Just when you thought the iPod couldn't get any bigger. Bob Borchers, the senior director of iPod worldwide product marketing, recently told CNET UK's Crave that Apple wants more consumers using iPod-enabled automobiles rather than the plethora of third-party accessories. Borchers also said that Apple has no interest in producing their own car stereo, but they will be working with other companies to improve iPod integration in new cars. So I guess buying a new $20,000 will be the new hot iPod accessory this year.

I personally think this iPod integration is a bunch of rubbish. I recently purchased a new Honda Civic and I was given the option of iPod integration. It is essentially a iPod dock connector that comes out of the glove box, whoop de doo. I'll take my $350 that I would have spent on this iPod accessory and spend it on Taiwanese hookers and have a way better time, especially because the new Civics already come loaded with auxiliary inputs for the stereo. Hey car manufacturers, ditch the iPod connection and just start including auxiliary inputs in all vehicles. It is cheaper, will make the FCC more happy—no FM transmission—and can work with the iPod and more. ...

News from Gamesradar

Whenever we want to get excited about the next generation of gaming, gazing upon some Rainbow Six Vegas shots always helps. There's nothing so spectacular as seeing a special forces team taking on a terrorist threat with Las Vegas - one of the most glitzy and bizarre cities in the world - as a backdrop.

The Rainbow Six team have made the trip to Nevada because of international terrorist Irena Morales who has led a team of mercenaries into Vegas to lay siege to the casinos and hotels.

Initially it's unclear just what Morales's agenda is but the Rainbow Six team, led by Logan Keller, only has one night to restore order to the city and take down the scheming Morales.

The game is in development with Ubisoft Montreal who was responsible for Rainbow Six 3. The team has been working hard to make Vegas the most intense adventure yet with mission objectives continually being reassessed and briefings happening in real-time - this means key strategic decisions will have to be made on the fly.

The game is due to be released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 so will have numerous online modes and will allow you to create a multiplayer character that will evolve the more you play. Also, the more successes you achieve online, the more equipment you unlock.

Screens at Link Above ...

We've gathered up a bundle of fresh shots of Sonic Rivals, the new blue hedgehog title from Sega coming out for PSP this winter.

The game pits our prickly hero against other characters from the Sonic universe in highly competitive racing. The challenge is to race to the end of the tracks while avoiding the myriad of obstacles set up by the villainous Dr Eggman. Racers are allowed to shove and vault over each other in an attempt to reach the finish line first.

Sega's aim is to capture the spirit of original 2D Sonic gameplay, but in 3D, so expect the action to reach supersonic speeds.

News and Screenshots HERE ...

If you were wondering just how developer Neversoft was able to make the animation in upcoming Tony Hawk game, Project 8, look so authentic, this new video should give you all the answers.

The footage sees pro-skater Steve Williams donning the ping pong-balled suit and shoes to be motion captured. The footage shows Williams performing a series of relatively simple tricks and then shows how they have been recreated in the game.

Williams is just one of the many pro-skaters involved with Project 8 and will appear in the game's main story mode to teach the gamer's created skater new tricks and also guide them to secret areas in the huge open gaming area.

The Tony Hawk engine has been rebuilt from the ground up to make the most of the next-gen consoles and make it the most realistic-looking skating game yet.

More info ...

News from Gamesradar

To celebrate the launch of Miami Vice The Game on PSP this Friday, we've teamed up with publisher Vivendi to offer a pair of tickets to the premiere of the new Miami Vice movie, plus a copy of Miami Vice The Game on PSP. Five runners-up will each receive a copy of the game.

The movie premiere will be held at the Odeon Cinema in London's Leicester Square on Thursday 27 July 2006. The winner will be among the Hollywood's VIPs, so remember to dress the part; the dress code says 'with style', so don't disappoint your public!

Starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, the Miami Vice movie is based on the classic 1980s TV show, while the PSP-exclusive game is based on the new film and lets you choose between Tubbs and Crockett as you tackle Miami lowlife. Link up with a friend via the co-op mode and you can watch out for each other in tense gunfights. Using the source material admirably, Miami Vice The Game should certainly keep the show's fans happy - and newcomers too.

To be in with a chance of winning these excellent prizes, just answer the following question:

Which two famous actors are playing the lead roles in the new Miami Vice film?

a) Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer
b) Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx
c) Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter

To enter, Click Here to email us with your answer, name, daytime phone number and full address. The closing date for entries is Monday 24 July 2006. ...

Rack up another game showing for the San Diego Comic-Con. Nintendo is offering Comic-Con attendees the chance to meet Charles Martinet--the voice actor who spits out the mascot's lines in the Mario games--while they check out the company's display of games for its handheld. Among the games Nintendo will show off at the Comic-Con, taking place July 20-23, are Elite Beat Agents, Mario Hoops 3 on 3, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, and Star Fox Command--all for the Nintendo DS. Nintendo is encouraging convention-goers to visit the company's booth dressed up as Nintendo characters to win prizes, which range from game systems to 8x10 postcards featuring Martinet, who will sign autographs. ...

A disturbing article from the GameWorld Network,

its starts like this:


and ends like this:


Read the Full Article HERE

Agree or Disagree, please reply via comments ...

Nintendo of America is trumpeting the success of the DS handheld in the United States, where the platform was the top-selling game system in June by a huge margin thanks to the launch of DS Lite.

Between the old and new revisions of the hardware, the DS sold some 600,000 units in June - almost double the sales of the next hardware platform on the list, and representing more than a third of total system purchases, Nintendo claims.

Perhaps more impressively, software on the system is also showing strong performance - with New Super Mario Bros topping the US chart for a second month with sales of an additional 450,000 units, a performance which rivals the title's stellar sales in Japan.

The firm's two brain training products, Brain Age and Big Brain Academy, sold 350,000 units between them - while the Nintendogs games, despite being launched ten months ago, still managed to sell a combined 100,000 units in June.

One of the key drivers for the success of the DS in Japan and, to some extent, in other territories, has been the longevity of its software - with titles such as Brain Age continuing to sell strongly over a year after their introduction in the Far East.

Nintendo also took the opportunity to talk up the success of the Wi-Fi Connection service, which was rolled out late last year and will be shared by the Nintendo Wii console when it launches in autumn.

Over 1.7 million discreet users have now used the service worldwide, giving Wi-Fi Connection the fastest adoption rate of any game network ever launched - with the firm hoping for further growth in coming months with the launch of new WFC-enabled games such as Star Fox Command, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2, and Clubhouse Games. ...

Take-Two secures its fourth week at the top with GTA: Liberty City Stories, the publisher's long awaited FPS Prey marking this week's highest new entry at number 2.

Despite claiming the top spot on both the PC and Xbox 360 sales charts and originating some ten years ago as a PC concept, an astonishing 77 per cent of the sales were for the Xbox 360 version.

Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. slips a single place into third this week, though continued strong sales of the DS Lite and a relatively high attachment rate thanks to retail promotion could see the title climb again next week.

Fourth place belongs to the handheld versions of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which has enjoyed a four place leap and marks the highest entry for the numerous summer movie tie-ins, filling the charts in the wake of the World Cup fever.

Activision's Over The Hedge slips a couple of places from three to five, followed by Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 5 - both of which slide a single position to rest in sixth and seventh place respectively.

EA clings to football glory with FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 down four places to number eight, and the bottom of the chart is taken up by more movie-related games with EA's Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II on Xbox 360 in at nine, Ubisoft's Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow making its debut at number ten.

Elsewhere in the charts, THQ stops to refuel, entering the all formats chart with Cars at number 16, although as we've seen with the other summer film franchises, the theatrical release is likely to give the game a significant boost in the coming weeks.

The remainder of the charts is as fickle as ever, a few climbers and all too many sliders making up the top forty as the summer kicks in, promotions help retailers shift some of the older titles and consumers await with bated breath the arrival of Sony and Nintendo's consoles and that "killer" game for Microsoft's machine.

This week the release schedule is all about sharp suits and sunglasses as Vivendi launches Miami Vice on PSP. There's also Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth from Square Enix, the sequel for which has just taken Japan by storm, and GameCube owners can experience SEGA's latest iteration of its primate puzzler with Super Monkey Ball Adventure.

Via Gamesindustry ...