currently scheduled to release exclusively on the Xbox 360 sometime this fall.

• Gears of War 2 - Official website
• Gears of War 2 - Debut Gameplay - GameTrailers.com

A demo of Ubisoft's Haze for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 1.44GB.

• Haze - Official website

A demo of Sierra's The Bourne Conspiracy for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 1.62GB.

• The Bourne Conspiracy - Official website

A demo of Activision’s Kung Fu Panda for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in Canada and The United States via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 810MB.

Please note: As of late November 2007, it appears that Microsoft has re-instituted the one week wait before free content becomes available to Xbox Live Silver members. As such, if you're not an Xbox Live Gold member, this demo most likely won't be available for download until sometime next week.

• Activision - Company website

A demo of Codemasters' GRID for the for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 962MB.

• GRID - Official website

Those of you who have been feeling the frustration of Grand Theft Auto IV's freezing problems on the PlayStation 3 may finally have reason to smile. According to Destructoid, Rockstar has issued a patch to the game which should correct the issues causing the stuttering and freezing problem.

"Own a PlayStation 3 and having an issue with Grand Theft Auto IV's? Rockstar may finally have the fix, having just released a new patch that "prevents Gamespy's servers from being overloaded and therefore reduces the impact on those servers that were causing the game to stutter and lock up." - Destructoid

The comments following the article would indicate that this has fixed the problems for some, but not for others. As Rockstar has promised to continue monitoring the situation, we can only hope that they'll get the game working for everyone shortly. As always, we'll let you know if any more information on this one becomes available.

• Grand Theft Auto IV - Official website
• Rockstar Games - Company website
• Rockstar patches PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV - Destructoid 

The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it's weekly release schedule with Wits & Wagers, a casual, party-style trivia game. I don't know much about this one, but I will say that if the description is correct, and it only boasts about 700 questions, it's replay value will be somewhat limited. My advice is to try the demo to see if you like it while keeping that last fact in the back of your mind. The game will run you 800 points ($10).

Title: Wits & Wagers
Developer: Hidden Path Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 5/07/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-6 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Wits & Wagers™ is the fun trivia party game where you don’t need the right answers to win! For each question, bet on the answer you think is closest to the truth, whether or not that answer is your own. Use your knowledge of trivia, your intuition, and the odds to help decide where to bet! Seven rounds of questions—plus dancing characters and upbeat music—keep a fifteen-minute game lively for family and friends, local or online. Wits & Wagers includes 700 unique and fun questions for up to 25 hours of exciting play!

• Engaging social play: Wits & Wagers is easy to play and yet strategically deep for advanced players. Some win with their knowledge of trivia, others with what they know about their friends.
• Fun questions: The first question pack of 700 questions is included, providing hours of game play. Games consist of seven questions for a quick and casual round of fun.
• Connecting couches: The game supports one to four players at one console, or two to six players online. Invite your friends over to your house, or invite your friends online.
• Peripheral support: Wits & Wagers supports both the Xbox LIVE Vision Camera and the Big Button Pad controller." - Xbox.com

As for the previous Live Arcade release, Lost Cities is a fun little card game that may or may not be worth the 800 point asking price to you. Give the demo a try and I'm sure you'll find that if you play a lot of casual games with friends, it may be worth adding to your collection.

A demo of Sierra's The Bourne Conspiracy for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in Australia, New Zealand, India and North America via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 1.24GB.

Please note: As of late November 2007, it appears that Microsoft has re-instituted the one week wait before free content becomes available to Xbox Live Silver members. As such, if you're not an Xbox Live Gold member, this demo most likely won't be available for download until sometime next week.

• The Bourne Conspiracy - Official website

Wow, crap week to match my crap mood. Since there's so little hitting retail in the wake of Grand Theft Auto IV, I'm keeping this short. The pick of the week is R-Type Command for the PSP - chosen solely for reasons of nostalgia.

Getting on with the rest…

• R-Type Command (PSP)
  • The classic shooter returns for another battle on the PSP.
• SNK Arcade Classics V.1   (PSP)
  • SNK goes the compilation route with the first in what will probably be a long running series - notable highlights here are Metal Slug, Magician Lord, The King of Fighters '94, Baseball Stars 2 and Samurai Showdown.

The full release list…

• Baseball Mogul 2009  (PC) - 5/6/2008
• Boom Blox  (WII) - 5/7/2008
• Brain Voyage  (DS) - 5/6/2008
• Chameleon  (PSP) - 5/6/2008
• Crosswords DS (DS) - 5/6/2008
• Great War Nations: The Spartans  (PC) - 5/6/2008
• Iron Man (PC) - 5/7/2008
• Neverwinter Nights 2 (Gold Edition) (PC) - 5/7/2008
• R -Type Command   (PS2) - 5/7/2008
• SNK Arcade Classics V.1  (PS2) - 5/6/2008
• Speed Racer (DS) - 5/7/2008
• Speed Racer (WII) - 5/7/2008
• Supreme Commander (Gold Edition)  (PC) - 5/6/2008
• The Dog Island (WII) - 5/7/2008

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

Apparently there have been some lock-up issues with both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 versions of Grand Theft Auto IV. Hopefully you haven't run into this little bit of ugliness, but in the event that you're playing the PS3 version and have indeed found yourself frozen, Gamespot has posted a 12-step guide (pulled from information on Take-Two's support site).

The list I'm going to post below is a shortened version of Gamespot's list, so be sure to check their full article for any details you may be unsure of. I'm not entirely fond of this list as anything that tells you to delete your save file, and thus all the work you've done so far, is not an optimal solution by any stretch of the imagination in my book. Nor is any solution that will cause you to lose all your video settings as this one would appear to.

My advice really is to try some of the simpler things before getting crazy - in other words, I'd really say try the things on the list without steps 2 and 8 before trying the whole thing, as I've heard stories of all sorts of fixes in varying forums. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if performing that whole list doesn't work, because it just sounds like they're trying to filter out anything that *could* cause a problem, not that they actually know how to get around the issue.

Finally, before you follow the list below, I'd advise that if you have a way to backup your saves, you should do so - because you never know when Rockstar will get around to finding an actual solution that doesn't involve anything more than a simple patch.

The below list should be performed in order 

1. Delete the game's install data.
2. Delete the game's save files. (*See editors note)
3. Disable your Internet connectivity for the PS3.
4. Disable the console's information board.
5. Disable Media Server functionality.
6. Delete all of the system's Internet cache.
7. Turn off the PS3 screen saver.
8. Once this has been done, manually restart you PS3 by holding down the power button for 5 seconds it will beep once and then shut down. Release the power button and re-press it and hold for about 5 seconds. (**See editor's note)
9. Once restarted please try the game again, you will be prompted to reinstall. Once the game has started please turn off the following features:
1. The game's auto-save. Press Start, Game, and locate the Auto-save option. Turn this off.
2. Turn off the game's flicker filter. Press Start, Display and locate the Flicker Filter option. Turn this off.
3. Turn off the controller vibration feature. Press Start, Controls and locate the vibration option. Turn this off.

Editor's notes:

* - Naturally, deleting your save files will delete all the progress you've made in the game so far.
** - If I'm not mistaken, this will reset all of your PlayStation 3 settings - including audio and video preferences, etc. 

I'm going to say it again here - bugs like this really are unacceptable - and these hair-brained fixes even more so. This isn't the first time around for lock-ups with Take-Two either, as I'm sure many out there have had similar experiences with MLB2K7 and Bully. I'd rant a little more, but truth be told, my heart just isn't into it this weekend, so I'll save both my comments for the state of gaming and the over-hype surrounding Grand Theft Auto IV for another day. (Just to be safe from all the e-mails that last sentence is sure to bring, I like the game a lot, I just don't feel it's even close to what a 10/10 product should be)

• Grand Theft Auto IV - Official website
• Rockstar Games - Company website
• Take-Two Interactive Support - Company website
• Take-Two suggests PS3 GTAIV fix - Gamespot

A demo of Digital Extremes' Dark Sector for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 483MB.

• Dark Sector - Official website

Croatian PC gaming site PC Play (found by way of Gamasutra) has posted an interview with Cevat Yerli, the president of Crytek, in which he states that due to poor sales and the rampant levels of piracy, Crytek will no longer produce games exclusively for the PC.

"We are suffering currently from the huge piracy that is encompassing Crysis. We seem to lead the charts in piracy by a large margin, a chart leading that is not desirable. I believe that’s the core problem of PC Gaming, piracy.  To the degree PC Gamers that pirate games inherently destroy the platform. Similar games on consoles sell factors of 4-5 more. It was a big lesson for us and I believe we wont have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future. We are going to support PC, but not exclusive anymore." - Cevat Yerli, president of Crytek (as translated on the english language version of PC Play)

First off, I won't deny that piracy is a huge issue on the PC. Without a doubt, large numbers of sales are lost from it on most titles, though I won't go so far as to take the skewed view that every pirated game should count as a lost sale. However, I think Crysis suffered more from it's insanely high system requirements than it did from piracy. Simply put, a huge number of people (myself included) who would have picked the title up at retail were frozen out by the fact that they would need to either buy a new computer or invest vast sums of money in their existing rig just to play the game.

While Yerli's statements do not say they won't develop for the PC anymore, it's indicative of another company moving a little further away from the PC as a gaming platform. While I'm sad to see the PC game market contract year after year, I will say that I'm glad I'm no longer participating in the never ending upgrade cycle of the dedicated PC gamer - it's was just getting out of hand.

• Crytek - Company website
• Interview with Cevat Yerli - PC Play
• Crytek To Abandon PC Exclusive Titles - Gamasutra