#sports
The chairman of Take-Two Interactive - the parent company of 2K Sports - called his company's exclusive pact with Major League Baseball a "losing proposition" and suggested they would walk away when the deal expires in 2012. More »
Gameloft is having a Twitter Advent event, with an e-chocolate based piece of information or free game every day up until December 24. The free games will be available globally (unless specified) for iOS and Android devices, with "a little bit more in the end."
All you have to do is follow @Gameloft on Twitter to partake in the goodies. Yesterday's treat was Driver for free, today was a sneak peek at StarFront: Collision. Yeah, we're hoping for more stuff like the former too.
Tails seems to be just as fast as Sonic, and he can also fly. On top of that, Tails knows his way around mechanics, as he can put together pretty much any device you could ever need. Looks like he trumps the blue blur bigtime!
Article here (thanks to all those that sent this [...]
Are you looking for the quietest place in the (virtual) world? Yes, even quieter than PlayStation Home. Sony Europe just launched a PlayStation Plus-exclusive lounge inside of Home. Perfect for the person who likes Home, but just wishes it didn't have so many people in it.
Once you get past the doorman in the marble foyer, you'll be able to converse with the other occupant of the PlayStation Plus Private Members Club in peace -- mostly about how awesome it is to have a place to go where you can get away from all the people who meant to launch the PlayStation Store. There's a bar, "alcoves" for conversation, and even an exclusive card game, optimistically designed for two to four players.
#playstationnetwork
Wagering the staggering power of the PlayStation 3 combined with the innovative motion control of the PlayStation Move, Devil's Details' Top Darts transforms your television into the world's fanciest dart receptacle. More »
Your Xbox or PS3 controller is okay the way it is ... but it could be so much more boogie board-shaped. The XtendPlay attachment adds a big block of foam to the bottom of your controller, apparently to both make your grip on your controller more comfortable and allow you to rest the whole thing in your lap more easily. Or something.
Creator Xwerx likens the development to the invention of the baseball glove. "So the question we put to you is: why are you still bare-handing your controller?" "Stallion83," who has over 500,000 Gamerscore, likes the device (or likes his endorsement deal), and he knows a thing or two about holding a controller for way too long.
The $20 ... things ... ship "in 2 weeks," according to the website, and are available for pre-order now. Still not convinced? Check out a trailer after the break. You really need to see this in motion.
#nintendo
Wii Speak's retail availability is being curtailed and, if demand for it doesn't improve - which doesn't appear at all likely - Nintendo will phase out the microphone peripheral completely, reports GameSpot. More »
If you, like us, are in the development stages of a cross-generational, cross-media Facebook game that combines user photos, restaurant reviews and adorable animals then back off or we'll sue you. But we'd also caution you to heed the warnings of Kristian Segerstrale, who runs EA-owned social developer Playfish. He says that it's difficult for new games to have the kind of explosive growth they enjoyed when Facebook first got into games.
The blame can largely be laid at the feet of Facebook policy changes that prohibit games from pushing status updates to the walls of non-players, making advertising and recognizable brands more important than ever. "Companies without franchises will be in an increasingly precarious position," Segerstrale told Develop. "If on the one hand you have Harry Potter and on the other you have 'The Wizard Adventure,' consumers will choose the one they recognise."
... Great, now Playfish has stolen our game's name. You can all expect to hear from our lawyers.
#gameface
Shades of the Nintendo 64 pipe, this Xbox controller pipe loses points for being nothing more than a nut placed over the guide button, but gains points for the non-smoker's uncanny resemblance to a young George W. Found on Flickr. More »
There are only two things that disturb our FPS concentration: mom's unwillingness to bring over some chocolate milk; and the dullards spouting racist, homophobic inanity online. Rooster Teeth and Mega 64 just tested a real soldier's resistance to e-idiocy, and we've posted the video results after the break.
At some point today, PS3 Rock Band 3 users will be prompted to download a mandatory title update -- the Xbox 360 patch is coming "in the near future". The first of two planned updates resolves some persistent glitches in the game, including freezes that take place during the amp loading vignette and when messing around with eyebrows in the character creator. " All eyebrows are now safe," the forum thread assures us.
Additionally, an exploit where players could constantly pause mid-song to inflate score has been addressed in the update. Now any performance during a song that's been paused multiple times won't have its score reported. Also, we reluctantly point out that one of the more dreaded issues, the PS3 keyboard audio glitch, is not included in today's update. Harmonix has acknowledged the issue and is looking into a fix.
#screens
Though the star of its cover, and of the darker, rawer story told through its singleplayer mode, is fictitious boxer Andre Bishop, Fight Night Champion will still deliver real-life boxing legends in their prime, as fans expect of the series. More »
- revival of the early 90s show in Japan
- hosts Noriko Kato and Tooru Watanabe returning
- revival taking place on Tokyo TV on Christmas Day
- one episode special
- “Fukkatsu! Super Mario Club”
- hosts will be joined by guests for games and quizzes that test their knowledge, strength and game quotient
- also features nostalgic video clips [...]
Yes, we're all still sore that Valkyria Chronicles 3 isn't bringing the series back to PS3, but the previous PSP sequel delivered a solid experience, so at least the quality isn't hurting. Check out the Japanese opener for the darker third installment after the break. Don't be fooled by the J-pop.
Television network G4 announced today that it has signed a three-year deal to be the official broadcaster of E3. The partnership between the network and the mega-convention's organizer, the ESA, extends a relationship the two have renewed annually for the past several years, relieving G4 of having to ask the awkward "wanna go steady (again)" question for a time.
The Comcast-owned network's multi-year agreement gives G4 access to "uninterrupted press conference coverage" and all the other flare you'd expect from the moving-picture medium. All you DirecTV subscribers, of course, will have to head over to a friend's house to watch the coverage, since the satellite TV company recently dropped the network -- or you could just join on us these little ol' internets for our own extensive E3 coverage with written words.
