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I’m going to come right out and say it: I’m coming away from Sony’s presentation more impressed than I was either Nintendo’s or Microsoft’s. They were very straightforward and showed exactly what we all wanted to see: the games.

In fact, this was one of the more impressive E3 press conferences in recent memory – check inside to find out why.

Click to continue reading E3 2007: Sony’s Press Conference Recap And Impressions


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E3 Microsoft Bringing It Home

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend E3 this year – instead, I’m on vacation in Cape Cod, using awful hotel Wi-Fi to watch streamed press conferences. Not the most glamorous way to take it all in, but exciting announcements, great games and new details are welcome no matter how you hear about them.

Here’s my personal transcription (in very brief form) of all the announcements and showings, along with some reflection on what Microsoft had to show.

Click to continue reading E3 2007: Microsoft’s Press Conference Recap And Impressions


E3 logoSure, the convention is much smaller this year and all, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a ton of games to be seen. Eurogamer has posted a list of the announced lineups and then some of what you’ll be seeing at E3. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have been quiet on what they’ll be showing, so it looks like we’ll need to wait until their respective showings to know for sure. The event is taking place next week, so expect it to be a busy week in news.

But please, please, please, Nintendo, show me Animal Crossing Wii. Something. Anything. Please?

Read More | Eurogamer

Prince of Persia Classic

For those of you who think Prince of Persia is a series that began last gen, you’re dead wrong. Prince of Persia was originally a PC title, developed back in 1989. Now the game is resurfacing as Prince of Persia Classic on the Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). The interesting catch to the game is that you’re required to save a princess… but in under 60 minutes.

The features list is exactly what you would expect from an XBLA game: improved graphics; new traps, puzzles, and enemies; 12 achievements; and leaderboards in three flavors – Normal Mode (complete the game as fast as possible, saving after each level), Time Attach Mode (start from the beginning if that princess isn’t saved in 60 minutes), and Survival Mode (complete the game in under 60 minutes without dying – good luck).


Assassin's Creed

The highly anticipated Prince of Persia-like Assassin’s Creed has finally been given a timeframe for release; the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions will all be released in November. Naturally, a limited edition will be available for what is becoming the standard price of $69.99 (unless your name happens to be Grand Theft Auto or Halo), and includes the following:

  • Tin box
  • Penny Arcade comics
  • Altair figure
  • Mini strategy guide
  • Trailers, documentaries, other videos

Normally I’m ready to pounce on the fact that every single game nowadays has some sort of Limited Special Collector’s Edition, but Assassin’s Creed is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year; this one looks like it deserves an LE.


Raving Rabbids 2 Logo

So the real gaming news is that Ubisoft will be releasing Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 for the Wii and DS. According to IGN.com, the game will focus much more on the Rabbids themselves, and much less on Rayman. Personally, this sounds to me like a great idea - the bunnies have enough charm to be a franchise all their own, so there’s no need to tie in a popular platformer character (especially when the game retains little of what the original Rayman series was all about). The game is expected to hit in Fall 2007, no exact date given yet.

OK, now with all that NEWS out of the way, isn’t it just a little odd how closely that graphic above resembles the advertisement for a certain other hyper-kinetic rabbity thing? I’m guessing Telltale Games will have a good sense of humor about Ubisoft using their idea, but maybe RRR2 should give Max a cameo as compensation…

Read More | GoNintendo.com

Prepare to work hard to get these achievements… the original Prince of Persia, that’s right the 2D side-scroller with play-control of doom will be making its way to the Xbox 360’s Live Arcade. As a bonus, it’ll feature updated graphics (think 2.5D) and from the look of this trailer you can expect a few added surprises. As Joystiq is keen to point out, this game will tie in graphically with the Sands of Time game, featuring the emo-prince character model that we’ve all come to know and love (except in Warrior Within of course - there was nothing loveable about him there).

The original PoP and it’s 2D sequel are some of my fondest old-school gaming memories, so I’m hoping the folks developing this re-telling don’t screw it up. It’s all in the ridiculously hard play control, guys. We’re guessing around $10.00 for pricing (800 MS Points), and it’s slated to be released Q2 this year.

Read More | YouTube.com

Cosmic Family ScreenshotWhile the Xbox 360 is the current king of the online arena, there’s likewise little doubt that the Wii is quickly becoming king of the mini- and micro-game arena. Rayman: Raving Rabbids and now WarioWare: Smooth Moves have proven to be great entries on the mini-game front, and Ubisoft will soon be releasing it’s second entry, Cosmic Family. The Fam’ will be a more (surprise!) family-oriented game and is “designed to improve children’s memory, hand-eye coordination, creativity and imagination.” It sounds like a great idea, especially given the Wii’s implementation of a simple point-n-click interface.

Any bets on whether the Wii may be taking a chunk of business away from the LeapFrog in the near future?  Cosmic Family will be launching in mid-2007, and we’ll keep our eyes open for screenshots and gameplay impressions as the title develops.

The full press release can be found after the jump…

Click to continue reading Ubisoft Announces “Cosmic Family” for Wii

Read More | Ubisoft.com

DescriptionSpoofee.com is reporting on some good deals for the Nintendo Wii. According to their site, Circuit City is currently offering in-store pricing of $29.99 for Ubisoft’s premier Wii efforts, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and Red Steel. While people who love Red Steel are few and far between, Rayman is a pretty nice collection of fun mini-games that’s a decent deal at $30. Of course, with WarioWare: Smooth Moves releasing an a matter of days, Rayman may pale in comparison.

Read More | Circuit City.com Raving Rabbids Listing

Read More | Circuit City.com Red Steel Listing

Read More | Spoofee.com

Wii WheelUbisoft’s steering wheel controller for the Wii, essentially a circular frame for the Wii remote, will be included free with two of its launch titles. However, gamers that would like to buy this big piece of molded plastic separately will have to pay $19.99 as reported by GameSpot. Given that there are no electronics in the wheel “add-on” it seems likely that an enterprising third-party could do something very similar for much cheaper.

Read More | GameSpot

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