Game News: December 05, 2006

Sony Debuts Download-to-Own Game Service (PC Magazine)
   PC Magazine - Sony launched its own somewhat convoluted download-to-own gaming service on Tuesday, forcing PSP owners who want to play PlayStation games on their PSP handheld console to use the recently-released PS3.

Sandvine Identifies Surge in Xbox Live and iTunes Traffic
   

Sandvine Incorporated, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sandvine Corporation, identified a surge in Xbox Live and iTunes traffic on North American broadband networks following the release of new Xbox games and iTunes 7.

GameDAILY: The Online Multiplayer Evolution
   The online multiplayer experience of Xbox Live may well be the determining factor in the "console wars."

Pimp My Ride Ships to Retail Stores
   

High-RPM racing meets outrageous car customization with MTV?s Pimp My Ride, available now from Activision Publishing, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of Activision, Inc. Players will join MTV host and hip-hop star Xzibit as they rip through Pimp City in their quest to transform broken down hoopties into pimped out rides for pride and respect.

Gnomon Online Opens Winter Registration
   

Gnomon Online, the internet-based division of Gnomon School of Visual Effects, began registration for their online courses this week, with courses including Introduction to 3D with Maya taught by Stephen McClure, 3D Texture Painting with Eric Miller, and Animation and Visual Effects with Stephen McClure.

Watch the New Halo 3 Trailer!
   Halo Nation rejoiced as the new ad for Halo 3 hit the airwaves during ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast on December 4. The 60-second TV commercial was a one-time event, but we've got the new trailer for the biggest game of the year right here on Xbox.com!

It's WAR!
   Can Warhammer Online batter Blizzard's WoW? New screenshots show promise.
Following it's recent showcase of Realm versus Realm combat in a gameplay trailer taken from internal alpha testing, Mythic has released new screenshots from Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.



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RoboBlitz on Live Arcade
   Unreal Engine 3 action game heading for XBLA tomorrow.
Streaming across Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade servers tomorrow is RoboBlitz, the Unreal Engine 3-powered action game from developer Naked Sky.

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PSone games now on sale via PlayStation Store
   Tekken 2, Crash Bandicoot and three more PSone games now available to download.
Retro gaming is the new next-gen! The first five PSone games have become available for download via PS3's PlayStation Store.

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Sony - No PS4 is "a bit far fetched"
   No PS4 is "a bit far fetched" says Sony, adding that 20 new PS3 games will be ready for Euro launch.
Speaking to smarthouse.com.au Paul Holman, vice president of technology at SCEE said that recent talk of Sony moving focus from hardware to software following recent changes in its board room "is a bit far fetched". He said, "To say that there will be no PS4 because of a management change is a bit far fetched."

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Blue Dragon spreads its wings
   New screens tease us further - but is Mistwalker's acclaimed 360 RPG actually ever coming here?.
Mistwalker's Xbox 360 RPG Blue Dragon recently scored an impressive 37/40 in Japanese gaming mag Famitsu, so a) presumably the game's a corker and b) the title could well be the one that helps Microsoft finally crack the Japanese market. It hits over the pond this month, so let's wait and see what happens. Meanwhile, new screenshots have been released.



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FFIII DS heads to Europe next spring
   Square Enix's incredible DS RPG targets Europe next spring.
Square Enix has confirmed that its DS remake of Final Fantasy III will be heading to Europe in spring 2007.



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Halo 3 shield grenade revealed: new shots
   CGI trailer gives away new grenade type, but will it make the game?.
By now you should have already watched the brand new Halo 3 trailer at least ten times. If you haven't, hit this now.



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8 out of 10 parents pay close attention to ratings
   Activision releases survey on ESRB videogame ratings and how parents use them.
Entertainment Software Rating Board's (ESRB) videogame rating system is a hit with parents.

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Wii-mote Man deserves a medal
   Japanese man dresses up as Wii Remote and heads to Wii launch. You must see these pics.
You may have spotted the brave chap dressed as a giant Wii Remote in our Japanese Wii launch report - the man who we've named 'Wii-mote Man'. Well, we've done some research and discovered Wii-mote Man's official website, and we love his cardboard controller-waving antics so much we thought we'd share them with you all.



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Will is a "sub-element" of PS3 says Sony
   Wii is a core gaming device while PS3 is a broader entertainment solution says Sony.
Sony's general manager for Australia and New Zealand has had enough of the negative PS3 press: "The Wii-type functionality is more just a sub-element of what the PlayStation 3 offers," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

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Vin Diesel too cool for Hitman movie?
   Riddick star no longer attached to Agent 47's silver screen debut.
Back in summer 2005 reports hit that actor Vin Diesel had signed up to play bald assassin Agent 47 in a Hitman movie, but it's now emerged that he's not taking on the role.

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Fighting Fantasy series DS, PSP bound
   Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson resurrect the classic Fighting Fantasy series of books for DS and PSP.
We used to love those old Fighting Fantasy choose your own adventure books. And like everyone else, we always cheating by keeping our fingers on the previous page we were on before seeing if we were about to fall to our deaths or get eaten by a giant scorpion.

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Wii mini-games outsell Zelda in Japan
   Wii mini-game titles fly off of Japanese shelves, outselling even Nintendo's new Zelda.
Nintendo's Wii mini-game titles Wii Sports and Wii Play have dominated the Japanese game charts, outselling all other Wii software - including Zelda.

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Halo 3 beta registration begins
   Halo 3 beta registration now within reach of North American gamers - Europeans left staring into the ether.
Halo 3's official home on the internet is now letting people register for the public multiplayer beta which is scheduled to kick off next spring.

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Nintendo Wii sells nearly 372,000 units (AP)
   AP - Japan's Nintendo Co. sold almost 372,000 of its new Wii video game console in the first two days of its Japanese launch, industry analysts said Tuesday.

MUST SEE: Halo 3 CGI trailer
   Much-touted CGI trailer hits the US - Prepare to be given goosebumps!.
As you'll probably know if you've been camping on the Internet since 2am, the much-touted Halo 3 CGI ad aired in the United States this morning - and you can watch it right here thanks to the fancy CVG video player.



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Telltale throws us a Bone update
   Director's Cut heralds arrival of new features and engine updates for Out from Boneville and The Great Cow Race.
Telltale Games has released Director's Cut versions of its adventure games Bone: Out from Boneville and Bone: The Great Cow Race, both available via download for $12.99 each - or in a $19.99 bundle.

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Nintendo says may beat 2006/07 earnings forecast (Reuters)
   Reuters - Japanese video game maker Nintendo Co. Ltd. (7974.OS) said on Tuesday it is possible the company will beat its own earnings forecast for the current business year, helped by continued robust sales of its DS handheld games. DS sales for the year to the end of next March may exceed its official forecast of 20 million units, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told Reuters in an interview.