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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Now Futuremark has founded Futuremark Games Studio, a company that will create original IPs running their own engines. The whole setup reminds us of those comics when Superman and Lex Luthor have to team up, and then eventually it gets steamy.

Futuremark Enters Gaming Space with New Studio [gamedaily]

The downside is that GameStrata registration is currently using a token system, requiring you to sign up in hopes of receiving an invite (similar to the moderate pain it was to first join Gmail). But we tested the service and received an invite with no problem after our registration. Here's the full list of games that GameStrata will be supporting at launch:

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) Battlefield 2 (PC) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC) Universe at War (PC, Xbox 360) The Club (Xbox 360) - Coming February 19th

Yes, you read that correctly—aquatic mechanical bull riding. Doesn't anyone just swim naked anymore? What a grey, humdrum life is lived beyond the blessed walls of Hugh Hefner mobile entertainment. If you're looking for more details, here's the full, anatomically accurate version:

January 28, 2008 - THQ Wireless Inc., a subsidiary of THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI), today announced that it has signed a worldwide agreement with Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: PLA, PLAA) to exclusively develop Playboy-branded mobile games. The multi-year Playboy agreement covers the development and publishing rights to multiple Playboy-branded, lifestyle themed, non-nude mobile games featuring bikini-clad Playmates to be released worldwide. The first title, Playboy Games: Pool Party, is scheduled to launch in summer 2008.

"Given the extensive appeal and popularity of the Playboy brand, mobile games based on this license are sure to provide a fun and entertaining experience," said Adam Comiskey, vice president, international, THQ Wireless. "THQ Wireless is ideally positioned to provide engaging games with the hallmark of the Playboy lifestyle."

"The number of Playboy fans around the world has never been greater and that popularity is reflected in the growing sales of Playboy-branded products and services," said Ed Lang, senior vice president of mobile, Playboy Media Group. "Given the growth of the mobile industry, we're excited to join THQ Wireless in offering this next-generation form of entertainment to consumers."

Playboy Games: Pool Party will include a set of mini-games depicting animated, bikini-clad Playmates at the famous Playboy Mansion engaged in "pool party sports" including poolside water balloon fights, waterslide slaloms and aquatic mechanical bull riding. Developed by THQ Wireless internal studio Universomo, Playboy Games: Pool Party is based on actual events held at the Playboy Mansion and immortalized in the Playboy Home Entertainment DVD release, Playmate Playoffs, hosted by Chuck Woolery.

Activision pats themselves on the back after the jump. Rock Band awaits penalties for extended celebration.

Guitar Hero(R) Franchise Surpasses $1 Billion in North America in Record 26 Months, According to the NPD Group Calendar Year North American Retail Sales for Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) Set New Industry Record

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced that the Guitar Hero(R) franchise has set an industry record, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales in just 26 months, according to The NPD Group.

Additionally, Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) was the #1 title in units and dollars for calendar year 2007, making it the #1 best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.

Since its initial release in fall 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has sold in excess of 14 million units in North America alone, according to The NPD Group. In 10 weeks since the game's launch, consumers have already downloaded more than five million songs.

"Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today," said Michael Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Guitar Hero's popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium."

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

Here's their full announcement:

Blizzard is spear-heading its approach to Community Fansites and fans in 2008. It's going full-throttle with a internal Developer video podcast which will bring you interviews with Starcraft 2 and Wrath of the Lich King developers, fansite community interaction with developers, as well as fansite Q&A on video.

The first BlizzCast episode will air online through Blizzard's website the first week of January. Fans will be able to submit questions to the developers through the fansites, who will forward the feedback to community managers: Karune and Nethaera. Fans may win some juicy Swag at the end of each BlizzCast episode. Again, this ongoing video podcast series is produced by Blizzard.

This is an amazing effort that will bring the developers and the community closer. The best of it all is that each BlizzCast (video podcast) transcript will be fully localized to many supported languages reaching hundreds of thousands of Blizzard fans across the globe. This is basically a monthly BlizzCon presentation broadcasted directly to you via hot-download. The audience of BlizzCast Episode 1 and upcoming episodes will be monitored. These is an experimental in-house project. The more fan audience supporting these BlizzCast episodes, the better it will get, as more resources will be put to produce future episodes with full coverage of the development cycles of Starcraft 2, future World of Warcraft expansions and content patches, as well as the two unannounced games. Spread the word across forums online, and share the hype to encourage production of BlizzCast episodes for years to come. Tell all your friends online, at work or school to download episode one the first week of January.

BlizzCast Episode 1

* Interview with Sam Didier (Art Director SCII): Concepting Art for the StarCraft and Warcraft Franchises
* Interview with Jeff Kaplan (Lead Designer WoW): Highlights of Sunwell Plateau and Patch 2.4

(At the end)Sweepstakes/Giveaway: Lots of SWAG :)

BlizzCast Episode 1 on First Week of January [blizzard]

The show will run on Spike TV tonight, at midnight in most markets, giving viewers a primer on Sunday's airing of the 2007 Video Game Awards. Check your local listings and all that.

This isn't news. This isn't about gaming... not really.

After three weeks of Australian-flavored vacationing I'm back, well at least in mind I'm back. I'm actually still here in Australia for another couple of weeks, hanging out with my in-laws on the Central Coast, north of Sydney.

It's been a fun, and fruitful vacation. I managed to finally take up surfing, taking lessons from a surfer just south of Surfers Paradise. Never mind that he had to tow me out past the breakers the second day of lessons because I was shot, I still managed to catch some big waves, something I've always wanted to do.

I read through seven books:

Snow Crash: Just to finally get to the bottom of the whole Hiro Protagonist stuff... yes, tragically late. Good book, flat ending.
The Cleft: Author Doris Lessing won this year's Nobel Prize for literature. Her latest novel, The Cleft, examines the relationships between men and women by telling the story of the first men and women. Definitely worth a read.
His Dark Materials trilogy: I decided to pick this up after reading how annoying religious groups were getting with the upcoming movie based on The Golden Compass. The books, all meant for a young adult audience, are quite interesting and really get you thinking about the place of religion in the world, which makes sense since the author is a confirmed atheist. I'd call the three books a most read for anyone with any interest in fantasy or religion.
Parasite Eve: It's said that Hideaki Sena changed the face of horror in Japan, reading this book I can believe it. It manages to slip deftly between intriguing details about the mitochondria and graphic, chilling descriptions of a murderous bacteria. My copy of the book was given to me by a Kotaku reader at our New York Party at the beginning of the year. Oh, and the book was made a PS2 game by Square. Go figure.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: The book is one part Gibson, two parts Kafka with a measure of Borges thrown in for good measure. Of course I loved it. Ashcraft tells me he would hug Murakami if he ever met him and recommended Dance, Dance, Dance to me, though I think I might sink into The Trilogy of the Rat or Kafka on the Shore the next time I dig into him.

I've started reading Pashazade, a book I picked up at a used book story last week totally randomly, not sure if I like it yet.

It sounds corny to say it, but I've really missed you guys. Sure Kotaku is a job, but it's so much more for me as well. It is my friend, made up of both readers and writers, my family, a tiny piece of me, though I'm glad it's grown beyond that, becoming, perhaps, a piece of everyone who both writes for it and reads it regularly.

When I first arrived in Australia, like with all my breaks from the site, living apart from Kotaku was sort of like (to steal a notion from Murakami) living apart from my shadow. Overtime, of course, I got used to it. And Australia is an amazing place to lose your shadow.

It's a country of incredible incongruity, for those of you not lucky enough to live or have visited here. Its a country of beautiful, modern cities in the middle of vast rain forests, deserts and mountains. My first, most vivid image of Australia, from my visit here nearly ten years ago, remains the most accurate: An freeway retaining wall lined with dozens of wild, white cockatoos. Australia is a splash of the wild and fantastic in an increasingly tame and mundane world.

Well enough of that, back to work, to writing, to my shadow.

BRASH Entertainment ANNOUNCES JUMPER VIDEO GAME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX, BRASH BRINGS THE NEXT science fiction-ACTION-thriller TO A CONSOLE NEAR YOU

Hollywood, Calif. - November 13, 2007 - Brash Entertainment announced today the development of a Jumper video game, to release alongside the film of the same name from Twentieth Century Fox and Regency Enterprises. Jumper is the eagerly anticipated science fiction-action-thriller directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), and starring Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Jumpers, people with a genetic anomaly that enables them to teleport themselves instantaneously to anywhere on the globe, have existed for centuries. An age-old battle rages between the Jumpers and the Paladins, a clandestine organization set on eliminating them from the planet. The Jumper game extends the film's storyline, following Griffin, a battle-hardened Jumper determined to avenge the death of his parents at the hands of the Paladins. Griffin's quest to find the killer spans exotic locales around the world.

"Jumper is shaping up to be the action adventure film of 2008, and Brash is excited to be there, at the beginning, with a game that further explores the Jumper universe," said Mitch Davis, co-founder and CEO of Brash Entertainment. "We've been working closely with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox to create a game that delves into the world of the Jumpers and the Paladins."

"When you combine all of the talent associated with this film and infuse it with one of the best action film minds today in Doug Liman you know that you're in store for one thrilling experience," said Elie Dekel, Executive Vice President, Licensing & Merchandising of Twentieth Century Fox. "Brash will take all of these elements to create a top-notch video game experience that will keep gamers on the edge of their seats."

The Jumper video game will be available for the PLAYSTATION®2 computer entertainment system, the Wii™ videogame system from Nintendo, and XBOX™ 360. The game is scheduled to ship February 12, 2008 followed by the theatrical release on February 15, 2008 and has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information about the movie please visit http://www.jumperthemovie.com/.

Epic: You want the engine?
SK: I think I'm entitled to it
Epic: You want the engine?
SK: I want the truth!
Epic: You can't handle the truth!

Son, we live in a world that has textures, and those textures have to be generated by men with Photoshop. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Bungie Studios? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom.

You weep for Too Human, and you curse Epic. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that Too Human's delay, while tragic, probably saved money. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves money. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at GDCs, you want me making those textures, you need me making those textures.

We use words like tri-linear, polygonal, anti-aliasing. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent building an engine. You use them in a lawsuit. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very engine that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and bought Gears of War. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a compiler, and write some code. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

Current Pricing Model Will Soon Be Obsolete
Comment by Eldragon
Nomianted by user.error

Notice how it is always EA that is complaining about pricing on games? One of the first to introduce in game ads, charging for cheat codes, etc? EA should try to cut costs and consider restructuring from their top-down development model. Rather than coming up with more ways to make people pay for what they used to get for free.

Indie Developers for PC games are cropping up all the time, and many do quite well for themselves. You can spend less money and make a better game, rather than blowing the entire budget on creating better graphics but rehashing the same tired old gameplay.

Take a look at games that were created before the advent of 3d acceleration. Since you could not wow the consumer with pretty graphics, developers had to rely on a good story and fun gameplay. These things don't cost 10 million dollars to produce. It requires a couple guys, pizza, and talent.

Halo 3 Shit-Talkers
Comment by Z-Word
Nominated by user.error

I find I have to mute at least one rooster-fellating crotch hobbit before any match even begins, whether it's because they're spouting the usual racist/homophobic/I effed yer mom lolz lolz bullshit in the lobby or because they're a mouthbreather who can't grasp that the mic doesn't need to be 1/16th of an inch away from their spittle-drenched lips. "HURRRR, HRRAAAAH. HURRR, HRRAAAHH." Yo, Darth Douchebag, fix your goddamn mic.

I played a team slayer match recently in which a guy on our team went AFK for a phone call — which was bad enough, as it left us a man down — yet conducted his entire 10-minute call with his headset on and unmuted. W. T. F. We finally just ignored the other team and killed/corpseraped him every time he respawned until he came back and FREEEEEEAKED out. At which point we pretended we had him muted — "Hey, did you guys mute him too? I bet he's super pissed huh?" — and listened to his screeching diatribe, most of which involved our apparent fondness for other men. Homophobia, the last refuge of of le sac de la douche. And seriously, did he have a right to be angry? Hell no. Though listening to him lose it was kinda fun.

Nintendo Hasn't Forgotten the Hardcore
Comment by baberg
Nominated by ima robot

People who self-describe themselves as "hardcore gamers" are stupid. People who try to categorize games as "hardcore" and "casual" are stupider. But people who limit themselves to only playing what they perceive to be "hardcore" games are the worst.

Grow up, stop with the pointless labels, and just play the fracking games.

Army of Two Brings Blackwater PMCs Center Stage
Comment by Witzbold
Nomainted by Kaji

All of you folks who are crying about Blackwater need to seriously get educated on the PSF (Private Security Firms), PSC (Private Security Contractor) history and the real situation in Iraq.

Granted it was highly unfortunate that there were civilians killed in the most current incident, its war and such incidents happen.

Actually I think Ill list the names of those folks since it would be unfair to bundle them up with the more reasonable people here.

Also the difference between the larger PSCs and "Mercs" as the ignorant folk in the media are playing it as is that the contractors in those firms only run defense and are only allowed to fire when an entity threatens them or is in the direct way of the planned route of travel.

The reason why PSF(C)s are so easy to "attack" is because they are not a part of the US Govt. so its rather easy to spin stories and demonize them in the eyes of the public. Myself Ive read equally disturbing incidents caused by the US military but you dont see me flying off the handle about it. Why? Becuase its war, shit happens. Becuase a few folk did something very stupid, the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib comes to mind also the more recient incident in the Lake Thar Thar region that left 15 civilians dead. While incidents like these and many others go on, its still no reason to demonize the whole US army, as the media is doing with Blackwater.

One other thing that you folks need to put into perspective is the fact that there is also a good chance the people of Iraq are lying. Im not saying that in a vicious way of distrust for the people of Iraq. Its just that usually what occurs is the insurgents have the civilians in a "death grip" if you will causing them to lie about what goes on or bad things will happen to themselves or their families. Its just a way of life there. The less you see, the longer you live kinda deal. Im sure others are telling the truth, but I wouldnt believe everything that is being said by the public there. This is also speaking from knowledge gained by reading various reports by soldiers on the ground who have delt with the people of Iraq when comming to searching for insurgents, or after incidents go down. Its a mess really, and you cant blame the people of Iraq either for doing such things, just because its the way of life down there. Even though it does cause a lot of trouble for our men and women who are down in Iraq.

I do appreciate those of you who are trying to take a more educated approach to the Kotaku post, but for the rest of you who are just crying about Blackwater and the other PSF(C)s you sound just as bad as all FAUX news and CNN. 2 stations that Im sick of hearing shit talking of the PSF(C)s in Iraq. Mainly Blackwater. Since its obvious none of them have doen any real research on the subject and history, then just taking the "scraps" and figuring out how to spin a story that will get the folks riled up. Looks like it worked seeing some of the ignorant comments here.

Folks it aint that hard to hit up amazon.com or the local book store and find information on your own to help build a far more objective view on the situation. Its what I did, since I feel that all of what has led up to the Afghan / Iraq wars is a big changing point in the history of the world today. Upon doing that I learned many things about the situation in regards to the US military and the PSF(C)s. The more information you absorb from various sources the more you can paint yourself a picture of whats really going on there.

Also in closing dont throw the term "Merc" around so freely, unless you really know what the difference is.

Will Wright Digs Wii, Xbox 360 Collecting Dust, No PS3
Comment by Marlor
Nominated by Bernbaum

Will Wright doesn't play online games against his friends.

He races them. Across America. In illegal car races.

And he wins.

Brat Punches Mom After She Takes Halo 3 Multiplayer Away
Comment by exkon
Nominated by user.error

See the melee system is broken!!!

Mental Health Alliance Blasts Manhunt 2
Comment by doubtful
Nominated by BtownDesignGuy

I think Willy Wonka gives people the wrong idea about chocolate factories. In real life, the Oompa Loompa are overworked, underpaid, and all of their efforts to unionize have been squashed by 'the man.'

The movie portray's chocolate factories as a sing-songy wonderland of imagination and perpetuates the idea that chocolate factories are a great place to visit and work.

End the insanity. Ban Willy Wonka!

Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page and your commenter page.

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Burnout Paradise Crashes and Burns January 22 [shacknews]

maybe they should have spent a little less on the ad campaign and a little more on the manufacturing of the disks

So...Why Exactly Is the DualShock 3 Coming Next Year?
Comment by Grave

It's absolutely ridiculous that they'd announce this so far in advance and not make good on it til next year in the rest of the world. I only have the Sixaxis my system came with, and money is tight at the moment. A friend of mine was going to get his own so we could at least go back to playing Tekken and SF, but after this, he doesn't want to pick up one, and neither do I.

Of course, being a PS3 owner, I'm always wondering what kind of wacky shit Sony's going to try to get us to put up with next. Lair and Heavenly Sword were both crushing disappointments, the PS Store is lacking a real selection of PS1 games outside of Japan, and demos still land weeks to months after they do on XBL. Oh, and Home is delayed til 2008. I heard that they cancelled Christmas, too.

Rumor: Xbox 360 Core Discontinued
Comment by: SuperTurtle

This seems good to me. In fact, I would like a system without the wireless, and it would be even MORE low cost yet. There is room for a low budget model.

It seems that you getting wireless, HDMI, and 256meg pseudo hard drive for free now?

I remember when a pc had 40 meg, or a 80 meg drive. My super notebook of many years ago had a 200 meg drive.

So, including a 256megs means that you easily have a hard drive that just about any game can use to speed things up, and write out temp files to. More then enough for most games.

And, as other mentioned, I remember when a 1 gig drive was expensive, once again, a usb thing is cheap cheap. So, with the memory card, + a 1 gig jump drive, you have a nice system on a budget.

And, according to some, in addition to HDMI, you get the new more reliable mother boards with a heat sink.

And, in a few months, if you have money, then you just slap on a hard dive anyway. Remember, most consumers can't take a machine apart, or have NO idea as to what kind of hard drive to buy (consumers don't know what kind of hard drive to buy, or even what kind, size, speed etc. And, consumers can hardly handle opening a door, or figure out which way the drive goes in).

With Xbox, you just buy the hard drive, and slap it on top. Don't even have to open up a door, or anything. Really, a brilliant design decision if you think about it.

Keep in mind that not everyone has all the money at the same time. So, Upgrades, and add ons for the Xbox is a booming business all to its own. By the time a consumer is finished, he spent more then MOST people who brought a Elite system!!

However, this is not wrong, it is just normal. People purchase lower cost cars, and then customize and spend a CRAP load of money upgrading (but, they do it over time).

You don't have all your money at the same time. People often add new hard drives, new cards etc. to their computers. The endless supply of hard drives, add on etc is a great way to capture consumer money over time.

I still think they should have a el-cheap-o model, with no wireless, and next to no nothing. The price would also be VERY close to the that of the wii. And, as other mentioned, you get newer hardware, quieter fan etc. (many would purchase, and pull all of their wireless stuff, hard drive from existing systems).

I think they could sell truck loads of these stripper models. And, a few months later, you will wind up selling them hard drives and wireless controllers once they realize how much they love the Xbox anyway.

Sumimasen, Is *This* The Halo 3 Line?
Comment by Amazingu

LOOOOOL!

Pepijn! That's a friend of mine actually!
Fancy you running into him ;)
Very tall guy, big gums, right?

HP Unveil New Prototype, Vid for Gaming Handheld
Comment by tomsamson

virtual reality helmets never took off in the mass market.
There could be many reasons for that, a big one is probably that one locks like a total moron when wearing a ginourmous helmet and acting like seeing things no one else sees.
Great idea to instead make that as mobile device where one doesn´t just look like a moron in a closed area but instead in public in the streets.
As others said even better if one runs into traffic while escaping from a virtual rolling rock...
Hm..this thing has SMASH HIT labelled on it.. :D

Suicide candidates go!

And yeah, how come no non video game company seems to even just get the key setup on such devices right?

HP Unveil New Prototype, Vid for Gaming Handheld
Comment by CyberSkull
Nominated by sethmad

The storage & network requirements for what they are doing in the commercial boggle my mind. Where the hell in San Francisco(?) did they find the WiFi to get the objectives? I can't see the devs putting all that on a storage device we currently (or will have in the next 5 years) have.

I really love the idea of scanning objects in the real world to work in the game, but it seems to me that would take an exorbitant amount of processing power and an absolutely massive program to properly interpret. :(

Final question for HP: Will this make configuring and updating your printers

An amendment: Scanning objects from photos is done now, I mean a large amount of CPU and programming would be needed to recognize the objects in order to place them in the game world.

This week wasn't so hype. Need more nominations! Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page and your commenter page.

Also know: Dip into tool territory and we'll ban yer ass. And quick!

Ah Itagaki unmasked you say? I would sooner expect to see clear photographic evidence of the Tibetan Mountain Yeti's child fathered by the elusive Chupacabra (she doesn't care what you think, she loves him anyway). What do the linked images reveal? Nothing but a deliciously heightened mystery. From the appearance of that photo I can not even confirm that Itagaki has actual eye-spheres residing in his skull-sockets. Maybe the sockets just burn with a black fire much like Ninja Gaiden's Doku. Or perhaps you can't see his eyes because under his sunglasses he is actually just wearing another pair of sunglasses. I think the worst possible scenario is that is actually quiet a perfect image of him without his glasses, he just is that blurry. And that is super scary. The grin on the man in the second photo (Itagaki and sunglasses reunited) is suspiciously "shit eating" as well, such to suggest his collaboration in confounding the photo.

Capcom have some of the biggest franchises in gaming history tucked away in their stable, and not a few smaller ones that deserve more attention.

Hmmm...that short and sweet explanation is PLENTY of fodder for us to BS about Capcom's coming announcements for at least the next ten to fifteen minutes. My guess for one of the possibilities? Capcom is dropping Devil May Cry 4 for Devil May Cry 5. The game will be the same, but since the product is turning out to be so awesome, Capcom felt it necessary to skip 4 entirely in favor of a more polished extra sequel.

And it will be an absolutely brilliant maneuver that sets the videogame world on fire. And every game from there on out will at least start at part 2, and maybe even part 3 if it's really, really promising.

And yes, this picture is random but I thought it was a funny version of 3.

Capcom: "Three Huge Announcements" [via cvg]

Battle Through Space in THQ's Worms: A Space Oddity for the Wii(TM)

Challenge Up to Four Friends Anywhere in the World with New, Intuitive Controls Designed Specifically for the Wii Remote(TM)

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aug. 30, 2007—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced Worms: A Space Oddity, the newest iteration of the popular turn-based strategy game, is scheduled for release in spring 2008. Retaining the humor synonymous with the Worms brand, Worms: A Space Oddity marks the franchise debut on the Wii(TM) with a fresh visual style, new environmental settings, intuitive controls and even more customization options. Players will be closer to the action than ever before, launching attacks through a wide range of gesture-based maneuvers only possible with the Wii Remote(TM).

In Worms: A Space Oddity, players will enjoy the ultimate blend of classic Worms game modes and re-invented single-player missions, as well as multiplayer modes that include a host of all-new party games and even more customization options. The game takes advantage of the Wii's intuitive controls, on-screen hints and the redesigned interface with an in-game help system. Worms: A Space Oddity demonstrates significant visual, technical and design advancement over its predecessors with a new visual style that abandons the traditional drawn approach and replaces it with a distinctive style inspired by classic Sci-Fi looks. The Worms battles take place across six planets, each with its own, unique environments and global events. The online multiplayer experience pits up to four Worms fiends from all over the world against each other.

Worms: A Space Oddity is being developed by Team17 Software Ltd out of West Yorkshire, UK. Along with this title, two additional titles in the Worms series, Worms: Open Warfare 2 for the Nintendo DS(TM) and PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) system and Worms 2007 for wireless handsets, are scheduled for release this fall.

For more information about Worms: A Space Oddity and the rest of THQ's line-up of games, please visit www.thq.com.

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The BBC's last lurching venture into games development was an utter disaster. It was called FightBox.

You created a "fighter" using a really woeful create-a-monster thing with all the depth and nuance of a random text generator. If it was "good" enough, it got on TV, and the viewing audience got to see it fight in an essentially random, clipping-addled, flailing mess with another creature. The monsters' designers didn't see the fight as the CGI was superimposed in front of them later, they just had to cheer at a blank table.

It cost four million pounds. At its peak, it had only fifty-two thousand viewers. Most of the time, it had less than ten thousand, but it's hard to tell because the audience measuring system breaks down with numbers that small. It was so bad that the BBC's own videogames show took time out of an episode to mock it.

Halo 3 Fatest Pre-Order Ever
P4P comments:

I agree, once you throw in a mouse...it's just too easy and it becomes a head shot frantic-fest. A controller adds CHALLENGE to play. True skill...true strategy cause you know that the player can't turn around in .001 seconds and jump off a wall and double jump and shoot you even though you outsmarted him and got behind him.
Halo rocks cause it's got way more strategy than any other fps that isn't a "realism" simulator. And in some cases, it has more because you have more options and fluidity. The motion radar is pretty close to genius... cause you can move slow and not set it off or move fast and be caught but have more movement. There are a lot of checks and balances in halo that you won't find anywhere else! There's a lot going on in halo if you play it. There isn't much going on in quake, Unreal or doom. Sorry, they're just bunny hoping head shooters that are lots of fun, but don't have the depth that halo does. Halos got a little twitch and a lot of strategy. A good mix in my book that makes the game playable for years.
That being said, halo 2 was still flawed and not a perfect series by any means, but i think halo is more of the future of an fps and not fast-twitchy junk that you see on pcs.
And what pc exclusive fps games that have come out in the last 5 years have been any good any? What good pc games in general? BF2? Serious Sam 2? lol
Picking up Vegas soon so maybe that'll actually be a good fps....

Popular Game Machine: The Wii. What About The PS3?
SilverStar95 comments:

@SolidSnizzle: If games were selling strictly because of their name, then anything with Pokemon on it would be selling out everywhere, even when they're utter garbage. Except.. they're not. Pokemon Battle Revolution? Not such a hot seller once people realized it was trash. Pokemon Snap? Likewise.

And, again, if games were selling strictly because of their name, then why didn't Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for Gamecube outsell everything else? I mean, hey, IT WAS METAL GEAR!!!!oneoneoneeleventyone!(and yes, that's a mocking of your pre-teen CAPSLOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL typing)

And as for why "every" game Mario is on, selling so well.. Maybe it's because Nintendo is one of the few companies that doesn't simply whore a game for the sake of whoring it out? They actually care about their quality, since they're not trying to dumb down games to fit it on every platform out there. Nintendo was, and still is, a company with one of, if not THE, highest quality of titles. They don't try to flood the market with quick, cash-crop shit.

Except for Mario Party. Whoever decided Mario Party 8 shouldn't be online, should be castrated and fed his own balls, in public.

Now, I can understand, you're a kid who grew up with a Playstation. You're too young to remember what real quality is, and probably think FF7 was the best game of all time, until that point.

And if you're not that young, please go back to school. You've failed English, in so many ways and on so many levels that you should have your Internet turned off for trying to speak in public.

And don't try denying you're a PS3 fanboy. With an obvious play on Solid Snake, and your dripping lack of maturity, it's plain that your mommy and/or daddy is buying you all your hardware and software for you. And if you're not the one paying for it, why would you care about the price?

Ubisoft Puts Women In Their Place
Sascha comments:

Imagine: Earning 10 to 20 percent less than your male co-workers

Imagine: Going to college to hunt for a husband

Imagine: Not being acknowledged for all the hard work you do around the house every day!

Imagine: Having a headache every night around 11pm when he's pawing at your back

Imagine: Ironing!

HDMI Coming to Premium 360s
Tepoz comments:

One thing we need to put into perspective is the average consumer. Currently, most HDTV's bought are your garden variety 720P/1080i ones that are picked up at the local Wal-Mart. Does HDMI affect them currently and do they care? Also, only about ~30% of household in the US have HDTV's. Which would explain why the Wii is not suffering from missing HD graphics, why consumers are still not giving up their PS2's, and why total combined sales of all Blu-Ray and HD-DVD titles are usually outsold by a single DVD title.

Circuit City Subpoenas CheapAssGamer
RocketFella comments:

What do they hope to get from CAG? It's not like the guy signed up using his passport.

"We have all his details now.Send the letter to Mr. Giant Wang from 123 Fake Street."

Rockstar's PR Strategy is Nuts, Yo
Fusionboxer comments:

This generation, the industry itself is becoming more and more "see-through". We gamers are paying more and more attention to stocks, numbers, and the inner workings of the companies we loved based on the fact they may have created our favorite franchise. We learned Silicon Knights no longer trusts Epic, Hideo Kojima is bossy and that Insomniac loves the less fortunate. I mean in the long run does any of this information really help us enjoy games anymore then we already are?

Ubisoft Puts Women In Their Place
hatsumi comments:

I don't even want to think about the flames I'm probably going to get for writing this, but here goes... First of all, when I was in elementary school, there were no Gameboys and the like. When I was a little girl, I absolutely adored playing "Mommy." I had one of those dolls that you could feed with the bottle and it would actually wet its diaper. After I discovered Hot Wheels, though, that was it for girl stuff. Most of my female peers, however, were playing dress up, acting out "House" with their Barbie and Ken dolls, and having tea parties with their stuffed animals. Many of my coworkers have daughters (I only have a son) and while they may not be as stereotypically female as I was when I was little, I notice that early elementary school females still like to play "house," dress-up, and have tea parties. Whether we like to admit it or not, the demographic still exists. It has certainly changed and it might not be as big (honestly, I have no idea), but it's there. I hate being put into a gender stereotype as much as the next woman, but why NOT make games that target the group of girls that actually LIKE playing house and stuff? I don't see a problem with it. I'm not going to play it, but I'd be willing to bet good money that someone else out there will.

This is Hyper Multi-Tap
Gamemaster comments:

What's next, Hyper Multi-Tap II: The Anniversary Edition?
Eh, it's a great idea though- I'll try to contribute.

Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page and your commenter page.

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This week has been awful for those of us who like to pretend that videogaming is not a hobby dominated by 13-year-old boys and the 30-year-old men that think like them. Between this and the two racism threads, it's been like a game discussion struggling to be heard over a Klan rally.

And you know what? I honestly don't think it is that "people posting on the Internet anonymously say things they would never say in real life." After reading all of the comments on all three threads (yes, it's been a slow week at work) I seriously do think that a solid half the posters here are homophobes and/or racists and would be even if I showed up at their houses one by one to give them hugs.

It's depressing and makes me wish I'd latched on to a different pastime that attracts less idiots.

Nintendo Helping Gov't Piracy Raids

And people wonder why Osama Bin Laden hasn't been caught yet.
Yep America, You can go back to bed now. Your Government is working around the clock making sure your kid can't mod his Wii and play all those pirated games.

Totilo Weighs in on RE5 Debate

I think that the idea of shooting people should be uncomfortable if games are to ever evolve into a more meaningful art form. I understand the arcade roots of video games but if you're trying to create more tension and reality then the whole thing should be somewhat alarming. The question is will people buy games that make them uncomfortable?

If a gamer's goal is to only shoot meaningless pixels then why make graphics look real? Many people in the media attack video games by saying that they make killers out of players because they don't attach the violence with reality. In effect games are accused of desensitizing us to real violence. This is video game violence attached to an uncomfortable reality and I applaud i