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Another Week's Episode: Simple 2000: The Japanese Software Chart
Another week of Japanese software sales, Another Century's Episode 3 takes the top spot. Only a handful of new entries this week as the Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Kidou Gekidan Haro Ichiza Gundam Mahjong + Z— proving Gundam + Nintendo DS + mahjong = profit—debut in the top ten.Expect next week to be rather huge, however, as a pair Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon titles for the DS and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for PSP should have strong showings. Here are the top ten for the week of September 3rd to the 9th. The rest, after the break.01. Another Century's Episode 3 THE FINAL (PS2) - 186,000 / NEW02. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS) - 36,000 / 292,00003. Mario Party 8 (Wii) - 28,000 / 732,00004. Sengoku Musou 2: Moushouden (PS2) - 25,000 / 260,00005. Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War (PS3) - 17,000 / 76,00006. Kidou Gekidan Haro Ichiza Gundam Mahjong + Z: Sara ni Deki Ruyouni Nattana! (DS) - 17,000 / NEW07. Grand Theft Auto:...

Gallery: First Pics Of Simpsons & Spider-Man PSPs
Back at Leipzig, SCEE announced that to coincide with the PSP Slim's launch in Europe they'd be releasing two limited edition variants of the handheld. One, a Simpsons PSP, would be yellow and come bundled with the new Simpsons PSP game. The other, a Spider-Man bundle, would include both Spider-Man 2 (the PSP game) and Spider-Man 3 (on Blu-Ray). Anyways, at launch there were no pictures of either model. Here, then, are the first pictures of both.galleryPost('pspredyellow', 4, 'Simpsons & Spider-Man PSPs');

Safe To Lick But Do Not Put In Mouth: Project Gotham 4 Looks Good Enough To Eat
Well, maybe not eat. More like....lick. Lick the individual beads of water off the fast car's bonnet as it purrs on the starting line like a big cat. Or something. Point is, it looks real nice.

Unconfirmed: Christian Bale Up for Solid Snake?
According to game forum PS3Forums, the newest edition of UK lad mag Nuts [NSFW] has an interview with Batman Begins actor Christian Bale who apparently says he's in the running to play Solid Snake in the 2009 movie Metal Gear Solid. Not sure how valid this info i, because PS3Forums didn't have a link, and I can't find anything over than "Assess My Breasts" on the Nuts site. Which were spectacular. There's no mention of an interview with him, either. Still, Bale would be a good choice for Solid Snake as Kojima makes quirky games, and Bale's a quirky actor. And have you seen his facial hair? SOLID. Bale as Solid Snake [PS3Forums via N4G via Destructoid]

Nerdonomics: The Wii Has Won The Internet's Heart
BrandIntel are analysts. Nerd analysts. They don't hit the streets or call random strangers to get data, though, they trawl blogs and forums looking for what's hot and, conversely, what is not hot. In this case they've taken a look at the Wii, PS3 and 360, and have made a lovely graph which purports to display how the internet feels about each. In particular, how likely someone would be to purchase one of the three. The Wii comes out on top, followed by the 360 then the PS3. No idea how scientific this is, I'm just enjoying the concept of transforming fanboy rants into hard data. Well...that and the colours.How the Wii's Winning the 'Net [Next-Gen]

Xbox 360: Microsoft Tokyo Briefing Recap
Round-up time! Here's all our coverage of the Pre-TGS Microsoft Fall Press Briefing. That's not the official title for the event, but hey, it'll work. Infinite Undiscovery ScreensNew Press Releases. Hooray!Japanese ladies and matching shirtsLiveblogging the presserMicrosoft, Square Enix and Tri-Ace partner upIkaruga coming to Xbox Live Arcade!Rez HD!Ninja Gaiden 2 confirmedLost Odyssey release date

Gallery: Crisis Core Clip Crushes FFVII Fanboy's Balls
If you pick up Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, play it, beat it, then play it and beat it again, you're treated to a secret trailer. One that gives us a glimpse of a shinier, smoother Midgar and Cloud's great big adorable baby blue eyes. Proof of a FFVII re-release? Oh, God, no, quit being so desperate. But it's nice seeing old friends tarted up, isn't it? Especially when you don't have to suffer through Advent Children to do it.[courtesy of NeoGAF]galleryPost('crisiscore', 5, 'Midgar Circa 2007');

PS3 Firmware 1.93: Yes. We know. We told you about it yesterday, ...
Yes. We know. We told you about it yesterday, and lo and behold, it's now here. You may even have downloaded it already. All it does is fix some networking problems from 1.92. So no, there's nothing major, and yes, you can stop e-mailing us now.

Dont Say Dumbed Down: Oblivion, Fallout Engine Now Available For Wii
The Gamebryo engine is a pretty one. It's been used in Oblivion, and is also being employed for Fallout 3 and Warhammer Online. Which you'd think would make it totally unsuitable for Wii, right? Right! Poor little thing just couldn't handle it. The duct tape would burst into flames! It can handle an "adapted" version of the engine, though, which engine creators Emergent Game Technologies have just announced. Don't expect miracles, but you should expect graphics nicer than what we've seen on the console (Mario Galaxy excepted) thus far. You can begin with the Oblivion-for-Wii rumours....now.Emergent Adds Wii Support To Gamebryo Engine [Gamasutra]

Gallery: Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles Screenshot Infestation!
Capcom has pumped out some twenty new screens of its Zapper-ific Wii shooter Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. It's looking better than ever and my cranky disdain for the game may be slowly eroding, revealing a shiny, smooth interest just under the hard curmudgeon exterior. On the one hand, the gameplay has seemed a bit clunky when I've had hands on time, but on the other, zombies.galleryPost('retucsept', 4, 'Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles');

Disclosure: Black Xbox 360 Controller on Bullet Train Seat
Yup, the post title is self-explanatory. That is a black Xbox 360 wireless controller on a bullet train seat. You perhaps have these in other countries, but just not on Japanese high speed train seats. Just look how the black blends into the dark blue velvety seat. Amazing! Microsoft gave those who attended its briefing a free controller. Pink and light blue ones were handed out as well! I didn't get one of those. If I had, I certainly would've given it away in a contest. Shucks!

Almost There: Sony Confirms PlayStation Phone Is On The Table
Great, we can quit with all the rumours! Well. Almost. Sony Ericsson President Miles Flint has confirmed that, yes, they're looking long and hard at bringing in a gaming phone. He pulls up shy of confirming one is actually in development, but does discuss that if/when one does come along, it may not carry the PlayStation brand name: We need to make sure that it is a credible phone, and be sure we are justified in putting that identity on it. Come on, can't be that hard! Put Vib-Ribbon on one of those Sony Walkman phones (custom soundtracks, you see) and we are all set.Sony Ericsson eyes PlayStation brand [Financial Times]

Stay Hard: Iwata: We Won't Do The Easy
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's conversation with the Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun—author and Earthbound and Mother creator Shigesato Itoi's semi-daily blog—continue, with today's update confirming that Nintendo has no plans to "do the easy." And by "doing the easy" Iwata essentially means that Nintendo has no plans to rest on its laurels and release incremental, expected sequels. And he's right, parts of Wii Fit are hard.Iwata tells Itoi "Our mission is to surprise people in a good way, and this became very clear as we made Nintendo DS and Wii. You can't open up a new market of customers if you can't surprise them." That may be good news for fans of originality, but Iwata brings a scrap of bad news for gamers salivating for Wii Sports II. A sequel, he says, is "definitely not coming out soon."More of the Iwata versus Itoi rap session at Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun.Don't Do The Easy [Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun]

Day Note: On My Own, Pretending He's Beside Me
To: AshFrom: FaheyRE: Random Strangers Practicing EnglishWith Crecente sequestered in a room somewhere and forced to play Halo 3 until his brain explodes, I've been pretty much left to my own devices here. Filling his shoes isn't an easy job, let me tell you. Once the fourteenth or fifteenth groupie showed up on my doorstep asking to stroke the long, luxurious locks that I obviously do not have I started getting a bit annoyed...mainly because my digital camera was running out of batteries. It's amazing how many people came to me for advice and decisions while he has been away. If I inadvertently ordered anyone's death I am terribly sorry. It is my first time - naturally people are going to die. What you missed: Eternal Sonata Coming To PS3 - No reallyFASA Goes Bye ByeVirtual Console Getting NeoGeo GamesHappy National Video Games Day!Nintendo Takes The LeadThe Halo 3 Teaser TeaserWith my flu symptoms kicking into high gear, I'm off to do the responsible thing - play more Dynasty...

Super Duper Sprint: PixelJunk Racers Slotted For PlayStation Store Thursday
Q Games—no relation to Q Entertainment—will release PixelJunk Racers for the PLAYSTATION 3 this week, reports IGN, joining High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition for the week's downloadable titles. Q Games is responsible for handheld hits Digidrive and Star Fox Command and promises that the high-speed top down racer is the first in a series of PixelJunk branded games scheduled to hit the PS3.PixelJunk Racers Release Date [IGN]

Clips: Ghost Squad Features Panda Suits, Bikini Girls With Machine Guns
But no actual ghosts. Sega's Ghost Squad for the Wii certainly wasn't what I thought it was, mostly because if it involves light gun gameplay and doesn't have "House of the Dead" in the title, I tune out. Fortunately, Ghost Squad does seem to focus on old-school shootin' and super sexy unlockables. I may bite.

Mainstream Media: Sports Columnist Says Video Games Desensitize Us To Sports Violence
Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered a spinal injury during a game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday that left him paralyzed. While the nation sympathizes with Everett's plight and wishes him well, one sports writer took the injury as an opportunity to take a swipe at video games. Bob Molinaro of the Virginian-Pilot had this to say: This makes me wonder if the catastrophic injury to Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett will make any real impression on the desensitized adolescents and adults raised with the cartoon violence of "Madden '08" or "NFL Blitz," or the absurd blood-and-guts scenarios associated with other Xbox games.The hell? Did this come completely out of left field or what? Just because we play sports video games we can't tell the difference between a virtual simulation and a real man's pain and suffering? Ug. What's next, a financial correspondent telling us we don't care about the the economy because we are desensitized by the cartoon economics of...

Believe: Eternal Sonata Confirmed For PS3, Swear To God
With the ESRB and Namco Bandai Games all but confirming a PLAYSTATION 3 release for Eternal Sonata—also known as Trusty Bell in other parts of the world—it comes as little surprise today that Famitsu has confirmed the RPG for a PS3 release. Yes, holy crap, I know. Didn't see this one coming did you? The latest issue of the news breaking mag has screens of the PS3 version of the game, scheduled for a 2008 release.Hopefully, this news doesn't come as too much of a shock for Namco Bandai themselves who were "unaware" of the PS3 version of the game just a few months ago and that portable defibrillators are on hand at the publisher's HQ. Eternal Sonata also on PlayStation 3 [Jeux-France]

Breaking: Shadowrun Developer Shuts Down
The rumors were true. Shadowrun developer FASA Studio has indeed closed its doors with studio manager Mitch Gitelman confirming the news on the official Shadowrun community forums today. According to Gitelman, today was the last official day of work for employees still at FASA, with many former FASA team members moving on to other positions at Microsoft Game Studios.Rumors about the studio's closure surfaced in March of this year, well before Shadowrun shipped, when a former FASA worker wrote of an employee exodus and that decision makers would "cut the tumor that is FASA Studio from the body of Microsoft." Gitelman wrote that hardcore Shadowrun players needn't worry about being abandoned as "We have kept our Community Manager and Technical Support Manager on the job to aid and support you and will continue to do so while people continue to play our game."We're waiting to hear back from Microsoft PR to learn more about the situation. Mitch's full statement is linked below.FASA...

Contest: Show Nintendo Your Donkey Kong
Nintendo wants you to put monkeys in strange places. Don't look at me, they said it. In conjunction with photo sharing site SmugMug (no porn, I looked), Nintendo has issued the "DK Climb to the Top Challenge" to commemorate the release of DK Jungle Climber on the Nintendo DS. You have from now until October 1st to submit a picture to the contest page at www.DKcontest.SmugMug.com, showing Donkey Kong climbing in strange and exotic places, with the five best submissions receiving a DS Lite and a copy of the game. Entries can be hand-drawn, digitally manipulated, or actual snapshots, though if you can get a picture of an ape at least twice the size of a man climbing something you've either got other things to worry about, or you're Jane Goodall, in which case you're disqualified. Take that, Goodall! DONKEY KONG SIGHTINGS CLIMB TO EPIC PROPORTIONSPhoto Contest Marks the Launch of DK Jungle ClimberREDMOND, Wash., Sept. 12, 2007 - Nintendo and photo-sharing Web site SmugMug are looking...

The Agony Of Defeat: World Series Of Video Games Strikes Out, Cancels Tourneys
Games Media Properties announced today that it would no longer produce the World Series of Video games and that the remainder of its 2007 pro-gaming series had been canceled. The competitive gaming league announced in May that it had signed an agreement with CBS to air four of its competitions, two of which now appear to no longer taking place. GMP wrote in a statement that "the continuing challenges of securing adequate revenues to sustain the production of the WSVG's large scale events and television programming, in a very crowded field of competitive gaming leagues, has prompted us to re-evaluate our direction as an organization." GGL Wire writes in its post on the subject that other well known pro-gaming leagues are also showing signs of financial difficulty.WORLD SERIES OF VIDEO GAMES CANCELLED [via the GGL Wire]

September Is Shooterfest: Treasure Bringing Bangai-O To Nintendo DS
The latest issue of Famitsu beats the ESP countdown clock to the punch, revealing Treasure's new Nintendo DS game. It's Bangai-O Spirits a remake of the frenetic Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast multi-directional shooter Bangai-O released in 1999. The Famitsu preview, which comes to us via 1UP, reveals that the game, due this winter in Japan, will feature wireless multiplayer and a stage editor.The official product page is scheduled to go live today, so we'll hopefully get some direct feed screenshots soon. And while Bangai-O Spirits may get lost in the flood of damn good shooter news revealed over the past 24 hours, as a Bangai-O fan, I highly recommend you keep this one on your radar.Treasure's Bangai-O Returns to DS [1UP]

Gallery: Exploring Castle Shikigami III
The Xbox 360 shmuppage continues as ArcSystemWorks readies Castle Shikigami III for release in Japan. The first Shikigami game was released in horribly neutered form in the states as Mobile Light Force II for the PS2, but the real star of the series so far has been Castle Shikigami 2, which was released with some of the worst Engrish of any last gen game. "Slaves for fashion dislike bulges!" That's for sure. Part of me wants the game released in the US with great voice acting and localization. The other part of me wants to see how bad it can get without it becoming painful. While I eagerly await news of a North American release, enjoy these twenty screenshots of the game in action. galleryPost('cs3912', 4, 'No Bulges Allowed');

Advertorialist: Microsoft: PS3 Consumers Paying For Technology They Don't Need
In a new opinion piece at MCV, UK marketing manager for Xbox 360 hardware Dan Cornelius explains why the company dropped the price of the Xbox 360 across the board. The answer is, of course, "We really want to sell more Xbox 360s" with the rest of the advertorial simply reading like a sales pitch or marketing speech Don didn't get to read in public. Cornelius' best quote from the piece is his stance on the Blu-ray and wi-fi enabled PLAYSTATION 3. He reiterates that Microsoft's philosophy "is about giving people the same experience as our other consoles, but letting them upgrade when they feel comfortable doing so - and not to foot a huge bill for technology they don't need."True. One can easily argue that no one needs a Blu-ray player. One could also argue that some gamers do need wi-fi built in if they want to get online with their consoles. Paying $99 (or 59.99, if that's your thing) for an Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter is also kind of a huge bill to foot for some.But...

Play Ball: Nintendo Day At Safeco Field
The Seattle Mariners' Safeco field has been the exclusive test bed for the Nintendo Fan Network for the 2007 season, and Nintendo will be on hand at the September 15th game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to show their appreciation. Saturday will be Nintendo Day at the stadium, with the first 1,500 fans to bring their DS to the stadium getting free access to the stat-tracking, food ordering network. Nintendo will also be giving out 16 limited edition Mariners DS Lites, autographed by members of the team. To top it all off, Mario himself will be on hand, though I highly suspect it to be a gruesome hollowed-out Mario body with a person inside. Way to go, Mariners fans! You might not make it to the Series, but you've got a guy sweating in a Mario suit, which is the next best thing! MARINERS AND NINTENDO TEAM UP TO SALUTE FANSSept. 15 is Nintendo DS Day at Safeco FieldThe Seattle Mariners and Nintendo are thanking fans for helping make the Nintendo Fan Network (NFN) at Safeco Field...

Clips: Behold The Jumbotron DS!
The creator of the Nintendo DS Jumbotron may have gotten a tad carried away with the title of his hardware hack, but playing Meteos on a pair of tablet PC looks just heavenly. Start the DO WANT line to the right, please.Jumbotron DS [thanks Rob!]

First!: Wii Snatches Hardware Lead From Xbox 360
The battle for first place in the current generation hardware war has been taken by Nintendo, reports the Financial Times. Citing sales data from Enterbrain of Japan, the NPD Group and German market research institute GfK, the publication shows the Xbox 360 now lagging behind the Wii's estimated 9 million-strong install base. The PLAYSTATION 3 waves from third with a distant 3.7 million sold. Yes, PS3, we see you!An unnamed analyst chalks that victory up to Nintendo's intercontinental domination and Microsoft's non-presence in Japan. Of course, this was obviously written before Microsoft announced the availability of Rez HD for the Xbox 360, a game sure to turn around its fortunes. Just kidding. It's more likely that Wii Fit boards will soon be manufactured from discarded 360 cases.Nintendo's Wii takes console lead [Financial Times]

Card Games: Legends of Norrath OTCG Live
The war between the forces of Order and Chaos begins today! Sony Online Entertainment proudly announces the launch of their new Everquest online trading card game, Legends of Norrath. Starting today, players can visit www.legendsofnorrath.com and download the game client absolutely free! Of course, the cards will cost you to the tune of $9.99 for a 55 card starter and $2.99 for 15 card booster packs, but it will all pay off in the end when you can brag that you own the entire 375+ cards in the Oathbound set. Then of course your friends will ask to see them, and you'll have to explain that they're digital and don't actually exist outside of a computer somewhere, but I'm sure they'll be as impressed as they were when you told them about your internet girlfriend. Before I get angry comments, let it be known that I plan on playing as well, so I'm as big a dork as you are. Probably bigger. LEGENDS OF NORRATHTM ONLINE TRADING CARD GAME NOW AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONEFree Client Allows...

Gallery: Infinite Undiscovery Screens
Ash got a brief look at tri-Ace's Xbox 360 title Infinite Undiscovery in motion at Microsoft's pre-TGS press conference, but now, you too can enjoy the beauty of this glorious RPG with these magical stills. The official web site for the Square-Enix and Microsoft Game Studios co-venture isn't exactly dripping with content, but it's now live. For now, enjoy these gorgeous screenshots of the Xbox 360's next attempt at capturing the imagination of JRPG fans.galleryPost('iu912', 4, 'Infinite Undiscovery');

Rehash: PS3 Catches Monster Madness
Monster Madness: The Battle for Suburbia didn't exactly take the Xbox 360 by storm, but it must have done well enough for SouthPeak Games, who just revealed plans to bring a new version of the game to the PlayStation 3 early next year as Monster Madness: EX. What does the EX mean? Extra time in development apparently, as features of the new version include a polished camera system and tightened controls, which in a roundabout way is admitting that the 360 controls could have been better and the camera sucked. Other than that, MM:EX adds mini games and mysterious "newly built in extras" to the mix, hopefully transforming the mildly received 360 game into "the beat-em-up brawler PLAYSTATION 3 system owners have been looking for." Good luck! SouthPeak Games Announces Monster Madness: EX On The PLAYSTATION3 Computer Entertainment SystemSouthPeak Games Invades the PLAYSTATION 3 System with Hordes of Werewolves, Zombies & TeenagersGrapevine, Texas - September 12, 2007 - SouthPeak...

Accessorize: Logitech Releases PS3 Bluetooth Goodness
PS3 owners looking for a luxury keyboard might consider the Cordless MediaBoard Pro Bluetooth Keyboard from Logitech. Beyond its piano black exterior sure to magnetize dust to match your PS3, the keyboard features basic SIXAXIS button controls and web browsing media shortcuts during 200 hours of battery life. And while the built-in touchpad won't be ideal for an FPS, it will make simple mouse tasks couch-convenient. Logitech's new Cordless Bluetooth Vantage Headset is a high quality, noise-filtering device that runs up to 12 hours on rechargeable batteries. That's the length of some multiplayer fests for many of our readers, but Bluetooth sucks the battery power. And besides, it will match your keyboard beutifully. Both peripherals are priced at a hefty $80 and will be in stores this November. Logitech Accessories [gizmodo]

Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen: Master Chief Retires After Halo 3, Sells Suit
In honor of Videogame/Halo 3 Day, we're taking a look at Master Chief's more quiet side—the untold story of the man behind the mask. He enjoys working in his garden, making his own compost out of kitchen scraps and, most of all, sitting back with a nice cool glass of lemonade.OK, this shot is actually a picture of a Master Chief suit for sale on Ebay. The opening bid starts at $1,125.00. And we're gonna stop writing about Halo 3 before the readers attack and we need to purchase the armor for personal protection.Halo 3 Spartan Master Chief Armor Costume Helmet Suit [via hawtymcblog]

Superhype: Halo 3 Launch Extravaganza
We woke up this morning thinking it would be another normal day, not realizing that according to Microsoft PR, it's Halo 3 Day. Woo hoo! Their latest announcements have some interesting tidbits on the Halo 3 megalaunch. So we're going to play a game. The press release lists the "facts," and we translate them into more digestible content. - An unprecedented number - more than 10,000 retailers in the United States alone - will be opening their doors at midnight on September 25(50-90% are 24-hour Wal-marts who offer poor healthcare benefits while promoting an outsourced workforce) - Major regional events will be held in select locations including New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles and Miami...score free merchandise and get a chance to play "Halo 3" with local celebrities in on-site(the celebrities will not sleep with you)- Pontiac is teaming up with Microsoft to provide 1,000 lucky winners a copy of "Halo 3" before it's available in stores with their "First to Own" promotion.(1,000...

Virtual Console: NeoGeo Games Coming To Virtual Console
Ask and you shall receive! SNK Playmore today announces that several of their most popular NeoGeo arcade titles will be heading to the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console. This marks the first actual arcade gaming titles released on Nintendo's system, even if they did technically run on a console as well. Classic titles slated for the system include Fatal Fury, World Heroes, and Art of Fighting, with more titles expected to be announced in the months to come. The games will carry a hefty price tag of 900 Wii Points a pop, second only to N64 titles (at 1000 points a piece). I was reading comments from our Virtual Console update just this week and recall someone calling out Nintendo for not having NeoGeo titles for download. Well here you go, that guy. Grats! SNK to Release Classic NEOGEO Arcade Games on Wii(tm) Virtual Console(tm)Wall, NJ - Sep 12, 2007 SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION, the U.S. publishing arm of the SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION, today announced that the Company will release...

Tease: The Teaser for the Halo 3 Teaser
newVideoPlayer("Halo3teaserteaser_gawker.flv", 475, 276);This whole Halo 3 thing has officially gotten our of hand. Here's the new teaser for the new ad coming later this week. We shit you not. Teaser of the Halo 3 TV Ad [gamersyde]

Adwatch: Halo 3 Starts "A Hero Must Rise. Believe" Campaign
So what the hell was going on with the video we just posted below? It's all part of Microsoft's new "A Hero Must Rise. Believe" campaign to promote Halo 3. The campaign experience does not focus on "Halo 3's" graphics or gameplay, but instead looks at the themes that lie at the heart of the tale that spans the entire "Halo" trilogy: duty, sacrifice, and most importantly, heroism.The spot from today is called "Museum," and is a teaser for the upcoming "Diorama" in which a major scene from the Halo 3 trilogy was modeled by famous designer Stan Winston—to scale—in a massive 1200 square foot setup reaching 12 feet into the air. All the smoke and mirrors are almost enough to make you forget Halo 3 is just another notable FPS. Almost. Full press release after the jump. A HERO MUST RISE. BELIEVE.Landmark "Halo 3" Marketing Campaign Debuts; Ushers in Game's Launch on September 25Every so often individuals are called upon to rise above themselves and act in a selfless...

Wtf: It's National Video Games Day Apparently
Happy National Video Games Day! I know you've all been eagerly awaiting this day, reserving a day off of work or school to spend a lazy afternoon participating in our favorite hobby. I am sure you've got some massive parties planned, so be sure to send us photos of how you celebrate the holiday with your friends and loved ones! Yeah, we had no idea either, but Holiday Insights and American Greetings indicate that September 12th is NVGD. You'd think someone would have mentioned it to us. Celebrate National Video Games Day by playing video games. If you are off from school (or if you are a big kid off from work), make this a marathon day for video games. Better still, invite a few friends and hold a competition. Just make certain that you have enough controllers.That's the blurb from Holiday Insights, which goes on to state that they have no record of the origin of the holiday or that indeed it even exists. Whatever. American Greetings needs gamer money too you know.National...

Moral Dilemma: Free Halo 3 Wallpaper on LIVE (Costs Your Soul)
In a Best Buy promotional event, Microsoft is offering Halo 3 gamer pictures along with one theme for free for a "limited time." Here's our five second review:In our test drive, the three gamer pics are pretty decent including an especially notable Master Chief profile. And you get the Best Buy logo as a cherry on top, which in itself is worth your time.The theme has some really fantastic shots of Master Chief even if some of his incarnations look familiar. The logopalooza isn't too bad on what is essentially a couple of free wallpapers, other than one page featuring double sponsorship. So they're worth a download, but simultaneously depress us when Sony allows more open customization of their XMB (as well as Microsoft itself does on PCs). The year is 2007 and we're getting excited about free wallpaper promoting a product we will buy but is also laden with sponsors? Fuck it. I'm deleting this crap. And then I'm heading to Best Buy to reserve a copy of Halo 3! If you do download...

Xbox Live: Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Demo Hits Live
With EA's Skate for the Xbox 360 heading to retail shelves tomorrow, Activision has gone ahead and put a playable demo of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground up on Xbox Live Marketplace for your enjoyment. Measuring up at a hefty 1.08GB, the demo allows you to tour Philadelphia and try out some of the latest installment's new moves. With both a Skate demo and this one now available, it is time to see which flavor of next-gen skateboarding you favor. Me? I'm still firmly in Tony's camp, having been relatively unimpressed by Skate's flickit control scheme. Your results may vary. Demo: Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Demo [Major Nelson's Blog - Thanks Travis!]

Gallery: Kingdom Under Fire Screenshots Of Doom
All comparisons to Koei's Kessen series aside, I am a big fan of Microsoft's Kingdom Under Fire series. I loved the first two titles on the Xbox, but I am a little wary of Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom for the 360, which features heroes from the KUF universe fighting their way through the Dark Dimension. It's apparently an action RPG and not my beloved real-time tactics, so the entire flavor of the game has changed. Looks pretty enough, but time will tell if it does the series any justice. Please don't screw up the series!galleryPost('kuf912', 4, 'Gonna Sing The Doom Song Now');

Heart Breaking: Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings
Freakin' LOTR. I though that pop culture had finally overcome the overrated madness of the overrated movies based upon overrated books. But it's inescapable. Take a stew-eating, pure diesel, sci-fi future, manly man game like Gears of War—it seems completely free of of stupid ring fantasies. That doesn't sound like LOTR at all, right Cliffy B?We wanted the Locust to be intelligent savages; they're like the Uruk-hai in LOTR, only with guns...The Uruk-hai would organise themselves, line up and then storm in - even though they look like horrible monsters. That's what the Locust essentially are...Freakin' LOTR with guns? Did you really have to ruin it for me, Cliffy? Did you?? Gears: CliffyB reveals Lord of the Rings inspiration [cvg]

Company Spirit: Infogrames Rocks My World
Infogrames was once the world's leading company with an aardvark as its mascot until one day they purchased and eventually became Atari, but I will always remember them fondly...or at least I thought I would. That was before I stumbled upon an mp3 posted at GayGamer of a theme song the company had commissioned to help promote, and I am only guessing here, company-wide seppuku. Just look at the opening lines: "There's Nascar Heat, Tonka Town...Stuntman makes my head spin round. Beachhead, TransWorld, Freddie 5...Unreal Tournament, Test Drive..."You pretty much get the idea. The song starts out deep and soulful and soon degenerates into a synth-smeared R&B tune, the chorus of which does a terrible job of convincing anyone that "Infogrames rocks!" I am so not embedding this MP3 here. Hit the jump and prepare to be embarrassed on the behalf of an entire company. Infogrames Company Anthem [GayGamer.net]

Release Date: Final Fantasy Tactics PSP Dated For Europe
It's nearly time for me to play through Final Fantasy Tactics again, only with better cutscenes, extra jobs, and wireless co-op and melee battles thrown into the mix. The game's previous vague release date of sometime in October has been chiseled down into the much more specific October 5th, at least for PAL territories. GameStop is still listing Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for October 9th for the US, so if it comes down to it the more fanatical fan (Hi!) could always try for a very expensive overnight shipping import transaction. Bah, what's four days of Euro-envy between friends? Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lions Released In OctoberLondon (12th September 2007) - Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that the highly anticipated FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS will be released 5th October 2007 across all PAL territories on the PlayStation Portable...

PC Strategy: East India Company Sets Sail
Ah, for the good old days when companies having disputes over product or territory simply shot at each other until the problem was resolved. Lighthouse Interactive and Nitro Games invite players to experience the 18th century European rush to establish trade routes with the Far East with East India Company. It's an empire building sim that puts you in the role of Governor Director of one of the titular companies, with 8 nationalities to choose from. Establish colonies and trade routes, practice diplomacy, and control your fleet directly in massive sea battles. It was an exciting time in the history of Europe and Asia, and hopefully the PC game will capture a little of that when it comes out in late 2008. galleryPost('ei912', 4, 'Back When Companies Kicked Ass');Lighthouse Interactive Announces East India CompanyBuild an Empire that will Overshadow All OthersHaarlem, The Netherlands -- Sep 12, 2007 -- Today leading Publisher Lighthouse Interactive announced that they have acquired...

Second Tier: Godzilla Unleashed On The PS2
This generation of consoles is a confusing one. Instead of having this gen and last gen, we seem to have split off into two different tiers of consoles, with the Xbox 360 and PS3 forming one tier and the Wii and PS2 forming the other. Generally when a publishers users the term "next-gen consoles" they are talking 360 and PS3, and more and more lately when a 3rd party game is announced for the Wii, a PS2 version isn't far behind. Take Godzilla: Unleashed, for instance. After all of this time in development with the game coming out in a few months, Atari has just announced that a PlayStation 2 version is shipping alongside the Wii and DS versions. Aside from the obvious control differences, the PS2 version will feature monsters not found in the other two versions. Look for Godzilla: Unleashed on the WiiS2 this fall. Godzilla: Unleashed Rages Onto PlayStation2 For Simultaneous Three Platform LaunchAtari's Eagerly Awaited Monster Romp Now Coming to PlayStation 2, Wii and Nintendo...

Shmup: Omega Five Comes To Live
As blank Dreamcast disc supplies begin to dwindle, could Xbox Live Arcade become a new haven for scrolling-shooter fans? With games like Triggerheart Exelica, Ikaruga, and this game here, Hudson's Omega Five coming to the platform, shmuppets might have good reason to pick up a 360 in the coming months. Omega Five is a a hardcore side-scrolling shooter featuring 360 degree shooting, five characters with unique special attacks and weapons, and local co-op. It looks gorgeous, and with Natsume working with Hudson it should either end up excellent or inadvertently a farming sim. Welcome to the age of digital-delivery shmuppery! galleryPost('omega5912', 4, 'Shmup My Bitch Up');Omega Five Gunning for Xbox LIVE(R) ArcadeHudson to Release an All-New Sci-Fi Themed Side-Scrolling ShooterREDWOOD SHORES, CA - September 12, 2007 - Leading video game publisher Hudson Entertainment has partnered with Natsume to bring gamers an all-new IP titled Omega Five for the Xbox LIVE(R) network. Omega...

Nite Note: Random Strangers Praticing English
To: CrecenteFrom: AshcraftWhew! Back in Osaka. Just in time for dinner. And dinner was okonomiyaki and yakisoba. No kidding. True Osaka food. Damn, it's good to be back. Just before I passed through the ticket wickets at Tokyo Station to get on the bullet train home, a man in a business suit came running towards me, all sweaty like. He asked in English, "Can I help you?"Um."Is here anything I can do for you?"Ah, yes. Someone wants to practice their English. He smiles. Blinks."Where do I catch the bullet train?" I ask."Right through those wickets."Oh. Great."Where are you going?""Osaka.""Okay," he tells me, "Go right through the wicket and to the other side of the station. There you can catch the train to Osaka."The train that I catch from Tokyo to Osaka twice a month."Thank you," I say."Have a nice trip to Osaka," he says."Oh, I will," I reply. What you missed last night Microsoft's Tokyo press conferenceIkaruga on Xbox Live ArcadeRez HD!Lost Odyssey DatedNinja Gaiden 2

Big In Japan: Microsoft's Super-Long Tokyo Press Release
To coincide with their pre-TGS presser, which our very own Ashcraft so nicely liveblogged for you, Microsoft have released the mother of all press releases. It pretty much details their entire Xbox 360 strategy for the coming months, from new games to Xbox Live. How did Castle Shikigami III slip by me? It's going to be one hell of a holiday season in Japan for Xbox 360 owners, and with the lineup they've got planned there just might be a few more KFC-greased 360 controllers sitting by Japanese televisions come Christmas time. Hit the jump for an epic tale of public relations and marketing. Microsoft Introduces Star-Studded Lineup of Japanese Developers and Blockbuster New Games for Xbox 360Japan's best developers are betting big on Xbox 360 in 2007 and beyond, as Microsoft announces best-ever holiday entertainment lineup.London, 12th September 2007 -- Flanked by a who's who of Japanese gaming luminaries and video game development legends, Takashi Sensui, general manager of...

Coffee And TV: Drinking Free Joe In Ritzy Ginza With PSP2K
Nothing says portable gaming like free coffee! Or something. Starting today in the Ginza Sony Building, you can get free coffee and stare at TV playing on PSP 2Ks. The portable's Japan only TV tuner outputs a fairly nice picture — as nice as the TV phones. The PSP Cafe runs until the 16th. Those who live in Tokyo, swing by and check it out. Those who don't, don't. galleryPost('pspcafe', 4, 'Coffee Smell');

Surprise: LocoRoco PS3 Dated For Europe
Surprise, Europe: LocoRoco PS3's not months away. It's days. SCEE have confirmed that the "game" will be available next Thursday for the low, low, looooowww price of 1.99/2.90 (USD$4). Bargain? Hardly. Remember, this is more screensaver than game. So is it worth it? Depends! You'll either be paying peanuts for a LocoRoco-lite, or waaaaay too much for a useless screensaver. All depends on how empty that glass in front of you looks.LocoRoco PS3 next Thursday [Eurogamer]

New 360 Controller Colors: Japanese Ladies and Matching Shirts
At today's Tokyo briefing, Microsoft showed off its new colored controllers: Black, Pink and Light Blue. I thought Light Blue was green. Looks greenish. Does that mean we'll one day see a light blue Xbox 360 or *gasp* a pink Xbox 360? One can only hope. Click over for pics of matching blouses holding the controllers. Hooray for color coordination!galleryPost('shirtscontrollers', 4, 'Colors');

New Venture: Square Enix Moves Into Ad-Driven Casual Gaming
Final Fantasy? NOT casual. No room for in-game ads, either! Which means there's a gap in Squeenix's catalogue. A gap that's being filled by a partnership announced that will see Square Enix and Japanese portal site Nifty team up to provide a whole bunch of casual, ad-supported games. Square provide the games, Nifty provide the portal, and ads that appear between levels provide the cash money. Square Enix ventures into ad-supported casual games [Develop]

Rumor: GT5 Prologue Priced For Europe [UPDATED]
Dutch site Fok! are reporting that GT5 Prologue has been priced for the European market. Priced extortionately. 45 (USD$60) is what you'll pay for the Blu-Ray version, which if correct is bloody cheeky of them considering this is an overfed demo. Yes, it has 40 cars and some online shenanigans, but 45? That's full-price territory. We've contacted SCEE for clarification, will update when we hear back.UPDATE: Bogus. SCEE say they've made no decisions on pricing, and that the 45 price is "categorically incorrect". Good to hear!Prijs van Gran Turismo 5 Prologue en features GT5 bekend [Fok! Games, via neorej @ NeoGAF]

Clip: New Lost Odyssey Trailer
Here's the new Lost Odyssey clip Ash was talking about, which was shown at Microsoft's pre-TGS presser earlier today. Some of it's recycled from the first one, but most of it's new. Still got no idea how it plays, but at least it looks nice.

Cutting Room Floor: So What Did Rockstar Change To Get Manhunt 2 Released?
IGN know, they've just sat down with a copy of the new, ready-for-release cut of Manhunt 2. So just what, exactly, is the difference between it and the original, not-suitable-for-release version? They report that the victim of the censor's blade has been the game's death sequences, those little cutscenes you got when successfully bringing an opponent down via stealth. One, involving a set of pliers and a man's kenobis, has been completely removed. All other kill shots have been graphically edited, so that the camera darkens and blurs, obscuring just what exactly is going on. You can still get the rough idea (ie knife to face), just not in the same vivid detail as before. Manhunt 2 Wii Update [IGN]

Third Time's A Charm: Yakuza 3 Announced
Big day for announcements! The latest issue of Famitsu contains one about Yakuza. Specifically, that Yakuza 3 is coming, it's coming for the PS3 and should be out in Japan sometime around Spring next year. No pics or further info just yet, but hey, this news is brand new. Give it time to settle, let it catch its breath before demanding things like screens. They won't be too far away.Yakuza 3 annonc [Famitsu, via Jeux France]

Life Imitates Art: Mushiking Fans Threaten Real Beetles With Extinction
Mushiking's a big hit in Japan. How big? Kids don't just want to collect digital bugs, they want real bugs. Even ones that don't live in Japan, and cost a ton of money to import. And it's driving one species to the brink of extinction. A rare stag beetle, which is only found in Turkey's Amanos Mountains, is being picked clean by "bounty hunters", keen to snatch up the bugs and sell them in Japan for as much as 40,000 (USD$350). Crazy. Welcome to 2007, kids.Video game puts bounty hunters on the trail that could wipe out the stag beetle [The Times]

More Please: More PS3, PSP Firmware Coming This Week
Someboy at Sony LOVES their firmware updates. Doesn't matter that we've just had one for both the PS3 and the PSP. We need more. Sony have announced that over the next few days the PS3 will be receiving firmware update version 1.93, while PSP owners will be getting version 3.71. The PS3 update fixes a network disconnect error people were having after installing 1.92, while the PSP one will add "many features that readers of [PlayStation.Blog] have requested". I'm not trawling through official blog posts to find out exactly what those are, so let's assume Sony will just tell us what's in it when it drops.Updated PS3 and PSP Firmware [PlayStation.Blog]

Clip: Ninja Gaiden II Teaser Trailer
Doesn't do much more than tease, but then, that's the whole point, isn't it? Nice blood.

Hard Sell: How BioShock Was Sold
Pretty safe to say BioShock's a winner. Definitely a hit with both the 360 and PC kids. At least some of the credit for its success has to go to its marketing push, for which it was remarked more than once around Kotaku Towers "could not put a foot wrong". Gamedaily has an interview with 2K's "marketing partner" RDA, which is an interesting read: If you saw the description of BioShock on paper, you'd never say that its success was going to be a slam-dunk. This was a risky game if ever there was one. I mean, this wasn't just a shooter that had you firing at aliens. This is a game about an industrialist in the 1940s who builds an underwater society that begins breaking down because a discovery is made about the peoples' DNA that causes them to go insane and they begin splicing their bodies and ... well, try distilling that down into a 30-second elevator pitch. They didn't bother, instead emphasizing things like playing on the notion that it was a "thinking man's shooter", building...

Pardner: Microsoft, Square Enix and Tri-Ace Are "Partners"
As mentioned at today's Microsoft presser, Microsoft will be joining up with Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix and Star Ocean 4 developer Tri-Ace to bring us Infinite Discovery. The game has "situation battle" and is completely in real time. The clip that was shown today had some slight frame-rate issues, but that is probably due to the game still being early in development. Xbox Japan Takashi Sensui called these companies "partners." So, let me get this straight: Tri-Ace is developing, Square Enix is publishing and Microsoft, also a games publisher, is...? Oh, right. galleryPost('microsoftpresserinfinitediscovery', 4, 'So Infinite');

Gallery: McFarlane Halo 3 Figures
Nice, aren't they? Certainly better than the awful Halo 1 figures, and a marked improvement on the not-awful-but-still-kinda-average Halo 2 ones. Series 1 includes the Chief, Cortana, a Grunt double-pack, a Jackal sniper and a Brute. These should be available in early 2008.galleryPost('mchalo3', 4, 'McFarlane Halo 3 Figures');

PRESCH SCHTART BATTON: Ikaruga Announced For Xbox Live Arcade
Think Rez was the only too-good-to-be-true announcement for Xbox Live Arcade at the Microsoft Japan presser? Hah. WRONG. Not only are we getting Rez, we are also getting another Dreamcast favourite. Ikaruga. For real. Same colour-crossing, same perfect shooter, just with shinier new graphics. Please, begin pinching yourselves. We need to make sure this isn't some mysterious, mass hallucination.