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CCP Games' Massive Title, Eve Online, now boasts 100,000 subscribers. Though there are many games with more users Eve Online is a very different title, set inside ships in the depths of space. They currently hold the record for most concurrent users, set at 23,178 simultaneous users on a single server. From the article: "To help accommodate its growing population, CCP will complete a hardware overhaul, allowing the game to handle more users, expand its universe, and run smoother." Ethic, over at Kill Ten Rats, has been writing about Eve a lot lately. His posts cover intergalactic war and courier missions, and might give you a sense of what gameplay is like. If you're interested in that sort of thing.

ozmm writes "A story on GameSpot explains the concept of 'mirror neurons.' When we shoot a gun, certain neurons fire in our brain. When we see someone else shoot a gun, even a video game character, the exact same neurons fire. How do virtual reactions affect our lives and thoughts? This short but sweet article touches on all of this and more." From the article: "We can tell if someone is watching a television by the way that person is facing it--even if we can't see or hear if the television is even on. It also means that we can experience the mental states associated with actions without ever having to perform those actions. In video games, in particular, it's like we're automatically empathizing with what is happening on the screen as if we were the video game characters ourselves. If you've ever had a particularly heart-palpitating race in Burnout, surely you can relate."

On the heels of announced layoffs, Electronic Arts reported reduced profits for the just-ended quarter. From the Gamespot article: "Whether the layoffs propped up EA's stock is debatable, as its share price lost over 2 percent of its value, $1.18. Trading was heavy indeed--twice normal volume, in fact, with 7.3 million shares changing hands. And no wonder: Shortly after the US markets closed, EA announced its earnings for its third fiscal quarter, which ran from October to December 2005. Besides being of great import to stockholders in the world's biggest third-party publisher, the report was seen by many as being a bellwether of the game industry's overall health."

Gamespot reports that Halo-maker Bungie Studios is seeking PC developers for an unnamed project. From the article: "Taken in and of themselves, the listings are merely interesting. However, the wording of the graphics programmer job description has many positively convinced that Bungie is porting Halo 2 to the PC, in-house. 'This is an opportunity to influence the direction of Windows gaming technology in MGS [Microsoft Game Studios],' reads the post after first teasing, 'Want to work on the biggest franchises for Microsoft Game Studios?' Since becoming part of Microsoft Game Studios, Bungie has worked on only one franchise for the division--Halo."

Gamespot reports that (maybe, possibly) Final Fantasy: Advent Children will be released in the U.S. sometime in 2006. From the article: "According to the author, 'it's taking a little extra time to work with the director to get all the supplemental elements finished, but the title is on track for release sometime later this year.' Mike Stradford, an executive at Sony's DVD division, is cited as the source of information." I'm sure that all the fansubbed Japanese language versions of the film floating the internets isn't making them hurry the thing out the door either.

JorgeDeLaCancha writes "On the heels of the dispute between EA and Ubisoft, EA has recently announced the decision to fire five percent of their workforce, approximately 350 people. EA's recent announcement has nothing to do with game sales, but rather 'It's more reconciling the costs of learning new systems with what the needs of the new systems are.'"

IGN has a look at some of the many high-profile First-Person Shooter titles slated for this year. From the article: "At any rate, as we near the realm of photorealism some fifteen years later, brave and storied heroes like id Software, Epic Games, Valve, and DICE continue to evolve the genre with things like voice communication, fancy lighting, and flying limbs. So today we bring to you our list of the upcoming shooters of 2006 whether they make us giggle like little girls or not. Some of these are expansions, some of them are fever dreams of the future, and others simply games we know are gunning for 2006." Appropriate, then, that Gamespot just released another 'Greatest Game' article this week. Doom certainly deserves the spot they give it.

Gamespot reports that RPG maker Square-Enix reported an almost 70% decline in net profit for most of last year. From the article: "Square Enix attributed most of its financial difficulties to its primary business--games. The company had a profitable nine months, releasing a number of hits: Kingdom Hearts II, which shipped 1.1 million units in Japan since its release in December; Romancing SaGa for the PS2, which shipped 500,000 units (Japan: 450,000, USA: 50,000); and Dragon Quest VIII, which shipped 430,000 units in North America. However, the numbers couldn't match those of the previous year, when Dragon Quest VIII shipped 3 million units in its first three days of release in Japan. The segment's sales fell 43.3 percent to 21.2 billion yen ($180 million), and its operating income plunged 95.1 percent to 974 million yen ($8.28 million)."

Vivendi Universal Games, the publisher for games from Blizzard Entertainment and Valve Software, posted high revenues for last year. The company showed an increase of almost 35% over 2004. From the article: "Vivendi also reported its revenues for the fourth quarter of 2005, VU Games' revenue actually dropped from 2004, down 7 percent from 264 million euros ($319 million) to 245 million euros ($296 million). The company blamed the slide on 'an exceptional quarter in 2004,' in which Half-Life 2 and World of Warcraft both debuted." Update: 01/30 21:12 GMT by Z : It helps if I pay attention to what I'm typing.

If shaking your groove thing or laying your thing down is something you enjoy, you might be interested in Gamespot's Rhythm Game 10 Spot, looking at the 10 Best Rhythm games. From the article: "Some of these rhythm games never made it outside of Japan, and others require you to purchase an expensive peripheral controller, but all of the greatest rhythm games are characterized by a few elements--a noteworthy soundtrack, a unique method of interaction, and an addictive gameplay. To be truly great, the game can be responsible for pioneering the genre or merely perfecting the established formula, and whether you're using your feet, hands, or stylus to map out the beat, we guarantee that in the following 10 games, the rhythm is going to get you." Played Guitar Hero for the first time this weekend, and it is as good as everyone says it is. Highly recommended.

Yesterday we discussed how maybe, someday, competitive gaming will have a place in the states. Today GameSetWatch points out a Gamespot article from last week showing us that (as with many things game-related) the South Koreans have already beaten us to the punch when it comes to gaming TV. From the article: "Two cable TV networks, known as Ongamenet and MBCgame, compete for viewers with their own 24-hour programming dedicated to PC and console gaming. Fierce gaming competitions are held, backed by major corporate sponsors, and studios overflow with live audiences trying to catch a glimpse at players who are practically given celebrity status. The programming is an odd mix of competition coverage, game news, and school-girl-cute window dressing. Curious to know what's on tonight in Seoul? GameSpot News takes you on a trip East, clicker in hand. "

Gamespot is reporting that Electronic Arts is cutting the prices of their PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube titles, now that next-gen consoles are beginning to hit the scene. Their 360, DS, and PSP titles are unaffected. From the article: "The prices of several of the company's current-generation games have been reduced in an attempt to get the most out its current crop of titles. Madden NFL 06, NBA Live 06, FIFA 06, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire all seem to have benefited from the price drop, as their Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and PC versions are all now available for $29.99. Other games affected by the price slashing include Need for Speed Most Wanted (now $39.99) and Medal of Honor: European Assault (now $19.99)."

Gamespot reports that the company behind the Gizmondo handheld console, Tiger, is looking at some tough financial numbers. Mostly, it seems, brought on by poor sales of the console. From the article: "Gizmondo Europe subsidiary has experienced severe financial pressures from various vendors as its cash flow has been unable to service the requirements. This has in part been aggravated by a lack of investor funding. The company has been actively negotiating for further funds from debt and equity sources to assist the cash flow needs of Gizmondo Europe but there can be no assurances that this will be achieved."

Gamespot reports that the Nintendo Revolution will be in stores by Thanksgiving. From the article: "In an interview featured in today's edition of Japanese newspaper Sankei Shinbun, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated, 'We can't disclose the Revolution's release period yet, but we have no plans to miss out on the year-end sales battle. As for North America, we need to release it by Thanksgiving, or otherwise we won't receive support from the retail industry. So the Revolution will be released prior to that period.'" Update: 01/18 19:15 GMT by Z : There's also word that there will be an exclusive Resident Evil title for the console, utilizing the unique control system.

Now that there are no new shows planned for the immediate future, you're going to need something besides Wrath of Khan and SpikeTV reruns to satisfy your Trek fix. Luckily, Gamespot reports that there is a Star Trek real-time strategy game in the works. From the article: "Late this past Friday, Lang returned to the STGU board to confirm a new Star Trek game was indeed the works--although he avoided details. He dodged the subject of the game's title but appeared to confirm the release date mentioned in the forums. 'Like I said before, traditional ST single player/multi player games have returned--and before STO ships,' Lang said, referring to Star Trek Online's tentative early 2007 launch window."

Gamespot reports that retailer GameStop expects to fill of of its Xbox 360 preorders by the end of February. From the article: "Gamers who thought they were getting the jump on the Xbox 360 shortage by preordering the system from retailers may have unknowingly stung themselves. Some of those who put down money up front for the next-gen console are still without their systems, as Microsoft continues to struggle to keep enough 360s in the channel to satisfy customers."

The 2005 finalists for the Annual Interactive Achievement Awards have been announced, Gamespot reports. The event, sponsored by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, will announce winners on the evening of January 9th. From the article: "Leading the nominees this year was GameSpot's 2005 PlayStation 2 Game of the Year, God of War. Developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), the game got a whopping 11 nominations, including Overall Game of the Year, Action/Adventure Game of the Year, and Outstanding Innovation in Gaming. The game's number of nominations ties last year's AIAS Game of the Year winner, Half-Life 2."

Gamespot is reporting that, despite earlier reports, the much-anticipated Elder Scrolls IV will fit on one disc for the Xbox 360. 1up is running a preview of the game, slated for a March release. From the article: "This game aims to let the player feel not only immersed in the game world, but also tied to it in an integral way. Your actions will determine future events, and have lasting impacts. For example, during the demo, we learned that the character had accidentally set a villager on fire earlier; after that, when he tried to go join a guild that he had joined in every previous demo, the guildmaster told him he was not welcome. There's a way to fix this, of course -- you can pay a fine, or do something to rehabilitate your reputation so that other villagers will think more kindly of you."

Announcements have been made for new titles that are likely to get some folks excited. An online-enabled version of Tetris for the Nintendo DS is slated to come out this March, and the first add-on to the online RPG Guild Wars is due out sometime in the second Quarter. From the Tetris article: "After long dismissing online play as not being central to gaming, Nintendo is fast becoming one of Web-enabled multiplayer's biggest boosters ... Tetris DS, a reworked edition of the 1985 Soviet puzzle game. It will add six new modes to Tetris' classic block-combination gameplay, all of which will incorporate the DS's second, touch-sensitive screen. "

Announcements have been made for new titles that are likely to get some folks excited. An online-enabled version of Tetris for the Nintendo DS is slated to come out this March, and the first add-on to the online RPG Guild Wars is due out sometime in the second Quarter. From the Tetris article: "After long dismissing online play as not being central to gaming, Nintendo is fast becoming one of Web-enabled multiplayer's biggest boosters ... Tetris DS, a reworked edition of the 1985 Soviet puzzle game. It will add six new modes to Tetris' classic block-combination gameplay, all of which will incorporate the DS's second, touch-sensitive screen. "

Gamespot is reporting the EA has filed for a trademark on the System Shock brand. From the article: "Electronic Arts registered a trademark last month on the title 'System Shock' for use in video games. Interestingly enough, it also made note that the trademark was to apply to 'a computer game that may be accessed network-wide by network users,' or 'an online computer game accessed and played via mobile and cellular phones and other wireless devices.' An EA representative was not immediately available for comment as to whether the trademark was a sign that the dormant franchise would soon be awoken, or if it was just a bit of routine upkeep of the company's intellectual property. " Take-Two is still developing the title thought to be the spiritual successor to the System Shock series, BioShock. Their purchase of Irrational Studios was reported yesterday.

Gamespot is reporting the EA has filed for a trademark on the System Shock brand. From the article: "Electronic Arts registered a trademark last month on the title 'System Shock' for use in video games. Interestingly enough, it also made note that the trademark was to apply to 'a computer game that may be accessed network-wide by network users,' or 'an online computer game accessed and played via mobile and cellular phones and other wireless devices.' An EA representative was not immediately available for comment as to whether the trademark was a sign that the dormant franchise would soon be awoken, or if it was just a bit of routine upkeep of the company's intellectual property. " Take-Two is still developing the title thought to be the spiritual successor to the System Shock series, BioShock. Their purchase of Irrational Studios was reported yesterday.

The NDA for the Dungeons and Dragons Online Beta is now a thing of the past. F13's piece prior to the lifting of the NDA is a good place to get started. They also have a lively discussion going, discussing all aspects of the upcoming game, which launches February 28th. From the f13 piece: "The most important thing to understand about DDO is Turbine is trying a different take on the genre. People looking strictly for a WoW clone in a D&D flavored wrapper won't find it. For some that may be a good thing, for others not so much. Oh to be sure, it has a lot of the same trappings as your previous favorite graphical-Diku-mud; after all, most fantasy computer role playing games owe a little or very large portion of their structure to the granddaddy of all pen and paper rpgs, Dungeon & Dragons. So it comes as no surprise to find this game with familiar fantasy races, defined character classes, and easily recognizable fantasy monsters, magic items and spells. But, as I have grown fond of saying these last several years, the devil's in the implementation. To that end, DDO is almost as easily defined by what it is NOT as by what it IS."

Gamespot reports that Take-Two Entertainment, publishers of titles like Civ IV, has reported much lower earnings than in the previous year in the same period. From the article: "There were several reasons behind the shortfall. Though Take-Two had three Xbox 360 launch titles--Amped 3, NBA 2K6, and NHL 2K6--and a solid PC hit in the form of Civilization IV, the company admits it had a lackluster Christmas in 2005. 'Clearly, the holiday season did not live up to anyone's expectations,' said Paul Eibeler, Take-Two's president and CEO, in a statement."

Gamespot reports on the release of yet another Uwe Boll film, one that was not pre-screened to film critics. You just know that means quality. From the article: "While Boll's work is often decried by gamers and critics alike, there are preliminary signs of improvement on the part of the oft-maligned director. According to the Internet Movie Database's Bottom 100 ranking system, BloodRayne is only the 42nd worst movie ever made as of press time. Boll's previous game-to-film efforts, Alone in the Dark and House of the Dead, rank as the 38th and 22nd worst movies ever, respectively."

Gamespot is reporting that the U.S. Final Fantasy XI Xbox 360 Beta has begun. You're going to have to get ahold of a Beta disc from the Official Xbox magazine's February issue, and then sign up at the PlayOnline site. From the article: "When the game goes live in May, Xbox 360 players will be able to rub elbows and swap healing potions with their PlayStation 2 and PC counterparts. But for the duration of the beta test, Xbox 360 users will be kept on their own servers. They will be able to interact with beta testers from Europe and Japan, however. While Square Enix has issued a list of known issues with the beta game, support for USB keyboards and mice has been included."

Gamespot reports that, while CES has had loads of interesting news to give up about many technological trends, the next next-gen console was suprisingly quiet at the event. For the most part the Sony Keynote talked high definition this and 'new media' that. From the article: "However, it was only when Stringer whipped out a PSP that gamers' ears perked up. Stringer used the handheld to show off LocationFree, Sony's Internet-enabled video system, which streams video to multiple TVs, PCs, or PSPs wirelessly or over the Web. To demonstrate, Stringer showed a live East Coast TV broadcast being played onto the PSP via a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot."

Gamespot has the news that independent developer of the MMOG 'Twilight War' Smiling Gator has unfortunately closed up shop. Funding was the primary reason for their closure. From the article: "Twilight War, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game using the Source engine (first featured in Half-Life 2), would have been Smiling Gator's first game. The company had billed Twilight War as 'an MMORPG with an integrated first-person-shooter-style combat system where thousands of online players come together in an expansive and immersive three-dimensional world.'" The Twilight War HQ site has information on the game for those interesting in what might have been.

GinoMGG writes "Talk about a quick release. Hot on the tail of Desert of Flames SOE is acting fast to give those at the 60 cap something to do. WhoDigs has news from Ubisoft Germany on the Everquest 2 expansion, 'Kingdom of Sky'." Gamespot has word on both the EQLive and EQ2 expansions, while Mobhunter has a closer look at Everquest's 11th expansion - The Prophecy of Ro. From the Gamespot article: "The second expansion for EQII, Kingdom of Sky, will add an all-new structured skill and ability achievement system and will raise the level cap for adventurer and artisans to level 70 and guilds to level 50. It will add 10 new zones, 25 new monsters, and 'troves' of new items. Its plot will concern the Overrealm, a new realm of floating islands suspended at high altitudes, as well as a plot by ancient foes of Norrath to wreak havoc."

Gamespot reports that despite earlier reports, Epic plans to ship UT 2007 'when it's done', and not before. Additionally, the PC version is likely to be shipped first. From the article: "'Do you know when the PS3 launch is? Neither do we,' said Epic vice president Mark Rein. 'but we know when UT2007 will be done: WHEN IT'S DONE! ... The question of whether we're a launch title or not is unanswerable because we don't know if the PS3 will be out before we're done or not. ... We won't ship the title on any platform before it's done, and it is too early to say when that will be.'"

DS Gamer writes "Nintendo has announced that worldwide sales of their twin-screen handheld console the Nintendo DS have reached the 10 million mark since its launch in the United States during late November 2004. The vast majority of sales have been in the United States (4 million) and Japan (5 million) where the DS became the fastest selling games machine of all time. From the Reuters article: 'It is on the upswing of its life cycle," Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo of America's vice president of marketing, told Reuters in a telephone interview. She declined to give a sales forecast but said the Japan-based company would provide additional information during its upcoming quarterly financial report. Kaplan added that Nintendo's seven-week-old Wi-Fi Connection wireless gaming service has had more than 550,000 unique visitors globally.'" Commentary is available on Forbes and Gamespot.

Via Kotaku, the final moments of Asheron's Call 2 in text and images. Highlights include the in-game appearance of a community moderator, and a killable version of a notorious dragon. Then, a lost connection. Gamespot has the story as well. From that article: "Turbine performed a little house cleaning this weekend as it shut down its massively multi-player online role-playing game Asheron's Call 2. Originally released in November of 2002, the fantasy game world met an unceremonious armageddon December 30. As of press time, the Asheron's Call 2 forums were still up for mourning players, and blow-by-blow accounts of the world of Dereth's final moments had started circulating the Web. "

Gamespot reports that the much-anticipated Dead or Alive 4 ships today, after a series of delays and confusion. From the article: "During the past month or so, the game's presumptive release date kept getting pushed back by about a week at a time by online retailers, causing many to wonder whether the game would indeed ship in 2005, especially since Tecmo remained mum about a specific release date all the while. But now fighting fans can look forward to an action-packed weekend courtesy of the latest game from Ninja Gaiden developer Team Ninja."

It's Christmas Eve, and you need something to read while you're avoiding your relatives. We understand. Howabout several looks at the year in Gaming? The big sites have actual awards, with Gamespot and IGN both offering up decisions that are sure to spark dinner table discussion. Next Generation doesn't hand out awards, but it does have an exhaustive set of lists covering all aspects of the year. We've previously discussed their Top 30 Games of the Year, but today they have over half a dozen articles dedicated to the year in gaming. The Guardian Gamesblog has staff pics for best of the year. World of Warcraft certainly is on a lot of 2005 lists for a game released in 2004. Finally, 1up.com staffer Jared Rea probably has the most interesting take on the year. His traditional list headlines Guitar Hero, but he also has a special list, with ermm...special awards. That might make you angry. From that list: "The Sin and Punishment Award - Named after the hideous and boring N64 shooter from Treasure, the Sin and Punishment award is reserved for the the title which claimed the hearts of 'hardcore' fanboys around the world, despite the game in fact, being garbage or quite frankly, nothing special. Previous winners of this award include Ikaruga and Katamari Damacy." That award goes to Shadow of the Colossus. Which, sorry Jared, did actually rock.

Gamespot reports that Blizzard has banned 18,000 accounts from their popular World of Warcraft MMOG. From official site: " A majority of these accounts were found to be using third-party programs to farm gold and items. Such actions can severely impact the economy of a realm and the overall game enjoyment for all players. We will continue to actively monitor all World of Warcraft realms in order to protect the service and its players from the negative effects of cheating. Please note that selling World of Warcraft content, such as gold, items, and characters, can result in the permanent removal of the involved accounts from World of Warcraft. "

Gamespot has a piece up discussing the relative dangers of innovation for large developers. Should an EA be more willing to innovate than, say, The Behemoth? From the article: "We want to make sure that all of the franchise businesses have the right level of innovation inside them and I think that we have been guilty of not doing that historically in certain areas of the business ... So a focus for us right now is, how do we get new, innovative features that take the existing franchises and move them forward in interesting ways? And then I think what you'll see is a couple of--you know a couple might be the wrong term--but some very focused bets at doing really innovative and different things.'" The second part in a two-part series, with part one still available.

Gamespot has a piece up discussing the relative dangers of innovation for large developers. Should an EA be more willing to innovate than, say, The Behemoth? From the article: "We want to make sure that all of the franchise businesses have the right level of innovation inside them and I think that we have been guilty of not doing that historically in certain areas of the business ... So a focus for us right now is, how do we get new, innovative features that take the existing franchises and move them forward in interesting ways? And then I think what you'll see is a couple of--you know a couple might be the wrong term--but some very focused bets at doing really innovative and different things.'" The second part in a two-part series, with part one still available.

Gamespot is reporting that the next iteration in the Unreal Tournament series, UT 2007, has been announced as a PlayStation 3 launch title. From the article: "The game on display appeared to be Unreal Tournament 2007, the flashy-looking, Unreal Engine 3-based successor to the popular PC shooter Unreal Tournament 2004. However, neither Sony nor Epic would confirm when--or even if--UT 2007 would arrive on the PS3. Seven months later, the two companies have broken their silence. The January 2006 issue of PlayStation Magazine proudly proclaims that, yes, UT 2007 is coming to the PlayStation 3. Inside, the magazine also reveals that the game will be a launch title for the PlayStation 3, which is tentatively slated for a spring 2006 launch."

SquareEnix has announced some of its plans for 2006. Gamasutra reports on an upcoming three year anniversary party for FFXI in March of next year. There will be some major announcements at the event, as well as information on the upcoming MMOG expansion. Gamespot also has information from the Jump Fest 2005 event, where SquareEnix displayed announced plans for a Dragon Quest VIII spinoff starring Yangus. Xbox 360 RPG studio Mistwalker was also there, with details on upcoming titles Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon.

We reported previously on an interview with John Smedley being run by Gamespot. They've put up the second part of the interview, and in the closing paragraph John takes the gloves off. From the article: "One thing that I love about our company is that there is no 'quit' in this company. It's about making sure that we have pride in what we do. People within the company feel so much pride in this game that they want it to beat the crap out of World of Warcraft. That's something we feel very passionate about. We know we are capable of making the best stuff out there, and I'm proud to say that with the changes we're making in Galaxies, I think we're headed in the right direction."

As a follow-up to the announcement that Jamdat was being purchased by powerhouse Electronic Arts, Gamespot has the news that a Jamdat investor is suing to stop the business deal. From the article: "While Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter said EA 'bought Jamdat for a fair price if they intend to get big,' some questioned the premium paid to become an instant player in the growing mobile market. Piper Jaffray's Anthony Gikas said the $680 million figure was actually $200 million too high. Even so, Gikas favored EA's purchase in a note to investors, telling them, 'don't sweat the small stuff.'"

GrnArmadillo writes "The official City of Heroes site is reporting that Marvel's lawsuit over the CoH character generator has been settled. It looks like CoH essentially won, though it's unclear what price, if any, they're paying for the victory. The key portion of the brief press release: 'The parties' settlement allows them all to continue to develop and sell exciting and innovative products, but does not reduce the players' ability to express their creativity in making and playing original and exciting characters ... While the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, all parties agree that this case was never about monetary issues and that the fans of their respective products and characters are the winners in this settlement.'" Commentary is available on Gamespot. Glad this is over. This has been pending almost as long as I've worked here.

psycln writes "Microsoft may have to try a little harder in marketing the Xbox 360 to Japanese consumers if initial reports coming out of the country Saturday are correct. Several news reports indicate a slow reaction to the new console from Japanese customers. Apparently next day delivery is still an option to the Japanese consumer!" From the BBC article: "One senior store official said the customer reaction had been somewhat "subdued", with fewer than 50 consoles sold in the first two hours. However, Mr Moore said that several hundred units appeared to have been sold at the store he was at within the first three hours. Takeshi Tajima, a BNP Paribas analyst, told Reuters news agency that serious game fans would rush to buy the new console but 'most people are going to wait and see'. "

Gamespot has part one of an extensive interview with SOE CEO John Smedley about the recent and controversial changes made to Star Wars Galaxies. From the article: "Star Wars never hit that excitement level around here. It never got--there never was a critical mass of people here that wanted to play it. So we knew we could do way better. And I guess as much out of a love for making these kinds of games, even though that sounds corny, though it's true, we wanted to make this game better." We had our own talk with Mr. Smedley not too long ago.

A young man has been charged after reportedly threatening Jack Thompson with torture and death, reports Gamespot. Thompson claims the boy is already in custody for his crime. From the article: "The Sheriff's Office public information officer, Lt. John Martin, could not confirm for GameSpot that the child had been arrested because the detective and sergeant assigned to the case had both left for the day. However, he did confirm that the boy had been charged with harassing communication, a misdemeanor offense."

Gamespot reports that the 360 sold out ... at the Shibuya 'official' launch location. Sales from the rest of the country still have to come in, but given launch day experiences, I imagine the customer reaction wasn't as fierce as it was here. From the Kotaku on-hand piece: "A customer! I see a customer! It's a few minutes after seven, and somebody else has come to wait for the Xbox. I feel like a sailor who's been lost at sea and finally spots land. He stands in front of Sofmap for a moment, awkwardly, and he looks around. Nobody but him and me and the vending machine. I make a quick inventory: tall, painfully thin, wearing a brown coat, black and grey backpack, looks like Ichabod Crane."

Gamespot is reporting that a new update to the 360's backwards compatibility has been issued ... and just as promptly recalled. From the article: "Late last night, Microsoft updated the backwards-compatibility list with eight games from the trio of Tom Clancy-inspired series. Software emulators for Ghost Recon, Ghost Recon 2, Ghost Recon 2 Summit Strike, Rainbow Six 3, Rainbow Six 3 Black Arrow, Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, and Splinter Cell Chaos Theory all became available for download. However, within hours of the new update's release, reports began to circulate that it was causing problems with Halo 2. "

Despite the launch of the first next-gen console, winter sales figures have been lower than hoped-for. From the article: "The two lowered their projected earnings numbers for Electronic Arts and Activision in both the short and long term today, but said both companies remained attractive in long-term investments. They reduced their Electronic Arts sales projections for the December quarter from $1.52 billion to $1.45 billion, and likewise lowered the associated earnings per-share estimate from $1.29 to $1.20. In the long term, the company reduced its peak earnings per-share estimate from $3.50 to $3.20 in fiscal year 2010."

Gamespot is reporting that Capcom is aiming for a launch on the PS3 and 360 at the same time, for the next chapter in the Resident Evil series. From the article: "In an interview published in Xbox360ism (a special edition of Dorimaga), Capcom Research & Development division chief Keiji Inafune said he expects Resident Evil 5 to be released simultaneously on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 if possible. 'We want to grow the Resident Evil series into a multi-platform franchise, so we hope to release it simultaneously [on the two next-generation consoles],' Inafune told Xbox360ism. 'But since we don't know the launch period for the PS3 yet, so it's hard to say [if we can].'"

Gamespot has a piece looking at how original Xbox titles look on the 360. From the article: "When the game you want actually makes it onto the supported games list, get ready for a little HD treat. The Xbox 360 will run Xbox games in 720p or 1080i. The games will also get a good dose of antialiasing to get rid of "jaggies" or stairstepping effects found on the edges of characters and scenery. This is nothing new for those of you familiar with a PC. Turning up the resolution and enabling antialiasing are the first things you do to improve image quality in PC games. We went ahead and took screen captures of a few Xbox games on both the Xbox and the Xbox 360 to compare how they looked on both systems. Unsurprisingly, the Xbox 360 screen captures look much better. Higher resolutions combined with antialiasing tend to make just about everything prettier."