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Thanks to GameSpot for their list of the newest set of budget Xbox titles "in the second wave of Platinum Hits". The titles that already have, or shortly will retail for $19.99 include Dead Or Alive 3, Hitman 2, and Medal Of Honor: Frontline. There also seem to be some new additions to the extensive PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits line-up due, although it's difficult to officially verify, with Final Fantasy X (currently), plus Sly Cooper, Ratchet And Clank, and Kingdom Hearts (in the next couple of months) all apparently dropping to $19.99.

Steve Shewchuk writes "3DO, the publisher known for its Might and Magic, Army Men, and High Heat Baseball franchises, has successfully auctioned off a number of its assets after its transition into bankruptcy protection. High Heat Baseball has been purchased by Microsoft, while the Might and Magic series went to Ubisoft. Street Racing Syndicate sold to Namco Hometek, but there's no word on Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, one of the biggest 'in production' games before 3DO went bankrupt."

Thanks to GameSpot for their updated impressions of Rare's Grabbed By The Ghoulies, following the Xbox title's mixed reception at E3. The article suggests: "While the game features a pretty basic old-school beat-'em-up mechanic that's easy to pick up, there's a bit more to it", and goes on to conclude: "We're a bit disappointed to see that it doesn't have any multiplayer support, but any game that has a level featuring vampire chickens is clearly doing something right." Will this title go any further towards answering the eternal 'Have Rare lost it?' conundrum?

Thanks to IGN Cube for their article on the Universal Soul Calibur II Arcade Stick, which is being released by Nuby and Namco on August 31st, just after the launch of the ravenously-awaited Namco fighting game sequel for PS2/Xbox/GameCube. IGN explains: "The interesting detail about the arcade stick is that it works with all three consoles - no extra assembly required. All gamers need do is plug the appropriate end into the console of their choice and they'll be up and running." So you can use the same joystick to play Link, Heihachi, and Spawn, if you're insane enough to buy Soul Calibur II for all three platforms, as well as repurposing the stick for any other famous fighting games that take your fancy.

Thanks to IGN Cube for their rumor report claiming that Nintendo's new Donkey Kong title for GameCube, recently announced as being developed by Namco, is a conga drum-based rhythm title called Donkey Konga. Although unconfirmed, IGN claim: "On March 10, 2003, Nintendo registered the trademark for Donkey Konga. This, say sources, is the tentative name for the new title, which dumps its platformer roots in favor of exploring the music genre." Another point in this rumor's favor is that Namco has created the very popular Taiko no Tatsujin drumming title for PlayStation 2, complete with custom drum controller, and it's sold over 900,000 copies so far in Japan, but there's no official word from Nintendo or Namco yet.

The first previews of Max Payne 2 have hit the web. GameSpot has their first look up. Additionally, the good folks over at GameSpy have their take on it up as well. The folks at Remedy and Rockstar describe the sequel as a "film noir love story," and as previously mentioned, Max will have a love interest this time around.

The first previews of Max Payne 2 have hit the web. GameSpot has their first look up. Additionally, the good folks over at GameSpy have their take on it up as well. The folks at Remedy and Rockstar describe the sequel as a "film noir love story," and as previously mentioned, Max will have a love interest this time around.

Thanks to GameSpot for their news that THQ has acquired the worldwide rights to distribute a number of GameBoy Advance games from Microsoft's Rare studio. Although the famous English developer was acquired by Microsoft last year, they're still making games for Nintendo's handheld, and according to GameSpot, "The games included in the agreement are Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, Sabre Wulf, Banjo Pilot (formerly Diddy Kong Pilot), and a previously unannounced game entitled It's Mr Pants - no doubt starring the bowler-hat-and Y-fronts-wearing moderator of the reader's letters-style "Pantsboard" on Rare's official Web site."

Thanks to GameSpot for their news that THQ has acquired the worldwide rights to distribute a number of GameBoy Advance games from Microsoft's Rare studio. Although the famous English developer was acquired by Microsoft last year, they're still making games for Nintendo's handheld, and according to GameSpot, "The games included in the agreement are Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, Sabre Wulf, Banjo Pilot (formerly Diddy Kong Pilot), and a previously unannounced game entitled It's Mr Pants - no doubt starring the bowler-hat-and Y-fronts-wearing moderator of the reader's letters-style "Pantsboard" on Rare's official Web site."

Thanks to GameSpot for their news that THQ has acquired the worldwide rights to distribute a number of GameBoy Advance games from Microsoft's Rare studio. Although the famous English developer was acquired by Microsoft last year, they're still making games for Nintendo's handheld, and according to GameSpot, "The games included in the agreement are Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, Sabre Wulf, Banjo Pilot (formerly Diddy Kong Pilot), and a previously unannounced game entitled It's Mr Pants - no doubt starring the bowler-hat-and Y-fronts-wearing moderator of the reader's letters-style "Pantsboard" on Rare's official Web site."

Thanks to GameSpot for their news that THQ has acquired the worldwide rights to distribute a number of GameBoy Advance games from Microsoft's Rare studio. Although the famous English developer was acquired by Microsoft last year, they're still making games for Nintendo's handheld, and according to GameSpot, "The games included in the agreement are Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, Sabre Wulf, Banjo Pilot (formerly Diddy Kong Pilot), and a previously unannounced game entitled It's Mr Pants - no doubt starring the bowler-hat-and Y-fronts-wearing moderator of the reader's letters-style "Pantsboard" on Rare's official Web site."

Thanks to Gamasutra.com for their news report (registration required) indicating that Graeme Devine has left id Software for Microsoft-owned Ensemble, the developers of the Age Of Empires series. The article elaborates: "Devine's career covers a substantial swath of videogame history, starting with porting games such as Pole Position for Atari while still in high school in the U.K. in the early 1980s. He later co-founded Trilobyte, where he was central to the development of the seminal CD-ROM title The 7th Guest and its follow-up, The 11th Hour. Most recently Devine was working on Doom 3 for id, in roles ranging from project manager to designer to programmer." Further details are as yet unavailable, but the piece suggests "..in his new role at Ensemble, Devine will be focusing primarily on game design."

Thanks to GameSpot for their guest GameSpotting feature discussing whether the print-based game guide is a thing of the past. According to the piece: "As long as there have been games, there have been game guides to help players beat them. Over the years they have evolved into slick, glossy (and thin) books with tons of valuable information and high-quality screenshots and maps... Guides make tough games easier. But are they worth it?" The author references a videogame-store friend laughing: "Why buy a game guide when I can just download the FAQ for free?" Is there any new presentation of paper-based game guides that might make you tempted to pay for them, or are they truly dying out for good?

focitrixilous P writes "Gamespot writes about the upcoming hybrid strategy game Savage: The Battle for Neweth, which will provide a full Linux edition on the same disk as the Windows version. The title blends real time strategy with action titles, along one player to act as a general while others do the actual fighting."

focitrixilous P writes "Gamespot writes about the upcoming hybrid strategy game Savage: The Battle for Neweth, which will provide a full Linux edition on the same disk as the Windows version. The title blends real time strategy with action titles, along one player to act as a general while others do the actual fighting."

Thanks to GameSpot for their article discussing the European Commission's formal warning to Greece over the country's attempt to ban all videogames last year. The article summarizes: "The law stirred up anger and disbelief after it resulted in several arrests and the closure of Internet cafes. Although Greece later clarified that the law only prohibits gambling-related games, the EC was 'unsatisfied' with the response and has sent a formal notice requesting more information." According to a lawyer familiar with the case, "The way the Greek law was drafted was an absolute mess. It was drafted so widely that using a PlayStation at home would amount to a breach of the law - which is ridiculous." Would have got away with it too, if it wasn't for that meddling European Commission.

SifuDave54 writes "There's a press release via Yahoo! reporting that id will bring DOOM 3 to QuakeCon 2003! - 'QuakeCon attendees will have the chance to play DOOM 3's four-player Deathmatch on a level co-developed by id Software and U.K.-based developer Splash Damage, Ltd. Splash Damage has most recently worked with id Software on Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, and will be co-developing DOOM 3's multiplayer levels.' I wish I could go..."

Thanks to GameSpot for their hands-on preview of Age Of Mythology: The Titans, the expansion pack to the popular RTS which "chronicles how the surviving Atlanteans were able to rebuild their civilization." One of the big selling points for this add-on seems to be, well, the Titans themselves: "Each of the game's four civilizations has one unique titan. All the titans are massive melee combat units that move slowly and inflict incredible damage, and they can also take a lot of punishment, as each one has 7,000 health. That's almost six times as many hit points as the closest comparable unit from the original game, the colossus." There's also an impressive-looking set of screenshots for the Ensemble-developed expansion, which is due out in October.

Thanks to GameSpot for their hands-on preview of Age Of Mythology: The Titans, the expansion pack to the popular RTS which "chronicles how the surviving Atlanteans were able to rebuild their civilization." One of the big selling points for this add-on seems to be, well, the Titans themselves: "Each of the game's four civilizations has one unique titan. All the titans are massive melee combat units that move slowly and inflict incredible damage, and they can also take a lot of punishment, as each one has 7,000 health. That's almost six times as many hit points as the closest comparable unit from the original game, the colossus." There's also an impressive-looking set of screenshots for the Ensemble-developed expansion, which is due out in October.

Thanks to GameSpot for their new mini-feature discussing movie licenses that might actually make decent games, as opposed to "every big-budget blockbuster getting a cheap and dirty game that is less a game and more a lackluster piece of promotional material." The suggested movies include Run Lola Run as a game "with hundreds of available outcomes", Battle Royale as a "twisted and sadistic" action title, and Fletch with "a Max Payne style of narration.. to represent Fletch's internal dialogue." But, the big question - do Slashdot Games readers have any better suggestions?

Thanks to GameSpot for posting the first in a series of developer diaries from The Sims 2, the sequel to the gigantic-selling PC people-prodding game. In this instalment, senior producer Tim LeTourneau indulges in non-skippable marketing-speak, before divulging fun gameplay details about the added physical, emotional, and mental growth for your Sims: "We decided on six distinct age ranges that make up the classic periods of life: babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Each stage is punctuated by 'big life moments,' rites of passage we all equate with growing up: a toddler's first steps, a teen's first kiss, getting married, and kicking the bucket." There are more details in GameSpot's recent hands-on preview with the game, which is due in early 2004.

Thanks to GameSpot for posting the first in a series of developer diaries from The Sims 2, the sequel to the gigantic-selling PC people-prodding game. In this instalment, senior producer Tim LeTourneau indulges in non-skippable marketing-speak, before divulging fun gameplay details about the added physical, emotional, and mental growth for your Sims: "We decided on six distinct age ranges that make up the classic periods of life: babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Each stage is punctuated by 'big life moments,' rites of passage we all equate with growing up: a toddler's first steps, a teen's first kiss, getting married, and kicking the bucket." There are more details in GameSpot's recent hands-on preview with the game, which is due in early 2004.

Thanks to GameSpot for their article revealing the first details on Xenosaga Episode II, subtitled 'Jenseits von Gut und Bose' ('Beyond Good And Evil'), and a follow-up to the popular, if long-winded PS2 sci-fi RPG from MonolithSoft/Namco. Screenshots reveal the major characters have returned, "..and some of them have been given a more-mature look for the new game." In related news, GamePro reported on new details and screenshots from MonolithSoft's GameCube-exclusive RPG, Baten Kaitos (named after a star in the Cetus constellation), which is "set in a collection of five floating continents in the sky", and surprisingly, has a "..fighting system [which] will involve the use of cards." Both are likely, but as yet unconfirmed for release outside Japan.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com report discussing the bizarre Japanese PlayStation 2 game, Mojib Ribbon, from the creators of Parappa The Rapper and this title's cult prequel, Vib Ribbon. The article says, "Like its predecessor, [Mojib Ribbon] ..is a simple rhythm game, but ..the game takes any text file and converts it into a Parappa-style rap, which players must then follow through stick inputs." Furthermore, the game uses the network adaptor and "..lets players send game data back and forth between each other. Players could e-mail especially inspiring raps to each other, or simply use their morning spam to generate a new game challenge." There's more info available via a preview at The GIA and pictures from this year's GDC.

Thanks to GameSpot for posting a new hands-on preview of Halo:Combat Evolved for the PC. This long-awaited title is making a "conservative" but professional transition from Xbox to Windows, courtesy Gearbox Software, and the enhancements are sparse but notable: "..the [in-game] resolution can be turned all the way up to 1600x1200, and the game's textures look much sharper and more defined than they ever did on the Xbox.. zooming in close to a grunt, we noted specular-mapping and bump-mapping effects on the grunt's gold-colored armor." Also discussed in more detail are the six brand-new PC multiplayer maps, plus mention of "..editing tools that will let creative players create new maps and significantly modify the game" - is there enough time for player-constructed maps to make it into Halo 2?

jbp8 writes: "There's an article on GameSpot reviewing the ultimate MMOG - real life!" The article gives real life an Editor's Choice award, focusing on issues such as leveling up ("Typically, a character will learn of the numerous viable career paths available by undergoing schooling. This can be a long and tedious process, equivalent to the sort of 'level treadmill' monotony that characterizes almost all MMORPGs") and player death ("..a serious issue in real life, and cause for continued debate among players, who often direct unanswerable questions on the subject to the game's developers.")

Thanks to GameSpy for their interview with Bill Roper, quizzing the ex-Blizzard veteran further on his recent departure from the company. He confirms: "..the uncertainly surrounding [Blizzard's] future in regards to who was going to own us understandably caused a lot of speculation and uncertainty. Our lack of participation in the process made it difficult for us to provide any insight to the people we worked with." In related news, Blizzard has announced that former Diablo II lead programmer Rick Seis will now lead Blizzard North, who "..will be streamlining their teams into one core group in order to focus.. on one key project." Finally, GameSpot has photos of the new Warcraft III action figures, including the death knight Prince Arthas, the night elf archer Shandris Feathermoon, and the dread lord Tichondrius.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the GameSpot story interviewing Lineage II's lead designer, Raoul Kim. This Unreal-engine PC MMORPG from Korean publisher NCSoft is the sequel to the world's best-selling massively multiplayer game, and the discussion centers on subject such as engine choice ("We looked primarily at three engines to use for Lineage II: the Unreal engine, the Quake engine, and the Lithtech engine.. the Unreal engine was the most attractive to us because of its powerful editing features and its outdoor-rendering ability") and continuing the signature large-scale battles of Lineage into the sequel ("..one of the main features of Lineage II is siege warfare.. it is now possible to attack the enemy during a siege by using a flying unit such as a dragon.")

Thanks to IGN PS2 for posting their hands-on impressions of EA's newly unveiled NFL Street. This more 'street' alternative to EA's own Madden series, modeled on other EA BIG titles such as the NBA Street series, is described as "..seven-on-seven street ball showcasing the showoff skills and showboat style of the NFL elite. No helmets, no pads, but all the attitude you'd expect from the game's greats like Ray Lewis, Terrell Owens, Michael Vick, and Marshall Faulk." Could this title join Madden in outselling Sega Sports' football titles, despite Sega's attempts to catch up?

Thanks to GameSpot for reporting the news that Japanese developer/publisher Data East has officially been declared bankrupt. According to the article, "Data East has been in financial trouble since 1999, when the company requested a settlement in the district court in order to reorganize its finances because of a 3.3 billion yen ($28 million) debt." The company was renowned for a massive backcatalog of '80s and '90s arcade and home games, including BurgerTime, Karate Champ, Karnov, and the brilliantly named Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, as well as the addictive Magical Drop puzzle game series for Neo Geo and other consoles.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to HomeLan Fed's story indicating Epic have announced a free multiplayer add-on for Unreal 2 is in development. This announcement comes in an official Unreal 2 messageboard thread posting from Epic's Mark Rein, and briefly states: "Lack of multiplayer is a temporary issue with Unreal 2. Legend are currently reviving their XMP design for multiplayer and it will be released as a FREE downloadable add-on for people who own Unreal 2." Might this partly be because developers Legend are doing multiplayer work for the alleged Xbox conversion of Unreal 2, after the so-so reception of the PC version?

Thanks to IGN Cube for running an import review of Capcom's crazed 3D-graphics but 2D-gameplay action platformer, Viewtiful Joe, which has just been released (and immediately sold out) in Japan, but isn't out in the US until October. According to the article, "Viewtiful Joe is an extremely stylized quasi-2D side-brawler .. [with] polished control mechanics.. you can effortlessly slow down time, speed it up.. the game's graphic presentation, from.. cel-styled worlds.. [to] breathtaking slow-time and speed-time effects, and fluid animation that drowns every character, is just gorgeous." There's also a US demo of Viewtiful Joe on the recent official GameCube demo disc - is this title proof that 2D gameplay can still enchant the mass market?

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a GamePro report discussing GameShark cheat provider Fire International's touting of itself as "the first source of cheats for PS2 online title SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, effectively encouraging gamers to ruin online gameplay for fair SOCOM players." According to Fire's European press release, the cheat "..enables unlimited ammunition and now boasts cheat codes for no recoil, rapid fire, unlimited grenades and a code which allows the player to steal their opponent's ammunition!" This brings to Europe a problem that is already rampant in the States, but which Sony claim they will fix for November's SOCOM 2, which should "..solve these issues and also feature the ability to ban cheaters from online play."

Thanks to GameSpot for posting an article noting that MMORPG subscriptions from players in many European countries now have 17.5 percent VAT added, implementing "an European union directive on sales of electronically delivered goods and services" which became effective on the 1st July, and was something we mentioned a few weeks back. The specific reminder came as a "..news item on Sony Online's official sites for EverQuest, PlanetSide, and Star Wars Galaxies", and it'll be interesting to see how forcefully other MMORPGs will enforce this rule.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a GameSpot article mentioning that Microsoft has discontinued its SideWinder range of gaming peripherals, which includes joysticks, gamepads, and racing wheels. According to the article, "..a Microsoft representative said the decision is a result of the continued decline in sales of all PC game controllers and the fact that most PC games are designed specifically to be controlled with a mouse and keyboard." What did you use your PC joystick/gamepad for, and why do you think the SideWinder PC peripheral market was popular in the first place?

Thanks to GamePro for posting an article discussing the fact that Microsoft may try to keep the Xbox alive in Japan by flooding the market in less territory-suitable, but already in-development Western titles such as Conker, Voodoo Vince, and Counter-Strike. According to the article, a Japanese retail chain "..claims that Microsoft is planning to release overseas titles in Japan without bothering to localize them for the local market - in other words, they'll release the original English version with a Japanese manual attached." The article suggests this is a sign that Microsoft may forget about the mass-market in Japan, and will be "..dropping its large-scale strategy [until Xbox 2], and concentrating on the 400,000 or so hardcore fans it's managed to scrape together over the past 16 months."

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com article indicating that R-Type Final for Playstation 2 has allegedly been picked up by Eidos' Fresh Games label for US release. This comes hot on the heels of news that the game, the latest in the classic R-Type shoot-em-up series, will feature an AI mode, with the player "able to define the behavior of an AI-controlled R-9 fighter, and pit two of them against each other in a race to destroy enemy craft, collect items, and avoid getting killed in the process" - though the traditional single-player shmup gameplay will fortunately also be present. The import-friendly Fresh Games label has also brought quirky Japanese titles like Mad Maestro and the crazed Mr. Mosquito to the West - anyone got nominations for other import titles they should consider releasing?

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out a press release announcing Postal developer Running With Scissors has been ruled victorious in a court case brought by the United States Postal Service. This seems to be the culmination of a trademark suit which began in 1997 after the release of the original Postal, as the USPS commented "All of us at the Postal Service have a sense of humor, but there is nothing funny about your game 'Postal'", and then tried to prove the Postal Service has a proprietary use of the word 'Postal'. Running With Scissors have fun with this legal resolution: "With unlimited financial resources comes unlimited ego. POSTAL and POSTAL 2 represent everything the USPS isn't: a successful private enterprise that will never have to rely on an irrevocable government contract to keep its pockets perpetually lined with cash."

Thanks to GameSpot for their article discussing the layoff of 34 Microsoft employees from its Japanese Xbox division. This accounts for just 17 percent of their Xbox workforce in Japan, but apparently the March 20th layoffs, documented in Nikkei BizTech, "..caused a commotion among the workers because of differences in business practices between Japan and the United States." The harsh 'escorted from premises' style of layoffs is not so common in Japan, according to the article, and so "..according to one of the employees who was cut, it felt as though they were treated like criminals." Needless to say, the layoffs, according to division head Par Singh, were because "sales of the Xbox in Japan had been extremely disappointing."

Thanks to GameSpot for their article indicating a major hacking incident on the PC MMORPG Ragnarok Online. According to the piece, developers Gravity initially "..reacted by rolling back the game's data a day, as a number of users had created items with game-master privileges", but then the problem worsened and revealed an apparent server-side hack, as opposed to the client-side hacking of Shadowbane, as "...a full list of user IDs and passwords was leaked to the general public... allowing anybody to gain access to any user account." There's also a very informative post on the GameFAQs messageboards detailing the spread of the 'user.txt' file around messageboards and P2P networks. The official Ragnarok site currently only has a form for players to reconfirm their identities via email, and has offered no official statement.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to IGN.com's article discussing the 10 biggest Playstation 2 rumors currently circulating. Subjects discussed include whether Final Fantasy VII-2 is really planned, if there's actually a sequel to Ico called Nico, the chances of Starcraft:Ghost ever appearing on PS2 (low, apparently?), the likelihood that UGO/Sega are working on an Astro Boy game, and, naturally, rumors about the PS3. As IGN so succintly puts it: "What's the truth worth when you have imagination?"

An'Desha Danin writes "According to an article on GameSpot, Infinium Labs is now taking applications for beta testers for its mysterious Phantom console over at the official website. Apparently they're looking for about a hundred gamers with broadband to test the console towards the end of the year. Infinium are still planning to publicly unveil the Phantom at the Ultimate Gamers Expo in LA this August."

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com article discussing the best and worst character designs in videogames. The author singles out his favorite designs, including Samus Aran, Solid Snake, and Sonic The Hedgehog, and then picks Ratchet, Plok, and Boogerman as examples of characters that just don't make the grade. It may not be the final word on the subject, but it's a good starting position to answer the question: "Who became an absorbing avatar with which to explore a virtual world, and who was just plain painful to look at?"

Thanks to several readers for pointing to a GameSpot story indicating Acclaim will use spray-painted homing pigeons to advertise Virtua Tennis 2 at this year's Wimbledon tennis tournament. According to Acclaim's marketing director, Larry Sparks, "The Virtua Tennis 2 pigeon marketing campaign is highly targeted as it brings awareness of the game directly to tennis enthusiasts.. the Wimbledon tournament is famous for the occasional descent by pigeons onto Centre Court, but our advertising pigeons are trained to go straight for the fans and flap their logos in front of them." Acclaim are sadly infamous for other desperately outlandish publicity stunts, such as getting proud parents to name their baby Turok and trying to place videogame adverts on gravestones.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to GameSpot's report that a new version of gory driving title Carmageddon is listed for release in 2005 by publisher SCi. This highly Death Race 2000-influenced franchise often got in trouble with censors for "sequences in which pedestrians are run over by the player", and despite suffering diminishing returns for the sequels, was a fiercely addictive title (especially in the original's rarely-tried LAN multiplayer modes.) However, there's no word yet on platforms or gameplay details for this new title.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to GameSpot's report that a new version of gory driving title Carmageddon is listed for release in 2005 by publisher SCi. This highly Death Race 2000-influenced franchise often got in trouble with censors for "sequences in which pedestrians are run over by the player", and despite suffering diminishing returns for the sequels, was a fiercely addictive title (especially in the original's rarely-tried LAN multiplayer modes.) However, there's no word yet on platforms or gameplay details for this new title.

Thanks to GameSpot for posting an article summarizing the recent comments of Sony Europe boss Chris Deering about the newly announced PlayStation Portable (PSP). Speaking at the ELSPA Games Summit in London, Deering gave no official hints regarding hardware pricing for the PSP, but said the UMD format software "could retail for anything up to 60 euros ($71) - the majority of games would sell for between 20 and 30 euros ($24-35)" - but note that normally-priced PS2/Xbox games in Europe cost around 60 euros. Deering also mentioned that movies available for the PSP will have region encoding, much like DVDs currently do. Finally, the original news report at UK publication Indie Magazine quotes the SCEE boss as saying: "I think [PSP] can be in fact synergistic and dynamically collaborative with GameBoy" - quite a different attitude compared to Nokia.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a PlanetTribes post showing off a new set of screenshots (proudly proclaiming the game '29% complete') for Tribes: Vengeance, a forthcoming Unreal-engine PC FPS being developed by System Shock 2 and Freedom Force creators Irrational. The title is an eagerly-awaited sequel to a franchise once thought extremely unwell, and an earlier preview at GameSpot explains that this newly unveiled title should ship in late 2004, and will concentrate on both single and multi-player gameplay aspects this time round.

Thanks to GameSpot for posting a story indicating that Sony have exclusively licensed the Formula One racing license for the next 4 years. There's some additional information via the press release hosted at GameSpyDaily, including info on the Formula One 2003 title for Playstation 2, to be released in Europe next month - is this now the biggest worldwide sport to have an exclusive game license?

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to Gamespot's new article on videogames that should be remade. This third article in an ongoing series starts with the statement that "..we feel like there are plenty of titles from the annals of gaming history that deserve another shot at the spotlight, and that's exactly why we assembled this list." It goes on to pinpoint titles such as The Bard's Tale (rumored to have a remake in development already), Bullfrog's classic Syndicate, APB, and even the original X-Com as being worthy of an update.