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Prime Time: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Drop Day
It may not hit Europe until late October, but Metroid Prime 3: Corruption finally gets its release. Yes! Soon people will be using their Wiis to play an actual game. It's due in stores today, and the title's website has gone live. There's a new MP3 ad with those Wii-mobile dudes as well as other stuff to click on. Anyone picking this up? Personally, my Wii is starved for Something. Anything. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [Nintendo.com]

Prime Time: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Drop Date
It may not hit Europe until late October, but Metroid Prime 3: Corruption finally gets its release. Yes! Soon people will be using their Wiis to play an actual game. It's due in stores today, and the title's website has gone live. There's a new MP3 ad with those Wii-mobile dudes as well as other stuff to click on. Anyone picking this up? Personally, my Wii is starved for Something. Anything. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [Nintendo.com]

Surprise: Silver DS Coming To Europe?
The silver DS looks lovely. I have one thing on my TGS shopping list, in fact, and it's one of these suckers. Mainly because I imagined they'd be Japan-only for a while, but a Dutch toy store is advertising that the colour scheme's heading to Europe in the fall. Leaves us with two options. One is the retailer's pulling this out their ass. Other is that they weren't meant to advertise this until Nintendo Europe announced it. Knowing how Nintendo Europe roll, my money's on the latter.Exclusief: Zilveren Lite naar Europa [DS-Gamer, via Thomper @ NeoGAF]

Gc07: Leipzig Best In Show Winners Announced
You've read the list of nominees for "Best in Show" from the Leipzig Games Convention. You've thought it through, mulled over the lists, imagined in your head the winners, the losers, the stark contrast between ecstasy and agony. Wonder no more. Here are the winners. The Best in Show.Best PC Game - CrysisBest 360 Game - BioShockBest PSP Game - God of War: Chains of OlympusBest PS2 Game - Pro Evo 2008Best PS3 Game - Pro Evo 2008Best Wii Game - Mario & Sonic at the OlympicsBest DS Game - Eye TrainingBest Online Game - Age of ConanBest Hardware/Accessory - Wii Balance BoardBest Mobile Game - NOBODY. The two entrants (Skate & Medal of Honour Airborne) go home empty-handed, no dbout because both are a bit shit.Before you reach for the angry-commenter button, remember two things: firstly, with regards to Pro Evo. Americans not familiar with it, imagine a game with the cultural impact of Madden, except it was actually very, very good. Secondly, with Mario & Sonic...OK,...

Clip: Japan Gets Its PSP Slim TV Spot
Odd, for an ad out to promote a new product, we don't see much of that product. And hearing about how much lighter something is really isn't all that exciting. Then again, neither is a twisting towel.

Cock Up: Warhawk Download Delayed For Brits
Sorry Britain. Sony have just announced that the game won't be releasing on Tuesday 28 August, because that was wrong. We have just received information that the next PS Store update, which will contain Warhawk, will be Thursday 30th August and not Tuesday 28th August as previously announced. As you know Thursday is the usual day for our PS Store refresh. We are sorry for any inconvenience that the extra 48 hours wait may cause. Two days? For PAL users? Hah, that's like the blinking of an eye. All is well. US readers, don't freak, your download's still on track.WARHAWK LAUNCH MOVED TO AUGUST 30 [Three Speech]

Today's Random News Item: Joust: The Movie: For Real
CP Productions have announced that they're working on a Joust movie. You know Joust. Had jousting, flying ostriches. From that simple premise they've announced the film will be "Gladiator meets Mad Max", and is the first in many gaming adaptations CP will be bringing to both the big-screen and turning into comic books. Producer Christine Peters (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days): This film is the type of action-packed story that appeals to all four quadrants of the movie-going public and we are excited to be in the Midway Games business once again. All four-quadrants? Lady, it's a Joust movie. Good luck with that. But hey, I'm excited. New Hollywood Company Bringing Joust to the Big Screen [GameDaily.biz]

Hooray For Paper: Nerd Magazine Hands On
For someone who works in a digital medium, I still quite like the feel of paper. Sure, it's not practical, it ages and it's expensive. But that's what makes it so great! Finally, I got sent two issues of Otaku USA. I've got articles in both, including one that was a reworking all my Kotaku launch coverage for the Xbox 360, the PS3 and the Wii. How's the rest of the mag? It's actually quite good (like I-would-buy-it good) and filled with exclusive interviews and pics. The mag even comes with a poster and a DVD for you to watch. Nice to see people sticking with the paper. No, really.

Gabe Newell Says: Vista-Only DX10 Was A "Terrible Mistake"
In an interview with German site Heise Online, Gabe Newell has professed his undying love for DX10's Vista exclusivity. Or...he would have, if he actually loved it, instead of hating it. Real bad. He says Microsoft's decision to make the latest DirectX Vista-only has harmed the PC games industry, with few companies bothering to use it since few gamers can take advantage of it. Valve's own, albeit always handy, online surveys revealed only 8% of gamers were using Vista, despite it being over nine months old. To the other 92% - you dig those heels in, Gabe's got your back.Gabe Newell: DirectX 10 for Vista was a mistake [Heise Online, via Shashdot]

Fisher Price: My First NPDs: Console Sales Figures In Easy-To-Follow Graph Form
Hey, fanboys. You talk too much. You're over-reliant on words, and this being the internet, a word-based community/medium, you're cluttering up the place. What you need is a picture, one that can summarise 17 thread pages worth of round-n-round wrangling in a single snap-shot. A picture like this, handily provided by Gamasutra. They've taken the latest NPD figures, compared them to a whole bunch of previous NPD figures, and have charted the lifetime American sales of the Wii, 360 and PS3. So enjoy, and rest easy in the knowledge this just saved you a thousand words.NPD For July 2007: The Gamasutra Analysis [Gamasutra]

Clip: Halo Wars Dev Walkthrough
A nice, long, guided walk through some Halo Wars gameplay. Not much action, but it's nice seeing how this game's actually going to work.

Buy Or Die: Week In Games: Gundam Corruption 08
This week represents a late summer perfect storm of video game release hype. With a series of massive releases hitting store shelves this week, including Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Lair, Blue Dragon and Warhawk, one can hardly believe this is August, not the middle of November.Personally, the only thing on my "buy or die" list is Metroid Prime 3, but with Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix also hitting digital stores this week, I'm sure I'll be plenty busy.Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)Samus is back for another first-person adventure. One of Nintendo's big three for 2007. Do want.Lair (PS3)Factor 5's dragon riding game may not be getting great reviews, but it sure is pretty.Blue Dragon (Xbox 360)Sakaguchi and Microsoft are banking hard on this easy-on-the-eyes RPG.Warhawk (PS3)Incognito's multiplayer-only shooter will be tearing up the network with massive online support.Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (PSP)It's huge in Japan. The game that sells PSPs overseas week after week.Dyna...

Metroid Prime 3: A Box Full Of Corruption
Today I am a man. I spent a good two years watching Crecente unbox happy things at his palatial mountaintop abode with envy in my heart, and now, thanks to convenient GC 07 scheduling, it is my turn. *opens box, takes picture* There you go! Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, a T-shirt several sizes too small for me, and a lapel pin, to symbolize...I dunno, the guy Samus took to the prom. I'll fool around with the game a bit in my very limited free time this evening, and maybe post some impressions tomorrow when you are all too busy buying the game to read them.

Gc07: SingStar Brings Out Goth's Inner Village Person... Kills Him
newVideoPlayer("ymcaguy_gawker.flv", 475, 376);SingStar is HUGE in Germany, like, Hasselhoff huge. Rock Band, Guitar Hero III? People show up, they play with the games, but SingStar draws crowds and, occasionally, a Goth who just wants to smile. Watch as this young man, whose life, I can only imagine, has been dedicated to stern looks and not smiling, finally breaks down and jams to a little YMCA... only to be caught on video. You can almost see his inner child dying at the end there when the smile freezes on his face.

Saw This Coming: COD4 Beta Tokens Gone In Minutes
As expected, Charlie Oscar Delta, the site where beta tokens for Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360 were handed out at 12PM Pacific, was completely swamped and completely unreachable when people slammed into it at the appointed time, hungry for some multiplayer hands-on. Kotakuite Sloopydrew got this message after trying to log in for 33 minutes:"Although Charlie Oscar Delta's Token Codes have been reserved, there will be many more opportunities to get into the Beta! Check back into SITREP often, as we'll be updating the site with information as soon as it's finalized.Now I agree with most of the people from the announcement post earlier that this could have been handled much better. For instance, arming everyone with knives and tossing the beta tokens onto the floor of a football stadium would have been just as painful, only much more entertaining for spectators. All is not lost, however.In the United States and Canada, we are working with GameSpot and GameStop on two new ways...

Gc07: Orcs & Elves DS Hands-On Impressions
Maybe mobile gaming isn't that bad. The id Software port of its Orcs & Elves dungeon crawler, born on the mobile platform now on the Nintendo DS, may force me to reevaluate playing games on my cell phone. After getting what I thought was a second string hands-on assignment from Crecente, I realized that I'm more into first person dungeon crawling RPGs than I had originally thought. Having experienced only a handful over my amateur gaming career—Shining In The Darkness, Phantasy Star, and a handful on Texas Instrument computers whose titles escape me—I realized that a straightforward dungeon hack might be just what I'm looking for next on the Nintendo DS.Fountainhead Entertainment's Orcs & Elves DS may not be much to look at—graphically, it's not much better than id's own Doom—it's actually quite fun to play. Gameplay takes place on the top screen of the Nintendo DS with the bottom screen dedicated to the inventory or, at times,...

Gc07: The Simpsons Game Co-op Hands On Impressions
The Simpsons GameWe sat down with EA's The Simpsons Game at Games Convention, rumps firmly stuffed into the Fatboy beanbags at Microsoft's Xbox 360 beach booth for a bit of split-screen multiplayer with Bart and Lisa. Our co-op adventure took us through a Lisa appropriate themed area, a redwood forest being slashed by a menacing lumber company, complete with foresters armed with back-mounted wood chipper guns.I, as Bart (and Bartman), and Crecente, as Lisa, helped each other overcome obstacles and take down a mechanized lumber processing monster by using our special powers. Bart, armed with an electrified slingshot, took out most of the overall-clad bad guys (which happen to infinitely spawn from a port-a-potty, by the way). Lisa was given puzzle solving duties, using her Buddha palm powers to lift great tree trunks, arrange buzzsaws wedged in trees, and work out pipe puzzles with her all powerful mystical grip. Crecente looked like he was having an easy go of it, while I spent...

Pax 07: A Polite Smattering of Cosplay
PAX isn't exactly brimming with cosplay. Everyone is too busy playing games, grabbing the copious amounts of swag and not showering. But, I did manage to grab a few snaps (along with the help of my friends Chris and Quais) of some of the costumes roaming about. This one here definitely wins my special prize for best cosplay of PAX. When he arrived on the scene, the hall was filled with wolf whistles and catcalls, in fact he may have even been the hottest girl at the show.galleryPost('paxcosplay', 4, 'PAX Cosplay Gallery');

Gc07: Killzone 2 Developer Walkthrough
newVideoPlayer("Killzone2Walkthrough_gawker.flv", 475, 376);Most of us have beheld the beauty of Killzone 2's first level already, but here's the story narrated by the game's developers. Keep your eye out for a few minutes in when they show the look of the game without any filters on their camera. The difference is incredible. Like, they've just made an argument for the color brown in video games, incredible.

Vc Update: Fire Breathing Super Contra Ghosts
As of this writing I've not seen hide nor hair of Nintendo's weekly Virtual Console update press release, so I got up off my ass, walked into the living room and then got back on my ass to see for myself what had been updated, and it isn't a bad selection this week. Kicking it off we have Breath of Fire II for the Super Nintendo (800 points), one of my favorite games from the SNES era of RPGs. I'd daresay a true classic. Next we have Ghouls 'n Ghosts for the Genesis (800 points), the sequel to Ghosts 'n Goblins an prequel to Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Finally we have Super C for the NES (500 points). The sequel to Contra, Super C sees Mad Dog and Scorpion fighting against their former comrades in arms, now possessed by aliens and transformed into horrifying creatures by...you know what? You run, you shoot stuff. It's Contra, before it got kinda crappy. Love on it. There you have it - three excellent titles and not one crappy TurboGrafx 16 title. The PR guys must have been so shocked...

Worldwide Exclusive: Halo 3 The Ride, Hands-On
newVideoPlayer("Halo3TheRide_gawker.flv", 475, 376);by Mark Wilson & Michael McWhertorHere it is everyone—our promised first look at Bungie's highly anticipated Halo 3: The Ride that made its world debut this week in Leipzig. If you have any interest at all in Halo 3: The Ride, it's a worthy watch.

You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round: NPD Numbers: Nintendo's Spin
Nintendo's turn now. And...kinda boring! Lazy, even. Lazy like they're on top and they know it. Though it is smooth. The kind of silky smoothness that comes from knowing you've had this press release written weeks in advance, and don't have to rub anything in your competitor's faces, just repeat the sales charts. Which when you're on top is all you have to do, I guess. Still...even a thinly-veiled flip of the bird would have been nice. Mighta spiced things up a little. Nintendo's full response follows.Did You Know?Nintendo Momentum Pays No Heed to Industry Pricing ShiftsWii emerged as the months best-selling video game system of any type in the United States and achieved its highest weekly sales rates since December, despite pricing shifts in the industry, according to the independent NPD Group and internal Nintendo figures. Wii and Nintendo DS remained the two best-selling video game systems in the United States, with Nintendo hardware outselling all other systems combined.But...

Can't Quit You: Sony Says Develop PS2 Games, Become Billionaire
Sony hasn't given up on the PlayStation 2, so you shouldn't either! Sure, PS3 sales aren't spectacular, but the PS2 continues to perform really well. The console has sold over 100 million units globally since its 2000 launch. PS2 games continue to be released, and there are little signs of support slowing down. SCEE boss David Reeves says:We are committing funds for PS2 ... we encourage third parties to continue development for PS2. If they bring a PS3 version out, they can bring a PS2 version out as well... There is a lot of money still. What happened last time with PS1 is that they left a lot of money on the table by making the transition too quickly... You can set up your external company now, and in the next five years you can become a billionaire just developing for PS2.So remember game developers! You're throwing away money on those Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. Just stick to the DS PS2 and watch the mad profits pour in. PS2 Ain't Dead [Reuters]

Giant David Reeves Face Says: PSP Hard Drive Still A Possibility
So the PSP didn't get a hard drive at E3. Doesn't mean there's not one coming later down the line. Especially after David "I don't need a PR minder" Reeves told Eurogamer that one's not just possible, it's probably probable: I think the big debate is - there's a point in time when you have to put a stake in the ground and say we're going to go with flash memory or we're going to go with hard drive. I don't think they've put that stake in the ground just yet.So they're thinking about it - I think they'll get through Christmas and think about what the next step would be. You might hear more later. Well we weren't expecting to hear anything now! Bet we'll hear loads later!Sony hasn't ruled out PSP hard drive - Reeves [Eurogamer]

Platinum Clip: Amazingly Small and Expensive Gundam on TV
Back in March, we brought news of the platinum Gundam. Japanese news programs have been covering the pricey little robot. So now we have video of this wonder. Yes, VIDEO. Nice part is that the clip has been translated into English, complete with funny "Gundam" pronunciation. So if you've ever wondered what it was like watching the Japanese evening news, here's your chance! (Hint: It's pretty much like the news anywhere else.)30 Million Yen Gundam [TV in Japan]

Take Money Make Money: July NPD Software Charts Show Money Was Made
July's NPD software charts show two things. First, just like the hardware charts, lots of money was made. Second, it showed that July's software releases were the very slimmest of pickings.1. NCAA Football 08 (360) 397,0002. Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s (PS2) 339,0003. Wii Play - (Wii) 278,0004. NCAA Football 08 - (PS2) 236,0005. Mario Party 8 - (Wii) 177,0006. NCAA Football 08 - (PS3) 156,0007. Pokemon Diamond - (DS) 144,0008. Transformers - (PS2) 143,0009. Guitar Hero 2 - (PS2) 138,00010. Guitar Hero 2 - (360) 108,000July NPD: Game Industry Soars to Nearly $1 Billion, Wii Tops All, PS3 Almost Matches 360 [Gamedaily]

Go My Way: Is This Nerdom's iDOLM@STER Killer?
Pure nerd heroin. Don't think of PC game TimeLeap as a rip-off of Namco's pop idol sim THE iDOLM@STER. No, think of the erotic PC game as an expansion. For those who missed it, Namco's THE iDOLM@STER was by no means an erotic game (though, it did have some saucy dialogue and spicy costumes). A Japanese cult hit of sorts, the game did a decent showing on the Xbox 360 in Japan. TimeLeap hopes to capitalize on that. Besides the standard adult scenes of you-know-what, TimeLeap also features characters rendered in 3D much like THE iDOLM@STER. The pop music is pure saccharine, too. Hit the jump for look at TimeLeap. She kicks you IN THE FACE. Not just maids, but dancing and singing maids. In case you don't have this iDOLM@STER song burned into your brain. Yes, you're welcome. :)TimeLeap [Danny Choo]

A..Novel Idea..yuk Yuk: Nintendo Europe Release Schedule Updated, Contains News
If you remember E3, you'll remember Nintendo Europe unveiled a release schedule that had some good stuff in it. Release dates that were pleasing on the eyes and ears, yes, but also a sneaky and entirely unintentional announcement that Advance Wars 2 on the DS was due very soon. Cometh the Leipzig, cometh the updated release list, and again, there's a new game featured: DS Novel. It's a "tentative title", of which we know nothing about, but I'd imagine it involves a lot of reading. Or writing. Or maybe even both.Q4 Release Update [Nintendo Europe]

Teh Future: "Console Manufacturer" Working on 3D Blu-ray Gaming
Forget 4D, we'll settle with 3D. At a recent U.S. press event, Mitsubishi demoed its fancy 3D googles (above). The tech works with DLP TVs and projectors, but not with plasma and LCD displays. The company is even developing a Blu-ray player that can convert 2D movies into 3D on the fly, which *might* be available as early as next year. The kicker? According to CNET's Crave:Mitsubishi hinted that it was in discussions with one game console manufacturer to integrate the 3D technology into the system. The Wii's not capable of such feats and Microsoft's in the HD DVD camp, so one would have to assume it's Sony and the PS3.Plus Nintendo's probably not eager to get back into 3D. People still have Virtual Boy headaches. 3D Mitsubishi [Crave via Giz]

Visions: Ubisoft Boss Sees Growth In Gaming's Future
The tastefully-named Yves Guillemot, boss of Ubisoft, isn't just boss of Ubisoft. He's also a formula 1 test driver, amateur cosmonaut and budding fortune-teller. Here, he offers his vision for the future growth of the industry: There are so many new customers to the business; this is going to grow the market tremendously. I expect the market to grow by 50 percent in the next four years. Why? He says casual games will drive the market, because they cost nothing to make yet rake in a ton of cash. I'd imagine he's placing special emphasis on Ubisoft's casual games there. Which can mean only one thing: more Rabbids. Awesome.Ubisoft Expects Rapid Market Growth [Next-Gen]

Clip: This Is What LocoRoco On The PS3 Looks Like
Ever see this on PSP? This looks the same! Except it'll be shinier, because it'll be on a bigger screen, which should make both moving the blob AND attempts at identifying primitive racial stereotyping amongst enemy characters that much easier. Oh, and a warning: if you've got sensitive teeth, don't watch this. It's so sugary! It'll rot your teeth to your jawbone.LocoRoco PS3 Trailer [Game1, thanks Willem!]

Hyper Multi-tap: A Week In Comments (Ban/Nomination Info)
BioShocked Killed My ComputerComments TheBard:I was waiting when the first "Bioshock killed my *" threads started to pop up. People, hardware dies sometimes. In case of a Xbox 360, more than just sometimes. This could happen at any time, with any game.But if you have a game like Bioshock, which 80% of all x360 owners will be, the possibility of an Xbox 360 (or a part of a PC) dying while playing this game is very high. But this is simple empiricism. Not a fault of the game.Same thing will happen with Halo 3 and GTA4... can't wait.nominated by AGiESMetal Gear Solid 4 Theme & Actresses RevealedComments Mirai Matt:Saying the story in Metal Gear Solid games is "inconsistent" is ridiculous! Of course it's convoluted, but its CONSISTENCY is one of the things that makes that level of convolution awesome. Things make absolutely no sense, only to have something come later that makes them make perfect sense. It's great if you have the ability and desire to pay attention to such thing.If...

Check That: id's Tech 5 Was Not For Rage, Was For Something Else
Seems id's shiny new Tech 5 engine wasn't built for Rage, even though it'll be the first game to feature it. id's Todd Hollinshead: We didn't design the game for Rage and then John Carmack worked on the technology to make it work; John was working on some technology and we thought we had one direction we wanted to go in in respect to a different game. But as technology evolved it basically got about a year into it and effectively we sad 'we're going to throw all that away and start a new project. Shame. As much as it's probable the game was a dark, grimy sci-fi shooter, I'd like to think it was a bright, cheery, first-person adventure. With puppies and rainbows.New engine wasn't for Rage, Id reveals [CVG]

Sponsors: Sponsors Thanks
Pain. True, deep pain. We have had an ouchie like this for a long, long time. But there our Sponsors were — with ice and a smile. For that, we thank them. This week, Kotaku was made all better by California Lottery, Flavorpill, GWEN, Genie Knows, Pentax, Sonos, TiVo, Verizon, WAR from Lionsgate, World in Conflict, VW and Zune.Interested in advertising with Kotaku? Click here to find out how.

The Gamers United Will Never Be Defeated: Hellgate's European Pricing Structure Announced
I don't like two-tiered pricing structures. I'm a gaming socialist, I like everyone on the level. But that's me. Not necessarily you. For those not so fussed, Flagship have announced the pricing structure for Hellgate: London for the European market. Subscribers can cough up 9.99/6.99 a month if they want to get "new character classes, areas, monsters, items and raid content [and] new game modes". Players who don't want to pay still don't have to, but you get to wear sack-cloth armour and sleep outside with the rest of the bums. The game's out November 2 in Europe if you're interested.FLAGSHIP STUDIOS ANNOUNCES EUROPEAN PRICING FOR HELLGATE: LONDONFlagship Studios are pleased to announce the pricing structure for its upcoming highly-anticipated action role-playing game HELLGATE: LONDON in Europe. For expectant players HELLGATE: LONDON will offer players two ways to play through Standard and Subscription accounts.For all players, HELLGATE: LONDON comes completely free-to-play...

Night Note: My Friggin' Face Hurts, Part II (Electric Boogaloo)
To: CrecenteFrom: AshcraftIt was wrong. It hurt. This is going to be short. Today, I went to the dentist to finish up getting a cavity drilled out of my head. I got something like three shots in the muscle that connects my jaw to my skull. Plus, four in my gum. So even now, I can't really open my mouth. Sensation has come back to my tongue and lips though. The cavity was very close to the tooth's nerve, so the dentist wanted to get Novocain to the nerve connected to the pulp. Here's the kicker: There's another nerve, and that one didn't go numb. Meaning those shots were kind useless and this afternoon wasn't very pleasant. Dinner was pudding. Yum yum!What you missed last night:Mark Wilson's Haze secondsFalcon is comingMGS4 may have limited onlineHey PC users, take a chill pillI can't wait for Kane & Lynch

Gc07: The GC Opening Day Walk/Run
newVideoPlayer("MOV00784_gawker.flv", 475, 376);Most of Germany may have descended on this year's Games Convention, but were they in a rush? Yes... no, well, maybe, sorta. No we're not running, we're totally walking. Look at our arms. It's OK Germany, we'd be excited too about the chance to play StarCraft II, Call of Duty 4 and... Wii Sports. We might have even run-walked to the booths if we were in your colorful jeans and leather shoes.

Manhunt 2: Manhunt 2 Lands M Rating for Halloween Release
It's official, it was all a publicity stunt. OK, maybe not, but Take-Two just announced that after months of hand-wringing and "We don't know if this game will ever see the light of day" the once AO-rated Manhunt 2 has dropped to an acceptable level of sex and violence and secured a Wal-Mart viable Mature rating for a Halloween release of the game.While the press release on the jump is full of all sorts of jubilant quotes and drops phrases like "powerful piece of interactive story telling" and "extraordinary game", I suspect this wasn't much of a surprise to Take-Two and the Rockstar folks. Why else would they have continued to display the game and give press hands-on time with it if it wasn't going to make the cut.What I'd really love to know is what exactly they cut to make the rating drop. I suspect it will be one or two levels that were easy to dispose of for little or no expense.Manhunt 2 Receives "M" RatingESRB rating assignment clears the way for October 2007 North American...

Tramp Stamping Out Illiteracy: GC Offers EA Tats
No needles meet flesh for these stamps. Instead Electronic Arts hired some airbrush artists to paint up fans' arms with logos from some of their games. Unfortunately, you couldn't get zu-pear koole red short shorts painted over your exposed genitalia... no matter how much Mark begged. Mark "claims" they didn't have enough paint.

Making Ears Bleed: Rock (Out) Band
newVideoPlayer("guitar_gawker.flv", 475, 376);I hit up the Rock Band bus Thursday to check out the next contender to the music throne. The game was set up outside the halls in an area that included a little stage and a really big tour bus. On the bottom floor of the bus was an audition area where gamers could try their hand at the game. If they were good enough they could earn a chance to play on the stage, rocking it out in front of the waiting gamers with a sound system and fog machines. Upstairs a quartet of Harmonix and EA folks let press get their hands on the game in a more intimate setting.Like Guitar Hero, Rock Band really isn't about the fun. It's more about the experience. It gives people like me, people who have no rhythm, no musical talent, a way to connect with the music they love, to experience it on a level that is, I imagine, only a taste of what real musicians feel when they perform. When you play Rock Band you're not playing the music, it's playing you. At...

Gc07: Rock Band Tour Bus
After hanging out with Rock Band folks for a chunk of the day yesterday I talked them into letting me walk around their kick-ass tour bus. Besides having a hydraulic door with a keypad lock and a terra cotta main floor, the bus was loaded with all kinds of video, music and even gaming systems, including an in-dash PS2. Hello 2000. Oh and check the Jack.galleryPost('rockbandbus', 4, 'We like to Party Hard');

By The Way: New Fallout 3 Screens
In the midst of all the Games Convention craziness, Bethesda would like to take a moment to remind you that they are working on Fallout 3. These four all new screenshots prove it. If they do not offer Vault 101 jumpsuits for sale at some point in the future they will be missing out on valuable Fahey cash monies. galleryPost('fallout3824', 4, 'Bye The Way, Fallout 3');

Impressions: Sloppy Seconds - Lair
Continuing my second takes from the floor of GC07 in Leipzig, I had my first hands-on with Lair (despite being within feet of a playable station on more than one occasion). After playing for about 15 minutes, here are my thoughts (I like it, btw):When Sony announced their SIXAXIS motion controls, most of us considered it "me too" technology. When we first tried them in games like Motorstorm, we went back to analog sticks after about 30 seconds of ass-handing. But with Lair? Lair nails the motion control. I literally picked up the controller, jumped on the dragon and flew around the rich environments with ease. And I'm not talking flight simulator, floating around without a sense of speed flying. I'm talking barreling under arch bridges, twisting around castles and skimming the water to take out boats. In most PS3 motion-enabled games I've tried, there's a noticeable delay to turning. But Lair steering is really tight. Whether Factor 5 has made some necessary breakthrough in...

Psychonauts: Majesco Titles On GameTap
Every week I am feeling a bit better about that $.99 GameTap free trial that I keep forgetting to cancel. Not only will they have Clive Barker's Jericho for the only price worth paying for it (free), but now they've signed a deal to provide Majesco games to lazy folk like me that never got around to stopping the service. If I had actually gone through with ending it only to have Psychonauts suddenly become available I would have kicked myself so hard. BloodRayne 1 & 2 and Jaws: Unleashed I could give or take, but mmmm Psychonauts. "Given the limited shelf space and relatively quick turn of titles at retail nowadays, we consider GameTap to be a valuable vehicle that can help extend the video game lifecycle," said Ken Gold, vice president of Marketing, Majesco.That's the truth. I've been using the service lately to fill in a few gaps in my gaming portfolio. If you haven't experienced the joy of Psychonauts, now would be an excellent time. Majesco and GameTap Partner on New...

Weird Science: Out Of Body Gaming
Ever have a dream where you are watching yourself in third person? The out of body experience is a well documented phenomenon in the science world, generally associated with trauma or near-death experiences, but now scientists in Sweden and Britain have begun inducing the sensation, and the gaming implications of the technology are intriguing indeed. Here's how it works: Scientists fit a customer with goggles that contain video screens. Two cameras film the subject left and right, feeding the images into the corresponding eyes to create a three dimensional image behind them. The scientists then provide a stimulus...say touching a plastic rod to their chest, while at the same time performing a similar motion to the 3D image. In the UK study, Dr. Henrik Ehrsson reports that 18 of the 19 subjects said they felt as if the 3D image they were watching was the real person. In another experiment a hammer was swung towards the neck of the 3D construct, causing subjects to start to sweat,...

Bioshocked: Killing Little Girls
I am often fascinated by what the non-gaming press picks up on. Being as immersed in gaming culture as I have to be t write for Kotaku, it sometimes takes an outside influence to get me to see the shock value in certain titles. Boston's Patriot Ledger explores one such game as they delve into BioShock's Little Sister monsters, and the choice they give the player. Kill them, or free them? The game seems to reward killing them over rescuing them, presenting an interesting ethical choice to players. The goal was to present players with difficult choices, 2K Boston President Kenneth Levine said.''As a piece of art, we want to deal with challenging moral issues and if you want to do that, you have to go to some dark places,'' Levine said. ''And 'BioShock' certainly does go to some dark places.''And killing little girls is a pretty dark place indeed. I do like how Levine pulls out the work of art card. Seems to be the norm whenever the violence of a video game is questioned these...

Do You Like To Party Hard?: Call of Duty 4 After Hours
The other night a fleet of Hummers sucked most of the petrol in Germany to escort journalists about a mile kilometer around the corner to the Old Airport, which had been lit in COD4's/Rainbow Six's/Syphon Filter's green...filter. Soldiers with (also) green laser pointers taped to airsoft automatics rough-handled us (checked the list, but still hot) as bombs sounded in every direction. We played a bit of COD4 multiplayer, drank some beer and used coed toilets before leaving for the evening. And by the end of the night we were quite exhausted. Because the Hummers were too crowded for us, forcing us to hump it to the party. galleryPost('COD4Party', 4, 'COD4Party');

Pachter Watch: US Wii Supply Diverted From Japan?
Wii sales were up this past quarter, and with the reports of component shortages and manufacturing issues running rampant, it doesn't take a gaming industry super-analyst to deduce that more consoles are coming from somewhere, but where? For that question, GameDaily turned to gaming industry super-analyst and snappy dresser, Michael Pachter."Wii sales remain strong, with an apparent increase in supply during the quarter. This increase is inconsistent with reports that Nintendo has had difficulty in increasing its manufacturing capacity," he states, "suggesting to us that the company has diverted supply from other areas (perhaps Japan) to the U.S."It's like he has supernatural powers, isn't it? Pachter: Nintendo Diverting Wii Shipments to U.S. from Japan? [GameDaily.biz]

Gc07: Gabe Newell Smack Talks the PC, PS3, Xbox 360 (And your Mother)
Sitting down with Valve's Gabe Newell and Doug Lombardi at the Games Convention today, the 11-year anniversary of their company, Mark Wilson and I talked a bit with the two about their expectations for Orange Box, the sustainability of the PC gaming market, Microsoft's failure to deliver on their Vista gaming promises and, inevitably, developing for the Playstation 3, or rather, trying to develop for the Playstation 3. Sorry, no, he didn't really talk about your mom.Newell called The Orange Box, due out for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in October, an experiment of sorts."It's an interesting experiment, is this a good way to attract new customers," Newell said. Valve plans to keep an eye on the sell-through rate to see how the console versions of the game sell and try to figure out if new customers are grabbing it up, or if they buyers are mostly the PC customers that Valve has already won over. While Newell is a strong supporter of the PC market, one who still would rather make...

Impressions: Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, Incredible Video Creation and Erection Hoodies
Activision gave me a lengthy rundown of Tony Hawk's proving ground here in Leipzig, Germany (Europe). I didn't get my hands on the game, but got a really nice tour of the new features, like the promising personal skate park creation, which can be shared with your friends in online multiplayer. But I'm not going to run through all of it. Instead we're focusing on what I consider the two most incredible innovations: a powerful video creation tool and hoodie physics that resemble Jabba the Hutt's stiffy (not that we'd know). Part I: Video CreationIf there's one under appreciated trend in next-gen consoles, it's the powerful video creation toolsets. We've already talked about Halo 3's breakthrough multiplayer recording system that will change the way fan videos are created and shared. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground offers a slightly less powerful but possibly more creative video system.Aside from making 30 second recordings of standard follow cams and side angles, THPG offers actual...

Gc07: The Four Stages of Grief Spore
We had a chance to sit through a lengthy Spore demo today that had developers playing through the first four stages of the five stage game.The game opens up on the view of a galaxy littered with sparking stars. Clicking on any of the stars opens up a small menu that allows you to start a new game. When you start the game the camera zooms into the star, following the path of a meteor of frozen ice and rock as it zips past other planets, stars and finally into the atmosphere of the planet you selected, melting and breaking apart until it slams into the ground, exploding and scattering fragments into nearby pools of water.The game then kicks into the first phase, a cellular level that looks on it's surface a bit like flow, but with more personality and color. Your initial creature is generated randomly. In the case of the demo, the initially creature was a small pear-shaped blue thing with a bulbous tail, three tentacles on its face and two large eyes.You move the 2D creature...

German Rodeo: Missing at GC07 - Class Action Lawsuits
newVideoPlayer("RodeoKid_gawker.flv", 475, 376);It's not a dangerous mechanical bull if it's skinned with some yellow vinyl and a happy face.

Impressions: Spore? Or SimSim?
We've all seen screen shots and video of Spore's 3D character design. There seem to be limitless options provoking endless gameplay. But what not many people know about Spore is that the experience lasts just five hours before you are done with a majority of the game's features. Yeah, from all of that cute character creation to the large scale city dynamics, it's over pretty quick. "I waited in line, where's the ride?" "The line is the ride." So where is the ride in Spore? Four of the five stages, which Crecente recently detailed more than I will here, are done shortly after they begin. As soon as you get used to walking, you are founding a society. And as soon as you get used to conquering other societies, you get the fuck off the planet. The effect is like watching highlights from the history of Maxis, a sort of Will Wright Cliffsnotes™ version—everything you may have missed from Sim Earth, Sim City and The Sims in an afternoon. But simultaneously, it seems...

Denied: Levine: There Will Be No PS3 BioShock
Joystiq got a chance to talk to 2K Boston's Ken Levine about the various problems surrounding the BioShock launch that we've been documenting exhaustively over the past several days. In the process of admitting that screw ups were made, he also neatly nullified a rumor that had been spreading around about a possible port of BioShock to the PS3. Then there is the lingering question of the rumored PS3 version of BioShock found in the PC code. Levine responds quite clearly, "I promise you, there is no secret plan about the PS3 that we're keeping from people. There's no PS3 development going on that we're hiding. There's lots of stuff that gets into game code, plans change over time and we got an exclusive deal with Microsoft ... that's not a Rosetta Stone discovery."Yep, exactly as I thought. Old code left in from before the game went exclusive. Sorry PlayStation Universe! Levine confirms no PS3 BioShock and does mea culpa on PC issues -- success hurts [Joystiq]

Gc07: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue To Feature Car Damage, Improved AI, Better Physics
We just had a chance to sit down with Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi to not only watch the Polyphony Digital president play some expert-level Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, but catch up on how the teaser version of Gran Turismo 5 will play. The early taste of the first proper PLAYSTATION 3 release will feature a number of firsts, including online play, damage effects for cars, and fully modeled interiors.We spent a good portion of our session going through Prologue's "My Page" features. Most of it is rather self explanatory—Options, Home integration, Garage—but Polyphony touched briefly on the TV functions. The developers plans to show videos of non-game content, including (potentially) real life races, television shows, and "how to" clips created by Polyphony themselves. The My Page Profile aspect was pitched as very straightforward, containing information about the user's personality, but we weren't shown what it actually looks like.Kaz seemed...

Revenge Of Mario Party: Simple 2000: The Japanese Software Chart
We may be in Germany, but that doesn't mean we're going to ignore Japan's weekly soap opera of software sales. Most shocking? Mario Party 8 reclaims its number one position in the Media Create sales list for the week of August 13th to the 19th in a bloodless sales coup. Amazingly, Hot Shots Golf 5 is still hanging tough in the top ten, kind of impressive for a PLAYSTATION 3 up against 2006's New Super Mario Bros.Sales sexiness continues after the top ten.01. Mario Party 8 (Wii) - 112,724 / 616,00002. SD Gundam G Generation Cross Drive (DS) - 48,321 / 186,00003. Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber (DS) - 47,730 / 93,00004. Wii Sports (Wii) - 35,430 / 2,035,00005. Wii Play (Wii) - 32,939 / 1,639,00006. My Housekeeping Diary (DS) - 32,714 / 122,00007. J.League Winning Eleven 2007: Club Championship (PS2) - 32,210 / 227,00008. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) - 31,897 / 756,00009. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) - 29,979 / 4,729,00010. Hot Shots Golf 5 (PS3) - 28,044 / 278,00011....

Take Your Medicine: 2K Sets BioShock Score Free WIth Pretty Pictures
Grrr! Widescreen issues! Rawr! Copy protection! Curse you, no PS3 version! So angry I could...could...what's that? Oh, pretty music. Angry fan like pretty music. Shiny pictures too! So shiny and pretty. Love the pictures. Love them so. Ahem. On the Cult of Rapture website, 2K Games has released the twelve track MP3 score to BioShock as a completely free, 23MB download for your listening pleasure. Just hit up the Cult of Rapture website, enter in your age (Protip: If you are under 18, fib! Music never hurt anyone), and the tracks are yours for the taking. Listening to them right now. Not what you'd call date music. To aid in the symphonic experience, 2K has also release new screenshots for you to enjoy whilst you listen. So get enjoying already! galleryPost('bioshocksorry', 4, 'Sound And The Fury');

Gc07: First Look At Midnight Club Los Angeles
Rockstar provided us with a hands-off preview at the Leipzig Games Convention of its PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 racer Midnight Club Los Angeles, chauffeuring us at high speeds around a digital Hollywood. The Rockstar San Diego production is expected soon after the New Year, so while much of it looked unfinished, it still impressed. Midnight Club may not have the investor sex appeal of its poorer driving big brother Grand Theft Auto, but with some 5 million copies of Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition in homes, it's pretty clear the kids still love high speed, high stakes car racin'.Set in a geographically fictionalized version of LA, the newest Midnight Club will further stray from its late night settings, giving players the option to pick fights with other speedsters during daylight. The sunnier, hazier daytime aesthetic doesn't look as appealing as the game's late night mode, but it will at least provide a nice change of pace to races lit only by street lamps.Three cars were shown...

Gc07: Lara Croft Hands-On Impressions
At Games Convention's press-only day, I got some hands-on impressions with Eidos' latest Lara Croft, Karima Adebibe, the eighth proper sequel in the Lara Croft franchise. In short, she smells like a coconut, might be a little too tanned and ultimately melanoma-ridden before she turns 25, and is doubly intimidating dual-wielding an English accent and model good-looks. The only downside to being in proximity of the current-gen Lara is how the DNA-driven bad art on the left just don't hold up in a side-by-side comparison.Final score: A-

Far Cry 2: Games For Windows Live Maybe, PhysX Not So Much
The Ubisoft Montreal folks showed off some spectacular Far Cry 2 gameplay today touching on a laundry list of new features there shooter will have including the need to treat your own injuries, weapon jams, "Real Tree" technology and their thoughts on DX10, Games for Windows Live and the PhysX physics card.The game takes place in a 50 kilometer open world set in Africa with view distances of about 850 meters. You drop into this world as a mercenary sent to track down and kill an arms dealer. Right off the bat the developers dropped into a jungle to show off the graphics."Far Cry is sort of known for its jungles... Jungles are not our signature location, but they do kick ass."And they did. They said that the game, which is built on a proprietary engine, uses something called "Real Tree" technology to give the game's varied vegetation a much more realistic look. And the tech goes beyond just how the trees look. They all move in relation to real world physics and the weather....

Psn Thursday Was Yesterday: PlayStation Store Update: Beauty & The Beast
The PlayStation Store for North America has been updated with a slew... no, no a plethora of quality goodies for PLAYSTATION 3 owners to slowly download. In addition to the already mentioned Folklore demo, PS3 owners can enjoy a recently updated Folding@Home experience. The new Folding@Home adds two new weapons to the title, four new cars, and a fixes a bug that allowed certain ball and stick wiggle motions to cause the console to crash.The good stuff is right here, though. For anyone who might've missed it, Sony has uploaded a high-def version of the Metal Gear Solid 4 Games Convention trailer, "Beauty and the Beast." Clips for Heavenly Sword, Timeshift and Haze are also ready to invade your sectors. Wallpapers for WarHawk and flOw round out the gaming content.So, kick back in your super cool pad, curl up to your special someone and make it a PlayStation Network night. Watching progress bars fill is the definition of a romantic Friday night.

Gc07: Konami Whips Up Two Castlevania Mobile Games
Never one to rest on their Castlevania laurels, Konami and crew readying two new Dracula slaying adventures, this time on the platform everyone can agree on: the mobile phone. The previously mentioned Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow showing at the Leipzig Games Convention is simply a mobile phone remake of the Game Boy Advance release of the same name. However, Konami also announced it would be bringing an all-new original Castlevania, known as Castlevania: Order of Shadows, to mobile carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Networks, among others, this September.The game follows the adventures of a new character Desmond Belmont, which means the Castlevania series entry on Wikipedia is just about due for an argument on canon. More details on the development and associate blog for the both of you interested in mobile gaming after the jump.KONAMI INTRODUCES ORIGINAL CONTENT FOR THE MOBILE PLATFORM BASED ON THE COMPANY'S TOP VIDEOGAME FRANCHISESKonami Mobile's First Original, Castlevania:...

Pax 07: Frag Doll Finalists Grilled
The PAX floor opened an hour early each day so press could come in and check some of the offerings out before the crowds arrived and I got in early yesterday to check out Folklore and Heavenly Sword. As I was walking towards the Sony booth, I saw this sign advertising a casting call for a new member of the Frag Dolls. Knowing how much the majority of our readers like the ladies, I figured I'd take a snap of the poster and find out a little bit more about it. Turns out it wasn't actually an audition as the finalists had already been chosen and were going to be appearing on a panel that very afternoon. The girls had been put through their paces all weekend, competing in various game competitions culminating in the aforementioned panel. Here, the finalists were grilled with questions from the audience so that everyone could get to know a little bit more about them. Once it was over, audience members were allowed to vote for their favorite, but the stringent process doesn't end...

Gc07: Hideo, Igarashi, Doak Gather
One of the big draw backs of Games Convention is that it is virtually impossible to get a direct flight here. To get to the Leipzig airport you pretty much have to fly to either Munich or Frankfurt. I flew into Frankfurt and then had a leisurely seven hour lay-over that I killed by blowing ungodly amounts of money on robotic roulette, reading and posting on the site.When I finally hopped over to the gate for my flight to Leipzig I discovered a virtual whose who of game developers waiting to catch the same flight. Standing in the line were folks from the Call of Duty 4 development team; Dave Doak, Free Radical's director; and Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi. They were all sort of milling about in front of the ticket counter waiting to board the plane. A few minutes later I spotted Hideo Kojima sitting off by himself in the business lounge waiting for the call to board. I wasn't able to quite grab a recognizable picture of him with my cell, though I got one later as he stood...

Pax 07: Men In Kilts
While my esteemed colleagues were running around Germany boozing it up, eating sausages and ogling girls in various states of consciousness, I was left to wander the halls of PAX alone, taking in as much as I could. I'm sorry to report that there was a distinct lack of hotness, both male and female although there were a few stand outs here and there. One odd phenomenon I did notice was the prevalence of kilts among many of the male members of the convention, especially the workers who were all sporting PAX t-shirts reading "Enforcer" on the back. I stopped the guy here at the left and snapped a picture and he kindly filled me in on the details concerning this odd but popular practice. Apparently, this sort of thing is quite common amongst Table Top Gamers in particular and the company that makes them, Utilikilts, is based right here in Seattle. Of course, I had to ask the inevitable question. "Are you going commando under there?" (you can always count on me to go for the tough...

Hop Til You Drop: Bomberman Live Gets Update, Bunnies
As a long-time fan of the Bomberman franchise as well as one with a deep obsession for all things bunny related (don't ask), it is with great pleasure I bring you the announcement of Bomb-Up Pack 1 for Hudson's Bomberman Live for Xbox Live Arcade. The add-on, which weighs in at a modest 350 Microsoft Points, will feature two new environments (casino and zeppelin), a new game mode called Frag which allows you to set the number of enemies that need to be offed in order to win a match, as well as ten new characters. Among the new characters...Little Bomby Foo Foo. A bunny. With bombs. Y'all need to give me a minute here. Go read a press release or something. HUDSON ANNOUNCES BOMB-UP ADD-ON PACK FOR BOMBERMAN LIVEHudson Increases the Payload with New Content and Game ModesREDWOOD SHORES, CA - August 27, 2007 - Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for Hudson Soft, today announced that they are releasing Bomb-Up Pack 1, the first add-on pack for their "IGN Editor's...

Gc07: Killzone 2 Hands On
After sitting through a short and familiar presentation of Killzone 2 at the Games Convention last week I was finally given a chance to play the game.Before handing over the controller, the developers explained that in the game you play as Sef, a legionnaire called in to help quell the resistance on the Helghast home world of Helghan as the regular army fights to topple the Helghast leader.The pointed out the various filters used in the game to give the world a darker, more realistic look and talked a bit about the game's new first-person lean and peek system which allows you to stick to walls and then pop-out to shoot, without ever leaving the first-person perspective.Killzone 2 is ever bit as visually stunning while playing it as I remembered it being while watching the E3 demonstration. The lighting is moody and atmospheric, there's a level of detail in the game that is very reminiscent of Resistance: Fall of Man. Effects, plenty of interesting effects, abound. The end of...

Beta Watch: Call Of Duty 4 Beta Live Today
Just a friendly reminder for those Xbox 360 owners anxious to get their hands on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The multiplayer beta tokens go up for grabs today at noon Pacific (3 Eastern), and I've got a feeling the website is going to be swamped, so get on over to Charlie Oscar Delta and get yourself registered before the whole thing explodes. Also included in the press release from this past Friday are details on what international locations will be getting a chance to be in the demo. I'll let you hit the jump for the full list, unless you live in South America, Asia, or Africa, in which case you are probably used to this sort of disappointment by now anyway. CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE MULTIPLAYER BETA FAST-ROPES TO XBOX LIVESanta Monica, CA - August 24, 2007 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will launch via Xbox LIVE on Monday, August 27 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Users can...

Pax 07: Penny Arcade Adventures Gallery
I didn't get to post a whole lot of screens for the upcoming Penny Arcade Adventures when I gave my impressions of it yesterday, so I thought I would make up for it by posting this massive twenty photo gallery. The screens show a number of different parts of the game including the battle system, regular gameplay and a shot of the character creation screen. This game just keeps looking better and better and after what I saw at PAX, it will be a definite download for me.galleryPost('paascreens', 4, 'Penny Arcade Adventures Screens');

UO Redo Live: Ultima Online Is Reborn
Nearly a full ten years since the original game was launched in September of 1997, Ultima Online is reborn as Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn launches in North America. Much lumber will be gathered this day in celebration of the massive graphical overhaul the game has undergone to keep up with UO's tendency to look 5-7 years old at any given time. On top of the graphics, the game has received an enhanced UI, and an updated new character experience to help ease players into the world. The update is completely free for all, with new players able to try the game four 14 days to see what they've been missing these past ten years. Part of me is tempted to give the game a try, but the other part of me that has gone back to try to find enjoyment in the game multiple times over the past decade took that part out to the woods behind my apartment and beat the shit out of it. For those not as conflicted, hit the jump for download locations. EA MYTHIC'S ULTIMA ONLINE: KINGDOM REBORN LAUNCHES...

Gc07: Booth Babes Return... With a Vengeance
That's it. The show's a wrap. As we walked from the convention hall (actually we were repeatedly asked to leave until, finally, two security guards hovered over for us politely waiting until we obliged them) the trash was being swept into big piles in the corners and the booth babes were streaming through the exits, their no-neck, slabs-of-meat boyfriends in tow.galleryPost('gcbb', 4, 'Girls, Girls, Girls');

New Name Please: N-Gage Feels The Capcom Love
While I still have to stifle a shudder every time I read the name, Nokia's transformation of N-Gage from useless taco phone to global mobile community-focused gaming platform is moving full-speed ahead, with Capcom announcing support for the platform in 2008. Capcom is the first Japanese company to show support for the fledgling platform with the tainted name. Capcom Europe's mobile director Yosuke Yoneda believes. "Capcom is dedicated to creating great mobile games, and believes that N-Gage will allow us to bring some of our most famous franchises to the platform. Our dedication to quality and creative thinking has seen the company produce a series of ground-breaking titles, with stunning visuals and in-depth game play, never before seen on the mobile".While I am still of the school of thought that mobile games lack depth because they are being played on phones in public toilets, a really enjoyable mobile version of Mega Man could be just the thing to turn me around...that...

Sad But True: Sarcastic Gamer Sings Shadowrun Hate
To commemorate Shadowrun somehow making it to into the top five in Xbox 360 game sales last week, Doc Adams and Lono over at Sarcastic Gamer lovingly crafted a song parody that sums up my feelings about the RPG-based FPS quite nicely. It's called "Bad Game""Bad Game turned out to be one of our favorite projects so far," said Sarcastic Gamer's Creative Director, Jeromy "Doc" Adams. "We got to use a cartoon voice for this song, because it seemed to fit the subject... Well, that and none of us could sing as high as Daniel Powter."Tell me about it. "Bad Day" kicks my ass in Singstar every freaking time, and I get awesome scores at "Skater Boi" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Go figure. Sarcastic Gamer is also holding a contest for the best music video for the song, with the winner receiving either a copy of Shadowrun or a box of granola bars. "Given the nature of the game, our money's on Nature Valley."Bad Game: The Shadowrun Song [Sarcastic Gamer]SARCASTIC GAMER 'TAKES AIM'...

Gc07: Leipzig Uber Round-Up
The Games Convention may have wrapped up Sunday evening, but our coverage continues. Expect to see more impressions, stories, videos, cultural oddities and images from Leipzig over the remaining week. In case you missed what we've done so far I've listed our stories to date on the jump.Tender Booth Babe Moment (BabiesMore Guitar Hero III Hands-On ImpressionsThe Cars Of Games ConventionPlayground ImpressionsThe Trash of Games ConventionSony's Cheerleaders Break Hearts EverywhereTender Booth Babe Moment (Sleeping)McWhertor Pwns with PrincessSingStar: So Sexy it HurtsHall Crawl: Hungry Like the WolfHall Crawl: Rock Me Like a HurricaneMercenaries 2 Gel: Hair OnHall Crawl: Boogie is a BuzzkillBlackSite: Area 51 ImpressionsHall Crawl: Meat LunchThe Games Convention Hall CrawlFirst Look at BorderlandsLIttleBigPlanet Gets Better ActingKane & Lynch PantsuRock Band Retail Display RevealedBooth Babes Revenge: Nowhere to HideThe Sony SprintWe Have Secured Phil Harrison's Chewing GumKonami...

Night Note: Applying to Live in Japan Forever
To: CrecenteFrom: AshcraftFor all those preconceptions that Japan is xenophobic, Japanese immigration is surprisingly easily to deal with. (Well, if you are American! I imagine Korean and Chinese people have different experiences.) I'm in the midst of renewing my visa and going to start the process of applying for a permanent resident visa. Why a permanent resident visa? It makes things like getting a home loan possible. Not being able to get a home loan is a real bummer, and banks here are leery of lending to people without permanent residence. But a permanent resident visa opens all those doors for you — and opens them wide. In short, it's the closest you can come to becoming a citizen without becoming a citizen. Best part? You don't have to renew this visa. Once you got it, you got it. (And no, I'm not interested in being a Japanese citizen at this point as I like being American thankyouverymuch.)I called immigration this morning, and the man I spoke with was very...

Nice: Michel Gagn Making Game, Awesomeness To Follow
Wow. Michel Gagn is one of the world's most, I don't know, beautiful comic guys around. As in his work. Not himself. Though he is rather fetching, with his beard and Matthew Modine haircut. But I digress. Dude's making a game! Looks like a shooter. He's just posted on his own site: For the past year, I've been creating (with the help of a small crew) the kind of game I'd love to play. Looks like the kind of game a lot of people would like to play. Looks gorgeous. So yummy I'd put it straight on a plate, no veggies, no mash, and just eat it all up. With my fingers! My mother's teachings be damned. As of now it lacks a publisher, so any publishers reading this, go on. Publish it.Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet [Official Site, via TGIS]

Wcg: Itagaki Shows Vaguely Human Display of Emotion
With the sunglasses and leather jacket, you could get the idea that DoA and Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu Itagaki comes is cold and distant. Like he's just sneering at us, releasing bastard hard games and waiting for his next whiskey straight. But wait! Here he is. And he's actually touching another human in a friendly way. It's like the game creator is human. Or something. There's good reason why he's so pleased! That dude Itagaki has his arm around is a regular Dead or Alive finalist in the WorldCyberGames. The WCG 2007 finals aren't until October, but prelims were held in Tokyo with Dead or Alive 4. Is that curled lip a slight smile on Itagaki's face? Impossible!WCG Prelims [Game Watch Impress]

We Do: Wonder Why Germany Bans Games?
Sure, Germans love banning games. But, why? German fella 3r0t1c n3rd over at game blog Destructoid does a great job explaining the situation. Let's dive right on in:The reasons for banning media can range from violence to illegal content. For example, every book about producing drugs or growing weed is illegal in germany.So what if a game is banned? Well the game goes on the Index, which is basically a list of media which is banned. Media on the index is not allowed for sale to persons below the age of 18. Also any advertising, in media that is accessible to persons below the age of 18 for it is illegal. Same goes for import and export, for persons under the age of 18. And it's legal to sell them under the counter in stores, but (you guessed it) only to persons over the age of 18.Games that have been banned recently include: Crackdown for unnecesary violence against innocents, Gears of War for graphic violence, Command & Conquer: Generals (US version) for suicide attackers,...

Clip: Star Jones & Friends Talk Violence, Games
As an Australian, I've no idea who this woman is. All I know is what I've recently been told: she's a lawyer, hosts a TV talk show, used to be large, is now small. Good for her! I now also know she "loves her games". This is a segment which aired on her show last week. Subject: videogame violence. Not going to change anyone's opinions on anything, but it is nice to see this topic debated by a bunch of fresh faces.[via GamePolitics]

Horie Was Bad: The DS Japanese Newspaper Game
Oh goody. Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shinbun and SEGA have a made a DS game. Called Mainichi Shibun 1000 Dai News, it's a quiz game developed for the paper's 135th Anniversary and tests players news knowledge about things like sports, society and fashion over the past 100 plus years. The reply value on this probably isn't so high, but it will be interesting to see if this game includes questions about Japan's tragic and more, well, colorful history in the past 135 years. Could be insightful!Newspaper Game [Game Watch Impress]

Clip: Summer Sony Ad Breaks My Heart
Sp_anonatsu_making(1)Uploaded by kaori546 When Sony gets advertising wrong, they get it really, really wrong. But man, when they get it right, damn... A short film-type PS3 ad for Boku no Natsu Yasumi 3 ("My Summer Vacation 3") with Hirofumi Arai (as the boyfriend), Tsugumi (girlfriend) and Susumu Terajima (yakuza) has surfaced online. Showing one couple's summer holiday, it's a truly beautiful, smart ad. Bravo Sony. You gave me goose-bumps. Watch the Ad [PlayStation Japan]

Best Of: German Journos Pick Their Most Important Games Of All Time
This wasn't as well-covered as other aspects of Leipzig (like sausage-eating or wolf hunger), so we'll give it a little post-GC shout-out here. As part of the Leipzig celebrations, a bunch of German gaming journalists (and one games collector) sat down, drank some beer, spoke, argued, wildly gesticulated, then came up with their list of the sixteen most important, seminal videogames of all time.1972 Pong1978 Space Invaders 1979 Pac-Man1980 Ultima 1984 Elite 1985 Tetris 1985 Super Mario Bros. 1986 The Legend of Zelda 1987 Maniac Mansion 1989 SimCity 1991 Civilization 1993 Doom1996 Tomb Raider1999 Counter-Strike 2000 The Sims 2004 World of WarCraft Elite? Maniac Mansion? Well done, lads, well done.Telespiele 1972-2007 Picks Most Influential Games [GameSetWatch]

Boku No Natsu: Summer Sony Ad Breaks My Heart
When Sony gets advertising wrong, they get it really, really wrong. But man, when they get it right, damn... A short film-type PS3 ad for Boku no Natsu Yasumi with Hirofumi Arai (as the boyfriend), Tsugumi (girlfriend) and Susumu Terajima (yakuza) has surfaced online. It's a truly beautiful, smart ad. Bravo Sony. You gave me goose-bumps. Watch the Ad [PlayStation Japan]

Potentially NSFW Clip: The Witcher Likes The Ladies
This isn't your average marketplace hub area! No, this is an alley full of sluts. Slut alley. It's a veritable gauntlet the guy's got to run just to get to the other side, what with all the saucy playing cards, audio-only doin-it sequences and vagina riddles he's got to get through.

Ever Closer: 360 One Step Closer To Homebrew Heaven
Lots of technical stuff here, so I'll give you the gist: the 360 modding community are now one big step closer to getting homebrew running on the console. It all centres around one of the 360's kernels, which is apparently vulnerable to flashing, after which running homebrew apps are not too far away. Only catch is you won't be able to take your console online, but if you're "flashing fuses" on a "kernel" using a "timed attack" you've probably either got multiple 360s or couldn't give two shits about Xbox Live. As someone who doesn't know what a kernel even does, let alone why they're so vulnerable, I'd recommend hitting the link below for a more technical description than that above.Timing Attack Tested Succesfully: Downgrade from any Kernel without CPU-Key [Xbox-Scene, via 360Fanboy]

Bee-tah: Australia To See Call of Duty 4 Beta...Sometime
We've got our first bit of news concerning international (ie non-American) beta tests for Call of Duty 4. Seems Australian gamers will be first outside the US to genuinely participate in the beta-testing process muck around with a MP demo, with a beta confirmed as appearing on Xbox Live "before the game hits stores on November 7th". Which leaves us anywhere between August 27 and November 6. Which is most unhelpful.CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE MULTIPLAYER BETA FAST-ROPES TO XBOX LIVE IN AUSTRALIASydney, Australia - August 27, 2007 -- Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will launch via Xbox LIVE in Australia before the game hits stores on November 7th.The beta will enable players to experience the most advanced and powerful arsenal of modern day firepower in customizable multiplayer battles from the world's most treacherous hotspots. Players will be able to customize their experiences by utilizing...

Revenge: Gabe Overcomes Gym Incident, Drives Benz
PAX maybe over, but Wired's Chris Baker has a fantastic Penny Arcade feature up that profiles Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. The piece is peppered with some nice insights — even if you are a PA fanboy. And that's always a treat. Stuff like Krahulik saying:One time in high school, someone broke into my locker and stole my stuff, so I had to wear gym clothes for the rest of the day. I developed humor as a defense mechanism. Now I drive a fucking Mercedes.You listening clothes thief? He's drives a fucking Mercedes. So those who were bullied in high school have hope. PA Article [Wired Mag]

Delay: Dragon Quest IX Shoved to 2008
Looking forward to playing Dragon Quest IX this year? You and all of Japan. Well, ain't gonna happen. Square Enix has moved the game from its 2007 release schedule to its 2008 one. In an official statement, Square Enix announced that "further quality improvement is necessary" to create content that satisfies users. While delays for Xbox 360 and PS3 games have become the norm, a DS game delay is a little unusual. Just goes to show that you can't use the copout that DQIX is "just" a DS game. Our theories why the game was delayed:A). Square Enix is trying to cram the game on a single cartridge. B). Phantom Hourglass set a new standardC). Maybe both!Curious as to whether we'll see this game at TGS or not. Better be, or Japan will freak. Chaos, disorder, BLOOD. DQ Delay [Game Watch]

Squinty Ken Levine Says: "Pulling It Out of My Ass"
Is it official? Is BioShock creator Ken Levine a gaming superstar yet? The game is a breakout hit and looks like it's definitely in the running for Game of the Year. Mary Jane Irwin from sister site Valleywag penned a nice Ken Levine profile for game site 1Up. There are tasty tidbits like Levine saying:Every time I start a game, I'm like, 'Oh shit, how do I do this?' You might call it organic [game design]; I might call it pulling it out of my ass.Delightful! Now that Ken Levine is famous and crap, someone really needs to provide us a better pic of the guy. This squinty stock pic makes me want to send him sunglasses or a large visor. Irrational Man [1Up]

Switcheroo: New DS Screens Not As Good As Old DS Screens?
GAFfer The Mighty Schwein just picked up one of the new black & red DS Lites, got it home, fired it up and noticed something. The screens weren't very good. In fact, compared to those found on older DS Lite's, they're not too good at all. Question is, did he get a faulty DS Lite? Is this affecting all new DS Lites? Or just the black & red one? Answers are currently being sought. In the meantime, if you've bought a DS Lite recently and can compare it to an older one, let us know if you can see the same thing.Nintendo DS Lite gets new LCD screens. Not for the better unfortunately [The Mighty Schwein @ NeoGAF]

Creepy Clip: Look into J Allard's Eyes
Ha! J, you may ignore our Xbox Live messages and call us "creepy." But there are others who are creepy, too. Take Jeff Minter, who features J Allard in the second part of the Space Giraffe level one tutorial, which is appropriately named "The Eyes of Allard." Yes, Jallard's mug is visible. Thumbs up!!Thanks, Protector one!

Gc07: Booth Babes Revenge: Nowhere To Hide
Friday was a bit of a lull, sure it was busier than Thursday, but still not the epic, soul-crushing crowds of today. Not only have the number of attendees increases exponentially, but so have the number of booth babes. Funny how that works. It seems like the naked, but painted Booth Babe is very popular in Germany.galleryPost('gcbb', 4, 'Girls, Girls, Girls');