Slashdot Mirror

Thanks to GamerFeed for their news that Midway Arcade Treasures for the PlayStation 2 has shipped, with the "next-generation console offering of more than 20 classic arcade games" also due on November 24th for Xbox and December 17th for GameCube. This budget-priced compilation, previously mentioned on Slashdot and including Gauntlet, Paperboy, Marble Madness and Robotron: 2084 among many others, is basically well-received by IGN PS2, who suggests that "many of the games on the disc retain their fun and addictiveness, even to today's standards", but GameSpot is somewhat less impressed, commenting: "Games that feature analog input feel very loose and are hard to control", although noting that "...almost every game... is completely and totally enjoyable once you get a handle on how they play."

Thanks to GameSpot for their analysis of a new Zelos Group study on videogaming, in which it's calculated that "...over 70 percent of respondents say conversations with friends are the primary means for securing information on games." The study co-ordinator elaborates further, reporting that "...face-to-face conversations with friends is the primary source for information about games, with websites coming in second. Instant messaging among friends is probably the second most influential kind of word of mouth communication, and then online forums." However, he has this dire caveat: "Forums offer publishers the most direct influence over word of mouth outside of guerilla marketing techniques, but online forums are inherently full of noise: 'fanboy' rants and antisocial behavior foremost."

Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' guest editorial, focusing on the alleged inferiority of the RPG genre, and the 'hybrid' games which use these RPG elements to great effect. The writer suggest: "Unlike most games, there is almost no skill required in RPGs - no hand-eye coordination, no button-timing", and while calling RPGs "inferior to other kinds of games", still finds addiction and praise in the "sense of power and accomplishment that comes from seeing your puny character grow from a weakling into an ass-kicking machine." But he finds hybrid titles, such as "first-person shooters [that] are starting to incorporate upgradable skills and character classes", to be examples of a "RPG renaissance", suggesting: "Game developers are starting to realize that almost every game can include and would benefit from RPG elements."

Thanks to GameSpy for their column discussing a number of videogame genres that are popular in Japan, but not in the West. Picks include the more obvious such as dating sims ("Players look through the eyes of a young man and try to woo a variety of girls by making the proper dialogue choices"), pet raising sims ("where you raise and, uh, feed an everyday hamster... or a rhinoceros beetle"), and even voyeurism-based titles such as Primal Image, where "...poorly constructed 3D women with frightening facial features played brief animated sequences while you took pictures before the time limit ran out." Have Japanese-only genres such as dating got the capacity to take off in the States?

Thanks to GameSpy for their feature discussing user-created content as the future of massively multiplayer games. In one section, Will Harvey of There Inc. discusses potential problems with more exotic player-created features: "If third-party developers [A.K.A., gamers playing the game] write games for an MMPG, will the code for those games also run on the servers? What if it crashes?" Elsewhere, Will Wright talks about quality issues after players create content: "Once we have the ability to leverage the creative process, how do we move that content between players in the most efficient way? There's always some content that a small number of players create that will have the most appeal."

Thanks to GameSpot for pointing out that Nokia's N-Gage 'mobile game deck' has effectively descended in price further, since the company "is letting consumers pick three game titles to bundle with the N-Gage for $299, provided they order them at EBGames and GameStop", and "those two stores are offering their own instant rebate of $100", making the N-Gage $199 with 3 games. In other N-Gage news, following the cracking of N-Gage software, a Nokia spokesman indicated they would "aggressively pursue" the perpetrators, as well as those spreading the crack online, and "...noted that future N-Gage releases are more likely to take advantage of platform-specific features that will make cracked games either impossible to play on other Series 60 devices, or at least play with a very poor user experience."

Thanks to GameSpot for its coverage of pictures and details of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XII, as a Japanese print magazine released a very short preview ahead of "an official presentation of the game" on November 19th in Tokyo. According to the piece, the game "...will take place in a fantasy world where there are other races aside from humans, and flying vessels fill the sky", and "main characters in Final Fantasy XII are a boy named Van and a girl named Arche." The available media also contains a CG shot of "a soldier riding on a chocobo", for those worried their favorite winged creature would be excluded from this instalment.

Thanks to GameSpot for its coverage of pictures and details of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XII, as a Japanese print magazine released a very short preview ahead of "an official presentation of the game" on November 19th in Tokyo. According to the piece, the game "...will take place in a fantasy world where there are other races aside from humans, and flying vessels fill the sky", and "main characters in Final Fantasy XII are a boy named Van and a girl named Arche." The available media also contains a CG shot of "a soldier riding on a chocobo", for those worried their favorite winged creature would be excluded from this instalment.

EvilDonut writes "According to Bloomberg.com, Nintendo intends to launch a new machine in Japan next year, in order "to boost sales". There are no details as to wether the machine will be hand-held or not, but Bloomberg does describe it as a next-generation console. This is pretty odd, as Nintendo has previously stated that the GameCube successor wouldn't be out until 2005, and the GBA is doing so well that I can't imagine they'll replace it as early as next year. The article also mentions the Nintendo iQue, so it's pretty clear this is not just a mix-up regarding the new, China-only system." Update: 11/13 23:44 GMT by S : GameSpot has a very cryptic clarification from Nintendo, that "the new product will be a unique item that is different from any traditional machine", and will be "be [neither] a home console nor a portable machine."

Thanks to the New York Times for their article investigating future possibilities for Sony's EyeToy PlayStation 2 camera. The writer has a chance to see Sony R+D's experimental prototypes using the just-released USB camera add-on, which include manipulating Harry Potter-style onscreen spells with a wand "...made from parts of a hotel clothes hanger [that] has a brightly colored ball on one end", and an onscreen interface replicating "...the futuristic computer operated by Tom Cruise's detective character in the movie 'Minority Report'." Production has been ramping up quickly on the camera for the US, and Sony hope to replicate the success of the peripheral in the UK, where EyeToy: Groove, a rhythm-based game, is the first piece of expansion software released.

Thanks to Game Informer for their hands-on impressions of Legend Of Zelda: Collector's Edition, as the GameCube bundle/bonus compilation approaches release. The article describes "The first two old-school games [The Legend Of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link] look just as they did when they released way back in the day", and shows comparison screenshots for the N64 titles [The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask], for which "...the graphics are now in high-res." Elsewhere, 1UP has news on Nintendo release dates for 2004, as "The four-player GameCube Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is still on track for February 9", and "will share that ... release date with Metroid: Zero Mission for Game Boy Advance... [which] expands on the original 8-bit Metroid adventure with revised levels, new story elements, and other added features."

Thanks to 1UP for their article covering Japanese Xbox boss Yoshihiro Maruyama's comments regarding yesterday's significant Xbox price drop in Japan. Maruyama explained that the price cut wasn't a reaction to Sony's Japanese PS2 price drop: "This discount was in the works for the end-of-year shopping season before SCE's announcement. The timing was on our own terms, and we aren't simply following the leader here." He also tried to explain why the Japanese videogame market is shrinking, suggesting: "You see companies in the U.S. using a multiplatform strategy, developing games for several consoles at once, with Electronic Arts leading the way. However, Japan concentrates all its development on the top platform alone, so it's easy to run into dead ends."

Thanks to 1UP for its review of Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando for PlayStation 2, as the reviewer argues: "The original Ratchet & Clank was, for my money, the best platform game of this hardware generation when it came out", and goes on to rate the Insomniac-developed sequel just as highly. IGN PS2 is also impressed, and discusses the showdown with Ratchet's technology-sharing PS2 rival, Naughty Dog's Jak II, commenting: "If I had to pick just one platformer this year - and that's a tough call, considering the incredible game that Jak II is - it would be this one." Finally, GameSpot rates the title as "a great game", although caution that "...at times it feels like more of a mission pack than an entirely new game."

Cobol Junky writes "After many months of development, the PC version of Star Wars:Knights Of The Old Republic has finally been finished. KOTOR for the Xbox has been a huge success, and the PC version will most definitely do just as well. Expect it to be on store shelves Tuesday, November 18th." This was among my favorite Xbox titles to date. I'll probably snag a copy just to replay it on the light side, and at high res.

securitas writes "Reuters' Daisuke Wakabayashi reports that Microsoft will 'cut the price of its Xbox game console by a third in Japan, undercutting rival Sony Corp's recently reduced PlayStation 2 price ahead of the holiday shopping season.' The price cut takes effect on Nov. 20 when it will be reduced to 16,800 yen (US$155) from 24,800 yen (US$228). The cut comes a week after Sony's 20 percent cut in its PS2 price to 19,800 yen (US$182), which takes effect Nov. 13. (Gamespot brief) Does this hint at a holiday price cut for North America, too?" We mentioned price cut rumors for Xbox in Japan a couple of weeks back.

Thanks to GameSpot for their article covering a Tokyo computer graphics festival featuring noted Japanese game creators, as they discussed problems funding and developing innovative videogames. As ex-Sega developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi (also lecturing separately) explained: "The scenario may be good, the characters may be good, and the setting may be good [for a game]. But nobody will allocate 2 billion yen [$15 million, to bankroll development] just because of that. The graphics may turn out to be excellent, but it might be a crappy game." Yuske Naora of Square Enix explained the way that Final Fantasy games are developed, saying they "work from checking out successful examples in the past", but pointing out: "There's some sense of danger among the staff that the way we're heading [in not 'taking risks'], we may only be able to produce Final Fantasy games."

Thanks to GameSpot for their article covering a Tokyo computer graphics festival featuring noted Japanese game creators, as they discussed problems funding and developing innovative videogames. As ex-Sega developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi (also lecturing separately) explained: "The scenario may be good, the characters may be good, and the setting may be good [for a game]. But nobody will allocate 2 billion yen [$15 million, to bankroll development] just because of that. The graphics may turn out to be excellent, but it might be a crappy game." Yuske Naora of Square Enix explained the way that Final Fantasy games are developed, saying they "work from checking out successful examples in the past", but pointing out: "There's some sense of danger among the staff that the way we're heading [in not 'taking risks'], we may only be able to produce Final Fantasy games."

Thanks to GameSpot for their news article revealing Sony's PlayStation 2 will launch in China this December. According to the piece: "...the console will be sold in 10 official stores in four cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. CellStar, one of China's biggest mobile-phone companies, will be in charge of distributing the PS2, which will sell for around 1,400 to 1,500 yuan ($169 to $181), and will come bundled with three as-yet-unnamed games." Nintendo are launching the N64-based iQue in China before Christmas for around $60, making for potentially interesting sales comparisons.

Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' column discussing critics who say videogame reviewing is still much too basic an art. Quoting a subscriber-only Wall Street Journal article with similar comments to a recent Slashdot story, the author warns against overly conceptual game reviews: "Look at it this way: Would you prefer for me to wistfully tell you how Final Fantasy XI made me feel, or would you prefer for me to tell you how it works, what about it works well, and what about it doesn't work well?" And, although he thinks the WSJ piece has many good points, he takes issue with comparisons between game reviewing and film reviewing: "When was the last time you decided to see a movie based on a movie review? Film critics write to each other."

Thanks to GameSpot for their feature documenting the final hours of development on Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, Ubisoft's update of the classic '80s platform adventure. The piece follows the development team as they squash the final, most obscure bugs, such as "...the disappearance of the head of the female character, Farah, if you leave the game on for more than 12 consecutive hours", and elsewhere, IGN PS2 rate the results as "the perfect realization of the franchise in 3D." GameSpy also has a set of features on the game, with the Xbox version's review largely positive, proclaiming "this prince is no pauper", while 1UP spell out the bonuses for each version, including "PS2: The entire original Prince of Persia... Xbox: The entire original Prince of Persia 2... GC/GBA: The entire original Prince of Persia, unlockable via the GBA or GameCube."

Thanks to the official site for news of the release of PC FPS/recruitment tool, America's Army - Special Forces, with download locations for the Windows client listed by Blue's News, as this "...latest release in the [freely downloadable] America's Army game series focuses on the critical, specialized role of the Army's Special Forces within the U.S. Army as they fight the Global War on Terrorism." GameSpot has a press release revealing the new missions include "...a Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) of a downed helicopter pilot, the rescue of a wounded Resistance leader from a hospital in an urban area, a nighttime reconnaissance mission to identify enemy aviation." Previous Slashdot articles have revealed the apparent success of the game in recruiting young people to the Army.

Thanks to the QT3 forums for linking to a Yahoo-hosted press release describing Sony's SOCOM II as a 'major online success', with "more than 22,000 simultaneous players in its first 48 hours", apparently taking the "number one online console game spot." The press release also reveals that "...the original SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs supports 11,000-14,500 simultaneous players and between 50,000 and 60,000 people are playing every day at an average of three hours per session." Meanwhile, Microsoft have announced that Xbox Live enjoyed its busiest weekend ever, as: "On Sunday, November 2, no less than 83,652 players spent a total of 262,268 hours online", and the most popular title, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3, "recorded a total of 24,478 players for the day, and at one point accounted for 6,731 players simultaneously."

Thanks to GamerFeed for reprinting the press release revealing that Valve's Xbox conversion of team-based tactical FPS Counter-Strike has now gone gold, and will be available in stores on November 18th. The console version boasts "seven never-before-seen multiplayer maps, one new counter-terrorist team, one new terrorist team and downloadable maps via Xbox Live", and GameSpot have a hands-on preview that rates the conversion as "a tight incarnation of the PC shooter", and mentions "subtle tweaks to [level] layout that will force veteran players to learn some new tricks." The Microsoft press release also claims: "The secure environment of Xbox Live ensures that gamers will experience nothing but cheat-free play."

Thanks to GameSpot for their report that a Japanese airline are selling a PC flight sim on-board their domestic routes, allowing resourceful laptop owners to buy the game in mid-air, and then replicate the flight they're currently taking. According to the article, "This game, called 'A Flight with Skymark,' allows players to take control of a Skymark badged 767 and fly any of that airline's routes", and this PC budget software "will be featured in in-flight videos and the airline's magazine as being available for purchase during the flight."

Thanks to Yahoo for reprinting a press release revealing the winners of Sony's Gran Turismo awards at the SEMA auto show in Las Vegas. The overall winner of these real-life auto awards, Ted and Sue Richardson's 1962 Buick Special, gets a virtual make-over, since "their vehicle will be drivable in Gran Turismo 4 when it is available worldwide for PlayStation 2 in 2004." The car will probably make it for the final version, but not for the recently-announced Gran Turismo 4: Prologue Version, which will debut in Japan in January 2004, and "will feature five courses", including Times Square, Japan's Tsukuba Circuit, and the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, C+VG seems to have confirmed that this preview version is "released solely for the Japanese market", so Western Gran Turismo fans will have to wait a little longer for the final version.

Thanks to GameSpot for their interview with the Japanese PC game publisher Cyberfront, discussing what it takes for a Western PC game to sell in console-dominated Japan. The company's best-sellers are Civilization III, which boasts "good name recognition", and takes advantage of "the... popular simulation genre" in Japan, and interestingly, SWAT III - apparently, "the tactical shooter struck a chord among this particular group: Japan's model firearm subculture." The company's founders argue that the first-person shooter genre can still be popular in Japan, pointing out that "Medal of Honor for PS2 sold 200,000 copies." However, the PC market is still relatively small, so "...a title that sells 10,000 copies in Japan is considered a hit."

jvm writes "We've all read comments that some videogame sites are allegedly biased for or against some games, consoles, or companies. So, Curmudgeon Gamer has investigated whether bias can be seen in the review scores over several games on each console. The review sites in question are GameSpot, GameSpy, and IGN, each of whom are compared to the game review averages on GameRankings. Additionally, a selection of review scores for crossplatform games are examined. While solid conclusions are difficult to draw and improvements can admittedly be made, perhaps people will find these results interesting to examine and discuss."

Thanks to GameSpot for its review of Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King, the EA-developed hack-n-slash action game based on Peter Jackson's acclaimed movie trilogy. The reviewer rates the now-released multiplatform title as a "relatively simple and short action game at heart, but [with] a solid combat system, some extremely intense and cinematic levels, [and] cool extras that fans of the movies will enjoy." 1UP also seems to dig the game, although notes that "the pre-level sequences are potentially spoilerish", since FMV from the not-yet-released movie is sometimes used. Finally, GameSpy has a whole section on the game, including a developer-friendly postmortem and a 'Pile On!' article that has opinions ranging from EA doing "such a good job of appealing to mainstream and hardcore gamers", to a sole dissenter: "This is definitely a great game for fans of the films, but others beware."

Thanks to 1UP for its review of Activision's multi-platform driving/shooting hybrid, True Crime, which starts by pointing out that "there aren't very many true console competitors for GTA... True Crime: Streets of LA is the first real contender since The Getaway." The reviewer praises the "plot-oriented makeover", but is concerned about game shortness: "You can get all three endings... in a weekend once you master the controls." Gaming Age is delighted by the title, suggesting it's "one of the best games to come out this holiday season", and IGN PS2 rules True Crime as "an enjoyable game if you can clear your mind of Grand Theft Auto expectations", while GameSpot points out that the just-shipped title is another to boast an advertising tie-in, as hero Nick Kang is "modeling new apparel and footwear from Puma's spring 2004 collection."

Thanks to GameSpot for their report that the eagerly-awaited Final Fantasy XII won't ship until at least April 2004 in Japan, according to Square Enix, who "updated its profit estimates for the full fiscal year, lowering that figure by almost 20 percent" as part of this news. The article points out that "two of [Square Enix's] major RPGs will [now] not be showing up until the company's next fiscal year", since Dragon Quest VIII [aka Dragon Warrior VIII] is already confirmed as shipping later in 2004, although a PlayStation 2 remake of Dragon Quest V has just been announced for this fiscal year in Japan. In more fortuitous news, the company also announced that "its TV toy game, Shinken Dragon Quest... [has] been selling beyond expectations in Japan."

Thanks to GameSpot for their report that the eagerly-awaited Final Fantasy XII won't ship until at least April 2004 in Japan, according to Square Enix, who "updated its profit estimates for the full fiscal year, lowering that figure by almost 20 percent" as part of this news. The article points out that "two of [Square Enix's] major RPGs will [now] not be showing up until the company's next fiscal year", since Dragon Quest VIII [aka Dragon Warrior VIII] is already confirmed as shipping later in 2004, although a PlayStation 2 remake of Dragon Quest V has just been announced for this fiscal year in Japan. In more fortuitous news, the company also announced that "its TV toy game, Shinken Dragon Quest... [has] been selling beyond expectations in Japan."

Thanks to Video-fenky for his weblog entry discussing Encore's PS2 military FPS, Fugitive Hunter. He explains: "By itself, Fugitive Hunter is a very simple military first-person shooter... you go through a level filled with bad guys before reaching your target fugitive. Once you do, the game shifts to a 2D fistfighting sequence (did I mention that [developer] Black Ops also did Knockout Kings for EA once upon a time?)" Since the game was dropped by former publisher Atari, and picked up by budget publishers Encore, the developers have switched things around, adding a final level with "...a network of caves where [Osama] bin Laden is hiding out." Video-fenky emphasizes: "I cannot overstate the impact of this. You are in a low-budget fighting-game fistfight with Osama bin Laden." Over at Worthplaying, they have more info and screenshots, including several pictures of the in-game bin Laden, though Video-fenky points out that "...even casual folks will likely be able to tell right off that bin Laden's inclusion is mostly a last-ditch gimmick."

Thanks to Telefragged for their review of Activision's World War II-themed PC FPS, Call Of Duty, which they seem to approve of, commenting that "the action and pacing... is done just right", though they point out your enjoyment depends on "whether you still enjoy WWII shooters" after so many predecessors, notably Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault, which Call Of Duty developers Infinity Ward also developed. GameSpy are extremely impressed, hailing Call Of Duty as "one of the best games of 2003", with "tons of amazing missions", alongside"solid [Quake 3-enhanced] tech and lots of white-knuckle combat." Finally, GameSpot are also effusive, hailing the shipping-now title as "an all-around excellent game that confidently challenges, head-on, all the other WWII-themed shooters out there and comes out on top."

Thanks to 1UP for their review of Tony Hawk's Underground, as the extreme sports title heads into stores for its fifth iteration, and the reviewer seems to approve, mentioning that "cinematic story makes single-player fun again", as well as lauding "user-created content options", including level and animation editors, that "have massive potential." Tragically, you can only play online using the PlayStation 2 version, a major blow for Xbox Live fans, contributing to IGN's rating of the title as "a solid, if not a perfect, outing", and the conclusion: "If you're a PS2 owner, go get it. If you're anybody else, you may want to just hold that thought before diving in." Finally, GameSpot basically approve, directly countering that "most of the game's goals don't tie into the story at all", but still praising it as "another great installment."

Thanks to GameSpot for their editorial discussing graphics card manufacturers, and how their race for revenue could harm PC gaming. The piece discusses the days when "3dfx's Glide standard was the only thing going", and "3dfx even secured deals with retailers to create separate sections for 3dfx-compatible games." However, the author laments: "I thought hardware-specific games were a thing of the past. Then I booted up the demo for Bridge It", an Nvidia-sponsored title which "will not run unless you have an Nvidia GeForce 4 Ti or GeForce FX graphics card installed." The article ends with a hope that "clearer heads will prevail and PC gaming can take new steps toward improving ease-of-use, not balkanizing the platform for business reasons."

Thanks to IGN Pocket for their article on the forthcoming Japanese launch of AM3's Advance Movie player for the Game Boy Advance. According to the piece, the player will come standalone, or "...bundled with episode one of the cartoon [Detective Conan] for a total cost of 3800 yen [$33]", and some time after that, "...gamers will be able to purchase blank Smart Media cards for 1800 yen and begin downloading content from their PC, using a Smart Media writer to get the content onto the blank card", though "cost should run between 100 and 500 yen [$1-$5]" for each download. Finally, following some "impressive video sequences" seen at the Tokyo Game Show, it's confirmed that "this technology... is also being applied to actual [GBA] games, with Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories being the first example."

Thanks to Canoe.ca for their article discussing the Canadian reaction to the in-game plot of Sony's forthcoming PS2 title Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, which has a level in which "...the [terrorist] Quebec Liberations Front has taken control of one of Toronto's underground subway tunnels." This is "an apparent reference to the Front de liberation du Quebec (FLQ), whose kidnapping and murder of Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Laporte in 1970 led to the imposition of the War Measures Act." A spokesperson for the Toronto transit commission has suggested: "The fact is someone is putting the Toronto subway as a terrorist site, that is a very dangerous thing to do", while a group of Quebec sovereigntists have commented: "It's difficult not to be made to feel like a target when you have a game inviting players to shoot at separatists." Update: 10/23 23:25 GMT by S : According to CTV.ca, Sony have now agreed to change the game, "rather than face a real-life storm of angry Quebecers."

Thanks to TeamXbox for their review of Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge, as the long-in-development Xbox sequel to the cult FASA/Microsoft PC flight game finally ships today, and, according to the reviewer, "...has added a whole new feel to the genre." 1UP also like the results, mentioning the "decent, but nothing worth getting too worked up about" version that showed at E3 2002, and lauding the year's delay which led to such massive improvement, noting "...the Xbox Live modes extend the lifetime of Crimson Skies several times over all by themselves." Finally, GameSpy join the others in giving the game a thumbs-up, suggesting: "This game exemplifies the sleeper hit; its unique feel, solid gameplay, and great aesthetics offer up something a little left of center, but it's something that anyone who's remotely interested in the genre should be checking out."

Thanks to GameSpot for their review of Castlevania:Lament Of Innocence for PlayStation 2, released today in the U.S., as they pronounce this "new 3D installment" to be "a fun, though fairly short and simple, game that marks a promising new beginning for this beloved series." GameSpy also have an interview with the creator, Konami producer Koji Igarashi, but end up judging the title a "very playable but somewhat dull game", and 1UP try a different tack by nominating the Top 10 Belmonts, discussing the "Belmont family of vampire hunters", before ruling similarly to the other reviews, albeit with a more upbeat edge: "Taken on its own terms, Lament of Innocence is a resounding success, and one of the best 3D action games on PS2." Would you prefer the Castlevania series stuck to 2D, or is 3D the only way to truly evolve it?

Thanks to GameSpot for their news that the key members of the creative team behind Diablo and Diablo II have announced their new company, called Flagship Studios, after their split from Blizzard at the end of June. The 9 co-founders of the San Francisco-based studio hope "...to build on a track record established by their work on the... Diablo franchise" at Blizzard North, and there's a piece of concept art and a company FAQ on Flagship's site that clarifies the fact they "intend the PC to be our main development platform", mentioning "multiplayer focused" aspects to this very early-in-development debut title.

Thanks to GameSpot for their review of Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike for the GameCube, rating the Factor 5-developed sequel that arrives in stores this week. GameSpot pronounce it a qualified success, saying "the parts of the game that stick to airborne and space combat are quite solid", but "the on-foot missions... [are] where Rebel Strike really falters." With the title including "a cooperative two-player version of Rogue Leader in its entirety", and IGN also being somewhat positive, recommending the "superb two-player cooperative mode" as "an absolute must play", although suggesting "if you were only a casual fan of the last [game in the series]... you [should] rent first", is this what you'd consider a good use of the Star Wars license?

Thanks to GameSpot for their large feature charting a comprehensive history of Capcom's Mega Man. The article explains: "Mega Man recently celebrated his 15th anniversary, and the Blue Bomber is showing no signs of giving up the fight for everlasting peace", and goes on to document more than 30 Mega Man-related titles, from the original NES version, which sported "totally appalling box art" in the States, through the 3D stylings of the Mega Man Legends series, and the VR-styled RPG gameplay of the Mega Man Battle Network series. The mammoth article ends on the hopeful: "Here's hoping Capcom sees fit to grace a current or future system with a good, honest 2D - or 2.5D, at the very most - Mega Man IX."

Thanks to GameSpot for their large feature charting a comprehensive history of Capcom's Mega Man. The article explains: "Mega Man recently celebrated his 15th anniversary, and the Blue Bomber is showing no signs of giving up the fight for everlasting peace", and goes on to document more than 30 Mega Man-related titles, from the original NES version, which sported "totally appalling box art" in the States, through the 3D stylings of the Mega Man Legends series, and the VR-styled RPG gameplay of the Mega Man Battle Network series. The mammoth article ends on the hopeful: "Here's hoping Capcom sees fit to grace a current or future system with a good, honest 2D - or 2.5D, at the very most - Mega Man IX."

Thanks to GameSpot for their large feature charting a comprehensive history of Capcom's Mega Man. The article explains: "Mega Man recently celebrated his 15th anniversary, and the Blue Bomber is showing no signs of giving up the fight for everlasting peace", and goes on to document more than 30 Mega Man-related titles, from the original NES version, which sported "totally appalling box art" in the States, through the 3D stylings of the Mega Man Legends series, and the VR-styled RPG gameplay of the Mega Man Battle Network series. The mammoth article ends on the hopeful: "Here's hoping Capcom sees fit to grace a current or future system with a good, honest 2D - or 2.5D, at the very most - Mega Man IX."

Thanks to GameSpot for their large feature charting a comprehensive history of Capcom's Mega Man. The article explains: "Mega Man recently celebrated his 15th anniversary, and the Blue Bomber is showing no signs of giving up the fight for everlasting peace", and goes on to document more than 30 Mega Man-related titles, from the original NES version, which sported "totally appalling box art" in the States, through the 3D stylings of the Mega Man Legends series, and the VR-styled RPG gameplay of the Mega Man Battle Network series. The mammoth article ends on the hopeful: "Here's hoping Capcom sees fit to grace a current or future system with a good, honest 2D - or 2.5D, at the very most - Mega Man IX."

Thanks to GameSpot for their preview of Irrational's PC RPG sequel, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. According to the first look at this previously unannounced title, a follow-up to the popular tactical role-playing game which featured "a stable of superheroes based on classic 1960s Silver Age comics", this sequel boasts an enhanced 3D engine and Nazi tentacle-bots, as "...the Freedom Force team must travel back in time to World War II to battle a new supervillain named Blitzkrieg, who is the defender of the Reich."

Thanks to GameSpot for their preview of Irrational's PC RPG sequel, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. According to the first look at this previously unannounced title, a follow-up to the popular tactical role-playing game which featured "a stable of superheroes based on classic 1960s Silver Age comics", this sequel boasts an enhanced 3D engine and Nazi tentacle-bots, as "...the Freedom Force team must travel back in time to World War II to battle a new supervillain named Blitzkrieg, who is the defender of the Reich."

Thanks to Game Informer for their hands-on impressions of Super Mario Advance 4 for GameBoy Advance, as the 20th October U.S. release nears for this handheld remake of Super Mario Bros 3, which GI suggest is "...probably the best platformer of the 8-bit generation, and also the best-selling video game in the United States of all time, across any platform." The game features e-Reader compatibility, "...where you can add new levels, power-ups, and level demonstrations by scanning in e-Cards", but unfortunately, "you will need two GBA devices" to use the e-Reader capabilities properly. IGN has an enthusiastic review of the game, mentioning Nintendo "will reportedly even create [e-Reader] cards featuring levels from the original Super Mario Bros. game", and elsewhere in the Mario franchise, French site GameKult has many new screenshots from the GameCube title Mario Party 5, due out Stateside on the 11th November.

Thanks to GameSpot for their story revealing Korean MMORPG Lineage II has racked up significant amounts of initial subscribers in its native country. According to the article about the Unreal-engine PC sequel, "in the game's first five days in release, publisher NCsoft has tallied more than 130,000 paid users." However, SirBruce's subscription page points out that many subscribers to the initial, 4-million subscriber Lineage: The Blood Pledge "play in 'PC baangs', Internet cybercafes in [South] Korea that buy Lineage access from the company and then sell it at hourly rates to customers", making subscriber comparisons with games like Star Wars Galaxies more difficult. Elsewhere, GI.Biz reveals the PlayStation 2 is the most popular console in Korea, although only 600,000 strong, with 92.5 percent preferring it over the 60,000-selling Xbox, as "...players cited the lack of Korean language software and poor customer service as their key problems with the Xbox."

Thanks to GameSpot for their report that Ubisoft has won the current round in a battle against EA and its alleged 'poaching' of Ubisoft Canada's employees. According to the article, "The Quebec Court of Appeals upheld Ubisoft's temporary restraining order that sought to prevent four former Ubisoft employees hired by Electronic Arts Montreal from working while a larger case is litigated." The piece goes on to explain: "That larger case accuses the four former Splinter Cell developers with violating non-compete clauses allegedly signed when they first took up employment at Ubisoft."