Calendar of Events — Play & Win [Xbox.com]

BioWare product manager Karen Clark; Sony's Paulina Bozek, director of SingStar, research director Dr. Sara de Freitas of the Serious Games institute, Karen Brennan of MIT's Media Lab, and Microsoft technical evangelist Eileen Brown will all be headlining the event.

That's Bozek in the photo, by the way, holding the BAFTA award she won for her role in SingStar.

The full schedule has yet to be determined, as the event organizers are still accepting submissions for talks. Further info after the jump.

Women in Games Conference

University of Warwick, UK

10-12th September 2008

Keynotes announced and Speaker Submission Deadline Extended

The Women In Games conference encourages research and seeks to promote careers for women within the games industry. If games are to become a true sibling medium to music and cinema, the industry needs greater balance in its audience and its workforce. The Women In Games conference welcomes participants from both industry and academia, providing a forum for presentation and discussion of issues relating to all aspects of women's involvement in games, including game development, game playing and women as portrayed within games.

Although this conference is concerned with women and games please note that men are also very welcome to participate! The industry needs a meaningful dialogue between the sexes as it moves forward.

This year’s conference is co-organised by games company Rare Ltd (www.rare.co.uk) and the Computer Science Department at the University of Warwick (www.dcs.warwick.ac.uk)

Further details of the conference and this year's themes are available at the conference website: www.womeningames.com

The Speaker Submission deadline has moved to Monday 23rd June 2008

Thinking of submitting a talk, or offering to participate in a panel, but thought you were too late? Think again! We have extended the deadline to Monday 23rd June to allow you some more time.

We are keen to have more offers on the themes, “Dressing up Programming” and “Technology in Schools” in particular, but submissions on any of the themes still welcome.

For more details on how to submit, please check out www.womeningames.com

Keynotes Announced

I am pleased to announce our Keynote speakers for this year’s Women In Games conference:-

Karen Brennan (Scratch, MIT)

Sara de Freitus (Serious Games)

Eileen Brown (Microsoft)

Karen Clark (Bioware)

Paulina Bozek (Sony)

We regret the major disruption to Kotaku today. It was noticed immediately and worked on diligently by Gawker Media staff for more than eight hours late into the night Saturday. We thank them for their hard work, we thank you for your patience, and your regularly scheduled Kotaku will return at 8 am on Sunday.

In addition, the Davis update will bring night time driving to the game—adding a bit of realism to freely racing around public streets without getting constantly arrested and frisked. Here's the full Criterion announcement:

Criterion Games announces motorbikes in Burnout Paradise!

This is the biggest news in Burnout history!

For the first time, we'll let you loose in a Burnout game on motorbikes!

And because we're dedicated to bringing you game-changing new Burnout Paradise content all year, bikes will feature their own game modes, challenges and even some new locations tailored to fit their unique performance and handing characteristics.

The other big news relating to bikes is that we've introduced night-time to Burnout Paradise for the first time.

We wanted to clear the traffic out a little to give you the chance to learn how to ride in safety, and we've always wanted to cruise the streets of Paradise City with incredible night-time visuals.

We expect to ship bikes as part of our Davis software update, due for release sometime in August.

As always, we're bringing you the hot news from Criterion Games as it happens. Hit the site soon for more news and the first high-definition bike footage.

Atheist Jew, Manji Kengo, iamcool388, HawaiianActor, Maldron, PQ Crash, Gambia, enewtabie

I still need to hear from:

Balance_in_life, Spoony Bard, Pezdispenser, Ra on the A-Team, excel_excel

If anyone knows those guys, tell them to email me at owenATkotakuDOTcom, pronto. Please do NOT email me impersonating any of them.

Thanks to all who participated, you'll see the result of this on Saturday, and everyone will get to participate in some way.

Owen Good
Associate Weekend Editor

First things first, if you are any of the commenters listed below, send me a PRIVATE message to my commenter page with the best e-mail to reach you, and be prepared to reply to it sometime this evening.

However, if your name is NOT in the list below, you can still get in on this. Wait until 8 pm Crecente Time (10 pm Eastern, 7 pm Pacific) Then, beginning at 8 pm, the first EIGHT people to send a PRIVATE message to me, with their emails will be included in the project.

Don't send a public message unless you want your email exposed to the population at large.

The 16 commenters who need to reach me:
Gundam-RX-78-2
Shindokie: Read My Messages
Balance_in_life
Dead_Red_Eyes
Scazza
Aethyr
InsidiousTuna
Spoony Bard
Mr.SithNinja
Archaotic
Pezdispenser
NeoAkira
ShaggE
Ra on the A-Team
excel_excel
Cruithne

The rest of you: Wait until 10 pm US Eastern, 8 pm Crecente, then fire away.

Owen Good
Associate Weekend Editor

Fallout 3 Collector's Edition Confirmed for Worldwide, Non-exclusive Release [Shacknews]

While this is precisely the news that all Rock Band fans have been waiting to hear, it raises a ton of new questions. Is $14.99 the new standard album price? And how often can we expect new albums? Luckily, we had the chance to discuss the announcement with Harmonix's CEO Alex Rigopulos, who was more than happy to answer all of our fanboy questions. We posted an abridged, cleaned (sans-Mark's-question-stuttering-and-boring-parts) Q&A after the jump.

What took you so long?
...a big reason that it's taken us so long to get them to market is that the actual technical delivery of the assets required for any one song - they're actually pretty complicated. You're often dealing with masters for the older stuff that were recorded on analog. Often it takes a long time to even locate those masters. The right takes and the right edits have to be found, and in some cases old gear that's not in use anymore has to be resuscitated to transfer the stuff to digital. And so for any one song, the actual process of finding the right tape, resuscitating it and transferring it to the right digital format that we need and all that is an undertaking...

If you're just going for a handful of tracks by a particular artist and they're slow to locate one of them, well you just pick a different track and go on. Well when you're looking for a dozen tracks ina a particular album, you cant really release the album until you've tracked every one of those assets.

What happened to The Who?
We will have a specific announcement about that coming up soon regarding some work that we have coming down the pike with The Who in general that I think people are gonna be pretty happy about...and in general what you're gonna see sorta deep dives with particular artists, where with some artists...of the appropriate stature, you'll see us doing more than whole albums, potentially even entire catalogs.

What kind of schedule will album release be on?
For album releases, in particular, there isn't a set schedule like an album a month...we do want to release albums regularly...generally, the amount of content we release in a week you'll see growing over the course of the year substantially.

Will albums ever represent the majority of your music releases?
I don't think albums will be the dominant release. I don't think we're going to switch to primarily releasing albums, but I will say, in addition to these three we've just mentioned, we actually have MANY in the pike...suffice it to say, it will be a substantial portion of our content offering going forward.

So is $14.99 the new standard album price?
It's not a standard. There's not going to be a standard album pricing. It's going to be a function of how many songs are included in the album...essentially there will be a volume discount applied.

Do you think a variable price rate on albums is disadvantage, especially when stores like iTunes sell albums for a flat rate?
Perhaps, but I think...consumers have demonstrated that they feel that the value they're getting for a game level based at $2 is enormous...[and] there's quite a lot of appetite for music at $2 a song...[so] volume discounts for more music represents quite a good value for the consumers.

Will you ever offer 3-Pack discounts for album tracks?
At this time we're not...I'm not ruling that out as something we're doing in the future. It's just not something we're doing right now.

Would you ever consider releasing "greatest hits" albums?
I don't see any particular reason why we would rule them out...I think that for the right artist under the right circumstances, there's no reason we wouldn't consider doing a greatest hits album that either exists in the world already as a recorded compilation, or [as] in some cases, we've actually had artists come to us who are interested in kind of curating their own new greatest hits compilation for the purpose of Rock Band release. And so I think we're really pretty versatile to ideas of that sort.

So basically, a Rock Band Greatest Hits album?
Exactly.
(Ed note: Rigopulos later explained that they kind of did this with Grateful Dead tracks already, unofficially.)

At the end of the interview, Rigopulos let me know that Rock Band had recently surpassed 8 million song downloads. That's about 2 million just since their new store opened (and Still Alive became offered for free).

San Francisco, Calif. (April 2, 2008) - Darrell Rodriguez has been named president of LucasArts, the videogame division of Lucasfilm Ltd., it was announced today by Lucasfilm President Micheline Chau.

"Darrell is the ideal person to run LucasArts," states Chau. "Having worked at both Electronic Arts and Disney Imagineering he brings the perfect blend of production, operational, and creative expertise. For a games company such as LucasArts with its roots in film, this is an electric combination."

Rodriguez will take the helm at LucasArts in mid-April. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Electronic Arts LA in charge of overall operations, product development and strategic growth for the studio. An avid gamer, Rodriguez has extensive expertise in multiple categories from action sports games, to first person shooters, to real time strategy games. He has worked on such diverse titles as SSX On Tour; Medal of Honor: Airborne; The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II; and Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.

"I couldn't be more excited to join such a dynamic and innovative company as LucasArts," states Rodriguez. "The people are world class and the IP is the best in the business. To be able to work with such cultural icons as Star Wars and Indiana Jones and develop new franchises is like a dream come true."

Prior to Electronic Arts, Rodriguez also held positions in product development and production at EarthLink, Walt Disney Imagineering and the Walt Disney Internet Group. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Rodriguez earned his MBA at the University of California, Berkeley.

Rodriguez joins LucasArts at a key time in its 26 year history. 2008 boasts a terrific slate of games led by Lego® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures which will launch June 3 just after the theatrical release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull™. Developed by the same team at Traveller's Tales that created the LEGO Star Wars™ series, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures presents a tongue-in-cheek take on the first three cinematic adventures of pop culture's most iconic archaeologist, including Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Next up is the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Unleashed™, in which the player is cast as Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice in the time between Episodes III and IV. The first next-gen game to come out of LucasArts internal studio, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed completely reimagines the scope and scale of the Force. Fracture, a new IP developed by Day One Studios, advances players 150 years into a future in which the devastating effects of global warming and the debate around genetic enhancement have literally and figuratively split the United States in two, placing it on the brink of war. The game introduces "Terrain Deformation," a truly next-gen gameplay mechanic that allows players to completely modify the battlefield on the fly.

SAN FRANCISCO - March 31, 2008 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that it will publish Emergency Heroes exclusively on the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo. Developed by Ubisoft Reflections and Ubisoft Barcelona, Emergency Heroes is an open world rescue driving game. Young rescuers can jump into 16 different variations of next-generation rescue vehicles as a police officer, firefighter or EMT and navigate through the sprawling streets of San Alto, keeping citizens safe along the way. Emergency Heroes will be available in North America in May 2008.

Key Features:

• Drive the next generation of rescue vehicles. Pilot and command numerous hi-tech rescue vehicles designed specifically for ultra-high-risk, high-speed navigation. Choose between police, fire and EMT vehicles.

• Explore and protect the entire city. As an emergency hero, your mission is to protect the peaceful city of San Alto. Drive through stunning free-roaming open environments, rescuing the city from imminent danger at every turn.

• Two Player Co-Op. Challenge your friends or combine forces to form the ultimate rescue hero team to protect your city.

• Fun for the whole family. Making full use of the Wii Remote(TM), everyone in the family can enjoy being an emergency hero.

• Fast-action gameplay. Take advantage of Hero Mode and play like you mean it - the faster you drive, the faster you rise and gain access to powers of invincibility.

Here are the full details:

THQ announce BAJA off-Road racing game for PS3/Xbox 360

THQ today announced BAJA, the most realistic off-Road experience to date. The game is scheduled to bring revolutionary physics and vast open racing worlds to the Xbox 360® and PLAYSTATION 3 in August 2008. Features include: 100 square miles of terrain, over 40 vehicles (including Trophy Trucks, 4x4s and buggies) that are upgradeable with hundreds of authentic parts, four player split screen and 12-player online and LAN as well as multiple-screen panoramic view.

Press release
Dominate the Desert in the Most Realistic off-Road Experience to Date in THQ's BAJA(TM)

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI - News), the leading publisher of off-road racing games, today announced the most realistic off-road racing experience to date. BAJA™ is scheduled to bring revolutionary physics and vast open racing worlds to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in August 2008. Developed by the founding members of the MX vs. ATV™ franchise, BAJA combines the best elements of the real-world sport with the right balance of arcade fun as it challenges players to build the ultimate off-road machine and conquer vast, unforgiving terrain.

"As the long-standing off-road racing leader, THQ is thrilled to bring something completely new to the off-road racing genre," said Richard Browne, vice president of product development, THQ. "With the level of detail in each vehicle, the vast open vistas and the most realistic off-road physics to date, BAJA will provide an unparalleled racing experience."

About BAJA

In BAJA, players will conquer more than 100 square miles of the toughest terrain Mother Nature has to offer, including the steepest mountains, thickest mud and deepest canyons ever created. With more than 40 vehicles in eight classes, including Trophy Trucks, 4x4s and buggies, BAJA features a full array of upgradeable options with hundreds of authentic parts that affect each vehicle's performance. Players will put their off-road machines to the test in near-vertical Hill Climb challenges, head-to-head Open Class races, circuit races and the ultimate off-road endurance challenge: the Baja. BAJA's open worlds extend thousands of miles across all landscapes in races that can last up to four hours. The game's revolutionary vehicle physics deliver unprecedented life-like handling, and a support management system allows gamers to monitor and repair realistic vehicle damage as fenders fly, tires are blown, suspension is stressed and engines overheat. BAJA will support four-player split screen multiplayer capability, 12-player online and LAN as well as multiple-screen panoramic view.

BAJA is developed by 2XL Games in Phoenix, Ariz. For more information on this game, as well as additional THQ titles, please visit www.thq.com and www.bajagame.com.

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Set to launch April 15th for $54.99, it's slated to coincide with the release of GT5 Prologue. Oh yes, feel those engines roar through your controller and make your SIXAXIS-wielding friends envious...like they're just playing a video game or something.

UPDATE: Sony has confirmed all of this information. Press release on the jump.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INTRODUCES METAL GEAR SOLID®4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS PS3 BUNDLE AVAILABLE IN LATE Q2 2008 IN NORTH AMERICA
Company Also Announces Limited-Edition God of War® PSP® Entertainment Pack and April Availability of DUALSHOCK®3 Wireless Controller for North America

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., February 26, 2008 - At its annual retail and publisher conference Destination PlayStation, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced details of upcoming PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) (PSP-2000) hardware bundles with two of the most highly anticipated 2008 titles. The company also announced the April 2008 availability of DUALSHOCK®3 wireless controller in North America.

To coincide with the much-anticipated North American launch of Metal Gear Solid®4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2 2008, SCEA will introduce a PS3 bundle, which will include an 80GB PS3, the upcoming blockbuster Metal Gear Solid®4: Guns of the Patriots and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for $499 (MSRP).

SCEA also announced the June 2008 availability of the limited-edition God of War® PSP Entertainment Pack for $199.99 (MSRP). The God of War Entertainment Pack will include a "Deep Red" PSP with God of War himself, Kratos, silk-screened on the back of the unit, a copy of the highly anticipated upcoming God of War: Chains of Olympus game for PSP, the hit comedy movie from Columbia Pictures, "Superbad™," on UMD™ (Universal Media Disc), and a PLAYSTATION®Network voucher to download Syphon Filter®: Combat Ops from PLAYSTATION®Store. The stand-alone version of God of War: Chains of Olympus launches on March 4, 2008.

"Working closely with our retail and publishing partners and sharing our hardware and software roadmaps at Destination PlayStation gives us a great opportunity to outline some key milestones for the year. In response to incredible demand, we will be manufacturing more 80GB PS3s for North America and the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 80GB PS3 bundle is an ideal way to offer that continued value to our consumers," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "With Blu-ray having won the format war, our stellar software line-up and a broad product portfolio, we will continue to drive the incredible momentum we've been generating since last fall."

SCEA will introduce the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for the first time in North America in April 2008 for $54.95 (MSRP). DUALSHOCK 3, which incorporates both rumble and motion sensing SIXAXIS™ technologies, maintains the award-winning design and precise, responsive features of PlayStation controllers. The added rumble feature, combined with the SIXAXIS system, enhances the gamer experience with more interactive, intuitive and immersive game play experience and will work with more than 100 current PS3 titles.

In additional news coming from Destination PlayStation, SCEA announced Metal Gear Solid®4: Guns of the Patriots will be available in North America in late Q2 2008. A Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack" will also be launched to support online game play. Gamers can select a single player experience or take the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest weapons and stealth techniques. For those eager to take on Solid Snake's nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, a nationwide pre-sell promotion will enable gamers to pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and be guaranteed access to a multiplayer beta test for Metal Gear Online scheduled for late April.

For existing PC players, this new content will come in the form of an add-on. Potential pricing has not been discussed. As for me, I just feel lucky that I'm no longer forced to own a PC to play a lot of games formerly reserved for the platform, even if the authenticity of experience isn't always duplicated.

World in Conflict destined for Fall 2008 release

Sierra Entertainment's Action-Strategy Opus World In Conflict Coming To Xbox 360 And PLAYSTATION®3 System In Fall 2008

The Genre-Bending "Best Strategy Game of 2007" Gets Even Better As It Heads to Consoles with Additional Single Player and Multiplayer Content

MARLOW (14TH FEBRUARY, 2008) - Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, announced today that World in Conflict™ - the groundbreaking action-strategy game that claimed the coveted E3 2007 Game Critics "Best Strategy Game" award and topped many "Best of 2007" lists - will appear on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system this autumn.

World in Conflict, originally created by Sierra's-own Massive Entertainment, is being redesigned for consoles and will also include a host of new content for both the single-player campaign and the game's award-winning multiplayer mode. The new content will also be made available for personal computer as an add-on to the original World in Conflict game. More information on the PC release will be provided soon.

The World in Conflict game for Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION®3 system is being developed by Massive Entertainment in conjunction with Sierra's-own Swordfish Studios.

"World in Conflict was one of the best games on any platform in 2007 and its innovative action-focused gameplay makes it a perfect fit for the transition to consoles," said Martin Tremblay, president of worldwide studios, Sierra Entertainment. "World in Conflict is being reinvented for Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION®3 system, with innovative features and new single player and multiplayer content created for the console audience. World in Conflict on consoles will be an amazing extension of an already great gaming franchise."

Grote aankondiging voor Japan volgende week? [XboxOnly via N4G]

Welcome to Liberty City [Rockstar]

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