via Computer and Video Games


From 9am tomorrow, a demo for The Club will be available to download across Europe and Australia on the Xbox Live.

Developed by Bizarre Creations, The Club mixes score based challenges with core based challenges with bloody violence.

In the demo, you'll play Renwick, a detective stuck in a disused, crumbling penitentiary. Renwick is forced to fight in a shadowy underground blood-sport run by a secret group of sick millionaires.

We're not exactly clear on how you specifically fight them, apart from the game itself is a quirky third person shooter that our friends on OXM called, "Space Invaders for the Quentin Tarantino generation".

Our present opinion of Quentin Tarantino and his recent films aside, The Club sounds bonkers enough to be worth checking out. ...

via Eurogamer


Microsoft has skirted speculation that Rare is working on a Live Arcade game called The Fast & The Furriest by making no sounds shaped like comments.

Presentation details for the title were supposedly leaked to Xbox 360 Fanboy, who outlined Furriest as a collection of sporty mini-games controlled by Live Vision Camera motion sensing - or a controller if you feel less ambitious.

Each of you will get to choose from familiar characters such as Banjo or Conker, then take a picture of your face and put it on their body. Good god. Your mugshot will also be splashed across scoreboards and reflect off of things like ice or a bald person's head.

Events like 100 meter dash, bungee running and hurdling will be in the initial package, with Rare apparently readying downloadable additions for the future.

The developer is also said to have toyed with the idea of including a wand-like gesture controller, but gave up and went back to sandcastles because it was too difficult.

Rumour and speculation for now, then, but far from impossible. ...

via Games Industry


Microsoft and BT have announced that Xbox 360 owners will be able to access IPTV service BT Vision this summer.

The service will offer "hundreds of movies and thousands of hours" of sporting events, TV programming, music videos and other digital services for users with a BT Broadband connection.


BT Vision customers will be able to access the service via Xbox 360 or set-top box. Xbox Live features will be integrated into the service, allowing users to send and receive messages while playing games or watching TV content.


BT works with all three console manufacturers in the UK on a number of gaming related partnerships.

Nintendo and BT launched Wi-Fi Connection hotspots for the DS in more than 600 retail stores across the country in 2006, and last year it revealed a partnership with Sony for the PSPs Go! Messenger service. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Here is the first glimpse of the upcoming Skype software integrated into PSP's XMB firmware, and the accompanying PSP microphone peripheral.

Skype is a voice-over-IP (internet) program that will allow PSP users to make voice calls to other PSP owners via the web.

As reported earlier, Skype will rather shockingly only be available for PSP Slim units, not the old-school fat ones. Soz, early adopters.

The microphone peripheral necessary for voice chat will go on sale in Japan on January 24 for 2,500 Yen (£) for one, or 4000 Yen (£) for a two pack, according to Famitsu.

Neither the microphone nor Skype service has been dated for UK. Sony has also revealed a 16GB Memory Stick Duo for PSP too, which will be out in March and cost a fortune.


Images of Skype mic here ...

via Kotaku


Wow, it hasn't been a good week for the New York Times.

Turns out that New York Times story didn't just mix up the DS and PSP's features, oh and misspell Reggie's name twice, it also screwed up what exactly was downloadable to the Wii as a full-blown game and what was just for demos.

That's right, according to Nintendo, the Wii will NOT be able to transmit or download full DS games. Apparently the New York Times confused DS demos with WiiWare titles. So you can download full on Wii games (which we knew), but only wireless DS demo games (which we also knew).

From Nintendo:


Good lord, that's four mistakes in one story, five if you include the correction to the correction they had to run. A new record? ...

via Kotaku


Wow, it hasn't been a good week for the New York Times.

Turns out that New York Times story didn't just mix up the DS and PSP's features, oh and misspell Reggie's name twice, it also screwed up what exactly was downloadable to the Wii as a full-blown game and what was just for demos.

That's right, according to Nintendo, the Wii will NOT be able to transmit or download full DS games. Apparently the New York Times confused DS demos with WiiWare titles. So you can download full on Wii games (which we knew), but only wireless DS demo games (which we also knew).

From Nintendo:


Good lord, that's four mistakes in one story, five if you include the correction to the correction they had to run. A new record? ...

via Computer and Video Games


Today's Virtual Console update comes in the form of Harvest Moon, the farm simulator that somehow makes chopping trees and growing vegetables more fun than it should be.

Available for 800 Wii points, Harvest Moon puts the player into the role of a young farmer who is put in charge of his late Grandfather's farm. Over two years, the player must develop the farm, get married and have children.

Which all sounds like the most mundane, mind-numbing bore fest we could possibly think of, but somehow it all adds up to a fun, addictive little game.

Even so, look to the Virtual Console next week, where we're hoping Nintendo return to releasing three titles in each update. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Konami has just released a new promo video of its upcoming Wii footy game, PES 2008, which demonstrates its revamped control system for the console.

While it's a Japanese site, there is little text in the trailer and instead the running time is mostly devoted to crisp visuals that hint the game could look great on the Wii.

The control system looks complex, but demonstration movies are hardly ever good indicators of final products. We anticipate that simply shaking the Wii remote around frantically every time you need to pass will be a good enough effort to pull it off.

That's our hope, anyway. Otherwise, our already terrible record at football games will be further pounded by one of the most challenging games we've seen in some time.

Visit the official website and video here. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Good news for Sega fans: the UK release date for NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams has been confirmed as Jan. 18, so anyone looking to spend some leftover Christmas money has just two weeks to wait (see our preview for a quick look).

The release date for Condemned 2 has also been set in stone, arriving on our shores on the 14th March for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The 'Bloodshot' tagline has also been dropped.

Here's Sega's full list for the next couple of months:


Jan. 25
Phantasy Star Ambition of the Illuminus, PC, PS2
Universe at War: Earth Assault, PC


Jan. 18
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, Wii
Ghost Squad, Wii


Feb. 8
The Club, PS3, PC, Xbox 360
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, DS


Feb. 14
Condemned 2, Xbox 360, PS3


Feb. 22
Sonic Riders Zero Gravity, PS2, Wii


Feb. 29
Bleach, DS, Wii


March 7
Universe at War: Earth Assault, Xbox 360


March 28
Sega Superstars Tennis, Wii, PS3, DS, PS2, Xbox 360
Viking: Battle of Asgard, PS3, Xbox 360 ...