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  Team Fortress 2 Scout Update Just Around The Corner

  A post on the sporadically updated official Team Fortress 2 blog reveals that the gameplay update for the Scout class is only a few short patches away from hitting the servers. Valve’s Robin Walker explains that the coding team has already moved on to the next class update, with only the final art needed to…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2009
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  The Guns, Beauty and Cities Of Final Fantasy XIII

  Here are a collection of still shots from the newly released Final Fantasy XIII trailer, giving you a closer look at some of the characters and enemies featured in the video. You’d easily miss some of the more gorgeous moments in the action-packed trailer, so we’re capturing still shots faster than you can say pause…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2009
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  Final Fantasy Countdown Reveals…

  ….a brand new trailer for Final Fantasy XIII! After a brief scare with a resetting countdown clock, the Final Fantasy XIII website now correctly features the new trailer for FFXIII. When the

  By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2009
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  Edge Guesstimates The US and UK’s Top Selling Video Games of 08

  The Edge put together an intriguing list of top video game sales that looks at the combined totals of the US and the UK. Since all retail sales number are really just estimates, including NPD and Chart-Track, Edge’s analysis seems pretty dead on to me. They used both NPD and Chart-Track and then combines platform…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 28, 2009
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  The ESA Spent $4.2M Lobbying for $22B Industry Last Year

  The Entertainment Software Association spent a record $4.2 million on federal lobbying in 2008, Gamasutra reports this morning. In the fourth quarter alone the industry trade group spent $1,1 million. The money was spent in lobbying efforts of both chambers of Congress on broadband development, online gaming and immigration issues. While that’s a 25.6 percent…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 28, 2009
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  Hands Inside The SFIV Tournament Edition FightStick

  Yesterday I wrote up my review of Mad Catz’ Street Fighter IV Tournament Edition FightStick. If you’re interested in seeing what this controller, and its Sanwa parts, look like on the inside check out this video. After shooting the video, I did a bit more research and discovered that I was right about the Sanwa…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 28, 2009
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  Pop-Up Books Rule

  To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: Oh, The Games We Play Reversible shirts sound awesome. Sign me up. A huge package came from my parents in Texas today. Recently, Mini-Bash has said he wants me to read new English books to him before bedtime. He’s sick of Cat In The Hat and Curious George! Asked my…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2009
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  SEGA Arcade Game Trades Joysticks For Blocks [Update]

  Forget joysticks! SEGA’s making a block controlled arcade game called Block Pipo. It a co-op game that has players use blocks to control the on-screen characters. Cabinets can also be linked for some head-to-head action. Block Pipo is expected to be out this summer in Japan. Update: Arcade Heroes let us know that SEGA demonstrated…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2009
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  Play Mirror’s Edge In Third-Person

  I adore Mirror’s Edge. Others, though, are less kind to the game. Think it’s too short, think it’s controls are a mess. Well, if you think the latter, would some third-person controls help? gamezine have found a way to install/reinstate a feature (by means of some code work, so it’s PC ONLY) missing from the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 28, 2009
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  Some Euro Developer Is Down On PSP

  The PSP does big business in Japan. Outside of Japan? Not as big. Hence, why some folks get down on the portable. Here’s the latest gloomy PSP chatter. Laurent Benadiba, CEO of Lyon-based dev Smack Down Productions, worked on a canned PSP title that never saw the light of day. “I worked for two years…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2009
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  The Glory Of Sam & Max Vinyl Statues

  Sure, you’ve seen game toys before. Gears, Halo, King of Fighters, Street Fighter. But have you seen anything as beautiful as this Sam & Max statue? You say yes, you’re a liar. Limited to 1000 pieces worldwide, it costs $75, and looks to be worth every penny/pound/euro/whatever. It’s by Symbiote Studios, and in addition to…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 28, 2009
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  Is SFIIHD Really Delayed In Europe Thanks To “Faults & Problems”?

  You may have read a few reports this morning concerning the fate of Street Fighter II HD Remix in Europe, and how it has been delayed due to “faults and other problems”. But…has it really? The original report claimed that the game was stuck in testing at SCEE, and had to be “redone” thanks to…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 28, 2009
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  You’re Running Out Of Excuses To Not Buy A Korg DS-10

  The Korg DS-10 synthesiser, for all its inherent brilliance, hasn’t been widely available in the US. That’s about to change. Mega-retailer GameStop will soon be stocking the program, and are now accepting preorders. They’ll start selling it on February 9, and what’s more, will be selling it for only $30, a saving of 50% off…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 28, 2009
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  Former Sony Boss Says Nice Things About Nintendo

  Nobuyuki Idei helmed Sony from 1999 to 2005. He was named one of the “Worst Managers of 2005” by Business Week. (Congrats!) But today, he’s not talking about that, but Nintendo. In a Financial Times piece about consolation in the electronics industry, Idei gave high marks to the Nintendo Wii and its motion controls for…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2009
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  Thousands Of Jobs Lost, Very Quietly, At IBM

  An estimated 4000 IBM employees have been laid off in the last week, as the company adjusts to the current way of the world. Why do we care? Because IBM make a lot of stuff. If you own a 360, IBM made the Xenon chip that runs it. If you own a PS3, IBM helped…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 28, 2009
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  Tomb Raider Films Getting Reboot

  Warner Brothers producer Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes) wants to do a “reboot” of the Tomb Raider film franchise, even though the last big screen Lara Croft outing was only about six years ago. That, and the games aren’t exactly tearing up the sales chart. So what gives? While the previous Tomb Raider flicks were made…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2009
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  What Is Tetsuya Mizuguchi Doing These Days?

  Well, not much with N3: Ninety-Nine Nights II, apparently! According to the upcoming issue of Famitsu, Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Rez, Lumines) isn’t that involved in the game. Makes sense as the previous title was co-developed with Korean dev Phantagram doing most of the heavy lifting — and with Mizuguchi doing the interviews. Announced last year at…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2009
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  Asashi Shimbun Report Sexual Predators Now Using “Game Sites”

  Tokyo police say that sex crimes against underage females via gaming and social networking websites more than doubled in 2008. According to a 2008 Metropolitan Police Department Survey of 130 sexual abused girls under 18 years of age, 82 of them were victimized via such sites. In contrast, however, the percentage of girls violated through…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2009
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  Well, Of *Course* There Are Secret Islamic Messages Hidden In This DS Game

  Does the Crave DS game “Baby Pals” really say “Islam is the light” when you give your tot a bath? Of course not. That’s ridiculous. Doesn’t stop WTNH from reporting it, though! Like the more widely-publicised issue surrounding the Little Mommy Cuddle and Coo doll – from which the baby’s audio sample is presumably taken…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 28, 2009
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  New Dead Rising And Lost Planet Mentioned, Might Be Multi-Platform

  In an interview in the upcoming issue of Famitsu, Capcom exec Keiji Inafune mentioned new Dead Rising and Lost Planet games. More importantly, he talked about the games going multi-platform. According to Inafune, “We’re finally putting out new Dead Rising and Lost Planet games! As a main principle we’re thinking about multi-platform and about slightly…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2009