via Eurogamer


Microsoft has won its long-running legal battle against rumble specialists Immersion to the tune of USD 20.75m

The feud kicked off again last year, after Sony backpedaled and included rumble in its DualShock 3 pad. This activated a clause in a contract which stated that Immersion would have to pay Microsoft USD 15m if Sony also used the rumble technology in its pads.

But when Immersion refused to pay up, Microsoft sued. Immersion then issued a counterclaim alleging that Microsoft had breached a confidentiality agreement between the two companies. You guys.

Calm was restored yesterday, however, after a US court ruled in Microsoft's favour. Now Immersion has agreed to cough up USD 20.75m. Happy days. For Microsoft.

In the spirit of peace and love, Microsoft has even allowed Immersion to join its Certified Partner Program. Fancy that.


Likewise, we are pleased to no longer have to write about Immersion's petty legal spats with console manufacturers. ...

via Eurogamer


Ubisoft has confirmed to Eurogamer the first people to pre-order Tom Clancy's EndWar for Xbox 360 will get access to the open beta.

As reported by IGN, Ubi is billing the beta as a "VIP demo". Those taking part will be able to try out the multiplayer element of the game and help out with an online stress test.

The VIP demo will begin in early October. Access tokens are limited and will be dished out on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tom Clancy's EndWar is out this autumn on PS3 and Xbox 360. ...

via Kotaku


Aside from the rather intriguing gameplay features I discussed during my Games Convention preview, one of the most interesting aspects of Ubisoft's upcoming jet fighter Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. is the amount of attention paid to landscapes. Well that intricate detail is all thanks to GeoEye and their IKONOS - the world's first commercial Earth imaging satellite.

Check out the gallery below for some in-game images, along with photographs taken by IKONOS itself. It's an amazing amount of effort to render something you'll spend the entire game avoiding getting too close to.


Screenshots ...

via The Official Playstation Blog


Since July there have been rumors about a “mystery game that SCEA had up its sleeve.” Well, it’s time to put all that speculation to rest. I am pleased to announce that we will be adding yet another exciting downloadable PS3 title to the PSN lineup: Savage Moon.

Coming exclusively to PLAYSTATION Network this fall, Savage Moon is a frantic, action-packed tower defense game in a gritty sci-fi setting. You are tasked with protecting mining facilities from ravenous space bugs using some truly fearsome weaponry. And you’ll need as much strategy as firepower as you fend off wave after wave.

Each level in Savage Moon is set on an “Imoon”, or a living asteroid, and it is up to you to keep the mining facilities safe. These Imoons are rich in mineral deposits that humanity needs to survive, but such riches come with great risk as the native creatures living there will stop at nothing to end the mining. These giant deadly creatures are called “Insectocytes.” They come in all shapes and sizes and you will need to have a balanced strategy to fend them all off and keep the mining facilities safe.

To defend the mines, you start off with machine gun towers and can expand your arsenal to include wide range of weaponry and heavy artillery. This is where your strategizing skills come into play. It’s up to you when to upgrade, add new towers, or save your money, and your strategies will make the difference between escaping unscathed and watching the mines go up in flames. You have to place the tower defenses in areas where they will be most effective in killing the different kinds of Insectocytes before they make it to the mining facilities. And as you kill the Insectocytes, you earn valuable points that you can use to upgrade the size and firepower of your defenses, and to develop new weapons and technologies.

Savage Moon is addictive and the action is relentless, making it fun no matter what your skill level is. The action is intense, but you also have to think and have a solid strategy to survive. The best players can even post their scores to the online leader boards to see how they stack up.


Screenshots on blog page ...

via Eurogamer


Mario Kart Wii hung onto the top spot in this week's UK All-Formats Top 40 as none of the top five changed places, while Brain Training managed to set a new record.

The DS think-'em-up made number eight (up one place), marking its 80th week in the top ten - one more than the original Tomb Raider, according to compilers Chart-Track.

Following the launch of PS3's Platinum range, this week also saw the introduction of a PS3 budget chart, with Uncharted, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, Buzz! Quiz TV, FIFA 08 and Ratchet & Clank setting the early sales pace in that category.

Otherwise it was another boring week, with Carnival: Funfair Games and WALL-E re-entering the top ten, and the rest of the 40 shuffling around only slightly.

However, with any luck that will change in seven days' time, as Too Human and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 are both released this Friday.


The full All-Formats UK Top 40:

1. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
2. Wii Fit (Wii)
3. Beijing 2008 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
4. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS)
5. Wii Play (Wii)
6. Carnival: Funfair Games (Wii)
7. Big Beach Sports (Wii)
8. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
9. WALL-E (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
10. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, DS)
11. Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS)
12. Summer Athletics (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PC)
13. LEGO Indiana Jones (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
14. Soulcalibur IV (Xbox 360, PS3)
15. Battlefield: Bad Company (Xbox 360, PS3)
16. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360)
17. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, DS)
18. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
19. FIFA 08 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP)
20. The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
21. Kung Fu Panda (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS)
22. Sports Party (Wii)
23. Ben 10: Protector of Earth (Wii, DS, PS2, PSP)
24. More Brain Training (DS)
25. Madden NFL 09 (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, DS, PS2, Wii)
26. Mario Kart DS (DS)
27. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PC, DS, PSP)
28. Off Road (Wii, PS2, PSP, PC)
29. Cooking Mama (DS)
30. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
31. Need For Speed ProStreet (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
32. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
33. SEGA Superstars Tennis (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS)
34. Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (Wii, DS)
35. Puzzler Collection (DS, PSP)
36. WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
37. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS)
38. 42 All-Time Classics (DS)
39. Race Driver: GRID (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
40. Sports Island (Wii)

...

via Games Industry


Nintendo has told GamesIndustry.biz that it will not comment on new rumours of a redesigned DS handheld, branding talk "rumour and speculation".

US blog Kotaku has suggested that the company will be issuing a new DS next year, featuring two touch-sensitive screens.

According to the story, any official word on such a device would not be announced by Nintendo until after the Christmas sales period.

Sales of the handheld in Japan during the financial quarter ended June 30 have dropped, but the system is still selling well in Europe and the US. ...

via Games Industry


Uncharted: Drake's Fortune has topped the first PlayStation 3 budget chart published by UK data specialists GfK Chart-Track.

The chart has been added to the company's retail data following Sony's introduction of a Platinum range of titles in Europe.

Other Platinum titles in the top ten include EA's FIFA 08 at four, Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction at five and Evolutions Studios' MotorStorm at nine.


The top ten PlayStation 3 budget games for the week ended August 23 follow:

1. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
2. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue
3. Buzz! Quiz TV
4. FIFA 08
5. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction
6. Resistance: Fall of Man
7. SingStar Volume 2
8. Fight Night Round 3
9. MotorStorm
10. Virtua Tennis 3 ...

via Gizmodo US




Android Guys has an as-of-yet unconfirmed spec sheet on the HTC Dream (which they say is called the T1 on T-Mobile), supposedly one of the first Android phones to hit the market later this year. The most notable specs are the 528MHz Qualcomm 7201 CPU, which is a fairly decent processor as long as it's powering an OS that's not too bloated, 64MB RAM (kinda dinky), 1GB microSD card, 3.1-megapixel camera with no flash, decent audio and video codec support 3G, Quad-Band GSM, 802.11b/g, a 3.17-inch screen with 480x320 resolution and AIM/MSN/Yahoo/GTalk.

It also weighs 5.6 oz, but it's also syncable with Google Calendar and has Google StreetView with a built-in compass, so we can forgive its beefiness. We weren't super excited about the Dream before, but these details are getting us halfway there. Head over to Android Guys to get the full specs. We also darkened the lines on the image a bit to make it easier to see.


More info at Android Guys ...

via Computer and Video Games


Considering the size of some of the robots in Supreme Commander, it's worrying to see the 360 port walking right under our radar.

Even more worrying is the fact that it's out in a few weeks' time and we've not really seen anything of it.

Check out some screens we found below. And look out for the review soon.


Screenshots ...