via Eurogamer


Activision has signed an exclusive partnership with Gibson Guitars to feature over 20 of the manufacturer's instruments in the upcoming Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting.

The game is also set to feature different wireless guitar peripherals, with the Les Paul guitar available for Xbox 360, Wii and PS3, and the Kramer brand for the PlayStation 2 version of the game. Both will offer removable faceplates for customisation.

"Our relationship with Activision began with the launch of Guitar Hero over two years ago," said Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO of Gibson Guitar. "Since then the game has had phenomenal success and many other makers have tried to compete with its popularity."

"We have combined the power of Gibson with the power of Activision to produce one of the greatest games ever for consumers," he added.

Activision said that it has also secured partnerships with all major record labels and music publishers and will be offering new downloadable content for multiple platforms when the game is released this Autumn. ...

via Eurogamer


Bizarre Creations has finally confirmed that Project Gotham Racing 4 will feature our favourite robotic friends, motorbikes.

But these won't just be any old two-wheelers, the developer was keen to point out on its website - instead they will be special PGR4-styled machines. This means they'll have the same lavish amount of detail the cars enjoy, with a heavy emphasis on fun rather than realistic and difficult handling.

Advertisement
So, yes, you'll be able to wheelie irresponsibly, or brake too sharply and thrust your rear in the air. In fact, just pulling off dare-devil bits and pieces like this will actually reward you by giving you Kudos points. Power-sliding through corners and hitting the ominous "Stunt Button" will be the best ways of racking this up.

And don't worry about the effect motorbikes will have on the overall game. Bizarre is still insistent that cars are the real first love, although there won't be that much difference between the two vehicles if they're both top of the range - you'll be in for a tough race whichever you choose.

However, should you be a little fussy, then cars might handle better through tight corners and bikes sometimes display better acceleration.

Bizarre plans to show off the robotic horses of the 21st Century in new videos over the coming weeks, once it gets the all clear from publisher Microsoft. Included in these will be a look at the iconic machines in the line-up - each selected for its historical impact, so no scooters allowed - as well as a new game map in the shape of Chinese mainland city Macau.


Screemshots here ...

via Eurogamer


EA has confirmed that Wii sing-along Boogie will come with its own karaoke microphone when it's released in Europe on 31st August.

The publisher also released a full tracklist for the game, which will include hits from The Jackson 5, Britney Spears, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kool & The Gang.

Boogie is billed as the Wii's answer to the incredibly popular Sony hit, SingStar - a karaoke game that lets you belt out your favourite songs and scores you on how well you perform.

However, EA is attempting to take things a step further with Boogie, by using the motion-sensing abilities of the console to track your movements so you can dance along, too.

"This is a breakthrough game with a landmark soundtrack," said Steve Schnur, big cheese of music at EA. "We've brought together generations of the biggest hits in pop music history for a game that takes Wii innovation to a whole new level. Boogie is truly the ultimate family fun experience."

The full tracklist can be found below. It looks pretty good to us.

• ABC - The Jackson 5
• Baila Me - Gypsy Kings
• Boogie Oogie Oogie- Taste Of Honey
• Brick House - The Commodores
• Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
• Celebration - Kool & The Gang
• Dancing in the Street - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
• Dancing Machine - Jackson 5
• Don't Cha - Pussycat Dolls / Busta Rhymes
• Fergalicious - Fergi
• Get Right - Jennifer Lopez
• Get The Party Started - Pink
• Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
• Groove Is In The Heart - Dee-Lite
• I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
• I'm A Slave 4 U - Britney Spears
• It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
• Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
• Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
• Le Freak - Chic
• Let's Get It Started - Black Eyed Peas
• Love Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Love Shack - The B-52's
• Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...) - Lou Bega
• Milkshake - Kelis
• One More Time - Daft Punk
• One Way Or Another - Blondie
• Oops I Did It Again - Britney Spears
• Pop Muzik - M
• S.O.S. - Rihanna
• Stars - Simply Red
• That's The Way (I Like It) - KC And The Sunshine
• Tu Y Yo - Thalia
• U Can't Touch This - M.C. Hammer
• Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
• Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
• We Are Family - Sister Sledge
• Y.M.C.A. - The Village People

...

via Games Industry



Answering questions in a conference call related to the company’s restructuring, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick referred to the current ratings system as “somewhat nonsensical.”

"Having a rating that we don’t think is appropriate is one issue, obviously, and a separate issue would be if we feel the rating is appropriate and we can’t bring it to market…that seems somewhat nonsensical," Zelnick explained.

Take-Two's Manhunt 2 was recently given an AO rating by the ESRB, which effectively bans it from being sold as major US retailers will not carry any software with an AO rating. The chairman did not blame the retailers, however.

"I don't think that issue falls at the doorstep of the retailers. I think the retailers are acting responsibly, frankly, and I think a retailer has a right to say 'This is what I am prepared to put on my shelves' and I don't think it is correct to be critical of the retailers at all," said Zelman.

Even if retailers agreed to carry the product, Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have indicated that AO titles are unacceptable for their consoles and will not grant a license to such games.

"I think, because this is a voluntary ratings organisation in the US, we have to be critical of ourselves if we've allowed a system to develop that prevents us from bringing a title to market that we want to bring to market," Zelman explained. "That's something we do need to address."

"We don’t see ourselves in the AO business," he continued. "Having said that, if we find ourselves in the AO business, it would be because we have a title that we consider art and entertainment, that we consider is appropriately labeled AO, and that we would like to bring to market and I am prepared to stand behind and Ben [Feder, Take-Two’s CEO] is prepared to stand behind.

"In that instance, one does have to ask oneself, what is the purpose of a rating if it means effectively a title cannot be released?" Zelnick asked.

Take-Two has still not announced whether the company plans to challenge the ESRB's rating or whether it plans to alter Manhunt 2 and resubmit it for a new rating determination. ...

via Games Industry


Bookmakers Paddy Power are taking bets on how much Sony is likely to cut the price of the PlayStation 3 in Europe.

The company is offering odds of 11/8 that Sony will reduce the price between GBP 376 and GBP 400 ahead of an expected announcement this Thursday.

Sony has reduced the price of the PS3 in North America by USD 100, prompting the bookmaker to offer six options to punters, including 8/1 odds that there will be no price cut at all.

Sony has only so far implied that an announcement relating to the the value of the console is due this week, with some expecting software to be bundled with the PS3 rather than a price cut. ...

via Games Industry


Sony is preparing a high-definition movie and TV download service for the PlayStation 3 to rival that of Microsoft's current Xbox 360 offering.

According to Newsweek, the service will be announced at E3 in the coming days, but Sony will not go into details until the technology for the system nears completion.

Microsoft announced its own DLC service back in November and currently offers content from Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, The Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, CBS and VH1, amongst others. ...

via Eurogamer


The first in-game image for Sony's PS3 blockbuster Killzone 2 has appeared on the Internet.

The USA Today website hosts the image, which is apparently taken from the single-level demo being shown to press tonight at E3. Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell will be there, so expect our thoughts as soon as humanly possible.

Killzone 2 was one of the first titles shown alongside the PlayStation 3 two years ago at E3 2005. The lavish and eye-popping trailer had press salivating, but unfortunately concrete details were hard to come by.

However, Sony is still excited about its potential, and described it to USA Today as a "hardware mover" designed to show off exactly what the new machine can do.

It's a futuristic first-person shooter in development at Guerrilla Games that takes place on the alien planet of Helghan. Here you and your squad will be up against the mutated human Helghast race who have a few tricks up their sleeves - chiefly the ability to harness the power of the weather.

Killzone 2 will have multiplayer support and is expected sometime next year.


See image here ...

via Engadget


Unlike Microsoft, which dropped the original Xbox in favor of the Xbox 360 in manner similar to Paris Hilton dropping her old cellphone, Sony has continued to maintain the PlayStation 2. Somehow, Sony has managed to make a new iteration of the PS2 that decreases the console's weight by almost a third: they've trimmed the console itself down to 600 grams from 900 grams, and the power adapter to 250 grams from 350 grams. The external design of the console is unchanged, but the lower weight and the new components should decrease production and shipping costs. Not bad for an old console that continues to sell well (and sell for more than the value of its components, at that). ...

via PS3 Fanboy


Realistic and powerful. That's how the cars in Burnout Paradise are being described. Their engines are loud, their paint is shiny, their speed is ferocious! Basically, the cars are pretty badass. Built from the ground up instead of using an existing engine, Criterion's Burnout Paradise has a lot going for it. The neatest feature is the damage physics. Ramming a pole at extremely high speeds will result in car-wrapping goodness, with details mirroring all those old crash test dummy videos. Sometimes, if you're especially violent in your wipeout, you can crack your vehicle right in half.

Online racing is incredibly simple and incredibly seamless. Invite a buddy to race and when the person accepts, the race begins. No menus apparently. No waiting. This was demoed on the PS3 version, so we know we'll be getting this seamless feature. Chances are, the 360 build will get the same thing. The point is this: we're not getting shafted this time.

Every street has "race rules" across the 30 square mile city, so again you won't be bothered by pop-up menus or interrupting boxes of text to tell you the rules. It's hard to imagine how they'll do this, since it's nearly unprecedented, but it sounds lovely. There's a lot more to this game than meets the eye (no, they don't transform), with tune-up shops, crash mode, freeburn and more. ...