Regional freesheet Metro has told GamesIndustry.biz that Microsoft's total spend for the huge advertising campaign in today's edition amounts to around GBP 500,000.

Microsoft has bought up almost all the ad space in today's paper, with huge adverts for first-party titles such as Gears of War, Viva Piñata and Ninety-Nine Nights. There's a competition to win a 360 and home cinema system, plus ads promoting the Xbox Live Vision Camera, the Classic range, the forthcoming HD-DVD player, wireless accessories and Xbox Live Arcade.

In addition, the paper features ads from companies such as PC World, Samsung, HMV, GAME, GameStation and BT which all prominently feature Xbox 360. Plus there are plus third-party software ads from Activision, THQ, Capcom, Sega, Rockstar, Ubisoft, EA, Atari and Konami.

"One of the reasons they've done it is to cause a reaction," said Metro ads exec Chris Brown.

"It costs £500,000 to do a whole issue, but they'll make a profit out of that. Our readership is 2 million people every day, so if 100,000 of those people make a £50 purchase, that's £5 million.

"So you might think it's a lot of money, but think of the money they'll make off the back of it."

According to Brown, Metro is an ideal fit for Microsoft's advertising campaign because it is mainly read by "young affluent communters with disposable income they're willing to spend".

"About ten years ago, gamers were either kids or a particular type of people; now adults are bigger kids than kids and play videogames just as much, and every adult can buy a game which appeals to them," he added.

Today's edition of The Sun also features a heavy Microsoft presence, with a four page Xbox 360 supplement promoting titles such as Gears of War, Viva Piñata, Pro Evo 6 and FIFA '07. There's also a competition to win a console and five games plus a round-up of accessories and new releases. ...

Rising Star Games has announced that it's bringing Rainbow Islands to PSP.

It'll be the third of RSG's "Evolution" games (its DS remakes are all suffixed "Revolution"), following updates to Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble.

Apparently it's due out in Q1 2007, although the publisher isn't saying much about it other than it will "follow the Evolution philosophy of creating innovative, original extrapolations of classic game designs whilst harnessing the 3D power of the PSP".

RSG also says that it'll be announcing more of its packed 2007 schedule in the coming weeks, so watch out for more Taito related remakes, presumably, and perhaps some other stuff.

Via Eurogamer ...

Rising Star Games has announced that it's bringing Rainbow Islands to PSP.

It'll be the third of RSG's "Evolution" games (its DS remakes are all suffixed "Revolution"), following updates to Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble.

Apparently it's due out in Q1 2007, although the publisher isn't saying much about it other than it will "follow the Evolution philosophy of creating innovative, original extrapolations of classic game designs whilst harnessing the 3D power of the PSP".

RSG also says that it'll be announcing more of its packed 2007 schedule in the coming weeks, so watch out for more Taito related remakes, presumably, and perhaps some other stuff.

Via Eurogamer ...

It's the one you've all been waiting for! Yes! THQ's Xbox 360 version of Cars is now available to demo on Xbox Live Marketplace. Phew.

450MB's worth of data awaits you, allowing you to race as Lightning McQueen through Radiator Springs or tip tractors as Mater.

Incidentally, this is another demo that you'll only be able to nab if you're an Xbox Live Gold member, with Silver users getting it on 23rd November.

Oh, and Major Nelson, Xbox Live's director of programming, notes that it's not available to 360 owners in Asia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway or Switzerland, however golden they might be. ...

Apparently there's some new console out in America today but at this point we're more interested in the news of a Rainbow Six Vegas multiplayer demo on Xbox Live.

It is indeed there, weighs in at 985MB and allows you to play in Attack and Defend and Terro Hunt modes. Attack and Defend involves a bomb in a casino, apparently, while Terro Hunt is a four-player co-op mode where you all work together to kill lots of terrorists.

It's available in all regions, happily, but you won't be able to download it to an Xbox Live Silver account until 24th November.

Incidentally, the full version of Rainbow Six Vegas is due out on 1st December alongside the PC version, and not on the 24th as previously planned. ...

Microsoft is predicting that Gears of War, which goes on sale in Europe today, will accumulate sales of more than one million copies worldwide this Christmas, and become the fastest-selling original game for Xbox 360 in the process.

Gears is already the most played Xbox 360 title on Xbox Live, according to Microsoft's stats, and in Europe in particular - where Nintendo Wii is still three weeks away and PlayStation 3 isn't out until March - the game's likely to be one of the most recognisable symbols of the next generation this festive period.

Those of you heading out to the shops to make Microsoft's Christmas dream come true will be able to pick between a regular edition of the game or a special double-thick tin-box version featuring a dinky art book and a bonus disc featuring some trailers and making-of material. ...

Some stories are simply too sensational to be true, thus giving us every reason we'd ever need to just blow it off, but there's one saving grace to a whacked-out story: pictures. Reportedly, an Xbox 360 owner was rammed in a hit and run style accident, where his Chevrolet S-10 "rolled over three or four times," launching the helpless console and a bevy of accessories onto the freeway. While the fellow (thankfully) survived the ordeal with little more than a "bruised elbow," his beloved console suffered quite a beating; the Xbox 360, its power brick, and several controllers were ran over by oncoming vehicles, leaving "tire marks" everywhere and "squishing" the metal supports within. After the turmoil subsided, this hardcore gamer was (understandably) more concerned with the life of his toy than whether or not his insurance policy had expired, so he rushed home to try things out. Although his trigger arm was a bit sore, the console managed to boot up, play games, and even play back a DVD, providing an assumed sigh of relief for traumatized lad.

Video Here ...

News via CVG

So hoorah finally it's here, November 17, Emergence Day, when many of you will finally get your hands on Gears of War, Cliffy B and Epic's awesome shooter which is the first true second generation game (check out our review here for the full and definitive story).

And so no doubt you'll be champing at the bit to get home, slip that shiny disk into your 360 and fire up your massive HD telly to truly see what the high definition era can deliver. But we have to tell you, HD is already dead, because we've already experienced the ultimate way to play Gears and it makes High Definition look like a steam-driven, clockwork- powered prehistoric relic.

Houlihan enjoys the ultimate way to play Gears
"Huh? We hear you cry, how can that be possible? My home HD set up provides pixel perfect perfection, awesome surround sound and visuals so realistic I can see the hairs up Marcus Fenix's nostrils."

But now we laugh at your 1920 x 1080 resolutions, mock your HD screen and giggle disparagingly behind our hands at your ultimate home rig, because we've experienced the ultimate way to play Gears and sadly, since, everything else just seems like a pale imitation.

The reason? Well a week or two ago, we played Gears on the Waterloo IMAX, with a 360 hooked up to its truly massive screen, full Dolby surround sound, earth shattering resolutions and even a drink holder in our chair to boot.

It was an experience so profound, so jaw-droppingly, earth-shatteringly immense that words fail us ...well almost. But trust us when we say a chainsaw kill isn't a chainsaw kill unless you can feel your kidney's turning to a quivering jelly from the vibrations, and blood spurts aren't blood spurts unless they're measured in metres rather than pixels, and Gears isn't Gears until you've experienced it in humungous format IMAX death-o-vision - that's the way Gears truly must be played.

After ten minutes of this unprecedented gaming goodness, the 360 controller quite literally had to be wrenched out our hands and ourselves escorted from the building by burly security blokes while we kicked and screamed 'give it back, give it back'.

We have seen the future and it's Gears IMAX. Now we just have to work out how to rob the Waterloo cinema of its gear, knock down a few walls and install it all at home. ...

The DS remains King of Japan, dispite the challenge from the PS3. But with the new Playstation arriving the other 2 Playstations sink below the 20K mark.

The 360 sales half after last weeks boost, but still selling double than their normal weekly average (about 1,500)

The old Gameboys, and Gamecube slowly slip away into the night, while 3 people got confuse with xbox is which...

The interest thing look look out for next week, how many ps3 will be sold (if there are any to sell) ...