Tom Clancy's EndWar Trailer 01:02 am - Andrew Burnes - Consoles: Xbox 360 (3 comments)
Utilising the 360 headset you can voice-command your troops in Ubisoft's console exclusive strategy game.

Haze Trailer 01:01 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action (1 comment)
This cinematic trailer makes more sense if you read IGN's preview.

Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway Trailer 01:00 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action / Strategy (1 comment)
"Baker, your gun sounds like a child's toy!"

VE Flash Player Acquires Fullscreen Mode 12:59 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: General News (5 comments)
As of today, all movies and trailers added to VE will include a fullscreen toggle. Utilising a new version of our Flash Movie Player you'll need to click on the preview image to start the video or mouse over it to bring up the tool bar. From there you can hit the fullscreen button to the left of the volume control, and then begin the movie by either clicking the window or clicking the play button on aforementioned tool bar.

Pretty simple eh? Our one concern is that some people may be so incredibly brain dead that they don't realise there's a movie in a post despite the headline saying so. Because of that, I wish to ask, "do we need the words 'Click to Play' above each movie?" Let us know via the comments.

JoWooD Dumps Gothic Developer 12:58 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action / Roleplaying (0 comments)
Piranha Bytes developed all three Gothic titles, but having had contractual disputes with I.P. holder JoWooD they've been dropped, and now the erratic publisher is in search of a new studio to create Gothic 4 for next gen consoles and the PC:

JoWooD confirms having been in promising negotiatons for the development of Gothic 4 on PC and console with various prospective development studios. Releasing Gothic 4 on current-gen console is the next logical step for the Publisher's strategy. JoWooD puts most of its focus on high quality standards as well as reacting to the communities comments and requests for the sequel to its flag-ship title.

Since Pluto 13 and JoWooD have not come to terms regarding the development of Gothic 4, the collaboration has come to an end.

Hardware & Tech Nuggets 12:37 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - hardware: General News (0 comments)

Cases

• Aluminum Tower Case - PCApex
• Tuniq 3 Case - XYZ Computing

  Cooling
  

• Thermaltake V1 and MaxOrb CPU Coolers - Big Bruin
• ZEROtherm CF800 and CF900 - XS Reviews

  Keyboards
  

• Revoltec Fightboard Keyboard - BurnoutPC

  Memory
  

• OCZ Reaper HPC 8500 DDR-2 Memory - Bjorn3D

  Power Supply
  

• OCZ StealthXStream 600W - Hardware Secrets

  Video
  

• AMD Radeon HD 2900XT - InsideHW
• MSI NX8500GT-TD256E - Madbox PC

RPG Vault Goodness 12:31 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Role-Playing (0 comments)

Icarus Studios Interview
Executive Vice President David Gardner on his company's virtual world middleware tools officially launched today

Game Reviews 12:16 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: General News (0 comments)

PC

• Halo 2 Vista - GameShark - B-
• Infernal - Atomic Gamer - 62%
• Resident Evil 4 - GameSpot - 7.8/10
• Test Drive Unlimited - Tweaktown - 7.5/10
• Tortuga - Two Treasures - Boomtown - 5/10
• UFO: Extraterrestrials - SI - 7.2/10

  360
  

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - IGN.AU - 5.5/10

  PS2
  

• Dawn of Mana - PS2.IGN - 6.5/10

In Other News... 12:15 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - In-House: In Other News... (3 comments)
Andy came across some in-game footage of Relic's next game, Impossible Creatures 2. Not bad!

Today's question:

If you could witness real-life action from a game, which would you pick and why?

"You buy the product, you get the content," Team Fortress 2 designer Robin Walker told us. "We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers."

Splinter Cell Conviction Trailer 03:14 pm - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action (25 comments)
The first in-game footage of the new Splinter Cell:

New DNF Image in Help Wanted Ad 02:39 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Action (23 comments)
3D Realms is back to its old tricks, putting in another mini-Duke Nukem Forever screenshot in a help wanted ad for programmers. Job perks include: fat signing bonuses, profit sharing and no state taxes. This is a full-time, on-site gig with long term job security (insert DNF joke here) and all the hookers you can eat whenever they visit Vegas for "game location research". Thanks Duke4.net.

The Week Before Last's Best Selling Games 07:33 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: General News (6 comments)
The US sales chart for the week ending May 12th:

1) World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack - Vivendi
2) World Of Warcraft - Vivendi
3) Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows Of Angmar - Midway
4) Spider-Man 3 - Activision
5) Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars - Electronic Arts
6) The Sims 2 Seasons Expansion Pack - Electronic Arts
7) The Sims 2 - Electronic Arts
8) The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff Expansion Pack - Electronic Arts
9) Deal or No Deal - Global Star Software
10) The Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack - Electronic Arts

Fallout Site Updated! 07:30 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action / Roleplaying (5 comments)
The latest piece of hypetacular artwork has now been posted on the Fallout 3 website!

Check it out here.

Overlord Trailer 07:14 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action / Adventure (24 comments)
See, it does have some Dungeon Keeper-esque elements:

Riddick Remake Officially Announced 07:10 am - Andrew Burnes - Consoles: General News (15 comments)
Remake, revamp, rejig, whatever. I was excited, but now I see PC users are being denied once again, even though the PC edition of the original version was by far the best.

Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, announced today that The Chronicles of Riddick will blast onto Microsoft's Xbox 360, and debut on the PLAYSTATION 3 system, for the first time. Taking advantage of new hardware technologies, the game will present a reinvention of Escape from Butcher Bay, delivering 2004's award winning experience in high definition with stunning enhancements. Also included is the Dark Athena chapter, an expansion of the original game with an exciting new story and new gameplay features. Scheduled to ship later in 2007, it is being produced under license from Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group, in association with Vin Diesel's Tigon Studios, and is being developed by Starbreeze Studios, acclaimed developer of the original edition.

With The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, players will not only be challenged to survive Butcher Bay, but will also engage in a new single-player experience and, for the first time in the Riddick universe, take action in intense multi-player combat. The game introduces the ominous Merc-ship Dark Athena, which sits silent like a marauding spider, awaiting helpless prey in the dark reaches of the galaxy. Players must face a large, bloodthirsty operation led by the dreaded Captain Revas and her slaves-turned-controllable combat drones, storm though death-defying events and fight fierce enemies in a battle of malice and gore.

First released in 2004, The Chronicles of Riddick game features an original storyline that provides insight into the mythology of Universal Pictures' films The Chronicles of Riddick and the cult classic Pitch Black, which first introduced Vin Diesel as enigmatic anti-hero Riddick. The game blends action and stealth elements, as players navigate Riddick through the harsh environments of dank tunnels, dimly lit corridors, and other hazardous areas filled with guards, savage inmates and deadly creatures that prowl the darkness.

"The Chronicles of Riddick is a genre defining game that helped shape the modern first-person shooter," said Al Simone, senior vice president, global marketing for Sierra Entertainment. "We are proud to not only take this 'Best in Class' title to the next level for both the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, but to create a new single-player experience and multi-player campaigns for a truly robust product offering."

"When the original The Chronicles of Riddick game exploded on the scene, gamers were taken with its fantastic graphics and hard-hitting gameplay," said Bill Kispert, Vice President and General Manager, Interactive, Universal Pictures. "We are excited to now introduce new players to this character and world, while thrilling existing fans with the surprises and additional features this edition will offer."

"The Riddick universe is incredibly rich source material for creating on-going stories and games," said Cos Lazouras, Head of Production, Tigon Studios. "This next chronicle will take us to new, dark corners of that universe, which when combined with Starbreeze's fantastic next-gen techonology, will deliver the compelling player experience gamers have come to expect of Riddick."

"We're very happy to be working in the Riddick universe again." said Ian Stevens, Lead Game Designer, Starbreeze Studios. "Assault on Dark Athena gives us an opportunity to revisit the original game and share it with a new audience, as well as offer a continuation of the Butcher Bay gameplay and storyline. We're also thrilled to be bringing Multiplayer to the game."

Moving and attacking in darkness is particularly effective for Riddick as his haunting 'eye shine' gives him the ability to see without ambient light. However, stealth won't serve every situation and players will be able to take the action up close and personal. As Riddick, players will be able to sneak up behind enemies and snap necks or fight face to face using fists, elbows and grapples. Additionally, players will be able to capture weapons such as shanks, shotguns, or assault rifles and use these to cut a swath of destruction through anyone who gets in their way.

About The Chronicles of Riddick
Vin Diesel reprises his star-making Pitch Black role of enigmatic anti-hero Richard B. Riddick in the science fiction action-adventure epic, The Chronicles of Riddick. Released by Universal Pictures, in association with Radar Pictures and One Race Productions, The Chronicles of Riddick stars Colm Feore, Alexa Davalos, Karl Urban, Linus Roache, Thandie Newton and Dame Judi Dench.

Riddick has spent the last five years on the move among the forgotten worlds on the outskirts of the galaxy, eluding mercenaries bent on collecting the price on his head. Now, the fugitive finds himself on planet Helion, home to a progressive multicultural society that has been invaded by the Lord Marshal, a despot who targets humans for subjugation with his army of warriors known as Necromongers.

Exiled to a subterranean prison where extremes of temperature range from arctic nights to volcanic days, Riddick encounters Kyra, the lone survivor from an earlier chapter in his life. His efforts to free himself and Kyra lead him to the Necromonger command ship, where he is pitted against the Lord Marshal in an apocalyptic battle with possibly the fate of all beings-both living and dead-hanging in the balance.

Written and directed by David Twohy, The Chronicles of Riddick is produced by Scott Kroopf and Vin Diesel. Ted Field, George Zakk and David Womark serve as executive producers.

WoW v2.0.12 - v2.1.0 (The Black Temple) 03:19 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: MMOG (4 comments)
Fancy a nice, fat 250+ meg World of WarCraft patch this morning? Blizzard has released the World of Warcraft Patch v2.0.12 - v2.1.0 (The Black Temple) which adds a bit of new content to the game. "This huge new update adds The Black Temple, a massive non-linear 25-man raid dungeon nestled deep in the Outlands. It features over 100 new rare and epic items and tier-6 armor sets... not to mention a monstrous confrontation with Illidan himself! You can also take to the skies with a Druid Epic Flight form or by questing for your very own Netherdrake." Odds are, the servers might be down for a few...

Hardware & Tech Nuggets 12:45 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - hardware: General News (0 comments)

Boards

• Biostar TA690G - Overclockers Online
• Gigabyte Dual Quad P35-DQ6 - Tweaktown
• Intel's new Bearlake P35 chipset - Hexus
• Intel's new Bearlake P35 chipset - Tech Report
• Intel's new Bearlake P35 chipset - Neoseeker

  Cases
  

• Antec P182 Performance One ATX Case - Benchmark Reviews
• Lian Li PC-A12 - Cases

  Cooling
  

• Thermaltake V1 CPU Cooler - Hardware Logic

  Memory
  

• Crucial Technology Interview - Hardware Logic

  Power Supply
  

• HEC Power Master 480 W - Hard-H20

  Video
  

• Albatron GeForce 8600GTS - AMDZone
• ASUS EN8800 GTS 320 MB - [H]
• ECS GeForce 8600GTS - MadboxPC
• Nvidia GeForce 8600 GTS & GT Performance - TechSpot

  Windows
  

• Is DirectX 10 all that? - Boot Daily

RPG Vault Goodness 12:33 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Role-Playing (0 comments)

Neverwinter Nights 2 Team Q&A; #1
Three Obsidian staff members offer their opinions on key elements including player characters, enemies and magic

Jonric's Blog
Another EA investment in Asia - $167 million for 15% of The9

Game Reviews 12:20 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: General News (0 comments)

PC

• ArmA: Combat Operations - 1Up - 6/10
• Evochron Alliance - GameShark - B
• Lord of the Rings Online - IGN.AU - 9/10
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - X-Play - 4/5

  360
  

• CNC3 - Boomtown - 9/10

  PS3
  

• Rampart - PS3.IGN - 4.3/10

  Wii
  

• Mario Strikers Charged Football - IGN.UK - 8.7/10

  Wireless
  

• Crash Bandicoot Party - Wireless.IGN - 5/10

In Other News... 12:15 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - In-House: In Other News... (34 comments)
Halo 2 Vista hits stores today if I'm not mistaken. The Live! part of it needs to be tested, but once that's good to go, Steejee should have our review finished. He never played Halo 2 on the Xbox, so it was interesting to get his fresh perspective on the game.

Today's question:

Halo 2 Vista's sales figures will be _______?