Slashdot Mirror

An anonymous reader writes "Sony has seen fit to release Gran Turismo 4: Prologue in both Europe and Japan, but the U.S. arm of the company chose not to ship it in the States. The result? Only importers and select members of the media have been able to play the game. Thankfully a limited U.S. demo has turned up from a very non-gaming source, according to GamePro.com, who explain how to navigate through the Toyota web site and request a Toyota Prius-specific two track demo of Gran Turismo 4, completely free of charge. The demo is playable on a standard U.S. PlayStation 2 console. I wonder if Toyota made enough copies of the demo to satisfy every PS2 owner in America?" We previously reported on the Japanese version of this disc, released last September.

Random Guru 42 writes "GameSpot is reporting that Interplay is sliding further down the spiral of going out of business. Hopefully the rumors of Interplay's demise are greatly exaggerated." We previously covered earlier rumblings of Interplay's demise, and Sivar writes "According to a Fallout news website, Interplay has 'told the employees to file for unemployment' [a later source indicates 'the employees have until Friday to move all of their personal possessions out of... the Interplay offices]." Finally, an update to the GameSpot story has an un-named, masked employee insisting on the closure rumors: "No, that's not true" - it's also pointed out Interplay "...is facing a battery of lawsuits, including one by Arden Realty for $432,000 in back rent and another by BioWare for $156,000 for unpaid Baldur's Gate royalties."

Random Guru 42 writes "GameSpot is reporting that Interplay is sliding further down the spiral of going out of business. Hopefully the rumors of Interplay's demise are greatly exaggerated." We previously covered earlier rumblings of Interplay's demise, and Sivar writes "According to a Fallout news website, Interplay has 'told the employees to file for unemployment' [a later source indicates 'the employees have until Friday to move all of their personal possessions out of... the Interplay offices]." Finally, an update to the GameSpot story has an un-named, masked employee insisting on the closure rumors: "No, that's not true" - it's also pointed out Interplay "...is facing a battery of lawsuits, including one by Arden Realty for $432,000 in back rent and another by BioWare for $156,000 for unpaid Baldur's Gate royalties."

Thanks to GameSpy for its 'Sole Food' column discussing why certain Xbox games were missing from Microsoft's line-up at last month's E3 show in Los Angeles. Titles mentioned, with included late-breaking Microsoft response, include "part action, part collectible-card game" Phantom Dust ("Microsoft Game Studios has decided to not publish Phantom Dust for North America"), action title and "everyone's favorite goggle-wearing, vacuum-wielding, time-shifting cat" Blinx 2 (We plan to make an official announcement after E3"), and "console massively multiplayer online RPG" True Fantasy Live Online ("The Level 5 team is focusing on developing and polishing the game for the Japanese release this winter, and as a result the timing of the U.S. release of the game is still undetermined.")

Thanks to GameSpot for its 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing why buying second-hand games could have a negative effect on videogame creators. The author points out: "You know, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft must have a real love/hate relationship with stores that stock used games alongside their new games [since buying used games doesn't give] the game developers, or the game publishers a thin, red cent. Instead, the retailer is enjoying a nice, fat profit margin, where the markup is in the neighborhood of 200 to 1000 percent." He goes on to argue: "Buying used is equivalent to the game not selling at all in the eyes of developers and publishers, and when games don't sell, they don't get sequels and excellent concepts and, therefore, opportunities are lost."

Thanks to GameSpot for its interview with Aaron Loeb of developers Planet Moon Studios, the quirky developer that "was founded in 1997 by the Shiny Entertainment team that created MDK", has gone on to make console/PC titles Giants: Citizen Kabuto and Armed & Dangerous, and is now "devoting itself to the [Sony] PSP exclusively." Loeb justifies this arguably risky move to the "unproven terrain of PSP development" by suggesting: "The PSP will enable a developer like us to make cutting edge games quickly, alleviating the challenge all small developers currently face", and argues the kind of games that will be successful on the PSP are "Games that focus on opportunity game play. Games that are really fun to play right away. You get them immediately, they're cool, you play them for 15 minutes and you've got a very satisfying experience."

Thanks to GameSpot for its interview with Will Harvey, founder of There Inc., after the virtual world creator announced this week that it "is reevaluating its consumer-side game environment, giving itself 90 days to determine if a licensing-only model might offer a more secure upside to the company." Harvey explains that he has "left the company and I'm no longer on the board", and describes his original vision of There: "to support all the kinds of rich interactivity and human experience that top-tier video games are capable of, but in a single, unified world where everything works together." When asked to describe the problems with 'virtual world' products, he suggests: "If you look at the nongenre MMORPGS--There, Second Life, The Sims Online--they are all version 1 products that won't really be complete until version 37. The challenge is making version 1 commercially viable."

madhatter256 writes "According to Shacknews, around 20-25 more employees, allegedly including noted designer Warren Spector, have left the Eidos-owned Ion Storm studio in Austin." There's an official Eidos response at GameSpot, where a spokesperson "denied Spector had exited the organization", but IGN has further official Eidos reports confirming "Both Ion games have been completed and those who were hires specifically for those titles are now finished", and noting that Spector himself, though he could theoretically be exiting by other means, "certainly has not been laid off." This news comes in the context of earlier personnel turmoil, Thief III's fairly well-received release (there's now a playable PC demo available), and a mixed reception for Deus Ex: Invisible War.

Thanks to GameSpot for its article discussing the possible pricing for Nokia's enhanced N-Gage QD mobile phone/game deck combo, which "will arrive in the Western Hemisphere on June 29, where units will sell for a list price of $199." Although "Reports from Europe and Asia--by way of CNN--indicate that foreign mobile phone networks are heavily subsidizing the QD in exchange for extended service contracts", the U.S. price is not yet known - the article points out: "When the QD was initially unveiled, Nokia publicly stated that it expected a carrier-subsidized $99 price point to be common." What price would you consider picking up an N-Gage QD for?

An anonymous reader writes "Most of the major game sites have put up 'Best of E3' sections, including those from Gamespot, from IGN, from GameSpy, and from 1UP . Everyone gave a different Best of Show this year, and agreed that the competition was fierce. I was happy to see mention of Yoot Saito's Odama and Namco's Katamari Damashii. Notable absences, in my opinion, included Tim Schafer's chronically late Psychonauts for Xbox. What games caught your eye? Who was the big winner this year?" T adds: Danno writes "The gang over here at GameGal.com have just put up our 2004 edition of the E3 Hall of Shame. Each year we chronicle the best of the worst in booth babes and half-naked female video game characters. We're not really offended by most of this, but it is amusing to see the lengths companies will go to catch the attention of jaded E3 attendees."

securitas writes "The Seattle Times' Kim Peterson interviews Microsoft Xbox chief Robbie Bach about cross-platform gaming, recent Microsoft game developer layoffs, the lack of profitability of the Xbox division, the threat that Sony PSP poses to Windows Portable Media Center devices, the lack of a portable Xbox gaming device, competition from Sony, mass market games, and Halo 2. It's a long interview but worth taking time to read." S!: Also, GameSpot's two-part interview with Yoshihiro Maruyama and Mike Fischer of Microsoft Japan discusses "how they plan on leveraging the hardcore gamer and cultural nuances to increase [Xbox] awareness, loyalty, and sales."

securitas writes "The Seattle Times' Kim Peterson interviews Microsoft Xbox chief Robbie Bach about cross-platform gaming, recent Microsoft game developer layoffs, the lack of profitability of the Xbox division, the threat that Sony PSP poses to Windows Portable Media Center devices, the lack of a portable Xbox gaming device, competition from Sony, mass market games, and Halo 2. It's a long interview but worth taking time to read." S!: Also, GameSpot's two-part interview with Yoshihiro Maruyama and Mike Fischer of Microsoft Japan discusses "how they plan on leveraging the hardcore gamer and cultural nuances to increase [Xbox] awareness, loyalty, and sales."

Thanks to GameSpot for its short piece noting Namco is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a company, after it "started out small, building two wooden-horse rides on the rooftop of a department store in Yokohama", before it "released the arcade title Pac-Man [in 1980], which established a dominant position for the company in the gaming industry." IGN PS2 also has Namco's 2003 financial results, which were "higher than those of previous years", with a 8,500,000,000 yen (USD$75 million) profit, after "Soul Calibur 2 performed well worldwide, with the Taiko no Tatsujin drumming game crossing the two million mark across its four PS2 titles." The company's official E3 site has been showcasing its recently announced titles, including the newly unveiled Tekken 5, as well as the quietly shown U.S.-localized Taiko Drum Master, which 1UP notes "may be a hard sell to American gamers whose definition of 'rhythm action' begins and ends with the frenetic aerobics of Dance Dance Revolution", even notwithstanding increased American interest [free reg. req.] in taiko drumming.

Thanks to Firaxis for its press release announcing that Eagle Games are making a board game version of forthcoming PC remake Sid Meier's Pirates!, following Eagle's earlier release of a Sid Meier's Civilization board game, as well a previously mentioned Age Of Mythology tabletop title. The official Eagle Games site hints at "Other [Boardgame] Projects in the Works", including "A Railroad Game" - possibly Railroad Tycoon, another Sid Meier-created videogame classic? Elsewhere, there was GameSpy coverage and a GameSpot preview of the Pirates! videogame itself at E3, with GameSpy noting: "It's an easy game to jump right into: heavy on action and big on pirate", and the Firaxis site also mentions another Meier-related story, the announcement of Civilization for the Nokia N-Gage.

Thanks to GameSpot for its news story reporting that EA may be on the verge of an exclusive contract for NFL football player likenesses. According to the piece, which quotes a Sports Business Journal article: "Electronic Arts is in final negotiations with Players Inc., the NFL Players' Association marketing arm, to exclusively license all NFL player rights for the next four years. The Journal set the price tag of the deal at $250 million each year, which EA would pay Players Inc.; in other words, a literal billion-dollar contract." The story goes on to note: "If that turns out to be the case, no non-EA Sports game could license NFL player likenesses--an almost certainly fatal blow to the Madden series' rivals." Update: 05/19 21:07 GMT by S : It seems the linked article has been retracted: "When contacted by GameSpot, NFLPA executives said that not only was the story false, but The Sports Business Journal has since run a retraction."

Thanks to Yahoo for reprinting the press release noting Majesco are getting into the 'TV game' business by signing a deal with Konami to "publish five plug-and-play video game systems. The first two systems will contain classic versions of Konami's popular Frogger and Konami Arcade Classics video games and be available at retail this fall." Majesco was recently featured on Slashdot Games for its GBA video/messaging/link products, but also holds an intriguing game portfolio for a smaller publisher, from Bookworm for the Game Boy Advance ("immensely popular [PopCap-developed] web-game [converted to GBA]") to Guilty Gear X2 #Reload for the Xbox ("popular fighting franchise makes its debut on Xbox with head-to-head Xbox Live support.")

Thanks to Forbes/Reuters for its article mentioning Sony expects to lose money on its PlayStation Portable hardware, with Sony's Kaz Hirai saying: "So if you're saying 'Day one, are you going to be profitable on the hardware?' then probably not... Hopefully, this will have a 10-year lifecycle, at which point I'll look back and say 'Yes, definitely profitable'." Elsewhere, on the final day of the E3 show, 1UP has a preview of Nintendo's unique-looking Odama, described as "the fast action of pinball mixed with the ancient art of Japanese warfare", GameSpot has more information on Pandemic/THQ's Destroy All Humans!, where you'll "get to probe farmers, slaughter cows, and do all the awesome little things that aliens do", and other sites go hands-on with Star Fox 2, confirm a Disgaea pseudo-sequel for PSP, give some more information on Devil May Cry 3, and show impressions of Treasure's take on the Gradius series.

Thanks to Forbes/Reuters for its article mentioning Sony expects to lose money on its PlayStation Portable hardware, with Sony's Kaz Hirai saying: "So if you're saying 'Day one, are you going to be profitable on the hardware?' then probably not... Hopefully, this will have a 10-year lifecycle, at which point I'll look back and say 'Yes, definitely profitable'." Elsewhere, on the final day of the E3 show, 1UP has a preview of Nintendo's unique-looking Odama, described as "the fast action of pinball mixed with the ancient art of Japanese warfare", GameSpot has more information on Pandemic/THQ's Destroy All Humans!, where you'll "get to probe farmers, slaughter cows, and do all the awesome little things that aliens do", and other sites go hands-on with Star Fox 2, confirm a Disgaea pseudo-sequel for PSP, give some more information on Devil May Cry 3, and show impressions of Treasure's take on the Gradius series.

Thanks to GamesIndustry.biz for its article discussing an interview with Square Enix president Yoichi Wada, as he discusses a perceived "evolution in the thinking" at Microsoft, and "said that his company... would consider working on Xbox 2." The analysis, which uses as its base a GameSpot interview conducted during E3, has Wada mentioning of Microsoft's Xbox Live service: "The attempt was to create a closed network in a closed environment. That is completely contrary to our concept of networked business", and ends by suggesting: "Reading between the lines of Wada's comments, it seems likely that [more 'open' online] concessions could be integrated into the standard terms of the online service on Xbox 2... making the Xbox into a much more attractive platform for companies such as EA and Square Enix."

Thanks to continuing coverage of the E3 Expo show from GameSpot, from 1UP, from GameDaily, and many other sources - highlights for the second day included Eurogamer's detailed write-up of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, apparently "an overwhelming spectacle" in both positive and other ways, GameSpot's first images of Unreal Engine 3.0, a "complete game development framework for next-generation consoles and DirectX9-equipped PCs", IGN Cube's hands-on impressions of DK Jungle Beat, allegedly "the sleeper hit of the show", 1UP's musings on The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age, an "attempt to make a Japanese-style turn-based console RPG in America", and even GameSpot's brief impressions of a mobile phone-embedded Turrican, as the Factor 5 classic returns "pre-loaded on Siemens 65 Series phones."

Thanks to continuing coverage of the E3 Expo show from GameSpot, from 1UP, from GameDaily, and many other sources - highlights for the second day included Eurogamer's detailed write-up of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, apparently "an overwhelming spectacle" in both positive and other ways, GameSpot's first images of Unreal Engine 3.0, a "complete game development framework for next-generation consoles and DirectX9-equipped PCs", IGN Cube's hands-on impressions of DK Jungle Beat, allegedly "the sleeper hit of the show", 1UP's musings on The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age, an "attempt to make a Japanese-style turn-based console RPG in America", and even GameSpot's brief impressions of a mobile phone-embedded Turrican, as the Factor 5 classic returns "pre-loaded on Siemens 65 Series phones."

Thanks to continuing coverage of the E3 Expo show from GameSpot, from 1UP, from GameDaily, and many other sources - highlights for the second day included Eurogamer's detailed write-up of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, apparently "an overwhelming spectacle" in both positive and other ways, GameSpot's first images of Unreal Engine 3.0, a "complete game development framework for next-generation consoles and DirectX9-equipped PCs", IGN Cube's hands-on impressions of DK Jungle Beat, allegedly "the sleeper hit of the show", 1UP's musings on The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age, an "attempt to make a Japanese-style turn-based console RPG in America", and even GameSpot's brief impressions of a mobile phone-embedded Turrican, as the Factor 5 classic returns "pre-loaded on Siemens 65 Series phones."

Thanks to Eurogamer for its in-depth E3 coverage, as well as GameDaily's detailed write-ups and Ferrago's similarly wide-ranging coverage, as they add to previously-mentioned gaming websites covering the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Highlights of the first day include hands-on impressions of Conker: Live and Reloaded for Xbox, a seriously in-depth Half-Life 2 interview, some first impressions of Myst IV, confirmation that Sega's signing of The Matrix Online was their 'big announcement', though Phantasy Star Universe was also announced, the list of songs for Donkey Konga, and a hands-on look at Final Fantasy XII. What other software are you most impressed by?

Thanks to Eurogamer for its in-depth E3 coverage, as well as GameDaily's detailed write-ups and Ferrago's similarly wide-ranging coverage, as they add to previously-mentioned gaming websites covering the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Highlights of the first day include hands-on impressions of Conker: Live and Reloaded for Xbox, a seriously in-depth Half-Life 2 interview, some first impressions of Myst IV, confirmation that Sega's signing of The Matrix Online was their 'big announcement', though Phantasy Star Universe was also announced, the list of songs for Donkey Konga, and a hands-on look at Final Fantasy XII. What other software are you most impressed by?

Thanks to Eurogamer for its in-depth E3 coverage, as well as GameDaily's detailed write-ups and Ferrago's similarly wide-ranging coverage, as they add to previously-mentioned gaming websites covering the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Highlights of the first day include hands-on impressions of Conker: Live and Reloaded for Xbox, a seriously in-depth Half-Life 2 interview, some first impressions of Myst IV, confirmation that Sega's signing of The Matrix Online was their 'big announcement', though Phantasy Star Universe was also announced, the list of songs for Donkey Konga, and a hands-on look at Final Fantasy XII. What other software are you most impressed by?

Thanks to Water Cooler Games for its in-depth report on Day 1 and on Day 2 of the Education Arcade, an E3-related conference which discusses "the development, the use, and the marketing potential of games in education." Among the highlights: the contention by the Leapfrog CEO that "Video games are a trojan horse -- a way to get better educational content into the home", and Maxis' Will Wright discussing how his titles educate, pointing out: "As game designers, we're trying to build a model in people's head. And that probably has a lot to do with education."

KIEDIS writes "As the release date for The Sims follow-up approaches you can go download The Sims 2 Body Shop from the official website. This tool allows you to create your own Sims and custom content for the game, before it actually comes out. We still don't know the date of release for The Sims 2 but at least EA/Maxis is giving signs of it getting closer." EA is also hosting a Sims 2 Body Shop Showcase which shows off over 700 Sims. Update: 05/12 20:56 GMT by S : GameSpot are indicating The Sims 2 will debut on September 17th for PC, according to sources at E3.

Thanks to GameSpot for its massive E3 update list, GameSpy for a similar E3 index, IGN for its latest E3 news, and 1UP for its E3 dispatches, as the major gaming sites update on "hundreds of new games" revealed leading up to the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. New highlights include an "epic three-hour press conference" revealing Konami's new games, including screenshots of Metal Gear Acid for PSP, and elsewhere, screenshots and a preview of Metroid Prime Hunters for Nintendo DS, the announcement and screenshots of "unique armband"-toting EyeToy: AntiGrav for PS2, preview and screenshots of Mario 64x4 for Nintendo DS, and much, much more. What's been your favorite hardware or software revelation so far?

Thanks to GameSpot for its massive E3 update list, GameSpy for a similar E3 index, IGN for its latest E3 news, and 1UP for its E3 dispatches, as the major gaming sites update on "hundreds of new games" revealed leading up to the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. New highlights include an "epic three-hour press conference" revealing Konami's new games, including screenshots of Metal Gear Acid for PSP, and elsewhere, screenshots and a preview of Metroid Prime Hunters for Nintendo DS, the announcement and screenshots of "unique armband"-toting EyeToy: AntiGrav for PS2, preview and screenshots of Mario 64x4 for Nintendo DS, and much, much more. What's been your favorite hardware or software revelation so far?

Thanks to GameSpot for its massive E3 update list, GameSpy for a similar E3 index, IGN for its latest E3 news, and 1UP for its E3 dispatches, as the major gaming sites update on "hundreds of new games" revealed leading up to the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. New highlights include an "epic three-hour press conference" revealing Konami's new games, including screenshots of Metal Gear Acid for PSP, and elsewhere, screenshots and a preview of Metroid Prime Hunters for Nintendo DS, the announcement and screenshots of "unique armband"-toting EyeToy: AntiGrav for PS2, preview and screenshots of Mario 64x4 for Nintendo DS, and much, much more. What's been your favorite hardware or software revelation so far?

An anonymous reader writes "Rockstar Games has been deliberately coy about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - it 'was announced as a Playstation 2 exclusive title' in today's Sony press conference, but 'that was the extent to which the game was discussed.' However, Rockstar just put up an official GTA: San Andreas webpage, confirming a release date of October 2004, and featuring the first three screenshots of the game, leading GameSpot to conclude that the game 'will be set in modern times (not the 1970s-set game some had said) and will have a heavy West-Coast gangsta flava' - they also say the site's splash screen 'changes each time the site is loaded'."

An anonymous reader writes "Following the earlier leak of Nintendo DS pictures, there are hands-on details regarding Nintendo's handheld console over at GameSpot - Cube-Europe also has a list of Nintendo's first-party DS games, including 'Animal Crossing DS, Mario Kart DS, Metroid Prime: Hunters, a new Super Mario Bros game, Super Mario 64X4, and WarioWare Inc. DS'." Elsewhere, xDCDx writes "Nintendo just showed at their E3 conference a trailer of the new Zelda game for the Gamecube [there are also screenshots available], this time using a more mature visual look, rather than a cel-shaded one."

JSDopefish writes "Not much of a surprise, but Sony announced today at their E3 press conference that they're lowering the price of the PlayStation 2 console to $149, including the network adapter. That matches the already in-place $149 price of the Xbox system. The GameCube remains at $99." Elsewhere, jasoncart writes "Sony has just unveiled their Playstation Portable specs to the enthralled masses at their pre-E3 conference in LA. The result is the first photographs of the new device (alt. link), confirmation of the impressive specifications (Wi-Fi ahoy!) and hints on the games we'll be playing on the PSP, including 'clips of Gran Turismo... Wipeout [and] Metal Gear Solid'." 1UP also discusses mentions of the PlayStation 3 in the press conference, including "some rather grand predictions for the future of Sony's game console efforts."

Thanks to GamingHorizon for its summary of the pre-E3 Square Enix press conference at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, during which the company mentioned they "are determined to expand their reach across all forms of media, not just limiting themselves to the gaming market", before holding the Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy concert in the same venue. However, specific game-related material includes details (though not downloads) of a new Final Fantasy XII trailer, alongside new direct-feed screenshots of the title, as well as snapshots of Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII, a mobile phone-only spin-off. Also revealed is information on the previously unannounced Musashi Samurai Legend, a sequel to "the original Brave Fencer Musashi on the PlayStation" featuring "Tetsuya Nomura handling the character design... [and] Studio Gainax creating the animated cutscenes", as well as new details on Disney-licensed sequel Kingdom Hearts 2 and its handheld partner, Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories.

Thanks to GamingHorizon for its summary of the pre-E3 Square Enix press conference at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, during which the company mentioned they "are determined to expand their reach across all forms of media, not just limiting themselves to the gaming market", before holding the Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy concert in the same venue. However, specific game-related material includes details (though not downloads) of a new Final Fantasy XII trailer, alongside new direct-feed screenshots of the title, as well as snapshots of Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII, a mobile phone-only spin-off. Also revealed is information on the previously unannounced Musashi Samurai Legend, a sequel to "the original Brave Fencer Musashi on the PlayStation" featuring "Tetsuya Nomura handling the character design... [and] Studio Gainax creating the animated cutscenes", as well as new details on Disney-licensed sequel Kingdom Hearts 2 and its handheld partner, Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories.

Thanks to GamingHorizon for its summary of the pre-E3 Square Enix press conference at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, during which the company mentioned they "are determined to expand their reach across all forms of media, not just limiting themselves to the gaming market", before holding the Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy concert in the same venue. However, specific game-related material includes details (though not downloads) of a new Final Fantasy XII trailer, alongside new direct-feed screenshots of the title, as well as snapshots of Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII, a mobile phone-only spin-off. Also revealed is information on the previously unannounced Musashi Samurai Legend, a sequel to "the original Brave Fencer Musashi on the PlayStation" featuring "Tetsuya Nomura handling the character design... [and] Studio Gainax creating the animated cutscenes", as well as new details on Disney-licensed sequel Kingdom Hearts 2 and its handheld partner, Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories.

Thanks to GamingHorizon for its summary of the pre-E3 Square Enix press conference at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, during which the company mentioned they "are determined to expand their reach across all forms of media, not just limiting themselves to the gaming market", before holding the Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy concert in the same venue. However, specific game-related material includes details (though not downloads) of a new Final Fantasy XII trailer, alongside new direct-feed screenshots of the title, as well as snapshots of Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII, a mobile phone-only spin-off. Also revealed is information on the previously unannounced Musashi Samurai Legend, a sequel to "the original Brave Fencer Musashi on the PlayStation" featuring "Tetsuya Nomura handling the character design... [and] Studio Gainax creating the animated cutscenes", as well as new details on Disney-licensed sequel Kingdom Hearts 2 and its handheld partner, Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories.

metrazol writes "Over at GameSpy, they have a first hands-on preview of much anticipated, speculated, flamed, leaked sequel Half-Life 2. Hint: They love it." There's also a preview at GameSpot, and another over at IGN PC - elsewhere, The Inquirer notes that "ATI will bundle [Valve-developed] Counter Strike 2 with its X800PRO/XT cards", and CNN Money interviews the new President of Half-Life 2 publishers VU Games, who says Half-Life 2 is "still realistic" for a 2004 release (Valve are now saying that "the game should be out by this summer"), and argues: "The PC is far more profitable for us than the console... you're not playing platform fees to manufacturers, for one thing."

Thanks to Yahoo! for reprinting a Microsoft press release revealing its major videogame-related announcements ahead of this year's E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Major among them is Electronic Arts' official support of the online Xbox Live service, long-awaited and previously rumored, so that "by the end of the year, 15 of EA's online-enabled console titles will be playable on Xbox Live." In addition, Bungie's much-anticipated Halo 2 is confirmed for Xbox release on November 9th, just as new hands-on multiplayer previews are appearing online, plus alleged Xbox Gran Turismo-beater, Forza Motorsport is announced, and a multi-person videophone service for Xbox Live is showcased, as well as an Xbox Live Arcade service featuring "casual games people love to play with their families... [including] 'Bejeweled'... and arcade favorites such as Namco's 'Dig Dug' and 'Galaxian'." Update: 05/11 06:26 GMT by S : There are also new Halo 2 screenshots via Bungie.net.

Thanks to Yahoo! for reprinting a Microsoft press release revealing its major videogame-related announcements ahead of this year's E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Major among them is Electronic Arts' official support of the online Xbox Live service, long-awaited and previously rumored, so that "by the end of the year, 15 of EA's online-enabled console titles will be playable on Xbox Live." In addition, Bungie's much-anticipated Halo 2 is confirmed for Xbox release on November 9th, just as new hands-on multiplayer previews are appearing online, plus alleged Xbox Gran Turismo-beater, Forza Motorsport is announced, and a multi-person videophone service for Xbox Live is showcased, as well as an Xbox Live Arcade service featuring "casual games people love to play with their families... [including] 'Bejeweled'... and arcade favorites such as Namco's 'Dig Dug' and 'Galaxian'." Update: 05/11 06:26 GMT by S : There are also new Halo 2 screenshots via Bungie.net.

Trinn writes "Planet GameCube has recently reported on a completely unofficial remake of the highly popular Square Enix RPG Chrono Trigger by an independent team, Resurrection Games [their official site is down, here's a mirror of some of the screenshots]. It certainly looks sharp so far. They're even redoing the audio. Their plans are to finish up by Christmas, at which time the PC version will be released for free to the public - 'console versions of the Chrono Trigger Resurrection demo will only be available to official developers with access to GameCube or Xbox development kits.'." Interestingly, this amateur project was formerly in development for the Nintendo 64, all the way back in 2000.

Thanks to GameSpot for its 'Spot On' column discussing game industry financial analysts' predictions for the E3 Expo being held in Los Angeles next week. Among the predictions from various analysts are plans for Xbox ("I'm virtually certain that Microsoft will announce that Xbox Next is coming in 2005. Not clear whether they want to do so at E3"), Sony's possible announcements ("Probably a price cut to $149, and reemphasizing the point that PS2 is still going strong"), and discussion of Nintendo's DS ("...it now appears the system is generating a more positive response, particularly among game publishers.") But if you're fed up with 'expert' opinions, then try some completely fake predictions from Jason 'Loonyboi' Bergman, including: "Midway will announce a pre-order campaign for NARC, in which the first 1,000 orders will receive 1/8th of an ounce of hashish... Nintendo's press conference will consist entirely of awkward silence, interrupted only by a single person making farting noises with his armpit."

Thanks to 1UP for its article discussing BioWare's brief announcement of two new titles it'll be showcasing at E3 next week. Specifically: "The developer's own new project is Dragon Age, a new PC RPG set in an original fantasy world" - almost no other details are forthcoming for now. The piece also reveals another product to be shown at BioWare's E3 booth: "Polish developer CDProjekt will show The Witcher, a new action-RPG for the PC. It's powered by BioWare's Aurora engine, the 3D technology behind Neverwinter Nights." This title had some early previews, complete with several screenshots, back in 2003, although it's expected to have changed significantly since then.

Thanks to Planet GameCube for reprinting data revealing the amount and diversity of games to be shown at next week's E3 Expo in Los Angeles. It's noted: "Approximately 1,000 of the nearly 5,000 computer and video game products to be displayed at the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo... have never been seen before... survey results indicate that about 40% of products displayed will be for video game consoles, while about one-third will be for personal computers." Many companies are revealing titles before E3, though, with some highlights including most of Sega's line-up (including "SPIKEOUT: Battle Street... and Virtua Quest"), a list of 23 new EA titles, including new Timesplitters 3 details and a first look at Catwoman, THQ's new info on Destroy All Humans!, Rockstar's announcement of Midnight Club 3:DUB Edition, Activision's showing of X-Men Legends, and UbiSoft's announcement of Prince Of Persia 2.

Thanks to GameSpot for its coverage of Sony Europe's announcement of Eye Toy: Chat for PlayStation 2, a piece of software that works with Sony's Eye Toy USB camera and "allows users to communicate with each other in four different ways, namely text, voice, video mail, and one-to-one video chat." It's also explained: "While engaging in a one-on-one video chat, users will have the option to play games against each other, including chess, checkers, and naval war." The article has further clarification on potential worries for parents: "SCEE is eager to point out that that it has been working very closely with several children's charities in order to ensure that EyeToy: Chat is safe for even the youngest PS2 fans to enjoy."

Thanks to Yahoo for reprinting an Electronic Arts press release officially announcing the first-person shooter GoldenEye: Rogue Agent for PS2/Xbox/GameCube, a title "being developed by EA's Los Angeles studio" (and clearly hoping to trade off the immense popularity or Rare's original GoldenEye FPS for Nintendo 64), with the new game featuring a plot that allegedly "breaks all the rules by transporting players to the dark side of the Bond universe to experience life as a high-rolling, cold-hearted villain." With screenshots not yet forthcoming, Eurogamer drills a little deeper into the previously rumored game's name, explaining: "The idea apparently is that Goldfinger is locked in a war with Dr. No for control of a massive criminal organisation... so then, you might be wondering, why is it called GoldenEye? Because, it says here, your nameless henchman lost an eye in an encounter with Dr. No, and Goldfinger's technicians replaced it with... a... golden... eye... Nice one, EA." Update: 05/05 23:38 GMT by S : GameSpot has a few more details on the title, which they note "revolves around run-and-gun action."

Ares Halcyon writes "Today LucasArts officially announced Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the next chapter for 2003's award-winning Xbox/PC RPG. Set in the unique timeframe of the Old Republic, 4,000 years before Star Wars Episode I, KOTOR II: The Sith Lords features an all-new more perilous storyline, new character, classes, locations and force powers. As previously covered on Slashdot Games, the title is published by LucasArts and developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Inc. and is planned to be released for the Xbox and PC in February 2005." There's also a first preview of the sequel over at GameSpot, noting gleefully: "The array of Jedi powers available to you will be broader--you'll now have more than 30 which will include force confusion and force sight."

Thanks to IGN Xbox for its hands on preview of the E3 demo for the Xbox version of Doom 3, Vicarious Visions' conversion of id's long-awaited FPS title. They comment: "The atmosphere is dark, the pacing of the demo somewhat slow, and every aspect more fitting of a survival horror game than a run and gun shooter", but praise the results: "That's not a bad thing at all, in fact, it makes for a more intriguing title... The hard part for fans is going to be looking past expectations of what a DOOM game should be and embracing what DOOM 3 is." Elsewhere, GameSpot has a preview confirming that the PC version will not be shown at E3, since id "is locked in 'completion phase' at the company's Mesquite, Texas, offices", and both previews also reference the previously revealed, not yet playable Xbox-exclusive co-operative mode.

Thanks to GameSpot for its hands-on impressions of ArenaNet/NCSoft's online PC RPG, Guild Wars, a subscription-free title that's previously received positive press. The preview explains that "the game relies on a skill-based system that's reminiscent of the card game Magic: The Gathering. You can collect and earn a wide variety of powerful skills and abilities, but... you'll be allowed to select only eight of them to take into battle", meaning that "a relatively new player will have a chance against seasoned veterans." It's also noted: "One of the most surprising aspects of Guild Wars is that the entire game will download to your computer while you play it", with only a "small executable program, about 90 kilobytes in size" needed - this is shown by the official download page for the E3 For Everyone alpha demo event, explained thus: "From May 12 through 14, while Guild Wars is being demonstrated on the E3 show floor, players from around the world will be able to play the same experience over the Internet."

illuminata writes "Can the video game industry keep its mittens out of the political slugfest? According to Kevin Parker's article Free Play, they sure can't. In it, he cites Dreamcatcher's Gore and Sega's Legacy Online and Jet Set Radio Future as main offenders. He even goes on to point out how some people want video games to convey their favorite political message in the future. Are there any particular titles or game companies that you think lay on the politics too thick, or is it all just a bunch of foof?"