Xbox.com says it's 3000 Microsoft Points, and that it's available for Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, North America, Singapore and Taiwan. So...everywhere except Europe, basically. Or Japan.

This is just the kind of game that's a good fit for the service: relatively recent, quite enjoyable, but sadly overlooked by many people (who can now give it a second look).

As of posting, the band's website reads:

We may not like playing video games all that much but we do like it when our music is featured on them! Makes us a bit proud even when it's a game as big as Saints Row for the PSP and even prouder when the nice developer people show excellent taste by picking "The Lotus Eater" for it. So if you love playing video games: the game is expected to hit the streets around March 2010.

If you are not getting your Saints Row game news from Scandinavian metal bands, you are probably getting it from somewhere else.

We are contacting THQ and will update if we hear anything.

The Lotus Eater on Sony PSP game Saints Row [Opeth via VG247]

Due on May 28, it'll introduce a new set of missions where you have to take on the Ultor Corporation, along with other stuff like new weapons, multiplayer maps and vehicles.

360 owners will be paying 560 MS Points, PS3 owners will be paying 7 Real World Dollars.

And decided to recreate the drunken, naked rampage in Saints Row 2 by whipping up a custom-made Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (comparison images here — namely arrest photos). Click through the gallery below and see ding-dong free images of Tsuyoshi going bananas. Sorry, it's just not possible to render Tsuyoshi's SMAP.

This, of course, reminds us of the time Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and his mustache appeared in Saints Rows. See, Saints Row is good for something!

SMAP草なぎ君の勇姿を「セインツ・ロウ2」で完全再現！ [はちま起稿]

The first is called "Ultor Exposed", and will be out on April 16. It will include three new missions, a new co-op game mode where you score points for carnage, and a few new maps, vehicles and weapons.

As for the other two pieces of DLC, there's no details at this point.

Ultor will be 800 MS Points/USD$10. Which, in the wake of Lost & Damned's smorgasbord of content, seems awfully steep.

Saints Row getting three DLC packs [Eurogamer]

Answering a question about the possibility of his own games becoming films, 50 Cent explained that he had other movie plans in store before he could work on bringing Blood on the Sand to the big screen.

With my relationship with THQ, they'll actually see me develop Saint's Row into an actual screeplay and into a film project. I'm optioning the rights for that right now, so they'll see that before they see me do it from my own perspective for my game.

No word on what Fiddy's involvement in the movie would be other than simply producing it, but I have faith that he'll be able to come up with a suitable cast of gangbangers once the time comes.

We’ve already started work on Saints Row 3, and we have a new direction we want to go in with that which we of course can’t talk about. We wrap up a lot in this one. There’s no frustration.

A 19th-century London take on the genre, perhaps?

Dan Sutton on Saints Row 2 [Play]

In Saints Row 1 we got about half way through the process and then we realised that we just couldn't get our heads around Cell. It's just really complicated and I'm sure you noticed other games like Stranglehold push their dates up.

A sad, if familiar tale. But that begs the question: what about Saints Row 2? Don't lose any sleep over it, PS3 owners. Sutton goes on to say that thanks to increased assistance from Sony with some of the trickier aspects of the Cell, Saints Row 2 is coming along just nicely.

Saints Row dev couldn't get its head around Cell [CVG]

Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said that going toe-to-toe with GTA IV on content is "an unusually pompous position... considering GTA IV is estimated to be the highest grossing 1st week entertainment release of all time."

Hickey also nodded to GTA IV's Metacritic-leading score, and maintained his "conservative" estimate for Saints Row 2 sales, "in light of mediocre game previews and a delayed release in-part from quality concerns."

In general, it seems a bit of a risky strategy for any title to compare itself, even jokingly, to a sales record-smasher like GTA IV. When I spoke to THQ during their preview event, though, a rep told me the aim was to show what was different about Saints Row, not necessarily to make superiority claims.

Hickey: Saint's Row 2 'Pompous' To Attack GTA IV [Gamasutra]

The first thing I checked out was the character customization which was quite rich, aside from the absence of nipples on the male characters. You can take your gang banger from ripped hardbody to overweight and flabby in a matter of seconds. I was actually pretty impressed by the fat character models which were nicely detailed, rather than just looking like a big balloon. Volition also added the ability to create a female character if you so desire, though as they were wearing bras, I couldn't tell you if they had nipples or not.

Another new customization feature was a series of taunts and compliments that can be done by your avatar, prompting appropriate reactions from non-player characters. And yet even more customization can be had through decorating your gang's crib, featuring a ton of new items like pool tables and even a pole dancing stripper.

Once we got into the nitty gritty of actual gameplay, even more changes were revealed. A new over the shoulder view allows those of us who are disabled in the ways of first person shooters to get a better handle on the game. One new weapon feature was a remote sticky bomb that can be placed anywhere, then detonated whenever you see fit. Just make sure you're far enough away or you may find yourself blown up along with everything else.

Probably the most gruesome and yet hilarious new mechanic was the ability to use a human shield. Any NPC can be grabbed and held in front of you to take the gunfire intended for you. When you are done with them, you can simply toss their limp corpse through a plate glass window. You know, just for grins.

A new mini-game type deal was also present, allowing you to hop in a helicopter and fly around the city blowing up cars. It seemed pretty cool, although I really only got a glimpse of that particular mechanic. The game also includes a co-op mode that will allow you and a friend to play the game as a team from start to finish.

During my brief time with Saints Row 2 I was really impressed with the graphics and the control scheme. The aforementioned over the shoulder view made the shooting an easier time for me and much more enjoyable. If you were a fan of the original title, there will certainly be a lot of new content for you to discover and enjoy.

And of course, the inclusion of a pole dancing stripper is always going to put any game at the top of your list. Or it should anyway. I just wish she looked like Elizabeth Berkeley.

It's not Donovan's fault that things are weird. Someone has painstakingly setup a small table filled with various drinks and snacks that, as Donovan explains, "aren't there everyday."

Things are weird because I have an absurd headache on top of an even more absurd head cold making me a complete bitch to talk to. Donovan breaks the silence again.

"I saw you ran that quote." What quote? Oh, right, where he said that Saint's Row 2 would have bugs.

"Yeah, the internet just went crazy on that one," I respond.

"95% of gamers aren't even going to come across them," he assured me.

Tsai arrived moments later, and we loaded up Saint's Row 2. Donovan had to be at least a little relieved.

Saint's Row 2 takes place an unspecified number of years after Saint's Row 1 (though ironically, the development of Saint's Row 2 began with a small team of people before Saint's Row 1 was even out).

Your friends have betrayed you, and you'll have to start building the Saints from scratch. Tsai explains, "The player comes back, he's pissed, and he does some nasty things...you are definitely a criminal this time around."

Unfortunately, you choose to wear purple once again.

Starting with the character creation screen, I immediately see that SR1's robust character customization engine has gotten some major upgrades. To start, your model looks better, a Calvin Cline underwear ad adorning shader-chiseled muscles.

While players will still not be able to face map with the LIVE camera, the seemingly endless sliders should make up for it. I particularly enjoyed watching models be subjected to the age slider. Let's just say moobs become moooobs.

Apparently Lead Designer Tsai is a huge fan of wrestling games. And the influence is undeniable as you look through various animations that you can now assign your character. Everything from the style of gait to combat techniques, players will find more movements unlocked as they play. But the animations are a lot more than just a bonus for completion—they really signify SR2.

Open up the taunts, for instance. Your character can flip someone the bird. They can do the famous throat cut. Or, in a turn to the absurd, they can squat down on someone and gesture defecation complete with butt waggling.

Donovan explains, "We gave up any pretense of being authentically hip hop."

Everything is streamlined for fun. While SR2 will feature a compelling story with a near feature-length set of cut scenes, players can make the choice constantly to have a serious or outright zany experience. Create a hard-nosed gangster or create a computer geek with a pot belly. No one's gonna judge you.

They take me through the example mission and I see one of the new area expansions to the game's 1.5x larger city. You are in a dusty, almost wild west world. It's a trailer park, and you're here to blow it up. Running into one of the 130 new internal environments, you grab some satchel charges (essentially sticky grenades that can be remotely detonated).

Heading around outside, Tsai dropped bombs in dramatic sequence, blowing up trailers one after another. He spoiled an otherwise impressive street of open world AI and animation at its finest, in which I'd seen a jogger tie their shoe, a power walker anally strut past, an old man hobbling slowly and one guy lounged out on a beach chair (who I was assured would get up and go about his day if we'd watched him long enough.)

But Tsai wasn't content with spoiling a good day. He's played the mission before. So he opts to throw a satchel charge onto a jogger instead of the next trailer. It seems like a normal enough decision as it sticks to the side of her head like a lopsided cubic afro. Then he throws another and another. Now the jogger is having a tough time jogging. Finally, Tsai steps back and blows her up with a massive explosion. She shoots 50 feet into the air...then he hits the trigger again...and again, "juggling" the innocent in mid air.

I could act mature about the situation now, but I chuckled.

The neat thing about this sort of debauchery is that Saint's Row 2 will reward you for it. Called "diversions," these mini achievements are built for fucking around and will earn you "respect" that's usable in the storyline. "Chances are, if you try it, it's been done," Donovan assures me, meaning that the game will acknowledge any feat you throw at it. And it's an idea that's long overdue in a genre in which gameplay so often...digresses.

But what I didn't get a chance to see was the game's co-op. The full campaign supports two players ala Crackdown. Oh, and those "diversions" we talked about above? They will include co-op combos, as well as the rare moment when you might actually try to harm your friend in crime with a submachine gun.

"It will be a lot of fun," said Tsai. "In Crackdown, players sort of had this static objectives...in SR2 our missions are a lot more complex, we're actually forcing more interaction."

I ask him why we've seen co-op games explode in the last few years.

Tsai laughs and lets me in on his personal theory. "All the guys like you and me who grew up playing...Contra, Ikari Warriors, Jackal...have disposable income." He's probably right.

After talking to Donovan and Tsai and seeing the game, those still bent on fueling some war between GTAIV and Saint's Row 2 need to realize something...in what is maybe the crudest analogy I've ever put to print.

Rockstar is like Hugh Hefner. They create a product that hides behind (what is often) a facade of high artistic vision. Volition is more like Larry Flynt, not shying away from what they purport the audience is really looking for—the gynecologically precise experience of juggling a woman in mid-air with properly timed sticky bomb explosions—fulfilling your deepest id impulses, spread eagle on your monitor.

"They're gonna do what they're gonna do," Donovan said. "That's actually a good thing for players."

It won't be bug free. I don't think any game is. But part of what we did was to start development early on. Our development schedule is all about getting the gameplay in and even though this (version of the game shown to press) is pre-alpha, we're all about iterating the gameplay now.

Speaking of cameos, the latest episode of ABC legal drama Boston Legal featured a brief guest appearance by THQ and Volition's Saints Row. A portly William Shatner as chronic nutjob Denny Crane is seen getting his virtual hooker on, probably at the behest of some nerdy writer on the show's staff. Either that or a production assistant was tasked with getting "one of the Grand Thefts for the Nintendo PlayStation so Mr. Shatner can keep busy between takes." Surely, THQ didn't pay for this kind of product placement. I hope.

Thanks for the tip, Greg!

Announcing Blazing Lizard

Savoy, IL, August 7, 2007 - Industry veterans announce the formation of Blazing Lizard, Inc, a new game development studio dedicated to producing high quality and compelling console downloadable games for all ages and demographics.

The core development team is lead by Sandeep Shekar, Jiovanie Velazquez, and Christopher Stockman and has a combined industry experience of over 30 years. The team was most recently at Volition, Inc where Jiovanie served as Studio Artist Manager leading the growth and managing the careers of the studio's art department. Chris and Sandeep, most recently, lead the design team for the critically acclaimed, million-selling Saints Row for the Xbox 360. Saints Row has gone on to receive numerous nominations for 2006 Action / Adventure Game of the Year and won 2006 Sandbox Game of the Year from Official Xbox Magazine.

The Blazing Lizard team has played leadership roles on many other games including the million-selling Red Faction series, Summoner series, The Punisher, Freespace, and Elite Force 2.

Blazing Lizard's first game, an original IP for unspecified platforms, will be announced on August 13, 2007.

ABOUT BLAZING LIZARD, INC.

Formed in early 2007, Blazing Lizard's goal is to create high quality, compelling console downloadable games for all platforms. Their first game, an original IP for unspecified platforms, is poised to take the fledgling console downloadable genre by storm and will be unveiled on August 13, 2007.

Bring on the guys in wife-beaters and in Yankees caps! A Saints Row party was held in Shibuya's Club Unit, complete with hip-hop DJs. The club had a playable demo kiosks, but the real head turner was the Hummer Saints Row limo. While the Hummer seems relatively popular for rich Japanese who love impractical cars, there are only a handful of the limo versions. Side note: in my old apartment building, one of the tenants had a hummer. Dude would spent at least 15 minutes everyday squeezing that truck out of the cramped parking lot. Brian Ashcraft

Famitsu writes "Satins Row", "Saitns Row" and "Satints Row" [Famitsu]

Over a game site Next Generation, Tim Rogers has the rundown of this week's Famitsu scores. For the unfamiliar, magazine Famitsu has four editors rate games on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best. Here are the noteworthy mentions:

• Saints Row: 9, 8, 8, 9 Comments include "Gives the player a good sense of freedom" and "It's like GTA, with awesome graphics!"
• Folkssoul AKA (Folk Lore): 8, 9, 8, 8 Comments include that the game handles atmosphere and game play excellently.
• Shadowrun: 7, 7, 7, 7 Comments include "Sense of cooperation in the online mode is excellent".

This Week In Japan [Next-Gen]

Quick, which is worst: Cannabis or video games? Last fall, Twenty year-old Dominic Anderson did his best to prove both The Daily Mail reports. After drinking alcohol, smoking skunk cannabis and playing Saints Row for the Xbox 360, he slit his wrists with a 12 inch carving knife and tried to stab himself through the chest. At 11pm, he then left his house and began jumping onto moving cars. For added craziness, he even threatened bystanders with the knife. Police arrived on the scene, causing Anderson to flee. To disarm Anderson, they hit him repeatedly with batons. He received dozens of stitches in each wrist, suffered from internal bleeding and was placed in intensive care for a week. Says drugs intelligence officer Detective Constable Steve Kelly:

In the computer game [Saints Row], there are instances where you play a person who jumps on top of cars and tries to steal them by pulling the drivers out of them... There's obviously a shocking similarity between the game and the way Anderson behaved, jumping on cars and trying the door handles... His actions were one and the same as those in the video game... People who take skunk cannabis should be mindful that it is much stronger and they can experience very different effects from it.

Anderson received a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service. So remember kids, alcohol, drugs, gaming and sharp objects are a recipe for disaster. Brian Ashcraft

Drugs and Buggy Saints Row [The Daily Mail via Xbox 360 Rally Thanks, James!]

Why the cancellation? According to Gamespot's report, THQ CEO Brian Farrell told analysts:

We think the most important thing for the Saints Row franchise is to have a simultaneous ship into a larger installed base next year. We think the bigger opportunity is a multiplatform launch.

In other words, there aren't enough PS3s out there to make it worth their while. Okay, now make with the "I didn't want it anyway" or "PS3 is doomed" comments. I'll tally 'em up later. Michael McWhertor

Saints Row 2 rollin' onto PS3, 360 in '08 [Gamespot]