via Eurogamer


Rockstar has questioned the High Court of Justice's decision to send Manhunt 2 back for re-evaluation.

The publisher said it was unable to comprehend spending more public money on censoring a game that was well within the rules of an adult rating.


The VAC decision was overturned by Mr Justice Mitting who said an "error of law" had been made.

This error was related to the definition of what constitutes harm. Mitting said VAC had misinterpreted it as actual harm, rather than, as he put it, a wider sense of potential harm.

Manhunt 2 will now be re-evaluated by the Video Appeals Committee under new guidelines.

If Rockstar receives a negative response that would effectively end the appeals process, as it is unlikely the House of Lords would want to know. ...

via Computer and Video Games


There are more PS2s in the world than humans (true fact) which is probably why System 3 has decided to add Sony's sure-fire cash-maker to the list for it's upcoming Ferrari Challenge racing game.

Previously announced for the PS3, Wii and DS (which we preview here), you race around real race courses in Ferrari cars new and old.

The PS2 version is said to match the PS3 version in features, except for the sweet-ass 1080p resolution of course, and the online mode is reduced from 16-players to eight.

All versions are set to release in spring, providing there are no further delays, that is. Check out the first screens of the PS2 version below.


Screenshots here ...

via Computer and Video Games


The ongoing Mass Effect 'sex' saga which kicked off following Fox News Channel's inaccurate drubbing of the RPG has taken a fresh turn.

Now, Fox News Channel wants to invite EA to a live TV debate to talk things over.

It follows the publication of a letter penned by Jeff Brown, EA's vice president of communications, which was sent to Fox.

In the letter, he called out the news channel and asked for an apology over its "reckless" and error-heavy coverage of Mass Effect.

In the error-laden news segment in question, the headline indicated that the game included "full digital nudity and sex", while a voiceover claimed that players could engage in "graphic sex".

"Fox News Channel has extended several invitations to EA through a company representative to appear on Live Desk With Martha MacCallum to discuss Mass Effect and the segment which aired on Monday. We have received no response", Fox News has now said in a statement. ...

via Eurogamer


A man on the inside has told Eurogamer that Okami Wii will be out here in summer. He sleeps in the walls.

His words scupper suggestions from retailers that it will be out the same week as the US version that arrives on 25th March.

But Capcom Europe has remained reluctant to comment, leaving us with an initial and probably US forecast of spring to go by.

Okami is an action-adventure that Kristan bangs on and on about, claiming it was his joint favourite game of 2007. Which is probably why he gave it 10/10.

You play as a god who runs around as a wolf and saves the world from evil using a paintbrush and some much needed advice from his calligrapher bug friend Issun. Imagine the best bits of Zelda bundled with innovative combat system and heart warming art.

The translation to Wii is being handled by Ready at Dawn of Daxter and God of War PSP fame. Its paintbrush flourishes should fit the controls immaculately. ...

via IGN


The surprises keep on coming as Smash Bros. Brawl approaches its January 31 Japanese release date. Today, Nintendo Japan updated the game's website with details on a new feature: Virtual Console demos!

Smash Bros. Brawl will include demo versions of a number of classic titles that are now available for download on the Virtual Console. Nintendo confirmed that demos of the following games will be included: Super Mario Bros., Ice Climber, Legend of Zelda, Kid Icarus, Hoshi no Kirby, Fire Emblem, Super Metroid, Mother 2, and Star Fox 64. Others titles may be hidden away as well.

Of the above games, only Mother 2 (the second installment of the series known internationally as "Earthbound") is not yet available for Virtual Console download in Japan.

You'll be able to play the games for a brief period of time before the screen goes green and you see the following message: "The time limit has expired. Now ending the demo and returning to Smash Bros.."

The point of including the samplers is to let players experience their favorite Smash Bros. characters in their original form. We wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo also hopes that some players will like what they see and decide to download the full versions on the real Virtual Console.

A few games such as Super Metroid will have existing save data. Does this mean that you'll be able to select from multiple game situations? We'll have to wait until next week's Japanese release to find out! ...

via Engadget




All of you who have been waiting patiently for Sony to upgrade its mylo Personal Communicator should be pleased to learn that the revised internet tablet has finally gone on sale at SonyStyle.

With its high-res 3.5-inch touchscreen, 1GB of storage, and improved Flash support, the $299 [£151.50] mylo 2 does indeed offer a number of attractive feature bumps over its predecessor -- however, we're still a little wary of how Sony's positioned this product in the market.

But hey, what do we know: apparently they pushed enough first-gen units out the door to give this restyled number a shot. Starts shipping on the 28th, in either white or black, says Sony. ...

via IGN


Ulala, the lead of SEGA's bemani series Space Channel 5, could be brining her groove to the Wii with sources suggesting a new entry in the series is making its way to Nintendo's console.

German magazine N-Zone broke the story, going on to say that SEGA has gone as far as licensing several Michael Jackson tracks for Ulala to bust some moves to. If true, the game would follow other SEGA franchises such as Nights and Samba de Amigo, which are also being revived on the Wii.

A SEGA spokesperson denied the validity of the story, so for the time being it is merely the whisper of a rumour. However, Space Channel 5 on Wii does make a snug fit and if any more concrete details emerge we'll post them here. Or in the words of our babel-fish translation of the German article - as soon as us closer information is present to space Channel 5 for Wii, read their it naturally here. ...

via Games Industry


The chief executive of Sony Corporation, Sir Howard Stringer, has revealed that he believes the company is performing well, but has expressed concern about the impact a strengthening yen could have on the business.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, he admitted: "There is always an impact on exports. The yen is volatile...We watch it with some anxiety," reports Reuters.

Because a significant proportion of the company's goods are exported for sale overseas, a rise in the strength of the native currency automatically makes its goods more expensive for other countries to import.

But despite that, he said, the consumer electronics arm is holding up well so far, buoyed by a better performance in the last month or so by the PlayStation division.


His comments echo others made separately by SCEE boss David Reeves, who earlier revealed the extent of sales in Europe, and claimed that the PS3 would outsell the Microsoft machine by the summer. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Naughty Dog veterans Jason Hughes and Andrew Gilmour have formed the Texas-based Steel Penny Games, and are hard at work on the development of a WiiWare title.

The company was organized in 2007, and the team has spent the past year building a proprietary engine geared toward the Wii platform's capabilities, and creating a new intellectual property which it hopes will span a series of games.

Set to focus initially on digitally distributed titles, Steel Penny's first release will be a WiiWare game in mid-2008. The company says the title "blends a challenging puzzle game with dramatic fantasy environments and appealing characters".

Hughes, an industry veteran of 13 years, and most recently a senior graphics tools engineer at Naughty Dog, said he was "impressed with the egalitarian approach Nintendo has taken toward WiiWare developers.

"It allows the risk burden to shift back onto the creative developers." He went on to describe Steel Penny's strategy as "the modern equivalent of the garage method for an independent to gain a foothold in the industry".

Gilmour, who has been working in the games industry for 20 years, was previously a senior background artist at Naughty Dog. ...