Gamerscore Blog is retired, closed for good

Sad news on the Xbox community front. Our Microsoft friends over at the Gamerscore Blog recently revealed that their blog will be no more and is officially retired. Microsoft has made the decision to end the GSB in an effort to focus on "community outreach through Xbox.com and through the Xbox dashboard." From what we understand, the GSB crew will be helping create content for Inside Xbox and other projects.

On behalf of Xbox 360 Fanboy, we want to express our sincere gratitude to the entire Gamerscore Blog team. We recognize all the hard work they've done over the years to keep gamers informed and we appreciate all their Xbox community building efforts. They'll be missed and we hope to see their familiar faces and personalities in their upcoming projects. Here's to you GSB (raises glass of ginger ale), you'll be missed.

Also, if you're up for it, we think it'd be appropriate to visit the GSB one last time to post a comment telling the team how much their contribution to the Xbox community was appreciated

Study Determines Violence Has No Effect on Games' Appeal

Researchers modified Half-Life 2 to study whether violence makes a game more enjoyable for players. The short answer: It does not.

In the study, published Friday in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, researchers surveyed more than 2,500 "frequent game players" and conducted four experiments on more than 300 college undergraduates. "We found that, on average, violent content didn't add to motivation for play," said lead author Andrew Przybylski of the University of Rochester, which cooperated with Orlando-based think tank Immersyve on the project.

"The reason why children gravitate to something like 'Halo,' 'Halo 3' or 'World of Warcraft' or 'Team Fortress' isn't necessarily because they want to get at the blood or the acts of violence," he said.

Here's how they determined it. Using Half-Life 2, players were given either a shotgun weapon or a psychic power. Players with a shotgun were told they were in a kill-or-be-killed scenario, and deaths were rendered in a very bloody and violent way. The psychic power gamers "were essentially playing a game of tag," and when they were able to hit an opponent with the ability, "the person just floated up very serenely into the air before evaporating."

After playing, the study subjects were asked how fun the game was and if they'd like to play it again. There was not enough of a difference in the two groups' responses to determine that violence had any affect on its perceived fun.

Craig Anderson, the director of the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University, lauded the studies' methodology and said they made a strong contribution to understanding video games, how they're designed, who plays them, and why.

Przybylski said the findings should encourage designers to make games that make players feel like they're competent, can act autonomously, and stay connected with other players

"That's probably a better place for them to put their efforts than being able to very realistically depict someone's arm falling off," he said.

Fan makes MGS4-inspired M1911 gun out of LEGO

There's only one way to show appreciation for any given object of desire and that is through the loving building blocks of dreams known as LEGO. Yes, LEGO. Metal Gear Solid 4 fan Samuel Lafleur knows this one simple truth in life and has made a worthy tribute to his beloved game. He has made, out of LEGO, Solid Snake's preferred weapon of choice: the M1911 Operator pistol.

It's a rather gorgeous design; he's even got several modifications to it on his web page, so check out all the pics over there. Also, Sam, can we make a request for a full-sized Solid Snake bust which is opening up its mouth ready to shoot itself with that Operator? Only then will your tribute be complete. Well done.http://www.blogcdn.com/www.ps3fanboy.com/media/2009/01/425_1232245031m_splash.jpg for pic

Hurry! 12 month Xbox Live card $30 from Buy.com [update]

If you missed out on Buy.com's last 12 month Xbox Live subscription sale, then wipe those tears and head over to Buy.com ASAP because they're doing it again. For only $29.99, you can score a 12+1 month Xbox Live subscription card from Buy.com and also receive FREE shipping. There's a limit of 5 subscription cards per order. Ahem ... HURRY!

[Thanks, Faiz R.]

Madden's First Video Game — It Wasn't Football

Tucked in a gallery of vintage video game ads is that at left — John Madden lending his cred as "sportscaster for CBS Video Games" to Atari 2600 versions of GORF and Wizard of Wor.

Huh. I vaguely remember that library of games. Tooling around teh Google, lo and behold, there's video (below) of pre-mushmouth Madden calling the epic Tony Sarkis vs. Ray Johnson showdown — yeah I don't remember it either — in Wizard of Wor on the 2600. Madden's commentary lacks the signature boom, bam, here's-a-guy, and telestrator pee-pees. But still, you always leave him feeling you learned something about the game, you know? For the record, Ray wins.

Hey I got one: What does Ostia have in common with Wizard of Wor? Both are ancient ports! Get it? Get it?!

Don't like the pun? Suck it! But remember, that money back offer on Wizard of Wor expires in two weeks ... from 26

Underworld movie sponsors Fable 2 Play & Win

160,000 Microsoft points are up for grabs during this weekend's Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Sweepstakes and all you need to do to attempt to win your share of the MS point pot is to play Fable 2. Registration into the sweeps can be done online or via the XBLM and, once completed, you're required to play a Fable 2 co-op game. First prize is 80,000 MS points (enough to buy even the most expensive XBLM content) and the giveaway fun ends Monday, January 19th.
Via Xbox

Rockstar: Sorry, No Grand Theft Auto "V" In 2009

The most recent issue of Game Informer contains "loose talk" that Rockstar Games is readying a new Grand Theft Auto, a fully-fledged follow up to GTA IV for the holidays. Not so, say Rockstar reps.

We checked in with the Rockstar folks this week to check out the first downloadable episode, The Lost and Damned, which is due to hit the Xbox 360 next month. A second episode for Grand Theft Auto IV owners is planned to arrive before October 31, 2009, according to parent company Take-Two Interactive, But there is "no truth" to reports that a wholly new retail game, one on par with the scope of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, will arrive before the holidays.

And as for the chances of the next Grand Theft Auto game taking place in Tokyo, as speculated by Game Informer's regular rumor column? Consider that little more than a wild guess.

Further requests for clarification on the subject went unanswered.

So, don't be surprised if the first two downloadable episodes already confirmed for Grand Theft Auto IV are just two of many. Rockstar vice president Dan Houser recently said to USA Today "We feel like we've only scratched the surface in terms of the depth and detail" of Liberty City.

Rockstar's VP of product development, Jeronimo Barrera, has called the episodes an "experiment." If successful, it could mean an extended stay in Liberty City before finding a new home for the series.

Check back with us next week when we reveal more about the first downloadable episode.

360 WiFi adapter for $69 this Sunday on Buy.com

If you've been wanting to snag the Xbox 360 wireless adapter but unwilling to stomach the incredibly steep $99 price tag, we have good news. According to GamerDeals.net, Buy.com will be hosting a sale on the peripheral starting this Sunday, January 18 at midnight (PST) and ending January 25. The WiFi adapter price will be slashed by 30%, lowering the price to a (slightly) more palatable $69.99. Sure, it's still a far cry from what typical adapters cost, but it's certainly better.

If that doesn't float your boat, Buy.com will also be offering the red wireless controller bundle -- which includes a Play & Charge Kit -- for $42.99, a significant savings over the $64.99 suggested price. GamerDeals suspects the products will likely sell out quickly, and we're inclined to agree, so you might want to start warming up your clicking finger now.

Circuit City stores to close, liquidation planned

We've just learned of some sad and all out depressing news coming from Circuit City. It was just revealed that all of the remaining 567 U.S. stores will be closing and all of the company's 30,000+ employees are expected to be jobless after Circuit City was unable to find a buyer after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last November. Major bummer ...

The silver lining to this corporate travesty is that all Circuit City stores will be liquidating merchandise including (of course) Xbox 360 hardware and software. The liquidation could start as soon as this Saturday, January 17th, pending court approval. They may not have been the best electronics retailer, but we still loved our Circuit City and their free gift cards. What a craptacular economy.

[Via Game Stooge]

Skate 2 Preview

Via Game Trailers

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin demo now in Qore, free for all next week

Annual subscribers to Qore will be able to download an exclusive demo of Project Origin right now. Simply load the latest issue and download it from the Download Center.

Those that don't have a Qore subscription will be able to get it for free in next week's PlayStation Store update. The horror-themed M-rated shooter has you fighting Alma, a girl with mysterious and overwhelming powers. You'll be able to download it on January 23rd.

[Image Credit: PSP GadgetZ]

Take-Two's Chief Operating Officer Exits, Stage Left

t seems like just two years ago that we were reporting that Capcom Europe's Gary Dale was heading to Take-Two as Chief Operating Officer of Rockstar. Wait it was two years ago, and now he's leaving?

Dale did spend his two years at the company doing a lot of ladder climbing, first being promoted to executive vice president of Take-Two and then, in July of last year, to COO of Take-Two.

Dale's last day at Take-Two Interactive Software will be April 15, according to a filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Gary Dale’s employment as Chief Operating Officer of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (the “Company”) will terminate effective on April 15, 2009, and the Company will have no further material obligations to Mr. Dale beyond that date. Mr. Dale’s day-to-day duties and responsibilities for the Company will cease immediately.

The news comes just a month after Take-Two announced that they expect a loss of as much as 85 cents a share for the year's first quarter, which ends this month.

During his short tenure with the company, Dale helped Take-Two stop an aggressive $2 billion takeover offer from Electronic Arts and saw the launch of critically-acclaimed Grand Theft Auto IV.

Reached for comment this morning, vice president of corporate communications Alan Lewis said that Dale left for personal reasons.

"He has resigned from the company and the company does not currently expect to fill the Chief Operating Office job," he said. "His responsibilities have been filled by the remaining member of the exec management team."

Lewis added that this was not a move to cut costs or part of any larger initiative at Take-Two.

"People move on for all kinds of personal reasons," he said.

Get 20% off used games at GameStop

Christmas has come and gone. Y'know that means -- trading in the lackluster games your family sent you for the holidays. If you have any GameStop store credit lying around, this might be a good opportunity to start shopping. Print this coupon and go to your local GameStop retail store. You'll be able to get 20% off your used PS3 game purchases. Limit 3 games per coupon; offer expires 1/22

Mysterious dash update released. It's a mystery

A handful of loyal X3F fanboys just sent word (via carrier pigeon, no less) that a new Xbox 360 dashboard update has just been released. The update installs the new dashboard version 2.0.7363.0 (replacing the old 2.0.7357.0 version) and has been slowly releasing across all consoles connected to Xbox Live. Here at Fanboy Towers, we have yet to be prompted to download the new update. We are sad.

So, what new bells and whistles does the new dash update bring? Well ... we aren't really sure and nobody at Microsoft has announced the update's release. Those who have received it haven't been able to find anything new, so we're speculating that it's one of those behind the scenes / no new features dash upgrades. We'll keep you updated on the update once we're updated.

Rumor: Leaked footage of Star Wars Battlefront 3

World at War zombie weekend is go, go, go!

Earning double XP in Call of Duty World at War and getting to play Nazi zombie killing co-op has never been easier to achieve then this weekend thanks to Treyarch's philanthropist ways. From now through weekend's end, all World at War players will earn twice the XP AND have access to the Nazi Zombies co-op playlist. No unlocking required! Nazi zombie killing and double the XP? We must be dreamin'.

Watching YouTube on your PS3 got a whole lot better

One of our most-used bookmarks on the PS3 browser has to be popular video sharing site YouTube. It's a great, easy way of watching the most-talked about videos on our big-screen TVs. YouTube has now crafted a special PS3-optimized version of their page which you access by going to youtube.com/tv on your PS3 browser (it won't work on your computer, sorry!). It makes the entire process a lot more streamlined. Check out a YouTube video of YouTube's new PS3 page, after the break (how meta).

More EA Cuts Go Live Today

As the year progresses so do Electronic Arts' planned and massive cuts.

Today we hear that Mariam Sughayer, senior manager of corporate communications for Electronic Arts, and the person often quoted in official responses to rumors about cuts was herself laid-off today. Her position eliminated.

Sughayer, who did an admirable job of getting official responses into the hands of reporters in tough times, was among an unknown number of personnel cuts announced at the publishing giant's headquarters today.

It's disturbing to see just how deep these cuts are going at EA. Let's hope Sughayer, the Free Radical, Midway and others effected by this tanking economy find work soon.

European Resident Evil 5 collector's edition revealed

Capcom Europe has revealed, via Electronic Theatre, that PAL territories will be receiving a Resident Evil 5 collector's edition. As seen above, it will feature a steelbook case and an extra DVD containing behind the scenes footage and a trailer for Resident Evil Degeneration (so called because the movie degenerates as you're watching). European gamers can expect to get their hands on this at launch on March 13th 2009. That's less than two months away, are you excited yet?

[Via N4G]

FIFA 09 Live Season DLC gets price cut

Great news for footy fans, EA has slashed the price on the FIFA 09 Live Season service to celebrate the beginning of transfer (also known as trading) season. The Live Season service updates your copy of FIFA 09 on a weekly basis with fresh stats based on real-life matches, keeping your favorite digital clubs as up to date as possible. Individual leagues, English Barclay's Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, French Ligue 1, German Bundesliga and Mexican Primera Division have been reduced to 420 (originally 560) and a bundle of all six clubs is available for 1200 (down from 1600).

No pre-order? Killzone 2 demo available February 26

Don't want to bother pre-ordering Killzone 2 at GameStop? Still want the Killzone 2 demo? Well, you're going to have to wait until February 26, one day before the game officially hits store shelves.

MTV Multiplayer asked SCEA why the early demo is restricted to those that are most interested in buying the game. Scott Steinberg offered a response: "Offering a playable demo to motivate preorders speaks to our confidence in the appeal of a game such as Killzone 2. We take this approach when we are convinced that the experience will cement a consumer's interest in purchasing."

Xbox 360 dominates 2008 rental charts, GTAIV leads

Rentrak's list of the Top 10 most rented video games of 2008 reveals the Xbox 360 is a primary source of free-time destruction. According to Rentrack's data, which covers both online and offline rental destinations, Grand Theft Auto IV (X360) Rentrak's list of the Top 10 was the most popular rental of 2008 followed by Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (X360) and Halo 3.

In the end, seven Xbox 360 titles made the list; Coincidentally all of which were rated 'M for Mature' by the ESRB. As a final nod to the Xbox 360's power on the list, Rentrak notes that Xbox 360's share of the rental market increased from 26.1 percent to 36.8 percent during 2008. The Nintendo Wii jumped from 7.3 percent to 17.1 percent and PS3 data was, strangely, absent from the list.

Jump in for the entire Top 10 List.

Grand Theft Auto IV / Xbox 360
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare / Xbox 360
Halo 3 / Xbox 360
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 / Xbox 360
Army of Two / Xbox 360
Mario Kart Wii / Wii
Super Smash Bros. Brawl / Wii
Fallout 3 / Xbox 360 / Bethesda
Assassin's Creed / Xbox 360
Mario Party 8 / Wii
Via X360 Fanboy

Rumor: Next Grand Theft Auto Could Hit By The Holidays

We'd think that the next proper Grand Theft Auto game, Xbox 360-exclusive expansions notwithstanding, is a long way off. Not Game Informer, though. The magazine is reportedly expecting the next entry by end of year.

Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Didn't Grand Theft Auto IV just ship? Well, if Game Informer's "Loose Talk" is correct, pegging the next full-fledged GTA for, say, November 2009, it would put it about 18 months after the ship date of GTA IV.

Since Vice City shipped almost exactly a year after Grand Theft Auto III, however, makes the prospect seem less ludicrous.

Rockstar Games still has two downloadable episodes to ship this year, including The Lost and The Damned, which hits in February and another that remains undated.

Could they do it? We're not updating our Amazon wish lists just yet, but we're also not ruling it out. Take-Two and Rockstar do like money, after all. But we're checking in with them soon to find out how feasible a fourth quarter release could be.

Another Code R trailer a treat for the senses

Our lack of Japanese skills meant we lost the thread pretty quickly in this Another Code R story trailer, but heck, sometimes it's enough to just look and listen.

This was found on the official site, which currently also has the videos we posted recently, and some character profiles, all in (sadly impenetrable) Japanese. If it wasn't for the small issue of gender, we'd almost be tempted into indulging in some Another Code R cosplay. Yeah, we actually just typed that -- live with it.

A Responds to Pandemic Rumor

In the face of rumors that Pandemic's Brisbane, Australia studio has been let go, Electronic Arts said today that their upcoming cuts will affect studios, but declined to be more specific.

“In December, EA announced a cost reduction initiative that will impact facilities and headcount," said Mariam Sughayer, Electronic Arts spokeswoman. "We do not expect to make any more public announcements until our earnings call in early February.

"Outside of our scheduled earnings call, we aren’t providing any new information on the status of individual facilities."

Last night we reported that Electronics Arts has released Pandemic Studios' Brisbane office, the Australian developer best known for Destroy All Humans! and its rumored development of an ill-fated Batman game.

According to our source, Pandemic's Brisbane staffers weren't necessarily laid off by EA corporate, which purchased the developer alongside BioWare in 2007. Instead, we were told that the studio was "set free" with the down under arm of Pandemic retaining its original IP and even its equipment.

"It was more of a 'Find a new publisher. Good luck.' kind of thing," according to the source. And you can keep the tea kettle, apparently. No mention was made of the fate of the other Pandemic Studios office, which is based in Los Angeles.

Final Skate 2 Pre-Launch Screens Are Vegetarian Friendly:Click Image To View

With Skate 2 shipping next week, EA released this final batch of screenshots to remind everyone of what they'll be missing if they don't get it, without an ounce of dead animal in sight.

Having tinkered about a little bit with the demo that was released last week on the 360, I'll probably show up at the store next week to donate my money to EA's cause. It's not that I particularly enjoy Skate's particular control mechanic, which I still don't think I've managed to master from the first game. No, it's the fact that I've grown so tired of Tony Hawk titles that anything different is a lovely breath of fresh air, even if said air doesn't always come and go out of the orifice I am trying to steer it towards.

Maybe I'll make a night of it and stop off at the local Longhorn Steak house on the way home. Suddenly craving meat.

Uncharted 2 enemies have improved since you last met

Looks like Nathan's enemies will be enjoying an expanded skillset in Uncharted 2. CVG has been nattering with Bruce Straley, one of the game's directors, who has revealed that the baddies in Uncharted 2 will feature improved intelligence. Specifically, they will now "hunt" and "investigate" based on movement in their peripheral vision. "When Drake enters this peripheral vision the enemies will look over in the direction they think they saw him in and depending on how long he was in this vision cone, they may just look or they may walk over and check out what they think they saw."

"If they lose eye contact with Drake for a few seconds, one or more enemies will start hunting around the area, starting with his last known location, and then spread their search out if he's not found." This hunting behaviour means that the enemies will need to be able to follow Drake wherever he goes, which means jumping and climbing around the environment. "The benefit to this was our combat wasn't limited to flat terrain anymore."

Sounds great to us. One of our biggest gripes with Uncharted 1 was that at any given point you were either fighting or platforming. Hopefully we'll see more of a crossover in the sequel. Apparently more details will be forthcoming once CVG posts the full interview with Straley tomorrow.

Flower flies to PSN in February

You won't have to wait too long for thatgamecompany's next game, Flower. The soothing downloadable game has you controlling a flower pedal as you navigate it through a dream world using the SIXAXIS controller. A recent preview of the game at IGN UK has revealed that Flower's planned release is some time in February.

We're thinking it'll be a good way to calm the nerves after a session of Killzone 2. A more concrete date and price should be coming in the next few weeks.

Play Resistance 2 with Insomniac this Friday

This Friday Resistance 2 fans will have the opportunity to play the game against members of Insomniac. The event will take place between 7pm and 8pm GMT (that's 2pm and 3pm EST). Details on which room this will take place in will be revealed at 7pm GMT on Friday in the announcement thread on the European PS3 forums. So if you've always wanted to show the guys who made Resistance 2 just how much better than them you are at their game, this might be your chance.
Announcement Thread

Danish police respond to gunfire reports ... was only PS3

Like to play shooters with the volume at full blast? Sure, that home theater setup might give stellar surround sound and it can even make things sound as real as possible, but it could also land you into a lot of trouble. Take the case of two 21-year old gamers from Valby, Denmark for example; just over the weekend, the boys were detained by Danish authorities who were responding to gunfire reports in the neighborhood.

Neighbors mistook the gunshots heard from the boys' "PlayStation game" as actual gunfire and reciprocated with emergency calls to the police authorities. The volume was turned up so loud that the boys could not initially hear the police calling out to them via megaphone. Luckily, no one got hurt when the boys were finally detained. The cops searched the apartment, found no weapons and came to the conclusion that the noises were coming from the game playing on the television. The two were allowed back into their apartment without any further incident.

So what have we learned today, children? That gaming has become such a viscerally real experience that its world of imagination can be misconstrued as real. Oh, and make sure to keep the volume at a moderate level, please.

[Via N4G]

FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009 Grand Final goes to Barcelona

FIFA, Electronic Arts and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced that the 2009 FIFA Interactive World Cup is going to go down in Barcelona this May.

There’s still time to enter the tournament before the March 31 cutoff date. Qualifying rounds are going on worldwide via PlayStationNetwork and at FIWC 09 Live Qualifier Events. Check out FIFA's site for listings.

“Everything about the FIWC this year is bigger and better and to see so many competing online on PlayStation Network really highlights how PlayStation has grown along with the tournament,” Darren Carter, Vice President for Brand and Consumer Marketing at SCEE, said in a press release. “We can’t wait to welcome the best virtual soccer players to Barcelona, Spain.”

I'm wondering why he called it "soccer" instead of "football." Isn't that a hanging offense in Europe?

And if just now you’re wondering why you’d want to go to Spain, remember that 2008’s world champ - Alfonso Ramos of Spain - took home $20,000 in cash and a trophy bigger than his head.

I’d go to Spain for that.

Fable 2 Gets A Halo Assault Rifle

So Fable II's DLC is out. You got it yet? If so, head on over to the Box of Secrets and trade in some pure experience. Do that and you'll get...a gun from Halo.

We're still waiting on pictures of the item, called "Hal's Rifle", but some early descriptions are enough to go by. It's basically a firearm that looks identical to Halo's classic Assault Rifle, which does 59 damager per shot, fires 24 shots per clip and even has an empty augment slot.

Perfect for those wanting to complete the "Hal" look.

New Game Informer Reveals Activision's Singularity

The February issue of Game Informer drops a "world exclusive" on us, Activision and Raven Software's Singularity. What is it? A sci-fi shooter, if you can possibly believe that.

According to the magazine's teaser, Singularity "features mind-bending gameplay that not only has the player jumping through time, but using it as a weapon." You get to combat those dirty Russkies, which is always a treat, so there's that.

The game was announced at E3 2008 via a teaser trailer, but we imagine Game Informer's coverage goes much further than the minute long video.

Even if you don't subscribe to the mag, Game Informer online will apparently have some Singularity flavored treats (ie. screen shots, videos, etc) for you later this week. Here's to hoping it's good — because I'm guessing as a "sci-fi shooter" it's going to need to do something spectacular to set itself from the pack.

Sony gives away money in PlayStation Home ... in Hong Kong

This is a promo we'd love to see in our region. Sony Computer Entertainment Asia is giving away HK$10 (about $1.30) in PlayStation Network credit to those that are able to find a "mysterious avatar" in Sony's virtual world. Clues can be found on posters in the service.

The money certainly isn't enough to buy anything significant, but it is enough to buy a trinket from the PlayStation Home's in-world store. Participate in a game and win free virtual pants? We like the sound of that. Hopefully, SCEA or SCEE will do something similar in the future.

Wooden labyrinth made cooler and more frustrating with Balance Board controls

Rock Band 2 music store up (and down)!

If you've got Rock Band 2, go get it and put it in your Wii! Or, rather, load up some Wii Points and then do that! A bunch of Rock Band forumites discovered that DLC is available today, and Harmonix has just made the announcement!

As of now, Harmonix says that 50 songs are available on the store, including the 20 promised free tracks -- although one user reports a list of 62 songs. According to the announcement, "In the coming weeks and months we will be adding more songs from the back catalog to catch Wii users up with other systems". The tracks that aren't free cost 200 points each. Check after the break for the official list of 50 available tracks. Or just go download stuff. But be warned, you'll probably face some annoying errors and disconnections -- and even freezing systems, according to the forum -- due to the rush of downloaders.

This is not how you sell Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop

Okay, we know Capcom has a pretty good Wii character model for Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop's Isabella. We've seen her look perfectly okay in previous Wii screenshots. And the other characters' models, while obviously not as detailed as in the Xbox 360 version, look reasonably similar to people.

Which is why we were so surprised to see the above screenshot of Isabella in the latest set. Capcom could have chosen to release any screenshot they liked, and they picked that one, in which her chin appears to have been airbrushed on to give the illusion that she had a neck. Even she looks disgusted with her own appearance. The worst bit is that this is probably just an awkward frame from a cutscene, and thus prerendered.

The rest of the new screens are okay.

Report: Sony Could Post $1.1 Billion Loss for 2008

According to reports, there could be a significant loss in Sony's future. Instead of the predicted $2.2 billion profit for its 2008 fiscal year (which ends on March 31st, 2009), Sony could post a loss of $1.1 billion.

The report comes from the Nikkei Business Daily which was picked up by Reuters. This possible profit loss could make the planned restructuring get completed earlier than March 2010 -- which would cut 4% of Sony's workforce or 9000 jobs.

This would be Sony's first posted loss in 14 years and only its second publically reported loss ever. Ouch.

'Lord of the Rings: Conquest' Launch Trailer Preps You For Battles Sized Epic+

The creators of Star Wars Battlefront work their magic on the classic J.R.R. Tolkien's literary property and the result... Lord of the Rings: Conquest. Pandemic and EA have released the official launch trailer with plenty of pretty words to aid you in deciding what you shall be within the game.

It's shipping to stores as you read this. The game is available for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Being a fan of the Battlefront series, I've tried the demo online and the ol' rule still holds true... multiplayer online is just too much fun. Favorite class so far is the rogue, as nothing seems to satisfy as much as climbing up a treant to stab it in the face, cloak, one-shot a mage, and cap the territory all within one sequence.

Will you guys be checking this one out?

Free Midnight Club LA DLC Sneaks Out, Quickly Yanked

The downloadable content for Midnight Club: Los Angeles announced in December went live this morning for Xbox 360 owners. We (and Microsoft) hope you didn't download it. Because that could be bad.

Turns out the sudden appearance of the "South Central" content for MCLA wasn't actually meant to go live on Live. That means, according to Microsoft, that you should delete it, should you already have it.

Why? "Achievements won't register and could cause you problems with your Midnight Club: LA game saves" according to the Community Manager for Xbox EMEA. That and it looks like some of things given away for free weren't meant to be. Oops!

Playstation 2 Hits 50 Million in North America

The Playstation 2, born in 2000, continues to churn out impressive sales despite being a generation behind the current slate of gaming. Earlier today Sony announced that the PS2 just hit 50 million.

And that's in North America alone, the Associated Press reports.

John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment of America, says the continued strong sales are because the people buying the console are lower-income consumers and families who want to get into gaming.

And that means the PS2 will be around for quite some time.

"We don't intend on discarding the system any time soon," Koller said.

Breaking News: Nintendo Games Not A Substitute for Reading a Book

A Carlsbad, New Mexico mother is fighting mad. Turns out that video games make her 5-year-old have panic attacks and, get this, they're not a good replacement for reading books or playing outside.

The Isabelle Clingerman tells the local news there that while her 9-year-old, who owns more than 40 Nintendo games, can play the games to his hearts content, her 5-year-old has panic attacks and experiences hand pains after just 30 minutes of gaming.

And this is when it gets interesting. Clingerman says she is returning her son's "Nintendo" back to the store:

"I can't recommend this game to any parent," she said. "It's not a substitute for reading a book or doing an outdoor activity with your child."

Indiana Jones rumored to be canceled, LucasArts still "committed"

IGN reports that multiple sources from within LucasArts and beyond have stated that all development on an upcoming X360/PS3 Indiana Jones game has been canceled. Our investigative sister-site, Joystiq, contacted LucasArts and it appears the situation isn't as clear-cut as rumors indicate.

"LucasArts remains absolutely committed to the Indiana Jones franchise," a representative for LucasArts told Joystiq. "While we are aware that fans have been eagerly awaiting additional information on the upcoming game, they can rest assured that details are forthcoming."

LucasArts is vague about the future of the game itself, instead opting to address its commitment to the franchise as a whole. It appears new details for an upcoming Indiana Jones title could spell the bright future or complete demise of the long-teased adventure. Only time will tell.

Skate 2 Comparison Video

Via GameTrailers

Skate 2 has 2GB install

It looks like the 'installation saga' persists into 2009. Skate 2, which is due for release next week in both North America and Europe, will feature a 2GB install. It's not certain whether it's mandatory or optional, but MTV Multiplayer suggests you should clear up some space nonetheless -- that is if you've been eyeing more time on the digital half-pipe. A demo for the game is said to appear on the store update this week, so perhaps if you've got space for a demo ... you've got space for the install.

Mirror's Edge DLC rolls onto PSN on 1/29

EA Sports Gets Into The Sneaker Business

Game sneakers? Old news! But it's new news for EA Sports and the Skate series, with skate company Etnies unveiling a new sneaker designed to cash in on the impending launch of Skate 2.They're called the RVM Skate 2, and should be out in the US later this month at Zumiez stores, with an international release to follow. Not the most eye-catching pair of shoes you'll ever see, but then, as a collabo between a sneaker company and a video game publisher, they could have been worse.

Stream Whatever's On Your PC To Your PS3

Golden Stream now you have a problem. You have an extensive porn digital movie collection, want to watch them in the living room but don't have a PC connected to your TV. What to do?

You buy Golden Signals' $50 "Display Share", that's what you do. Display Share is a PC program that, once installed, lets you stream whatever's running on your PC screen to your PS3. Anything. Pictures, music, movies, the works (well, except for games, there's too much lag).

Sure, the PS3 can handle some digital movie files pretty well, but there are others it won't pick up. This gets around that. It'll even pipe the sound through your TV speakers.

Robbie Bach: Next Xbox Still Quite A Ways Away

After the first-generation came and went in a relative blink of an eye, Microsoft's Robbie Bach says that the company isn't in quite as much of a hurry to upgrade the Xbox 360.

Speaking to The Mercury News, Bach explains that in today's economy especially, persuading consumers to upgrade is becoming more and more difficult, especially with the quality of graphics on today's consoles.
"Just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient," said Bach, 47. "The life cycle for this generation of consoles — and I'm not just talking about Xbox, I'd include Wii and PS3 as well — is probably going to be a little longer than previous generations."
I suppose the only question remains is which generations is he talking about here? The nearly ten-year Atari 2600 generation? The seven-year reign of the original NES? I'm pretty sure the current crop can last the latter, but the former might just be pushing it a bit too far. Longer development times will certainly contribute, but can consumers really wait nearly a decade for the next big thing?

Microsoft in no hurry to upgrade Xbox [The Mercury News via Edge]

MLB 09 The Show - Franchise Mode Enhancements

When we set out this year’s plan, one of our goals was to blow out the personnel aspects of the Franchise experience. Starting with the beginning of spring training, the rosters you will carry into spring will be those of their real-life counterpart, the long awaited 40-man rosters. Now you will have to manage your Spring Training roster a little more carefully to ensure your young players get the looks they need.
Moving on to the regular season, you will now be dealing with many of the various roster-related items all GMs have to deal with. You will be in control of designating players for assignment, waiver transactions, handling Minor League options, and managing your 40-man roster. Once in June, you will have the Amateur Draft to participate in. Along with drafting players, the Amateur Draft also includes Supplemental picks for those teams that failed to re-sign Type A or Type B free agents in the offseason.

Once your season hits September, your 25-man roster will expand to the full 40-man where you will then have to decide who get’s the call and who doesn’t. If your Franchise is successful enough to make the playoffs, you will have to manage your rosters accordingly, and will only be able to replace players on the roster between series.
Via PS Blog

Fallout 3 Bug Fix Update Hits PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 Today

A patch to fix quite a number of bugs in Fallout 3 hits all versions of the role-playing game today, Bethesda says.

The update is available for the English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish versions. The patch will also be required to play the downloadable content, Operation: Anchorage, coming to the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows on Jan. 27. Now for those fixes. Here's the short list:

Bug Fixes
Friends notification no longer causes the game to pause. (Playstation 3)

Fixed occasional crashes during loading and waiting.

Friendly or neutral NPC health bars, when taking damage, no longer flicker repeatedly.

Fixed issue where certain NPCs would occasionally disappear from the game.

Fixed issue where dead NPCs would occasionally come back to life.

Fixed rendering issue with the Gatling Laser gun's tracers.

Fixed issue where the haircut menu would occasionally not appear properly.

Added ability to remap your VATS and pip boy buttons.

Fixed rare load/save issues that would cause NPCs to behave incorrectly.

Fixed issue where quest objectives would occasionally not update properly due to talking activators,
intercoms and conversations.

Using Radaway from the Pip-Boy's Status Menu repeatedly no longer crashes the game.

Player no longer gets stuck in level up menu if their skills are maxed out.

Fixed issue where multiple followers would occasionally not load into an interior.

Fixed rare issue with getting stuck in VATS mode.

Fixed rare crash with fighting NPCs with corrupted data.

In game radios will now play properly if player was listening to the radio in the Pip-Boy first. (Playstation 3)

Fixed rare crashes while loading and saving games.

Fixed rare issue where player would fall through the floor while in VATS.

Fixed occasional crash after scoring a critical hit in the head with a Railway Rifle.

Prevent NPCs from inadvertently dying from falling.

Fixed occasional issue where the controller would stop working properly.

Fixed crashes related to repeatedly equipping and dropping clothing and armor into the world.

Quest Fixes
Fixed several instances where quest item stayed in inventory permanently after completing quests.

Fixed an issue where the distress message would occasionally not play in Trouble on the Homefront.

In The Waters of Life quest, the Citadel gate will open properly if the player fast travels away after exiting the Taft Tunnels but before reaching the Citadel gate with Doctor Li.

For the Home Sweet Home quest, the broken protectrons in Big Town become active at the proper time.

In The American Dream quest, fixed specific issue which prevented the player from accessing their belongings in the locker by the door if they left the room first.

Fixed infinite caps exploit in Strictly Business quest.

Fixed rare instance where Dad would have no valid dialogue during The Waters of Life quest.

Prevent issue during the Finding the Garden of Eden quest where player would fade to black, instead of traveling to Raven Rock, while in combat with a follower.

Fixed several XP speech exploits with certain NPCs.

Fixed XP exploit with a robot in Fort Bannister.

Fixed issue where player's controls can become locked permanently during The American Dream.

The Maw Opens On XBLA Next Week, Castle Crashers DLC Tides Us Over

After a couple weeks of casual releases, Xbox Live Arcade heats up this month with this week's release of the Castle Crashers: King Pack followed immediately by Twisted Pixel's The Maw next week.

The Castle Crashers: King Pack hits XBLA tomorrow, with it gobs of new content for all the good little boys and girls. The Open Faced Grey Knight and The King join the fray, bringing with them a new seal animal orb called Pelter (ha!), three new weapons, and the King's Heal spell, which heals both yourself and your party.

Twisted Pixel's The Maw is an action adventure platformer that places you in the role of Frank, an alien stranded on a strange planet with the Maw, a strange, blob-like creature that acts as his only friend and ultimate weapon, all at the same time. It's the type of game I would have readily picked up at retail (Crecente probably would agree), so getting it for a mere 800 Microsoft points on the 21st seems like a steal.

So Xbox Live Arcade has had a slow start this year, but it looks like they'll be fully up to speed by the time we get our greedy little hands on The Maw.
Let action and adventure fill your January with the release of “Castle Crashers: King Pack” downloadable content and “The Maw” on Xbox LIVE Arcade

There’s nothing like a jam packed January from Xbox LIVE Arcade to whittle away those winter blues. You’ve been ringing in the new year with international investigation in “Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos,” but it’s officially time to crash some castles and master The Maw!

“Castle Crashers” is the game that keeps on giving after the holiday season with “Castle Crashers: King Pack” downloadable content available on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 9 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT), while indie title “The Maw” hits the circuit Wednesday, Jan. 21.

It’s time to revisit your favorite modern medieval magic kingdom and load up on two new kicking characters - the Open Faced Grey Knight and the leader of the fearless knights, The King, a new seal animal orb named Pelter, and three new weapons, including the Gold Sword. Last but not least cast a new spell called the King's Heal which heals not only yourself but your party as well!

Re-storming the castle not quite enough to carry you through the month? Keep a lookout for full featured 3D action/adventure indie title “The Maw” and try your skill at navigating a strange planet with an even stranger blob.

With no powers of his own, Frank must rely on a blob-like creature named Maw. Discover the mysteries of the Maw’s abilities as you try to pilot Frank around the dangerous planet and ultimately help him escape the ruthless bounty hunters. An unlockable theme and gamer pictures will earn you bragging rights for the month of January .

Published by Microsoft and developed by The Behemoth!, “Castle Crasher: King Pack” will be available for 160 Microsoft Points per pack, worldwide. The game is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

For more details on “Castle Crashers” please visit: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802584108b7/?of=7

Published by Microsoft and developed by Twisted Pixel Games, LLC, “The Maw” will be available for 800 Microsoft Points, worldwide. The game is rated E+ for Everyone 10+ by the ESRB.

For more details on “The Maw” please visit: http://mawgame.com/
Via The Maw

Mirror's Edge DLC Dated

Along with the news that the PC version of the critically acclaimed first-person adventure Mirror's Edge is now shipping to stores, EA delivers a late-January release date for the eagerly anticipated time trial DLC.

When EA says late January, they really mean late January. In this case, January 29th is the planned release date for the Mirror's Edge time trial map pack for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Players will be challenged with getting the fastest time across seven all-new and incredibly gorgeous-looking time trial maps.

As previously reported, the DLC pack will cost $10, or 800 Microsoft points.

Mirror's Edge for PC Ships to Retail Stores Today

Award-Winning Action Adventure Game That Redefined First Person Games Makes Its Way to the PC

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan 13, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) —

DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced that the critically acclaimed first-person action adventure title, Mirror's Edge(TM) has shipped for the PC to retailers in North America and will ship worldwide on January 16th. Players who purchase the PC version of the game will also receive a free copy of the Mirror's Edge remix album. The album features the popular title track "Still Alive" performed by Swedish rock/pop star Lisa Miskovsky and remixes by some of today's hottest artists including Benny Benassi, Paul van Dyk and Armand Van Helden.

DICE also confirmed today that downloadable content (DLC) for the PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360(R) videogame and entertainment system and the PC will be available January 29th. This special DLC pack will challenge players to achieve the fastest times possible on nine races across seven all-new and totally redesigned Time Trial maps. The DLC pack will be available for $10 USD or 800 Microsoft points.

Mirror's Edge isa unique first-person action adventure where players are introduced to Faith, a 'runner' in a world where communication channels are highly monitored and the movement of information is closely watched. When Faith's sister gets framed for murder, Faith finds herself on the edge of the city, on the wrong side of the law. The PC version of the game uses the NVIDIA(R) PhysX(TM) physics engine to bring the world of Mirror's Edge to life with real-world visual effects of wind, weapons impact, and free-motion movements.

Gamers can download the free demo available now at the PlayStation(R)Store and Xbox LIVE(TM) Marketplace. The demo features a tutorial of the game, a segment of the single-player story mode and sections of the addictive Time Trial mode.

Featured on the front cover of over 40 gaming magazines in 2008, Mirror's Edge also won numerous critic awards including the Game Critics Award for "Best Original Game" and the IGN award for "Best Action Game" at E3. Mirror's Edge was developed at EA Digital Illusions CE AB (DICE) in Stockholm, Sweden. The game is rated "T" by the ESRB and "16+" by PEGI. For more information on EA DICE or Mirror's Edge, please visit www.ea.com, www.dice.se or www.mirrorsedge.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS FreestyleTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mirror's Edge is a trademark or registered trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. "PlayStation" and "PLAYSTATION" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Pachter predicts PS3 price drop to $299 in April

We were so hopeful that PS3 would get a price drop this year. But no. Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Morgan, had to "predict" a PS3 drop in April. Drats, we were looking forward to this one too. Unfortunately, with Pachter's track record, it's pretty good to bet that he'll be wrong.

"Once the PS3 is at a more affordable price point (we expect a cut to $299 in April), we think that sales of that device will once again begin to grow," he states. However, don't expect Microsoft to take that sitting down. "We expect another cut in price for the Xbox 360, with the feature-laden Pro model likely to come down in price to $249 at or before this year's E3 show in June." Nintendo, however, has no reason to lower its price and will unlikely drop the price of the bestselling Wii.

Pachter is right once in a while, so we're optimistic that a price drop will happen. Perhaps it won't be as significant as $100 off, or perhaps it won't happen in April. It'll be interesting to see what Sony chooses in '09: their bottom line, or making a more aggressive attack in the console wars.
Via PS3 Fanboy

The Godfather II: Build Your Custom Crews

If you missed the option of rollin' with your homies in Grand Theft Auto IV, EA wants to appeal to your crew-building, thug-managing side with The Godfather II.

The class-based options sound clever alright, but we're not sure that this is enough to get us fired up for another Godfather adventure. After all, I think some of us were keeping an eye on the original Godfather game just to see what a horrible disaster it would be.

Shame that EA let us down. Now we're expecting this one to be good, what with that vicious back-stabbing and those flamboyant shirt collars.

How Seriously Should We Take Game Addiction?

A Chinese gamer swallows razor blades in a suicide attempt, Daniel Petric shoots his mom and Brandon Crisp runs away from home – anyone see a pattern here?

I’ll give you a hint: it’s not game addiction. It’s media coverage.

That’s not to say that 17-year-olds have been committing matricide since time immemorial. Or that the American Psychiatric Association won’t enter video game addiction into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders when review time comes up in 2012. Or that it’s somehow normal to log 100 hours of World of Warcraft in a week.

But I submit that just 10 years ago, Petric’s murder trial would not have gotten this kind of attention from the media. We wouldn’t have headlines like “X-Box Slaying” or “Mortal Kombat Murder.” It would just be “Teen Commits Murder Over Toy” with a quote about how he (or she) seemed like such a nice kid.

So why has the press shifted toward highlighting video games in connection with crime or tragedy? And why are they calling compulsive gaming an “addiction” when the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association haven’t named it so (yet)? Is it because the public really thinks that video games are dangerous?

Or maybe the press is looking for easy headlines. For a little experiment, check out how many hits the razor blade story got this morning. Then check out the murder trial’s hits. And lastly, sit back and see how many hits this page gets.

If we pay this much attention to the topic, it’s no wonder that politicians and lawyers are doing it, too. That scares me because too much attention could legitimize something that might not even be real. Think of the Twinkie Defense in Dan White's murder trial – if politicians, psychologists and TV anchors had bought into it, people might well get away with murder if they can cram down a couple of boxes before getting out their gun.

Your Source For Wii Knock-offs

There's a reason the Gaming Showcase at CES doesn't light the gaming world on fire. It's packed to its borders with subwoofer-filled seating designed for games and lame Chinese knock-offs, like the iSports.

Wii imitators, each of which is loaded with minimal effort games, aren't hard to come by at the Consumer Electronics Show. Typically, the method for making a Wii-like is ordering enough white plastic for your casing and designing a little boot for your plug-and-play games console to rest in vertically.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to go hands on with iSports and its suite of games — including Badmintoon, Sword of Warrior01, Beach Vollyball and Soccer 11 — but it looked like a blast. Maybe next year, when Sword of Warrior02 ships.
Via Kotaku

December Wii Sales At Record-Breaking 3.2 Million

Nintendo's seemingly insurmountable lead in the U.S. became less "seemingly" in December, if EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich's figure of 3.2 million Wiis sold last month is spot-on. "Simply put, Nintendo saved Christmas," Divnich said.

In a note to investors, the EEDAR analyst also estimated U.S. Nintendo DS sales at 3 million last month, naming Wii Play as the best-selling game of December. Another 1.3 million sold, according to the analyst. It's the Wii numbers that are most staggering, besting the console's November performance, in which it moved 2.04 million units to Americans.

To put that in perspective, the Wii's sales in December 2007 were a far less impressive 1.35 million.

And if we really want to drive the point home, we'll point out that U.S. sales of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, from January to November of 2008, totaled 2.8 million and 3.3 million respectively. In other words, it was a pretty good month for Nintendo, if estimates are right.

NPD top ten mainstays like Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit are expected to be best-sellers again, with Wii Music seeing a Christmas bump. Actual figures from the NPD Group are expected on Thursday. We expect excellent corporate responses.
Via Gamespot

Tenchu: Shadow Assasins Video Impresses And Disappoints

I’m weary whenever I hear of a game coming to the Nintendo Wii, by way of Ubisoft. They’re the poster child of the “hit-or-miss” trend, with some of their games being good on the Wii, along with the worst. The latest Tenchu video keeps following the same trend, as parts of it left me impressed with other scenes making me shake my head.

First, the gameplay looks to be quite involving and from the looks of it will incorporate many interesting motion control movements. All of the assassination animations were impressive, and had some engaging sound effects accompanying them. The graphics also looked crisp, and will hopefully be represented in 480p when the game launches.

What I was less than impressed with, were the characters and voice acting. If Ubisoft has any time left, they need to think about putting a little more voice work in. Ayama, the main character already annoys me and that’s only after watching a 1:22 clip. Also, the man she kills in the final scene is Japanese yet I hear a distinct British accent. The dialogue makes me think that it takes place in modern times, yet the outfits and setting look like feudal Japan. Very odd indeed.

Via Wii Blog

In an act of desperation, Nintendo has resorted to fear mongering in its efforts to promote Personal Trainer: Math for Nintendo DS. Issuing a press re

Video game developer Neversoft has confirmed that it is not developing the next game in the long-running Tony Hawk franchise. Neversoft created the first nine Tony Hawk games, but president Joel Jewett confirmed that Tony Hawk Proving Ground was his company's last TH game. In an interview with the Great Falls Tribune, Jewett said, "It's probably best for the franchise ... it's time for someone else to add fresh ideas to it."

So who's going to be making the next Tony Hawk? Some speculate that the responsibility for reviving the franchise will fall on the shoulders of Robomodo, a new developer run by former EA Chicago and Studio Gigante heads. Robomodo has said it is working on "a high-profile extreme sports title for Activision Blizzard."

Neversoft's biggest franchise now is the Guitar Hero line of games. It took over the reins of the popular series from Harmonix after Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s and developed Guitar Hero III and Guitar Hero World Tour. The next big Neversoft music game: Guitar Hero: Metallica.

With many gamers regarding the Tony Hawk series as a once great line gone to seed, what can the next developer add to revitalize the series?
ViaG4TV

Nintendo Uses Fear Mongering To Promote 'Personal Trainer: Math'

In an act of desperation, Nintendo has resorted to fear mongering in its efforts to promote Personal Trainer: Math for Nintendo DS. Issuing a press release titled "One in Five Kids Think Fame is More Likely Than Math Proficiency", the company's anti-math stance is readily apparent as it touts a game that "includes 40 fast-paced exercises, from basic addition and multiplication to more extensive multiplication tables and calculation ladders. Daily math drills keep skills sharp, while attendance records provide ways for users to see how they improve week to week and month to month". Nintendo has been peddling the following statistics in order to spread hate and fear:

More than one-third of kids surveyed say that math is their most difficult subject.
Nearly one-third of kids have very negative feelings about math: 18 percent called it 'boring,' while 13 percent actually called it 'torture.'
86 percent of parents surveyed say that math is important to their careers, even though more than half of them admitted they thought they’d never need the math they learned in school.
ViaG4TV

Game Addict Swallows Saw Blades to Commit Suicide

A man addicted to computer games swallowed five pieces of saw blade to commit suicide.

Fu, 23, kept talking incoherently about how to win his favorite computer games, even after being sent to a Beijing hospital ICU for round-the-clock emergency treatment on Sunday.

He has been addicted to computer games since early in junior high school, but his condition worsened recently, said his parents.

(Beijing Legal Times)
China Daily

Best Buy Starts Off With $9.99 Deals

Did you pass on Ninja Gaiden II, just like me? With Best Buy blowing the game out at just $9.99, it's going to be hard to pass on now. And the deals don't stop there.

The electronics retailer is ringing in 2009 with some serious price reductions, including a ten dollar asking price on Facebreaker, Turok, Condemned 2: Bloodshot and Major League Baseball 2K8. Most are multi-platform, so this includes you, PlayStation 3 owners.

Here's the full list, courtesy of Slickdeals.

Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360) - $9.99
Facebreaker (Xbox 360, PS3) - $9.99
Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, PS3) - $9.99
MLB 2K8 (Xbox 360, PS3) - $9.99
Turok (Xbox 360) - $9.99

Guitar Hero III ((Xbox 360) - $19.99
Guitar Hero Aerosmith (Xbox 360, PS3) - $19.99
Battlefield: Bad Company (Xbox 360, PS3) - $19.99
Quake Wars (Xbox 360) - $19.99
Unreal Tournament 3 (Xbox 360) - $19.99

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (Xbox 360, PS3) - $39.99
Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360) - $39.99
Mercenaries 2 (Xbox 360, PS3) - $39.99
Red Alert 3 (Xbox 360) - $39.99
Saints Row 2 (Xbox 360, PS3) - $39.99

In store or online — it's your choice.

Petric Convicted Of Halo 3 Inspired Matricide

Daniel Petric, the Ohio teen who shot and killed his mother over a dispute involving Halo 3, was convicted today of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, and other charges related to the heinous crime.

As reported previously, Petric had purchased a copy of Halo 3 following his parents' Mark and Susan had forbid him to do so. After having the game confiscated, Daniel broke into his father's lock box, which held the game and a 9mm handgun, entered the living room of his house, asked his parents to close their eyes, and shot both of them in the head, killing his mother and wounding his father.

Petric's lawyers argued that video game addiction had driven the teen to the crime, but Common Pleas Judge James Burge found otherwise. Petric now faces up a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

Once again my condolences go out to the Petric family for this horrible tragedy, though I sincerely hope Daniel doesn't see the outside of a prison for quite a long line.
Via Kotaku

Wii Warm Up: Will Sega tap out?

An OFLC rating appeared last week for Sega/Prope's Let's Tap, indicating that Sega submitted the game to the Australian ratings board in preparation for a release in that region. This, of course, suggests that they're planning a worldwide release for Yuji Naka's innovative hands-off game.

We suspect, however, that the game was submitted for rating before the disastrous Japanese launch. Will Sega follow through on their plan to localize Let's Tap for other territories, now that it's already proven itself to be a bomb once? Or will they cut their losses? And would it be a terrible decision for Sega to try their luck outside of Japan?

Guitar Hero III first game to make $1 billion

You may recall a similar headline from the past, where the Guitar Hero franchise earned over $1 billion. Well, another milestone for Activision comes thanks to the previous title to release in the franchise, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. That game alone has generated over $1 billion in sales, making it the first game in history to do so. The news was presented by Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith during a keynote speech at CES.

We're not sure how much an impact the Wii version itself has had, but consider it to be significant. The Wii version of the game has been very popular for quite some time now. Well, up until World Tour released, anyway.

Nintendo dominates 2008 UK game sales

Mario Kart Wii was a popular title for the Brits and their neighbors, as sales data shows it to be the best-selling game in the UK under the category of "individual SKU" during 2008, topping a list that is comprised mainly of games available only on Nintendo gaming systems. Considering how many amazing games released over the course of this year, we believe this to be quite the achievement

The Wii is just so darn popular over there. So popular, in fact, that the top 5 best-selling games for the year were all on Nintendo platforms. Coming in at the second spot was Wii Fit, followed by Wii Play, Brain Training on DS, and our favorite game to poke fun at, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Full list is past the break.

Use DualShock 3 with rumble on PC thanks to new hack

People have been using Sixaxis controllers on PCs for a long time now. But, what about DualShock 3s with rumble support? Apparently, it's now possible. A Japanese coder has released four drivers which allow Windows users to play games on PC with a DS3, tweak some of the controller parameters and subsequently employ rumble. It sounds like a fun experiment to play around with, though, from the looks of it, the driver menus are mostly in Japanese. Check DCEmu UK for instructions in English.

Sony products invading new Yankee Stadium

Whilst on stage at CES, Sony CEO Howard Stringer announced a partnership with the new Yankee Stadium that will see Sony product placement appear all over the place. 550 HDTVs will be scattered liberally about the stadium, in "luxury suites, lounges, concourses, restaurants and administrative offices." PS3 games will be available to play, such as MLB: The Show and its ilk, along with more surprising titles such as SingStar.

Games will be rotated periodically and it's possible that PSP and PS2 games could make an appearance, too. Sony Vaio laptops will also be dotted around for people to try out while theyre visiting. Stringer states that the "new home of the world's most renowned sports franchise -- with its storied history of leadership and excellence -- is the perfect place to showcase all that is Sony. It is thrilling for Sony to be playing a part in this new chapter in Yankee history."
Ps3 Fanboy

No plans for a FFXIII demo outside of Japan

Hoping to get your hands on the Final Fantasy XIII demo this year? You might have to try your luck with a Japanese copy as Square Enix has said that "at present the FINAL FANTASY XIII demo will only be available in Japan with the Blu Ray release of Advent Children Complete, but we hope to have further news in the coming months." Feel free to keep your fingers crossed for that.

With FFXIII releasing on both PS3 and Xbox 360 outside of Japan we imagine demo distribution will be a bit more complex. Especially since development on the 360 version hasn't even started, so a demo will be a long way off. We have a feeling us English speakers are going to be sitting here twiddling our thumbs for quite a while as our Japanese cousins are having a whale of a time.
Ps3 Fanboy

Year of Xbox Live for only $30 at Buy.com [update]

Those in need of an Xbox Live subscription for the cheap should check out Buy.com's super special sale on 12+1 month Live subscriptions. For only $29.99 and FREE shipping, you can haz a year of Xbox Live.

Year of Xbox Live for only $30 at Buy.com [update]

Those in need of an Xbox Live subscription for the cheap should check out Buy.com's super special sale on 12+1 month Live subscriptions. For only $29.99 and FREE shipping, you can haz a year of Xbox Live.

Shipping this week: Lord of the Battlefront edition

Guess what, kids? There's actually a game releasing for the Xbox 360 this week. You'll notice that "game" is singular, as there is only one game out this week. It's appropriate enough though, as the game itself happens to be about the One Ring. Yes, this week marks the release of Lord of the Rings: Conquest. If you've played the demo, you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect. It's essentially Star Wars: Battlefront only with fewer Stormtroopers and a lot more hobbits. Conquest has something that Battlefront definitely doesn't though: You can be a Balrog. A Balrog.

The Week in Games: Mirror Sledge

Mirror's Edge for the PC arrives this week, and one wonders if the vision behind its gameplay will be more easily realized with keyboard and mouse.

Lord of the Rings: Conquest joins it in a Tuesday release on four platforms. The rest of the lineup seems rather thin. The count: Five titles for the Wii, four for the DS, three for the PC, one for the 360 and PS3.

Monday (Jan. 12)
Planet Pachinko (Wii)
Personal Trainer: Math (DS)
Neighborhood Games (Wii)

Tuesday (Jan. 13)
Deal or No Deal (Wii)
MotoGP 08 (Wii)
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (360, PC, PS3, DS)
Moon (DS)
Mirror's Edge (PC)

Wednesday (Jan. 14)
Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall (PC)

Thursday (Jan. 15)
The Clumsey's (Wii)

Friday (Jan. 16)
Jumble Madness (DS)
Via Kotaku

Rumor: Bioshock OTW for Mac

Oh yeah, there was another big tech expo this past week: Macworld. And the magazine is reporting Bioshock will be out for the Mac in the first half of 2009.

At online retailer Feral Interactive's booth, exhibitors wore shirts with Bioshock's Big Daddy on the back. Writer Chris Holt checked with Feral reps, who confirmed for him that the game's coming.

Still calling this a rumor as it's Feral talking and not 2K, but this is Macworld reporting from its own expo. So, Mac gamers, enjoy.

COD5 Beta Invites are Fake, Says Infinity Ward

Interesting tweet went out from Infinity Ward — if you get a beta invite from COD5BETA@infinityward.com, delete it. It's B.S. Not sure if it's phishing, but the studio says it is not legit.

Why not to shop at gamestop.

Guitar Hero III in 3D

Guitar Hero and Rock Band were two popular ways to show off whatever product or service you were hawking at CES, with every television or projector hooked up to one plastic guitar game or the other. Rhythm games were definitely this year's Wii; everyone wanted in on the action. Nvidia had a great gimmick to get people to its booth: show off Guitar Hero III in 3D.

The kids were having a blast playing at when we got there and checked it out, and the 3D effect was intelligently put together. The note charts appeared flat in front of the 3D background, so while you enjoyed the 3D graphics of the band and the crowd rocking out in the game, timing and perspective on the action game part of the screen wasn't affected.

Would this be something you'd want to set up at home? Well, you need the $200 3D glasses we discussed in an earlier post, which means it would only work on the PC version of Guitar Hero III. All in all, it makes a better demo than it does a product, but it did its job: the crowds around the booth were large, and the people had big smiles on their faces.

Xbox 360 IPTV Initiative Isn’t Dead

'Like Chris Lanier, I’ve been disappointed in Microsoft’s apparent inability to deliver an IPTV solution onto the Xbox 360 platform… As announced during Bill Gates’ 2007 CES keynote. We’ve heard relatively little regarding the fate of Xbox IPTV since then, and I imagine the lack of deployment is related to both technological challenges and carrier deals. So I cornered a Mediaroom rep today on the show floor.

Before handing me off to the PR team, she confirmed this initiative is still alive and well with multiple carrier field trials in progress. When asked if anything was going on in the US, she suggested I question AT&T. Now, I can’t really speculate if she said that because AT&T is considering the platform, or because AT&T is their primary partner for television services here in the US (with U-verse).

The PR woman was at once both more forthcoming and more secretive. She indicated BT will be deploying Xbox 360 IPTV in the UK. While that’s isn’t entirely recent news and she didn’t give any details on timing, I’m left with the sense it’s definitely happening this year. And she had no comment on other partners or regions.

The photo up top is the Mediaroom interface running on a Motorola set-top box, though I was told the experience will be the same on the Xbox 360 upon entering the television area. Below is another screenshot of what that menu item looked like (in 2007) within the Xbox 360’s original interface. Which, of course, has since been replaced.''
Via Zatz Not Funny

Super Stage Production of Super Mario