Thu, 02 Jun 2005 11:11:33 AM10 http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Nintendo-to-give-Revolution.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Nintendo Co. Ltd. plans to announce the price, launch date and other details for its next-generation game console by the end of the year, its president said on Thursday. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Top-Games-at-Electronic.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM AP - There's an old saying in the video game business: just because a game looks good doesn't mean it's fun to play. We roamed the sprawling halls of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo and found these standouts from the hundreds of new games being previewed. In most cases, it was the gameplay, not the graphics, that had us hooked. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Video-game-makers-seek-more.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Deanna Lockard is not a gamer, at least not anymore. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Game-developers-calling-on.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - When people think of video gaming on the go, the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP come to mind, but smaller devices are becoming bigger competitors as mobile phones tap into fast new networks. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Korean-Firm-a-Force-in-US.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM AP - Four years ago, mentioning NCsoft Corp. likely would have drawn blank stares from even the most dedicated U.S. video game player. At the time, the South Korean maker of massively multiplayer online games, in which tens of thousands of gamers can simultaneously inhabit virtual worlds, had smash hits in Asia including "Lineage." Then two brothers from Austin, Texas, got involved. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/New-consoles-raise-stakes-for.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - The bright side of dying a horrible death in a video game is that resurrection is only a button hit away, but for game developers facing a steep upward spiral in costs, there may not be room for a second bad move. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Nintendo-Joins-Battle-of-New.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM AP - Let the battle for the digital den begin — again. Nintendo Co. on Tuesday was the last of the three major video game console makers to preview its next-generation system, called Revolution. The Japanese company had a tiny surprise, too. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Game-makers-look-to-widen.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM SiliconValley.com - LOS ANGELES - The video game industry seems to be getting serious about its ambition to overtake Hollywood as a prime source of entertainment. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Everything-Bad-author-taps.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Video game junkies, rejoice. Reality TV fans, stop feeling guilty. Pop culture is good for you, and it must be true because it says so in a book. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Video-games-rest-thumbs-with.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Drums, hand signals and cell phones are just a few of the ways that gamers will play video games as the industry tries to wean people away from mashing buttons on a control pad. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Vivendis-Profit-Triples-in.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM AP - Vivendi Universal SA, one of Europe's biggest media companies, said Thursday its first-quarter earnings tripled, helped by lower tax and interest payments and a turnaround in its music and video games business. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Jump-on-board-this-Maximum.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM USATODAY.com - Fights and flights are non-stop in James Patterson'sMaximum Ride. The short chapters appeal to the limited attention span of many of today's teens. The writing is visual and cinematic - things that kids expect from their video games, TV cartoon shows and action movies. And the ending leaves plenty of wiggle room for a sequel. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Vivendi-profit-beats.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Vivendi Universal posted forecast-beating first-quarter operating profit on Thursday, helped by music hits from 50 Cent and Scissor Sisters and a better-than-expected performance by its Canal Plus pay-TV unit. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Square-Enix-says-200506-to-be.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Square Enix Co. Ltd., publisher of the popular Final Fantasy game series, said on Wednesday that the current business year would be one of investment ahead of the launches of next-generation game consoles. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/EA-looks-to-expand-as-new.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Racing to supply video games for the next generation of consoles, Electronic Arts Inc., the largest game software publisher, on Wednesday said it would step up its hiring and investment even after a period of fast and costly growth. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Microsoft-lifts-a-few-pages.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Microsoft Corp., which is trying to unseat gaming market leader Sony Corp. (6758.T), said on Wednesday the Japanese consumer electronics maker has lost some of the advantages that made its PlayStation gaming machine a top-selling video game console. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Activision-sees-about-four.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Video game publisher Activision Inc. plans to have about as many games for the launch of the new PlayStation 3 as it will for the forthcoming Xbox 360, the president of the company's publishing division said on Wednesday. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Power-outage-mars-start-of.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - It is hard to hold a video game trade show during a power failure, as attendees of the Electronic Entertainment Expo learned the hard way on Wednesday, just as the show was getting underway. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Sony-says-rival-Xbox-not.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:29 AM Reuters - Sony Corp. on Tuesday said it would beat Microsoft Corp. in the battle of the next generation of video game machines with advanced technology that would outweigh its rival's early start with its Xbox 360. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Japanese-rivals-Sony-Nintendo.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM AFP - Japanese companies Sony and Nintendo have come out fighting in the computer games wars barely a week after Microsoft went on the attack by unveiling its next-generation console. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Walk-down-memory-lane.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM With all the hype around the big consoles, there's one attraction that stands out. If you go to the lower level expo floor at E3 you'll find some of the smaller companies. CD cleaners, accessory designers, and a mini museum of the classics. Here are some pics, courtesy of Jason C. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Spore-Site-Open.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Spore easily generated the largest buzz out of everything shown at GDC in March. Now the site's finally up and limited screenings of the game have begun behind closed doors here at E3. Don't ignore the flash intro movie -- that's basically the demo that Will Wright gave at GDC. All of the important gameplay elements are there. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-More-on-Civ-IV.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Here's another screenshot of Civilization IV, and some more dope about the game that Firaxis games promises will be even more addicting than the original. faster pace: remember how the early years of a Civilization map tend to blow by, but the years approaching 2050 can take what seems like hours? Firaxis promises "streamlined" gameplay for a "faster" experience. easier interface: Firaxis promises an interface that will be familiar and easy for veterans and http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Odama-turns-strategy-on.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM This thing better come out for the DS, or I'll whine more than usual. Odama is a pinball strategy war game. That's right. Mountains are bumpers, buildings are power-ups and two massive flippers protect your troops until you give the marching orders. The point of the level I played was to get the soldiers to the top of the screen where a big wooden door protects the enemy's fort. The enemy troops are trying to push a marker down the screen and into your territory. You need to do http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Wedding-bells-are-ringing-at.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM We just witnessed a proposal gone right in the press room. Why anyone would propose in the press room is a mystery, but to each his own. The guy just barked out "Hey guys, she said yes!" and the room applauded. Hey, press have heart too. Apparently, someone else had a successful go at it earlier today at the Nintendo booth. It may actually be a good strategy. Bring the woman to E3, tire her out with two days of bumping up against her other options, and spring the question. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Nintendo-Revolution-prototype.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Joystiq and Engadget got our grubby fingers on the Nintendo Revolution box (yes, the one behind the locked door in the secret room guarded by a beefy muscleman). We picked it up, we played with the buttons, we poked, we prodded, and we slipped a CD into it. Oops! We weren't supposed to do that. Guess what happened? The CD just fell into the box. No mechanism grabbed the edge of the CD and pulled it in slowly, even though the box was plugged in. The CD just slid in cleanly and quickly http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Miyamoto-interview-on-IGN.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM IGN recently caught up with Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto. The iconic developer fielded a number of questions ranging from the Revolution to the future of the DS to Mario 128 and Metroid Prime 3. You can probably predict the kind of answers the interviewers received. Yep, in typical Nintendo fashion, Miyamoto danced and he danced and he danced some more. Sigh, next year it is http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Yay-snow-flake-blow-rails.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Bill Spieth, Creative Director for Frog City Software (a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive), gave us a little taste of Snow, a game in which players move up from small-time pot smuggling to major cocaine overlord. Spieth's bosses told him that they wanted "edgy" so Snow was born. In it, players become Johnny Morrell, a washed-up actor who's decided to make his money the old fashioned way: illegally. Players start by smuggling in small quantities of loco weed from Mexico and http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Xbox-360-price-higher-than.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Sure, it's just speculation based on the ramblings of a few Goldman Sachs analysts, but it's enough to raise our eyebrows. The old boys have predicted that Microsoft will move about 3 million in the December quarter, with demand exceeding supply. Include the added cost of a hard drive ($30), and Goldman Sachs predicts that the initial retail price will be higher than expected--likely topping the $300 mark. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Nintendo-part-two.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Nintendo's booth also has a lineup of DS consoles where people can play multiplayer Metroid. If you've played the demo you've seen it all, but it is cool to be able to just sit down and bash heads. On the tech side they're showing off DSpeak, an IP phone tech that seems to work really well. If you want, you can sit down and talk to pretty people via a vid conference setup (the voice is done with the DS). Fast and clear are the words of the day, but there's no way http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/IGN-preview-Quake-4.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Quake 4 picks up after Quake 2. Don't worry if you've never played Quake 2, or more likely, don't remember the story. IGN have a quick recap for you. As if plot actually matters. For the first time in a Quake game, you actually have a name. Matthew Kane. A good, solid name... Doesn't exactly inspire awe though, does it? I mean as game names go, Tommy Vercetti, you know what you're getting. Matthew Kane, not so much. Of course, none of that will matter when http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Sony--E3---Live-PlayStation-3.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM It took a little wrangling since we didn't have an appointment, but we managed to blag our way into the backroom where Sony had three genuine PlayStation 3 consoles on display. Click on for a bunch more pics. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Xbox-360---Final-Fantasy-XI.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM "Exactly the same." That's what Square Enix representatives answered when asked about the upcoming version of FFXI for the Xbox 360. Of course, this is not entirely true, as the team has added support for HD resolutions. But for gamers hoping for a major overhaul, you're out of luck. The latest FFXI port was initially designed for the original Xbox, but complications involving PlayOnline and the Xbox Live services left the game dead in the water. Now, an agreement has been http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/1UP-Loves-Katamari.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM 1UP get up close and personal with everyones favourite ball rolling game. Specifically with the co-op mode, which, of course, they got to do at E3. *yawn* Two players control one, yes, one katamari, with each player controller half of it. So teamwork is imperative. Well, unless you like bugging your fellow player by refusing to go in their direction. Ah, to be seven again... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Star-Wars-Battlefront-2.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM LucasArts revealed that Battlefront 2 would be released for the PSP alongside its console counterparts. The portable version will be developed by Savage Entertainment and will feature stripped-down one-player "mini" campaigns. You'll take the role of a Rebellion smuggler, mercenary for hire, or an Imperial soldier. And of course, what would Battlefront by without multiplayer? The PSP version is reported to support both competitive and co-op play via wireless networking. Sadly, http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Viewtiful-Joe-DS---E3.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM IGN recently got a hands-on look at the Viewtiful Joe DS demo debuting at E3. They were impressed. The game takes advantage of the touch screen in unique and refreshing ways, offering new hope for the future of Nintendo's wayward handheld. At its core the DS version is the same old Joe fans have come to cherish. But players will quickly notice that the VFX abilities have undergone a complete overhaul: "Players, for example, can literally split the scene on the lower screen, http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Next-gen-Indiana-Jones-in-the.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM LucasArts announced the development of a new Indiana Jones title for next-gen consoles. While the company promised an "unforgettable story-driven adventure" with "incredibly realistic, detailed environments that will span the globe", it also cited a 2007 release. Ouch! We'll have more info for you in a year or so... [Thanks, Eddie] http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Nintendo-booth-has-a-lot.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM There are two things that stand out about the Nintendo booth. One, it's the best booth of the three consolers. The lineup of digital signs looks good from every angle, and the layout lets you see everything quick and easy. Two, there are a lot of new titles coming out for the DS. At long last. Yeah, we hear about the big flood of titles. It's always just around the corner. But when you see it, you have to believe it. People may have been a little disappointed about the sparse http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/PS3-vs-Xbox-360.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM This didn't take long. An article looking at the big street fight coming between Sony and Microsoft over who dominates your living room. It has some blurb regarding the graphical power of the systems. Both systems, graphically, are going to kick the PC's ass for a while. That much is sure. The article also notes that the PS3 controller, let's not mince words here, looks a bit crap. To me, it also looks like people with smaller hands may have a problem using it. Of course, unlike http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/NeoGeo-Pocket-emulator-for.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Not all of the breaking news is coming out of LA this week. Somewhere out there, holed-up in a dark basement, good ole' fashioned hackers have completed the first NeoGeo Pocket emulator for the PSP--a port of NeoPop. You can download it here. [Thanks, wraggster] http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-More-pics-from-the-floor.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Batman! While it's great to see the Batmobile, it would be even better to see a fine Batman game. Hopefully I'll find the latest BM effort somewhere in this maze. The E3 floor is as crazy today as it was yesterday. Don't these people get tired? Here are some shots of our tireless peers in their seventh heaven. We just can't get over the EA booth. Okay, okay, no more shots. Promise. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Burnout-Revenge-screenshot.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM One thing is apparent if you've seen any arcade racing games at E3. Burnout has a lot to answer for. Similar effects. Similar graphical styles. In short, Burnout 3 was a pivotal point in the development of arcade racers, and if you're going to copy, you may as well do it from the head of the class. Now comes the next chapter. Burnout Revenge. Gamespot have screenshots. Lots of carnage, captured for your amusement. Sadly, it's impossible to know at this stage if Revenge will http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Xbox-360-faceplate-trading-on.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM The New Zealand Herald is reporting that limited edition faceplates for the yet-to-be-released Xbox 360 are being auctioned on eBay. At least one such auction is closing in a matter of minutes. The bidding began at 1 cent and has climbed to a staggering $242.50 (plus $5.00 in shipping)--three minutes to go. The E3 '05 tagged plate somehow wound-up in Phoenix, AZ. Go figure. UPDATE: Sold! Congrats, "alucards_soul". You just paid $271.60 for a (useless) piece of plastic. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Tabula-Rasa-at-E3.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Excuse us for a moment while we wax philosophical. Tabula Rasa, when it's not a proper noun referring to the new MMO by NCsoft, literally means "scraped tablet" or blank slate. According to the philospher John Locke, tabula rasa represented the idea that all human minds are a blank slate at birth with no pre-programmed behaviors and therefore each individual is free to author his own destiny. John Locke would have probably liked the MMO genre, because all players enter a given http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Enemy-Territory---Quake.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Every developer makes their in-development game look better to the public than it actually is. The Killzone 2 discussion going on in the community right now is that the "gameplay" footage is questionable. Is the hardware really able to deliver that kind of gaming quality? If not, is it it false advertising? My bottom line is that all three consolers had a chance to put their best foot forward and Sony's stride was stronger. Even compared to MS' best cutscenes, Killzone is a http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Nyko--E3---Theater-Experience.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Nyko joined the fray of PSP speaker devices with their Theater Experience, a more unusual hybrid of case, charger, stand, and speaker setup. Not a bad system for the 80 bones they're asking, but we keep trying to think of a place we could make use of this, and we're a hard time picturing it (no pun intended). So howsabout you think of it as a case + battery pack with some bonus speakers just in case (also no pun intended), yeah? http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/The-Movies.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Peter Molyneux. The man is a legend. With a lot of the hype around Black White 2, The Movies has been largely ignored. Not anymore, thankfully. The Movies puts you in charge of a movie studio. (DUH!) Ordinarily not that interesting, but this is Molyneux we're talking about here. Not since Stunt Island has a game revolved around making movies on the PC, as far as I'm aware. Far too long. We can only hope the "slap" move from Dungeon Keeper makes it into the game, so you http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Aerosoft--E3---The-train.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM We still can't figure out what it is about menial-labor simulations that's just so fun (you know how we dotcommers long for the old days when people actually had to work), but we had to stop stop it up when we peeped Aerosoft's train sim. Not quite as slick as the Japanese versions we've seen around and about, but it still super reminded us of playing with a train set when we're kids. Except we never really had to worry before about hitting cars or missing schedules on http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Xbox-360-not-so-backward.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM With all the talk of Xbox 360 being backward compatible comes word that it's not quite so backward compatible after all. Xbox titles will have to be recompiled to work on the new hardware, with Halo apparently being very high on the priority list. This could leave people in the position of having to buy their software titles again, just to take advantage of this "feature". UPDATE: Microsoft has responded with the following: "The story is incorrect and is misleading a lot http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Game-Boy-Micro-vs-Game-Boy.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Wanna know just how micro the screen on Nintendo's new Game Boy Micro really is? Reader "gameduck" just sent in this graphic he created comparing the size of the Micro's screen with that of the Game Boy Advance SP (he based it on the size of the GBM's cartridge slot--turns out paying attention in math class has its advantages). Let's just say that if you've got beef with the screen on the Game Boy Advance SP then you're probably not going to be happy with http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Live-from-E3-Day-Three.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Day Three! Here's our recap of yesterday's coverage: Interview The Engadget Joystiq Interview: Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Hardware Picture the Revolution A Funny PS3 Shot Nintendo @ E3: Hands on with the Game Boy Micro Nokia @ E3 - N-Gage capable smartphones E3 floor show coverage Games City of Villains Site Launched with Details Sonic Rush on the Nintendo DS is two screens of blue Ridiculously hi-res DOA4 movie More Metal Gear http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/eMagin--E3---Z800-3D-Visor.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM The prototype we spotted back at CES was bit rough around the edges, but eMagin was showing off a new version of their Z800 3D Visor wearable virtual reality display, which sports a pair of 16.7 million color, 0.59-inch OLED displays which make it seem like you're standing 12 feet away from a 105-inch screen. Wearable displays are nothing special these days (we've gotten enough headaches to know that all too well), but the real gem here is that they've combined 3D stereovision http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Auto-Assault-Runs-Bartertown.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM NCsoft's booth featured a playable version of Auto Assault, the post-apocalyptic, vehicle-based MMO that's being touted as the "fastest, most descructive MMO ever." Think Mad Max, replace Tina Turner with mutants, and throw in a monthly fee and you've got Auto Assault, a massively multiplayer therapy session for America's raging, but frustrated road warriors. Gameplay looks smooth, but some of the RPG elements seem clunky and out of place. Why would anyone roam http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Nokia--E3---N-Gage-capable.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Nokia's booth at E3 seemed a little lonely compared with the thronging masses found elsewhere on the show floor, but we did spot a demo of four tricked out smartphones (from left to right, the 6630, the 6680, the 3230, and the N70) that looked like they were running that new N-Gage mobile gaming platform they announced earlier today. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Nintendo--E3-Hands-on-with.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM They didn't have a Nintendo Revolution lying around, but we did have a chance to get up close and personal with the brand new Game Boy Micro. Very slick little package, but that squint-inducing LCD screen is definitely pushing the limits of how small a screen on a portable game console can get and still be useable. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-The-stuff-that-catches-our.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM I have a bet that I can get through one day without posting a pic of any booth babes. It's been tough, but I'm going to win that five bucks if it kills me. Just to make things harder, may we present to you some of the eye-catchers on the floor. No booth babe shots allowed. For now Watching Ghost Recon 3. Those seats are worth their weight in gold. Uncomfortable men. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Call-of-Duty-2-for-Xbox.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Underneath the Xbox 360 booth are actual 360 games, including a Call of Duty 2 demo, being played by a trained professional. No one else can touch the egg-white controller, lest Jon, the mild mannered security guy gets on their butt. I had just pulled out my camera when he pointed to the "No pictures" sign. Oh well, this is what it looks like on the 360 though. Yeah, it's a press pic. Yeah, it really looks like that. If you can imagine a camera view that shakes with every http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Quake-4-is-already-big.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Sure, it's only a game clip. But it's twenty feet tall and it makes my knees buckle. The Quake 4 clip running at E3 is a sight to behold. High-rez graphics at that size make me believe in the HD era, if only for a moment. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Xbox-360-booth-looks-like-Obi.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Microsoft's Xbox 360 booth is huge. The design is so central to the whole room that it feels like all other booths were built around it. The pseudo-building is a swanky affair, with a long walkway to a second story where invite-only folks get to eat free food and get the same press packets everyone else does. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Return-of-the-King-Of-weird.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Jeff Minter, the standard bearer for quirky games from long, long ago, is back, courtesy of Microsoft. In the Commodore 64 days, Jeff Minter produced a piece of software called Psychedelia. It was a light synthesizer. A friend and I would spend long hours, creating animations (on a black and white TV no less, thus negating a lot of the attractiveness) synced to music. We would record them in real time, save them, then start both tape and program at the same time, and enjoy an extremely http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Brothers-in-Arms-2-Gets-a-Name.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM I was saying to Allison, yesterday, that Brother in Arms is one of those games that the further you get away from it the more you realize how good it is. Back in March, we reported that Ubisoft had another... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Xbox-360-Backwards-Compatible.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM In an article today at GamesIndustry, the Xbox 360's backwards compatibility is explained, well, somewhat explained. The problem is that the current Xbox uses Intel and Nvidia. The Xbox 360 will use IBM PowerPC and ATI. Hmm? What to do?... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/LBs-E3-Game-Trailer-Round-Up.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Here at Lunabean.com, we're suckers for the game trailer. Since E3 provides the time and the place where the most game trailers are released to the public, it would be a shame not to share those trailers with you. Of... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Star-Wars-Episode-III.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM I am pleased to announce that the LB Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Walkthrough and Strategy Guide is complete! The guide covers all 17 single player levels, details the locations of all of the secrets, and offers... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Indiana-Jones-Next-Gen-Game.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Lucas-Arts yesterday announced a new Indiana Jones game for the next-generation consoles. Tentatively due out in 2007, and initially developed by Lucas Arts, the game promises a big improvement over previous Indiana Jones games, which we all know were somewhere... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Grand-Theft-Auto-Liberty-City.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Rockstar Games has announced Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, exclusively for the Sony PSP, for gamers in both the US and Europe. While I'm not impressed with the fact that the game is being shown by "invitation only" at... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Castlevania-Game-Announced.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM Konami has today announced its Castlevania franchise will make its debut on the Xbox this fall with Castlevania: Curse of Darkness. While previous Castlevania titles have focused on the battle between Dracula and the Belmont clan, Curse of Darkness will... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Lunabean-Video-Game-Radio--.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM LISTEN NOW (MP3, 31MB, 33 Minutes) SUBSCRIBE (RSS Feed) In this special E3 edition we discuss all of the big E3 happenings including the latest news on the Xbox 360, Sony PS3, and the Nintendo Revolution. We also fill you... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/PS3-Under-500.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM When Sony tells us the PS3 is going to have 35 times the power of the PS2, we become both excited and fearful. We're excited for obvious reasons. We're fearful for the potential price tag of this puppy. There has... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Legend-of-Zelda-Twilight.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 7:07:30 AM I love everything about E3. However, I think what I love most about E3 is the inevitable release of new Zelda news. Whether an announcement of a new Zelda game, the showing off of one Nintendo announced months ago, or... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Black--White-2-peek-makes.htm Fri, 20 May 2005 9:09:03 AM A lot of us have been looking forward to Black White 2 for a long time. The original was a love-it-or-hate-it affair. Lovers loved the open-endedness and sandbox feeling. Haters hated the open-endedness and sandbox feeling. Around 2 years ago, a truce was drafted between the two camps. It's held since. Black White 2 looks to be an improvement in every way, so the peace may last. Yes, it looks better. It probably sounds better too, but I haven't heard a damn thing for three days http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Products-Placed-Liberally-in.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM AP - As a member of the Elite Operations Division in the video game "True Crime: Streets of LA," the character Nick Kang must find his way to a truck heist at the flagship Puma sportswear store. Lucky for him, he has a Motorola handset with built-in global positioning system technology. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Game-Expo-Features.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM AP - Plenty of gadgets shown at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo had absolutely nothing to do with the next generation of video game consoles from Microsoft Corp., Nintendo Co. and Sony Corp. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Ill-Senate-OKs-Video-Game.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM AP - The Illinois Senate approved a version of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposed restrictions on the sales of violent and sexually explicit video games to children, even though some senators said the idea is unconstitutional. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Trade-flab-for-fit-as-video.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM AFP - "You exercise different muscles, you use muscles that you don't normally use," raves Jay Lynch. No, he's not rolling out a new exercise video: he just played a videogame said to help its fans stay fit. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Best-Buy-Tightens-Procedure.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM AP - Best Buy Co. has a new policy intended to keep children from buying mature video games at the company's stores, including "mystery shoppers" who will make sure clerks are checking IDs. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/US-Army-Invades-E3-PC-World.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM PC World - With helicopters and Humvees, the Army offers a real-life look at its video game. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Power-Macs-run-Xbox-360.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM MacCentral - It's no secret that Microsoft Corp. has seeded key developers of software for its new Xbox 360 video game console specially configured Power Mac G5 systems, and it's no wonder. The Xbox 360 uses a PowerPC CPU just like the Power Mac G5 does. If there was any doubt, all one had to do was look on the show floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles this week. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Nintendo-chief-goes-his-own.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM AFP - In the cut-throat world of computer gaming, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says it pays to be original. If that means taking a risk from time to time, then so be it. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/The-One-Thumb-Gaming.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM The Guardian reports that games requiring just one thumb to play are becoming popular on cell phones and are redefining "playability" on that platform. Notes the Guardian: One-thumb games make important concessions to mobile handset design. It is, after all, often fiddly and uncomfortable to play games that require two hands - or even two fingers. Demanding such dexterity breaks the ethos of mobile phone operating systems, which allow users to carry out complex functions such http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Virtual-Reality-Therapy-May.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM Georgia State University researchers plan to test whether people who are afraid to speak in public can be treated or eased of their phobia via virtual reality technology. The researchers hypothesize that having the phobic deliver speeches in front of virtual crowds will make delivering them in front of real crowds easier. [Via Mikes List] http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/CNN-Calculates-The-Cost-of.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM CNN is predicting that it's going to cost $1,710 to experience "next-gen" gaming with the Xbox 360. Here's how they figure: $399: Xbox 360 Console (CNN says that this next generation is likely to come in at $100 more than previous generation-consoles) $59.99: a single, top-shelf game (Publishers have been quoted as saying that their best titles are likely to cost $5 to $10 more than current-generation blockbuster titles) $1000: a HD capable http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/AP-Products-Placed-Liberally.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM Motorola, Puma, Pizza Hut, Ericsson, Jeep, Chrysler: they're all advertising their wares in games, sometimes requiring players to interact with their products in order to advance to the next level. It's all part of the in-game advertising trend that we've been watching closely here at Joystiq, and which is finally gaining traction in the mainstream media. And you know once they get their hands on it the trend only tends to accelerate. This could actually be good for http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Live-from-E3-Day-Five--.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM And that was that: after five overstimulating days of getting zero sleep and dodging people on the overcrowded show floor, we've reached the final day of E3. Team Engadget and Team Joystiq are on their way back to NYC (where Vlad can finally get a decent piece of pizza), but here's a roundup of what we saw yesterday, as well as links to our coverage from earlier in the week: Hardware: E3: Walk down memory lane Revolution to make true debut at Space World? Gizmondo hits North http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Microsoft-takes-a-look-at-the.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM Major Nelson has an exhaustive look at the specs of the PS3 vs. 360. Microsoft engineers sat down and took a look at what Sony placed on the table. Sure, the engineers are biased -- they made the 360 after all. But we're sure y'all will call them on any spinning. The four parter breaks down the battle by CPU, GPU and bandwidth. I'll leave it to the pros out there to make heads or tails out of it, but Major's conclusion wraps it up with a well-mannered glove in Sony's http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Culture-Geek-Chic.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM There's a ton to say on the culture of E3, so this post will capture just one little component of it: the wacky T-shirts that just scream "I'm a geek, and proud of it." The Joystiq cultural anthropologist says: "The specimen sporting this shirt is not only proud of his so-called geekiness, but also of his general lack of magnetism when it comes to members of the opposite sex. This magnetic deficiency manifests itself via a surfeit of flesh and the subject's mere http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Nintendo--E3---DSpeak-VoIP.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM This is still just a concept demo, but it is a working demo: DSpeak is basically Voice over IP calling using the wireless capabilities of the Nintendo DS. Using a connected headphone/microphone, DSpeak allows you to hold conversations with other DS users via WiFi, and the audio quality is reportedly "perfectly fine, as good as a mobile phone." Plus, you get little Mario and Wario icons moving their mouths when you speak -- come on, Vonage, how you gonna beat that? The software itself http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Another-Xbox-360-vs-PS3.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM This time, the UK's Guardian newspaper gets in on the comparison. It gives a pretty good technical breakdown of the respective systems. Of course, we all know that consoles do not live on tech specs alone. While one console being able to throw around a thousand more megatriplethunderhappyfunflops than the other is cool and all, it's the games that make or break it. Still, sure is fun to drool. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Mistwalkers-Xbox-360-RPG-duo.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM Ex-Square/Enixer, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and his newly founded Mistwalker studio debuted two impressive titles, both for the Xbox 360, at this year's E3. Lost Odyssey follows the exploits of a 1000-year-old man during a mystical industrial revolution. While Blue Dragon is intended for a younger audience and features original monsters crafted by Akira Toriyama. Both RPGs and in fact, the alliance with Mistwalker, are Microsoft's attempt to crack the Japanese RPG market. Unfortunately both http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Indie-game-roundup.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM While the big guns are playing at E3, let's give some appreciation to that underrated mammal, the independent game developer. Surviving on wit, instinct, and a diet of caffeine and pizza, there is some great stuff out there, if you have a look beyond the multi-million glitz and glamour. Sure, you're not going to get ducks falling into a tub of water, or the bouncing breasts of the DOA girls, or even a handheld console the size of a wasp. You will get a look at some cracking games, http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Revolution-to-make-true-debut.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM According to Nintendo VP of corporate affairs, Perrin Kaplan, the real Revolution will debut before E3 2006. In the past, Nintendo has hosted Space World as a platform to unveil new hardware and software. Traditionally, these events have been held in August, and Miyamoto admitted that a new Space World is under consideration. Most curious of all, of course, is the mysterious controller. Presumably, the device will be capable of handling all past Nintendo system controls. Wouldn't it be http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/E3-Preview-of-ZatchBell.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM ZatchBell! caught our eye because at first glance it appeared to feature little kids fighting each other. There's something hilarious about watching a little girl in a typical Japanese school uniform uppercut a little boy with such force that it sends him flying across the screen. Supposedly the little kids are actually "mamodo" (some kind of powerful creature from the demon world) but come on: they look like kids, they're animated like kids, and they quack like kids. http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Wired-Exclusive-Interview.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM Spore's the buzzed-about game of the moment. Wired news interviews its creator, Will Wright, the man behind the best-selling PC game franchise The Sims. Wired didn't score any new screenshots, but the questions they've asked Wright elicit some interesting answers, including some great information about the technology behind the game: And that is what gives the content high compressibility, because every piece of content can be defined parametrically. Every piece of http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/WRC-Rally-Evolution.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM You have to be a special brand of crazy to be a rally driver. It's one thing to race on lovely, smooth asphalt. It's another entirely to hurtle along a dirt path at 100mph, knowing two inches off the line are thousands of trees, just waiting to greet your car with enthusiasm. Rallying is huge across most of the rest of the planet, but has never really taken hold in North America. The sport, however, is growing. Slowly, but it's growing. WRC Rally Evolution is from Sony and, as http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Live-from-E3-Day-Four--.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:52 AM Just in case you missed any of our E3 coverage yesterday, allow us to make it as easy as jacking a station wagon in Liberty. General: Wedding bells are ringing at E3 E3: Nintendo part two E3: Nintendo booth has a lot of content E3: More pics from the floor Software: E3: Yay, snow, flake, blow, rails, nose candy, toot, white, co-co puff, powder, fluff, sniff... Xbox 360 - Final Fantasy XI details Star Wars Battlefront 2 announced for PSP Viewtiful Joe DS - E3 impressions http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Sony-to-launch-the-PS3.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:53 AM Apparently Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. president Kaz Hirai was quoted in the press as saying the company hadn't yet firmly decided to go the traditional route by launching the PS3 first in Japan. He said they hadn't decided in which "territory" they'll debut the console, and even hinted that they might choose to unleash it on multiple markets at once. If they do go this route, it would be the first time Sony has debuted a console outside of Japan. Maybe http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/SCi-Completes-Acquistion-of.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:53 AM Today is a sad day for Lara Croft, Garret, Agent 47, LEGO Anakin and Obi-Wan, and JC Denton. You see, they had to throw a going away party for all of the Eidos executives who quit the board after it... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/The-Great-Xbox-360-Hoax.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:53 AM While I am completely psyched concerning everything having to do with the Xbox 360, and I have no desire to speak poorly of it in any way, I discovered an article today which concerns me a bit. According to GamesRadar.co.uk,... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Interview-with-Xboxs-J-Allard.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:53 AM If you haven't seen that shiny round head and the endearing grin then you haven't been paying attention to the Xbox 360. J Allard, Executive Vice President for Xbox, is one of the most interesting, and public, figures driving the... http://www.videogames.searchngo.com/Video Games-news/Best-Buy-to-Card-for-Mature.htm Mon, 23 May 2005 4:04:53 AM A lot has been made over the last few years regarding the sale of "M-rated" video games to minors. From various State bills to radical lawyers it seems everybody has an opinion (or in some cases, a vested interest) on...