Crystalline II - A level made by EA's Boom Blox team. A gold medal if it can be toppled with three slingshot shots.
World Domination - This is a competitive level also made by EA's developers. The map starts all in brown, but players throw paintballs to claim terrain.
Mission Space - Of course we searched for user-made levels built from Mario or Sonic or other "properties." We found none, but did find this Star Wars-looking ship.
Independence Day - One baseball throw at the purple block above the White House detonates the structure, just like in the movie.
IGN 4Ever - User Matty Boy made this level, which comes with the instructions: "Blow up IGN." Casamassina, is that you?
Destroy the Wii! - This one's user-made. The description says: "Get points for throwing baseballs at your Wii! Just like in real life!"
Unfortunately, if you leave the level alone, the Wii begins to collapse on its own...
... and is left in rubble. The downloadable levels are free and there already seem to be plenty of them, a significant feature upgrade from the original Boom Blox. Who's making a Kotaku level?

During a Thursday conference with investors, the Chief Operating Officer John Pleasants discussed MotionPlus support within EA's Tennis and Tiger Woods 2010 titles. Continuing the thought, he mentioned Dead Space, "which which some interpreted as a conformation of MotionPlus in Dead Space," said IGN.

"MotionPlus in a cursor-based game? It seemed a bit excessive, given Extraction's design," wrote IGN. They contacted someone at EA and were told, in fact, no MotionPlus in Extraction, although they don't offer a direct quote or a source name. They went on to reason that:

With the game essentially taking on the other "light gun" classics on Wii such as Umbrella Chronicles and the more recent House of the Dead: Overkill, the focus is on the system's IR functionality, and we'd assume EA went without MotionPlus because, quite frankly, it just isn't needed in this type of title.

EA: No MotionPlus in Dead Space [IGN]

IGN: Flock Preview[IGN]

IGN Strategize Now On Inside Xbox/Xbox Live [IGN]

The reviewer in question, Hilary Goldstein, editor-in-chief at IGN's Xbox 360 channel, talked to GameDaily about the GTA IV review mini-hubbub, chalking up Fritz's concerns to a possible grudge.

Goldstein theorizes that "if Variety didn't get the game early then you're looking at somebody, I don't know, who had a grudge on his shoulder because he didn't even have the game yet and we'd already put out the review." He thinks that to break an agreed upon embargo, similar to the one we agreed to with Rockstar for our own GTA IV review, would be a bigger ethics violation.

While I don't think that sums up Variety's particular concern and IGN editors swear everything's kosher, that no money or promises were exchanged, I think it's simply a matter of frustration with how coverage in the video game media industry is handled, how it's doled out to established video game outlets like IGN and not to those not known for their video game coverage. What may be simply a sign of an immature, capitulating industry, one populated with zealous fans, may not be as ethically troubling as it is indicative of one that needs to grow.

Media Coverage: IGN Says Variety May Have 'Grudge' [GameDaily]

The full version of "Ladies of Liberty City" features GTA IV's Niko Bellic visiting one of the game's strip clubs The Triangle and receiving numerous private dances. He also visits two prostitutes, one of which an IGN employee runs down with a car, one of which he or she guns down. Classy stuff!

These portions of the game play a microscopic role in the Grand Theft Auto IV experience, but a strung together clip highlighting all of this nefarious behavior was somehow deemed worthy of splicing together for the IGN readership. It may be in poor taste to some, but we think it's perfect fodder for the basis of a news report from IGN's parent company. Then everybody wins.

For more details on the situation, be sure to check out the MTV Multiplayer report.

IGN Yanks 'GTA IV' Sex And Hooker-Shooting Video [MTV Multiplayer]

[thanks Seth!]

Yet curiously, by describing it also as "Without question, the best game since Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," IGN sets up a strange paradox. Because it reviewed Ocarina of Time on Nov. 25, 1998. And then it reviewed Soul Calibur on Sept. 20, 1999. So ... the benchmark game for GTA's greatness goes back to 1998. But since then another game has earned a 10/10 score from IGN. So what gives?

On second thought, the hell with the 10/10 scale. Read our stuff instead. Our embargo on GTA IV will break Sunday at 10 am, and then all the nitty gritty your hot little hands can hold will be yours. We'll deliver you a flood of content, and then some.

Still, until then, you'll need some surrogate commentary, and IGN's as good a place as any to start.

"A 10 doesn't mean a game is perfect — it means a game is pushing boundaries, expanding a genre, and doing many things to a level so far above and beyond its competitors that they overshadows any flaws."

Sounds like a winner — by any score — to me.

Grand Theft Auto Review [IGN]

Metal Gear Online at FilePlanet [FilePlanet - Thanks Abel!]

"The IGN and FilePlanet audience has consistently told us that Age of Conan is one of their most anticipated games of the year, and we are very pleased to partner with Funcom and Eidos on the Open Beta," says Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at IGN, Jamie Berger.

Heads Will Roll as Age of Conan Moves into Open Beta - Open Beta exclusively available through FilePlanet.com and partner IGN sites -

- 50,000 aspiring barbarians may enter Hyboria on May 1st -

DURHAM, N.C.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Funcom, Eidos and IGN are proud to announce that Open Beta for Age of Conan will start on May 1. The Open Beta will be hosted exclusively by IGN's popular game download site, FilePlanet.com, as well as being offered through partner IGN sites such as Gamespy.com, Tentonhammer.com and Warcry.com. The application pages at FilePlanet.com are now open for registrations, and gamers from across the world can sign up. As 50,000 gamers prepare their Hyborian assault, rivers of blood are about to flow, and it's exclusively available through FilePlanet and IGN partner sites.

"When we started development of Age of Conan four and a half years ago we truly wanted to move away from the standards of the MMO genre. We wanted to bring something new, exciting and fresh to the gamers," said Gaute Godager, Game Director on Age of Conan. "As we get ready to show everyone what Conan's savage world is all about, we need final stress testing. Teaming up with the Beta Masters at IGN was a perfect opportunity for us! We simply couldn't ask for a better partner for this crucial stage of our Beta."

"The IGN and FilePlanet audience has consistently told us that Age of Conan is one of their most anticipated games of the year, and we are very pleased to partner with Funcom and Eidos on the Open Beta," says Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at IGN, Jamie Berger. "The Funcom team has developed a truly unique, visceral gaming experience that players will have to see to believe."

Funcom would like to point out that the primary function of the Open Beta is to stress test Age of Conan prior to launch. This means that Funcom will not make the entire game available to the Open Beta testers, and a level 13 cap will be applied. The Beta experience will still give hours and hours of entertainment, and complete class and culture variety, while at the same time giving Funcom the needed focus for an Open Beta.

You are required to be a FilePlanet member in order to sign up for the Open Beta. Preloading of the client will start prior to the launch of the Open Beta, and applicants will receive more information should they receive a beta key. The Open Beta will start on the 1st of May at 1500 GMT / 0900 EDT.

Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received more than twenty-five covers on high-profile gaming magazines across the globe and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the official "Best Online Game" award at the Games Convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, and a showcase title for nVidia. The game is set to launch in several territories on May 20th, 2008.

For more information on Age of Conan - either in English, German, French or Spanish - visit the official website at www.ageofconan.com where you also can access the respective community websites.

Obviously, Gauntlet's addictive gameplay remains the same as the coin-op and its spinoffs, with upgraded enemies and AI. Graphics naturally are state of the art for the DS. But the real two-dot-oh for this Gauntlet, IGN reports, will be in the multiplayer, will full Wi-Fi support for linking up to three mates and the ability to talk to them over a mike. Everybody, all together now, "Elf needs food!"

Exclusive First Look at Gauntlet [IGN]

Iron Man: The Suit Makes the Man [IGN]

There are a lot of splendid jokes hitting the net today, a lot of bad ones too, but this wonderful Zelda the Movie trailer created by IGN has to take the cake. I for one am happy it's a prank, Link, a real Link, wearing that silly little green hat is the last thing I want to see in a movie theater.

Legend of Zelda Movie Trailer Premiere Your dreams realized. [IGN]

IGN.com Kicks Off 10-Year Anniversary With The Launch Of IGN Retro And Week-Long Editorial Retrospective

Leading Videogame Site Introduces New Channel and Daily Features Highlighting the Past Decade in Gaming

BRISBANE, CA — January 14, 2008 — IGN.com (http://www.ign.com), the Web's leading videogame and entertainment information destination, today announced the unveiling of its latest channel, IGN Retro, covering games and systems from the distant and not so distant past as IGN.com kick-offs a year-long celebration for its 10th anniversary. In addition, IGN will present a week-long retrospective of the past 10 years in gaming that will explore IGN.com's history, from the games and franchises over the past decade to the editors who reviewed them.

The launch of IGN Retro (http://www.retro.ign.com) represents IGN's first site dedicated to classic videogames. IGN Retro will cover gaming systems from the distant past - including the Atari 2600, Intellivision, Colecovision, and NES - as well as more recent platforms that aren't seeing active release schedules any longer such as the Dreamcast, GameCube and original Xbox systems.

"Having been with IGN.com since its inception, I am very proud of what the site has accomplished so far and very excited for the next 10 years," said Peer Schneider, Senior Vice President and Publisher, IGN Entertainment. "IGN.com has become the leader in providing users with the latest in videogame news and exclusives, and as the videogame industry continues to evolve, IGN.com will continue to be on the forefront of the industry."

In addition to the IGN Retro, starting today through Friday, January 18 on IGN.com, the site will feature variety of different editorial topics highlighting the evolution of videogames and IGN.com's role in covering the industry for the past 10 years. Editorial features include:

* Monday, January 14: "Press X: Ten Years in Gaming"

Examining the impact of the last 10 years in videogames

* Tuesday, January 15: "The Many Faces of IGN: Where Are They Now?"

An update on many of IGN.com's past editors

* Wednesday, January 16: "Classic IGN Video Moments "

A collection of cool and funny videos from throughout the years

* Thursday, January 17: "IGN.com Turns 10 Podcast"

Editors, past and present, come together to talk about the anniversary

* Friday, January 18: "IGN Video Documentary: The First 10 Years"

A three-part look at the decade of IGN.com with past and present editors

"As we hit the 10-year mark, it is important to take a look back at the moments in history that helped define IGN.com as an industry leader," said Roy Bahat, General Manager of IGN Entertainment. "It is with great pride that we celebrate this company milestone with the millions of IGN.com users who have been with us since the beginning."

January 12th, 1998 marks the official start of IGN as a branded Web site, and is the day N64.com officially changed its name to IGN64.com. Ten years later, IGN.com is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. It is the Web's number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet.

VGMWatch tonight decided to spill the not-so-breaking news that Matt Casamassina, long-time editor-in-chief of the IGN Nintendo Team, is married to Edie Kissko. This is, in these times of games journalism head-scratching, a bit interesting. Kissko is the vice president of Golin Harris, which also happens to be Nintendo's PR firm.

Neither Casamassina nor Golin Harris have commented on the article, but Casamassina's long-time marriage to Kissko isn't exactly a secret. While his readers might not be aware of it, most in the journalism community and certainly the readers at Neo-Gaf are.

I don't doubt Casamassina's desire to keep his personal and work lives separate, but the problem with conflict of interest is that it's not always about the reality of the situation, but also about appearances.

Both IGN and Golin Harris were contacted for comment, neither have yet responded. We will update this post when and if they do.

IGN Editor Married to Nintendo PR Executive

Update: Golin Harris has responded:
"All GolinHarris employees who work on the Nintendo account sign and adhere to a strict confidentiality agreement."

Update 2: Matt has responded:
"While I would prefer to keep my wife and kids out of the public spotlight, the fact that Edie and I have been happily married for several years is no secret. Nintendo and IGN / FOX have been aware of our relationship since we first started dating. We're professionals. Both of us have signed strict confidentiality agreements with our respective employers and, incidentally, we leave what happens on the job at our home's front door.

The original article makes the suggestion that my marriage to Edie violates the trust of IGN's dedicated readership, but I think my body of work speaks for itself. Over the years, I have remained one of Nintendo's biggest fans and harshest critics and have also developed hundreds of reliable of sources within the industry, none of them Edie."

"I can confirm as we originally said at the announcement of the WiiWare service earlier in the year that WiiWare games will come in a range of sizes but we will encourage smaller, more compact games for the service," a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer today.

Nintendo refutes WiiWare size cap [Eurogamer]

Jessica Chobot, whose PSP licking antics here on Kotaku lead to a writing gig on RedAssedBaboon and then a hosting gig on IGN, is getting her very own set of anime-styled action figures.

Apparently the folks at Southern Island were so enamored with the real Chobot when they met her at Comic Con, they decided they needed to make a couple of little statues of her. Each of the statues, designed by Kerry Shyver, will be sold as limited edition 500-piece runs. The foot-high statues will be hand numbered, but will not feature any licking... instead she will be nibbling on a 360 controller.

Fahey, another RAB alum, thinks they should drop the whole sexy writer angle and focus on a Fahey action figure, one that you can order but never actually ships because it keeps missing its flights.

You Can't Own My Soul, But You Can Own My Body...All 12 Inches Of It! Chobot Collectible Figurines!

Hearst today announced that they have finalized a two-year deal to buy UGO Networks outright. While the details of the deal were not released, Forbes estimates the deal to "be in the neighborhood of $100 million."

No word yet on what Hearst plans to do with the internet info network, but they sound genuinely jazzed:

With this acquisition, Hearst will gain, according to Ganzi, "one of the most popular men's lifestyle brands on the Web. UGO.com, the flagship Web site, is a first-stop destination for the latest news and content on games, movies, television, film, DVDs, music, sports, women and comic books." With an audience of over 11 million unique visitors in the U.S. and nearly 28 million worldwide, UGO reaches one in 10 online users in the highly coveted male 18-to-34-year-old demographic. UGO is entirely supported by advertising revenue and specializes in effective and customized advertising for blue-chip brands.

I can't help but wonder if Hearst thinks they bought IGN.

Hearst Corporation to Acquire UGO Networks [Business Wire]