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Unconfirmed: Microsoft Lockouts 23,000 Live Users
Apparently, Microsoft has temporarily locked out 23,000 thousands LIVE users who took advantage of a now resolved exploit in Call of Duty 4 beta. The exploit allowed participants to sign in on a different machine, use their beta token and download the beta again. Game site Xbox-Scene has a memo from an "internal Microsoft source" who details what's gone down:There was an exploit (it's been resolved), in the Call of Duty 4 beta. The public beta had 100k valid participants who qualified and were provided special tokens which allowed them to download the COD4 beta from Marketplace.There was an exploit that enabled valid beta participants to sign in with their accounts on a different machine, use their beta token and download the beta. The beta was then fully functional for any LIVE profile on that 2 nd machine (even after the beta participant's account was removed). Approximately 23k consoles were used to take advantage of this exploit to illegitimately access the COD4 beta.The...

Virtual Groupies: Rock Band Touring America
Haven't played Rock Band? Good thing a GIANT SEMI TRUCK will be bringing Rock Band to the masses. On September 9th, a 24-city American tour will kick off in Las Vegas. MTV's even going to make you famous. According to its GameDrop Blog:If you think you're destined for Rock Band stardom, you're in luck; you can test your skills and participate in the nationwide casting call at MTV's Rock Band "Rock Off" events. Any rockers without stage fright who play on the Rock Band tour bus stage will be captured on tape for consideration by MTV casting directors. Two bands will get picked and flown to NYC to spend face-time with a real rock band for official rocker training. Then they'll play on MTV's TRL, and the winning outfit will get to open for a surprise super group at the Rock Band launch concert.Hit the jump for the tour dates:Rock Band Tour Dates (specific locations will be released separately):September 9 - 16, 2007Las Vegas, NVSeptember 13 - 16, 2007Milwaukee, WISeptember 20...

Toys R Wii: New Nintendo Tchotchkes Make Owning Keys Fun Again
I'm perfectly content to go keychain-less, as I generally wear skin-tight leather pants everywhere I go, but I may have to revise my policy for a pair of new import goodies from Bandai and Yujin. On the left we have the mini Wii-mote projector, one that throws a spotlight featuring the Nintendo character of your choice—as long as it's from Super Paper Mario, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess or Wario Ware Smooth Moves—upon anything your heart desires.Only slightly less thrilling are the new The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass sound drops, featuring familiar sound bites from the Nintendo DS game. All are available for pre-order at National Console Support. Yay for plastic!

Revenge Of The Nerds: University of British Columbia Victim Of Katamari Roll-Up
Kotaku reader Henry passed on what may be considered a clever homage or a the work of a lazy graphic designer, as the Alma Mater Society's handbook for the coming school year at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver sports some strinkingly familiar imagery. We can only hope that no one was hurt during the tragic rolling up of the school and that someone issues a zombie army against these dogs of the AMS in retaliation for their swipe.Big pic of the geeky handbook after the jump.Thanks for the tip, Henry!

Clips: Boogie DS In Motion
What is it about Boogie that makes me so morbidly curious? Having just seen the trailer for the Nintendo DS version announced earlier today, I come away disappointed yet again. While I'm strangely fascinated by the 3D-glasses feature and the potential for mini-games (seriously!), this just doesn't seem to live up to its potential as a rhythm game contender. Maybe it's that cover of "Brickhouse" that makes me want to smash everything in sight that unfairly influences my opinion...

Day Note: That's Not Heavy, It's My Computer
To: AshFrom: CrecenteRe: A Very Important Question (About My Hair)Dude, mullet? Why would you want business in the front, when you can party all the time? That's all I'm saying.So HP's new Blackbird PC landed on my doorstep this afternoon, just hours before the embargo lifted. I was supposed to received it weeks ago to, you know, get time to actually check it out before writing about it. But that didn't happen for some reason. And to make matters worse, the thing won't boot up, the hard drive appears to be bad. Personally, I don't think that's that big a deal, from my perspective. I know what sort of wonderful things are out there in the way of cards and memory and motherboards, so none of that is going to impress me. And that's not what sets this thing apart, it's the 70-pound or so chassis. The thing is made of solid aluminum, no plastic at all. And I was able to take the whole thing apart in minutes. It's the best tooless PC I've ever seen. But it's also a really big, really...

Black College Football Experience: Get The Black College Football Experience With Black College Football Experience
Video game football is about to get yet another contender, this time with a decidedly specific bent as tongue twisting developer Nerjyzed Entertainment has announced Black College Football Experience or BCFx if the former grows to tiresome. The Unreal Engine 3 powered college football game brings together three historically black college and university conferences, including some 40 teams for "an incredibly fun football game for the whole family to play."So what is the Black College Football Experience? As a lily white dude whose closest hands-on experience with such a thing was flipping past a FAMU game once, I'll have to wait for the PC release to find out. Based on the press release, it's apparently not only football, but halftime shows, too, as you'll "step into the boots of a drum major" for an interactive battle of the bands. Hey! I like rhythm games, too!Far more details are available at the Nerjyzed site, but a handy press release follows.NERJYZED ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES...

Re-running Man: Ahnuld Appeals Unconstitutional Game Law, ESA Wants Its Money Back
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has followed through with his intent to appeal the California law that would target "ultra-violent" video games struck down by federal judge Ronald Whyte last month. Senator Leland Yee backed up Ahnuld, writing that it represented "common-sense law that empowers parents by giving them the ultimate authority over whether or not their children can play in a world of violence and murder."On the flip side of that dispute, the Entertainment Software Association is seeking repayment of court costs associate with battling the California law, fees now well over $300,000. Game Politics has more details and fantastically alarmist politico quotes in their original report.Schwarzenegger Appeals CA Game Law As Industry Seeks $320K Legal Fees [Game Politics]

PC: Blackbird Dedication Specs
Sorry I didn't post the specs on the Blackbird with the last post, but the loaner they sent me seems to have a bad hard drive, ironic isn't it? And the site just went live with the options you can choose for building your own PC.So far the only specs I could find on their site is for the limited run Dedication Edition of the desktop which comes with:Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.0 GHzDual Nvidie GeForce 8800 UltraCPU and dual GPU Liquid Cooling15 in 1 Card ReaderVoodoo Razer Gaming Mouse and Keyboard1.1 Kilowatt Power Plat10,000 RPM Raptor hard driveFive hard drive baysAll other Blackbirds will be very customizable meaning you can choose Intel or AMD, ATI or NVidia, Corsair, Hynix or Samsung memory and ASUS or Intel motherboards. The Dedication, which I couldn't find a price for, goes on sale on Sept. 15 and the rest of them on Oct. 1.

Another Episode: PS3 Owners Will Wait Longer For Half-Life 2 Orange Box
Remember that nasty rumor that the PLAYSTATION 3 version of Valve's ultimate Half-Life 2 collection would arrive later than the rest? Consider it rumor no more. Gamespot has confirmed with Valve's own Doug Lombardi that the PS3 SKU of The Orange Box will ship "a couple of weeks" after the PC and Xbox 360 versions. As Gamespot points out, retailer Gamestop currently offers up a November 13th release date for the collection that contains Half-Life 2, Team Fortress and Portal. While not solid confirmation, that's over a month after the October 9th ship date for the other versions.Anyone that is not currently shocked by this revelation, please raise your hands. PS3 owners sick of seeing games delayed, please extend your middle fingers and direct toward the appropriate parties.PS3 Orange Box trailing 360, PC versions [Gamespot]

Gallery: Army Of Two Co-op Blowout
EA Montreal's co-op shooter Army of Two may ultimately turn out to be a real stinker. I've certainly had no hands on time with it and I still have the taste of SSX Blur in my mouth (along with a hint of maple whiskey). But I'll be damned if these aren't some excellent looking screenshots. And by the looks of that image right up there, vicious knee snapping is not out of bounds.The Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 versions are due out in just a matter of months, so we'll know soon enough how well it plays. As a screenshot generator, however, it's looking top notch.galleryPost('Army of Two', 4, 'Army of Two');

Ninja Magic: The Legend of Kage Brings Ninja Magic Back To DS
After twenty years, Taito has finally decided to follow up on the original arcade game The Legend of Kage with the cleverly titled The Legend of Kage 2, proving anything can happen when we're talking about the Nintendo DS. Taito is adding dual screen platforming action and some thirty ninja skills to the Legend of Kage formula, destined to hit Japanese store shelves in February of next year. Gpara has tons of in-game screens and loads of artwork at which you may gawk.For those of you unfamiliar with or not alive for the first Legend of Kage, you have two easy, legal ways to play it. The original arcade release is included in Taito Legends Volume 2 for the PlayStation 2 and PC, with the NES port available on the Wii's Virtual Console since February. Great games? Not necessarily, but they're indisputably ninja-riffic.The Legend of Kage 2 [Gpara]

Update: 2K on Bioshock: "Why should your brother play for free?"
On the 2K boards, one community member found that when his brother attempted to play Bioshock on another account (on the same PC), the software prompted him for a serial number. He asked (ok, whined a bit) as to whether or not this serial would count toward another of his 5 activations. This was 2K's response:2k Tech JT writes:The other way to view this, is one USER has purchased the game. Not the whole family. So why should your brother play for free?Because remember, your brother still wets the bed. And sharing no longer exists in the digital age. Especially with bed wetters. 2K Thread [via maxconsole]Update: 2K has contacted us to let us know that 2K Tech JT is in fact not an employee of 2K, but rather an outside contractor who is now, it seems, being investigated by the company.Please note that the forum moderator has been incorrectly quoted as a 2K employee. The individual, "JT Tech 2K" works for an outside tech support group and is not an employee of 2K. Additionally,...

Original: Project Blackbird Lands at My House
I received an 80 pound box from HP via UPS on my front door step this morning. Inside the mammoth box was an equally mammoth PC, a prototype to be specific with both the HP and Voodoo names on it. On one corner of the liquid black case were the words "Project Blackbird 02."After lugging the more than 70 pound computer, no I'm not kidding, up the stairs to my loft I plugged it in to see what this thing was made of... besides really heavy steel.I'll be posting the spec sheets and my impressions in a few minutes.galleryPost('projectblackbird', 4, 'Project Blackbird 02');

Voodoo Dna: Project Blackbird 02 Rundown
The Blackbird 02 is a light-absorbing, monolith of a gaming rig that weighs in at more than 70 pounds. It also happens to be the first lovechild of HP's army of deep-pocketed designers and VoodooPC's boutique gaming PC aesthetic. The deep space Black aluminum case looks more like something that belongs in a fighting robot than on your desk and the thing sits on a cast-aluminum foot that not only keeps it off the ground but helps provide more ventilation for cooling.Hit the jump for the details of this customizable gaming rig that runs for $2,500 to $7,100. In a nutshell, the case is one giant heatsink that can support up to 600 pounds, the CPU, GPU and the motherboard are all in separate thermal chambers and it includes a full system, maintenance-free liquid cooling system. Oh and it has a pretty spiffy removable side panel and interior and exterior LED lighting.Product Highlights*Industry Standard Components - HP Blackbird 002 is the most versatile and configurable performance...

PC: Project Blackbird 02 Impressions
Rahul Sood, Voodoo PC founder and now the CTO of HP Gaming, said he wanted to completely revolutionized the desktop PC with the Blackbird. I don't know if it's a revolution, but I sure as hell like it.What it seems the Blackbird has done is taken all of the things that are important to high-end gaming rigs, airflow, liquid cooling, wiring, and done them in a way that doesn't prevent a user from tinkering without a lot of heartache.I can very easily get up to my elbows in Blackbird guts after only a few minutes of tool-free work. Popping open the completely plastic free chassis (the thing is made entirely from cast and stamped aluminum parts, is like open a car door, a very expensive car door. This side door even has a gasket built in to reduce sound. To remove the door you just have to slide it off of its hinges. The guts of the computer are completely propitiatory-free, meaning that everything inside this compute is industry standard but also, in theory, top of the line. Once...

Cunning Stunts: Mario Kart Wii Features Stunts, 16-Player Online
The latest Official Nintendo Magazine from the UK reveals some tantalizing new details on Nintendo's plans for Mario Kart Wii. In addition to featuring Battle Mode online and a host of favorite tracks from Mario Kart DS making appearances, support for up to 16 players for online races is in the works. We don't look forward to that Friend Code input-athon.The other teased feature that ONM promises will keep the Mario Kart formula fresh is a mysterious stunt mechanic, allowing players to pull off special moves while in mid-air. Awesome! We simply cannot wait for the associated lifestyle photography!News: Mario Kart Wii Info [N-Europe - thanks, Iain!]

Ninja Magic: Odin Sphere Developer Reveals Wii Project
Vanillaware, whose latest gorgeous 2D games include Odin Sphere, pictured above, and GrimGrimoire for the PlayStation 2 have announced their latest game, this time for the Nintendo Wii. The latest issue of Famitsu, by way of 1UP, reveals that Oboro Muramasa Youtouden will follow in the 2D tradition, with a feudal Japan era setting that's loaded with paranormal enemies and mystical creatures. The best news? You play as one of two ninja.No date is set for Oboro Muramasa Youtouden's Wii-mote swinging adventure, but we pray to the video game gods that we see more at TGS.Vanillaware Unveils Wii Action Game [1UP]

PS3: The Lair Curse and Hot Coffee
Stephen Totilo has an interesting story up on Factor 5's struggle with Lair and how the developers thought it was cursed from the beginning nearly two years ago.The curse started with the Lair trailer getting bumped from the initial PS3 announcement reel because it was too dark to see and continued...That was the start of one catastrophe after the other -- deaths in the family at the worst time [and] sudden surgeries for key members, which bounced the technology off-track. And just in general, every single time there was a crucial delivery, something bizarre went wrong -- all the way to power outages when writing the master disks." And Totilo points out that the dev team even talks about this curse on the game's commentary track, sort of proving that this isn't just spin for all of the negative reviews the game has been getting. The story is a must read for anyone interested in the saga behind the poorly reviewed game and the developers' reactions to the reactions.Totilo summarizes...

Lonely Cocktail: HBO Snaps Up Second Life Documentary
The Hollywood Reporter writes today that premium cable channel HBO has paid actual real-world dollars for the rights to air a documentary made within Second Life. Titled Molotov's Dispatches in Search of the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey, the 35 minute machinima doc will air sometime in 2008 and will be submitted by HBO for consideration for an animated short Oscar.The experimental work, which chronicles the interactions between Second Life inhabitants, has been described as "evocative" and "vivid", unsurprisingly by James Wagner Au, and destined for cult classic status on par with some of the best sci-fi.Expect an influx of furries and flying wiggling penises following the Second Life documentary's commercial airing next year. In the meantime, interested viewers can view the first episode at the doc's official site.HBO buys Second Life documentary [The Hollywood Reporter]

Girls Girls Girls: Xbox Gamerchix, The Online Ladies Room
With internet anonymity fueling the girl-hating rage of Xbox Live users everywhere, causing a constant running at the mouth from boys who've never touched a boob that wasn't attached to a mousepad, it seems that GamerchiX is nothing short of a necessity. And with Microsoft attempting to "touch" a billion gamers this generation (no bad touches, please), the Xbox-centric community for the fairer sex is less of a grrrly marketing ploy and more of a sound business decision. The LA Times recently profiled, among other, GamerchiX leader Trixie, better known as Microsoft employee Christa Phillips. Dudes should take note.Tired of the constant harassment from people like us—you know, misogynistic pig bloggers with leanings toward Taliban-esque oppression—packs of girls have latched onto all-female clans like PMS and GamerchiX, the latter of which writer Louann Brizendine calls "the Xbox version of the girl's bathroom." It's the kind of bathroom that, should you invade,...

Bronze Medal: Yakuza 3 Countdown Begins
While Sega's Yakuza may have flopped hard in the U.S., the Japanese equivalent, Ryu Ga Gotoku is nothing short of a mega-budget mega-hit overseas, spawning a sequel, two movies and funding producer Toshihiro Nagoshi's cell phone buying habits. Both Ryu Ga Gotoku games went "Best Hits" meaning a sequel was inevitable. And now that the official Ryu Ga Gotoku site in Japan is sporting a handy countdown calendar, an announcement seems inescapable.Nagoshi took the stage earlier this summer with a cancerous coating of bronze to announce a couple of new PLAYSTATION 3 games. They went unnamed at the time, but with Tokyo Game Show just shy of a fortnight away, and eight days on the countdown, it seems the next-gen look at the Yakuza will be right around the corner.Pity we won't get it over here.Ryu Ga Gotoku [Official Site]

Tabula Rasa: Heading Down Garriott's House
As you read this I am on my way to Richard "Lord British" Garriot's stately Britannia Manor to participate in a special event involving his new sci-fi MMO, Tabula Rasa. I really have no idea what to expect, other than the fact that the instructions suggest wearing shoes I don't mind getting dirty. The lazy part of me is slightly frightened about that prospect, while the dorky fanboy inside me is off in the corner doing things I'd rather not repeat in mixed company. Look for more on the mysterious event tomorrow, should I live to tell the tale. For more on Garriott's digs, check out N. Evan Van Zelfden's feature from back in June. It's LARParific!

Music: Rock Band's Latest Song List
Electronic Arts just sent us the latest set list for Rock Band, it includes both The Pixies "Wave of Mutilation" and Hole's "Celebrity Skin" that McWhertor pointed out yesterday as well as a song by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs which I hadn't noticed before. I haven't been totally on top of Rock Band's growing song launch list, so it may have been announced previously.Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper" (Master)The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again" (Master)David Bowie "Suffragette City" (Master)Black Sabbath "Paranoid" (Cover)The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Pop" (Master)Mountain "Mississippi Queen" (Cover)Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive" (Master)Rush "Tom Sawyer" (Cover)Nirvana "In Bloom" (Master)Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline" (Master)Weezer "Say It Ain't So" (Master)The Hives "Main Offender" (Master)The Strokes "Reptilla" (Master)Queens of the Stone Age "Go with the Flow" (Master)Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly" (Master)Metallica "Enter Sandman" (Master) Deep Purple "Highway Star" (Master)Faith...

Revenge Of Boogie: Boogie Confirmed For PS2, DS
EA's Wii dancing game that took the "rave" out of "rave reviews" and slapped it into a poorly-executed waggle-fest is getting a new lease on life, this time on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS. Boogie, you may remember, was recently rumored to jump ship from Wii exclusive to EA cash grab, but today the uber-publisher confirmed it.Both the DS and PS2 versions are planned to hit by Holiday '07, with the handheld port getting a true 3D upgrade. The kind of 3D only possible with the inclusion of red and blue lensed glasses. In addition, a new, now standard set of mini-games ice the cake that is Boogie DS.Ease on down the road for a press release if you're still in the mood for some reading.EA'S BOOGIE SHAKES ITS WAY ONTO THE NINTENDO DS AND PLAYSTATION 2 THIS HOLIDAY SEASONBoogie on Nintendo DS Offers Players New Features Including 3D GameplayChertsey, UK - September 5, 2007 - Shake it. Sing it. Create it. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Boogie, which shipped...

Olive Branch Slapped: Sony Invites Microsoft to Blu-ray
In a recent interview, Sony's Don Eklund, executive vice president of advanced technologies, had this to say about the companies they'd like to be partnering with for Blu-ray. We would love to have Toshiba and Microsoft on board.It's corporate BS like this that makes my day—the equivalent of Marvel trading the Spiderman IP for some free Wonder Woman comics. My other favorite quote?Toshiba can't keep dropping prices much more...It maybe a strategy for fighting a format war, but for us it has to be profitable.Profit? Sony? Blu-ray? Having attended the most recent presentation from both the HD DVD an Blu-ray camps in Berlin, I walked away realizing just how poorly HD DVD is performing, as well as just how integral the PS3 has been to the limited success of Blu-ray.But talk of profits? Ha! Sony invites Toshiba and Microsoft to join Blu-ray camp [pocketlint]

Inspiring: Baby Crawls For First Time...To Xbox 360 Controller
From our dear reader Phil:My son has been on the verge of crawling for a couple weeks, but what finally got him to push himself over the top was the tantalizing promise of an Xbox 360 controller, which I cruelly had to take from him afterward for fear he'd slobber it to death.I've never understood the whole baby thing, but this video brought tears to my eyes. Because that poor, poor remote that will surely be covered in poopoo, peepee and baby puke the first time Phil turns his back on his demon child.

Feature: Karraker on Blackballs, Blogging and Bye Byes
Starting next week Dave Karraker, head of SCEA's PR, will be leaving the Sony fold to return to the world of hard liquor as director of communications and events for Skyy Liquor. Friday will mark his one year, one day anniversary of jumping from Allied Domecq to Sony and what a year it was.I gave Karraker a ring at his office and after we both laughed about all of the possible headlines I could have used for his departure story (Sony Drives Karraker Back to the Bottle was my favorite), we talked about his year as SCEA's head mouthpiece during what had to have been one of the company's most tumultuous times. Karraker said that while the company is discussion possible replacements internally, no names have been announced to replace what is "a hugely important role" at the company. But Karraker isn't worried, he says that there are four "super capable" people on top of the different aspects of SCEA PR, the same four to who ran things in the four to six months between Molly Smith's...

: Limited Edition PSP2k Hits Today
If you've been holding out for a Playstation Portable 2000 now's the day to hit up your local retailer. The limited-edition Daxter PSP Entertainment Pack just went on sale for $200. The pack includes a "Ice Silver" PSP2K, a copy of Daxter; Family Guy -- The Freakin' Sweet Collection on UMD and a 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo. "PSP sales have soared since we introduced the $169.99 price point in April, and that momentum will only continue with the launch of the newly designed PSP, which has generated strong interest among consumers since we announced it at E3," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "With our growing software library, which includes more than 140 new releases in the pipeline this fiscal year, the PSP platform is poised for significant growth. The Daxter Entertainment Pack offers a great opportunity for consumers to jump in to PlayStation(R) Portable experience with content that demonstrates the multi-functionality of the system, all for a great value."SCEA...

Austin GDC 2007: Game Writing Meets Star Trek
Evan Skolnick never wrote a Star Trek episode, but he came close. He wrote for William Shatner's Tek World comic, was involved in the Marvel Star Fleet Academy series, and even helped developed a digital Star Trek trading card game no one ever played. He may not have written for Star Trek, but the series has helped him throughout his career writing comic books and now video games. Though I will always remember him as the editor for Ghost Rider 2099, Skolnick is now a producer and editorial director for Vicarious Visions. Today at the Austin Game Developers Conference he talks about the influence the sci-fi series has had on his career in a presentation entitled, "Everything I Needed To Know About Game Writing I Learned From Star Trek".Skolnick breaks down the Star Trek into five different rules to write by. Start With BangYou need to hook the audience immediately. It was important in 1966 when Star Trek started and is even more important today. They would open with a teaser...

Ea: Moore Aims EA's Space Lasers at ESPN, Nike, Facebook and MySpace
We apologize. It's only rumor that EA is in possession of gigantic space lasers. However, if EA were in possession of said space lasers, Peter Moore would be aiming them straight at big sports business entities like ESPN and Nike, and community entities like MySpace and Facebook. There is a great opportunity to take EA Sports and turn it into a general sports brand that can compete not only with Take-Two and Konami and the other usual suspects in the videogame world...[but also] to look at ourselves in a different way and compete with the likes of Nike and ESPN to win the hearts and minds of a very desirable demographic group, which is the 14-to-34-year-old male worldwide.So how do you do that? ...I think we have an opportunity to aggregate information and bring it to life with video technologies.Because in Moore's opinion, MySpace and Facebook are just as dangerous as ESPN and Nike. And everyone must by stomped down in order for EA Sports to reach the stars, stepping upon a...

Red Steel: Red Steel 2, Cofirmed By My Eyes (And Now Yours)
We all know Red Steel 2 is coming. It's like the next Rocky movie. You don't necessarily know when or how, and nobody's admitting it, but the film will get here eventually. And when it does, it'll be a suckfest. Well now we know that Red Steel 2 is coming. Published in the upcoming Nintendo Magazine (UK), this teaser ad reads: "Your Move, Young Grasshoppa...Bigger. Better. Bolder. Bloodier. First screens and hands-on impressions. Only in next month's Official Nintendo Magazine." Then they add, "And oh - it's online." So is anyone out there actually looking forward to the sequel, especially with online play? Or were you one of the million copies sold, making an impulse buy to hit your minimum Wii bundle quota?Official Nintendo UK mag confirms Red Steel 2 online [via gamingblog]

2K: 2K on Bioshock: "Why should your brother play for free?"
On the 2K boards, one community member found that when his brother attempted to play Bioshock on another account (on the same PC), the software prompted him for a serial number. He asked (ok, whined a bit) as to whether or not this serial would count toward another of his 5 activations. This was 2K's response:2k Tech JT writes:The other way to view this, is one USER has purchased the game. Not the whole family. So why should your brother play for free?Because remember, your brother still wets the bed. And sharing no longer exists in the digital age. Especially with bed wetters. 2K Thread [via maxconsole]

Apple: New iPods Are Aimed at Gaming, EA Brings Backup
I don't think that Steve Jobs intends to take over the gaming market with the new iPods...yet...but in citing the necessity of redesigning the iPod Nano, he listed "games" as a chief reason for the bigger screen size. And then he announced that 3 new games will come with the new Nano. The first is Vortex (pictured above) which is like 3D Arkanoid. The second will be an EA Sudoku title. And the third is still unannounced.Live: The Beat Goes On [gizmodo]

Industry: SCEA PR Head Dave Karraker Quits
Dave Karraker, the senior director of corporate communications has just announced he will be leaving Sony Computer Entertainment of America for Skyy Spirits. His last day at SCEA will be this Friday, his first at Skyy Spirits will be Oct. 1.Karraker said he decided to take the position after being "presented a global opportunity near my home in an industry where I have previous experience that I feel I must pursue."Karraker said it was a "difficult decision to leave Sony" and called the past year with SCEA a "wild ride and an incredibly enriching experience. I have enjoyed immensely my tenure at SCEA and think the company and its brands are very well positioned to have an exceptional holiday and a very bright future. I look forward to continuing to follow this industry as a gamer, rather than a spokesperson."We had our tifs Dave, but we've always loved ya and we'll miss our back and forths.

Stranglehold: Stranglehold Demo on PSN Really Freakin' Soon
How soon? This week. How this week? This Thursday! As in tomorrow. Less than 24 hours at this point. For those who own PS3s and are upset that 360 owners get the real thing while you just get a lousy demo, just remember: Strangehold really isn't all that great. You'll see for yourself when you download the demo. Which comes out really, really soon. Confirmed: Stranglehold Demo for PSN [gamerscreed]

Daxter: Limited Edition PSP2k Hits Today
If you've been holding out for a Playstation Portable 2000 now's the day to hit up your local retailer. The limited-edition Daxter PSP Entertainment Pack just went on sale for $200. The pack includes a "Ice Silver" PSP2K, a copy of Daxter; Family Guy -- The Freakin' Sweet Collection on UMD and a 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo. "PSP sales have soared since we introduced the $169.99 price point in April, and that momentum will only continue with the launch of the newly designed PSP, which has generated strong interest among consumers since we announced it at E3," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "With our growing software library, which includes more than 140 new releases in the pipeline this fiscal year, the PSP platform is poised for significant growth. The Daxter Entertainment Pack offers a great opportunity for consumers to jump in to PlayStation(R) Portable experience with content that demonstrates the multi-functionality of the system, all for a great value."SCEA...

Austin GDC 07: Morhaime On Taking Over The World
The Austin Game Developers Conference this year is highly focused on the MMO industry, so what better way to kick it off than with a keynote speech from Michael Morhaime, the president and a co-founder of Blizzard, makers of the most popular massively multiplayer online roleplaying game on the planet? The keynote is entitled "How to Rule the World (of Warcraft): Ten Lessons", and I fully expect to be able to create my own MMO competitive if not better than WoW by the time the speech lets up. Morhaime launches into the keynote with a look back at the 20th century - my favorite so far. It's the first century with video games. The world is smaller. Technological process continuously increases exponentially. How much has changed in the past 100 years? Morhaime is going to tell us. 1907: Like WoW before you had a mount with no flight paths. That pretty much sums it up. Well that's all well and good, but what is Morhaime here to talk about? Oh. Blizzard started in 1991 with $20,000...

Dlc: Grateful Dead Confirmed DLC for Rock Band
Rock Band today announced that there will be 18 master recordings from the Grateful Dead released as downloadable content for Rock Band following the game's release this holiday. Among the songs will be "Truckin'," "Uncle John's Band," "Touch of Grey," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Casey Jones."I assume this will be released as a single Album pack, but no word on pricing. Color me worried. Hit the jump for the official press release.Grateful Dead Join Super Group Line-up Coming to Rock Band Harmonix and MTV Games Partner with Rhino Entertainmentto bring 18 Classic Grateful Dead Master Recordings to the Rock Band Videogame PlatformNew York, NY - September 5, 2007- Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a division of MTV Networks within Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and Rhino Entertainment, a division of Warner Music Group (NYSE:WMG), announced a deal that will bring the legendary band Grateful Dead to the highly anticipated music videogame Rock Band. The iconic...

Clips: Drawn to Life Commercial
Kind of a cool game that seems to be getting lost in the white noise that is this fall's uber-game line-up. What I enjoy most about this game is that you can draw liquid-spewing phallic heroes and the game doesn't seem to mind... seriously, I've seen it done.

Austin GDC 07: Obligatory Picture Of A Bag
Despite a multitude of mysterious forces working against us, Kotaku has landed at the Austin Game Developers Conference, and by Kotaku I mean the entire Fahey division. To commemorate my making it to the Austin Convention Center without spontaneously bursting into flame, I present you this picture of a bag and stuff. Every industry event begins with hundreds of people with various bags on them being handed another bag. Sometimes the bag is filled with goodness. Sometimes pamphlets. This one is the latter. Whee. It's not a major gaming event until Kotaku starts taking pictures leaflets. Stay tuned for more from the AGDC floor!

Xbox 360: Live Sees Unix, Linux, Gates as Innapproriate Motto
Xbox -Scene is reporting that Xbox Live refuses to let users use the words Linux or Unix in their Live Motto because they are "inappropriate language." Wow, that's about as obnoxious as you can get. Actually, I'd love to see what other words are on their no-no list. I did a couple of tests, first confirming the Unix and Linux bans, and found that while Playstation, Nintendo, PS3 and Wii were all acceptable, "Bill Gates" was not. Funny huh? I suppose they're mostly worried about what you will put after his name.I wonder if Nintendo or Playstation have strange fits of inappropriate redaction as well?'Linux' or 'Unix' is Inappropriate Language as LIVE Motto According to [Xbox Scene, via Slashdot]

Night Note: A Very Important Question (About My Hair)
To: CrecenteFrom: BashcraftRE: AustinSince January, I have been focused on one goal: My hair. Namely, growing it out. It's gotten to the point where I have a rather nice rockstar mullet — close to something Ronnie Wood had in 1973. But! At the end of the day, it is still a mullet. This summer has been hot and sticky. Dealing with my 'do has been a real drag. At home, I always have to put up my hair, and I'm getting somewhat tired of dealing with it. So. I ask you. Should I cut the mullet? That will kill it, you know. What you missed last nightMolyneux loves that LIVELittle kids and BioShockMicrosoft's English is so goodJapan gets new DS LiteFirmware detailed

No More: Rare Too Busy for Crap Like Viva Pinata DLC
There are so many hours in the day. Developer Rare is not going to widdle them away making downloadable content for Viva Piñata. Rare is doing other stuff, 'kay? A member of Rare's team commented on its website:We aren't doing any downloadable content for Viva Piñata because we are much too busy doing something else.Yeah, something more important. The game didn't turn out to be the runaway smash hit Microsoft was hoping for. But like many things Xbox 360, Microsoft will push on valently with Viva Piñata by releasing PC and DS versions. All is not yet lost. Rare Says No More [Games Industry]

Contest: No Jubblies, Just Instruction Booklets and Boxes
Wowzers! Kotakuite dnzperson sent along an entry for our World in Conflict — and it didn't involve boobs! Or other parts (thank gawd). Good for him. Let's bring everyone up to speed: Make a globe out of anything you like, but it must be an actual tangible World globe with countries and oceans and stuff like that. The key here is be creative! Accuracy isn't so important! The best globes will be selected by the big mean Kotaku editors, while Kotakuland will vote for the best finalist. The deadline for entries is this Thursday at midnight EST. Finalists will be announced that Friday, and the winner can decide if he/she/it wants the PC or the Xbox 360 version. Send all entries to kotakucontest@gmail with the subject line "Globe." Remember, you're not only winning a copy of World in Conflict, but also INTERNET FAME.World in Conflict [Official Site]

Smack Talk: Space Giraffe is Rubbish, The Shirt
I'll be honest. I haven't played Space Giraffe, because my Xbox 360 is still in the intense care unit. (Have you? You like it?) Paper mag Official Xbox Magazine didn't dig the game much at all, giving it a 2/10. Over at Something Awful, Space Giraffe creator and head yak Jeff Minter called the review "the most extraordinary example of egregious fuckwittery" he's ever seen. Right or wrong, the magazine is certainly entitled to its opinion! Just as Minter is entitled to make t-shirts lampooning that review. They're available for purchase, too. Buy one if you like. Wear it, too.Fuckwittery. Gotta remember that one. Funny.Minter Makes Shirt [YakYak]

Hot Tears Of Shame: Another Lucky Star Dirty Vid, This One Freaky
There's not one, but two (count 'em!) Lucky Star adult video adaptations. The anime already has a DS game and is getting a PS2 incarnation this November. So lucky. And just yesterday we featured smut flick Kira Suta, which put too much effort in puns and chocolate buns, but not enough in hair dye. Enter porno actress Yuria Hidaka. She's got the hair color, the cowlick and the clothes right. The rest is very, very wrong. Know this: While the above photo is innocuous enough, there is a freakazoid picture after the jump. It does not contain any nudity or bodily fluids whatsoever, but is VERY MESSED UP. So! If you are the type to be offended by, say people in shrink-warp, then move along. Everyone else, click at your own risk!TOLD YOU! There is a mouth hole so the lady can breath, but this does seem totally dangerous. I mean, putting someone in a bag and sucking out the oxygen? Remember when people being filmed "doing it" was considered deviant? Another Lucky Star Porn [Neko Are Blog]

Gallery: Guitar Hero III Screens
You know the drill. Guitar players, lights, big stage, crowd; it's Guitar Hero. It's looking a little more...bombastic this time around, though. A little less nuetral, a little less comical, a little heavier on the guitar-player stereotypes. This is for the PS3 version, too, if anyone is interested. Or cares.galleryPost('ghiiips3', 4, 'Guitar Hero III');

Rumor: Europe Might Be Seeing A 360 HD-DVD Price Cut [Updated]
Microsoft cut the price of its 360 HD-DVD add-on on August 1 in the US. In Europe, though, no cut. They had to wait. As always. That long, torturous vigil may soon be over, though, with eFluxMedia reporting that a price reduction was announced at a recent German trade fair. If legit, the HD-DVD drive would drop 20 Euros to 180. Bear in mind, however, that this is still unconfirmed by Microsoft, so you might want to grab a salt shaker, pour a grain or three into the palm of your hand and lick them, gently.Microsoft Cuts The Price Of HD-DVD Unit In Europe [eFluxMedia, via Next-Gen]UPDATE: Looks like Microsoft did announce it! On Monday! But in German, and we never got the memo. We've been sent it now, though, so this is indeed official.

Molyneux Thinks: LIVE Will Have More Impact Than Wii-mote
Peter Molyneux? Microsoft fanboy. Hey, he gets checks from them! When Microsoft bought his Lionhead Studios, it officially made Molyneux a Microsoft employee. As a Microsoft employee, he's got to do his fair share of grandstanding. Take this Molyneux insight, for example:All I can say is that Microsoft is an incredibly smart company and I never fail to be impressed by just how clever they are. Don't forget this is the company which pioneered LIVE which I believe will ultimately be far more impactful on video games in the long term than something like the Wii controller. So write that down, kiddos! Giant Peter Molyneux says Xbox LIVE will hae a greater long-term impact than the Wii-mote. Agree? Disagree? Whatever!Fable 2 Interview [CanalJuegos]

Still No Snuggling: Larger, Meaner Kratos Figure
The old God of War figures were mean. Surly, even. And they were only 6" tall. What happens when NECA release 12" figures? That's right. Twice as mean, twice as surly. Mega-Kratos comes with a severed Medusa Head, two interchangeable Kratos heads and the Flaming Blades of Athena, plus he also gargles little electronic sound bytes from the game like "I am what the gods have made me". You sure are, Kratos. No word on release dates, but these should be very, very soon, since they were originally scheduled to ship in August.Player Select God of War II 12" Kratos with Sound Action Figure [NECA Online]

Nightmares: BioShock Leads to Childhood LEGOs and Quoting
There is no eloquent way to put it: Man, children do some crazy-assed shit! Just listen to reader randlsa's story:OK, so my kids are all fascinated with Bioshock characters. Ever since I picked up my big daddy statue on launch day they've been asking me questions about big daddy. While I haven't let them watch me play the game, they have inadvertently seen it over my shoulder a couple of times. To my surprise, my seven year old came up with a may to mimic big daddy with Lego's and even threw in a little sister with an Adam extractor. I assure you he did this all on his own. My almost five year old was just overheard in the shower saying, "Look Mister Bubbles... Adam". Little kids making BioShock toys, cool. Little kids quoting BioShock, CREEPY.

Rumor: Europe Might Be Seeing A 360 HD-DVD Price Cut
Microsoft cut the price of its 360 HD-DVD add-on on August 1 in the US. In Europe, though, no cut. They had to wait. As always. That long, torturous vigil may soon be over, though, with eFluxMedia reporting that a price reduction was announced at a recent German trade fair. If legit, the HD-DVD drive would drop 20 Euros to 180. Bear in mind, however, that this is still unconfirmed by Microsoft, so you might want to grab a salt shaker, pour a grain or three into the palm of your hand and lick them, gently.Microsoft Cuts The Price Of HD-DVD Unit In Europe [eFluxMedia, via Next-Gen]

Eigo: CoD4 Dev Likes Microsoft's English Better Than Sony's
Communication is important. So when you're undertaking a massive project like developing a video game, the last thing you want to worry about is a language barrier. That, yes that, is why developer Infinity Ward says it has a better relationship with Microsoft than with Sony. According to the Call of Duty 4 studio's honcho Grant Collier:With Microsoft we've got the advantage of them being an American company so our level of accessibility to them is much better than Sony. I'm not disparaging Sony in any way, but it's just that they [Microsoft] speak English, we speak English. I know ten or fifteen guys over there and I can just call up and find out what new special sauce is coming around... I would really like to have that level of relationship with Sony. We're really pushing for that and it's a personal goal of mine to get there but I think there's very few companies that have that level of relationship with Sony. After we come out with CoD4 I hope that we'll be one of them.I...

Runnin Just As Fast As We Can: Nintendo Australia Travelling Roadshow Starts This Month
When Nintendo Australia want people to play their upcoming games, they don't release demos. Probably because they can't! No, they like to show them off, publicly, by visiting the mall and letting people see them in the flesh. Just like Tiffany! They've a long, storied history of these roadshows, and another has just been announced, which kicks off in Melbourne on September 22 and winds up in Perth on October 13. Some of the games you can try out are Boogie, Super Paper Mario, Phantom Hourglass and Big Brain Academy for the Wii (Metroid Prime 3 will be there, but as a "demonstration", which means video-only), so you could do worse things with your day than sit around wondering why Mario Galaxy isn't on that list turn up. Full list of locations and games is after the jump.GAMESWii: Big Brain Academy, Super Paper Mario, Wii Sports, Boogie, Metroid Prime 3 "special demonstration"DS: Brain Training, More Brain Training, Big Brain Academy, Picross, Phantom Hourglass and "other brand...

Humble: Iwata Doesn't Want An "Arrogant" Nintendo
Remember when Nintendo used to be the little guy, the underdog? Back before their consoles printed money? Good times. Now that Nintendo has conquered the market again, the company has one more obstacle to overcome: Itself. In a recently published E3 interview, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata points out:That's probably Nintendo's next obstacle is to not lose its internal energy and internal momentum. I believe my most important role right now is to prevent Nintendo from being in a company where people say, "Oh, Nintendo is arrogant," "Nintendo has let its guard down," or "Nintendo has lost its challenging spirit." We want to avoid all of the pitfalls that can come from losing one's momentum.Here's a company that has learned from its arrogant, bloated mistakes of the past. Well, hopefully!Iwata Interview [Level Up]

Nintendo's George Harrison Says: 360, PS3 Owners Roll On Big Rims, Wii Owners At Home Studying
The idea that the Wii isn't in direct competition with the "other two" isn't new. It's been expressed dozens of times in dozens of ways. Never as...poignantly as this, though. Nintendo's George Harrison: Consider three 30-something suburbanites. On a Saturday morning, two of them drive their big SUVs into a tire shop to buy big new chrome rims. The third is home online, doing product comparisons to figure out which hybrid he wants to buy. There you have it, Wii owners. You're total nerds.Fun, Games, and an Interview With Nintendo [The Motley Fool, via Go Nintendo]

Girly Mascot: Reader's Kawaii Kotaku-tan Charms Us
Crecente is a fantastic mascot. Really. But, we need something a little, I dunno, cuter and more kawaii. Over at deviantART, Norway-based artist Lisa-Marie worked three-days to create this "Kotaku Cutie." What inspired this? Her soon-to-be-husband suggested creating something like this when she needed a drawing exercise. Lisa-Marie tried to get all the platforms in as well as our baby shit green and hot pink colors. Nice eye for detail — just look at her stockings! It's lined with PlayStation triangle, square, x and circle piping. Nice job — we're flattered.Hit the jump for the full version. Oh, and Lisa-Marie just had a birthday. Happy Birthday! Kotaku Cutie [DevianART, Thanks Robert!]

Not Only In Japan: Nintendo Releasing Bundleless Black/Red DS Lite In Japan
That shiny black & red DS Lite was far too nice to stay in just one territory. Nintendo have announced that they'll be selling it in Japan on October 4 for the standard price of 16,800. That means it's being sold straight-up, no bundle, most likely because everyone in Japan already owns both Brain Training games and have no need for a spare. Not even to hand off to an unloved relative, since they've probably got them too.DS Lite Product Page [Nintendo, via Game Watch]

Making Of Clip: Heavenly Sword's Heavenly Soundtrack
Sure, we know that Heavenly Sword packs 10GB of sound space on a Blu-ray disc, but here's more info about that — namely, the music! Composer Nitin Sawhney talks about getting the Prague Philharmonic and the challenges of working in a non-English environment. Personally, I dig these making-of videos and hope to see more of these in the future. Not just Heavenly Sword ones, either!