‘Gemini Divison’ Proves Webisodes Work
Verizon Wireless Launched the Blitz
Studiophile DSM1 and DSM2 Speakers

While the Nintendo DS has done a lot to revolutionize handheld gaming with its touch screen, it’s always seemed that it’d have made more sense to make both screens touch capable. Many games involve switching screens to manipulate whats on one particular screen. That’s probably why news site Kotaku is reporting that according to several industry sources there is a new DS design in the works. It features larger screens and a touch screen on the top as well as the bottom. There’s nothing but denials as of right now from the Nintendo camp, but what company has ever said “oh well you found out, cat’s out of the bag, you’re right”.

The official announcement isn’t planned until 2009 however and while that seems like an odd time frame for an announcement with the holiday season right around the corner, does Nintendo want to frustrate customers by having two hard-to-find products on the shelves? It’s also likely that given the continued success of the DS they’ll want to wait for a point where the sales begin to fall off before introducing a new handheld.

Publisher Red Mile has revealed that the upcoming game inspired by Frank Miller’s Sin City graphic novels is no longer being develoepd by Transmission Games.

A representative of the company told GameSpot that the game actually shifted studios “quite a long time ago”, though they don’t disclose the new studio’s name.

He added that Transmission is now working on Heroes Over Europe, which is “an important title” for them.

The Unreal Engine 3-powered title is expected Christmas 2009.

Finally breaking the code of silence on Duke Nukem Forever, George Broussard of 3D Realms offered word that the game is finally coming together.

“There are several hours of fairly polished game to play,” he said, adding that they are currently getting feedback from play testers. “It’s fun, it’s in focus, we know what bits are fun and which are not, and it’s just a matter of time now. I’ve probably never been as happy or excited about the game as I am these days.”

It has been a decade since the game entered development. Hopefully it will be released sometime soon… maybe in the next five years or so.

Unlike Soul Calibur IV, console versions of Street Fighter 4 will not have platform-exclusive characters, noted producer Yoshinori Ono.

“I don’t want to give an exclusive character for any particular console,” he said. “And that applies to downloadable characters as well … because it’s not very fair.”

The game’s roster of fighters sees Cammy as a confirmed addition, with Dan, Fei Long and Sheng Long candidates to most likely be added, though details are yet to be set in stone.

Ono promised to show more of the game at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. The game is expected to hit PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime next year.

Immersion, which made a name for itself back in 2003 by suing both Sony and Microsoft over their force-feedback technologies, today announced a settlement with Microsoft, following its longtime legal drama.

The company had promised Microsoft $15 million in the event that Immersion settled with Sony. In 2007 they did settle with the PlayStation maker, prompting Microsoft to ask for its $15 million. However, Immersion had refused to pay and a lawsuit ensued.

Immersion happens to be the loser this time around, ponying up a cool $20.75 million to Microsoft and enrolling in the company’s Certified Partner Program, which effectively makes it a customer of the Xbox manufacturer.

Going by the latest batch of rumors from EGM, Rockstar is currently working on a new entry in the Max Payne series. The game is said to be in development at Rockstar Toronto, the studio responsible for the movie-inspired beat ‘em up The Warriors.

The Max Payne franchise was created by Remedy Entertainment, with the first game debuting in 2001. The second game followed in 2003, with the teaser of a third game at the end of the sequel’s credits. However, Remedy has denied making Max Payne 3 and is currently hard at work on Alan Wake.

There was also another rumor of a PS3 exclusive from Rockstar North, the one behind the well-received Grand Theft Auto IV. No details were given.

Those eagle-eyed detectives over on Operation Burnout are reporting that the PC edition of Burnout Paradise is now expected in January 2009, having noticed the delayed release date in a recent GameSpot preview of the game. It was previously slated for release this Fall.

The site also reports that the game will include the camera functionality of the console versions, allowing you to take pictures with any USB webcam and use it for the in-game license and online takedowns. There is also word that the single-player progression may be changed slightly, though no details were given.

Nintendo might be trying hard to impress the new kids on the block - casual gamers - but it seems to have forgotten its old buddies - the core gamers. Thankfully, the company has understood the situation and is currently working on traditional titles for core gamers, though they won’t be out anytime soon.

“We have never neglected our core gamers,” said Nintendo in the October edition of Edge magazine. “We still have developers working on popular core gaming franchises but we need longer to complete these games, approximately two to three years.”

The games are not ready to launch early next year, but the company said that they are being worked on by all development teams.

Breaking its tradition of releasing new downloadable content weekly, Harmonix sent out word that this week’s DLC for Rock Band - the entire album “Moving Pictures” by Rush - has been delayed due to an unspecified “technical difficulty.”

“There is a technical difficulty that is being worked out,” wrote community manager Sean Baptiste on the game’s forum. “I’ll alert you when it is all clear.”

No release date is being offered for the album, which will retail for $11 on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

Bungie has shot down a rumor that bots would be added to Halo 3.

The rumor originated from a video acceptance speech for an EDGE Magazine award that the studio had created.

Denying the rumors, community manager Luke Smith plainly stated that there will be “not ‘bots’ added to the game,” adding that the issue is now a “closed one.” He also blasted members of Bungie’s devout community, describing them as “overly zealous, froth-filled fans bathed in excitement.”

Sure, there’s no confirmation from Microsoft that Halo 4 is being developed by Gearbox but there are even more rumors floating around. If you check Gearbox’s website you’ll notice that they’re currently developing an unannounced mystery game. Gearbox president Randy Pitchford said “I’ve started a new project. It’s big. It’s, like, ‘look-at-our-line-up-and-imagine-something-even-bigger’ kind of big. I’m directing it myself. I can’t mention it publicly yet. When you find out what this is, you’ll likely agree that I can’t oversell this one.” While the newest Aliens title is certainly impressive, a Wii rhythm game and yet another World War II title don’t offer much in the way of potential, so ‘bigger’ than their current lineup doesn’t take much. However a ‘big project’ that couldn’t be publicly mentioned is certainly potential for a Halo title.

While PCs are the undoubted kings of RTS games, handhelds have stolen the crown as top-dog of turn-based-strategy titles. Both the PSP and the DS have their fair share of titles both excellent and abysmal. Developers Strategy First and Cypron Studios are in the process of taking advantage of this popular trend to bring back a classic from the strategy world. For those unfamiliar with the series it was a tactical turn based game where players recruited and outfitted a team of mercenaries for various missions.

It was loved for its attention to detail as much as its humor and quality gameplay: when assembling a team of mercenaries you had to take into account their feelings towards each other. Some of the soldiers wouldn’t get a long and could cause problems on a mission. Get too many of your mercs killed and you’ll get a reputation as a careless employer and find your pool of applicants limited to the dangerously unbalanced. This classic title will be re-released on the DS in 2009.

The sequel to the original Fable promises to have just as many diversion and amusements to distract from the stress of saving/dooming the world as the first title. The achievement list promises some rather amusing and odd diversions. Amongst the normal achievements such as completing various main/side quests there are some odd ones. Score yourself five gamer points for booting a chicken a ‘respectable distance’. Marrying a village is worth ten points, having a child with him/her is another ten. We’ll have to see if moral crusaders pick on some of the more interesting achievements as marrying someone while still having a living spouse nets you ten points and engaging in an orgy gets you five more. Check out the full list after the break.

Read on »

Sony has been constantly reminding the public that their strategy for the PS3 is one of long-term goals. With the PS3 still picking up steam and the PS2 still going strong, it seems to be an effective strategy for them. Rumors are already flying about Microsoft’s plans for their next-gen console, but some are saying that Nintendo will beat everyone to the punch. I tend to be a bit scornful of analysts that discuss the video game industry, as usually whatever they say that’s considered important enough to be reported is high on the “duh” scale, but for once there’s one who’s saying something actually worthy of thought.

While most people in the industry agree that it’s going to be three or four years before we see a new generation of consoles, Nintendo might jump the gun by releasing a new home console. While the Wii is incredibly popular the console lags behind the others in terms of storage space, DVD capability and processing power. All are very simple to fix, especially given that the unit is capable of playing DVDs with the aid of a homebrew application. The storage issue is definitely something that will be addressed in the near future with the ever-growing number of Virtual Console and Wiiware titles. The big question though is will the crowd that the Wii appeals to– the laid back, ‘casual’ gamer– run out to buy a new console?

As with all things the rising complexity of video games means there’s a higher level of qualification needed to create them. A six year old isn’t likely to paint a Monet in art class and someone with a basic knowledge of programming can’t create classics like God of War or Metal Gear Solid. Of course the growing population of gamers there are many kids hoping to create what they love. Some colleges have begun to offer degree programs intended to prepare young people to work in the video game development industry.

Unfortunately as with many college degrees, the video game degree programs are leaving hopeful dreams broken and shattered. According to industry bosses across the UK, the gaming degree programs are complete junk. Some have even called them ‘Mickey Mouse Degrees’ with very little relevance to the actual demands of the job. Industry bigwigs have gone on to say that they were shocked at how little the graduates knew, or that they couldn’t recall hiring someone who had emerged from one of these programs. Sound terrible? Not especially when one considers that most college degrees leave you with little tangible experience. Especially with the industry going as strong as it is now, how many successful game developers are going to be leaving their companies to teach?

Navigon 7200T Personal Navigation Device is Here!
‘Land of the Lost’ Picture
Sony Drops Blu-ray Player Price by $100

(Warhawk)

Welcome back people to another edition of the Daily Battle, but enough of that, lets get down to business.

Today, a rumor regarding Halo 4 began to spread, the PS3 keypad was priced and dated, Warhammer Online went gold, EA and Take-Two are still blabbin’ about who owns who and it was confirmed that there will be no keyboard in Guitar Hero 4.

Everything else, below:

EA and Activision Dominate Market with 75% of All Games
Rumor: Halo 4 in Development for Next-gen Xbox
Rumor: Crysis Coming to X360, PS3
MGS 4 “Probably Not” Making it to X360, Sequel Confirmed
PS3 Wireless Keypad Priced, Dated
Warhammer Online Goes Gold
Free Wi-fi in Japan for PSP Owners
Take-Two, EA Enter Talks Again
No Keyboard in Guitar Hero 4, Deserves Own Game
Third Warhawk Expansion Priced, Dated and Bundled

A new report from European market research group Screen Digest estimates that almost 75 percent of the season’s console games came from Electronic Arts and Activision, the two biggest video game publishers in the world.

EA released 21 titles during the time between July and September, with Activision coming in at a close second with 19 titles.

The two companies will still dominate in the upcoming season, as they will account for 40 percent of all releases.

Joystiq, going by a rumor in the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine, reports that Halo 4 is in development at Gearbox Software and will launch alongside the Xbox 720, or whatever it is called by Microsoft.

Gearbox is best known for its work on the original Brothers in Arms, which has a sequel on the way; it will soon release Samba de Amigo and its future lineup consists of Aliens: Colonial Marines and Borderlands.

Meanwhile, Halo creator Bungie has revealed that it is working on a new game in the shooter series, though no details have been released yet. Two more Halo titles are also in the works - Halo Wars and a project from Peter Jackson.

PSU cites an unnamed source as saying that Crytek is planning to release Crysis bundled with Warhead, the new expansion, on the Xbox 360 during Q4 2008-Q1 2009, followed by a PS3 release in Q1-Q2 2009.

Their source states that the studio is focusing on the consoles’ threading cores, with the team taking its time with the PS3 version, hoping to make best use of the Cell processor for enhanced graphics, improved AI and more.

It is yet to be confirmed by Crytek or EA, the publisher.

It may have been confirmed since the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, but Kojima Productions employee Ryan Payton, who served as a producer on the game, has confirmed that Metal Gear Solid 5 is on the way.

Leaving Kojima Productions for greener pasture, he revealed that “it’ll be hard not being involved in MGS5, but I’ve got the utmost confidence that Hideo Kojima, Ken Imaizumi and our amazing team will put together another blockbuster game.”

With the sequel years away, let’s focus on MGS4, on which many flamewars erupt in forums netwide, with gamers fighting over whether the game will be making its way to the Xbox 360.

Raining on the parade, Hideo Kojima reveals that “because [it] was optimized for the PS3 it is probably not possible [on the Xbox 360]“. He cited media and technology differences, among other things. He also seems annoyed at people for this reason.

“What kind of disturbs me sometimes, because a lot of people ask me about this PS3/360 question, is that it’s not about the hardware,” he said. “I want people to look at the game itself. Sometimes I even feel like it should be on a PC so that people don’t ask me about hardware and platforms.”

While Sony may have announced the product, it had not provided neither a release date nor a price point for the wireless keypad for the PS3. Online retailer Amazon comes to the rescue, noting that the keypad will cost $49.99 and will be released on November 30.

The release date marks it on the weekend following Black Friday, the biggest day of the year for retail sales in the US.

EA today announced that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has completed development and gone gold. It’s just in time for its September 18 launch in North America.

Pre-order customers will gain access to an open beta that starts September 7.

The game recently came into the limelight due to the fact that Mythic, the studio, would not be crediting past staff for their contributions to the title.

To satisfy Internet-hungry PSP customers, Sony Japan today announced a partnership with the world’s largest global Wi-fi community FON to create a new service - PSPxFON.

The two companies plan to roll out FON access points all over Japan for free Internet browsing via the PSP. There are approximately 44,000 FON spots across Japan and over 2,200 FON livedoor spots, which cover central Tokyo.

Users in Japan will be able to browse the Internet and download game demos, clips, and other stuff through their PSP. It wasn’t mentioned if multiplayer gaming will be supported or not.