Microsoft confirms revised 360 d-pad [Eurogamer]

This is due in no small part to the visuals. Each track in Pure is loaded with smooth-looking graphics and lush backgrounds that almost distract you from racing. The bikes themselves don’t look half-bad, either. Though there are no licensed models, each part of the bike is licensed and if that means anything to you, you can look forward to cobbling together some pretty sweet custom bikes with some of the best parts; there must be more than a thousand combos you could come up with. Bikes either skew towards fast racing models, or slower trick bikes. An auto-build-your-own mode lets you get as crazy with customization as you can stand without having to go through each and every bolt and frame choice.

On to the actual gameplay. We were treated to the multiplayer experience – not a great idea because they pit journalists against the production team so needless to say, we got slaughtered. But at least we got to see most of the seven tracks in the game while getting our asses handed to us. There were two tracks apiece for Thailand, New Mexico, and of course, Italy (hence the statues) plus one extra track I never made it to because I kept toppling off of cliffs. The idea is that one track usually has all the high jumps and is better for trick-racing, while the other is a lot shorter with tighter turns, a true racing track. Both are decked out with images appropriate to the area (hot air balloons for New Mexico, jungles for Thailand, etc.)

We spent most of multiplayer going through Freestyle mode where the idea is to do as many tricks, grab as many power-ups and (obviously) finish first to get the highest score. Tricks are crucial to gameplay in Pure because without them, you don’t earn boost – and without boost, you can’t win. Other modes include Sprint (a straight-up race) and a third mode I again didn’t make it to by virtue of dying a lot.

But don’t cry for me, Argentina – dying in this game is fun. Of course since Disney’s holding the leash, you’re not going to get bloody gore, or sickening bone breakage; but developer Black Rock Studio sure knows its rag doll physics. After the third time I failed a coffin trick and landed on my head I deliberately started to see just how sick a wreck I could get into, giggling like a girl with a glitter stick in art class.

A PR rep noticed and tried to correct my epic fails by re-explaining the controls. “Just hold down the right trigger to go forward… Yes, that’s it. Now, you’ve got to push the right stick forward when you’re going up a hill and then pull it back right before you launch to get really high… Good, good… Okay, you start out only with basic tricks by pressing A while jumping. Oh, look, you unlocked B tricks… hey, you did a Superman! Okay, okay… Now, land it. Land it.”

Crunch.

I asked about a crash-cam. He said something about ESRB ratings and took me off of multiplayer. “Let’s see how you do on a basic track… let you get the feel of things.”

I did get the feel of things pretty quickly in single-player. Pure is nothing if not intuitive. By the end of the first track, I was pulling of the Y button tricks; insane feats that you simply can’t do in real life – like ghost-riding the whip 150 feet in the air. Apparently, if you nail these tricks, you’re given the option to create your own tricks by holding down the left and right buttons.

“We want this game to be for everybody,” said the PR rep. “We can’t make it too hard or too graphic.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, ramming into the side of some ancient Roman ruins.

He gave me the hairy eye. “You really are a fan of Burnout, aren’t you?”

Pure is out September and I look forward to getting my driver killed in new and interesting ways with every race.

Here’s the most massive blitz of screens ever – plus a few pics I took of the party.

“We are very excited to let gamers get their hands on Fallout 3, the latest chapter in this beloved and highly acclaimed franchise,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “To meet the huge demand for this title by our fans worldwide, we are planning one of the biggest launches of any game released this year.”

Color me freaking excited.

Fallout 3 Available October 28

Major Launch Planned for the Winner of E3 2008’s “Best of Show”

August 20, 2008 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today that its highly anticipated title, Fallout® 3, will be available on store shelves and online in North America on October 28, 2008 and in Europe on October 31, 2008. Developed at Bethesda Game Studios – creators of the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® – Fallout 3 is slated for release on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows.

“We are very excited to let gamers get their hands on Fallout 3, the latest chapter in this beloved and highly acclaimed franchise,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “To meet the huge demand for this title by our fans worldwide, we are planning one of the biggest launches of any game released this year.”

Fallout 3 features one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Set more than 200 years following a nuclear war, you can create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of Washington, D.C. however you choose. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.

Hailed as one of the most anticipated games for 2008, Fallout 3 has already won numerous awards including Best of Show from the official Game Critics Awards at E3 2008, a selection voted on by an independent group of journalists from 36 leading North American media outlets that cover the videogame industry.

Fallout® 3 has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information on Fallout 3, visit http://fallout.bethsoft.com.

This hits three year's after the first and last game to take on the World Trade Center hit Brooklyn.

Honestly, we're not quite sure what's going on here quite yet, as we didn't know the German translation for "What the fuck?" We do know, however, that the 8-bit tower jumpers and the negative score applied to each WTC tower to indicate damage aren't going to sit well with, we're thinking, everyone we know who doesn't hate freedom.

Update: It is an art exhibit, according the the French-American artist.

The peripheral will hit North America in late November and in Japan, Europe and Asia by the end of the year. The Bluetooth-enabled device will support all typing on the Playstation 3, including text chatting in Home and LittleBigPlanet support.

The keypad includes two shortcut buttons, a Communication Button and a Message Box Button, letting users jump to pre-set features on the XMB such as Friends screen and Message Box during game play. Finally, a Touch Pad Button allows PS3 users to use the entire surface of the keypad as a touch pad, allowing them to maneuver the pointer while web browsing by sliding their fingers around the keypad surface.

No price has yet been announced, but the full specs and release are on the jump.

Wireless Keypad for PLAYSTATION(R)3 to Be Introduced This Holiday Season Worldwide

TOKYO, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that it would release the Wireless Keypad, a new peripheral for SIXAXIS(TM) and DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controllers for PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(R)), this holiday season throughout the world. It will be introduced in North America in late November. It will be also introduced in Japan, Europe and Asia by the end of this year.

The highly anticipated Wireless Keypad is designed to fit precisely into the unique shape of SIXAXIS and DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controllers, and can be easily attached or removed. By using the product instead of the on-screen keyboard, users will be able to enjoy text chat communication more easily and comfortably in their hands, just as they would use familiar portable communication devices. It supports text chat in PlayStation(R)Home as well, and enables users to enjoy interactivity playing on-line titles and enjoying entertainment content more smoothly.

Equipped with Bluetooth(R) functionality, the Wireless Keypad can be paired to PS3 by simply connecting the keypad to the USB cable that comes bundled with the PS3 system. Also, two shortcut buttons, a Communication Button and a Message Box Button, are placed on the lower part of the Wireless Keypad, enabling users to jump to pre-set features on XMB(TM) (XrossMediaBar) such as "Friends" and "Message Box" during game play, which help PS3 users to smoothly communicate with each other. Additionally, a Touch Pad Button allows PS3 users to use the entire surface of the keypad as a touch pad, allowing them to easily maneuver the pointer while web browsing, simply by sliding their finger on the keypad surface.

More and more exclusive software titles that will support text chat feature are scheduled for release towards the end of the year including LittleBigPlanet(TM) (SCEI).

SCEI will vigorously promote various measures to introduce new entertainment world that can be further enriched through the network, including PlayStation Home.

Release date and price of this product will be announced later in each region.

Wireless Keypad Product Overview
Product Name Wireless Keypad
Product Code CECHZK1JP (For Japanese market)
Product Color Black
Hardware Specification Weight : Approx 60g
Voltage: DC 3.7V
Operating Temperature:
5 degrees C ~ 35 degrees C
Built-in Bluetooth(R) Ver.2.0
Keypad Layout: QWERTY layout
Battery Specification Built-in Rechargeable Lithium-Ion
Battery
Battery Capacity: 610mAh

The bundle will also include a voucher for PAIN and a Dualshock 3 wireless controller. While I appreciate the increased harddrive size, I don't see it as big a deal with the PS3 since swapping out the drive yourself is so simple.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Announces Limited-Edition Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM) PLAYSTATION(R)3 Bundle Featuring New 160GB PS3(TM) System

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced plans to introduce a new 160GB PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system in North America as part of the limited-edition Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM) PS3 system bundle. The increased storage size enables entertainment enthusiasts to store even more movies, television shows, and games downloaded from PLAYSTATION(R)Network, as well as more videos, music, and photos from their personal collection. Slated to launch in November for $499.99 (MSRP), the 160GB PS3 system will come bundled with the hit game, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM), a PLAYSTATION Network voucher for PAIN, and a DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controller. The previously announced 80GB PS3 system ($399.99 MSRP) has started shipping to retailers.


"As PLAYSTATION Network continues to evolve with our recently launched video delivery service and more exclusive games, PS3 owners are demanding more storage capacity," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "Consumers also are utilizing PS3 as an entertainment hub for their digital media, placing content such as their entire music collection on the hard drive. The 160GB PS3 system addresses this growing consumer demand in a compelling bundle that delivers significant value."


The Uncharted: Drake's Fortune PS3 bundle includes the following components:
— 160GB PS3 system — The 160GB PS3 is a complete entertainment system comprising a Blu-ray(TM) Disc player, HDMI output, an integrated Wi-Fi connection, and Cell Broadband Engine(TM).
— Uncharted: Drake's Fortune — A 400-year-old clue found in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake sets a modern-day fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado, leading to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The search turns deadly when Drake becomes stranded on the island and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his companions must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the Island.


— PAIN PLAYSTATION Network Voucher* — PAIN boldly tackles a rarely explored area of video-gaming ... comedy. The unique mechanic of the game allows the player to load a character into a human-sized, ultra-powerful slingshot, and fire the character into an active, physics-controlled environment, filled with precarious and humorous situations. Download PAIN from PLAYSTATION Store (http://store.playstation.com) to your PS3 system with the included voucher.
— DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller — DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller provides the most intuitive game play experience with pressure sensors in each action button and the inclusion of the highly sensitive SIXAXIS(TM) motion sensing technology.


The additional storage space of the 160GB model will benefit consumers, as several highly anticipated PLAYSTATION Network and PS3 games along with add-on content will be available for download soon, including PAIN Amusement Park, Ratchet & Clank(R)Future: Quest for Booty(TM), SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, and The Last Guy(TM). The bundle is also a great option for consumers who want to utilize PLAYSTATION Network's video delivery service, which offers new blockbuster movies and popular TV shows for download on an ongoing basis.
PS3 momentum has soared in 2008, starting with Blu-ray becoming the
high-definition standard and following the launches of key franchise titles, including Gran Turismo(TM) 5 Prologue, Grand Theft Auto(TM) IV, and Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots. That momentum will continue into the holidays and beyond, as PS3's software lineup will offer the most depth and breadth of any platform across the industry, delivering highly anticipated exclusives such as BUZZ!(TM): Quiz TV, LittleBigPlanet(TM), Resistance(TM) 2, MotorStorm(TM) Pacific Rift, and Killzone(TM) 2.


PLAYSTATION(R)3 160GB Specification

Product name PLAYSTATION(R)3
CPU Cell Broadband Engine(TM) (Cell/B.E.)
GPU RSX(TM)
Sound Dolby 5.1ch, DTS 5.1ch , LPCM 7.1ch,
AAC, others *1 *2
Memory 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3
VRAM
HDD 2.5" Serial ATA 160GB
I/O USB 2.0 x2
Communication Ethernet X1 (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
IEEE 802.11 b/g Included
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) Included
Wireless controller (Bluetooth) Included
AV Output Screen size 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI OUT x1 *3
AV MULTI OUT x1
DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x1
BD/DVD/CD Maximum Read Speed BD 2x (BD-ROM)
Drive DVD 8x (DVD-ROM)
(Read Only) CD 24x (CD-ROM)
Dimensions Approximately 12.75in(W) x 3.86in (H)
x 10.8in (D)
Weight Approximately 11 lbs

*1 A device compatible with Linear PCM 7.1 Ch. is required to output 7.1 Ch. audio, supported by Dolby TrueHD or a
similar format, from the HDMI OUT connector.
*2 This system does not support output from the DTS-HD 7.1 Ch. DTS-HD 7.1 Ch. audio is output from a 5.1 or lower
channel.
*3 "Deep Color" and "x.v.Color (xvYCC)" defined by HDMI ver1.3a are supported.

“The drums are hard” was probably one of the most used phrases of from last year’s Rock Band players. I thought they were doable on medium, but yeah, hard and expert levels were near impossible without any previous expertise. Well, the bad news is the drums are still the same ol’ drums you’ve come to love and hate. But the good news is there is finally a drum trainer to help you out! There are three modes: Beat Trainer, Fill Trainer, and Freestyle Mode. Here’s how they work:

Drum Trainer
Beat Trainer – Beat Trainer will help you with your rhythm and timing. You’re given 76 individual preview beats that endlessly loop. On the left hand side, you can adjust the tempo with about 10 or so selectable speeds. Your goal here is to drum the notes of the looping track for about eight or so measures until you perfect it (read: no misses). This is pretty easy on the lower tempos, and you’ll get notification once you completed the tempo, but the fun comes in once you crank it up. There’s no failing here, just keep practicing until you get it.

Fill Trainer – I thought the drum fills in the origin Rock Band were a nice touch. It was the only time during a song you could really stand out and show off your skills. But fuck, I couldn’t make it sound good worth a damn. Now, you can practice filling, too. Like Beat Trainer, Fill plays endless looping tracks with variable speeds, each with fills that have specific notes you need to hit consecutively before passing. This time there are only 45 preview beats, however.

Freestyle Mode – Just as it sounds. You’re presented with a blank, scrolling note canvas that allows you to just drum away forever. No challenges here. But like with the other modes, you can select different drum samples. So if you dig 80’s electronic drum sounds - and wanted to try and re-create your own cover of a certain Rick Astley song - no one will stop you. Interestingly enough, you can also play music from your hard drive to drum along with. The only bummer is there is no way to record what you’ve done in-game to send to friends. So expect a lot of Youtube videos this fall.

Overall, Drum Trainer mode is a lot more robust than I though it would be. I hope they consider adding more preview beats to try and master. Oh, if you were wondering if you got any sort of reward for completing this. Probably not, though, I was told there might be an achievement. But the point of this mode isn’t really to compete, however. So don’t be afraid to think you might be missing out on something by not completing it.

Battle of the Bands
We’ve heard about how awesome Battle of the Bands mode will be. Everyday (yes, even on Sunday) there will be new, automatically downloaded set list challenge for you or your band to try and win against others across the globe on the ranked leader boards. Each challenge has a set number of rules, conditions along with a time limit (usually a few days) and a set difficulty.

Some challenges will simply make you compete for the highest score while others may want the most stars. Others allow No Fail mode or only allow certain instruments, for example. So there doesn’t seem to be any limit with what crazy rules or set lists they might implement. If you win challenges, they will appear in your fancy “winner” tab to scroll through. If someone passes your score while the challenge is still in play, you’ll receive a notice via XBL or e-mail letting you know you’ve been passed.

When you play a challenge, you pick someone on the leader board whom you want to try and beat (probably the current leader or someone on your friends list). During the song, a ‘tug-of-war’ indicator appears at the top showing who’s winning score-wise. Only the opponent’s finals score appears on screen, so there’s no ghost-play over top yours or anything. But don't worry, you’ll still know when you’re sucking.

Will new DLC songs be available to play in challenges, too? You bet.

If you decide not to purchase any new songs, the challenges containing the DLC will still appear, but you’ll be prompted to purchase the song(s) if you want to play. This goes for your other band members, as well. Cool indeed, but I can’t help but think if this was the true motivation behind this particular feature. What better way to sell your DLC than to offer incentives? Besides Harmonix’s apparent obsession with wanting to print money, this really hasn’t been done before on a console game, so even they aren’t sure how it’s going to turn out.

Creating Set Lists
While you can create set lists to play so you don’t have to stop at the end of each track like before, there appears to be no way of actually saving the list to go back to later. This baffles me. So you’ll have to keep selecting the same collection of songs over and over again if you find a great list to jam out to later. John Drake from Harmonix did say, however, that they’re always open to fan feedback, and if it’s a feature they get enough response for, they’ll consider patching it in. So go bug them.

The Peripherals
There are new and improved guitars this time around. All the instruments are sturdier and all wireless, including the drums. The guitar is pretty much the same, with the exception of a new wood grain look and a sensor to test playback lag. The drum foot pedal stays attached to the drums and features quieter heads. I still think they sound pretty loud, but you can always continue to wrap tissues around the drumstick heads. If you want to continue to give Harmonix your money, there will be plenty of drum add-ons for you to pony up for, like cymbals and a double-bass pedal.

Rock Band 1 Disc Transfer
All previously bought DLC is backwards compatible, but what about the songs on the first Rock Band disc? This was a topic I needed clarification on. How is this going to work? OK, so there will be an update for Rock Band 1 that will ask if you want transfers ‘most’ of your songs on the disc to your hard drive. In order to transfer ‘most’ Rock Band songs into Rock Band 2, you’ll need to pay a one-time fee – they are saying less than $5 – and you’ll be given a software key to enter in and it will work.

So will you have to actually ‘own’ a copy of the original Rock Band game to do this?

No.

There appears, as of now, no DRM tracking on anything to indicate you rightfully own the disc you want to export. So if you missed out on the Rock Band party last year and want to play the old songs, too, all you have to do is rent a copy or borrow someone else’s. It doesn’t seem Harmonix isn’t too concerned, however, as they’re happy you already paid the licensing fee and bought Rock Band 2!

PS3 and Wii Versions
I was only demoed the 360 version., but Harmonix still isn't talking about the other versions. There’s no indication, however, anything will change with PS3 copy, as I don’t see any problems implementing the feature sets across the two platforms.

But what about the Wii version? Harmonix already complained about there not being a hard drive. And they recently said the Wii version will be “fully featured.” I just don’t see how any of the best parts in Rock Band 2 are done on the Wii without some storage solution. Harmonix said they’d make announcements for both the PS3 and Wii version soon. Will there be a stand alone hard drive? Maybe an exclusive Rock Band 2 pack-in? We'll soon find out.

The wireless keyboard also features a touchpad mode to allow for mouse input. David Reeves, president of SCEE, said that this touchpad control mode may be used in future game development.

The keyboard will ship in eight configurations in Europe to support the numerous languages and keyboard types in the continent.

Price? Just 499 Euro, with 70 Euro worth of downloadable content out of the box.

Visually, the new PSP 3000 is nearly identical to previous iterations.

It will ship with eight bundles, with pack-ins featuring Harry Potter, Buzz Master Quiz and more. Each bundle will be priced at 199 Euros.

Yasuda has been at the center of the Itagaki vs. Tecmo legal suit. Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki is suing for unpaid DoA 4 wages. These were "special incentive" wages that Itagaki claims were agreed to by the former Tecmo president and the board of directors, but the current president is claiming these "special incentive" wages were made single-handedly by the former president and not approved by the Tecmo board.

As we posted earlier, Itagaki left Tecmo and filed suit for unpaid bonuses. As Itagaki stated then, "President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me 'if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it.'"

During the court proceedings, evidence was presented, such as this secret audio tape that we broke, which contained statements by Yasuda that seemed in direct conflict with his court claim that this "special incentives" proposal was made single-handedly by the former president and not approved by the Tecmo board. The recording helps support Itagaki's claim that his special incentive bonus was approved by Tecmo's former president and the board of directors, and that the current president knows this, contradicting himself.

Besides this, Yasuda was embroiled in a totally separate lawsuit filed by other Tecmo employees as well — Hiroaki Ozawa and co-plaintiff Tatsuki Tsunoda. Ozawa is the Tecmo Labor Union leader and Ninja Gaiden 2 lead engineer, while Tsunoda is the Ninja Gaiden 2 level design lead. According to the suit, the workers were illegally placed on a "flexible hours" work scheme where overtime was not paid.

Because of this dubious employment structure, overtime for the employees exceeded over 100 hours per month in unpaid overtime. The evidence the plaintiffs submitted in their suit seems to indicate that Yoshimi Yasuda falsified contracts relating to overtime work, illegally withholding payment of wages to 300 employees over the course of the past 2 years. Despite Yasuda’s direct involvement with this deception, he attempted to shift responsibility by claiming that this was the fault of the founder and former chairman of Tecmo, now deceased, stating he was told not to hold an election and just pick someone to head the Tecmo Labor Union.

Sounds like Kakihara has a lot of work ahead of him starting September 1st. Official press release below:

代表取締役の異動に関するお知らせ

当社は、平成20年８月20日開催の取締役会において、下記の通り代表取締役の異動について内定いたしましたのでお知らせいたします。

記

１．異動内容
新役職名 氏 名 旧役職名
代表取締役会長兼社長 柿原 康晴 代表取締役会長
辞任 安田 善巳 代表取締役社長

（２）異動の理由
本日開催の取締役会において、安田代表取締役社長より、一身上の都合により代表取締役
社長並びに取締役を辞任したい旨の申し出があり、取締役会はこれを受理いたしました。

（３）異動予定日
平成20年９月１日

（４）新任代表取締役会長兼社長の氏名、略歴
新役職名 代表取締役会長兼社長
氏 名 柿原 康晴（かきはら やすはる）
生年月日 昭和45年12月30日（38歳）
出 身 地 千葉県
略 歴 平成元年３月 渋谷教育学園幕張高等学校卒業
平成11年３月 獨協医科大学卒業
平成11年５月 獨協医科大学附属病院第２外科 臨床研修医として勤務
平成12年10月 （財）癌研究会附属病院勤務臨床研修医として勤務
平成13年５月 獨協医科大学附属病院第２外科勤務
平成13年６月 当社監査役に就任
平成16年６月 当社取締役に就任
平成18年３月 当社取締役退任
平成18年３月 テクモウェーブ株式会社取締役に就任（現任）
平成18年10月 当社経営委員会委員長に就任
平成19年３月 当社代表取締役会長（現任）

以 上

Also announced was the appearance of Kelly Hu, who will join Gina Carano and Gemma Atkinson as the Empire of the Rising Sun's obligatory sexpot. EA's definitely going straight for the groin with this one.

Finally, in the cinematic trailer shown at Leipzig, it appears that Peter Stormare will play a part in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. Oh snap!

We've translated the full statement after the jump.

To all customers

We truly thank you for all your patronage in the past.

Currently, the Xbox 360 is sold out, and retailers are unable to restock their supply. This is a result of our own sales targets being exceeded by the actual customer sales. We deeply apologize for this inconvenience to our customers, retailers and business partners.

Here at Microsoft, we are moving forward quickly with console production, and plan to ship the standard Xbox 360 model out this September. Furthermore, we will sequentially be shipping out the Elite and the Arcade models. We ask that you please patiently wait until the console is shipped.

We truly thank you for your patronage hereafter.

Microsoft
Home and Entertainment HQ

Official Statement [Microsoft Japan]

“It’s all about defining your riding style and crafting the line that suits you,” said Peter Anthony Chiodo (“Tony”), Destineer’s Director of Product Development. “Stoked leaves well-worn resorts behind and gives players absolute freedom to ride wherever they want and trick off of anything they can find in some of the most famous backcountry locations the world has to offer. Gameplay is focused on style and finesse, not button mashing; Destineer and Bongfish have created a game that looks and plays like a snowboarding movie.”

Adds Patrick “Brusti” Armbruster, co-founder of Absinthe Films: “Developing a snowboard video game has always been a dream of mine. There are endless synergies between a snowboard film production and a game developer that were just waiting to be activated. Bongfish and Destineer have realized this potential, and have shown a real passion for snowboarding, and together we’ve worked to bring snowboarding luminaries from across the planet together for this project.”

Stoked includes five famous mountains featuring over 45 square miles of open terrain in each location, hidden drop points for helicopter starts, dynamic weather, multiplayer support and tons of real world pro riders. Among the list: Travis Rice, Nicolas Mueller, Wolle Nyvelt, Annie Boulanger, Romain de Marchi, Tadashi Fuse, Gigi Ruef, and Bjorn Leines.

Stoked is scheduled for release in November. More details on the jump as well as a chunky gallery.

Ride your way to fame as a professional snowboarder! Destineer Announces ‘Stoked’ for Xbox 360

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – August 20, 2008 – Hit the mountains on your quest to become the next snowboarding phenomenon in Stoked, the open-world, back country snowboarding experience from Destineer and developer Bongfish GmbH. Coming exclusively to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in November, Stoked features five huge open-world mountains, changing weather patterns, and the sponsorship and cooperation of some of the most respected and influential names in the sport.

Developed in conjunction with world-renowned snowboarding movie creator Absinthe Films, Stoked captures the pioneering spirit of professional back country riders. Exhilarating snowboarding experiences are born from dynamic backcountry conditions. The riders who brave and master these conditions are the stuff of legend in Absinthe videos and the pages of snowboarding magazines. The look and style of these riders are emulated across the world. In Stoked, it’s your turn to become a legendary rider and wow the world on Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network by becoming an absolute snowboarding phenomenon.

“It’s all about defining your riding style and crafting the line that suits you,” said Peter Anthony Chiodo (“Tony”), Destineer’s Director of Product Development. “Stoked leaves well-worn resorts behind and gives players absolute freedom to ride wherever they want and trick off of anything they can find in some of the most famous backcountry locations the world has to offer. Gameplay is focused on style and finesse, not button mashing; Destineer and Bongfish have created a game that looks and plays like a snowboarding movie.”

Adds Patrick “Brusti” Armbruster, co-founder of Absinthe Films: “Developing a snowboard video game has always been a dream of mine. There are endless synergies between a snowboard film production and a game developer that were just waiting to be activated. Bongfish and Destineer have realized this potential, and have shown a real passion for snowboarding, and together we’ve worked to bring snowboarding luminaries from across the planet together for this project.”

In Stoked, craft a snowboarding career with your own customizable style and ride five famous mountains featuring over 45 square miles of open terrain in each location. Discover new drop points by helicopter. Dynamic and ever-evolving weather conditions await riders as they choose where they ride and what they ride in by tracking conditions that suit their tastes.

Riders get instant drop in access to multiplayer action where they team up with friends to create a wide variety of riding experiences, both cooperative and competitive. Players can also go up against other riders on Xbox LIVE in a series of sponsored events to boost their fame!

Stoked features some of the most influential professional riders in the world: Travis Rice, Nicolas Mueller, Wolle Nyvelt, Annie Boulanger, Romain de Marchi, Tadashi Fuse, Gigi Ruef, and Bjorn Leines. An impressive line up of 30 authentic sponsors also appear in Stoked including but not limited to: Burton, Dragon, Arcus, Von Zipper, Eleven, 686, Billabong, DaKine, Electric, LibTech, Nitro, Northwave, Oakley, Quiksilver, Ride, Hart, Rome, Salomon, TechNine, Vans, Volcom, and more!

Own trick spots, show up rivals, and build your reputation. Take pictures of friends and capture video of your best moves to win the kind of attention that lands you on the cover of a snowboarding magazine. Conquer massive mountains and carve your path as a snowboarding phenomenon in the deepest, truest backcountry snowboarding video game yet: Stoked.

Stoked is scheduled for release in November of 2008. For more information, please visit www.destineerstudios.com.

That's right, Mad Catz are making the Street Fighter IV fighting sticks. I hope that makes you as nervous as that makes me. I've never been a big fan of Street Fighter on a console. Why? Because frankly it's not a game meant for console gaming. Sure you can play around with it at home, but SF is a arcade cabinet game and it always will be. Don't bother arguing with me, I will stubbornly refuse to listen and may even start making blah, blah, blah noises.

So when I started talking to the Capcom folks about Street Fighter IV (Ok, gushing), I told them how I fully expect the console version to suck. Really suck. No Brian, they told me, that's not true. Wait until you see the controllers. They're really going to be something special. Then comes the news today, Mad Catz is making them. Lies, LIES, I tell you. But after a bit of hyperventilating I touched base with some friends in the know and have been reassured (at least they tried to) that the controllers are still going to be filled with delicious awesome.

I wait, arms crossed sternly in front of chest, to be surprised.

Press Release: Mad Catz to make Street Fighter IV line of controllers

SAN DIEGO - (Business Wire) Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ), a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, announced today that it has secured a license from Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of videogames, to produce branded controllers and accessories based on the Street Fighter® IV, Bionic Commando® and Resident Evil® 5 videogame properties. The agreement gives Mad Catz North American and European rights to a range of accessories for all current videogame platforms, including the PC.

“We are excited to partner with Capcom to create branded controllers and accessories based on three of the videogame industry’s most popular and enduring franchises,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “We look forward to offering unique and exciting accessories to fans of these games, as we continue to grow and diversify what we believe to be the industry’s leading portfolio of branded videogame accessories.”

“This is a real collaboration between Mad Catz and Capcom,” said Germaine Gioia, senior vice president, licensing, Capcom. “We are developing a broad variety of game peripherals for a wide game-playing audience — from the casual to the most loyal, core fan. These innovative peripherals will maximize the overall experience that comes from playing Capcom games.”

About Mad Catz Interactive, Inc.

Mad Catz is a global leader in providing innovative peripherals for the interactive entertainment industry. Mad Catz designs and markets accessories for videogame systems and publishes videogame software, including the industry-leading GameShark videogame enhancements, under its Mad Catz, GameShark and Joytech brands. Mad Catz also designs and markets mice, keyboards, headsets, PC gaming controllers and other PC peripherals through its Saitek brand, and develops, manufactures and markets proprietary portable earphones under its AirDrives brand. Mad Catz distributes its products through most of the leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices across Canada, Europe and Asia. For additional information please go to www.madcatz.com, as well as www.gameshark.com, www.airdrives.com, www.saitek.com and www.joytech.net.

Hit the jump for our Epic Frankenreview.

The Guardian
The Guardian did not provide a score or grade.
I've tried to love Too Human, I really have. For a start action role playing games - think Diablo 2 etc - are rarely found on the consoles. And those that are tend to emphasise the hack and slash action over the deeper character development stuff. Too Human has skill trees, levelling, looting, big guns, co-op - heck, this should be great, right? Sadly not. Repetitive action, bland graphics, iffy controls, technical glitches - for a game that has been in development for years this is unforgivable. Or maybe the protracted birth explains the game's flaws? The clumsy inventory and general lack of interface polish are possibly symptomatic of an overly inward looking development process. Or maybe I've been spoilt by the likes of WoW? But with the amount of inventory management that Too Human requires you'll wish there was a more elegant solution.

NZ Gamer
Presented in-engine, the cinematics are horrible. They are poorly scripted, poorly animated (for the most part) and just downright painful to watch. Much ado was made about the cinematic capabilities of Too Human, with Denis Dyack (the head cheese at Sillicon Knights, the studio behind Too Human) talking about how this was the next step in story telling and would really blow people away. One can only assume that the good stuff got left on the cutting room floor because what shipped in the title really is quite poor - garishly so compared to the likes of Heavenly Sword, but even old PS2 games like Tomb Raider would have beaten this presentation hands down. It's unfortunate but it's hardly a show stopper - you don't even see them at all in multiplayer, which is where most hardcore players will spend most of their time.

GamePro
Baldur maybe a little bland and walks around like he's got something pointy in his boots but put a crowd of enemies in front of him and he suddenly turns into an Olympic speed-skater. With simple rotations of the analog sticks, you can send Baldur flying across the screen like an angry hornet, doling out punishment with bright sparks and the satisfying clank of metal on metal. The combat system is pretty slick, letting you launch guys into the air and then juggle them with gunfire to rack up combo points for devastating "ruiner" attacks, or leap up to get out of the fray and bash them silly. I personally loved every minute of it. The targeting system is less helpful when using guns because it stubbornly "sticks" to one particular enemy when you're frantically trying to target another, but the action is intense and enjoyable nonetheless.

The HD Room
Is Too Human a dismissible "hack and slash" best eternally shelved with the likes of Kingdom Under Fire as reported from E3 2006? At times in the thick of battle it sure feels like it. But even when staleness creeps into combat and urges to "save and quit" grow, there’s the enticing payoff of leveling up one more time in the quest to reach level 50 or trigger the next extensive cut-scene unraveling a story on-par with, or better than, most of what airs on the Sci-Fi Channel. Diablo may continue to skirt around ever appearing on Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, but Too Human is finally here and has a legitimate shot at successfully picking up some of the big production action/RPG-on-consoles slack.

GameSpot
Too Human drops a juicy plot development at the most inopportune time: its very end. It's the obvious manner of setting up a sequel, the infamous "to be continued..." we've come to expect from television shows and, yes, even some modern video games. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it exemplifies the core experience of this action/role-playing hybrid. Too Human is a game of false starts and unrealized potential that infiltrate almost every aspect of the game, from story, to combat, to balance. Its elements feel stitched together, making for a patchwork quilt of a game that's fraying at the seams.

Our review won't run until later this week because we've decided not to review the review code which was sent out early but with several notes that it didn't represent the final and completely polished product. Instead I'm just finishing up the final, boxed retail code (my second full time through the game) and will be posting our review later this week.

Developed by 2K Marin, 2K Boston, 2K Australia and Digital Extremes, the Playstation 3 version of the game includes new content that "augments and extend the experience in exciting ways."

"We are proud to introduce 2K Games' showcase title, BioShock, to an entirely new audience," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "With the addition of the new Add-On Game Content we are able to extend the award-winning adventure while maintaining the perfect harmony that millions of players around the world have fallen in love with."

New features include a Survivor difficulty mode, trophy support and add-on game content. The PS3 version also gets Challenge Rooms, by way of downloadable content after launch, which requires gamers to "utilize the knowledge and skills they have learned while traversing the halls of Rapture."

Make sure to check back this week when we get a chance to check out the first Challenge Room in person at the Games Convention in Leipzig.

2K Games Announces Release Date for BioShock® for PLAYSTATION®3 System
Genetically enhanced PLAYSTATION 3 system version of BioShock to debut in North America on October 21

New York, NY – August 19, 2008 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that BioShock® for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system will be available at retailers in North America on October 21 and internationally on October 24. Developed by 2K Marin, 2K Boston, 2K Australia and Digital Extremes, BioShock for the PLAYSTATION 3 system contains all-new content that augments and extends the experience in exciting ways.

"We are proud to introduce 2K Games' showcase title, BioShock, to an entirely new audience," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "With the addition of the new Add-On Game Content we are able to extend the award-winning adventure while maintaining the perfect harmony that millions of players around the world have fallen in love with."

Headlining the list of new features is the inclusion of the Survivor difficulty mode, Trophy support and the addition of all-new Add-On Game Content. Created exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 system version of BioShock, the Challenge Rooms will test the mettle of new and seasoned gamers by requiring them to utilize the knowledge and skills they have learned while traversing the halls of Rapture. The first Challenge Room will be viewable by appointment at Games Convention 2008 (CCL, Level 0, A02/1 + A02/2) from August 20 to August 24 and will be available for download shortly after launch.

BioShock is a narrative-driven action experience that allows players to do the impossible as they journey through an amazing, immersive and terrifying world. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically mutated citizens, the player will come to grips with the mysterious and fascinating world of Rapture, a distinct Art Deco underwater utopia gone mad. BioShock not only challenges players' capacity to adapt and survive, but brings to question their values and relationships with the inhabitants of Rapture. With smart and adaptive AI, no encounter ever plays out the same way twice, while numerous customization options provide gamers with an experience that adapts to their playing style.

BioShock for the PLAYSTATION 3 system will be available at North American and international retailers on October 21 and October 24, respectively, and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. Available now on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and Games for Windows® platforms, BioShock was the recipient of more than 50 Game of the Year awards from well-known outlets such as the Associated Press, Game Informer and Paste Magazine.

For additional details, visit www.bioshockgame.com.

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox 360® and Xbox® video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play, and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Because Chop Till You Drop runs on the Resident Evil 4 Wii engine, the controls feel similar — differing mostly in the pacing, since Resident Evil is, in most cases, a slower shooter, while Dead Rising's a faster beat-em-up/shooter/choose-your-own-adventure-through-the-crowd game. That means you hold down a button and point the Wii Remote to shoot, and you can choose between pressing the A button or flicking the Wii-mote for an up-close attack.

...The game features multiple save slots and eschews the 360 version's 72-hour countdown clock. Time matters on a mission-by-mission basis rather than for the overall story — which, according to [Capcom marketing manager Colin] Ferris, means it's very likely players will be able to successfully complete the game their first time through. We don't know the full extent of what Capcom refers to as this new "episodic" structure (specifically, how players will have to balance saving civilians with completing the main story), but the goal on the development side is for a mostly "linear" progression, which seems like a nod to the large mainstream contingent of the Wii's audience.

Gameplay clip below.

First Dead Rising Wii Video and Hands-on [1up]

Joshua Larson, Joshua Larson, Josh Larson? That's right, at CNET he was involved in GameSpot business strategy, and he was apparently involved in the site's "Gerstmann-gate" brouhaha. This controversy supposedly lead to the controversial firing of long-time staffer Jeff Gerstmann (pictured0. After that incident, other senior GameSpotters like Frank Provo, Brad Shoemaker, Ryan Davis and Jason Ocampo all left the site. Josh Larson was sacked last April. According to an anonymous "gamespot" commented at sister site Valleywag, Larson was "a suit [...] who had no editorial experience and was only involved on the business side of things."

And now Joshua Larson is working in advertising. In-game advertising. Why was he ever working in editorial?

GameSpot's 'Gerstmann-gate' VP Heads to Double Fusion [GameDaily] [Pic]

Tony Scott was attached to Midway's canceled Career Criminal game [Variety] [Pic]

You might think Nerf N-Strike would be just one more nail in the coffin, but I’m pleased to report after my hands-on time that the game and its flashy controller that it is actually not made of suck. In fact, it’s almost the opposite of suck with it’s old school on-rails gameplay and simplistic graphics. If you liked the last Time Crisis or are looking for a bloodless version of it, Nerf just might be your thing.

One downside: a Nerf video game is a contradiction. It’s not really a Nerf “game” until somebody’s caught one of those foam and rubber darts in the eye and gone crying home crying, doing that little fake limp despite having taken it to the face.

As if in response to this unspoken criticism, EA set up a mega-huge Nerf gun at the event right outside the demo hall for people to shoot. Early in the day, they were all militant about where you could point that thing – targets only, one person at the gun at a time, etc. But by the end of the day, after the PR peeps had a few drinks in them, some EA higher-ups (who shall go unnamed) aimed the gun at the bar and started taking pot shots at abandoned cocktail glasses. One guy managed to land a dart in a martini glass before the gun manager broke it up and started putting the huge apparatus away.

Check it out for yourself:

First up was My Sims because I got it confused with My Sims Kingdom. My Sims is already out on Wii but the upcoming PC release introduces new community features (like shared Gardens where you can hang out) and six new character NPCs that sort of (but not really) tie into My Sims Kingdom. My Sims on PC looked to be more user-friendly for the builders among you than it was on Wii (or maybe I say that because I’m a klutz with the Wii Remote) and I noticed that the terrain now has different elevations. Terraced garden, here I come.

After extricating myself from My Sims, I immediately tumbled into My Sims Kingdom. This is essentially the same as My Sims on the Wii – only there’s a plot and tons of RPG elements tossed in. It almost reminded me of Little King’s Story or My Life as a King – one of those cutesy RPGs with a twist. In this case, it’s the building gameplay. The whole story is that you’re customizable character graduates from lowly pig farmer to King’s Builder and are given a wand to go around the kingdom, building stuff and making things happen by talking to people. The kingdom is broken up into different islands, each with its own theme. We got to see the home base island where the king’s castle needed some bridge-building and later a space island where we got to build a rocket ship. Unicorns, fishing, and princess fill out the fantasy storyline and if you’re a kid, or a girl, or can swallow your testosterone long enough to play the game, it’ll probably charm you senseless for at least a couple of hours.

I hit a wall with My Sims Kingdom when I was told they weren’t ready to unveil Drama Island yet (damn!), so I moved on to SimCity Creator and had a tough choice to make: DS or Wii version? I opted for the DS demo and got a nice look at the Challenge Mode where you’ve got to play through the Ages to win. The guy running the demo took me from the Stone Age where people are incapable of using possessive pronouns through Ancient China with its awesome pagodas into Industrial Revolution Europe where we had to figure out where to put the oh-so-cancerous coal mines for the sake of electricity. The graphics were typical SimCity dull, but the promise of a “Future Age” after completing Challenge Mode had me wondering if there’d be teleporters and rockets and stuff…

I would have stuck around to see, but Challenge Mode would easily take the rest of the afternoon to complete, so I got up to dash to for another game before the demo hall closed when the guy running the Wii version called, “Wait, what about me?”

I’m a bleeding heart, despite my foul mouth, so I turned to the guy and said, “You’ve got three minutes.”

He jumped right in: “Curvy roads. Godzillas. Natural disasters.”

That got my attention. I’m the jerk who kills my pregnant sims, after all. “Show me.”

The roads were curvy, all right. And the graphics were head and shoulder over any SimCity game I’ve ever seen, even on PC. And sure enough, there were Godzilla-type monsters and natural disasters you could inflict on your city with the flick of the Wii Remote of the press of a button.

“Awesome.”

And before I realized it, they were closing down the hall and having last call at the bar. So at the very least, these games all hold true with a basic Sims property: they’re like black holes for time.

Here’s what My Sims Kingdom looks like:

And this is SimCity Creator:

I get why I haven’t heard too much: the game is kind of hard to explain. It uses both screens at all times of the game – the upper is the adventure game where you’re Henry Hattsworth and you’ve got some bad guys to take out. The lower screen is the puzzle, a basic block-slider like Bejeweled. The screens are connected in that the enemies you take out up top fall into and become blocks in the puzzle on the bottom. If the block puzzle fills up because you’re too busy adventuring, the baddies climb out of the puzzle and back into the adventure world to attack you.

So, to take out bad guys for good, you’ve got to switch to the block puzzle and move some things around to get rid of the bad guys. The amount of time you can spend puzzling is limited by a time gauge that can only be extended by making good matches and killing more bad guys in the adventure world. By connecting certain blocks in the puzzle, you can also earn bonuses to use in the adventure world, like freezing time, upgrading weapons or activating an invincible robot mode called Tea Time.

I’m really glad to see this kind of game coming from EA – it’s proof that they’re getting away from the sequel-spitting machine model of game making and it also proves that American publishers can come up with original IPs that don’t get all gimmicky with the motion controls. Seriously – you could play through the entire game without even using the stylus.

So keep an eye out for Henry Hattsworth, and if you catch anyone comparing it to Professor Layton, slug ‘em right in the jaw. For me.

The game will be fully playable at the show on Alienware laptops.

“We are ecstatic that NetDevil will be taking Jumpgate to this year’s Penny Arcade Expo. This is an amazing opportunity for visitors to come and try the game still early in its development. We look forward to the game’s showcase at the event and look forward to the hearing the players’ feedback first-hand. We know they will love it!” said Edward Relf, Director, Marketing, Codemasters Online.

I'd be sure to check it out when I'm there. I can't wait to see how much it has improved since my last time with it.

Don't forget to let me know if you want to drive along with me next week on my trek to the show.

I spent a bit of the weekend playing around with them and came away fairly impressed, though their are some things that make using them for honest to goodness gameplay a challenge.

The developers of the toys seem to have spent quite a bit of time incorporating a Halo 3 flavor into not just the way the devices look, but how they operate.

Each post has a trigger and a reload button. The guns, according to the instruction manual, can fire off 50 regular shots before having to be reloaded, which produces the reload sound from the game. You can also do super shots by holding in the trigger to overheat the gun. Firing off one of these shots takes up a tenth of your ammo and causes the gun to remain overheated for five seconds, meaning you can't fire for a bit.

The side of the guns have a little red light which blinks when you're out of ammo and the front of the gun glows green when it is powered on. The green light flashes brighter when you fire.

The target is a square cube that you latch to your pants or what have you. The front of the target is a big red circle that flashes red when a hit is scored. Underneath the red circle is a green light bar made up of what appears to be six LEDs. Each time you take a hit one of the LEDs blink out. If you get hit with an overcharged shot you lose half of your LEDs. This shield indicator will actually start to recharge if you're not hit for 20 seconds.

When your shield totally depleted the target says "game over" in the voice from Halo 3 and then five seconds later, it reactivates and says "Slayer". Both add a really neat touch of virtual realism to the game.

While I like the design of the weapons and how accurately the targets both track score and represent death, there are some issues.

First off having a single target makes it hard to play a true game of Halo 3. You can't shoot someone from behind, or the side and it's easy to have the target accidentally or purposefully covered. I know this is more of an issue that laser tag games face, but it would have been nice if the Halo 3 set included two targets, one for the front and one for the back.

Another issue is that the gun isn't in anyway linked to the target, which means you can keep shooting even after you are killed which results in a lot of hard-to-call, down-to-the-line battles.

Finally, I wish they had incorporated vibration in the pistols. It's a minor thing, but an overcharging Covenant pistol isn't an overcharging Covenant pistol unless it's about to shake right out of my hand. The Plasma pistol sold on it's own not only vibrates, it has a vent that pops open after a overcharge shot is fired. It also has an digital display of ammo left.

One thing I suppose people could do is play dual-wielding Halo 3 laser tag and buy one of these two-player packs for each person. That way they'd get two pistols and two targets, one to wear on the front and one to wear on the back. Personally, I think the targets should be worn on some sort of harness or something that allows it to be located at chest and back level, but that's totally doable to.

Final verdict? The guns are a ton of fun to play with, sure the ones sold individually have more bells and whistles, but if you're looking for something fun to play around with in a darkened office or outside at night, these are probably worth the $40. Now if only Jasman sold the target cube's seperately.

Video after the jump!

So. Considering this is a remake of a twenty year-old game, is it worth all this fuss? Worth your time? Your money?

LOVED

Faithful – This is your father’s Bionic Commando. You’re still swinging between platforms in a 2D world, you’re still playing through a bad 80's action movie (which is good), there still aren’t many games that can really nail the joy you get from stringing together a series of perfect hook-shots to traverse a tricky sequence of ledges.

Spit & Polish - While it plays like your father’s Bionic Commando, it doesn’t look like it. The locations and designs will appear familiar to fans of the series, what won’t be familiar is how great the game looks with ragdoll characters, hand-drawn backgrounds and a warm haze that makes the whole thing look like it’s been dipped in sweet, delicious caramel.

Love – This is no cheap update, knocked out for the sake of a quick buck. There’s love in this project, a genuine drive to update both the feel of the game and the spirit. From the delightful banter between Spencer and Haley to the intercepted chats between the bumbling imperial troops, we’re presented with a game that not only captures the mechanics of a simpler time, but also the - pardon the misty-eyed reminiscing - innocence.

Bang For Buck – For your $10/$15, you get the core Bionic Commando game. Which is no slouch, especially on Hard. Then consider it’s a gorgeous game with a classy soundtrack. Then consider it’s got both co-op and deathmatch multiplayer (though these are offline-only). Then consider that, unlike the original, Rearmed has over 50 “challenge rooms” that play out like Portal/speed run puzzles, and you’ll realise that you’re getting a lot of game for your money.

HATED
Faithful – Nostalgia’s great, but when you’re recreating a game from 1988, we can do without the shitty parts. Anyone who hasn’t played the original will wonder why a super soldier, capable of superhuman feats, can’t...jump. Not even to get over a small barrel. And anyone who has played the original will wonder why the swinging collision mechanics are still so woeful, leading to many frustrating and unnecessary deaths during the game’s trickier platforming sections.

Digital Controls – We reviewed the game on the 360 (though we have also played it on PS3). And by God, Street Fighter aside there’s never been a game to make you hate the console’s awful d-pad as much as this one. You will die, and die often, because the mashy pad sends your arm in a direction you don’t want it to go. If you own both consoles, you’ll want the PS3 one, just for this (that and the PS3 version's a tiny bit slicker).

You really should go get this. Get it because it's a polished, challenging experience, which is one of the best downloadable titles (at least on console) we've yet seen. Get it because it takes the soul of a classic game, yanks it out of the grave and puts it in a sexy new body. Get it because Capcom deserve to be rewarded for not just re-releasing a classic, but releasing it in a way that, twenty years on, once again makes it relevant.

Bionic Commando Rearmed was developed by GRIN & Capcom, and published by Capcom. Released on August 13 on Xbox Live Arcade, August 14 on PlayStation Network & PC. Priced at 800 Microsoft Points/USD$10 on console, USD$15 on PC. Reviewed on Xbox 360. Played to completion of main storyline.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Well, he said it was nice - he hasn't said much since the cremation, but I suppose that sort of thing would leave anyone speechless. The fact that he spoke at all after being born in Germany immediately following a rather nasty war is a comforting fact. If an infant can survive post World War II Germany relatively unscathed, I should have no problem surviving really really-post WWII Germany, what with my being a completely grown man perfectly capable of taking an infant in unarmed combat.

As you read this I am nervously sitting in an airport, preparing to take my first steps outside of the continental United States in order to aid Kotaku's Mike collective (McWhertor and I) in covering Games Convention 2008 in Leipzig. Soon my 6'6" frame will be crammed into a tiny seat in a metal tube shooting across the Atlantic towards my father's birth country, and while a great deal of this trip is for you people, I'm saving just a tiny bit of it for myself.

See you all in Germany!

EA says they've decided to let their latest offer to buy up Take-Two lock stock and, well stock at $25.74 a share expire at midnight tonight, but only because they don't think they would have the time anymore to dress up their new acquisition and parade her around for the holidays. In exchange, Take-Two is promising to stop by Electronic Arts one of these days and show EA just how super awesome they are, but only if they don't tell anyone.

I expect one of them to get totally drunk come Christmas and spill all of the beans over a ham dinner.

EA Negotiating NDA to Obtain Limited Due Diligence Tender Offer to Expire Monday, August 18, 2008, on its Terms

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aug. 18, 2008—Electronic Arts Inc. ("EA") (NASDAQ:ERTS) today issued an update on its offer to acquire Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. ("Take-Two") (NASDAQ:TTWO).

On Friday August 15, John Riccitiello, Chief Executive Officer of EA, called Strauss Zelnick, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Take-Two, to discuss EA's offer to acquire Take-Two. Following discussions over the weekend between EA and Take-Two, EA accepted Take-Two's offer to provide a management presentation to EA containing non-public information. The letters between the parties are set forth below.

EA also announced that it will allow its tender offer for all of the currently outstanding shares of common stock (including the associated preferred stock purchase rights) of Take-Two to expire on Monday, August 18, 2008 at 11:59 p.m., New York City time.

As previously reported, the Federal Trade Commission is scheduled to complete its antitrust review of the proposed transaction by August 21. EA remains confident that antitrust issues will not prevent or delay a transaction.

Below is the text of the letter sent today by Mr. Riccitiello to Mr. Zelnick:

August 18, 2008

Mr. Strauss Zelnick
Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
622 Broadway
New York, NY 10012

Dear Strauss:

Thank you for taking my call on Friday and for your response letter
on August 17, 2008.

As discussed on Friday, given the passage of time, we have to
validate the assumptions used in the model to support our offer
price of $25.74 per share in cash. In addition, we no longer believe
we can integrate Take-Two ahead of the important holiday season.
Accordingly, we require due diligence to support a transaction and
are therefore letting the tender offer expire tonight. However, we
are pleased to accept your offer to review your management
presentation as outlined in your letter.

We continue to have great respect for Take-Two's creative teams and
products and are hopeful that we can work together to reach a
mutually agreed transaction.

Sincerely,

/s/ John Riccitiello
John Riccitiello
Chief Executive Officer

Below is the text of the letter sent yesterday by Mr. Zelnick to Mr. Riccitiello:

August 17, 2008

Mr. John S. Riccitiello
Chief Executive Officer
Electronic Arts Inc.
209 Redwood Shores Parkway
Redwood City, CA 94065

Dear John:

Thank you for your recent expression of interest for Electronic Arts
Inc. ("EA") to participate in Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.'s
(the "Company") formal process to evaluate the Company's strategic
alternatives. As you know, we have been willing to have EA
participate in this process following the successful launch of GTA
IV, and we are happy to include EA now.

As I mentioned when we spoke on Friday, our process begins with an
in-depth management presentation. The Company has made significant
strides since EA first expressed interest in the Company and this
presentation includes material non-public information to which you
would not otherwise have access, including information relating to
our three year product release schedule and management's financial
projections. The presentation also includes information about the
underlying factors that have driven our strong operational and
financial performance. I believe our presentation will enable you to
understand better the value of our Company to EA.

Prior to the management presentation, we will only require EA to
enter into a confidentiality agreement. The agreement would be
limited to provisions required to comply with federal securities
laws and to ensure the Company's ability to protect the
confidentiality of the information shared with you. I can assure you
that this requirement is the same as or more favorable to EA than
that which we have employed with all other participants in the
process.

We understand that a number of months have passed since you first
expressed interest in the Company and, accordingly, we will act
quickly to assist you in moving through our process. Once we execute
a confidentiality agreement, we are prepared to schedule the
management presentation immediately.

With my best personal regards.

Sincerely,

/s/ Strauss Zelnick
Strauss Zelnick
Executive Chairman of the Board

EA's tender offer for all of the currently outstanding shares of common stock (including the associated preferred stock purchase rights) of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. ("Take-Two") (NASDAQ:TTWO) will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on August 18, 2008.

Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated is acting as the Dealer Manager for the tender offer, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Latham & Watkins are acting as legal counsel, and Georgeson Inc. is acting as Information Agent for the tender offer.

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 SPORTS(TM), EA(TM), EA SPORTS Freestyle(TM) and POGO(TM). 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.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell securities of Take-Two. The offer to purchase or solicitation of offers to sell is being made pursuant to a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO (including the Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and other related offer documents) filed by EA and EA08 Acquisition Corp. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on March 13, 2008. Before making any decision with respect to the offer, Take-Two stockholders are advised to read these documents, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time, and any other documents relating to the tender offer that are filed with the SEC carefully and in their entirety because they contain important information, including the terms and conditions of the offer. These documents may be obtained at no charge by directing a request by mail to Georgeson, Inc., 199 Water Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10038, or by calling toll-free at (800) 213-0473, and may also be obtained at no charge at the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

Forward Looking Statements

Some statements set forth in this communication, including those regarding EA's offer to acquire Take-Two and the expected impact of the acquisition on EA's strategic and operational plans and financial results, contain forward-looking statements that are subject to change. Statements including words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and statements in the future tense are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or actual future results to differ materially from the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements. Some of the factors which could cause results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements include the following: the possibility that EA's offer to acquire Take-Two will not be consummated; the possibility that, even if EA's offer is consummated, the transaction will not close or that the closing may be delayed; the effect of the announcement of the offer on EA's and Take-Two's strategic relationships, operating results and business generally, including the ability to retain key employees; EA's ability to successfully integrate Take-Two's operations and employees; general economic conditions; and other factors described in EA's SEC filings (including EA's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2008). If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes, the offer may not be consummated, the acquisition may not be consummated, the potential benefits of the acquisition may not be realized, EA's and/or Take-Two's operating results and financial performance could suffer, and actual results could differ materially from the expectations described in these forward-looking statements.

All information in this communication is as of the initial date on which this communication was released. EA undertakes no duty to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

It's not just straight-up porn, either. The tease is everywhere. Booth babes. IGN babes. Wii Fit Girl. Bikini models playing Guitar Hero. Jo Garcia. Tera Patrick sexing up Saint's Row. And this freaking site, of course. So I'm not coming to you remonstratively, or remorsefully even. Geeks are no strangers to porn, but I'm wondering if posing a nude girl in the act of sharing your interests — on a giant 20-sided die, humping a Halo helmet — represents an emotional tease that is more powerful than the most explicit picture could ever hope for. Especially since we are, as a class, very easy to separate from our disposable income.

Because that's what this is about, monetizing the tease. (Granted, this post could be said to do the same.) Gamer Fetish, for example, is a cookie-cutter free-porn blog — 10 free pics, link to the for-pay provider, and hope that the subject trips your trigger enough that you'll beg (read: pay $19.95) for more. Even at tiny conversion rates, that kind of subscription charge allows the paysites to throw off enough dough to make sites like Gamer Fetish worth the bother. The site's tone, of course, is to read like your standard geek-interest blog. But the banner ads and the links to paysites are unmistakable in intent.

I'd also argue that this genre encourages its consumers to see nudie pics in a context other than porn, and on some level regard them as more socially acceptable. Not, like, share-them-with-your-8-year-old-cousin acceptable. But a nude woman engaged in a sex act, well, we know where that lives on our hard drive and its not exactly something we're proud to own. This, hey, we're gamers, and there's video game stuff in the frame. It's funny! It's cute! It's the kind of thing I'd feel like I could leave laying around to provoke my girlfriend and not suffer too badly if she was offended.

As for the hardcore stuff, like World of Whorecraft or Rage of Bonan don't think a movie like that appeals to your standard porn connoisseur, who's plunking down his dough for things titled [Random Sex Act]#22, whose production values need to go no further than a bed in a Public Storage garage. These things cost money to