via kotaku

Germany is leading the charge for standardizing rules regarding violent video games across the European Union. The country has perceived a massive rise in video game related violence as of late (which happens when you start looking for video game links to every crime that occurs) has recently proposed a law in their own country banning any game that depicts violence against humans. Since they are calling for standardized rules, one can easily assume they would like to see the same sort of law adapted across the whole of Europe.


Just what we need out of touch people telling gamers what games to play ...

via gizmodo

A reliable tipster says Best Buy plans to unleash at least 15 Nintendo Wii consoles at each of its brick-and-mortar locations on Sunday, January 21. Word has it there may even be from 35 to 45 consoles for sale at each location. However, when we contacted a Best Buy store manager in the area, he had no knowledge of any such shipment forthcoming, but said it certainly was a possibility since he'd received plenty of PS3 shipments lately but "no Nintendo Wii units in a long time."

Will Wii fanboys line up outside Best Buy stores coast-to-coast in hopes of scoring their favorite gaming console this Sunday morning? Maybe where you are, but here the Midwest, where temperatures are expected to be in the single digits on Saturday night, it seems unlikely. Around here, the Best Buy stores open at 11am on Sunday morning, so that would be a really long night. ...

Via Gamesradar

You might remember last week we spent a long time playing MotorStorm and crashing a lot. It was kind of therapeutic. With no pressure to actually win anything, we just drove head first into boulders and entered a catatonic daze as our vehicle elegantly disintegrated before our glazed-over eyes.

With import copies of PS3's Formula One: Championship Edition arriving in the GamesRadar office, an elevated level of high-speed collision has become our new object of desire. It's simple really, F1 cars go faster, race on a narrower track and have more opponents - providing more opportunities for deliberate high-speed horseplay.

The results are nothing short of spectacular. Not least because of the amount of disruption you can cause by simply clipping another driver's wheels - even really gently. We even thought of cutting these pile-ups to some moving orchestral music, like Barber's Adagio for Strings, for effect. It didn't amount to more than a thought. Maybe we'll do it for the next instalment.

Video Here ...

via gamespot

Bigbig studios and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe will be giving gamers the chance to take part in more car combat, with a second title in its PlayStation Portable Pursuit Force franchise--and this one will feature multiplayer modes, as well as a version for the PlayStation 2.

Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice has been given a summer 2007 European release date for both formats, and will feature a "Hollywood inspired" storyline. A four-player Wi-Fi mode has been added for the PSP edition, along with a two-player split screen multiplayer mode for the PS2.

The first Pursuit Force, released exclusively for the PSP in 2005, cast gamers as the only member of a newly formed police department chasing criminals through Capital City, and bringing them to justice by, among other things, jumping across moving vehicles.

In the sequel, two new gangs are turning Capital City into a war zone--The Raiders, who specialise in staging ambushes and striking hard and fast, and The Syndicate, a gang of professional bank robbers who will use any means necessary to obtain their illicit prizes.

There will also be a new "heavy handed" rival arm of the police force called the Viper division to contend with. New gameplay features include bigger vehicles to jump between, like tanks, trains, and an aeroplane.

The player will also be joined this time around by four new recruits in Pursuit Force--Sarah (Air Support), Gage (High Speed Support), Ash (Special Ops), and Preach (Heavy Assault). These characters will support and interact with the player, providing assistance and repartee throughout the game.

A variety of vehicles will be available to play with, including a bike and sidecar, jet skis, a helicopter, and a hovercraft. Players will also be able to step outside and take out bad guys on foot.

Other features include a "Justice Bar" which, when used, will allow the player to regain strength and prolong a mission, and the game will ship with three difficulty levels. ...

Voodoo Extreme has a feature up that's a wishlist for future sequels. They run down some great game franchises that have been off the board for a little while, and wonder out loud about the possibility of new installments. Besides the usual suspects for lists like this (StarCraft, TIE Fighter, Descent, Ultima), they touch on some cult favorites that are ... less likely to show up in modern gaming. From the article:
Any oldies you'd like to see back on modern systems? While I really like many of the ideas listed here, the LucasArts classics Grim Fandango and Maniac Mansion are the ones I'd most like to see rehashed.

via /. ...

via gibiz

Senior retail sources have told GamesIndustry.biz that the 60GB PlayStation 3 will go on sale in the UK for GBP 425, as previously stated by Sony UK boss Ray Maguire.

His comments were made in an interview with GI.biz in May of last year, where he defended the price point as "a bargain" for consumers.

Now several retail execs have confirmed that the GBP 425 figure is correct, and said they are expecting an official announcement from Sony next week. It's thought that the 20GB PlayStation 3 will not be made available in the UK, at least during the initial launch period.

The announcement is also expected to confirm a March 23 launch date across Europe, as previously reported.

The UK price is equivalent to just under EUR 647, which is likely to elicit complaints about "rip-off Britain" as Sony has confirmed that the 60GB PS3 will cost EUR 599 in most other European territories. The price for Ireland, however, has been set at EUR 629.99, apparently due to a higher VAT rate.

One retail source said that the higher UK price has not been driven by Sony but by British retailers, who traditionally seek bigger profit margins than their Continental counterparts. ...

via gamesindustry

A SCEE spokesperson has told GamesIndustry.biz that PlayStation 3 is still on track to launch in Europe in March, despite suggestions from Sony CEO Howard Stringer that it will be here in April.

In an interview with CNET-owned site News.com, Stringer is quoted as saying, "We have got the European launch in April, which is very important to us."

But a spokesperson told GI.biz, "It is not the case that PS3 is launching in April," adding that suggestions otherwise are "incorrect".

"The date has been and still is March," the spokesperson confirmed.

Sony has yet to announce a specific date for the launch of PS3. However, several senior retail sources speaking to GI.biz have said that March 23 is set to be the day when the console hits the shops, and SCEE are expected to make an official announcement next week. ...

via gamesindustry

Retail has noted a surge of interest in free-roaming action game Crackdown, since the announcement that the game disc will include a beta key to the multiplayer testing of Bungie's highly-anticipated shooter Halo 3.

Specialist chain GAME has told GamesIndustry.biz that pre-orders for Crackdown have risen by 25 per cent since Microsoft unveiled the initiative.

"Halo 3 is one of the most highly anticipated Xbox 360 titles for 2007 and our customers are hungry to get hold of it," commented Alex Croft, MD of GAME Group's online business.

"Halo 3 beta is a great way for gamers to actually influence the making of the game and will ensure the production of a truly amazing game," he added.

Crackdown, from developer Realtime Worlds, is due for release February 23 in Europe. Copies of the game which include the Halo 3 beta key will be housed in specially marked packaging. ...

via gibiz

Consumers looking to buy a PlayStation 3 in the US have multiple outlets to choose from, as over 50 per cent of all stores surveyed have units in stock.

Compared to the Nintendo Wii, which is in short supply in all regions across the globe, the PS3 is readily available in specialist and electrical retailers across North America, where Sony recently announced it had shipped a total of one million units.

"Our channel checks yesterday of 52 retail stores, from boutiques to big-box retailers, showed that 28 of the 52 stores had PS3 consoles in stock, while none had Wii consoles in stock," said PJ McNealy of American Technology Research.

While some have suggested the amount of stock available may be indication of slowing demand, Sony's David Karraker disputes the idea, instead pointing out that the company is doing such a good job of supplying retailers with available units.

"It isn't because demand has weakend, it is because we have kept the supply pipeline moving," Karraker told Reuters.

New hardware traditionally suffers from short supply at retail, as the demand from early-adopting consumers is fulfilled.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 came under increased pressure from retail following its launch in 2005, with supplies limited through the first quarter of 2006.

Despite the amount of PS3 units on store shelves, PJ McNealy pointed out that high levels of stock didn't not neccesarily indicate slow demand. ...