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Rumor Smash: Halo DS Was An "Unsolicited Pitch"
Finally, we can put "Halo DS" to bed. There's been rumours, "proof" and heresay flying around the place for years now, culminating in this week's "footage" of the game. Thankfully, during his little chat with Crecente earlier today, Bungie's Community and Franchise Director Brian Jarrard clears up the whole mess once and for all: This rumor has been circulating for a while and as you know we even saw some real life screens and assets this week. Ultimately it's up to Microsoft to decide if and when they take Halo to a different platform. That particular demo was in fact created and I believe it was an unsolicited pitch a long time ago but nothing ever came of it. Done. Finished. It may have been "real" in the sense you could touch it. But not real in the sense it had nothing to do with Bungie, and was little more than elaborate, digital fan mail.Bungie Owns Bungie: The Q&A of Bungie

Gallery: Project O Concept Art
While chatting about Project O with producer Yoshiro Kimura at TGS, the topic of the game's art design came up. For a Japanese game, it's got a very Western aesthetic. Which is not accidental! The game's art style is designed to match the tone of the story: they want the game to feel like a Western fairy tale, so it has to look like one too. galleryPost('POconcept', 4, 'Project O Concept Art');

Fibber Dibber: Gran Turismo PSP Resists Grave, Still Breathing?
Grab me by the legs, hold me over the edge of a rooftop and demand that I make a decisive judgement call on the future of Gran Turismo on the PSP, and I'll say "it's vapourware". Never coming, not going to happen, it was a big fat fib. And I'm going to stick to that call, in spite of the fact GamePro asked series boss Kazunori Yamauchi when we can expect to see the thing, and he asnwered: Probably after GT 5. We are working on it, and we will get around to it eventually. Eventually? In GT-speak, that's, like, forever. The PSP's not going to be around in 2012, least not in its current form.New features for Gran Turismo 5: Prologue; PSP version still in the works [GamePro]

Clip: Advance Wars 2 Gameplay
Taken from the recent MicroMania Games Show in Paris, here's some actual gameplay footage from the upcoming Advance Wars 2 for the DS. Still a little undecided on the new art style; it looks nice, yeah, but also a little drab compared to its yummier predecessors.[MGS 07] Advance Wars DS 2: Vidos et Images! [Nintendo Master, thanks Brian!]

Gallery: Ghost Squad... There Are No Words
Tekken 6 may have baby chicks, pig tossing and bear on marsupial battles, but Ghost Squad? Ghost Squad's got bikini girls with machine guns, swan boat chases, more tan lines than we've seen in a game to date and special tactical forces with dolphin squirt guns. This is watercooler stuff, people. Do not miss.Some of the game's bizarre design decisions were visible in the clip we posted a few weeks back, but it just keeps getting weirder. Good job, Sega. I like you again.galleryPost('ghostsquadwtf', 4, 'Ghost Squad');

Sponsors: World in Conflict Quick Draw Contest
First person to shoot kotakucontestATgmail.com an email with a list of twenty-five countries gets a copy of World in Conflict. Yup, that's it! Realize: As you are reading this, there are people, you know, who are sending emails — one of which will get a free game. Uh-huh, uh-huh. World in Conflict [Official Site]

Clips: The History of Lego Zanzibar
Don't worry, kids. The Halo hype will die down soon and you won't have to roll those pretty little eyes every time we post something about the biggest entertainment event of the year(!!!). Once your eyeballs stop rotating and you're done vocalizing your disgust, give Alex Kobbs' clip some retina time. He's foregone years of healthy social interaction to spend time with his massive LEGO block recreation of Halo's multiplayer map Zanzibar. Give the man a hand.

Kane & Lynch: Kane & Lynch's Swell New Multiplayer Mode
Some of us are already pretty much sold on IO Interactive's Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, but when the rest of the crew learns of the game's fascinating new multiplayer mode, dubbed "Fragile Alliance", we may just have to form a clan. Going back to the Heat tap one more time, the blend of co-op and head-to-head multiplayer action makes team killing part of the strategy. IGN's hands-on with Fragile Alliance details the bank robbing, loot gathering, double crossing gameplay so well, we just wanted to turn you on to it.But in short, you're going to need to grab as much cash as you can and make it out alive. The rub is this: when all is said and done, the total loot is distributed evenly. However, the fewer players you have alive at the end, the more spoils the survivors net. You can see where this is going, right? If not, read on.New screens of men in ties with guns at the link below.Kane & Lynch Multiplayer Hands-on [IGN]

Day Note: Travel Advisory
To: FlynnFrom: CrecenteGood lord it was a busy day. Ash was off Friday, Luke took a few hours off and Fahey was off. I snuck out for 30 minutes to take Tristan to school and when I got back I saw that Microsoft had announced their split with Bungie. A short panic later, having caught up I left to take the dogs for a short walk and when I got back I saw that Sony had confirmed the PS3 price drop in the UK.Sometimes it doesn't pay to take a break. That being said, I'm off to the parents' cabin in the mountains for the weekend, so expect all hell to break loose. Have fun!What you missed:Bungie Split ConfirmedPirates of the Burning Sea DatedSCEE Confirms PS3 Price DropSCEE: PS3 Nixed for UK TooBungie Owns Bungie: The Interview

Confirmed: 40GB PS3 Launches In Australia On October 11
Retailers never lie: SCE Australia have sent through word this morning that the 40GB PlayStation 3 will be launching in Australia on October 11, for the price of AUD$699. Hardware specs are obviously the same as everywhere else: no multi-memory card port (DEAR GOD NO WHY?), two less USB ports and no backwards compatability. SCE Aus boss Michael Ephraim: The introduction of the new PS3 has been the result of extensive research into the entertainment needs and preferences of the next generation of PS3 owners. It has allowed us to deliver an extremely advanced, yet incredibly affordable High Definition gaming and entertainment system, configured to the needs of the next generation of PS3 owners. $700's a start (it's AUD$30 cheaper than the 360 Elite), but affordable? Bit of a stretch. Sadly no news on a reduced price-point for the existing 60GB Starter Pack, but it's Saturday morning here, we'll get those answers on Monday.

Join Us: Bizarre Acquisition Phase One In Activision Global Domination
The buy out of Project Gotham Racing developer Bizarre Creations by Activision may just be the beginning of the second biggest third party publisher's plans to add to its collective. Activision Europe boss Joerg Trouvain says that the company isn't just interested in getting into the racing genre—some 10 percent of the market, they say—they're targeting growth... and more growth.It just makes sense really. Everyone who's anyone has a dedicated racing game studio these days—Polyphony Digital, Turn 10, SEGA Racing Studio, Evolution, Criterion—so Activision was just filling in holes. Don't be too surprised to see more and more currently independent studios brought into the corporate fold; not the other way around.Activision: 'Bizarre buy is just the beginning' [Develop]

Doa Extreme: Halo Movie: "Entirely Dead*"
*"In the configuration it was in," adds Neill Blomkamp. He's the director hired to helm the Peter Jackson executive produced film adaptation last year and who quickly saw his feature film debut hopes dashed upon the financial rocks by the suits at Universal and Fox. Blomkamp spoke to Creativity Online recently, confirming the film isn't just "on ice", it's chilling at the morgue.Blomkamp also reveals that the live action Halo shorts that were shown publicly at E3 this year weren't an attempt to jump start production. He tells CO:There was not even one percent of my mind in doing those short pieces to try and resurrect the film. And I think maybe that's because I'm closer to the film, I know how hard it fell, and I know that doing things like that was not how you're going to get it back on its feet. I never went about making those little pieces like I was trying to resurrect the film.It all sounds pretty bleak but Blomkamp later told the interviewer "never say never." Maybe there's...

Gallery: Tekken 6 Screenshot Blow-out
After seeing Anna in a witch's hat kicking her heel at Hwoarang, I'm abot 99.44% positive you're going to want to see the other 58 screenshots recently released for the arcade version of Tekken 6. It has pigs! And bears farting on kangaroos!galleryPost('tekken6oct', 4, 'Tekken 6');

Xbox 360: Puzzle Quest Theme, Picture Pack Hits 360
Both theme and picture packs for Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords are now available for download on Xobx Live Marketplace. Shhhh, don't tell Fahey. The theme pack runs for 150 points and the pictures will cost you 100.You know, no matter how much I like the themes or picture packs I have so far always regretted buying them. They tend to get annoying over time, I've found. Is that true with everyone or is it just me?

Unconfirmed: Ape Quest Coming To PSP?
In addition to a four game assault of Sega Genesis games, the ESRB has given a rating to Ape Quest from Sony Computer Entertainment for the PSP. No game with that title has been announced by SCEA, but we can rather safely assume its the unreleased Ape Escape game Sarugetchu: SaruSaru Daisakusen that shipped in Japan in July of this year. That would make it the fifth Ape Escape game to make its way to the handheld, but only the third to eventually be published in North America.Like many ESRB ratings, especially ones from SCEA, it might not see the light of day for a long time, if ever.ESRB Game Ratings

2007 B.C.: SCEE Explains PS3 BC Backpedalling
By now, we're all aware of the price drop and feature drop of the PLAYSTATION 3 in Europe, resulting in a gimped 40GB model of the console. So why, exactly, was backwards compatibility dropped from the PS3? What was once a "core value" and "necessary" according to Sony Computer Entertainment's Phil Harrison—not to mention a boastful talking point when asked about the Xbox 360's BC— is now clearly not at all necessary, with the company's priorities on "developing innovative new features and services for PS3 and not on backwards compatibility."Yeah, we get it. There's an opportunity to save a couple bucks. But why remove the PlayStation 2 chipset altogether, after investing in software emulation and eliminating hundreds of titles from the PS3 library? According to an interview with SCEE reps at GamesIndustry BIZ a "reduced emphasis placed on this feature amongst later purchasers of PS3, as well as the availability of a more extensive line-up of PS3 specific...

Sorry Cliffy: Gears of War Movie Cancelled?
Sorry Cliffy. Here is the latest rumor from film site IESB:...the IESB has been informed [director] Wiseman is off Gears as well*** and that New Line Cinema will most likely not move forward with the film at all. Our source is saying that the studio has concerns with ballooning budget of the film.It's too early to tell if this is a load of BS or completely true. But remember, this is Hollywood we're dealing with now. Everything regarding game movies should be seen as rumor at best until you are actually sitting in a movie theater with a sticky floor, having just forked over $10 to see what we've been talking about. Confirmed: Ratner Replaces Wiseman on New York Plus an Update on Gears of War! [via gamingtoday]

Meager Drive: ESRB Rates New Virtual Console Candidates
Four more Sega Genesis titles have been rated by the ESRB for the Wii, giving us a look at what the publisher may have coming down the pike. First, we have the kid-friendly third entry in the Ecco the Dolphin series, Ecco Jr. Next up, the kid-unfriendly Eternal Champions, Sega's attempt at an original, violent 2D fighter series that failed to take off.A pair of isometric games, Sonic 3D Blast and Light Crusader have also been rated. The former is a different take on the Sonic formula, with Sonic collecting Flickies in a clunky speed crippling space. The latter is Treasure's take on a Western-style action RPG. No dates for any of this high-quality 16-bit era gaming, but expect announcements from Sega soon.ESRB Game Ratings

Oh No: Your PSP Has Been Encased In Carbonite!
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron hits next week for the PSP, exclusively, right alongside the Star Wars Battlefront Entertainment Pack bundle. That's the one that comes with a Darth Vader portrait screened on the back of a white PSP Slim. To celebrate the release of the game, Sony is hosting a launch party with Lucasarts at PlayStation Store at the Metreon in San Francisco, bringing with them the usual bunch of Star Wars cosplayers, prizes, fireworks, dancing bears, etcetera.The reason you might actually want to show up? They're giving away Han Solo-trapped-in-carbonite PSP cases to the first 200 folks who buy the aforementioned Entertainment Pack. You'll look at it, your PSP encased in Han encased in carbonite and say "I love you." It will respond "I know." I... I'm tearing up a little bit.More details and a full-sized pics at the official PlayStation blog.Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Update [PlayStation.blog]

Car Vault: Epic Avoids the Wii, Can't Blame Them
Epic's UT3 engine brings them a lot of money in licensing. But there appears to be one oversight: Epic is making no money on the most popular next gen console on the market today. Mark Rein explains what gives.I don't think there's a lot of money on making engines for the Wii...because the big software dollars right now are being earned on Xbox 360 and they're going to be earned on PlayStation 3, and I think unless you're going to sell your engine to Nintendo, you're going for scraps on that platform.Subtext? Because everyone other than Nintendo will just be cashing in on beefed DS ports. It's too bad major engine makers like Epic aren't getting into the Wii, since we still need the system's graphics to be pushed to the max, even if that max is nowhere near true graphical maximums. Mark Rein: No money in Wii engines [cvg and gametrailers]

Snake! Snake?: Dojo Dump: Snaaaaaaaaaaake!
Not sure if I've confessed this before, but I've never really sat down and played a Smash Bros. game. It's true. My only experience with the series has been the Nintendo 64 original, Super Smash Bros. Just never really got around to it, as I perceived, with great snobbery, the fighting games I did enjoy, Soul Calibur, Street Fighter, as genuine, worthwhile fighters, with Powerstone my fighting guilty pleasure.This week's series of Super Smash Bros. Brawl updates, however, have made the Wii iteration a day one purchase. Snake's profile and the Shadow Moses Island stage update have sealed the deal. Read on, if you're only keeping up with the weekly Dojo Dump wrap up. It's worth it.Monday: Mother fans, your Lucas is here.Tuesday: The best ad campaign for Metal Gear Solid 4, the hero's inclusion in SSBB, is solidified by Snake's fighter profile and the Shadow Moses Island stage update. Do not miss the latter of the two.Wednesday: Hey! Excitebike! A fantastic assist trophy.Thursday:...

Weekend Warriors: What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Me? I got a ton of games thrown at me this week: NBA Live 08, Dementium: The Ward, NHL 08. In print, it doesn't look like a ton, but in time investment? Boggling! Add to that Jeanne d'Arc, Parodius Portable, Sin & Punishment and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and something's gotta give. Looks like the dog is gonna have to walk itself and we're going to need some day laborers to paint that bed room, sweetie—I've got important video games to play.Actually, my weekend will probably be packed with the Detour LA festival, watching my sister's labradoodle make mini-craps and other domestic fun. Thank God for the Nintendo DS and it's close proximity to my bathroom.With that lovely imagery in your noodle, what are you playing this weekend?

Contest: Win the Full Halo Experience
This is it, the last day for you to enter to win our Halo bribe schwag. There are ten Fahey-centric questions on the official contest page that you need to answer and email to kotakucontestATgmail.com. Once we sort through the entries to find the people who answered correctly we will randomly select one winner. Hurry it up, my wife's starting to get sick of the casket-sized box sitting in our living room. Oh, and the contest is not limited to U.S. residents only. Now have at it.The Great Halo 3 Giveaway

Legal: Thompson: Kotaku Superfluous
Actually Jack "Texas T" Thompson didn't really call the site superflous, rather he was referring to his latest suit against us. Wait, suit against us? I must have lost track of one of them, I didn't realize any were still standing.According to Game Politics the "Kotaku case" against the state of Florida was dropped after Thompson withdrew the case just days after the presiding judge set a date for oral arguments.Instead Thompson appears to be putting all of his nuts eggs in one basket, the gay porn case basket, named that because Thompson's most recent submission for the case featured graphic pictures of men having sex.Says Thompson about the Kotaku and gay porn cases:The Huck case is superfluous, as the other case is the one that has the relief I want and need.I'll leave writing the kicker to this fun little story to you, the reader. Jack Thompson Quietly Bows Out of Other Bar Lawsuit [Game Politics]

Clips: Crysis Multiplayer Rooftop Gameplay
newVideoPlayer("crysisrooftop_gawker.flv", 475, 276);What do you think? Is Crysis five years ahead? Crysis Multiplayer Rooftop Rumble Gameplay [gametrailers]

Smack Talk: Crytek: Bioshock Pwns Halo 3, But Both Drool and PCs Rule
Crytek head Cevat Yerli must be feeling pretty good about Crysis. Because even though he's trying not to talk smack, it's pouring from his mouth anyway. I don't want to talk bad about [Halo 3]. The trailer looked great. I know there are millions of people who love it.C'mon, let the poison out. You're amongst friends. I tried to play Halo 1, I tried to play Halo 2. (laughs) I really didn't get it. It didn't get me, well I bought copies though Again, conversely the Bioshock demo got me. It's not that it's not possible, but console shooters are at the level of PC shooters 5-6 years ago.Later in the interview Yerli goes on to explain just how Crysis could make its way to consoles—by altering level design. And then even later, Yerli discovered that wedgies can break skin and even require surgery. Shooting For Perfection: The Cevat Yerli Interview [gameinformer]

Feature: Bungie Owns Bungie: The Q&A
Nearly seven years ago Microsoft snatched up Bungie Studios, lock, stock and barrel. Today Bungie snatched themselves back.I know the press release doesn't really spell that out, but Brian Jarrard, Community and Franchise Director of Bungie, confirmed it for me today: Bungie is privately owned by Bungie, not Microsoft. We are Bungie, LLC now.Jarrard was nice enough to take the time to do an email Q&A with me today about a bunch of things. Questions ranged from how Bungie managed the break-up, to whether we can expect to see PS3 or Wii titles to them to what exactly the deal is with Halo DS. Hit the jump for the full exchange. Kotaku: What's the atmosphere like today over at Bungie? You guys must have already been pretty elated with the Halo 3 sales, and now you get a bit more freedom.Brian Jarrard: Well first and foremost we're in the business of making games and, believe it or not, most of the team is hard at work today like any other day. But yeah, we are still elated...

Exorcism: Left Behind Games Hushes Heathens
Left Behind Games has gone all Crusades on some bloggers, sending out boilerplate legal requests to remove "false and misleading" information about Left Behind: Eternal Forces from their websites. GamePolitics points out that Gameology, Daily Kos and Public Theologian have all received such letters, and their well-crafted responses seem put them on the side of least crazy. From Public Theologian:The Left Behind folks, still reeling from their disastrous launch last year, are gearing up for the release of their expansion pack next month... As an offensive strategy, they are trying to intimidate the Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders in the blogosphere who led the charge against this awful game...Christians should not sit silently while corporate money-grubbers make a buck out of perverting the Christian faith. Nor should we sit silently when a game is marketed to children promoting religious violence while American soldiers are dying overseas in the middle of a religious...

Film: Super Paper Mario, The Movie Idea
The highly talented King of Kong director Seth Gordon wants to make the Super Paper Mario movie. I mean, no one's asking him to make it, but he wants to make it. The guy is totally ready. Anytime. I'd love, really love, to adapt Super Paper Mario into a movie, a movie that would constantly switch from 2D to 3D. In five years, 3D cinema is going to be really big...(KoK) was screened for Nintendo, but I haven't had the chance to speak to anyone over there about it. But I definitely want to have that conversation.Please, please please...make something inspired by the game into a movie. But don't put Mario on the big screen again. Especially in the case of SPM, it's just not meant to be and my heart can't take it. Thoughts? Nintendo Wii Super Paper Mario: The Movie? [via gonintendo]

PS3: SCEE: PS3 60GB Nixed for UK Too
We ran the story a bit earlier this morning that the UK is getting a 40GB PS3 model at a fancy new 399 price point. The new model won't support PS2 backwards compatibility and will have two less USB ports and no multi-card memory reader.What wasn't clear from the release was what exactly was going on with the 60GB model, which is being reduced in price to 499. Turns out it is indeed going the way of the US version of the 60GB model.From Nick Sharples, Sony's Director of Corporate Communications in Europe:The 60GB Starter pack will remain on sale until stocks run out (a number of months, depending on territory.) Thereafter, the 40GB model will be the only SKU in the SCEE region.I feel like we need to have a wake or something. Meanwhile the SCEA folks remind us that no announcements have been made for North America about potential price drops, SKU shuffling or new models.

Not Real: Master Chief Wields Light Saber in Halo 3?
No, the picture is not proof of a special Halo lightsaber that's unlocked for players logging their millionth hour. The effect is actually just a rocket getting fired at Master Chief's hand. Sorry. But still, it's like if you had a picture of Angelina Jolie making out with Scarlett Johansson. Your brain knows it's too good to be true, but you're gonna save the memory all the same for a lonely night when you might need it. Halo 3 gamers + too much time = recorded madness [gamesradar]

Oddities: My Sims Meets Fashion Designers
An assortment of UK fashion designers have teamed up to create an assortment of MySims-inspired fashions to sell for charity starting next week.Each of the creations are meant to capture the "self expression, customization, creativity and collectiability" of the My Sims world with 100 percent of the profits going to the Great Ormond Street children's hospital.The items range from a Wii bag to a really neat t-shirt with a build in pouch to carry your DS around in.Giles Deacon - Eek Wii-mote/Bag talisman - based on Giles' signature avatar Eek will come with special My Sims elements designed to stimulate the mind or just act as good luck. RRP 35Cassette Playa - Stuck on My Sims - Cassette Playa puts a unique twist on the MySims world with a series of vinyl and foil artworks rooted in customisation - give your DS that My Sims make-over or simply customise your phone, laptop, nails or notebook. RRP 15House of Holland - My Sims Pouch Tee - designed for DS on the go, with a seamed...

Nut Shot: Wireless Guitar Hero 3 for PS3, Almost Lacks Wires
While the PS3 uses the superb wireless Bluetooth standard offering open compatibility, free love and unicorn rides, Red Octane's Guitar Hero III controllers will not play so nice. Apparently they are working on a non-Bluetooth wireless standard requiring USB dongles that hang out the front of your PS3 like skinny mutant phalli. It's not the end of the world, by any means. But I'm a gear guy and stuff like this makes me tear up a bit, even if the receiver is in the shape of a guitar pick. Pics: Guitar Hero III's PS3 Dongle Dangles [gamelife]

PC: Pirates of the Burning Sea Dated
Pirates of the Burning Sea, the only pirate MMO that I've liked to date, is scheduled to go live on Jan. 22, Sony Online Entertainment announced today."We are eagerly anticipating the day we can raise the anchor and set sail with Pirates of the Burning Sea. Our team's hard work and dedication, and that of our partners at SOE's Platform Publishing group, is going to result in a fantastic gameplay experience for PC gamers," said Russell Williams, CEO, Flying Lab Software. "We are looking forward to bringing this game to fruition, and appreciate the support from our dedicated community in helping us to develop a top-notch game."Pre-orders or the game are set to kick off on Oct. 23. Gamers how buy early will get access to the pre-boarding party which kicks off 15 days prior to launch. During that time those lucky few get to level up to 20 with characters they can keep when the game officially launches. Better still, pre-orderers get a free virtual parrot, a weapon and an original...

PS3: SCEE Confirms PS3 Price Drop
Looks like we just hit step six.Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe just confirmed what we seemingly all already knew: The Playstation 3 is getting a price drop. Only they don't call it a price drop, they call it a new model. Why does this sound familiar?The "new" 40GBHDD PS3 will hit SCEE territories on Oct. 10 for 399 and come with a SIXAXIS wireless controller, WiFi, HDMI tow USB ports rather than four and no multi memory card port. The new model will also not be backwards compatible or the PS2.SCEE also announced that the 60GB PS3 will not sell for 499 until they run out of supplies. Which makes me think they're getting rid of the 60GB model in Europe. WTF? I'll be checking on both that and if this will in anyway be mirrored in the U.S. or other territories. Stay tuned.New PLAYSTATION3 Model to Take Holiday Season by Storm Aggressively priced hardware and a terrific software line-up make for an unbeatable combinationNew 40GB PS3 at 399London, 5 October 2007 - Sony Computer...

Deal: Free Blu-ray Offer Extended
That buy a Blu-ray player or Playstation 3 and get five free Blu-ray movie offer that ended last month has just been reupped. The new offer runs from Oct. 1 through Jan. 31 and includes a new selection of movies. I wonder why the HD-DVD folks aren't doing this. Maybe there isn't a single company invested deeply enough to warrant the expense.Blue-ray SavingsChain ReactionFlight of the PhoenixUltravioletPirates of the Caribbean: Curese of the Black PearlThe PrestigeWild HogsSwordfishSupermanFull Metal JacketStir of EchoesAmerican PsychoThe Devil's RejectsThe PatriotS.W.A.T.Chain ReactionHart's WarOmen 666The Last WaltzSpecies

Breaking: Bungie Split Confirmed
It's official: Microsoft has just announced that Bungie Studios will be embarking "on a path to become an independent company.According to Bungie, the developer will become an independent company, but will retain a long-term publishing agreement with Microsoft Game Studios for future Halo titles.Bungie has long been built on creativity, originality and the freedom to pursue ideas. Microsoft agreed, and rather than stifle our imagination, they decided it was in both our best interests to unleash it. We'll continue to make Xbox 360 games, and we'll continue to make amazing games for MGS. In that regard, nothing has changed. All that has changed is that now Bungie Studios is once again, the property of the folks of Bungie Studios. Microsoft is and will continue to be, a brilliant, inventive and creatively collaborative publishing partner. Practically speaking, nothing has changed and you guys won't see much, if any difference, for a while unless you come to work for us, that is...

Borf: Space Ace In HD
Where Dragon's Lair walks, Space Ace is never far behind. The sci-fi follow-up to Don Bluth's classic animated dungeon romp is following in it's more popular older brother's footsteps, as Digital Leisure announces Space Ace PC HD, due out this fall. The game features an all-new 5.1 surround sound mix, making the beautiful Kimberly just that much more adorable. "Don Bluth's animation just pops in Space Ace HD" says David Foster, President of Digital Leisure. "It's fantastic that today's computers allow gamers to enjoy full high definition products. There are details in the animation that I didn't know existed before seeing the game in such high definition. The colors are incredibly vivid and the surround sound mix will have you looking over your shoulder!"As with their Dragon's Lair HD release, Blu-ray and HD DVD versions will be hitting stores sometime next year. Digital Leisure announces release of Space Ace in HDGORMLEY, Ontario, Canada (October 4, 2007) -- For the first time...

Clips: Star Wars Battlefront: RS
I want to like this game, but I'm not so sure if I will. Part of the problem, of course, is that it's hard to like first-person shooters on a portable, but also the graphics look incredible at times and choppy at others.

Contest: This is it! Last day! You've got until midnight ...
This is it! Last day! You've got until midnight tonight to get you entry for our great Halo 3 contest. How do you enter? Just answer questions about everybody's Fahey, Michael Fahey. In case you missed them, click here for the questions (and rules). Clock's ticking away, get to it!

Oh I See What You've Done There: Sony's New...POP?
Spotted at the Royal Show in Perth, Western Australia. May not boast the PlayStation Portable's clean lines or shiny surface, but it does GAME. Oh, and it RADIOS, too. No idea why a simple LCD game needs the PSP's POP's full array of dazzling multimedia capabilities on display, but it must be some...racer? Is it a racer, or a shooter? Whatever. I bet it's awesome.[thanks Scotto!]

Cash Rules Everything Around Me...: $1 BILLION Blown On Virtual World Investment
You know what they say: a fool and his money are easily parted. Especially when there are a bunch of fools sitting together around a boardroom table, convincing each other that virtual worlds are hot, and that they should blow millions investing in them. Which is exactly what's happening! A study by Virtual Worlds Management reckons USD$1 billion has been invested into "virtual worlds" over the past year. And no, they don't mean WoW. They mean Second Life. They also mean the kind of things you see in flash ads, with crudely-drawn avatars and promise you the ability to "chat with friends". You know, the kinds of things you and everyone else ignore because they look like a bag of shit stuffed full of pointy, rusty nails. Money well wasted, gents!$1 billion invested in virtual worlds in past 12 months - study [Gamesindustry.biz]

Sponsors: Sponsors Thanks
Traveling is hard. Physically. It wears on your body, messing with your daily rhythm. So, after a long hard road trip, we're so happy to get back to Kotaku Tower. And happier to see our Sponsors there, waiting and smiling. For that, we thank them! This week, the traveling Kotaku man was met at the door by Annie Lennox, Logitech, TiVo, Touch Detective and Verizon. Interested in commenting on Kotaku? Click here to find out how.

Sales Charts: Aussie Sales Charts
And what do you know, there's Halo 3 at the top. Thing sold 70,000 copies in its first week, which already has it as the #2-selling 360 game of all time down here. I'd imagine it'll have caught Gears by this time next week. Equally unsurprising are the rest of the charts, which apart from a few lost lambs are all FIFA and SingStar. Really, three FIFAs and two SingStars? Must be getting close to Christmas.1) Halo 32) FIFA 08 (PS2)3) SingStar Rock Ballads (Game)4) FIFA 08 (PS3)5) Super Paper Mario6) FIFA 08 (360)7) More Brain Training8) SingStar 90s (Game)9) Ratatouille (PS2)10) Heavenly Sword[charts provided by GfK]

Peripherals: Razer's New Gaming Keyboard
Razer showed off a new gaming keyboard and headset toay at the World Cyber Games 2007 Grand Finals in Seattle this week. The Lycosa has backlit keys, super-fast response times and a number of other gaming features while the Piranha supports stereo sound and features a noise-filtering microphone.I'm not so sure about Razer. I've been using their DeathAdder mouse for awhile now and not only does it not seem that sensitive to me, it actually sometimes acts up. I also tested out their Barracuda sound card and headphones and both have major issues, so I've stopped using them. I'm starting to suspect that they make average products and just slap a neat name on it. What sort of experience have you had with their products?LycosaKeytop with non-slip rubber finish Backlight illumination with WASD cluster lighting option Fully-programmable keys with macro capabilityGaming cluster with anti-ghosting capabilitySlim keycap structure with Hyperesponse technologyTouchPanel easy access media...

Last Drinks: British Industry Types Call For PS2 Price-Cut
Amidst all this hot and heavy talk of PS3 prices, we've all forgotten the trusty old PS2 is just about due for one final, Christmas-2007-themed price cut. Everyone except Britain, that is, with several prominent industry and retail figures calling for a cut. One is Ubisoft UK managing director Rob Cooper: It's already at an attractive price, but a reduction on hardware and software would undoubtedly prove an extremely tempting purchase to the more casual gamer and family member. True words. SCEE's response?There are no immediate plans to cut the price. We still think PS2 offers tremendous value for money. Half a denial, then, but we all know how Sony roll. Trade calls for pre-Xmas PS2 price reduction [MCV]

Learning: The Wii Inspires Students To Care Where They Live
David Brantley is a teacher at Cumberland Elementary. An otherwise normal guy, Brentley is the first school teacher in his district (and many others we suspect) to realize that the Wii's forecast and news globe could be a great learning tool in the classroom, engaging students more than traditional maps. As Brantley puts it:We do everything that's traditionally done...But as soon as we've done a little bit and they know it, we can turn around and make it a game and have fun.The investment for a Wii is just $250, which even under tight school budgets, is probably not much less attainable than a new standard globe. And speaking from personal experience, even though I know my geography as well as the next guy, the Wii's news mapping puts stories in a context I otherwise don't fully process. Now if it were only efficient enough to use in blogging...Game system lowers learning curve at Cumberland [journal&courier][image]

Please Explain Yourselves: Japanese Devs Explain Why Japan Hates The 360
We all know Japan hates the 360. We've all got our theories on why, too, but really, they're more like opinions. Few of you reading this are Japanese, even fewer of you make games specifically for the Japanese market. Which makes this GameSpot piece all the more interesting: they asked a whole bunch of Japanese devs just what they think is wrong with the 360.Soul Calibur IV lead programmer Masaaki HoshinoIn order to succeed in Japan, [Microsoft] needs Japan-created content, not just a lot of foreign games that have been localized.Anonymous Ace combat 6 developerJapanese players don't want challenging, stressful, difficult games. Japanese players would rather have role-playing games with a slow tempo, where they are led and shown what to do. So, maybe games like Blue Dragon will start to change things. When more of those kind of games come on to the market, then I think more Japanese players will accept the 360.Anonymous designerPeople think [foreign games] are difficult and...

Moe: Japanese Style Xbox 360 Faceplates
With all this Halo 3 craziness in Japan (yes, those are pigs flying), thought it might be a good chance to show some Japanese-style faceplates. I wish I had close-ups of these so I could do a gallery, but from what I can see, they look, well, like typical anime stuff, but w/e! There is a definite Xbox 360 hardcore contingent in Japan — all of which now own Halo 3, it seems. Japanese Faceplates [Neo]

Rumor: Google's Second Life/Home Project Out This Year?
There's been whispers here and there before, but those were a while ago and nothing came of them. Now though, more whispers. New whispers (OK, a week or so old, but it's news to me). Whispering about Google, and how they might be about ready to kick off an online community...gaming...advertising...thing. Students at Arizona State University have been invited to take part in testing for an online community/game due to be launched by a "major internet company" later this year. The Google link comes from the fact they're a somewhat major internet company, as well as close links between the company and ASU in the past. It's also rumoured/a given that Google's service would make use of Google Maps, Google Earth and probably every other nifty little application the company's come up with over the years. Google Ads included. Google testing "My World" for launch later this year [Ars Technica, via The Guardian]

Sales Charts: Quarterly Australian Hardware Sales
Calling all numbers fans. Calling all numbers fans! Hardware sales figures are in! And while they may only be for the adorably tiny market of Australia, they're still numbers, and they're still interesting, so let's all have a look. Note these are Q3 sales, so we're looking at Jul-Sep.Nintendo DS: 139,483PlayStation 2: 66,228Nintendo Wii: 61,027Xbox 360: 40,467PlayStation Portable: 28,374PlayStation 3: 27,533The PS2 outsells the PS3 and PSP combined? Looks like I can see two formats that need a SingStar game.Nintendo DS highest-selling games device in Australia in Q3; PS3 the lowest [GameSpot]

Jibber Jabber: Nintendo Can't Really Explain Why Chibi-Robo Is A Wal-Mart Exclusive
Chibi-Robo is a Wal-Mart exclusive. Means that if there's no Wal-Mart near your place, if you don't live near the Nintendo World Store or are down with this whole internet shopping business, you're out. Of. Luck. It's a curious decision for Nintendo to take, so MTV's Stephen Totilo decided to ask just why it had been made. Nintendo's response? For the new 'Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol' game for Nintendo DS, Nintendo partnered with Wal-Mart because of Wal-Mart's strong environmental program and social giving campaign. 'Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol' has an environmental theme, and we wanted to make sure that it received exposure among a broad audience of consumers as we continue to get more and more people interested in the world of video games. Um. Right. As Totilo says, this doesn't really answer the question. So he seeks clarification.Wal-Mart has a large green initiative at retail, so it made sense for us to partner with them on this environmentally-themed game. OK. The game's big on...

Clip: The Best Damn Halo 3 Mario Bros. Video Yet
So we can appreciate Halo 3's "Saved Films" feature, can we? Best add Forge to the list as well, then.