Kotaku

Hey, a new Mad World trailer. And new Mad World screens. With buses that have giant spikes attached to them. And corpses hanging of those spikes. And a giant jet engine to punch ninjas into. And a motorbike that rides down the side of a building. We couldn't be more excited for this game if we tried.

The Activision Presser, With Special Guest German Guy

Isn't he dreamy? This, ladies and gentlemen, is Thomas Godaj, winner of the fifth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar, which is essentially the German version of American Idol. I'm told that, unlike the American contestants, Godaj here actually has musical talent. I would have come to our country's defense but come on - Taylor Hicks? Really? I bet he couldn't belt out Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" near as well as Thomas did, which is exactly how Activision's Games Convention 2008 press conference came to an end...but how did it begin?

New Mirror's Edge Gameplay Trailer Shows Free Running Acrobatic Insanity

Even though Mirror's edge made Ashcraft a little ill at E3, the game looks like it's going to be one hell of a ride. This quick paced gameplay trailer gives us a little taste of what we can expect this upcoming September when the game is released.

Dunno if we've mentioned it specifically, but the new Bionic Commando's controls are meant to be hard. Which is a design decision: they'll be hard to master, but once you have, they'll ultimately be more flexible and more rewarding than if they'd been really easy. Still. Some folks are concerned that it all might be a bit much. So Capcom have released these tutorial pics (which look very Nicholas Gurewitch), that show it's not hard at all. It's easy! Even a child could do it. Actually, a child probably couldn't do it, but these are adorable nonetheless.

As expected, a proper trailer for Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain was shown at Sony's Leipzig press conference earlier today. It's since been uploaded, so why not take a look. It's nice to see the cinematic flair of Indigo Prophecy has been kicked up a notch, but seeing as that game was almost ruined by their over-use, all those QTE flashes during the kitchen table tussle are a little worrying. We'll see how worrying they are when The Two Mikes check it out tomorrow.

No sooner have we hated on the 360 pad's useless d-pad for the 1,165th time than we hear that a new 360 control pad is on the showroom floor at Leipzig. Microsoft, your sense of timing is impeccable. While the pad looks identical to the existing one, the d-pad is apparently much-improved, as it can now register movement in 32 directions, as opposed to the existing one's...4. That's the good news. The bad news? Well, the bad news is comical. Microsoft told Eurogamer the improved controller will only be available for a limited time, as it's a tie-in with Pro Evo 2009. And not just that, they say it'll only be available in Europe, Asia and Latin America. It'll be out on October 24, so if you want (or want to import one) one, get in early.

Microsoft confirms revised 360 d-pad [Eurogamer]

New Multiwinia Video Shows "King of the Hill"

Midway Releases New Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Teaser

Get ready for some fatalities and brutalities. Amidst all of the Sony news today McWhertor attended the Midway press conference this morning. Along with the announcement of four new Kombatants in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe they also released this teaser for the game.

Pictured: A scene from Sega's business center booth, far from where consumer eyes survey, where only check-signin' shot-callers (and lowly press) have access. That means that even an innocent title like Samba de Amigo for the Nintendo Wii has to be sexed up for those who might not "get it," an attempt to lure in buyers (and creepy press) with means other than good gameplay.

These spotted ladies aren't just loitering in the business area, they're attracting the regular Joes at Sega's on-floor display booth. The outfits are demure by E3 or TGS standards — as are the majority of Games Convention's "booth babes" — but certainly designed to get the job done.

Does Playing Mario Kart Drunk Help Your Performance?

Following on from the GTA DUI controversy, Drunk-driving in gaming rears its ugly, pie-eyed head again. This time, though, the bottle is in the other hand. Or the beer is in the other dashboard cup holder. Or something.

Over at the delightfully named HipAsFuck.com, some gamers decided to see just how much a little booze would affect their Mario Kart skills. Perhaps surprisingly, a blood alcohol level of 0.08 (an arrestable amount in the US and UK) actually made their times a few seconds faster.

Obviously, there is a world of difference between driving in real life — where you can physically die and cause the deaths of others — and driving a pretend dinosaur around a virtual track in a non-existent Go-Kart — where the most you can lose is a couple of seconds while the game reloads. Still, If you are gaming and want to get 'in the zone' (and are of legal drinking age, natch) this vital scientific study may come in handy.

Before anyone starts — DUI is stupid & if you do it in real life you are an idiot. This post is for informational purposes only, Your home may be at risk if you do not keep up mortgage repayments. etc. etc.

The DUI Mario Kart Experiment [Hip As Fuck, via Kottke]

New RACE Pro Screens

Like a dehydrated baby weeing into a swimming pool, Atari has let out a teensy little trickle of screenshots from their upcoming Xbox racer RACE Pro.

They are fine - nice shiny wing mirror effects, car-shaped cars and some quite nice details like the LED panels and tinted window stickers. Everything you could ask for, really. There was a trailer, too, but after studying it for ages we couldn't make out more than a few seconds of actual gameplay.

Ooh, Atari - how you tease us!

EA Releases New Need For Speed: Undercover Trailer

On rare occasions we are treated to a game trailer that aspires to be a movie trailer. When it comes to making a trailer like this I feel it's a very difficult thing to accomplish because even though games are becoming more cinematic, the fact still remains that what you are trying to convey will never leave game classification. That is where the line between film and game is drawn. However, this new Need For Speed: Undercover trailer almost convinces me that I need to go buy 2 boxes of chocolate covered raisins and head over to the multiplex. The game will feature live action story sequences which will include Balls of Fury star Maggie Q as your police contact. The game is slated to be released in North America November 18th.

LocoRoco 2 Trailer to Listen to

There are major differences between a press conference at Games Convention and one at say, E3. I learned this earlier this morning when I attended my first Leipzig press conference for Konami. At E3, you line up for a press conference. At GC, you mob the doors. At E3, they stop letting people in once the big guy way in the back is pressed against the wall so hard he's breathing air from the other side. At GC they seriously consider stacking people. It was because of these differences that I found myself at the back of a very crowded room, raising my camera over my head and using copious amouts of zoom to capture the goings on at the Konami press conference. Did it all pay off in the end, or did I sweat all over German people for no good reason? You decide!

The First Lords of Shadow Trailer

Earlier this morning we broke the news that Konami had announced a new 3D action title called Lords of Shadow. With the announcement came this trailer which gives us very small insight on what the game is about. However, if you head over to their website you'll notice a very mysterious countdown. Even more mysterious is that MercurySteam, the makers of the game, say they don't know what the numbers are counting down to. To the end of the earth perhaps?

Games Convention is LIVE

To: Ash
From: Crecente
Re: Tomorrow Is A Horrible, Horrible Day (No Yoda on Facebook)

The Games Convention kicked off early this morning and the day has been down right packed with news, and not just all of that Sony news, there's also been lots of news shaking loose from publishers.

What you missed:
Activision Snags Movie Talent for James Bond Game
GH: World Tour Wii Gets Mii Freestyle, Air Drums
Wonder Woman, Raiden Two Of Four New Kombatants
Gary Oldman Answers Call of Duty
Konami Sheds Light On Lords Of Shadow
Space Invaders Attack World Trade Center At Games Convention
PS3 World Tour Rock Band Compatible
Madden ‘09 Review: It's Still a W in the Standings
Fallout 3 Hits October 28
Pure - But Slightly Censored - Bliss
GTA IV DLC On Xbox Live This Fall
Nintendo Gets Sued Over Wii
GC Presser Round Up: Sony
You Got Jet Packs in My Warhawk: A First Look