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The ever churning E3 information mill has revealed details on several upcoming Massive game titles. MMORPG.com has details on Ring of Ryzom, the first expansion for Nevraxs' massive game. Gamespot has details on NCSoft's Tabula Rasa and Cryptic Studios' City of Villains, as well as the new Everquest II content Spirit of Splitpaw and Desert of Flames. Update: 05/20 14:52 GMT by Z : Age of Conan and The Lord of the Rings Online have also been shown off on the expo floor.

Hironobu Sakaguchi elaborated for an issue of Famitsu, and Gamespot reports, on the two upcoming 360 titles that he's been involved with. He discusses details on Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, cluing already interested fans into the bad news that it will be quite a while before they get a chance to take the titles home. From the article: "Sakaguchi revealed that one of the two role-playing games is slated for release within a year from the console's launch, and the other is scheduled to follow within two years. However, he didn't disclose which game would be coming out first."

The Ico sequel Shadow of the Colossus has been showing its stuff on the expo floor since the doors opened on Wednesday. IGN, Gamespot, and Gamespy have looks at the upcoming title. From the Gamespy article: "Following the light from your sword will allow you to locate a colossus, but that doesn't mean your approach will be without difficulty. While Ico was focused on a castle, Shadow is focused on the wider world and its natural features." Update: 05/19 23:40 GMT by Z : 1up.com has a look at the game as well.

The first day of E3 has wrested loose new information from Blizzard about its newer games, and they have a page up with dedicated links to the new content. World of Warcraft is sporting new trailers, wallpaper, screenshots, and a nice look at the capture-the-flag style Warsong Gulch Battleground. Meanwhile, Gabe and Tycho have allowed Nova out of the house, giving Blizz the opportunity to put up a new Starcraft:Ghost web site. The site contains a bevy of gameplay information, including multiplayer combat, psi powers, weaponry, vehicles, wallpapers, screens, art, and trailers. Update: 05/19 08:50 GMT by Z : Gamespot has some hands-on impressions of Ghost for you to check out.

The first day of the E3 show is netting hands-on impressions of some of the most anticipated games of the upcoming year. 1up.com is offering up impressions for the New Super Mario Bros. title for the DS, and We Love Katamari for the PS2. Gamespot has a hands on with the upcoming Firaxis/2K title Civilization IV. Feel the Sid Meier love. From the article: "Civ 4 will finally update the series to a 3D engine. Firaxis is using an updated version of the Gamebryo engine that was used in last year's Sid Meier's Pirates. And yes, the early screens looked a bit muddled, but the game looks a lot cleaner and more beautiful now and in person. You can zoom out and see the entire world (presented as a rotating globe) and see continents, mountain ranges, and forests."

Yesterday's Nintendo press conference was probably the most subdued and honest of the three major events this week. While they didn't have anything really earth-shattering to offer up, the Gameboy Micro, the Revolution's game-downloading capabilities, and the new Zelda Trailer were all welcome news from a company that has been very quiet of late. Commentary, photos, and speculation available from: Nintendo, Engadget, USAToday, GamesIndustry.biz, 1up.com, Gamespot, Cube.IGN, NYT, BBC, Gamasutra, and CNN. Specific coverage on the new Gameboy Micro is available from Gamasutra, GamesIndustry.biz, and CNN. My two cents about Nintendo's conference are available below. Last night I took in G4's E3 coverage, and their discussion of the Nintendo press conference struck a chord with me. This last console cycle, with the Gamecube, Nintendo really missed the boat. The GC wasn't released until many months after the PS2 was already in homes lighting up screens, and their attempts to carve out a market share were always muddled by confusing choices. The most confusing choice of the current generation, by far, was their almost complete refusal to participate in online gaming. While the Xbox sailed by with the Live service and the PS2 limped into the arena with the broadband adapter, the GC quietly sailed on with only Phantasy Star to break up its lonely voyage. At last year's E3 Nintendo very specifically said that they were not going to miss the boat this time. They were going to release the next console right around the same time as the other two companies and make sure their name was out there.

I have high hopes for the Revolution, but to be honest Nintendo's press conference was very underwhelming. Even given that the PS3 isn't going to be on store shelves for another year, what Sony showed on Monday was literally jaw-dropping. Even if there was some liberal use of pre-rendered footage in the presentation, the press conference put on by Sony was designed to fire the imagination and get people excited about the possibilities of the next generation. Nintendo offered us Nintendogs. And a new Game Boy Advanced. Yes, I think that downloading old games onto your Revolution is a cool idea, but a...uh...friend of mine tells me that I can emulate those games on my PC for free.

Perhaps all this is just worrywortism. Nintendo has never failed to be innovative in the past, and their support of the DS and quirky games like Warioware is proof that not everything has to be same-old same-old in this ever more business-like industry. They have more than a year to get their ducks in a row, but I'm afraid that Sony and Microsoft may have already beaten them to the punch. In the end, it's not just about making fun games. You have to sell them too.

GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that the Grand Theft Auto series will see its first foray onto the PSP this Autumn with the title of Liberty City Stories. On a cuter note, Gamespot has word that the Lemmings will be a PSP title sometime later this year. From the article: "Currently in development at Team 17, the PSP version of Lemmings will feature both classic and all-new levels, and will also let you create your own that can be shared with friends. Sony also plans to release its own downloadable content for the game, including new themes and levels." Ahh, fond gamer memories.

Konami's press conference had lots of good news for the Metal Gear Solid fan, reports Gamespot. Three new MGS titles are currently in the works for this and the next generation of consoles. Metal Gear Solid 4 will see the light on Sony's next console, the Playstation 3. Metal Gear Acid 2 is already in development for the PSP, and in the spirit of many of the past MGS titles, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence will offer a remix of the original Snake Eater experience. From the article: "...this content will likely appeal to many who have already played Snake Eater. Foremost, it will feature online multiplayer action, with Kojima saying his team was aiming for a maximum of eight players. The online portion will sport two modes: 'Snake vs. Enemies,' where multiple players hunt down one opponent and 'Team Battle' with multiple players fighting cooperatively."

Gamespot is reporting that a Chinese government official spoke at an E3 conference session. He outlined the explosive growth of online gaming in the nation and discussing future ventures for the growing consumer base. Deputy Director of the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China (gasp) Xiao Wei Kou also spoke to plans to connect the government up with universities and further focus development internal to the Chinese state. From the article: "According to our estimates, there will be more than 300 domestically developed online games in the next five years. And we're in need for more than 20,000 professional game developers. Right now the reality is there are only a few thousand professional developers in China. The lack, especially senior level developers, has become another important bottleneck."

Besides the Micro and some more Revolution details, the Nintendo Press Conference also set our eyes on a new trailer for the upcoming Legend of Zelda title. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, to be precise. Gamespot has a run-down and the trailer. From the article: "Yeah, we'll repeat that for emphasis: in the new Legend of Zelda game, Link will apparently be able to turn into a werewolf. The gameplay effects of this are only hinted at in the new trailer; oddly enough, it appears that Link will have some kind of partner in crime that will actually ride him like a horse while he's in wolf form." Update: 05/18 19:42 GMT by Z : Changed link to Gamespot's more in-depth trailer analysis.

databeam writes "The official Xbox 360 press conference was Monday evening, and an AP article has news that the 360 is backwards compatible, and that Square Enix will be releasing Final Fantasy XI for the console." Coverage also available at Gamespot. From the article: "Along with a firm release date and price point, the other big question surrounding the 360 was backward compatibility with the library of games from the original Xbox. Robbie Bach, senior vice president and chief Xbox officer in the Home and Entertainment Division at Microsoft, made Xbox fans around the world happy when he announced that the 360 will indeed play Xbox games." Mostly. Gamasutra points out that backwards compatibility will be selective, with most but not all of the top selling games supported. Kotaku and the Guardian Gamesblog have firsthand accounts from the event, and to watch the conference for yourself Xbox.com has the footage. Update: 05/18 20:49 GMT by Z : Of course, not all the people there were people, if you catch my meaning.

The PlayStation 3 was unveiled yesterday afternoon in a press conference at Sony Pictures Studio. The event was full of beautiful demonstrations, specifications, and talk of the games of tomorrow. The machine is certainly impressive, with backwards compatibility, support for up to seven Bluetooth controllers, multiple HD signals, and intimate interactions with the PSP. Coverage, screenshots, and specs available from 1up.com, Gamespot, Joystiq, NYT, Voodoo Extreme, Gamespy, BBC, GamesIndustry.biz, Engadget, Anandtech, Kotaku, Gamasutra, and CNN Money. The only downside I see so far? The controller. Update: 05/18 21:35 GMT by Z : Gamespot has up a comprehensive look at the console based on what is known so far.

The PlayStation 3 was unveiled yesterday afternoon in a press conference at Sony Pictures Studio. The event was full of beautiful demonstrations, specifications, and talk of the games of tomorrow. The machine is certainly impressive, with backwards compatibility, support for up to seven Bluetooth controllers, multiple HD signals, and intimate interactions with the PSP. Coverage, screenshots, and specs available from 1up.com, Gamespot, Joystiq, NYT, Voodoo Extreme, Gamespy, BBC, GamesIndustry.biz, Engadget, Anandtech, Kotaku, Gamasutra, and CNN Money. The only downside I see so far? The controller. Update: 05/18 21:35 GMT by Z : Gamespot has up a comprehensive look at the console based on what is known so far.

Square-Enix has released a New Advent Children Trailer for E3, dutifully hosted by Gamespot, and it is by far the most coherent and beautiful so far. You can finally get a sense of the story they're going to be telling, and can catch a glimpse of nearly every character from the game. From the article: "While the end of the trailer displays a date for the North American release, we've been told by Square Enix that they're still in talks with Sony Pictures Entertainment in regards to a release date outside of Japan. However, the release should be close to Japan's September date, so fans in the United States shouldn't have to endure for too much longer to get their Final Fantasy goodness."

theodp writes 'Bill G.'s snagged the cover of this week's Time, which asks the question: Is Microsoft about to do in the living room with the Xbox 360 what it did in the office with Windows? Turn to page 13 in your Book of Xenon, please: 'As the world's software leader, Microsoft is among the best suited to enable and capitalize this transformation. This is our opportunity to lose.' If PlayStation 3 folks are scared, they're not showing it. 'We look at delivering a quantum leap in technology, not just Xbox version 1.5,' quips a Sony spokeswoman.' The story also reveals that the previously discussed rumor about Halo 3 parrying the PS3 launch is accurate.

Gamespot has up a review of Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, examining the game now that it has seen commercial launch in stores. From the article: "Massively multiplayer online puzzle game. Those are the only possible terms you can use to properly describe Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, one of the weirdest and most original puzzle games we've come across in quite a while."

Gamespot is reporting that, on the OurColony.net 360 footage, current generation Xbox titles are viewable being played on the 360 console. From the article: "There is also a screenshot of the new Xbox Live dashboard with the words 'Xbox 1 Zone' clearly marked and an icon of the current Xbox title Fable. Finally, a screenshot of the forthcoming Xbox Live Marketplace clearly shows Halo 2 maps being offered for download. However, while such shots imply backward compatibility, such functionality is not yet official. Microsoft executives have said themselves they cannot address the issue until next Monday's media event at E3--at the earliest."

Gamespot has a look at Soul Caliber III in anticipation of next week's E3. From the article: "Besides the tale of souls mode, your single-player options will include 'chronicle of the sword,' world competition, soul arena, museum, and character creation. Character creation is the mode we're most excited for, because it lets you create an original fighter you can then take to the chronicle of the sword mode to see how he or she fares."

You may or may not have caught the Xbox 360 unveiling on MTV Thursday night, but the internet will provide. A plethora of sites have photos, videos, commentary, specifications, and interviews about the new system. Your fellow readers have pulled together to provide links to: 1up.com, Joystiq, Gamespot, The BBC, CNN, NYT, Gamespy, Team Xbox, Voodoo Extreme, Anandtech, and eToyChest. The official Xbox 360 site opened last night as well for word straight from the source. For more official images Ourcolony.net has been 'solved', and now features an OurColony specific video preview. Finally, for commentary on the event, the Video Game Ombudsman provides an alternative to the press releases. From the post: "Kyle Orland (9:28:42 PM): The future of gaming is a girl in a blue dress? Dan Dormer (9:28:47 PM): The future of gaming is a girl with a bag? Kyle Orland (9:28:57 PM): She's the Xbox! OMG!"

Gamespot has the date for the DVD release for Final Fantasy: Advent Children. The Square-Enix cg animated film will be released on September 14th in both America and Japan. From the article: "The magazine announced that Advent Children will be released on DVD and made no mention of a PSP-friendly Universal Media Disk (UMD) format. A limited-edition package will be arriving on the same date. Details on what bonuses it will include haven't been disclosed yet. In Japan, the normal edition DVD will be priced at 4,800 yen ($45)."

Midway has officially announced the next Unreal Tournament title, naming it UT 2007. Additionally, Gamespot reports on the Conquest mode expected to be a focus of the next title. From the article: "The idea behind conquest is to create huge, expansive levels that take advantage of the engine's new content-streaming technology and use onslaught-style instant transport to jump to hot spots on the map where the action is. Epic apparently feels that one of the greatest strengths of onslaught was the way it could accommodate large groups of players in vehicles but also drive them to congregate around specific areas with the control point system, rather than have them wandering around the map aimlessly."

Midway has officially announced the next Unreal Tournament title, naming it UT 2007. Additionally, Gamespot reports on the Conquest mode expected to be a focus of the next title. From the article: "The idea behind conquest is to create huge, expansive levels that take advantage of the engine's new content-streaming technology and use onslaught-style instant transport to jump to hot spots on the map where the action is. Epic apparently feels that one of the greatest strengths of onslaught was the way it could accommodate large groups of players in vehicles but also drive them to congregate around specific areas with the control point system, rather than have them wandering around the map aimlessly."

Gamespot has word that indeed, the Xbox 360 is finally confirmed for a release this year. What's more, the 360 will probably be released this November. The MTV 360 preview scheduled for later this month has literature which reveals the exact month of the new console's release. From the article: "The listing appears to cement suspicions that the next Xbox will launch on the fourth anniversary of the original Xbox's release in mid-November 2001. However, despite the clear wording of the MTV listing, Microsoft representatives said they could not comment on it for the time being."

Gamespot has an article discussing the realities of Virtual World economics as they pertain to the real world. World of Warcraft is used as an example throughout, and they quote some staggering statistics that remove any last shred of hope that Blizzard's bluster may be having an effect on the gold market. From the article: "Sukow discovered that the top seller of WOW gold made more than $23,000 in April, just on WOW gold. And that wasn't even a good month--in January and February the number-one seller took home more than $44,000 each month."

I don't know why it's on the video page for the upcoming Legend of Zelda game, but Gamespot has up a documentary shot at last year's E3 about their coverage of the event. Clocking in at almost an hour in length, it's an exhaustive and interesting look at all that they have to do to bring the coverage they do during the event. Well worth the time to check it out. (And hats off to those folks for their hard work.)

The fourth free expansions pack for City of Heroes has been released, and it's quite a doozy. Included in the latest release are a ton of new costume options, new content, and (most significantly) large coliseum where heroes can battle it out in PvP battles. Statement by Jack Emmert from the article: "I believe PVP will supplement the game while not detracting from City of Heroes' missions or story arcs...I see the PVP arenas as a way for players to hone their skills and as a change of pace from arresting villains."

Gamespot has news that Asheron's Call 2: Legions has hit the shelves, the newest expansion to the three year old title. At the same time, Sony Online has announced a new expansion for Everquest II, as well as the upcoming release of a new adventure pack. From the article: "First up is EverQuest II: Desert of Flames, the first full-priced EQII expansion pack. The pack will introduce the chaotic-but-colorful city of Maj'dul to the game. Players will be able to participate in gladiatorial contests inside the Middle Eastern-themed metropolis, either against some of the 40 new creatures included in the pack or against other EverQuesters in 'a new style of player versus player combat.'"

Gamespot has news that Asheron's Call 2: Legions has hit the shelves, the newest expansion to the three year old title. At the same time, Sony Online has announced a new expansion for Everquest II, as well as the upcoming release of a new adventure pack. From the article: "First up is EverQuest II: Desert of Flames, the first full-priced EQII expansion pack. The pack will introduce the chaotic-but-colorful city of Maj'dul to the game. Players will be able to participate in gladiatorial contests inside the Middle Eastern-themed metropolis, either against some of the 40 new creatures included in the pack or against other EverQuesters in 'a new style of player versus player combat.'"

EA reported their quarterly revenues today, and despite anticipating a serious decline they managed to hit relatively close to expectations, according to Gamespot. Overall profits for the year were also up, cracking 3 billion dollars for the first time. From the article: "EA said it had 31 titles which sold more than a million copies during the fiscal year, and five franchises that sold more than five million. The Sims, Need for Speed, Madden NFL Football, FIFA, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. The Sims franchise sold more than 16 million games across all platforms during the year, with the Need for Speed franchise selling a whopping 15 million copies."

Shadow of the Colossus, the spiritual sequel to the incomparable Ico, is being previewed on Gamespot this weekend. From the article: "Shadow of the Colossus' story features the same timeless fairy-tale quality as ICO, albeit with a more mature theme. The story here is essentially one of love. You're cast as a nameless hero on a quest to save a loved one, and your journey will take you to an ancient temple where you discover the power to save your love's spirit. However, in order to unlock this power, you must obtain the essence of 16 colossi, mountainous gargantuan beasts that roam the land. How can a man who's about the size of an ant next to these beasts do such a thing armed with only a sword and a bow and arrow? That's for you to find out."

Gamespot has word that a Wedbush Morgan analyst has advised investors to hold off on throwing money at the gaming market, because the rapid growth prompted by the next generation consoles may not materialize until the PS3 launches late in 2006. He also makes some other forecasts for sectors of the gaming market. From the article: "Elsewhere in the memo, Pachter predicts that console and PC sales will finish the year up 10 percent over 2004, that a price cut for the redesigned PlayStation 2 will be enacted 'no later than fall,' and that the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS will have similarly successful years, moving 3.5 million and 3.6 million units, respectively."

Gamespot's always enlightening Rumour Control series tackles several weighty issues this week. Included in their analysis is the backwards compatibility of the Xbox 360, the possibility of 3D Projection from the Revolution, 360 controllers being PC compatible, and the imminent announcement of Diablo III. From the article: "RUMOR #5: Some postproduction work on Diablo III has been completed. Source: Blizzard fan site Diabloii.net. The official story: 'We'd definitely like to revisit the Diablo universe in the future, but we haven't announced any plans to do so at this time.'--Blizzard rep."

Via Kotaku, the news that MTV Games has launched. The site already has a few features up, including a (juvenile) look at the next Tomb Raider title. At the moment, the site appears to be almost entirely a rebranding of Gamespot content, right down to the news feed.

Gamespot has word that a Worldwide Halo 2 Tourney is in the works, because fragging the Covenant is something we can share as a species. From the article: "The tournament will be played in the Rumble Pit matchmaking playlist over Xbox Live beginning sometime around May 2. Gamers who register and compete in Rumble Pit optimatch sessions will have their statistics recorded for the duration of the competition. At the end of the tournament, on May 30, a winner will be announced based on the highest ranking."

In the past few days there have been several new developments in the Massive Gaming market. Jessica Mulligan's departure from Turbine now has an end destination, with the announcement that she'll be the executive producer for Nevrax's Saga of Ryzom. In a swashbuckling tie-in, Disney announced they'll be adding to their Massive Gaming portfolio, with a Pirates of the Carribean MMOG joining Toontown Online sometime next year. The always excellent CNN Money column Game Over has word that Sony Online is planning a new Action MMOG, a possible strategy title, and some new non-mmog titles. From the article: "Though the numbers for massively multiplayer games aren't bad, they remain a niche in the gaming industry. To expand SOE's potential audience, the company will soon announce smaller puzzle games for two and four players. While those games won't be massively multiplayer or have any sort of persistent world, it's not out of the question for the long term." Finally, there are many stories over on Gametab discussing the "I'm cancelling because of the WoW Honor System" thread on the official World of Warcraft boards. They were likely sparked by this Kotaku post about the thread. I just want to put in my two cents and state that this isn't news. Forums are not an accurate way to get a picture of a game's user base. Doom may be coming to Blizzard's game, but the subscriber charts are the only real way to know for sure.

According to Gamespot Asheron's Call 2 players don't have long to wait before the "Legions" expansion will find its way to store shelves. The content expansion for the graphics intensive game went gold this week. Players of the original Asheron's Call will have to wait until this summer to enjoy their new content, as the expansion has been pushed back for further testing and refinement. Additionally, MMOG industry veteran Jessica Mulligan used the expansion announcements as an opportunity to mention her departure from Turbine. She hasn't publicly stated a reason for her departure, saying only that the decision is unrelated to the expansion titles. Gamasutra has an interview with Ms. Mulligan about the state of the industry up from last week. From the Gamespot article: "Legions will include a new continent, called Knorr, which will increase the size of the Asheron's Call 2 world by 30 percent. Also included in this expansion pack are new playable races (one of which is the much maligned Drudge), three new prestige classes, more than 100 new quests, and 10 new monster types."

We Love Katamari, the sequel to Katamari Damacy, is slated to be released in July of this year (in Japan). The U.S. release of the title is assured, but no specific date has been announced of yet. From the article: "We Love Katamari will have a whole new range of items for players to add to their Katamari, including everything from fish to world landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower. It will also feature a range of new settings both on and off of Earth, including urban, underwater, and mountainous locales." We've previously covered the July release date, but the assured U.S. release and the game's title are new.

Guild Wars, the first offering from NCSoft subsidiary ArenaNet, has gone gold. A preview of the game based on the last weekend of the Beta is available at 1up.com. From the article: "Once the wonder started to wear off, a creeping hangover of disorientation replaced it. Still standing there slack-jawed, the bustle of people going here and there with purpose made us suddenly aware of how clueless we were. Gathering our senses we fell into the familiar pattern of talking to the residents and picking up the quests of the day." Guild Wars is a unique MMOG offering, as it will not require a subscription cost, has almost no grind, and will focus on organized PvP. The game releases next Thursday, the 28th of April.

A feature from Gamespot this week is an interesting look at gaming moments that moved you as a player. Emotional moments for several of the editors are explored. From the article: "This isn't an article about violence in video games. It's a chance for us to consider some of the moments in our lives as game players that made us feel strongly about something that, in the grand scheme of things, is probably pretty trivial. These are cases in which games drove us to relative emotional extremes. This is both how and why we play." What would be a gaming moment that drove you to an emotional extreme?

Based on Robert Howard's classic Conan the Barbarian series, The Age of Conan: Hyborean Adventures is in production by Anarchy Online developer Funcom. On top of the setting, Funcom apparently plans to shake up the traditional massive formula. From the article: "Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures will be a PC 'online action RPG' that will be a mix of 'story-driven single-player experience and a massive and brutal multiplayer endgame.' According to Funcom game director Gaute Godager, it will begin as a single-player RPG adventure, and when that portion's story is complete, it will let players bring their characters into an MMORPG universe."

It has been officially announced that Madison, Wisconsin based developer Human Head studios is currently working on the Prey title. Prey, formerly a 3D Realms title, is now on track and will be shown off at this year's E3. From the article: "However, while he did make Prey's comeback official, Broussard did not reveal all his cards. He did not answer posts asking if the game would use the Doom 3 engine, as Morris claimed. Nor did he say when the game would come out. 'Each game will ship when it's ready.'"

Gamespot.com has word that the first set of new Halo 2 maps will be available for download on April 25th, with a second set being made available on June 28th. From the article: "The two free maps are titled Containment and Warlock. Containment is a massive level blanketed with snow, and Warlock was influenced by the Halo: Combat Evolved map Wizard. The Killtacular Pack will include Turf and Sanctuary, and it will sell for $5.99."

Tim Grube writes "Electronic Arts has released the very first image of Madden NFL running on the next-generation consoles. This Saturday, on April 23rd, the NFL Draft begins on TV and EA has already scored a promotional commercial to unveil Madden Next-Gen. It will air on ESPN."

Gamespot is reporting on a possible SAG strike against the video game industry. The working contract that the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has with the major game publishers expires tomorrow and negotiations are still underway. From the article: "Academy-Award winner Charlize Theron will lend her voice to Majesco's Aeon Flux, David Duchovny and Marilyn Manson voice-act original characters for Midway's upcoming Area 51, and Sean Connery will do some Bond-speak for EA's recently announced From Russia With Love. Actors are even voicing from beyond the grave--the late Marlon Brando will join James Caan and Robert Duvall in Electronic Arts' digital version of The Godfather."

greysky writes "Gamespot cites an interview on AMC where Coppola reveals that he is upset with Paramount for making his Godfather movies into a video game. He's quoted as saying 'I knew nothing about it. They never asked me if I thought it was a good idea...I think it's a misuse of film'. The interview is set to air on AMC this Sunday."

Gamespot has results from the first week of PSP sales. Unit sales have already cracked 600,000, generating in the neighborhood of $US 150 million for Sony. From the article: "Sony would only say that the device sold 'over half a million units' during its first 48 hours on the market, meaning it sold only approximately 100,000 units continent-wide over the next five days--at best. Still, Sony said the tally was enough to 'further validate PSP as the most anticipated product of 2005 and an industry-altering force.'"

Gamespot has a heads up about a new possible Alternate reality game celebrating the Xbox 2 E3 unveiling. The game site, Our Colony, has a countdown meter running down until just a few days before Microsoft's pre-E3 unveiling of the Xbox 2 console. From the article: "The countdown will ends at 8pm PDT on Thursday, May 12, nearly four days to the hour before Microsoft's pre-E3 presentation on the evening of May 16. What will happen on May 12 remains unclear."

Yet another movie tie-in rears its head, as Gamespot has word that Sean Connery will be reprising his role as James Bond for an upcoming 'From Russia with Love' game title. From the article: "Based on the 1963 movie of the same name, the game will also feature the likeness of the then-33-year-old actor, who is currently 74. It will also feature the 1963-era likenesses of his Love costars, including the late Robert Shaw, who played villain Donald "Red" Grant, and the late Desmond Llewelyn, who played gadget master Q through most of the spy-film series."

A sequel to the ball rolling simulator Katamari Damacy is due out in July of this year, according to a Gamespot news blurb. From the article: "In Minna Daisuki Katamari Damacy, gamers once again assume the role of the diminutive hero known as the Prince of All Cosmos. And, once again, the prince must save the universe by rolling around a giant snowballing mass of sticky debris (katamari) to pick up various objects." Update: 04/08 06:02 GMT by Z : If it's okay with everyone, I'm just going to retcon this one and pretend that I know how to read.

Gamespot has the word that Quake IV will get some face time at QuakeCon this year. id CEO Hollenshead released the information at the Xbox Doom 3 launch event. From the article: "Over the past few years, PC game sales have either declined a little bit or stayed relatively flat, while console game sales have seen mostly double-digit growth. I don't know if we'll be releasing multiple SKUs at the same time, but as for PS3 and Xbox 2 and so on, yes, we will continue our development effort on the consoles."