Most of the movies made from video game adaptations up to date have been less than stellar productions (thanks Uwe Boll), to say the least.

From Street Fighterto Doom , every one has strayed far from the original material and ended up a mess. Only the Resident Evil franchise has barely escaped that destiny - thanks to Milla Jovovich’s hotness - but, in general, video game movies have been epic failures.

Now there is some light shining on video game fans with the news that Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B Entertainment, is making its debut on games-to-film adaptations with Capcom’s upcoming action title Dark Void. Plan B has secured the movie rights for the game and there is even some speculation that Brad Pitt might star in it.

Dark Void tells the story of a pilot named William Grey who encounters trouble on a flight and ends up crashing in the Bermuda Triangle. After wakeing he realizes he is stranded in a parallel world inhabited by aliens with plans to take over the Earth. With alien technology and the help of other humans trapped in this world William tries to stop the aliens and escape.

Plan B Entertainment is behind movies including Troy, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and The Departed. Also, Brad Pitt is a serious and successful actor and I doubt he would agree to putting out a mediocre movie so I think we are safe to expect a good adaptation on this one.

Dark Void will be released on January 2010 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It is rated “Teen” for animated blood and violence by the ESRB.

Read [Movieweb] Also read [IGN]

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Left 4 Dead is a series that can live on for years through downloadable content. Killing zombies with friends is fun no matter where the setting happens to be. Left 4 Dead 2 has only been out for a hot second and our brows are already raising in curiosity after looking at a teaser site for Midnight Riders.

This could be a hint of upcoming downloadable content or we could just be getting our hopes up. However we do have good reason to believe our crazy ideas.

Midnight Riders is the name of a band in Left 4 Dead 2. In the episode “Dark Carnival” the survivors fight off a relentless horde of zombies on a concert stage for Midnight Riders.

The teaser site has the four band members posing in classic L4D fashion complete with watercolor style animation. Midnight Rider is also an achievement you get after completing that campaign.

The final indication is the words “Coming Soon” printed on the bottom of the page.

It also doesn’t hurt to point out there are four band members pictured and Left 4 Dead always has four survivors.

It may be a rumor but our crystal ball is looking pretty shiny right now.

Site [Midnight Riders] Read [Brave New Gamer]

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has done exceedingly well despite some bouts with controversy. That controversy probably helped boost its sales to higher levels than originally projected. A game such as this doesn’t sell 4 million copies without drawing some fire from unhappy organizations or countries

It was reported by GotPS3, and translated by Hellforge that MW2 was banned in Russia because of the infamous “No Russian” mission. The Russian government allegedly wanted that level to be taken out of the game and will relaunch it in one month.

Contrary to this report Activision released a statement to VG247 which reads, “Reports that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been banned in Russia are erroneous. Activision only released a PC version of the game in Russia which went on sale on Tuesday, Nov. 10.”

Console versions of MW2 allow players to skip “No Russian” altogether when starting the campaign. There also isn’t a penalty to achievements if you choose to not take part in that stage. Infinity Ward also released a patch for the PC version of MW2 that eliminates this mission from the game.

Perhaps banning isn’t the correct word to use which is why Activision denies the claim. Let’s call it a temporary hiatus.

Read [VG247] Also Read [Hellforge]

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The speculation about where the digital versions of Total Nonstop Action wrestling superstars will ply their trade for the next few years has ended in a surprise.

Not known for fighting or wrestling games for that matter, SouthPeak Interactive has purchased the rights to make TNA games.

A financial report revealed SouthPeak got the TNA assets in Midway’s bankruptcy sale and even has a game on the 2010 calendar: TNA iMPACT: Cross the Line for PSP/PSpgo and Nintendo DS.

Much speculation circled around Electronic Arts, a company with experience making games on the now defunct World Championship Wrestling license. But little known SouthPeak picking up the TNA rights is as shocking as when Andre The Giant turned on Hulk Hogan.

There is no word yet on a direct sequel to 2008 million-seller TNA iMPACT. I’m sure it’s coming though, as sequels to million-selling games get green lit pretty quickly. Hopefully these will be some good games, as THQ’s Smackdown vs. Raw series has been unchallenged for a while.

Read [Destructoid] Also Read [Wrestlezone]

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When Midway filed bankruptcy, one of the potentially lucrative licenses it had was the right to make games based on TNA Wrestling. When Warner Bros. bought the company it picked up the rights to several Midway games but PWInsider said the TNA game wasn’t one of them.

PWInsider’s TNA sources said the rights may bounce back to TNA since Warner Bros. wasn’t interested in purchasing them. TNA officials won’t comment on what, if anything, is happening with the game. TNA Impact sold one million units with reviews being just so-so.

Still, wrestling games have a built-in fan base and TNA is still basking in the publicity glow of a partnership with wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. Wrestling needs more competition in terms of programming and video games, so here’s hoping something works out.

Read [PWInsider] Also Read [Baltimore Sun]

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Roger Daltrey, frontman of legendary band The Who, may have let a secret slip about his band being the focus of an upcoming Rock Band game.

He told MassLive “they’re going to be doing a Who one next year,” in response to a question about The Beatles:Rock Band.

That news, of course, spread like wildfire getting picked up by gaming and music sites alike. Harmonix has a good relationship with the band already with numerous Who songs already available in Rock Band games. But, there’s the rub. Could it be a case of too much Who? (Why do I suddenly feel like Dr. Suess?)

As Rolling Stone points out, the album Tommy had enough concept to be turned into a rock opera. It would certainly help to create a great game atmosphere similar to what Harmonix did with The Beatles game. But, as Gamertell mentioned recently, The Beatles:Rock Band has not been selling all that well. If that game isn’t moving, it is hard to imagine that a Who-themed one would do much better regardless of how good the content was.

It is isn’t hard to imagine executives waiting for sales data before looking at some of the next steps for the franchise. For Harmonix’ part, one of its’ spokespeople told Kotaku that the company is “working closely with the Who but has nothing new to announce at this time.”

Read [MassLive] Also Read [Gamertell]

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The big rumor of the day is that Nintendo is planning to release the Wii 2 in 2010 and the newer system will include a Blu-ray drive.

The rumor comes courtesy of French language site Logic-Sunrise which cites a “very stable source” (at lest that’s how Yahoo’s BableFish translates it). It also indicates that Nintendo may be waiting to announce the Wii 2 until one month prior to the system’s release.

The Wii 2 features and other bullet-list items listed in the post include:

• A Blu-Ray drive (to help discourage piracy)
• Support 720P and 1080P for videos and games
• 2010 simultaneous worldwide release
• Some type of trade-in program for Wii owners to upgrade to the Wii 2

Again, these are unconfirmed rumors based on a foreign site. MaxConsole indicates that the rumor suggests Wii 2 will be available the third quarter of 2010 although the French site does not appear to mention Q3.

The closest ting to a confirmation is Shigeru Miyamoto’s interview with Popular Mechanics where he talks about the next Wii (not necessarily the “Wii 2”) as being “more compact and perhaps even more cost-efficient.”

I’m waiting for an official comment from Nintendo concerning this Wii 2 rumor.

Update: Nintendo’s official, although not surprising, response via a PR representative is: “We do not respond to rumors and speculations.”

Read [Logic-Sunrise (French)] Via [MaxConsole]

Photo: From Logic-Sunrise (likely an illustration).

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In an interview with Popular Mechanics, gaming legend Shigeru Miyamoto talked about what he feels will be the natural evolution of the Wii and its various control devices.

They have the technology. They can rebuild it and make it better, cuter and, yes, smaller than before.

“With both the Wii remote itself and Wii Motion Plus, what we’ve been able to do is introduce an interface that is both I think appealing and at the right price for a broad audience. And while we don’t have any concrete plans for what we’ll be doing with hardware in the future, what I can say is that, my guess is that because we found this interface to be so interesting, I think it would be likely that we would try to make that same functionality perhaps more compact and perhaps even more cost-efficient.”

Nintendo’s evolutions in motion control has been one of the biggest stories of this console generation. It’s doubtful we’d be seeing the runaway cuteness of Xbox avatars or Sony and Microsoft’s pushes to include more motion control in games if the Wii had been a sales flop. It’s also curious to see how much more “cost efficient” they can be.

Miyamoto also notes that part of the shift in current gaming culture is the number of gamers that are now parents, so they fully understand the media their kids are enjoying.

I’m guilty as charged there. It is an incredible feeling to see my young sons pick up the controller and realize they’re actually controlling what’s on the screen.I hope to be gaming with my grandkids and, from the looks of things, Mario and Zelda will still be going strong even then.

Read [Popular Mechanics] Via [The Guardian]

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Nintendo usually waits a couple years before changing the hardware on its handheld devices but it just may break tradition this time around. According to a report from Nikkei news service (via a quick NeoGaf translation of a blog post), Nintendo will release a new DSi in Japan this year (2009) with a screen that is approximately 4 inches. The screen on the current DSi is 3.25 inches.

Overall it’s not a major difference in appearance but Nintendo is going after a different consumer demographic. This new strategy is directed towards older would be gamers who would probably find the larger screen easier to interact with.

Besides this slight cosmetic change, everything else about the DSi will remain the same. It will have no additional processing power or a higher quality camera. Best of all the price will remain at the standard price of 18900 yen (around $200). No one is sure if the new DSi will make its way to other countries outside Japan.

Since Nintendo hasn’t officially announced this new version of the DSi we going to throw this into the rumor category. We will update if some more light is shown on this story.

Read [Kotaku] Also Read [Zerg Watch]

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In response to to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s comments concerning the possible future use of Blu-ray drives as accessories on the Xbox 360, Xbox Live’s Director of Programming, Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb posted this on his web site:

During an interview yesterday, Steve Ballmer was asked about Blu-Ray and the Xbox 360. I wanted to clear something up. Steve was referring to Blu-Ray accessories for the PC. As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360. In fact, the future of home entertainment starts very soon when Xbox 360 becomes the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies. With a library of thousands of TV shows and movies to choose from, Xbox 360 owners can instantly watch the movies they want, when they want, in the highest form of high definition.

This sticks pretty well to Microsoft’s PR repeated message of promoting HD digital downloads. Note that his statement still does not deny that Blu-ray drives by other companies may be usable with the Xbox 360, only that Microsoft - or Xbox - will not be releasing a branded Blu-ray drive for the console. Blu-ray drives are already avaialbel for personal computers so Hryb’s statement may be inferred to mean that Microsoft might be releasing a Blu-ray PC drive.

Promoting digital downloads as long as possible seems to make sense since the company can make money from each download whereas it’d only profit from a Blu-ray drive if a) Microsoft released it or b) the company found a way to charge console owners to attach one. And that second option would not make many friends and piss off current fans. And, of course, the guy in charge of Xbox Live would certainly love for his format to thrive instead of some external device.

Ain’t these public corporate debates fun?

Read [Major Nelson]

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In an interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Gizmodo pulled out a revealing tidbit concerning the possibility of Blu-ray being playable on the Xbox 360 game system.

Microsoft, which had sided with HD-DVD and then HD digital downloads in the late, great high-def format war of 2008, has basically flipped a corporate assertion that Blu-ray would never be playable on the console.

In the interview Ballmer said:

“Well, I don’t know if we need to put Blu-ray in there. You’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.”

It’s later followed up with a confirmation with Microsoft PR which basically said the company will continue to support “Blu-ray-quality video” in a downloadable format (and on the Zune - nice plug, eh?), not commenting on any plans for an external drive or add-on component.

At the very least this seems to imply that Microsoft allow an external Blu-ray drive to be connected to the Xbox 360 and operate without gamers getting booted for using an unauthorized device. From that lone line, it seems unlikely that the company will produce a drive of its own but, instead, allow console owner to take advantage of the many companies scrambling to produce affordable Blu-ray drives.

Let the rumor mill grid this one down to bits.

Read [Gizmodo]

Photo Credit: Screen shot from Gizmodo.

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In a move drawing a lot of industry attention, GameStop director Leonard Riggio has sold 2.3 million shares of the company’s stock.

He earned $60.2 million from the sale and reduced his ownership in the game retail company from 6.9 percent to 5.5 percent. The timing seems odd as the sale comes right before the holiday season, when GameStop generally expects to make billions. The holiday season of 2009 is packed with potential sales blockbusters including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and New Super Mario Bros.

Financial analyst Alex Romayev told Barron’s Magazine that the last time Riggio unloaded that much stock, he spared himself a 62 percent loss. Romayev noted that Riggio, also a founder and chairman of Barnes & Noble bookstores, didn’t divest himself of any of that company’s stock. Riggio formerly owned GameStop before it was split out as a business.

We just got an entirely different reason to await GameStop’s 2009 holiday sales numbers.

Could sluggish game sales in the early 2009 or forays into used game sales by other retailers have taken a bigger toll than anyone realized?

Read [Gamasutra] Also Read [Gamertell]

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The Resistance series was one of the first franchises to grace the PS3. Both Fall of Man and its sequel have been well received by the general public and Resistance: Retribution on the PSP followed suit. We really haven’t started thinking about the inevitable Resistance sequel yet but apparently Insomniac Games has decided to start putting ideas in our heads a bit early.

A picture was posted on the NeoGAF forums of a billboard that bears the Resistance 3 logo. The picture of the billboard was taken in Shreveport, Louisiana (USA) (where gas is almost $3 a gallon). A closer look at the advertisement shows images of the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building within the logo text. The newly designed PS3 logo can also be found in the top left corner of the billboard.

Seeing as how this information came from NeoGAF it’s important to not take this rumor as fact. After all, people can do amazing things with Photoshop these days. Even so, let’s entertain and examine the notion of this being real for a second.

The first Resistance debuted on November 17, 2006m in the United States. Resistance 2 was released November 4, 2008, almost exactly two years later. Insomniac Games’ other big PS3 franchise, the Ratchet and Clank Future series debuted on October 23, 2007. Its newest game, A Crack in Time will be released on October 27, 2009, again two years later.

Whether this proves to be true or a blatant fabrication, it has succeeded in getting Resistance back on our brains.

Editor’s Note: Also notice that the image includes a darker rectangular area centered under the logo, which is typically where a slogan or release date is posted. Either it was intentionally left blank for a future date to be pasted over, the date was simply painted over, the date or slogan was blurred out by the photog (to keep that morsel for their own site) or it is simply a leftover section of mis-colored pixels due to sloppy image manipulation.

Read [Examiner] Also Read [PS3 News]

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Seems everyone wants to be one of the cool we-star-in-a-video-game kids.

U2’s bassist, Adam Clayton, told USA Today:

“We definitely would like to be in there, but we felt some of the compromises weren’t what we wanted. That could change. I love the idea that that’s where people are getting music, and we’d love to be in that world. We’ll figure something out. What The Beatles have done, where the animation is much more representative of them, is what we’re interested in, rather than the one-size-fits-all animation. We didn’t want to be caricatured.”

U2 was in talks to, as a band, be part of the Guitar Hero franchise in 2008.

Considering the success of The Beatles: Rock Band what band, mega or not, doesn’t want to add “Uber Popular Game Franchise” to its resume?

Read [USA Today] Via [PSXExtreme]

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Sultry songstress and actress Beyoncé Knowles recently told Billboard that she has ideas for her own fitness game.

When asked what she has on her “to-do list,” Beyoncé said,

“I’d like to get involved in videogames since I really love Wii Fit. I think it would be a great idea to incorporate choreography because for me my workout is way more fun when it involves dancing as opposed to running on a boring treadmill. So I would love to do some kind of fitness game but incorporate dance and performance into it. I think a lot of women would enjoy that.”

Maybe it’ll be called something like Beyoncé‘s Bouncy Workout. Think it’ll get an “Everyone” rating?

Read [Canada.com] Via [DigitalSpy]

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This is the first time Electronic Arts’ popular Madden series of football games has had two athletes share the cover. Does that mean both Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu are doomed ? The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive standout has already gotten shelved.

Will Fitz get spared since the Madden cover has already claimed one athlete? Or will it take two NFL superstars to satiate the curse’s eternal hunger?

It’s also worth noting that the Arizona Cardinals wideout is carrying not one but two curses on his considerable shoulders. When the Arizona Cardinals lost the Super Bowl, they picked up another superstition whammy. Since 1997, only two Super Bowl losers have even made the playoffs the following year. Those two teams, the 2006 Seattle Seahawks and 1998 Green Bay Packers had key players get injured.

Longtime Madden players already know where I’m going with this.

The Seattle Seahawks went from super to so-so largely because Shaun Alexander, who graced the cover of Madden 2007, broke a bone in his left foot. Alexander had an amazing 2005 season scoring 28 touchdowns, the single season TD record. The curse hit him harder than most. He slumped to 182 yards gained in his first three games (his lowest career total over a three-game stretch in five years) before breaking the bone in his foot. Alexander was one of the healthiest players in the league before appearing on the game cover. He was eventually released by the Seahawks and is no longer in the league.

So far, Fitzgerald is healthy and has decent but not exceptional statistics, 105 yards and two touchdowns through two games.

Gamertell is pulling for you, Larry (although probably not as hard as EA Sports).

Read [Gamertell] Also Read [] Also Read [NFL.com]

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Fans of the Yakuza series (me among them) were seriously bummed that Sega hadn’t announced any plans to localize the third installment. Now, 1UP, citing sources close to the project, reports that Yakuza 3 is being localized for the US and European markets.

It’s possible an announcement about the Playstation 3 exclusive game could come at the Tokyo Game Show, September 24 through 27, 2009.  There’s a precedent here as the US localization of Yakuza 2 was one of Sega’s announcements at TGS 2007. Yakuza has been termed the “spiritual successor” to Dreamcast classic Shenmue thanks to its vivid depiction of Japanese culture.

As far as basic gameplay, Yakuza is a series of beat ‘em up adventures. Your character uses everything in his environment ranging from pool cues to trashcans. It also includes nods to famed Sega franchises including Virtua Fighter, which appears in screenshots on arcade machines in the first game. The Yakuza series has never achieved huge sales in the U.S. which is why there was concern Sega wouldn’t release the third game over here.

A fourth installment for Japan has already been announced and will be on display at TGS 2009. It’s a good time to be the digital version of a Japanese gangster.

Read [1UP] Also Read [Kotaku]

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Game-to-film translations begin with an uphill battle to, well, not suck. Universal Studios’ adaptation of Bioshockhttp://www.gamertell.com/gaming/tag/bioshock/ has hit some major stumbling blocks, including a change in director.

The movie treatment of the hit Take-Two game was initially to be helmed by Gore Verbinski, director of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Variety reports that Verbinski stepped down because budget concerns led Universal to move filming abroad to help cut costs through tax credits and favorable exchange rates. Verbinski couldn’t commit to an overseas shooting schedule because of another project although he will remain on as a producer.

Reports are that the Bioshock budget has ballooned to $160 million, leading the studio to figure out ways to cut costs. Variety reports that Universal officials have vowed this won’t be another Halo. That much-anticipated film project never got out of development hell and was eventually shelved amid rising budget concerns.

Universal is apparently forging ahead and is in talks with another director to replace Verbinski. The studio is looking at Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, a director whose breakthrough movie was the zombie sequel 28 Weeks Later. His deal is contingent on approval from Bioshock publisher Take Two.

Bioshock’s twisted story is one of the things that sets it apart from other games in the shooter genres. It certainly has the potential to be a good movie, but these latest developments don’t exactly inspire confidence.

Read [Variety] Also Read [Wired]

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EA game designer Donny Moore answered one of the big questions among Madden faithful on his Twitter: Former NFL star Michael Vick is not included in the game’s first roster update. Vick is still trying to find a new NFL team after his release from prison on charges connected to a dogfighting ring.

“It’s official,” Moore tweeted. “Michael Vick not in Madden NFL 10 Roster Update #1… once he signs with a team, we will get him in there ASAP.”

There has been much speculation about how EA Sports would handle the Vick situation. Vick isn’t with a team yet but most league experts don’t think the entire year will go by without someone taking on a chance on the guy that used to be referred to as the “Michael Jordan of the NFL.”

Downloadable roster updates are traditionally used to handle athletes whose playing status is still up in the air at the time of Madden’s mid-August 2009 release. For example, wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who is in legal trouble for violating handgun laws, is in the game as a free agent.

Chris Littmann of The Sporting News speculates as to the reasons on the First Cuts blog. As Littman opines, it’s anybody’s guess as to what kind of player rating Vick would receive since he hasn’t played in two years. As a bit of history, Vick is also famous as one of the victims of the infamous “Madden Curse” some believe befalls cover athletes. Vick graced the cover of Madden 2004 and suffered a season-ending leg injury.

When he was “in the game,” to use EA’s vernacular, Vick and the Falcons were a favorite of tournament players due to the quarterback’s game breaking speed. To accurately represent Vick in 2009, EA’s designers are waiting for the same answer NFL general managers are: Has Michael Vick lost a step?

Read [Twitter] Also Read [First Cuts] Also Read [Gamertell]

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War never changes, as the narrator in Fallout 3 reminds players. But the landscape of the game’s Capitol Wasteland and surrounding areas is constantly changing thanks to the expansion packs Bethesda regularly releases.

Bethesda has confirmed the inevitable compilation of the game’s latest downloadable content will hit retailers August 25, 2009. The game’s second DLC compilation (The Pitt and Operation Anchorage were part of a May combo pack) will include Point Lookout and Broken Steel at $20 for both Xbox 360 and PC.

Extremely patient gamers may want to wait until October 13, 2009, when the Fallout 3 Game of The Year Edition is slated to hit retailers. It will contain all five expansions and is listed at $59.99 for PS3 and Xbox 360 and $49.99 for PC. Bethesda still hasn’t confirmed that date but both Amazon and GameStop are listing it to go on sale then.

Fallout 3 was one of the best reviewed games of 2008, and the GOTY Edition will add hours more of gameplay including raising your character’s level cap from 20 to 30. If you haven’t played it yet and can hold out until October 2009, that’s not a bad deal at all.

Read [Gamertell] Also Read [Joystiq]

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The game retail market could be getting a little more competitive, if the photo of a recent Best Buy ad is any indication.

An eagle-eyed Cheap Ass Gamer reader in Utah spotted a Best Buy advertisement proclaiming the retailer would match GameStop and Game Crazy’s used prices on new games. Right now this may be a test to see if the program is workable on a larger scale.

Used game sales are a big boon to retailers such as GameStop and other retailers have recently started grasping more aggressively for a piece of that pie. Amazon, WalMart and Toys ‘R’ Us have all gotten into the act, as has Best Buy.

Used games are a hot-button issue in the industry right now, as publishers are concerned that a game store can sell a used game for $5 less than the original price and earn all of the secondary profit. Also, stores including GameStop offer store credit for trading games back and publishers are afraid that’s hurting new game sales. The bad economy has brought more attention to this debate as amid a climate of layoffs, restructuring and studio closing, almost every company is having to take a look at its bottom line.

Gamers could be the winners here, as nothing is better for prices than intense competition. Whatever happens with this interesting concept, we’ll keep you posted.

Read [Cheap Ass Gamer] Also Read [San Francisco Chronicle]

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There’s been a bit of controversy about Jake Gyllenhaal playing The Prince of Persia in the upcoming movie, so the above pic from Entertainment Weekly may or may not sway your opinion.

Nonetheless, Walt Disney is banking that the combination of Gyllenhaal, director Jerry Bruckheimer and a waiting audience of franchise fans will make this one of the rare video game films worth watching.

Bond girl Gemma Arterton will play Princess Tamina. The movie will somewhat follow the plot of the first game in the revamped Prince of Persia series, The Sands of Time. Dastan and Tamina will try to stop an evil nobleman (presumably the Vizier portrayed in the game) from using the Sands of Time to take over the world.

Those holding out hope for this movie to not be god awful can take solace in one fact: One of the screenwriters for the film is Jordan Mechner, the Prince’s original creator. Other writers include Boaz Yakin (The Rookie) and Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard (The Great Raid).

Gyllenhaal is reportedly doing a lot of his own stunts in this one so he appears to be throwing himself into the role.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is slated to hit cineplexes May 28, 2010.

Read [Entertainment Weekly] Also Read [Kotaku] Also Read [Gamertell]

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Joystiq reports that Eidos has registered a trademark for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days.

Although Kane and Lynch: Dead Men is destined to be remembered more for the PR fallout known as Gertsmanngate than the game itself as it sold well for Eidos. So it’s no surprise that the game is poised to receive a sequel.

Besides which, you know what they say: There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Go ahead, name another digital crime tale that played to average reviews that will get anywhere near the press coverage this sequel is going to (especially one that nobody has tried to use as a defense for committing a real crime).

The 2007 game did introduce a couple of new characters to the gaming canvas in Kane and Lynch. In an industry rampant with game mascots spitting out their 500th game installment, there’s something to be said for that.

Eidos may have registered the trademark but Kane and Lynch‘s IP now belongs to Square Enix. Square Enix is no doubt looking for marketable properties to get the most bang for its acquisition buck. As long as Kane and Lynch don’t show up in the next Kingdom Hearts, I have no beef with that.

Read [Gamertell] Also Read [Joystiq]

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Eidos has a history of shady practices in videogame journalism. We remember the whole Kane and Lynch fiasco over at GameSpot a while back and attempts to get sites to hold off on Tomb Raider: Underworld review scores that were under 80 until Eidos said it was alright to publish.

This overreaching on Eidos’ part has once again turned up according to The RAM Raider.

Eidos is allegedly only looking for the best review scores to be shown first for Batman: Arkham Asylum. As with most unreleased games, a review for Arkham Asylum is under embargo until a certain date but Eidos will supposedly let magazines publish reviews early if they agree to play ball.

The RAM Raider says Eidos will grant passes on the embargo if magazines put Arkham Asylum on its front cover and guarantee a review score of at least 90%.

Jon Brooke, the head of UK marketing for Eidos fired back at the accusations in a letter to Kotaku claiming the allegations are totally false. He says Eidos hasn’t spoken to any magazines about review scores.

Read [The RAM Raider] Also Read [Kotaku]

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Here’s a development that probably no one in the film or game industries were clamoring for: Another Mortal Kombat movie.

Chris Casamassa, the martial artist who played Scorpion in the first two movies, told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that the movie will begin filming September 2009.

In addition to his stints as Scorpion, Casamassa also served as George Clooney’s stunt double in Batman and Robin. I’m not going to make fun of him for any of those things. You’re welcome to but keep in mind Casamassa is an eighth-degree black belt.

The first Mortal Kombat was well-received by fans, a rarity with video game to film translations. The sequel, Mortal Kombat:Annihilation, is among the most reviled game movies (even in a genre that includes films based on Super Mario Bros. and Dead or Alive).

With Warner Bros. scooping up the remnants of Midway Games, it should in theory be a lot easier to turn Midway properties into movies. Of course, Warner Bros. also owns DC Comics and much anticipated live action film projects such as Wonder Woman and Justice League of America have yet to get off the ground.

After Annihilation, I suspect most MK fans are more concerned with getting another M-rated fighting game than a movie sequel.

Read [First Showing] Also Read [Kotaku]

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If you believe a Google translation of a rumor on a foreign language web site, the next PSP may utilize four cores which would give it more processing and graphics power than the original Xbox console.

The English version of Eurogamer claims the translation suggests that a second PSP, which they call PSP2 , and not the PSPgo will have the quad core iteration of the low-power SGX543MP chip, code named “hydra.”

So you can decide for yourself, here’s how Google translates the page followed by the actual entry:

We refer to PSP2, but a hardware that has not yet been officially announced for PSP and should happen in the future PSPGo.

Nos referimos a PSP2, un hardware que aunque todavía no ha sido anunciado oficialmente debería suceder a PSP y PSPGo en un futuro

.
If someone offer an accurate translation, please let us know.

The English version of Eurogamer points out that the possible processor is the same technology currently used in some netbooks and the chip acts as both the CPU and the graphics processor. That would increase the system’s capabilities while decreasing energy requirements. Not a bad idea for any game system.

Just remember, a rumor is unconfirmed information. Sony has yet to confirm or deny the use of any quad core tech in a handheld game system.

Read [Eurogamer.es] Via [Eurogamer] Also Read [Industry Gamers]

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Earlier today (June 26, 2009) VG247 posted a story regarding PS3 firmware update 3.0, stating that it would be released before Christmas and that the system will be getting a huge overhaul.

Among the features listed were a reputation system that would give players the ability to evaluate other players in games and a grief reporting system. The grief reporting system was said to allow screenshots to be taken of players displaying offensive activities and the option to report them to Sony.

Background downloads for game patches was also mentioned as an addition to the update. Instead of having to wait for a patch to download we would be able to continue playing the game until the patch completes.

The last feature was said to provide simultaneous HDMI and digital optical audio outputs for those who just can’t get enough of the audio side of things.

When asked about these features by IGN Sony responded in a less than positive way. The director of SCEA product publicity Jennifer Clark said these rumors are in no way true and are based on wild speculation.

Via [VG247] Via [IGN]

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Midway Games may not be doing so well financially these days but the Mortal Kombat series isn’t going down without a very bloody fight. For the record, Mortal Kombat 9 is currently being developed and the series creator Ed Boon is being quite vocal with the details on his Twitterpage.

What we know is that Mortal Kombat 9 is returning to the form we all remember it as - very, very violent. Boon says MK9 will not have any superheroes and will answer fans’ pleas to have another Mature rated MK game. Currently, the developers are motion capturing fatalities, and Boon is wondering if they are taking it a little too far. However, Boon knows they won’t cross over into an AO (Adults Only) rating.

IGN learned the Twitter account does indeed belong to Ed Boon. We’ll be eyeballing his account just in case he decides to spill any more gory details on this game.

Read [Twitter] Also Read [IGN]

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There will be a new Xbox 360 console on store shelves in 2010 with the possibility of the final version of Project Natal shipping with it in the box.

Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer spoke at the Executive’s Club of Chicago (June 18, 2009) about the importance of innovation in these economic climates when he mentioned Microsoft’s plan to release a new Xbox 360 console.

According to Ballmer, the new console will have a natural interface and will contain a built in camera as well as voice and movement recognition technology. This certainly sounds like Project Natal to us. He also described the technology as being “really, really close” to an actuality.

Ballmer’s comments don’t exactly fall in line with Microsoft’s Director of Project Management, Aaron Greenberg, when he confirmed that no new console would be necessary for Project Natal. Greenberg assumed Ballmer was referring to Project Natal during his presentation.

He said Microsoft is not making a new console and that Project Natal will work on all Xbox 360s.

Greenberg did acknowledge that Microsoft has looked into putting the Natal technology into a new Xbox 360 configuration but nothing is final.

Ballmer nor Greenberg specified when Project Natal will ship or how much it will cost.

Read [TG Daily] Also Read [Gaming Nexus]

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Mirror’s Edge was one of the most unique games we’ve seen this generation. The first-person parkour inspired concept was something we haven’t seen before in games but it wasn’t without it’s flaws. The gun combat, while not an essential part of the game, was regarded as being very frustrating and the story left much to be desired.

While it may not have been the big hit EA would have liked for it to be, the company is still supporting the franchise by confirming to VideoGamer that Mirror’s Edge 2 is already in development at EA DICE.

Patrick Soderlund, senior vice president at EA Games Europe said a small team is working on Mirror’s Edge 2 and he is excited about what the team does. He also admits the original Mirror’s Edge had some problems but overall sales have been more than most people think.

Mirror’s Edge was a part of EA’s quest to create original intellectual properties near the end of 2008 along with Dead Space.

Soderlund didn’t have any details regarding new gameplay details, possible release dates or which consoles will support the game.

Read [VideoGamer] Also Read [Total Video Games]

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What Kojima’s “Next” website didn’t reveal, may be what a listing at GamesPress has revealed.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (Xbox 360 and PS3) and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP) are currently listed on the games journalist’s resource site with the release date of 2010. Not much to go on admittedly, but when one clicks further, one gets a press release for Lords of Shadow dated back in 2008 from Leipzig and some concept art.

Developed by Madrid-based Mercury Steam, Lords of Shadow is a stunning new action-adventure IP, boasting an incredible level of visual detail and far-ranging gameplay. Set in Southern Europe during the middle ages, Lords of Shadow has beautifully-realised locales that play host to an epic battle between good and evil. This is a story of one man’s journey to discover the true meaning of sacrifice amidst murder and betrayal.

Best described as a dark fairy tale, Lords of Shadow casts the player as the mysterious Gabriel. At its heart it is a vast third-person-viewed adventure, but combat and puzzle solving also play a major part in the main quest, while dark artifacts can be used to enhance Gabriel’s powers.

Lords of Shadow also utilises a unique multi-functional weapon system called the Combat Cross, wherein Gabriel’s favored armament can serve a multitude of purposes. For ranged attacks, an extendible chain can cause major carnage but also grip enemies, for melee the Combat Cross™ can be extended into a stabbing weapon, or changed into a heavier night stick style device for defensive capabilities.

With a play area that spans forest glades, underground catacombs and snowy wastelands, Lords of Shadow is a key title for Konami. It represents the most ambitious offering from the European Product Planning department to date, with the beautiful visuals married to fine-tuned gameplay that features a wide range of monstrous enemies and huge, screen-filling boss creatures.

Uh, did everyone miss something or is this just a database error?

Whatever the case may be, that’s still not all. Metal Gear Rising is also on the list. What’s interesting is that the game is doesn’t look to be an Xbox 360 exclusive with PC and PlayStation 3 also listed under systems. There is no release date yet and only the press release from today’s show which you’ve probably already saw/read. It’s not official, but there’s some hope for the PlayStation fanboy frontlines.

Read [Joystiq] Also [Kotaku] Also [Gamertell]

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After all of this time, the viral site’s countdown has ended and for good. What was reveled is the Kojima Productions E3 2009 gateway site that will unfold all the company’s announcements.

So far, we know of at least one announcement, Metal Gear Rising starring newly-fan favorite, cyborg-ninja awesomeness Raiden. Details on the game are scarce at the moment but will certainly be revealed as E3 2009 continues. What we do know is that it will be the first Metal Gear title to be released on the Xbox 360. PlayStation fans, I know you are scorned but sit tight, your time is coming (maybe).

As for the “Mask” site, that’s still a mystery. The site reveals a slightly more beaten up mask and that’s the only change so far. Look for that to change soon as well… we hope.

So was it worth it Kojima fans? Was the wait worth the unveil?

Site [Kojima Productions] Read [Gamertell]

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Sony has to come out swinging at E3 2009. It still lags behind the Xbox 360 and Wii even after having two and a half years to catch up. As the excitement for E3 started to build we started to see a renewed dedication to the PSP from Sony. Big titles including LittleBigPlanet, Rock Band Unplugged and Assassin’s Creed were announced for the handheld. We expect some big PSP announcements from Sony as well as some others that will guarantee Sony steals the show.

Let’s take a look at some of our most anticipated announcements from Sony at E3 2009.

PSP Go!

For several weeks rumors have been swirling constantly about a redesigned PSP. This new PSP would have more than just a brighter screen and a thinner frame - it would take the PSP in a whole new direction. The rumors say the PSP Go! will ditch the UMD drive in favor of internal storage in 8GB and 16GB flavors. Patapon 2 was recently released and it can only be downloaded online. Sony said it was a test to see how the public would respond. Shortly afterwards Unbound Saga was revealed to be released digitally as well. We expect Sony to finally use the full potential of the PSP to send it into direct competition with the DS(i) and iPhone. We also are anticipating a lot of original PSP Go! games that will take advantage of the new hardware. Maybe that game rental service will be mentioned as well.

PS3 Price Drop

It’s no secret that the PS3’s biggest disadvantage is its price. The Wii and Xbox 360 sit at price points below $300 but Sony continues to carry the $400 price tag. It can no longer hide behind the idea that it’s the cheapest Blu-ray player anymore because it isn’t. We expect Sony to announce a price drop between $50 and $100. Hopefully some new bundles will also accompany the price drop to make it more appealing to consumers that haven’t taken the plunge.

New Firmware Update

What’s a big Sony announcement without firmware? Every now and then Sony gives us a few neat features but they have never been as groundbreaking as the New Xbox Experience. In fact there are still some things the Xbox 360 can do that the PS3 can’t such as chatting across games. It’ll be great if during Sony’s press conference we’re told of exciting new firmware features and that it’s available to download at that very moment.

PS3 Slim

This just may be wishful thinking but we like to dream big. A little while ago images of what looked to be a slim version of the PS3 was leaked on the internet. Shortly after we all picked up on it cease - and - desist letters were sent out demanding the images be taken down. The PS2 didn’t see a redesign until its fourth year of existence and the PS3 has only been out for two and a half years. Again this is probably the least possible announcement we’ll hear but E3 always makes us expect the unexpected.

Unannounced Exclusive Games

A console is only as good as the games that are on it. This year Sony has some big guns with God of War 3 and Uncharted 2. These are games that can only be played on PS3 and Sony needs more of these. We’re expecting some big unannounced games to get their debut. Most notably Team ICO’s new game. If the leaked video of Project TRICO is true we just may hear more about what is has to offer at E3. Sony fans are also holding on to hope that Hideo Kojima’s next game is exclusive to the PS3.

E3 is a pretty big deal at Sony Headquarters this year and it desperately needs to gain sturdy ground moving into the holiday season. We’ll see how close we were when E3 kicks off next week (June 2-4, 2009).

Read [Gamertell]

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What initially started out as a pipe dream is starting to turn into something with a little more fidelity. A few weeks ago images of a slim downed PS3 console that came from a Chinese company were uncovered by Engadget. The site then received cease-and-desist letters from the company asking them to take down the images because they contained confidential information.

A source within Ars Technica and VG247 now say the PS3 slim is very real and will be on store shelves Fall 2009.

The source says the slim console won’t be announced at E3 2009 because Sony wants to sell the units that are currently on shelves. Once that supply starts to dwindle the company is expected announce the new slim model. This model also could also usher in a PS3 price cut if we assume that smaller yet just as powerful technology is present in the PS3 slim which will help cut down on development costs. Sony just may pass the savings on to the consumer.

Ars Technica’s source is reportedly the same person who broke stories on the Patapon 2 digital release, the Xbox 360 price cuts and different Xbox 360 bundles.

Read [Ars Technica] Also Read [VG247]

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Now that you are sick of reading the word “countdown,” here’s what the timer on the mysterious Kojima Productions “Next” website ticked down to another timer. This one is set to expire roughly around May 30, 2009. This is why I love Kojima Productions. As soon as Lost ends, they come bring this website on to cater to our need for crazy crackpot theories and over-analyzing.

The Flash video on site has gone from windy and ominous to the freak storm is right on top of us. Complete with lightning bolts, thunder, and rain the rolling clouds from before have turned to dark gray and slow-moving. The flashes of lightning this time bring the phrase “@ E3” one symbol at a time. 

Earlier today, Joystiq got wind that the next issue of Famitsu magazine is set to unveil a new Metal Gear game for a PlayStation platform. Guess when the issue is set to arrive? That’s right, May 30, 2009. This would line things up nicely for the mysterious website to actually be a new Metal Gear game and not the survival-horror mystery game that I was hoping for. Maybe next time Mr. Kojima? Of course, this could all be a ruse too and while Kojima Productions may be unveiling a new Metal Gear game inside Famitsu, they are also planning to unveil something else too. But that’s reaching for hope.

In case you lost your detective notepads, here are the clues thus far:

• The first countdown page gave us the number “5” whenever a flash of lightning hit.
• Now we have the symbols for “@ E3”

The simple deduction would be: “5 @ E3” which lends further credence to this being Metal Gear Solid 5. If this is true, with Solid Snake supposedly retired from action (if not dead by now), what is Mr. Kojima planning to do with the series now? Raiden’s story maybe? How about a little back story for Drebin? Or maybe the cast is out for a picnic and a storm suddenly ruins their day causing one of the members to hatch a plan for world domination with the ultimate goal of ridding all storms from the world so they can have a decent picnic? I’d play it.

Site [Kojima Productions] Read [Joystiq] Also Read [Gamertell]

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