via Engadget




Sure, you love your Nintendo DS. It's light, it fits in your pocket, and you can play it wherever you go, whenever you want... right? Well, wouldn't it be a little cooler if it were super-huge and you had to push two full-size kitchen tables together just to put it down somewhere? Okay, maybe we're exaggerating a little bit, but still, this mod from some DS enthusiasts is a huge -- literally and figuratively. Using two tablet PCs and some type of interface which allows the game system to be controlled by / displayed on the larger screens, these DS fans have created the ultimate antithesis to the original system -- for no apparent reason other than the fact that they could. Check the video after the break to see the madness in action.



Video of the mod in action here ...

via Computer and Video Games


EA has told CVG that the European demo of FIFA 08 for Xbox 360 will hit Xbox Live Marketplace tonight at 9pm(GMT).

It's been reported that the demo's already available in the US and that there's been a slight delay to the European arrival of FIFA 08 on 360. Not to worry though, we should get it later on tonight if all goes well.

"Please note that the FIFA 08 demo will be going live today on Xbox Marketplace at 9:00pm GMT," an EA spokeswoman told us.

We're already being hammered about the PS3 version and we've been told: "The PS3 version will also go live today." Update: Readers are saying it's live on PSN right now. Go see.

You can read up on the game in our most recent interview with producer Joe Booth here while you wait.


Screenshots here ...

via Eurogamer


Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has said the key to attracting fresh gaming audiences is to surprise them with new entertainment ideas, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

He was wording-off about how Nintendo could "do the easy" by making great games and sequels, but said that wouldn't necessarily mean reaching new customers.


But Iwata held his hands up in honesty and admitted that if the Wii and DS hadn't been as succesful as they are, he would probably seek safety in sequels for easier money.


While talking about the world of sequels, the Nintendo boss said simply adding polish and a few new features wasn't the way to deliver new entertainment experiences.

"If you start making such decisions without thinking, you start doing the easy stuff. You disengage yourself with the pursuit of true entertainment," he said.

The Financial Times recently published a report stating that the Nintendo Wii was this generation's best selling console, despite the Xbox 360 having a one year head start. ...

via Eurogamer


Listings for Eternal Sonata on PS3 and Beautiful Katamari on Wii and PS3 have been removed from the Namco Bandai America website. Once again, both are now Xbox 360 exclusives.

The offending words were posted up earlier this week, listing all new versions of the games with "TBA" dates.

Namco Bandai has been cagey in the past about confirming that all of its Katamari eggs were in Microsoft's basket, having originally announced Beautiful as a multi-platform title.

The game later emerged as a Live Arcade exclusive thanks to lethargic sales of the PS3, although rumours it would appear on Wii remained constant. We expect the relative size and resource requirements of the game would make it relatively straight forward to port.

Eternal Sonata, too, has been mentioned on PS3 before now. Back in April the ESRB website produced a listing for the game on Sony's console, but all parties involved shut-up shop and refused to comment at the time.

Namco Bandai Europe was unable to comment on the US website happenings this morning, unfortunately, so we'll have to wait until that side of the world wakes up for comment.

Both games are awaited with huge anticipation. Pop over to our Eternal Sonata and Beautiful Katamari gamepages to find out more. ...

via Eurogamer


SEGA has confirmed to Eurogamer that Yakuza 3 is in development for PS3.

It's due for a Spring release next year in Japan, but is currently unconfirmed for Europe.

Details on the new offering are still scarce, but we expect to be plunged once more into the criminal underbelly of Japan to explore, investigate and fight our way to victory and respect.

Yakuza is an action adventure series about the gangster movement of the same name, featuring lots of tattoos and fancy samurai swords. The first game on PS2 reviewed very positively here, but unfortunately failed to drum-up significant sales figures. This lead to the sequel being a Japan-only release.

While the PS3 version isn't an impossibility for Europe, it would have to undergo lengthy translation work, and probably wouldn't appear here until much later. ...

via Eurogamer


Football Manager 2008 Handheld is heading to the PSP this Christmas, SEGA has announced.

The biggest changes in the line-up this time around are a new look and scrubbed-up navigation system, as well as a better match engine to cut down on waiting times. Hooray.

You'll also be able to customise your secret, winning tactics and share them with your friends. Or so they hope. On top of that will be various nips and tucks, plus all the right data corresponding to what's going on in the football world at the moment.


Football Manager Handheld 2007 was considered by many to be the best in its genre for the PSP. ...

via Games Industry


Nintendo has announced a new model DS Lite for Europe, due to go on sale October 12.

The Silver model now joins the Black, White and Pink units already on sale in the region, at the RRP of GBP 99.

After unveiling new Metallic Rose and Gloss Silver units for Japan in May, Nintendo had originally said that they would not be making the new colours available in Europe.

Nintendo has also revealed that European sales of More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima are close to the one million mark just 11 weeks since release, and Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl have sold approximately 1.6 million units combined in just seven weeks of sale. ...

via Games Industry


According to the latest information from Media Create for software sales in Japan last week, nearly twice as many units were sold for Sony consoles in the top ten as for Nintendo platforms.

This was largely due to robot fest Another Century's Episode 3: The Final moving straight into the top slot and shifting 186,000 copies alone, although Sony platform titles did make up four of the top ten, balancing the chart a little more than it has been in the recent past.

Other new entries last week included Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjongg for the DS at number six, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories on the PlayStation 2 in at number seven.

The rest of the chart is as follows:
1. Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (PS2)
2. Final Fantasy Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS)
3. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
4. Sengoku Musuo 2: Moushouden (PS2)
5. Bladestorm (PS3)
6. Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjonng (DS)
7. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2)
8. My Housekeeping Diary (DS)
9. Wii Play (Wii)
10. Wii Sports (Wii) ...

via Games Industry


PC titles are dominating the multiformat charts in Sweden, with EA's latest Sims title taking the number one spot, according to data from Dataspelsbranschen.

The Sims 2 Bon Voyage is one of eight PC titles in the top ten, with Blizzard's World of Warcraft, it's expansion pack The Burning Crusade and new Guild Wars add-on Eye of the North clogging up the charts.

Sony's first-party titles MotorStorm and Resistance: Fall of Man are at one and two in the PS3 charts, while 2K Games' BioShock is the best seller on Xbox 360.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess tops the Wii charts, as Nintendo's first-party Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl games lead DS sales.


The full Swedish charts follow:

Multiformat
1. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt (PC)
2. World of Warcraft (PC)
3. Medieval II Total War Kingdoms (PC)
4. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
5. Bioshock (360)
6. Guild Wars Eye of the North (PC)
7. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology (PC)
8. Warcraft III Reign Of Chaos (PC)
9. Warcraft III Frozen Throne (PC)
10. Motorstorm (PS3)
11. Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)
12. Guitar Hero 2 Rock the 80´s (PS2)
13. Battlefield 2 (PC)
14. Singstar Svenska hits (PS2)
15. Counter-Strike Source (PC)
16. The Sims 2 (PC)
17. The Sims 2 H&M Fashion (PC)
18. Bioshock (PC)
19. Pokémon Diamond (DS)
20. Singstar 90's (PS2)

PC
1. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt
2. World of Warcraft
3. Medieval II Total War Kingdoms
4. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
5. Guild Wars Eye of the North
6. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology
7. Warcraft III Reign Of Chaos
8. Warcraft III Frozen Throne
9. Battlefield 2
10. Counter-Strike Source

Playstation 2
1. Guitar Hero 2 Rock the 80´s
2. Singstar Svenska hits
3. Singstar 90's
4. Shrek 3
5. MX vs ATV Unleashed
6. FIFA 07
7. Guitar Hero 2
8. Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria
9. Rogue Galaxy
10. Singstar Pop Hits skandinavisk

Playstation 3
1. Motorstorm
2. Resistance: Fall of Man
3. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
4. Virtua Tennis 3
5. Ninja Gaiden Sigma
6. The Darkness
7. Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion
8. Formula One Championship Edition
9. Rainbow Six Vegas
10. Tony Hawk Project 8

Xbox 360
1. Bioshock
2. Guitar Hero 2
3. Forza Motorsport 2
4. Gears of War
5. Perfect Dark Zero
6. Kameo
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
8. Blue Dragon
9. Dead Rising
10. Call of Duty 3

Wii
1. Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess
2. Boogie
3. Rayman Raving Rabbids
4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
5. Wii Play
6. Mario Party 8
7. Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
8. Mario Strikers Charged Football
9. Harry Potter och Fenixorden
10. Shrek 3

Nintendo DS
1. Pokémon Diamond
2. Pokémon Pearl
3. New Super Mario Bros
4. Shrek 3
5. Mario Kart DS
6. The Sims 2 Pets
7. Hotel Dusk: Room 215
8. Worms Open Warfare 2
9. Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City
10. Super Mario 64 DS

PSP
1. Need for Speed Underground Rivals
2. Daxter
3. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
4. GTA Vice City Stories
5. Tekken Dark Resurrection
6. Tales Of the World: Radiant Mythology
7. Pro Evolution Soccer 6
8. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
9. Burnout Dominator
10. FIFA 07 ...