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Thanks to C+VG for confirming the rumors that John Romero and Tom Hall have been recruited by Midway, eliciting an official response that "the company has employed the talents" of the id Software co-founders, late of the partially ill-fated Ion Storm and the handheld developer Monkeystone Games. The article comments: "Of course, big names don't guarantee big games - Romero's Daikatana will forever remain in our memories, for all the wrong reasons - but it will certainly be interesting to see how Midway fares in this new Hall and Romero era." Update: 10/14 01:42 GMT by S : A report at GameSpot has an insider claiming Romero and Hall will be working on titles including an "already-in-the-works new version of Gauntlet" over at Midway San Diego.

Thanks to IGN PC for their hands-on preview of the PC version of Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic, which is currently due to ship on the 18th November. Apart from increased game resolution (up to 1600x1200) and texture detail, "about thirty new items will be added to the game, including two new lightsaber types", and "the space station around Yavin (from the first film) is a new locale" for this conversion of BioWare's immensely popular Xbox RPG. GameSpot also has a brief preview of the PC version, and elsewhere, IGN Xbox has an interesting, but very unconfirmed rumor that a sequel to KOTOR "...is not being developed internally at BioWare, but in Orange County at Obsidian Entertainment", the Black Isle-rich company who recently announced a co-development deal with the KOTOR creators.

Thanks to 1UP for their chart of the most ridiculous videogame character names ever. Among the crazed picks are Higharolla Kockamamie from Snake's Revenge ("How many 8-year-olds of the time were expected to get the Ayatollah Khomeini reference here is questionable"), Rocket Billy Redcadillac from Gungrave O.D. ("Here's a name so gloriously stupid, the mind protests at being asked to accept it"), and Fred Askare & Paula Abghoul from Castlevania IV ("Presumably from the same translation department that gave us Love Chaney, Jr. and Boris Karloffice.") Any other nominations?

MMaestro writes "GameSpot has a hands-on report after using the OS for Sony's new PSX 'digital media hub'. They report that the OS is actually easy to use, although the real test will probably come when Joe Average tries one out himself. On a side note, for those who would like to use the built-in DVD-R drive, GameSpot reports: 'Not only does the console lack the ability to record MP3s, but it's not compatible with AVI or VCD formats either.' So for all you console hackers out there, here is one more thing to look forward to cracking." GameSpot has a screenshot of the new menu system, and Watch Impress' earlier pictures included two others, for the curious.

MMaestro writes "GameSpot has a hands-on report after using the OS for Sony's new PSX 'digital media hub'. They report that the OS is actually easy to use, although the real test will probably come when Joe Average tries one out himself. On a side note, for those who would like to use the built-in DVD-R drive, GameSpot reports: 'Not only does the console lack the ability to record MP3s, but it's not compatible with AVI or VCD formats either.' So for all you console hackers out there, here is one more thing to look forward to cracking." GameSpot has a screenshot of the new menu system, and Watch Impress' earlier pictures included two others, for the curious.

kevinvee writes "Following an earlier Slashdot article, Yahoo is now reporting on the actual unveiling of Sony's PSX, with in-depth details on features and Japanese-specific prices for the 'hybrid gaming machine with digital media hub', which will start at $720 for the 160-gigabyte hard disk version." Japanese site Watch Impress has more pictures from the unveiling, including close-ups of the machine, and Digit Magazine explains specific features of this "hard disk, DVD digital video recorder and PlayStation 2 rolled into one", most notably that "...recording at 24 times normal speed is possible when copying previously recorded video... to a DVD-R optical disc", while GameSpot provides further analysis.

Thanks to IGN Cube for their interview with Viewtiful Joe's creator, Atsushi Inaba, as the GameCube 2D platform-action title ships to U.S. stores. He discusses the choice of platform ("we figured for Japan, as well as America, that GameCube had the kind of hardcore action gamers that would want to play the game"), and comments on the influence of Joe's 'interesting' fashion sense ("honestly, I don't think American men or Japanese men are interested in dressing in more pink!") Reviews from GameSpot and from IGN are effusive, backing up earlier glowing import reviews, with GameSpot commenting that Viewtiful Joe "...manages to simultaneously recall the simpler times of 2D platforming action games while modernizing the genre in several major ways." Update: 10/07 15:01 GMT by S : There's also a set of reviews on the brand-new Ziff Davis site, 1UP.com.

Thanks to IGN Cube for their interview with Viewtiful Joe's creator, Atsushi Inaba, as the GameCube 2D platform-action title ships to U.S. stores. He discusses the choice of platform ("we figured for Japan, as well as America, that GameCube had the kind of hardcore action gamers that would want to play the game"), and comments on the influence of Joe's 'interesting' fashion sense ("honestly, I don't think American men or Japanese men are interested in dressing in more pink!") Reviews from GameSpot and from IGN are effusive, backing up earlier glowing import reviews, with GameSpot commenting that Viewtiful Joe "...manages to simultaneously recall the simpler times of 2D platforming action games while modernizing the genre in several major ways." Update: 10/07 15:01 GMT by S : There's also a set of reviews on the brand-new Ziff Davis site, 1UP.com.

Thanks to GameSpot for their editorial discussing the ability to alter in-game characters to look like yourself in videogames, specifically citing EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. The author admits to having "a definite penchant for games that allow me to play as a character resembling myself", and muses: "I've already spent an unhealthy amount of time putting myself into Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 - imagine how cool it would be if that same character could be transported to FIFA Soccer 2004, Madden NFL 2004, or even SSX 3." With other forthcoming titles such as Tony Hawk's Underground highlighting this type of feature, is playing as yourself a much-desired extra for everyone, or would you prefer controlling someone more... handsome?

Thanks to GameSpot for their report that sales of Nintendo's GameCube have quadrupled, following the price cut to $99. The piece quotes an effusive GameStop spokesman as saying: "Our sales of Nintendo GameCube have increased more than fourfold. We are currently increasing our shipment requests for the system throughout the holidays." Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times reports on the new Nintendo adverts, both TV and print, with the tagline "Who Are You?" - the print ads "...show the heads of Nintendo characters superimposed on famous images, including players in the rock band Kiss, a person straddling the now-demolished Berlin Wall and no less an icon than the Mona Lisa", and the massive $100 million ad spending will also feature "a 60-second cinema commercial... shot on location in Asia... [and featuring] more than 500 extras."

Thanks to GameSpot for their brief interview with Valve's Gabe Newell, in which he discusses when the ravenously-awaited Half-Life 2 will finally come out. He laments: "I hate release dates because no matter how hard we try, we screw them up. We held back talking about our release date going into September 30th because I wanted to have a much clearer idea of what day we were going to ship on." As for an actual day, he offers: "Right now all we can say is holidays of this year, which to me feels really unfortunate." Elsewhere, Newell refuses to elaborate on the little-known multiplayer modes for the game, saying they're "...something we're not talking about because we want to keep it as a surprise for our customers as we roll into our launch cycle."

Thanks to IGN PC for their new preview of Remedy/Rockstar's Max Payne 2:The Fall Of Max Payne, as the October-due PC, December-shipping console title unveils a little more, particularly Bullet Time 2.0, the key new gameplay feature which "...will reward Max for good performance by increasing his action speed during Bullet Time. What this means is that you can start to move proportionally faster while in Bullet Time simply by killing multiple enemies." Elsewhere, GameSpot also get to "visit with the older, wiser Max Payne", particularly mentioning the "game's implementation of Havok physics", as this middleware physics engine also gets used in games such as Half-Life 2 and Starcraft: Ghost.

Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing why online gaming can often be more frustrating than fun. The columnist finds two main reasons for frustration - firstly: "I don't like getting trounced by someone who is either flat-out, hands-down better at a game than I am or has simply invested many more hours in getting good at the game than I have." He also has issues with impolite players: "I think online gaming brings out some really despicable behavior in people, which I don't particularly mind but that I certainly don't like." Some possible solutions are mentioned, such as "effective player-matching services", but what can and should be done to make playing online a delight?

Thanks to RPGFan for their coverage of SquareEnix's new product announcements at the Tokyo Game Show, which include two new PlayStation 2 PlayOnline MMORPG titles - Ambrosia Odyssey, which has "environments [that] will be inspired by Medieval Europe", and "seems to be a lot like Phantasy Star Online" (in terms of more arcade-style gameplay?), according to IGN, and Front Mission Online, a "a drab looking mech game that is part action and part simulation. The gameplay looks a lot like MechAssault, except that as well as piloting mechs, you'll also be able to take control of tanks." Unfortunately, the only news on Final Fantasy XII was 'wait and see', as "the company will reveal new information on the next game on November 19th" in Tokyo. New promo art for the earlier mentioned Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children CG movie and for the Kingdom Hearts PS2 and GBA titles has also surfaced.

Thanks to GameSpot for their story discussing a legal battle brewing in Canada between Ubisoft and Electronic Arts over 5 key developers on Ubisoft's Splinter Cell stealth game series, recently departed to work at the new EA Montreal. Apparently, Ubisoft have tried to legally enforce a clause that "...limits the ability for those who sign it to work in the North American game industry for a period of one year after leaving the company", presumably concerned that this alleged 'poaching' would set up a competing product to their important franchise. However, Jeff Brown of EA raged pointedly: "It seems that Ubisoft thinks of Montreal as a plantation - any worker who dares to escape the Ubisoft plantation will be hunted down by lawyers and forced out of business."

Thanks to GameSpot for their hands-on preview of Starcraft: Ghost, the third-person action game being developed for all three consoles (thus negating Xbox exclusivity rumors) by Nihilistic and Blizzard. The article reveals vehicular combat added into the stealth action, saying "...the final game will let you pilot a Terran siege tank, goliath (a bipedal mech), and vulture (a small hovercycle)", and IGN has a more in-depth look at this new Tokyo Game Show build, mentioning the developers are "working together to make a more refined stealth game" but voicing a few reservations about "sluggish and unresponsive" targeting on this much-improved, early 2004-due title.

Thanks to various sources for their continued Tokyo Game Show coverage, as GameSpot cover the show in full and GameSpy is also showcasing regular TGS updates, with their Tokyo Game Show pictorial giving a good flavor for the sights and sounds of the show. Elsewhere, IGN's coverage is spread all over their console-specific sites, and there's more personal takes from Video-Fenky, who comments that "Sony is to TGS what Nintendo is to E3 - they always rent out huge spaces not to show off new games, but to make a point to the game industry", and NFG, who noted that the "cellular phone gaming sector was booming... [and] is Namco's biggest source of profit by division."

Thanks to GamerFeed for the news that Shigeru Miyamoto's remake of Pac-Man for GameCube/GBA will make it to consumers through a variety of bundle deals. The title, shown at E3 this year, has "...one player onto a Game Boy Advance and three players on the GameCube. The GBA player plays as Pac-Man, and he or she has a view of the maze similar to the one featured in the classic arcade maze game. The three GameCube players control the ghosts. The ghosts can see only their immediate surroundings, which makes tracking down Pac-Man a bit of a mystery." It's been announced that the GameCube exclusive "...will be packaged with Namco's upcoming [budget re-release] Pac-Man World 2... [and given] to gamers who pre-order the game I-Ninja... [and given to those who] buy the game R: Racing Evolution."

Thanks to various sources for covering Tokyo Game Show game announcements, including multiple new Capcom titles, from a Nightmare Before Christmas game for PlayStation 2, to a new multi-platform Mega Man RPG for PS2 and GameCube, and confirmed details on the Street Fighter II Anniversary Edition, which "contains every incarnation of every character from each game released under the Street Fighter II name." Apart from the Final Fantasy VII-based CG movie DVD we mentioned earlier, SquareEnix has also revealed details and initial screenshots for "Kingdom Hearts II for the PlayStation 2 and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for the Game Boy Advance", and Famitsu.com has breaking news on two new SquareEnix PS2 online RPGs, the action-orientated Ambrosia Odyssey and Front Mission Online, though there'll be much more comprehensive coverage soon.

JFMulder writes "Retail partners Amazon.com and Toys 'R Us announced today that they were dropping the Gamecube console price down to $99. Even though Nintendo is probably losing money now on the GameCube, this is the move that Nintendo may be hoping will close the little gap between Xbox and GameCube in worldwide sales, and help it gain a solid lead over Microsoft in the coming months." A Reuters story mentions further indications that an official announcement is on its way, and all on Nintendo's 114th birthday, too.

MohitKhanna writes "GameSpy has posted a new preview of Doom 3, along with a couple of new screenshots from the game. The article gives an insight into what the single-player story mode of Doom 3 will be like, and also introduces a few new monsters." Blue's News has a good round-up of the other Doom 3 articles released today, also including a new Tim Willits and Todd Hollenshead interview at GameArena, and this 2004-due FPS is also previewed at Eurogamer and checked out via GameSpot.

Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing game audio soundbites you can't get out of your head. The author recalls: "Just as the sound of a bell ringing made Pavlov's dogs start watering at the mouth in anticipation of their next meal, it was the sound of Street Fighter II that made me want to play." Apart from the article's classic example, "Ryu and Ken's shouts of 'Hadoken!'", what unique game audio captures your imagination every time you hear it?

Thanks to GameSpot for their list of their 10 favorite videogame boss fights ever. The article claims: "The bosses here qualify as memorable by excelling in a number of categories; difficulty, personality, and innovative fight mechanics all come into play", and goes on to name bosses such as Dark Falz from Phantasy Star ("...so terrifying, they couldn't even spell his name right"), Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid ("more about figuring out the gimmicks behind his trickery than being skillful with your weaponry"), and Ganon from Zelda: The Ocarina Of Time ("the most dramatic and epic [boss battle] in Zelda history.")

Thanks to GameSpot for a detailed look at the opposing armies, and IGN PC for a recent hands-on preview of Liquid Entertainment's Tolkien-themed PC RTS, War Of The Ring, which allows to player to recruit Gollum, Nazgul kings, and even Saruman the White, in evil-spawned campaigns such as one that "...tasks the player with retaking the towers built by Gondor, and involves a nice alliance with Shelob", or allows you to command the "...armies of good, which comprise the legions of men, elves, dwarves, and hobbits", and control heroes from Frodo Baggins through Aragorn and Gandalf, in this November-released title from the Battle Realms creators.

Thanks to Gamers.com for their massive list of all the games showing at the Tokyo Game Show, which kicks off on September 26th in Japan. The list "...omits whatever games that companies are saving as surprises for the show", including the widely-rumored Kingdom Hearts 2 from Square Enix, but highlights include Astro Boy and the Altered Beast remake from Sega, the new Front Mission titles from Square Enix, the wacky Mojib Ribbon and mech-heavy Chain Dive from Sony, as well as Capcom's wholesale licensing of notable Western titles, adding the Sony-created Mark Of Kri, The Getaway, and War Of The Monsters to their already-released Grand Theft Auto.

Thanks to Gamers.com for their massive list of all the games showing at the Tokyo Game Show, which kicks off on September 26th in Japan. The list "...omits whatever games that companies are saving as surprises for the show", including the widely-rumored Kingdom Hearts 2 from Square Enix, but highlights include Astro Boy and the Altered Beast remake from Sega, the new Front Mission titles from Square Enix, the wacky Mojib Ribbon and mech-heavy Chain Dive from Sony, as well as Capcom's wholesale licensing of notable Western titles, adding the Sony-created Mark Of Kri, The Getaway, and War Of The Monsters to their already-released Grand Theft Auto.

Thanks to IGN Wire for hosting the press release announcing the November release of Jaleco's PS2 rhythm-action Lowrider game, as well as the official hookup with industry bible, Lowrider Magazine. According to the release, "Lowrider simulates the American phenomenon of lowriding by putting into the gamers' hands the ability to purchase and upgrade cars, install major hydraulics and choose or create detailed artistry to compete against other vehicles in hops, dances and cruise shows" and there's a selection of screenshots on GameSpot, as well as a preview of the already-released Japanese version.

Thanks to IGN Wire for hosting the press release announcing the November release of Jaleco's PS2 rhythm-action Lowrider game, as well as the official hookup with industry bible, Lowrider Magazine. According to the release, "Lowrider simulates the American phenomenon of lowriding by putting into the gamers' hands the ability to purchase and upgrade cars, install major hydraulics and choose or create detailed artistry to compete against other vehicles in hops, dances and cruise shows" and there's a selection of screenshots on GameSpot, as well as a preview of the already-released Japanese version.

Thanks to IGN Pocket for their article discussing new PlayStation Portable (PSP) details revealed at Sony's Gamers' Day in San Francisco. The article discusses the PSP's controller configuration, which is "...now confirmed to consist of the four face buttons we all know and love (triangle, circle, cross, and square), a digital directional pad, two shoulder buttons (left and right), start and select buttons, and one analog joystick." It also reveals that "Sony compared the 3D prowess of the PSP to be more akin to the PS2 rather than the PSone", and other details emerged - the system's battery life was "...said to be comparable to other high-end devices (roughly 3-6 hours)", and GameSpot's Gamers' Day round-up relays that "a prototype will be unveiled at E3 2004... [and] currently, 10 first-party titles are in development for the new platform."

Thanks to Yahoo! for hosting Sony's press release announcing the PlayStation 2 hard drive add-on's March 2004 US release. According to the release, the 40gb drive requires the PS2 Network Adaptor to work, will "...come pre-installed with Square Enix's highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Final Fantasy XI", and will cost $99. Also promised are features such as "...saving CDs to create a personal jukebox, and the ability to download... levels, missions, characters, and much more", and forthcoming Sony-published titles SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs and Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (the latter now due in February 2004) are confirmed as having downloadable content. A GameSpot report from the Sony Editor's Day confirms the subscription pricing for FFXI: "...the first 30 days will be free and a $12.95 per month fee [from then on]."

Thanks to Yahoo! for hosting Sony's press release announcing the PlayStation 2 hard drive add-on's March 2004 US release. According to the release, the 40gb drive requires the PS2 Network Adaptor to work, will "...come pre-installed with Square Enix's highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Final Fantasy XI", and will cost $99. Also promised are features such as "...saving CDs to create a personal jukebox, and the ability to download... levels, missions, characters, and much more", and forthcoming Sony-published titles SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs and Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (the latter now due in February 2004) are confirmed as having downloadable content. A GameSpot report from the Sony Editor's Day confirms the subscription pricing for FFXI: "...the first 30 days will be free and a $12.95 per month fee [from then on]."

Thanks to GameSpot for their review of the PS2/Xbox/GC driving game, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, released this week, in which they shrewdly point out: "with perhaps the sole exception of Konami's 1991 arcade action game, The Simpsons, no [Simpsons games] have really even proved to be much in the way of fun." Although it seems "practically every mission in the game is a direct clone of one of the GTA driving missions", the reviewer thinks Hit And Run "finally manages to bring the world of the Simpsons to life with proper justice", and much of the appeal, according to Gamers.com, is in the references: "You'll plow through a field of Tomacco... and take a shortcut through the Stonecutters' Hidden Tunnel... you'll conduct missions that require you to collect 'flatmeat' for Cletus, [and] round up monkeys for Dr. Nick's experiments."

Thanks to GameSpot for their story trailing the November release of the biofeedback based PC/Mac game, Wild Divine. This previously Slashdot-covered, very unconventional title uses a "biofeedback component [to] measure a player's galvanic skin response (GSR) and heart rate variability", and in a quoted gameplay example, "...a player who's required to lower a floating feather won't be able to do it until moving into a somewhat meditative state." Unfortunately, the newly announced "introductory price of $129.95", including biofeedback hardware, may cause a little muscle tension, but the official site has new info on hands-on demo locations.

Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing whether open-ended, emergent gaming works better than linearity in videogames. The author asks: "Should more games aspire to be "virtual sandboxes," inviting the player to run amok and experiment as much as possible? Or is there still something to be said for the tightly scripted, carefully contrived, more-cinematic gaming experience? He goes on to suggest that more open-ended titles often work better for him: "I like for a game to last me a good, long time. I also like being able to come back to a game every once in a while and not necessarily feel pressured to reach a finite conclusion", but cites Grand Theft Auto III as "representative of where emergent and scripted gaming can and should converge."

Thanks to GameSpot for their hands-on preview of the English-language Final Fantasy X-2, ahead of the RPG's release on PS2 in early December. Early buzz on the title was mixed for fans of the normally staid Final Fantasy series, when "...rejoicing changed to bewilderment as more information and assets appeared - assets that had Yuna kickin' it in a pair of hot pants and packin' a pair of pistols." But the article suggests that mixing things up may be a good idea after all: "While we thought Final Fantasy X-2 would end up being viewed as an aberration in the Final Fantasy franchise, we're not so sure anymore. The localized story stays true to a lot of the classic themes the Final Fantasy games are known for, silliness notwithstanding."

DeadMeat (TM) writes "According to GameForms, Sammy announced that it will be working with Capcom on arcade versions of a forthcoming Sammy vs. Capcom 2D fighting game, as well as a solo Sammy project, a four-player Guilty Gear fighter sequel. Screenshots of the latter are available from Impress Game Watch, with presumably more information about the announcement for those who speak Japanese." Update: 09/12 04:10 GMT by S : GameSpot has more information on the full line-up at the AMShow arcade exhibition in Tokyo, which is where this news originated from.

Thanks to the Gaming-Age forum regulars for pointing to info on the EB Games site showing Microsoft's Xbox hardware bundle for Christmas, consisting of the online-friendly Star Wars: Clone Wars, Tetris Worlds, and 2 free months of Xbox Live, priced at $179. Meanwhile, GameInformer.com has a rumor (via unconfirmed sources) of a Zelda-related GameCube hardware bundle this Xmas, including "...a bonus disc that will include the following Zelda games and goodies: Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Zelda Documentary." While this GameCube bundle is still a rumor, new Player's Choice budget titles from Nintendo have been officially confirmed, including (from September 25th) Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, and Super Mario Sunshine for $29.99, and Star Fox Adventures, Pikmin, and Luigi's Mansion for $19.99.

Thanks to GameSpot for their editorial discussing the problems in pacing a videogame correctly, as the author theorizes: "It's almost always the same sorts of things that make us get sick of them in a hurry", and goes on to pinpoint game facets that affect pacing adversely. He suggests: "Loading times are quite possibly the single worst thing about today's games", and also points out "...providing the player with easy access to often-used features" as a pacing-killer, referencing Vagrant Story's "unwieldy menu system." Finally, he argues that "the ideal game should never require pausing or fast-forwarding", mentioning that Star Wars: KOTOR had "...combat [that] was paced seemingly just right so that I'd be able to react to what was happening as it happened, not in between desperately toggling the pause button."

Thanks to GameSpot for their hands-on impressions of Counter-Strike for the Xbox, as Valve's massively popular multiplayer title makes the transition to console gamers and Xbox Live. The article points out: "What began as a grassroots mod, literally created in a dorm room, has become the most widely played PC action game on the Internet - in just a few short years." There's also a number of new screenshots of this console conversion, which ships in November, and also includes map enhancements/downloads: "...of the 20 maps that will initially be available, seven are Xbox-exclusive... more maps should be available, via Xbox Live updates, sometime after release."

Thanks to GameSpot for their hands-on impressions of Counter-Strike for the Xbox, as Valve's massively popular multiplayer title makes the transition to console gamers and Xbox Live. The article points out: "What began as a grassroots mod, literally created in a dorm room, has become the most widely played PC action game on the Internet - in just a few short years." There's also a number of new screenshots of this console conversion, which ships in November, and also includes map enhancements/downloads: "...of the 20 maps that will initially be available, seven are Xbox-exclusive... more maps should be available, via Xbox Live updates, sometime after release."

Thanks to GameSpot for their story announcing that Electronic Arts' Madden franchise will sponsor a pre-game show on TV network ESPN, in which the hosts "...will use footage of EA Sports' Madden NFL 2004 game... as a visual aid in helping to explain and illustrate NFL strategy and matchups." However, as the article points out, "EA Sports' sponsorship of an ESPN show calls into question Sega's current exclusive multiyear licensing deal with the sports network, announced last year" - and amusingly, this Yahoo article points out "ESPN.com's new games Web site, ESPN Gamer, gave 'Madden' a higher review than 'ESPN NFL Football'."

Thanks to GameSpot for their hands-on impressions of Deus Ex: Invisible War, the long-awaited PC/Xbox FPS from Warren Spector and cohorts at Ion Storm Austin. As well as confirming the game will ship in time for Xmas, the article illuminates: "Invisible War will give you more freedom of choice than the original Deus Ex", claiming that, similarly to the prequel, even non-violent conduct will work: "...one tester has made it about two-thirds of the way through the game without having acquired so much as a pistol." Boomtown also has a new preview of this "pivotal title" for Eidos.

Thanks to Origin for their news release announcing Lord British is returning to the world of PC MMORPG Ultima Online. The article trails: "Talk circulates throughout the land of the return of a figure from Britannia's past, whose whereabouts have been shrouded in mystery for these many moons", and GameShark has contacted NCSoft Austin, where Ultima creator Richard 'Lord British' Garriott now works (and where he has even introduced Lord British's character into Lineage), and reports that "Richard Garriott... gave [Origin/EA] permission to reintroduce the character into the world of Ultima. Origin apparently made a deal with Richard that allowed them to use the character if they had Richard's blessings."

Thanks to GameSpy for posting a developer diary for XIII, the multi-platform, cel-shaded FPS from UbiSoft that's now due to ship on the 9th October. The executive producer on this Unreal-engine title talks about some of the stylistic innovations, such as "pop-up windows to show major actions or headshots", and "onomatopoeias... to help [the player] like a form of sixth sense", Batman TV show-style. GameSpot also has some recent, guarded impressions of the title, which is "based on an immensely popular [French] graphic novel series", and features an intriguing soundtrack from San Francisco turntablists Future Primitive Sound.

Thanks to NFG Games for their newly-posted detailed look at Ai Cho Aniki for the PC Engine / TurboGrafx, a side-scrolling, bodybuilder-filled shoot-em-up where, as the author explains: "The game starts as many do, in space above some clouds with... floating heads, swords and a strange guy on a half-moon who throws babies at you." The extremely odd graphical presentation, encompassing "burly men, angels, [and] machines with faces", even extends to the game's front cover - and it's not the only version for the PC Engine, even. There's also now a PlayStation 2 sequel, called Mighty Brothers: The Legend of the Holy Protein, due later this year.

Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing the relative lack of certain online console games. The author focuses on "the fighting genre [as] the most blatant example" of this dearth, with only Capcom Vs. Snk 2 EO for Xbox currently playable online. He also mentions the PS2 as lacking depth of online titles, claiming "A steady flow of online PS2 games would have been nice. But the last one released was... wait for it... Chessmaster." Were you also expecting to be "seeing almost every game coming out with some kind of online support" by now, or are current online titles enough for you?

Thanks to Eurogamer.net for their 'Muffies' Autumn Game Awards 2003, which tries to differ from the official ECTS awards in "only [allowing] games for which actual real-time code was available", and basing their conclusions on serious time spent with each game at the ECTS and Playstation Experience shows. Stand-out winners include Best PC Game for the so far low-profile Ground Control 2, which "...looks set to be a true strategy classic", and Best Surprise to Rogue Ops, which they describe as "...Metal Gear Solid and then some." Finally, the overall Game Of Show award went to the Euro-centric Pro Evolution Soccer 3 from Konami.

Thanks to IGN Pocket for their article pointing out that Nintendo's Pokemon franchise is celebrating its 5th anniversary in the States. According to the article, "Pokemon first launched on the original Game Boy in Japan in 1996. Since bringing the franchise to North America in September 1998, Nintendo has sold more than 110 million Pokemon games worldwide. Pokemon merchandise has generated over $15 billion in worldwide retail sales since 1998." With the HAL-developed Pokemon Pinball:Ruby And Sapphire out now for GBA, and Pokemon Coliseum for GameCube forthcoming early next year as a Pokemon Stadium-style companion for Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire on GBA, it seems Pikachu and friends are here to stay.

Thanks to Gamesindustry.biz for their report on the results of the annual ECTS Awards in London, documenting the ceremonies based around the E3-like English trade show. According to the piece, "Ubi Soft's cel-shaded FPS title XIII... [walked] away from the ceremony with the Best Console Game and Game of Show awards tucked under its arm. The company's multiplayer FPS title Far Cry also won the Best PC Game award, while Everquest 2 - published in Europe by Ubi - picked up the Best Online game award." Interestingly, the Edge Award, chosen by editors of the boutique UK games magazine, went to Capcom's Viewtiful Joe, while Half-Life 2 only came away with one prize, the London Games Week award.

Thanks to GameSpot for their interview with Grant Morrison regarding his writing on the new Battlestar Galactica game. Morrison is the noted British comic-book writer known for titles such as The Invisibles, and says of the Galactica re-imagining: "There seemed to be endless dramatic possibilities in the big biblical sweep of the Galactica concept, so I went with warrior-monks, high-tech cloisters, and the doom-laden struggle of man against pitiless machine." He also suggests that, in writing for videogames, "...the script format is quite different from a comic book script or a movie script... more 'fractal,' for want of a better word."