Video Games News

In earth-shattering news, Zenimax Media - the parent group of Bethesda - today confirmed that it has acquired id Software.  Forming a development super house that is virtually unrivalled, the Zenimax group now controls legendary franchises such as Doom, Quake, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein and RAGE.  id Software will continue business as normal, with John Carmack assuming control of the studio.

Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, commented on the transaction: "This was a unique opportunity to team with a smart, sophisticated publisher like Bethesda Softworks where the interests of the studio and the publisher will be fully aligned in the development and marketing of our titles. In addition, we will now have financial and business resources to support the future growth of id Software, a huge advantage which will result in more and even better games for our fans."

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Emphasising the realism of the Gran Turismo series, Citroen showcased its concept car driving around the (real) streets of London in scenes that strangely mirror the virtual world of Gran Turismo 5.  It seems the Gran Turismo series has always strived for realism, but now the real world is beginning to mimic the video game series.

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Ordinarily we wouldn't bother with an article about screenshots, but we'll make an exception because they're from Max Payne 3 and we all love a bit of Max Payne.

As you can see for yourselves, Payne is definitely looking older, balder, and definitely more slob-like then ever before. 

We're slightly concerned by the lack of a film noire feel to the game; certainly it seems Rockstar Vancouver are heading in a completely different direction with the third title, sun-drenched skies replacing the dark skylines of New York City.

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A survey has appeared indicating that Command & Conquer 4 is currently in development.  Although the questions begin fairly generic, later issues specialise on Command & Conquer, leading to suggestions that EA is carrying out research towards future games in the series.

More specifically, Command & Conquer 4, is mentioned with further questions suggesting the title could be a concluding chapter in the 15-year Tiberium conflict. 

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Move over Lionel Messi, Liverpool's golden boy, Fernando Torres, is set for equal billing on the PES 2010 box art.  But more important then that is the release of new details, as Konami attempts to wrestle back its crown from last year's resurgent FIFA.

Promising enhanced realism that focuses on the "triangulation" of passes and off-the-ball movement, Konami promises an end to "soft goals" with players needing to work the flanks and use the precision play of great players to make the difference.

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It seems the success, or lack thereof, of Rockstar Games' GTA: Chinatown Wars on the Nintendo DS has prompted a rethink, with confirmation that the latest handheld GTA outing will be making an appearance on the PSP later in the year.

Rockstar Games ahs confirmed the PSP version will appear on UMD and as a digital download, boasting enhanced widescreen visuals, improved lighting and animation, along with additional story missions.

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Although uncertainty continues to surround the future of Midway, Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon has begun to set the wheels in motion surrounding the next Mortal Kombat title.

Following last year's super-hero outing, Ed Boon confirms that the next Mortal Kombat title will return to its roots, gunning for a 'Mature' rating instead of the 'T for Teen' granted to Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.

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Following a lengthy delay that would rival the protracted transfer shenanigans of Cristiano Ronaldo, Eidos today announced a specific date for the next Championship Manager title along with a name change to represent its new release date.

Previously dubbed Championship Manager 2009, the newly christened Championship Manager 2010 will launch in September 2009 - narrowly missing out on the big August 15th kick-off when normality will finally resume after a summer without the beautiful game Americans like to call soccer.

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Although they'll admit otherwise, the simple fact is that Sony is struggling to match its dominance with this generation.  Although 2009 is marked as the year that the PS3 would emerge as the superior platform, we've yet to see any tangible proof to such claims.

More troubling for Sony is the fact that its under-performance could begin to affect its relationships with third-party publishers; a concern that the world's biggest publisher today expressed in an interview with The Times.

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Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer, Steve Ballmer appears to have let news slip of a new Xbox system that will launch alongside Project Natal in 2010.

During a speech on the recession at the Executives Club in Chicago yesterday, Ballmer spoke of a new Xbox 360 that will be released with a built-in camera when Project Natal launches in 2010.

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The latest update to The Creative Assembly's Empire: Total War is set to provide a significant boost for those with multi-core processors.  Update 1.3 will integrate multi-threading support, providing a significant performance boost for multi-core processors.

Those with lowly single-core processors however shouldn't feel too left out, as the update will allegedly "greatly" improve performance on such specifications.

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Following his role as supervisor and consultant on Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider titles, the man who originally gave us Lara Croft is heading a new title for the US studio.

Toby Gard's LinkiedIn profile confirms he's currently at work on an unannounced title for Crystal Dynamics under the new role of Lead Designer, a position he's held since the start of the year.

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Unsurprisingly, Halo 3: ODST generated the most amount of pre-order hype following E3 according to a report from ratings firm Nielsen.

Quick to latch on to this, Microsoft has today confirmed that anybody who pre-orders Halo 3: ODST ahead of its September 22nd release will receive a token to unlock Sgt. Johnson as a playable character in the game's Firefight mode.

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Following yesterday's news that Activision was gauging interest in MMO styled subscriptions for future Call of Duty titles, Infinity Ward today moved to distance itself from the speculation.

In a post on the official forums, Infinity Ward's community manager claimed:

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A number of former Factor 5 employees have issued a lawsuit against the bankrupt developer, alleging that the company fraudulently transferred assets and intellectual property to another company before filing for bankruptcy to avoid paying wages and its debtors.

The Marin Independent Journal suggests that Factor 5 had between $50,000 and $100,000 in assets, along with $1 million to $10 million in debts including a $4 million loan from LucasArts issued back in 2003.  The bankruptcy filing further includes 69 claims for unpaid wages totalling more than $900,000. 

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Following the government's decision yesterday to scrap the use of BBFC game ratings in the UK and utilise the PEGI system exclusively, the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) has now launched a new set of PEGI symbols.

These new symbols are graded across 3, 7, 12, 16, and 18 age ratings that are colour coded from green to red. However, the new designs differ slightly in appearance from ELSPA's redesign plans that were launched last year.

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The hardware specifications for BioWare's upcoming RPG, Dragon Age: Origins have been revealed and you'll be glad to hear that they're nothing too strenuous (on the minimal end of the scale at least):

Windows XP Minimum Specifications

• OS: Windows XP with SP3
• CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.4Ghz or greater
• AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 1.8Ghz or greater
• RAM: 1GB or more
• Video: ATI Radeon X850 128MB or greater
• NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater
• DVD ROM (Physical copy)
• 20 GB HD space

Windows Vista Minimum Specifications

• OS: Windows Vista with SP1
• CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.6Ghz or greater
• AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 2.2GHZ or greater
• RAM: 1.5 GB or more
• Video: ATI Radeon X1550 256MB or greater
• NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB or greater
• DVD ROM (Physical copy)
• 20 GB HD space

Recommended Specifications

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz Processor or equivalent
• RAM: 4 GB (Vista) or 2 GB (XP)
• Video: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
• NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
• DVD ROM (Physical copy)
• 20 GB HD space

While you're waiting for the game's release, you might want to clean away some space on your hard drive for that 20GB install.

Via Kotaku.

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An online survey, currently being circulated across the web, seems to suggest that Activision is considering an MMO style subscription service for upcoming Call of Duty titles.

The survey (spotted by Destructoid), lists a number of additional services for the game that players could purchase via subscription based models (monthly, quarterly, and annually) or as bundled content with a copy of the game at an added cost.

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Harold Ramis, who co-wrote and starred in the Ghostbusters movies, has been talking about some of the challenges that game writers face when they're trying to pen a funny script.

Ramis explained that because game scripts are so long, the challenge of writing enough comic alternatives to make the dialogue funny is like producing three hit movie scripts.

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As part of its Digital Britain report this afternoon, the government has decided to abolish BBFC ratings and reposition PEGI age ratings as the sole game classification system in the UK.

The new ruling will see the PEGI system being implemented by the Video Standards Council (VSC) for all games that are released in the region. Both the VSC and the Netherlands Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media (which administers the PEGI system) have been working together on game ratings for a number of years already.
 
"Protecting children and giving parents a clear and robust new system has always been our starting point," said Creative Industries Minister Siôn Simon (reports gi.biz). "The new system of classification follows the essential criteria set out by Professor Tanya Byron, who recommended a trustworthy, uniform and clear set of symbols that is flexible and future proof."

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The pressures related to the costs of developing AAA Xbox 360 or PlayStation3 title are widely known, with suggestions that such a title can cost anywhere between $20-30 million.  Such figures mean that games have to shift considerably more then before just to break even, which coupled by the fact that the vast majority of sales occur in the first couple of weeks leads to a higher risk of titles failing commercially. 

Speaking to CNBC, Ubisoft's Chairman and CEO Yves Guillemot has talked about the next-generation of consoles and claimed that the development costs of top-tier titles are likely to double to $60 million.  Naturally this means that such games will have to shift even more copies to break even, or could result in higher prices to the consumer or lower profit margins for the publisher.

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Activision and Treyarch have announced that last year's Call of Duty: World at War has now passed through the 11 million unit sales mark, making it one of the most commercially successful games released in 2008.

World at War has reached this milestone in approximately half a year, while its predecessor (Infinity Ward's original Modern Warfare title) has totalled 13 million unit sales according to Activision figures announced earlier in the year.

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When details on a new Nintendo patent emerged earlier in the year, suggesting that the game would play itself in times of difficulty, we all looked at ourselves and questioned exactly what Nintendo was on.

In (an admittedly old) article from the beginning of the month, USA Today has confirmed that the 'Help' feature will be making an appearance in Super Mario Bros Wii.  The feature allows the game to take over when the user pauses the action, effectively allowing you to overcome challenging areas in the game without having to lift a finger.

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Wii owners desperate for some Ryu vs Ken action may have a glimmer of hope, with Capcom recently admitting that a port of Street Fighter IV could be possible in the future.

Responding to a post titled "So we're never gonna see Street Fighter IV for the Wii?" Capcom's Community Manager Seth Killian claimed:

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Project Natal is shaping up to be something a little more than just a peripheral.  It's widely reported that Microsoft (along with Sony) intends this generation to last longer than any previously, although with the Xbox 360 getting on for four years old there has been some questions over the endurance of the format.

Could Natal be an evolution of the Xbox 360 that injects a fresh lease of life?  That's the suggestion that 1UP has made in a recent article, claiming that a new Xbox 360 model will be released next autumn with Project Natal heavily integrated.  The article suggests that the new model is considered as a new platform and could allegedly carry a new name.  Further still, 1UP alludes that the new model will also feature some "slight" technology upgrades to the existing hardware currently available on the market, but will still work with all Xbox 360 titles.

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Although EA has previously suggested that a Mirror's Edge sequel is a distinct possiblity, the first confirmation that such a project is actually in development has now come from EA Europe's Vice-President, Patrick Soderlund.

Speaking to Videogamer at E3, Soderlund said that, "You will see another Mirror's Edge for sure. It's just a matter of when that time is and what we do with it. We have a small team on it and I'm excited about what we do."

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We've just received word through from Ubisoft that Assassin's Creed II will release on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on November 20th in Europe.

News of a collector's edition has also been doing the rounds. This so-called "Black Edition" is exclusive to Play.com and will come complete with "Collectable black packaging" apparently branded with a holographic signature thingy.

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Despite the fact that Bungie representatives have previously stated that they do not believe Halo 3: ODST is a full release game or "$60 title", Microsoft has now defended its decision to price the title as a full release, $59.99 (£49.99) game.

Speaking to Joystiq, a Microsoft spokesperson said of Bungie's previous comments, "At the time of those statements, the overall scope of Halo 3: ODST was not yet finalized, and since then the project has grown increasingly more ambitious. We believe this standalone experience is much more than just an expansion. Halo 3: ODST provides a new campaign from the point of view of an entirely new character. Combine that with three new multiplayer maps, the entirely new cooperative mode called Firefight, and the complete Halo 3 multiplayer collection on a standalone disc, we feel this is a good value and tremendous addition to the Halo franchise."

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Speaking at E3 last week, the Producer of Assassin's Creed and its incoming sequel, Patrice Désilets has stated that the original game has now totalled sales of a whopping 8 million copies, putting it right in amongst 2007's commercial heavy hitters.

Désilets made the comments in an interview with Joystiq where he said, "We sold some eight million copies of it, you know," while fielding a question about the original game's mixed reviews and criticisms of repetitive gameplay. "Some people really enjoyed and loved the game," he continued.

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Now over 25,000 members strong, the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott group on Steam has caused quite a stir over the past week. Now Valve's President, Gabe Newell, has responded to the group's concerns and pledged to support the original Left 4 Dead after its sequel's release.

"Doing a sequel in one year is new for Valve," Newell told Kotaku. "But providing ongoing support for our titles after the initial launch isn't - it has been part of our philosophy since Half-Life was released ten and half years ago. We see no reason to change that and will continue to support the over three million customers in the L4D community."

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Speaking at the William Blair Growth Stock Conference, EA has revealed that its Need For Speed franchise will be put into the thoroughly capable hands of Burnout developer Criterion, while DICE is hard at work on Battlefield 3.

Rumours arose last month linking Criterion to the Need For Speed franchise, although this is the first we've heard straight from the horse's mouth after EA's Chief Operating Officer, John Pleasants told investors:

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Following its US release on June 2nd and June 5th in Europe, The Sims 3 has sold a total of 1.4 million units in its first week on the market, making it the most successful PC launch in EA's long and illustrious history.

Clearly, then, EA's decision to drop the DRM system for The Sims 3 has not affected the game's sales too badly, even if Bloomberg is estimating that EA may lose $9 million through illegal downloads of the game after it was leaked onto torrent sites last month.

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Nintendo's Vitality Sensor is due to ship next year according to reports, when it will make everyone calmer apparently. We would suggest that the human race might collectively reach nirvana as a result but, then again, Wii Fit has sold bucket loads in the West and there are still lots of fat people around.

This news comes from a Times Online report, which also details how the peripheral actually works. A light sensor apparently measures the blood flow in a user's forefinger, from which it can extrapolate information on their breathing.

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At Atari's behest, Cryptic Studios may be developing an MMO based on the Neverwinter Nights universe if the web's rumour mill is to be believed, with early indications pointing to a 2011 release window for the alleged title.

A report by Variety, which cites "Sources", is suggesting that Atari's plans for a Neverwinter Nights MMO were the main reason behind its acquisition of Cryptic Studios last year (the MMO specialist is currently developing Champions Online and Star Trek Online).

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The latest issue of Game Informer has brought the scoop on Max Payne 3, which is scheduled for release in Q4 2009 on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation3.

Set 10 years after the events of Max Payne 2, Max Payne 3 allegedly finds the tortured former DEA agent and NYPD detective relocated to Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

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If you're a European Xbox 360 owner and a little peeved that there's going to be no Ghostbusters action (for a little while at least), there could be a solution to ensure you're busting ghosts and getting slimed with Venkman, Ray, Egon and Winston.

Destructoid reports that the North American version of Ghostbusters on the Xbox 360 is region-free, meaning that if you're desperate to play the game then you simply need to check out your local game importer or scour the web for a copy.

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The PS3 Slim never materialised, but we knew that prior to E3.  Speaking to Arstechnica, Sony's John Koller Director of Hardware Marketing has voiced his frustrations at the alleged 'leak'.  We'll let you read between the lines of his comments, which certainly come nowhere close to an outright denial.

"If [the coverage] focuses more on leaks or what may or may not happen then yes, there is a certain amount of frustration. I think we have a tremendous story to tell today, and I think the path that we're trying to lead is much different than Microsoft or Nintendo. We view a little bit of a different future," Koller remarked.

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More than just Sam's haircut has changed with the overhauled Splinter Cell: Conviction, but it seems one staple element of the series (since Pandora Tomorrow at least) will remain - multiplayer will feature in the game.

When asked about multiplayer in a Joystiq interview, Ubisoft producer Alexandre Parizeau claims:

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The announcement of Microsoft' Project Natal and Sony's demonstration of the PS Eye's evolution may have surprised some people, but not it seems Nintendo's President Satoru Iwata.

Speaking in an interview with The Times, Iwata-san remarks that he'd expected motion-sensitive competition a lot earlier form the rival hardware manufacturers.

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EA Sports' top trump, Peter Moore, has outlined a strategy to deliver one fighting game every year, where the division's Fight Night and recently announced Mixed Martial Arts series will be released in alternating, yearly increments.

"It gives us a rhythm of a fighting game every year," Moore told Kotaku. "That's the plan. If you think of 2010, we're bringing MMA. In 2011, Fight Night Round 5," although he was quick to clarify that he wasn't announcing Fight Night Round 5 officially.

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As predicted, Sony failed to make any mention of a PS3 price cut or the rumoured 'Slim' model during last week's E3 conference, much to the dismay of gamers and publishers alike.

However it's widely believed to be on the cards, with IndustryGamers picking up on an analyst report pointing towards a $100 reduction occurring during the late summer period.

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Take-Two Interactive's Director and CEO, Ben Feder, has drawn a line under sales figures for Rockstar's GTA IV: The Lost and Damned game add-on by stating that "We haven't released numbers, and we won't."

Feder made the comments in an interview with Gamespot, although he did note that Take-Two has been "very pleased" with the DLC's performance on Xbox Live. What we don't know is whether that means they're "very pleased" in a money-throwing-party kind of way, or in an at-least-it's-not-riddled-with-glitches way.

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Take-Two's Director and CEO, Ben Feder, has spoken candidly about the publisher's exclusive deal with Sony on Agent for the PS3, stating that "exclusivity can really help you launch the franchise".

Speaking with Gamespot, Feder suggested that Take-Two is looking for the same kind of support from Sony that it received on the development and marketing of its GTA games for the PS2.

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The competition between Forza Motorsport 3 and Gran Turismo 5 intensified last week, with both titles making an appearance (of sorts) at E3.  Speaking in the latest Turn 10 blog, Che Chou stoked the rivalry even further with suggestions that the Gran Turismo series has been "stagnant" since GT3.

Following the surprise appearance of a couple of Polyphony Digital studio members to get hands on with Forza 3, Chou reported:

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Following Major Nelson's announcement (via Twitter) of the game last week, Microsoft has now officially listed Perfect Dark for the Xbox Live Arcade on Xbox.com. Due this coming winter, the N64 original will be rehashed with 1080p visuals running at 60 frames per second.

The first batch of screens for the title have also been dished out, revealing quite a stunning makeover from the 64-bit original released in 2000. The listing also suggests that the game will offer co-op for 1-2 players and multiplayer for 1-4, suggesting that all the multiplayer content of the original will make the jump.

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Fans of Valve's original Left 4 Dead game have started a Steam group that's boycotting the release of Left 4 Dead 2, which was announced at E3 last week. Over 16,000 members have now joined the group and we've recorded well in excess of 100 new members over the last hour alone.

Here are the group's reasons for the boycott:

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Since the industry veteran, Warren Spector, left Ion Storm to establish Junction Point Studios (before quickly selling it to Disney Interactive Studios), we haven't seen or heard a lot from him.

His mysterious first title for Disney has been kept under wraps for a long time and failed to make an appearance at last week's E3 event.  Speaking to Gamasutra, Graham Hopper Disney Interactive's General Manager provided an update on the elusive title.

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Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has revealed details about Nintendo's plans to succeed the Wii, but in a manner that doesn't entirely disclose too many specific details.

Speaking to VentureBeat, Iwata-san reveals an insight that suggests Nintendo is quite happy to continue distancing itself from the norm, suggesting the company could come to the market earlier than its rivals - or maybe after.  Both Microsoft and Sony have expressed their intention to ensure the current generation lasts longer then the traditional 4-5 year cycle, with come claims that we won't see a new format until 2012 at the earliest.

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An update to the official Super Smash Bros Brawl website has revealed Nintendo's plans to switch off support for user-generated content.

A statement on the site claims:

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Although Link and Zelda failed to make an appearance at E3, artwork from the next Legend of Zelda title has surfaced onto the internet.

The imagery provides a hint of what to expect, particularly the character behind Link who some are suggesting could be the living manifestation of the Master Sword.

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Activision appears to enjoy throwing its corporate weight around the courtrooms as of late.  Following the DJ Hero vs Scratch: The Ultimate DJ tussle, The Associated Press is reporting that the publishing giant has filed a lawsuit against Double Fine Productions, claiming that they transferred publishing rights to EA despite a valid contract still being in place.

Following the notorious Activision 'purge' of former Vivendi/Sierra titles it had been widely believed that Double Fine's Brutal Legend was one of the titles cast aside by Activision; titles that couldn't be "exploited every year across every platform," according to the words of the publisher's CEO Bobby Kotick during a financial call.

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Microsoft has promoted Lionhead supremo, Peter Molyneux, to the position of Creative Director at Microsoft Game Studios in Europe, although Molyneux will retain his position as Lionhead's studio boss as well.

The announcement was made at E3 last night and early indications are that Molyneux is taking on the position to foster the creative growth of Microsoft's European studios. In short though, this means that he'll be overseeing Rare and Lionhead's creative operations (as these are MGS' only in-house European studios).

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Speaking to Gamespot, Bungie has narrowed down the 2010 release date for Halo: Reach to autumn next year.

When speaking about the beta contained with Halo 3: ODST, a Bungie spokesperson claimed:

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It turns out that the 'Mask' on Kojima Productions and Konami's 'Next' teaser site was for another game project, as the Japanese publisher has now announced Castlevania: Lords of Shadow at E3.

Hideo Kojima took the stage at Konami's E3 press conference to make the announcement, revealing that the title is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3, with Kojima reportedly noting that the title will mark a fresh start for the series (according to VG247).

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Activision and FreeStyleGames' DJ Hero will receive its first portion of DLC at launch, with FreeStyleGames' Studio Manager, Kevin McSherry confirming to TVG that the there are plans for "Day 1 DLC".

When asked whether FreeStyleGames is going to hit the ground running with DLC for DJ Hero or hold-off on any DLC plans until after release, McSherry told us, "At FreeStyleGames, we've been heavily involved with Neversoft on DLC, so we've been creating Guitar Hero DLC for quite some time now."

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EA today outlined the big new features that are set to ensure FIFA 10 continues the improvements laid down by its predecessor.

More sophisticated ball control and enhanced physical interactions between players are top of the list, along with the "first ever-true" 360 degree dribbling system allowing skilled dribblers to face the defender and use highly responsive dribbling to skip past him. 

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Despite announcing Metal Gear Solid: Rising and Peace Walker, it seems Hideo Kojima still has a surprise up his sleeve.

Bizarre entries to Kojima Productions twitter present a code of sorts, which alludes to a new title from the outfit.  Perhaps this is related to the Mask that appeared on the teaser site?

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Nintendo's E3 conference may not have brought the Zelda Wii announcement that fans were hoping for, but at least we've got two Mario titles on the way.

Despite the no-show, Shigeru Miyamoto has revealed that the title is in development back at Nintendo's HQ.  Speaking during a roundtable interview, Miyamoto-san revealed that the title is at a fairly advanced stage of development and could be released as early as next year.

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Following yesterday's announcement that Rockstar Games id developing a PS3 exclusive titled Agent TVG has unearthed a few extra details.

The title is being developed by GTA creators, Rockstar North, which suggests the Edinburgh based developer could be taking a well earned break from the GTA franchise.  That's just us speculating, and we're not suggesting GTA is about to disappear, but you have to question whether Rockstar North can handle such sizeable projects in tandem.

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As we suspected, Hideo Kojima is probably the most popular guy in town right about now.  Following his appearance at Microsoft's conference last night, Kojima-san turned up at Sony's even to reveal Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for the PSP.  OK it wasn't the announcement we were expecting, but eh!

Set in 1979 – ten years after the events of Snake Eater – Peace Walker is described as a true sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3, with Kojima-san heading development along with the rest of the team at Kojima Productions.  Once again players take on the role of Big Boss, Peace Walker takes place in Costa Rica with an unknown enemy forming what will become Outer Haven – the original Metal Gear.

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Sony's definitely chalking up a few surprises, with confirmation that Final Fantasy XIV is on the cards, it's an MMO, and a PS3 exclusive for 2010.

Unless Square-Enix is planning to confirm an Xbox 360 version later in the year, this is a pretty significant show of support by Square-Enix after the surprise of Microsoft's announcement last year.

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Joining the unveiling of the PSP Go, Sony has lifted the lid on Gran Turismo's eagerly awaited debut on the handheld format.

Featuring over 800 cars and 35 different tracks, Gran Turismo PSP aims to emulate its home console siblings in every department.  PSP owners will be able to trade cars between one another, which is designed to make car collecting an easier and more sociable experience.

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Well this is one E3 secret that wasn't let out of the bag.   Rockstar Games has revealed a PS3 exclusive entitled The Agent.

Further details to follow.

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A quick scan through Sony's press releases has revealed details on Team Ico's PS3 title – ahead of the conference.

Taking control of a child who discovers a legendary mythical creature, the pair are trapped in a fortress and must learn to trust one another in order to find their way to freedom.

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During its presentation at E3 today, Nintendo announced three new projects for the DS by publishers THQ, Ubisoft, and Square Enix.

As far as Sqaure Enix's RPGs are concerned, Nintendo announced Golden Sun DS and a US release date of September 29th for the DS exclusive Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

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Sony has revealed what is officially the worst kept E3 secret; the PSP Go will be arriving later in the year, removing the UMD drive and focusing on the digital lifestyle.

Aimed to compete with the iPhone/iTouch with a stronger design on the digital lifestyle, the PSP Go will be released alongside the existing models, for those still wishing the UMD drive.

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Sony's Jack Tretton has recently confirmed that the Assassin's Creed will be released during November 2009.  No further details on the title, such as whether it's based on Altair, Ezio, or another member of the assassin's clan have been confirmed.

[update]

We now know the game will be a direct sequel to the original Assassin's Creed and provide the link with this year's sequel.  Players once again take control of Altair, as he attempts to hunt down the ascending members of the Templars as they retreat to the island of Cyprus.

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This one should help hardcore Nintendo fans sleep easy tonight: Nintendo has just announced Super Mario Galaxy 2 at its E3 presentation.

The gameplay style of the original has been retained judging from the trailer, although there was some pretty awesome looking Yoshi riding being done by Mario.

Super Mario Galaxy 2's announcement joins the reveal of New Super Mario Bros. Wii earlier in the event.

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As part of its E3 presentation, Nintendo has just announced Metroid: Other M, the next instalment in the Metroid Prime series.

The game is being co-produced by Team Ninja and Nintendo under the name 'Project M' and is currently scheduled for release in 2010 on the Wii.

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Nintendo has announced that the hit DS game in Japan, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, is coming to the Western market this autumn.

The game puts gamers in control of a shrunken Mario and Luigi as they attempt to escape from Bowser's innards.

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Everybody thought Nintendo had gone a bit loopy when the Wii's balance board peripheral was originally revealed a couple of years back, and just look at how wrong Nintendo has proven everyone since. Now the company is taking this one step further with a finger sensor that measures a user's state of calm.

The Vitality Sensor was unveiled at Nintendo's E3 presentation and it's a peripheral that sits on the end of a gamer's finger and appears to be attached to the Wii remote. From here, the Wii can apparently sense how calm the Vitality Sensor's user is.

We're guessing that it can take a measurement of its subject's heart rate or something, although Satoru Iwata was more keen to talk about how it can detect a gamer's sense of calm and wellness - it all sounded a bit too Nintendo Utilitarian.

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DSi owners will soon be able to upload pictures taken with the handheld console straight to their Facebook profiles, Nintendo has just announced at its E3 Presentation.

The online functionality is coming this summer according to Nintendo and follows Microsoft's announcement of Facebook integration with Xbox Live yesterday.

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Nintendo has officially announced Wii Fit Plus at its E3 presentation, detailing how the sequel will extend the scope of its predecessor to offer tailor-made exercise routines for each user.

Gamers will be able to choose from six new strength and Yoga activities and 16 new balance routines such as skating and a Mario-esque mini-game where you have to dodge cannon balls and jump over obstacles. In another new feature for the series, Wii Fit Plus will keep track of the calories you burn from exercise.

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Nintendo has supercharged its E3 presentation by announcing New Super Mario Bros. Wii straight off the bat, which is due out on the home console at the end of the year.

The focus is on multiplayer gaming, with up to 4 players being able to get involved at one time and a gameplay choice of either co-operating with other players or just trying to steal all the coins for yourself.

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Nintendo has been showing off Wii Sports Resort at its E3 presentation, showcasing how the Motion Plus controller add-on will bolster the gaming experience of this sequel.

Mini-games such as archery, skydiving, and basketball were shown-off at the presentation, demonstrating a much greater degree of fidelity on the Wii Remote thanks to the Motion Plus add-on.

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LucasArts has announced the Tales of Monkey Island, a set of new adventures in the Monkey Island universe that will be released for Nintendo's Wii (via WiiWare) and PC "in just a few short weeks".

Development of the series has been handed over to episodic game specialists and creators of Sam & Max, Telltale Games, which will release a total of five, monthly Monkey Island episodes this year with the first adventure to debut in the coming weeks.

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Speaking to the BBC, Steven Spielberg has thrown doubt over the enigmatic LMNO by claiming that Project Natal has completely changed his outlook.

Spielberg claimed:

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From this autumn onwards, gamers will be able to access their Facebook and Twitter accounts via Xbox Live while searching Microsoft's Zune service for videos that can be streamed directly to the Xbox 360 dashboard.

While the Facebook and Twitter services will bring the presence of the internet's two largest social networking sites to the world's most populated gaming network, the new Zune functionality will allow users to stream 1080p videos directly to their console.

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As part of its menagerie of E3 announcements, Microsoft has revealed that it will be bringing a Games on Demand download service to Xbox Live this coming August alongside 30 titles for the service at launch.

Amongst the range of titles touted for the service are Assassin's Creed, Oblivion, BioShock, Mass Effect, and LEGO: Star Wars, so it sounds like the 30 titles will be from the console's back-catalogue of games to begin with at least.

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There's now a title challenger to go up against THQ's Ultimate Fighting Champion series of games, as EA has officially announced that it is developing EA Sports MMA, a mixed martial arts game for Xbox 360 and PS3 that's due to launch sometime next year.

Although EA Sports Supremo, Peter Moore has spoken about the company's aims to develop a mixed martial arts game in the past, this is the first official word we've received from the publisher.

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The latest unfurling of Kojima Productions' 'Next' teaser site has now revealed what appears to be two distinct game projects, suggesting that there are more E3 Kojima announcements in store following last night's Metal Gear Solid: Rising reveal.

Now titled "E3 2009 Kojima Productions Special Site", the teaser site boasts a yellow and orange tab next to the MGS: Rising button, which says: ""Mask"? Who are you?". Clicking on this icon then takes you to the glowing 'Mask' image that was revealed on the site last week.

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In the middle of announcing the heavily rumoured motion camera peripheral, Microsoft unveiled that Stephen Spielberg is currently working on a title that uses the peripheral.

Project Natal accurately tracks human movements and recognises voices.  Demonstrations of the peripheral included a Minority Report like level of control over the Xbox 360 dash (recognising your face and logging you in), along with a 3D Breakout clone where your entire body is used to hit the ball.  A further demonstration took a walk on the creative side.  Paint Party allows you to paint on a virtual canvas, using your voice to choose the paint colour and taking photos to use during the creation process.  Microsoft was also keen to suggest that using the camera offers more exercise than waggling a Wii Remote on the sofa.

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Keeping up the strategy of purchasing exclusive rights to the biggest games, Microsoft today used its E3 conference to confirm that two multiplayer maps will be timed exclusives on the Xbox 360.

A new Modern Warfare 2 trailer was shown at the event, which we're currently in the process of busily encoding.

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It seems the rumours were well placed, with confirmation from Microsoft's E3 conference that Halo: Reach is currently in development for the Xbox 360 - at Bungie.  The prequel to events of the original Halo is confirmed for a 2010 release with a beta version appearing on Halo 3: ODST – due for worldwide release on September 22nd.