EA of Japan has just released the first trailer and footage of SimCity DS and it's looking to be another AAA DS title. The stylus seems to work just as good or better than a mouse and new gameplay features may just reinvigorate the aging series. You can help Santa drop presents on Christmas and even fight off giant Ape intruders with your stylus as the weapon! SimCity DS hits Japan on 2/22 with no US release date yet announced.

Video Here ...

via joystiq

Nintendo has been bestowed the proud honor of a Spielwarenmesse award, selected as the 'Trend + Lifestyle' winner of this year's annual Nuremberg International Toy Fair. Judges chose the Wii console along with "Wario Wear" for the duo's ability to "encourage playing PC games in groups instead of alone." Judges also found that "the product not only appeals to player types with an affinity to PCs, but also to new age groups." Hmmm, we weren't aware that Wii had become popular in the yoga scene... Maybe Nintendo should start bundling the system with a set of crystals.

Winners of a 'ToyAward' are permitted to print the 'ToyInnovation quality label' on retail boxes of winning products. Something tells us Nintendo's gonna pass. ...

In an interview with GamesRadar Epic Games has refused to commit to a 2007 launch date for the hotly anticipated UT3, explaining that by changing the game's name - which used to be Unreal Tournament 2007 - it would not be forced into releasing the new UT this year.

"We hope we're going to ship it at the end of this year," Epic producer Jeff Morris told us at Midway's recent Las Vegas-based event, "but if the game's not done, we're not going to ship it". Morris then explained that this meant changing the name was essential: "We don't want to try to sell a game that says '2007' in big letters in 2008". UT3 is currently pencilled in for a launch in the second half of this year, but Morris won't be pinned down to a concrete date - or a definite slip.

In addition, Morris was also able to offer that rarest of things - a positive opinion on Sony's position with PlayStation 3. "I remember the early days of Xbox 360, and it wasn't like it had 100 games that everybody loved. Give [Sony] a year and I think they'll be in the exact same place that 360 is," he stressed, no doubt raising the eyebrows of stubborn cynics across the globe. Listen up, though, dear reader, because we reckon Morris is speaking words of rational wisdom.

Elsewhere, we were entertained by Morris' frank feelings on that most hated of multiplayer bores - the cheating griefer. "I hate cheaters," he bellowed, "I think they're the scum of the Earth, and so we want to minimise cheating as much as we possibly can. We want to fight cheaters. What we want to do is make sure that people who are exposed to cheating, their fun isn't impacted by it".

Epic will also use stat-tracking on PC, PS3 and 360 to highlight cheating players, and allow admins to report repeat offenders and ultimately see them banned "on a global level".

Whatever the launch date, the Unreal Tournament franchise has been one of the most consistently stunning and thrilling series we know, and there's no reason that UT3 should be any different. We ache to get stuck into this eye-piercingly pretty blasterpiece, but we'll happily wait for the mind-blowing experience we know Epic is capable of. Even if we go mad with the agony of it all.

via gamesradar ...

Splinter Cell Double Agent will use PS3's tilt-sensitive controller features and will offer online multiplayer that matches Xbox Live quality, Ubisoft has confirmed.

It will also come with two new multiplayer maps, fresh co-op challenges and the svelte femme fatale spy character we discovered a few weeks ago. And these first PS3 shots show the female character in action.

In single-player, Double Agent brings SixAxis gesture technology to many of Sam's tasks - picking locks, hacking security consoles and even for swimming or paragliding at certain points during a mission; in multiplayer mode the tilt-sensitive controller can be used to pilot the mercenary's Drone unit by tilting the pad. We're not sure exactly how well this will work in practise, or while a black-clad spy is attempting to remove your head from your shoulders, but we'll find out soon.

the new spy character has much the same look as the existing operatives, only... curvier. The game itself has undergone its own makeover for PS3, and Ubisoft has used the extra time in bringing Double Agent to Sony's hardware to polish up Sam's environments. And those new maps? One's set in the NSA training centre, while the other is called Kinshasa - so will be set in the broiling climes of the Congo capital city. We'll have more info soon.

Screens Here ...

Red Octane, the original publisher of rock-out music game Guitar Hero, looks set to continue to release spin-off titles of the series on Sony's aging PlayStation 2, according to comments made by Dusty Welch, the company's head of publishing.

Welch believes that Sony will "continue to manufacture and market [PS2] aggressively in 2007 and 2008," and he informed GamesIndustry.biz that Red Octane's plan is "to be a multi-platform publisher, meaning viable platforms will be supported," suggesting that we could expect Guitar Hero games to hit PS2 for as long as Sony continues to pump out the consoles.

In addition, Welch has confirmed that the brains behind Guitar Hero, Harmonix, will not be creating further games in the series, with development duties passing to Neversoft - clearing up the confusion that arose recently after Neversoft began advertising for jobs on Guitar Hero projects. Harmonix will complete Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360, due out in the spring, but will then part ways with Red Octane to pursue an ambitious new endeavour of its own.

via gamesradar ...

You read it right folks. A T-Rex steals the show as he tries to chomp on everyone's favorite blue hedgehog, in this new gameplay video for Sonic and the Secret Rings. Check out Sonic at his break-neck best, speeding, bouncing and just plain running through some insane environments. He even does some log riding down a river.

Click the Movies tab, launch the video player, and find "Sonic and the Secret Rings gameplay - 30 Jan 2007" to catch a glimpse of the Wii's first foray into the Sonic franchise, which is looking to redeem Sega's main man... er main hedgehog? We look forward seeing more of the blue-blur when the game launches later this year.

Movie Here ...

via eurogamer

It seems the next-generation Nokia N-Gage caused quite a stir when it was shown behind closed doors in Santa Monica last week, boasting an impressive amount of interest from top-notch and supposedly top-secret developers and publishers.

SEGA, Sony Online Entertainment, EA Mobile, Vivendi, Square Enix, Capcom, THQ Wireless, Tecmo, Namco, Disney, Universal and Glu Mobile were all reportedly there, according to PocketGamer, though it isn't clear if they're all definitely developing for the platform or just making their minds up.

New features such as a swanky new "N-Gage activation code system" plus "track and manage" game sharing abilities will try to win the big-shot votes, with the software development kit also making its first appearance at the event.

The next-generation of N-Gage was announced back at E3 2005 to appear within Nokia's multimedia handsets, with a few of the proposed games being flashed about at last year's show.

European companies will have a chance to get a look at this flashy little beast next week in Madrid. ...

Sony has released Firmware Version 3.10 on American Network Update. It has absolutely no good features unless you have a PS3 and even then its just a Network Title expansion. Features listed below:

-Revisions to strenghthen security have been added.
-Support for PLAYSTAION Network titles has been expanded.
-Support for the MPEG-4 AVC format has been added under [LocationFree Player]
-[Dynamic Normalizer] has been added as a feature under [Sound Settings] in [Settings" ...

Starting with the first release in February, 10 highly anticipated titles will begin making their way to Xbox Live Arcade, including these (titles are not listed in chronological release order):

* “3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures,” from developer Wanako Games and publisher Sierra Online, allows gamers to putt their way through 36 fun-filled holes of manic minigolf action on wild courses that range from the Old West to outer space and feature a bevy of crazy hazards and obstacles.

* “Alien Hominid HD” from The Behemoth features side-scrolling, hysterical cartoon action with a quirky twist and exclusive Xbox Live Arcade features.

* “Band of Bugs” from NinjaBee is a fast-paced tactical strategy game that offers gameplay deep enough to satisfy tactical genre fans and friendly enough to appeal to casual gamers. Creative gamers can even design their own levels with the built-in level editor, then play them solo or over Xbox Live with friends.*

* “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” from Konami is a faithful version of this legendary classic updated for Xbox Live Arcade and featuring the game’s full soundtrack and memorable side-scrolling vampire-hunting action.

* “Catan,” from developer Big Huge Games Inc. and publisher Microsoft® Game Studios, is a faithful remake of the immensely popular strategy board game.

* “Eets: Chowdown” from Klei Entertainment Inc. is a completely revamped version of the popular PC title of the same name. It offers new items, 120 new levels and the exclusive debut of Marsho Madness, a high-adrenaline action game in which players must keep the impending evil marshmallows at bay.

* “LUXOR 2,” from developer MumboJumbo LLC, sets a new standard for action puzzlers as players match and shoot their way through the land of ancient Egypt.

* “Paperboy,” from developer Digital Eclipse and publisher Midway, is a classic coin-op hit, specially enhanced for Xbox Live Arcade.

* “Root Beer Tapper,” also from developer Digital Eclipse and publisher Midway, features fast-paced reflex action as players scramble to keep thirsty patrons happy without dropping root beer mugs in the scramble to earn the biggest tips.

* “Worms” from developer Team 17 Software Ltd. features armies of adorable weapon-toting worms locked in tactical combat.

All these games are scheduled to become available during Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays in the coming weeks, and specific game information will be announced closer to each game’s launch date. Although a game may not be launched every week.

Ok we new most of these games where coming, but its nice to have them confirmed ...