Accessories4Technology, the creator of the ad (and the accessories series mentioned in it) told Negative Gamer that it was all "a mistake on our part." License manager Angela Jones told the site that she wasn't sure how the error was made but, to her company's knowledge, Sony isn't working on a new version of the handheld.

Negative Gamer adds that Sony's response to the issue remains the standard no-comment for rumor and speculation, but I can't say that policy indicates anything other than what this is, an advertiser mistake.

PSP-4000 Advert was 'Mistake' [Negative Gamer]

According to audio of the event, Faliszek said:

If you're reading in the forums and you're reading about the "Miracle" DLC or whatever, that's test code. To get tested through Microsoft certification we had to do test scenarios with DLC. We haven't actually come out internally with what we're going to do yet.

The pick-apart of the Left 4 Dead 2 demo also revealed references to the original survivors. While Faliszek didn't mention that when he explained the DLC file names, earlier in the talk he did say "They're not dead, so we'll see what happens with that. They're not undead either."

Big thanks to Owen D-J, Stewart M and David S for the tip on this.

EG Expo 2009: Valve's Chet Faliszek [Eurogamer]

Prey's World Gaming Magazine spoke to Livingstone at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, and he shot down the rumor.

This is the first I've heard about it. Hitman always has been and always will be IO Interactive's baby, which it still continues to be so. Rocksteady are not involved with the development of Hitman 5.

Sounds pretty definitive. Speculation had it that the actor was simply working through Rocksteady's studio, located in London, rather than go all the way to IO Interactive in Denmark. But "not involved" means what it says, and at any rate, we can expect that IO Interactive is in charge of the scene.

Ian Livingstone Says No to Rocksteady Hitman 5 Rumour [Prey's World Gaming Magazine via Blue's News]

IGN points to a site called Beantown Games, explaining that "there were plenty of details that appeared to be pulled from an upcoming press release", along with a box shot and details on a limited edition of the game, complete with gold lancer. There are indeed plenty of details, but taking any block of text from said details and putting them into Google search reveals that they are the exact same details from the Xbox 360 press release, word for word, except for a few spots where they replaced "Xbox Live" with "Games for Windows Live". Whoever changed the text even missed some, as shown in the line "Taking full advantage of the Xbox LIVE service, which boasts 10 million gamers".

And then there's the fact that the retail codes are all for The Golden Compass.

Yes, the UPC code, MPN number, and ASIN identifier all point to Sega's PC version of The Golden Compass, based on the theatrical version of the book, which did indeed feature a war, but instead of gears, we have bears. Bears of war.

Finally, the box art itself is the exact same artwork released early on for the Xbox 360 version, complete with "ARTWORK NOT FINAL" on the bottom. The image doesn't jive with the standard dimensions for PC box art either, leading me to believe that it is a Photoshop job.

We've contacted Microsoft, Epic, and Beantown Games for comment on the listing, but have yet to hear back from any of the three. Microsoft has already commented to IGN that there are still no plans to bring the game to the PC, and we know how Cliff feels about a PC version already.

Update: Microsoft got back to us with the expected response. "Gears of War" is a great franchise first and foremost for Xbox 360, and therefore we're focusing on that platform for "Gears of War 2." We have decided to not create a PC version of "Gears of War 2."

Gears of War 2 PC Rumors [IGN via Big Download]

G4TV has reported that Mitchell, via Twitter, taunted rival Steve Wiebe after his unsuccessful attempts this past week to claim the Donkey Kong world mark that Mitchell holds. "The day after #Wiebe could not pull it off feels even better. His three pathetic attempts at breaking MY world record were almost honorable," said one.

We talked to Mitchell, and he categorically denies it.

"Not to break anybody's heart, but I don't go on forums, I don't do this sort of thing," said Mitchell, whose reputation as the bad guy in "The King of Kong" has led to a bunch of forged comments forum posts about him, his hair, ties, and hot sauce empire. "You're talking about one needle in a large haystack (of forgeries)," he said.

Mitchell intends to contact Twitter and have the fake Billy Mitchell account removed. For those who are skeptical, and whatever you think of him, take a look at the posts. Only one predates E3, and one misspells the name of Mitchell's hot sauce brand, an error I doubt the man would make.

Admirable, but rumors swirled that Reeves was repaying society by taking a "senior position" at Crackdown developers Realtime Worlds.

Realtime wha? says Reeves. "I'd never ever heard of Realtime Worlds until someone asked me about them a couple of days ago," Reeves told industry site Develop. "I can honestly say no, that rumour is not true." And we can honestly say as head of Sony Entertainment Europe, David Reeves should know major European third party devs.

The listing in question was spotted on the website of British retailer HMV. As you can see right here, it says "Grand Theft Auto (Gta): San Andreas Stories", and there's a tiny picture of some box art for the game.

But look closely at the box art. It's recycling art from the cover of the original San Andreas, something Rockstar never do when it comes to the handheld versions of their GTA game worlds. And if you're still not convinced that makes the listing bogus, click the little tab on the website that takes you to "description".

There you'll see the listing was in fact created in HMV's system in 2007. And you'll also see HMV's staff writing:

With San Andreas the only city in the GTA universe yet receive the Stories treatment, we wouldn't be surprised if Rockstar eventually end up bringing out 'San Andreas Stories' on PSP and/or PS2. There's no word from the developers about the game at this stage, but if you sign up by clicking the above link, we'll get in touch with you the second that the game is available to pre-order. If it ever does come out, that is.

Doesn't mean a San Andreas PSP game won't ever come out, just...this isn't it. Not this, not now. Nothing to see here, people, move along, move along!

action / adventure games coming soon [HMV]

It's totally fake. Below is the index for the upcoming issue of Famitsu — the same one that supposedly announces Tales of Vesperia for the PS3.

There are no articles about Tales of Vesperia, let alone Tales of Vesperia on the PS3. That's not to say ToV will never come to the PS3 (never is a long time), but there's nothing on the game according to this issue of Famitsu.

Thanks Muu for the tip!

We checked in with the Rockstar folks this week to check out the first downloadable episode, The Lost and Damned, which is due to hit the Xbox 360 next month. A second episode for Grand Theft Auto IV owners is planned to arrive before October 31, 2009, according to parent company Take-Two Interactive, But there is "no truth" to reports that a wholly new retail game, one on par with the scope of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, will arrive before the holidays.

And as for the chances of the next Grand Theft Auto game taking place in Tokyo, as speculated by Game Informer's regular rumor column? Consider that little more than a wild guess.

Further requests for clarification on the subject went unanswered.

So, don't be surprised if the first two downloadable episodes already confirmed for Grand Theft Auto IV are just two of many. Rockstar vice president Dan Houser recently said to USA Today "We feel like we've only scratched the surface in terms of the depth and detail" of Liberty City.

Rockstar's VP of product development, Jeronimo Barrera, has called the episodes an "experiment." If successful, it could mean an extended stay in Liberty City before finding a new home for the series.

Check back with us next week when we reveal more about the first downloadable episode.

While much of EGM’s ‘Rumor Mill’ contents end up being accurate, in this case the report is incorrect.

We have never announced that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers has been cancelled and have every intention of releasing it. There may be some concerns as a firm ship date has not been set but rest assured there will be an announcement once we finalize the date internally.

Although there are many Square Enix related rumors out there that we do not comment on, due to the feedback from the readers, we felt it was necessary to provide a statement to alleviate the worries of those who are looking forward to the game. The fan base that the Final Fantasy series has is appreciated by everyone at Square Enix (not only the developers) so we hope this statement will prevent any further spreading of the rumor.

We apologize for any unnecessary distress this rumor may have caused and hope the fans of the series can again look forward to the upcoming release of Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers.”

Exclusive: Square-Enix comments on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers - ‘(We) have every intention of releasing it’ [Go Nintendo]

Just saw your story on the LMNO rumor and wanted to let you know the game is still in development at EALA under the creative leadership of Doug Church and Lou Castle.

The rumor is incorrect.

For those of you not up on your alphabet games, LMNO is said to be an ultra-realistic title that was once described by N’Gai Croal as “North by Northwest meets ET… if ET were female, grown up and hot.”

You don't play as the girl, however. You're an ex-secret agent, and the bond that you forge while on the run with the computer-controlled woman—good, bad, indifferent—determines the nature of her special abilities and the ways in which she'll assist you. Says Spielberg: "The challenge is, can the game have an emotional impact on players while they are actively manipulating the world?" Based on the clever ways in which he and EA are extracting a genuine performance from their digital Eve—complete with eyes that widen, lips that curl and translucent skin that lights up in different colors to express her quicksilver moods—we think Spielberg's got yet another hit on his hands.

Good to know that's still in the works.

First, Electronic Arts is not buying Epic Games, OK? Doesn't matter that EA has tons of money and someone else with a lot of time on his hands has good ideas for what to do with it. "Rubbish," says Epic Vice President Mark Rein, a guy who's in position to actually know something substantive about this.

Then everyone jumped on the bandwagon of a rumor that Sega was breaking back into the handheld market. That's not true either. Well, not exactly. The "Sega Vision" isn't a PSP competitor, unless Java games have gotten way more sophisticated, because that's it's only game functionality. Unofficial RPG Site ran down the Sega rumor with, of course, Sega itself. While it's not a fake, "it is not intended as a re-entry to the gaming hardware market or a rival to Sony or Nintendo's systems," said a spokesman.

"Sega is committed to remaining a software third party in the videogames industry," the spokesman continued, "but also has several non-games products in the market. The Vision is primarily an MP4 video player with some basic games functionality, and not a new handheld gaming machine."

Best part? "Further investigation on our part finds the Sega Vision isn't actually a Sega-developed device at all, and in fact a cheap Chinese iPod-style alternative, rebranded with the name of the fallen hardware company."

So there you go. You didn't hear this stuff here first, for a reason. By the way the source of this EA-Epic rumor was the same site behind last week's Xbox 360 slim horseshit, shot down by Major Nelson himself. One's own personal speculation is fine — it helps if it's informed, of course — but it should always be clearly labeled as speculation.

EA Buying Epic? "Rubbish" Says Rein [Videogaming247]
SEGA Vision is "Real," Not a PSP Rival [Unofficial RPG Site]

The memo, seen above, appears to suggest that this particular, model I suppose, of the Xbox 360 was once codenamed Xbox Xbox Lean or Xbox Granite and that the final name should be Xbox Pure.

I'm also intrigued by the comment that "metal plates" have been disregarded. Judging by the codenames and final name, it seems to suggest that this would be a stripped down version of the Xbox 360. Could this be Microsoft's answer to Sony's slim line of consoles? Are we soon going to be seeing a new, thin 360 with only disc-based game support and no harddrive? I'm sure, if this rumor is true, we will be finding out in the next month.

XBOX's New Name? [Cheap Ass Gamer]

UPDATE: It appears that this rumor story could be CAG throwing their credibility out the window as part of a contest. Kotaku''s decision to run rumors is always based on the credibility of the site and the information contained within it. In the past CAG has proven to be a reliable site, having broken a number of stories through apt reporting. It appears that may no longer be the case.

While the idea seems crazy at first blush Valve's Doug Lombardi has said they're willing to be bought. So we checked in with Lombardi himself this morning and he put our minds at ease, telling us it is purely a rumor, a bit of fiction.

With Google out of the picture, I guess the real question is who exactly would Valve like to buy them.

Google Entering Game Industry Through Valve?

Since there's not an article on the game, let's check out Famitsu release calendar.

This section shows what games are coming out this December (12月 in Japanese). Do you see 白騎士物語? We don't. What about a game coming out on December 11th? Nothing!

Let's take a gander at the section that show game releases marked "TBA" or 発売日未定.

Ah! Look, there White Knight Story (白騎士物語). No release date and no price for this game. We're not saying it isn't coming out on December 11th — we're saying that this issue of Famitsu, which was rumored to dated the game, does not say when it's coming out. So, until there's something official announced, consider this game "TBA" and this Famitsu rumor smashed.

The Microsoft Vista promotion referring to TGS took place in 2007, and is old news - we've had the winner over for taking the pictures already.

Sorry for the confusion and possible disappointment, but this was not an annoucement that Wake would be shown at TGS 2008. Remedy's team is just getting back from a bit of holiday and we haven't had time to chat with Microsoft on upcoming shows/showings yet.

Oh. Question: Then why didn't we see it at E3?

How far has Remedy comed on Alan Wake [Alan Wake via VG247]

After several days, today I could shoot a prototype hard drive for the Wii. According to what we've been seeing these days, work is well underway and I think it could be submitted on July 15 at the Kodak Theatre.
I would like to have one to experiment ^_^

But this "prototype" is fake. Like, really, really, really fake. Hilariously so. Okay, let's say that Nintendo actually did put stickers on prototypes that read "Confidential Property of Nintendo". Hey, maybe they do! See that picture of the label? It's kind of hard to make out the Japanese, but there is Japanese. And Nintendo is a Japanese company. As a Japanese company, Nintendo does know how to use the Japanese language correctly. The person who made that sticker does not. At all. So let's look at where this "prototype hard drive" exposes itself as a big, fat faker. That, after the jump.

The top of the label reads:

特定の販売の禁止。これは従来のハードドライブのディスクではない、ハンドルを慎重にします。

Which makes little to no sense whatsoever in Japanese. You know when you see funny English with funny grammar written by Japanese people? This is the EXACT SAME in reverse. Right up there, that translates as (grammatical errors intentional) "Prohibited to be selling of specified. This is not prior art hard drive disk, we will treat steering wheel carefully!" As game localizer and author Matt Alt points out, the person who made this probably typed "Please Handle With Care" in a machine translator and got something about being nice to a steering wheel. See, the word "handle" in Japanese is "steering wheel" and a machine translator doesn't know the difference! If that wasn't enough, the label's bottom reads:

このモデルのみで使用RVT−R１！

Love the exclamation point. Even better, love what that translates to: "RVT-R1 that we use only this model!" Once again, grammatical errors intentional.

Robert334's photostream [Flickr]

According to Valve's marketing director Doug Lombardi Half-Life 2: Episode Three won't be making an appearance at E3 this year, with the listing chalked up to a "misprint (or something)." We would assume that if Valve is showcasing anything at E3 this year, it will be Left 4 Dead which is planned for a November 4 release.

GayGamer notes that Svensson doesn't say which assertion is false — an offer of cash, or Capcom accepting — but "multiplatform release," means what it says, and thats moot. Also doesn't knock down the "big things" rumor about E3 but then, saying big things will be announced at that show is like saying a boxing match will feature people hitting each other in the face real hard.

Any Word if This is True or Not? [Capcom Unity, via GayGamer]