20 GB PlayStation 3 With HDMI As Standard, And Cheaper

TGS 2006 started early today (they don't call it Tokyo Game Show for nothing), and a plethora of news has already invaded us. The first one to catch my eye is Sony's announcement that the 20 GB PlayStation 3 model will come equipped with HDMI output as standard with the low-end system, not just the high-end model with a 60 GB hard drive. Moreover, Sony has issued a lower recommended retail price for the 20 GB PS3 in Japan, of only 49,980 yen (around $430). That's 10,000 yen (around $85) cheaper than its prior price!

Unfortunately, the price drop only applies to Japan for the time being, so Americans will still need to have $499 at hand when the console launches this November.

As for their decision to also include HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface, v1.3 supporting Deep Color) in the low-end PlayStation 3 model, Sony practically admitted that they made a mistake by not doing so in the first place. After the two PS3 models' specifications were announced at E3 this year, "demand for enjoying full HD quality image and realistic digital sound through HDMI has grown tremendously". That, coupled with a bit of desperation one might say, led Sony to make it a standard for their next-gen platform.

Curiously, both these announcements were made only after Sony president Ken Kutaragi delivered his first keynote at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show. But uneventful as it may have been, you can still read all about Kutaragi's keynote in a special Gamasutra coverage.

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Far Cry 2, Splinter Cell 5 And More Ubisoft Assets Leaked

If you thought Ubi's recently announced Q4 2006 line-up was looking good, you ain't seen nothing yet! Though you probably will, considering how "leaks" always tend to spread all over the place. And not just any kind of leak, but a confidential 2 GB archive full of pictures and trailers from upcoming Ubisoft games - including unannounced titles!

Far Cry 2, Far Cry PSP, Far Cry Wii (freshly announced as Vengeance), Lost, Splinter Cell 5, Star Wars PSP, Assassin's Creed, the next Prince of Persia - all these games (and many others) were found depicted in a 2 GB archive, which was somehow misplaced on Ubisoft's public FTP for a short while. However not short enough, it seems, as some people managed to get it down and began sharing all those beauties: screenshots, artworks, and even tech demo videos for some of the games listed below - some of which have not been officially confirmed yet.

- Assassin's Creed

- Far Cry 2

- Far Cry PSP

- Far Cry Wii

- Lost

- Naruto

- Open Season

- Prince of Persia

- Rainbow Six: Vegas

- Rocky PSP

- Splinter Cell 4

- Splinter Cell 5

- Surf's Up

- Star Wars PSP

- Shaun White (snowboarding game)

- TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

- TMNT GBA

There's even a full listing of the archive's contents (just a file list, not the actual files) posted on the NeoGAF forums, which also includes a directory called "FCry2_psdShader_Demo_Movies"... I'd sure like to see those. Too bad there's no mention of Beyond Good & Evil 2, though.

With a bit of scooping around, you can still find some of the pictures and trailers from the pack. And I wouldn't be surprised if the pack itself would be flying all around the Internet this weekend. But for now, here's what Ubisoft has to say about their own mistake:

"We are clearly displeased that confidential information from Ubisoft has been distributed on the internet. The publication of this type of information can only be harmful to the game development process and we will take all steps necessary to prevent this from happening in the future. We are still investigating the events that lead to this information leak and at this time have no further comment."

Well we do have further comments. But the fact is it's getting really late around here and, anyway, I'm preeetty sure we'll be hearing more about this in days to come.

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Ubisoft already stands out as the most prolific third-party publisher of Wii games for the console's launch this year, having planned a total of eight Wii games for release by the end of 2006. But more traditional platforms also have a solid representation in Ubi's Q4 2006 line-up, which the company announced this week. Among the Wii titles confirmed for release in this period, there's of course Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids, along with extensions of their usual franchises - Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Far Cry Vengeance, and such.

Sony's PSP is also represented by four titles in the list below, including Brothers In Arms D-Day, Prince of Persia: Rival Swords and Star Wars: Lethal Alliance. Check out the full Q4 2006 line-up below, with only three games for the Xbox 360 and two for the PlayStation 3. Quote:

Ubisoft's third quarter lineup will feature titles from established brands including:

- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent (spy action for Xbox 360 and Xbox video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, PC, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube and Wii): An amazing new installment in the series that has already sold 14 million units worldwide.

- Rayman Raving Rabbids (action-adventure for Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and PC): Rayman is back to fight crazed bunnies in the fourth installment of this legendary series that has sold 17 million copies worldwide.

- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas (squad-based tactical shooter for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system and PC): A new episode in the acclaimed series that has sold more than 14 million units worldwide.

- Far Cry Vengeance (first-person shooter for Wii): Part of the award-winning series that has already sold more than two million units worldwide.

- Brothers in Arms: D-Day (World War II squad-based action for the PSP system): Critically-acclaimed WWII shooter makes its handheld debut on PSP.

- Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (flight combat for Wii and PlayStation 3).

- Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (action-adventure for the PSP system): The Prince of Persia series has sold more than eight million units worldwide.

- Petz (virtual pets games for PC, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS): Currently among the top 10 games on Game Boy Advance.

Ubisoft's holiday lineup also features exciting new brands such as:

- Red Steel (first-person action for Wii): The only original first-person game built from the ground up for the Wii launch.

- Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (action RPG for PC): A new breed of Action RPS game powered by an enhanced version of the Source Engine by Valve.

- GT Pro Series (car racing for Wii): GT Pro Series lets the player drive more than 80 licensed cars with the Wii remote and free steering wheel add-on.

To round out its amazing lineup, Ubisoft includes some powerful licensed titles:

- Open Season (kids action-adventure for Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP system, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Wii and PC): The video game adaptation of Sony Pictures Animation's eagerly awaited first CGI movie.

- Star Wars: Lethal Alliance (action-adventure for Nintendo DS and PSP system): The first Star Wars game built specifically for next-gen handheld consoles.

- Monster 4X4 World Circuit (truck racing for Wii). Use the Wii Remote and free steering wheel to perform spectacular stunts, jump and race the most powerful Monster Trucks and go head-to-head in pulse-pounding off-road competitions all over the world.

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Halo 3's Warthog, 'A Super-Deluxe Killing Machine'

A super-deluxe killing machine, I tell you! Well ok, actually it's Bungie's latest weekly update that says so, referring to the smarter AI in Halo 3 - rather than the Warthog itself. Halo's trademark Hog may be going through some significant visual updates for the sequel, but it's the player's AI buddies who are turning it into a fine-tuned Covenant grinding machine, according to Bungie's webmaster Frankie.

He also drops another interesting tidbit about the AI, saying that beeping the Warthog's horn seems to bring any nearby Marine running and hopping straight into the gunner turret - although they will come based on suitability for the task at hand (more on that in a future update, he promises). In Halo 3, the AI gunner will also be more "persuadable" to pick a more relevant target, and have him stop trying to blast a lone grunt hiding behind a rock when a bigger menace approaches. Frankie adds:

"This has two effects on the gameplay - one is that it makes the Hog feel more like a weapon when you're driving, and the second is that it makes you want to cruise around bigger battle areas playing mop-up, whereas previously the temptation might have been to get the heck out of dodge. And by heck, I mean hell."

The new, "super solid" control scheme is also discussed in this update, although it's mainly about addressing some of the complaints Xbox 360 owners had about the button mapping, making for a more logical use of the left and right bumpers. A classic control scheme will also be supported, of course, and there may even be some improved or new control variants in Halo 3. Time - and more weekly updates - will tell.

In the meantime, did you see that trailer last week with some High schoolers performing the Halo theme live? They absolutely rock! And I thought school bands were all about screeching orchestras and sticking flutes up your... brb, phone call.

P.S. Taken from the official Halo 2 for Windows Vista F.A.Q.: "There are currently no plans to bring Halo 2 to Mac, PlayStation 9 or the Commodore 64". A' HA! I knew Sony were up to something, but PS9 - who would've thought? :)

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Believe it or not, ye Tony Hawk worshippers, Electronic Arts were among the very first to release a skateboarding game, back in 1987. It was called Skate or Die, and was soon to be followed by their better known Ski or Die sports classic. What's that got to do with today's announcement?... Absolutely nothing. But despite my strong anti-EA prejudices, I thought it was something worth pointing out, before any of you go screaming "Copycats!". And the reason you might want to do that, is because Electronic Arts have officially announced the first game in a new skating series, called Skate - clearly targeted at rivaling with Activision's Tony Hawk series.

We also mentioned this title a couple of days ago, when writing about Tony Hawk's Project 8's loss of online play. At the time, only a PS3 version was revealed through a preview in the PSM magazine, but now it's official: Skate is headed for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 next-gen consoles.

According to EA, "Skate will deliver the feel of skating through innovative controls, authentic cameras and a fully reactive skateboarding city. The game features professional skaters such as Danny Way and PJ Ladd, as well as a reactive city and relevant in-game cameras that capture and deliver the most authentic skateboard videogame experience to date". They go on, claiming that "Skate's unique control scheme captures the true feel of skating versus the typical button mashing gameplay of past skating games. Featuring physics-driven animations, gamers will have a unique gaming experience every time they pick up the controller since no two tricks will ever be the same". Haven't I heard that somewhere before?

At any rate, in the absence of any kind of media for the game, all that's left to say for now is that Skate is being developed by the Vancouver based EA Black Box studio. That's the same one working on Need for Speed Carbon, mind you.

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I still can't get over the amazement I felt when I first saw some pictures and, later, the first trailer depicting Clover Studio's Okami game. It's an artistically amazing looking action-adventure, and hopefully it will play just as great. North American gamers should already be able to tell for themselves, as Capcom released the PS2 game on their continent yesterday. And with it, The King of Fighters 2006 was also shipped to US stores by SNK Playmore.

In Ôkami, players assume the role of wolf-embodied sun god Amaterasu and participate in numerous action packed battles against the ominous beings they encounter. Using an innovative control scheme, players can slash away at enemies, use various brush strokes to solve puzzles, create pathways, chop down trees or turn night into day... *sigh*... Don't you wish you could do that when you're way behind schedule?

Another array of powers also awaits you in KOF 2006, the sequel to SNK's first 3D fighting game - The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact. The game features 38 characters, including 14 hidden characters, 4 new fighters, as well as the classic SNK characters Kula Diamond and Billy Kane (for the first time in 3D). An in-depth storyline with a different ending for each character is also being promised, so if you're into fighting games you might want to give it a punch.

Both games are rated T for Teen. In Europe, The King of Fighters 2006 is expected to ship on October 27, and Okami only next year in late February.

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Neverwinter Nights 2 Frozen In Place Until Halloween // UPDATE

What better way to introduce the re-launched NWN Vault website, than to announce yet another delay for Neverwinter Nights 2! Sure, we could all wish for merrier things about Obsidian's upcoming role-playing sequel, but the sad truth is that the game is being delayed once again, this time all the way to October 31.

A complementary consolation for the fans comes in the form of several new NWN2 screenshots which were added to the Vault yesterday, followed by a list of new features supported by their redesigned website. Among them, you can find some info about the races, classes and alignments available in Neverwinter Nights 2, straight from the character creation screens.

Just a few days ago, another delay was reported by the Vault, regarding the release of the Neverwinter Nights 2 toolset - to be available for pre-download on September 22 (as opposed to September 18). As with the first NWN, user-created content will play a big part in the game's success in the long run, and Atari have previously expressed their huge support for the NWN2 modding toolset and its community. Let's hope they won't make the same mistake twice, like they did when they shut down the NWN Premium modules program.

UPDATE: On a side note, BioWare announced the formation of a new division inside their Edmonton based Canadian studio, which will be headed by Dan Tudge - former president and founder of Exile Interactive. The new division will focus on developing games for handheld platforms, and their first title (guess away...) will appear on the Nintendo DS.

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Is there really a hole in the scene of gaming shows, now that E3 as we once knew it is no more? That's certainly what most organizers around the world believe, as indicated by the expansion of events such as the Leipzig GC or the Tokyo Game Show. But the most ambitious of them is yet to come in 2007, back in the USA: the Game Developers Conference (GDC), soon to be "the world's largest trade event dedicated to the game industry".

The CMP Game Group - GDC's organizers - announced that they are more than doubling their show floor for next year's edition, in order to accommodate the game industry market need for a single, one-stop shop event. The next Game Developers Conference will take place March 5-9, 2007 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.

This isn't the first time that GDC is being held in San Francisco (last time was in 2005), but 2007 will be the first year of GDC's long-term relocation to the Bay Area, according to the event's official website.

"As GDC enters its 20th year, it emerges as the event with the largest gravitational pull of any other game industry-only event", said Jamil Moledina, executive director of the GDC. "While it remains our primary goal to serve the game development community and ensure that the session-based half of GDC remains unchanged, we also believe it is time to dramatically upgrade the range of expo opportunities."

Along with its traditional "session-based half", GDC 07 will also continue to support both the widely respected Game Developers Choice Awards, and the Independent Games Festival (IGF - the oldest and most prestigious game innovation laboratory), by adding a dedicated Independent Games Conference, as well as a casual / independent reception. Cocktails on the house?

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With nearly 25 years of continuity, Microsoft's Flight Simulator series may very well be the longest running PC game series in existance! That alone is reason enough (at least for die-hard fans) to look forward to the new Flight Simulator X game developed by ACES Studio, which as of now is clear for take-off and will land in US stores on October 17. Europeans will also get to take it for a test flight shortly after, on October 20.

As seen on the game's website, FSX will come in two variants. The first is a Standard Edition, priced at $50, featuring 18 airplanes, 40 high-detail airports (16 new to Flight Simulator), 28 high-detail cities and 30+ structured missions. The second is a Deluxe Edition, priced at $70, boasting 24 airplanes, 45 high-detail airports (21 new to Flight Simulator), 38 high-detail cities, 50+ structured missions and a glass panel (G1000) cockpit.

Here's a brief presentation of the game:

"With this 10th addition to the Flight Simulator franchise from ACES Studio, gamers can immerse themselves in a beautifully rich and realistic world that offers a completely new and innovative gaming experience. With the addition of more than 50 missions, Flight Simulator X is more than just a simulator, challenging aviators to beat the clock in the infamous Red Bull air races or to drop relief materials in exotic locations. Through increased online game capabilities, gamers can also choose their role, from air-traffic controller to pilot or co-pilot, as they interact with other aviators worldwide."

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Tony Hawk (PS3) Loses Online Play And Gains Rival From EA

Tony Hawk's future on the PlayStation 3 doesn't look so bright all of a sudden. Two stories came crashing down on Activision's next-gen skating game today, one revealing that Tony Hawk's Project 8 will no longer have online play on the PS3, and the other one heralding a rival PS3 game from EA, simply called Skate.

The reason for not having an online mode in the PS3 version of Tony Hawk's Project 8 is that, according to IGN, Neversoft have only recently received their PlayStation 3 development kits, so they didn't get to implement it in time for the console's launch in November:

"Project 8 is not online for PlayStation 3. Not online for PS3. Only within the last three weeks has Neversoft received its PS3 beta kits, (...) but it still hasn't received all of the software libraries and has no indication of how the online components will work on PS3, so it's not offering them. For a software company that's always supported the PlayStation system and was, in fact, the first developer to offer online play on PS2 with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, that's saying something."

This is also bad news for Sony, of course, but at least the following story should work in their favor (though I can't say the same for Activision).

Announced by Electronic Arts via the PSM magazine is a new skateboarding game for the PlayStation 3, called Skate. Not much is known about it right now, except that it's being developed by EA Vancouver with a released date planned for 2007, and that it will feature 14 pro skaters. Other versions of Skate will likely be revealed soon, but either way EA is going to have a very hard time fighting Activision on their own skating ground.

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