A blog message posted by a Xbox community manager from Europe last week (mostly gone unnoticed for several days) has word that Europeans can also look forward to signing up for the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, even if they can't do it on the Halo3.com website - where registrations are exclusive to North-American residents. Microsoft recently teamed up with 33 of their Xbox Community Network websites from all across Europe, offering us the chance to secure one of thousands of spots in the upcoming beta. They guy (Acey Bongos) even posted the entire list of websites, which we have included below:

Austria

www.myxbox.at

www.xbox.at

www.xboxbase.at

Belgium

www.xbl.be

www.x-power.be

Denmark

www.xboxlife.dk

www.console.dk

Finland

www.edome.net

www.livegamers.info

France

www.xbox-mag.net

www.xboxyde.com/index_fr.html

Germany

www.xboxuser.de

www.360next.de

www.planet-xbox.de/

www.xboxaktuell.de

www.xboxdynasty.de

Italy

www.xboxway.com

Netherlands

www.ng-gamer.nl

www.gamevillage.nl

Norway

www.gamer.no

Portugal

www.xboxportugal.com

Sweden

www.gamingeye.com/konsol/xbox/

Switzerland

www.swissgamers.net

www.xboxgazette.com

Spain

www.comunidadxbox.com

www.todoxbox360.com

www.xboxmaniac.com

UK

www.rewiredmind.com

www.360monster.com

www.britxbox.co.uk

www.msxbox-world.com

www.totally360.com

www.xboxliveaddicts.co.uk/forums/index.php

In addition to that, says Acey, all these XCN websites will be running exclusive high-res screenshots from the Halo 3 ad, "so you can pore over every last detail". We took some as well from the trailer, although they're admitedly not that high-res.

You can also read more about last week's advert from Bungie's latest update, in which they interview the president of Digital Domain's commercial division (the studio that did the ad using Halo 3 assets supplied by Bungie... but also real-life footage, as the opening "Starry Night" scene turns out to be).

Even if you don't get your place in the Halo 3 beta at this time, there will still be further chances to secure a spot, in the coming weeks and months. So don't go too far: we'll keep an eye out for any future Bungie updates, and if there's any more worthy opportunities, we'll try to let you know.

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Wii Sold More Than Double The Number of PS3s, Sony Responds

Despite the crushing figures published late last week by market research group NPD, Sony is absolutely oblivious of their situation in the US. As previously estimated by various groups, Sony didn't even manage to sell 200,000 PlayStation 3 units in the United States in November, despite their pre-launch promise to deliver around 400,000 units in North America, whereas Nintendo sold well in excess of 400,000 Wii units. The sales figures announced by NPD for the month of November are 476,000 Wii units, and just 197,000 PS3 units. But despite selling less than half of what Nintendo sold in terms of next generation consoles, and leaving thousands of fans bare-handed, Sony shows no remorse:

"Sony Computer Entertainment America is very pleased with the NPD data for November, showing outstanding sales for all of its platforms. These figures clearly demonstrate the strength of the PlayStation family of products in the US market. PlayStation 3 remains one of the most sought after items this holiday season, selling through almost immediately in all retailers once placed on store shelves. We will continue to utilize airfreight delivery for the PlayStation 3 to assure a steady stream of systems for North American consumers through the end of the year. And while initial day-one launch shipment goals weren't achievable due to early manufacturing issues, those problems have been resolved and we do remain focused on having one million PS3's in the pipeline by December 31, 2006."

At least, that's what they told 1UP. And, in effect, Sony did continue to register strong sales for the PSP and their aging PlayStation 2 consoles: during November alone, they sold 419,000 PSP units and 664,000 PS2 units in the US, according to NPD data. Also, let's not forget that over 100 million PlayStation 2 consoles have been sold worldwide to date, a figure that Sony has every reason to be cocky proud of.

Certainly worth mentioning is a comparison with Microsoft's launch of the Xbox 360 one year ago, which was also plagued by shortages. But considering that they sold 326,000 Xbox 360 units in November of last year, Sony's "manufacturing issues" this year seem to have caused an even bigger catastrophe, whose after effects will probably last for a few more weeks to come.

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In case you were wondering when would the next add-on for Maxis' (anti-)social simulator be announced, wonder no more: Electronic Arts are introducing The Sims 2: Seasons as the fifth expansion pack in the series - obviously not counting all the "stuff packs" and holiday editions milked so far. Following the University, Nightlife, Open For Business, And Pets expansions, Seasons will introduce various seasonal activities, such as snowball fights, chasing fireflies or jumping in leaf piles, but also new careers, weather effects, along with new items and proper clothing for each season. Below you can find the forecast announced on the official website:

Head outdoors for year-round fun with your Sims! New seasonal activities await your Sims including snowball fights, chasing fireflies, jumping in leaf piles, and more. Strengthen family ties in Winter, let romance bloom in Spring, deepen the bonds of friendship in Summer, or fast-track your career in Fall. Your Sims can now explore new careers and master new talents throughout the year, but beware freezing, sunburn, sneezing, and other unexpected weather effects! Dress your Sims appropriately or face the consequences!

- Dramatic and Detailed Weather Effects: A brand-new visual experience has come to the world of The Sims 2. Now your Sims can experience snowstorms, thundershowers, lightning bolts, and deadly hailstones. All four seasons are spectacularly rendered to occur in every The Sims 2 neighborhood.

- Benefit from Each Season: Seasons impact your Sims' relationships, moods, wants, and fears.

- Share New activities: New ways for your Sims, their families, and friends to have fun together! Build snowmen, splash in the pool, play catch, and go ice skating.

- Reap the Fruits of Your Sims' Labors: Harvest fruits and veggies all year round and blend love potions, energy drinks, health boosters, and more.

- Master New Talents: Join the Gardening Club for tips on how to make your garden blossom, and reap the rewards! Catch fresh fish to grill on the barbeque-but beware surprising catches!

- Explore 6 New Careers: Do your Sims crave the life of an adventurer or gamer? Perhaps they'd rather explore music, law, journalism, or education? Fun reward objects like a heavy metal guitar await your Sims with each new career path.

- Dress for the Season: Dress your Sims in seasonal outfits including Winter coats, gloves, ear muffs, raincoats, and Summer dresses.

- Fun New Items: Decide the season with the weather control device, harvest fruits and veggies in the greenhouse, slip in the skating rink, make a wish at the wishing well, and add fun with a pool slide.

EA didn't announce any release date yet, but they did reveal a few screenshots, which you can view in our local gallery. Pre-orders will be "coming soon", and don't forget that The Sims 2: Seasons expansion pack requires The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Special DVD Edition, or The Sims 2 Holiday Edition for PC to play.

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GRAW 2 Fully Unveiled, With Screenshots And Teaser

Ubisoft have made no secret out of their GRAW 2 sequel, first revealed in one of the company's financial reports, but neither have they given any solid details about the game, until now. Their latest press release finally blows the lid off this upcoming instalment in the Tom Clancy franchise, which we now learn is actually set for release on four platforms - PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PSP - during Spring 2007.

The tactical squad-based action sequel Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 once again takes place in the near-future Mexico, where Captain Scott Mitchell and his team of ghosts will make use of even more cutting-edge weapons and technology, as they face off an imminent threat to the US of A.

"Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 builds off of the events in the first game and places gamers in control of the U.S. military's elite fighting unit, the Ghosts. In the year 2014, the rising conflict between Mexican loyalists and insurgent rebel forces has thrown Mexico into full-scale civil war. Under the command of Captain Scott Mitchell, the Ghosts are called upon to face an imminent threat to the United States. The fate of two countries now lies in the hands of the Ghosts as they fend off an attack on U.S. soil. Equipped with the most cutting-edge weaponry and technology, the Ghosts must battle on both sides of the border to neutralize the escalating rebel threat."

Gameplay wise, GRAW 2 will feature an improved Cross-Com 2.0 system, that will include a new Full Command View, promising unprecedented precision in developing and issuing tactical plans on the battlefield. To make things even easier, the sequel will feature a new Medic class of soldiers (so you can heal your team right on the battlefield), and some expanded support will also be added, allowing you to call in lethal air strikes with jet fighters, gain mobile cover for otherwise impassable situations and replenish armaments on the battlefield using an unmanned artillery MULE.

A "groundbreaking visual experience" is also being promised, of course, as well as all-new battlegrounds - as the ghosts will defend the US soil from a cross-border attack. They will battle enemies (with "vastly improved" AI, no less) in mountain terrains, barren deserts and even on their home turf in El Paso, Texas. Some of these you can already see in these Xbox 360 screenshots here, and a brief GRAW 2 teaser is now available for download locally. The full trailer is being promised for December 15. And the full game, like we said, for Spring 2007.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Dev-Diary On Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

As S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is once again nearing its ever-so-elusive release date (currently set for the end of March 2007), THQ's marketing machine is starting to get into motion, and today they offer us what they claim to be a "developer diary". Although I'd rather call it a history lesson on the happenings surrounding that tragic day of April 26, 1986, when one of the reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, and everything that surrounded it was obliterated - creating a perfect back-drop for a perfect game... Should it have been released three years ago.

Well, anyway, here's an excerpt from GSC Game World's diary:

"At 01:23:50am the entire reactor exploded and everything that surrounded it was obliterated. Most of the radioactive material was ejected outside. Everything in the immediate vicinity caught fire, including civilian houses that were in the neighborhood.

In the following weeks, over 30 men died because of the high radiation - including firefighters, the two operators Akimov and Toptunov, as well as other staff of the nuclear power plant.

So called 'Liquidators' (soldiers, students and volunteers) went to Chernobyl to decontaminate the power plant, to eliminate possible sources of danger that still existed and to alter the sarcophagus that was created to surround the destroyed 4th block. The number of people who helped is estimated between 600,000 and 1.2 million.

Most of the victims died because of late-stage radiation ailments such as cancer, heart-circulation problems and depression (suicide). Some people estimate the total number of victims ranges between 10,000 to 250,000. The actual number can never be accurately calculated, because even today people in Europe, especially those in Russia and Ukraine, die from radiation-related illnesses, especially cancer. There is also a marked increase in the infant mortality rate and the general health of the children that grow up on the irradiated land are terrifying. These consequences will not last for just this generation..."

THQ's website is also hosting a new trailer. However, much like the "dev-diary", this movie is also based on real-life footage related to Chernobyl, and just a tid bit of in-game (or pre-rendered) scenes. If you want more of that, we suggest you take a look at our latest S.T.A.L.K.E.R. screenshots, added last week. But expect more media to surface in the coming weeks, as THQ's campaign escalates.

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Contrary to my first thought when I saw the title today, this story isn't about FireFly Studios starting development on a massively-multiplayer online game (thank God!), but rather the resurrection of the former fan-favorite sci-fi TV series Firefly, in an upcoming MMORPG. The rights for the Firefly game were acquired from 20th Century Fox Licensing by Multiverse Network, a company that is currently developing a MMO platform - but will not be making the actual game. Instead, they plan to hire an independent studio for the job, who will be using the Multiverse Platform in order to create the Firefly MMO.

"Fox's Firefly series is set in an incredibly rich and exciting universe. It's going to make a very compelling and unique online experience filled with adventure, humor, and mystery", said Corey Bridges, Multiverse co-founder and Executive Producer. "It's our hope that Firefly's passionate and dedicated community of fans will enjoy the chance to become part of the story as they develop and explore the worlds of Firefly."

Even though their platform is still in beta-testing and there has been no actual development on the game so far, Multiverse's announcement already mentions a tentative release date for the Firefly MMO, in 2008. Which either means that they have no idea how much time it takes to make a good MMO game, or that Firefly will not be a good MMO game. Or both, I'd say.

But hey, at least they have plenty of ambition. In an early Wired report from yesterday, Bridges is also quoted as saying:

"Television series can be really good properties to turn into MMOs, because when you make a TV series, not only do you need great characters, but you need to create a full, rich, compelling place. If you're doing science fiction, you have to really think it out and create an incredibly rich environment that is compelling in its own right, and worth exploring and going back to week after week. That's what Joss Whedon did with Firefly.

(...)

We want to find someone who wants to do something unique and fun and interesting, not just a re-skin of World of Warcraft or Star Wars Galaxies."

Well, considering that the original Firefly TV series was dropped after a single season, only to be concluded with the spin-off movie Serenity, I don't see how things can get any worse for the fans. But, then again, surprises are quite common in this playful industry, and they're not always good...

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Nintendo Wii Launches In Europe, 50,000 Sold In 12 Hours

Europe was the last of the major territories to receive Nintendo's Wii console today, and in the first 12 hours alone, some 50,000 units were reportedly sold. That's more than one sale every second - much to the satisfaction of Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton, who offered the following post-launch generic statemet:

"We are delighted with the amazing response to Wii and that people of all ages and gaming experience are embracing the way that we are turning the industry on its head. With so many units sold it is great to see that people will be enjoying Wii with their families this Christmas."

The official launch took place at HMV's Oxford Street store in London, and you can check out some photos on CVG, Eurogamer, and again on CVG. It's interesting to note that, yesterday morning, the police decided to disperse the crowd that was waiting in front of the store, for fear of fights possibly breaking in the queue. There were no actual incidents, and the people returned later that evening to claim their Wii at the midnight launch event. They were also greeted by sporting stars Ian Wright, Nell McAndrew, Ricky Hatton and Pat Cash, who went head to head in tennis and boxing matches on Wii Sports. First in line was Marwan Elgamal, 17, who commented:

"I have been looking forward to this day for months! Despite the cold and rain, it was well worth it - not only was I the very first person in the UK to own the Wii, but I also got to thrash Ian Wright in a game of Wii Sports!"

But even though HMV was Nintendo's official partner for the launch, word amongst those queuing was that there were more Wii units in stock at the GAME store down the street, where people were joining the crowd even after midnight. Speaking to GamesIndustry, GAME CEO Lisa Morgan said she thinks "that's the biggest queue I've ever seen for any of the launches I've attended - and I've done every single one. It's fantastic. It's more than we could have expected".

It's not yet clear how many Wii units were allocated for all of Europe, but regardless, high demand means that shortages are expected throughtout Christmas and until the beginning of 2007. Pretty much like everywhere else in the world, for that matter.

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Weird Wii Gaming: 1.5'' TV, Half-Life 2, Calm Down!

There have been several weird stories about the Wii in the past few days, and I'd like to take a moment to share some of them with you. The craziest one, I believe, is about a guy playing Wii games on a 1.5 inch TV - just don't ask me where you can get such a diminutive display! You can check out a couple of videos showing just this on YouTube, here and here. I have no idea how he can target anything at all with the Wiimote on such a tiny screen, but it sure looks cute as hell. And best of all, it's highly unlikely to break your TV, should the Wiimote fly out of your sweaty palm.

Next, comes a story of Wii, PC and Half-Life 2. We've known about the ability to use the Wii remote on the PC for a while, but to see it used with such ease in a game like Half-Life 2, really is a sight to behold. All you need is a Bluetooth adaptor, a Windows PC, and a lot of spare time. Half-Life 2 - or shooters in general - may not be the best choice for such a controller, but I could think of a PC game or two that would benefit from an extra input option for Nintendo's Wii remote. I'm not holding my breath, though, and I suggest neither do you.

On a related note, just now I was pointed over to a Slashdot story about DarwiinRemote - a Wiimote frontend for Apple's OSX. Shortly put, it's "a tiny piece of software which reads data from and sends data to Nintendo Wii Remote. It detects all 3 axis sensors, all buttons (except power)". There are more useful links there, if you're into Apple.

On a less inspiring note, however, I also find it pretty weird that some Virtual Console games on the Wii have black borders in PAL territories! CVG has the story on this one, and they also have an incriminating screenshot with the classic Sonic the Hedgehog, sporting a pair of ugly black borders along the top and bottom of the screen. But even more worrying, they say, is that the PAL version of the game runs significantly slower than the US equivalent. Wasn't this a problem in early consoles from like... 20 years ago? Surely, they should have figured it out by now!

And finally, after all the domestic accidents involving sweaty hands, broken straps and flying Wiimotes, Nintendo decided to investigate the problem for themselves. They are also urging us to calm down and not get too excited while playing with our Wiis (then what's the point, I dare ask). In another CVG story, Shigeru Miyamoto is quoted as saying:

"We are encouraging people to understand that you really don't have to be so excited but rather you need to understand the control and then you're going to be the best player. We are looking into the situation to see if there are additional methods to encourage people to kind of calm down so they would never throw away the controller itself."

And with that, I bid you farewell for the night, and go back to counting down for tomorrow's European launch...

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Attack on Pearl Harbor Game Marks 65th Anniversary

What better way to remember all those brave souls who unexpectedly crapped their pants on the morning of December 7th, 1941, than by (re-)announcing an Arcade flying game that lets you have another go at sinking the American Pacific fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor? The game is called Attack on Pearl Harbor, and you might remember it from back in Summer, when it was first revealed by Legendo Entertainment, through a few screenshots we had at that time. Well, today we have some more, and we also have a proper announcement this time.

"In Attack on Pearl Harbor, players can sign up for either side as they are offered the role of daring US gunner turned pilot Douglas Knox or Japanese ace Zenji Yamada. History's yours to shape: Either nation can win the war depending on your actions as players battle for supremacy behind the cockpits of some of the most prolific fighters, bombers and torpedo-bearing aircraft of the WWII Pacific Theater. Playable planes include Japan's Mitsubishi A6M "Zero", the D3A1 Aichi "Val" and the B5N Nakajima "Kate" as well as America's Chance Vought F4U Corsair, the Douglas SBD Dauntless and the Grumman TBM Avenger.

Attack on Pearl Harbor features four campaigns, plus a "quick play" dogfight game mode. In addition to the initial Japanese attack on Hawaii, the game also offers a host of famed and challenging scenarios such as the Battle of Midway, Iwo Jima, Burma and Manila. Each campaign spans several months during 1941-1945, offering an exciting and varied selection of missions each 30-day period."

If this sounds like the game for you, then you might want to check out the official website too, with more info on the game's key features and six of its airplanes. Attack on Pearl Harbor is set to launch in Q1 2007.

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Burnout Dominator Announced For PS2 And PSP // UPDATE

Just as the rumour mill about a new Burnout game was shifting into gear earlier this week, Electronic Arts sends out a press release officially confirming that Burnout Dominator is indeed set for release on the PlayStation 2 and PSP, during 2007. This will be the second portable game in the series, and probably the last one for Sony's aging PlayStation 2 console.

The development of Burnout Dominator has been assigned to EA's UK studio from Guildford. They don't have much to say about the game right now, and even less to show for (actually, nothing at all to show for). But here is what little they revealed today:

Burnout Dominator is an all-new installment of the legendary and multi-award winning Burnout series, loaded with intense racing action and dozens of retina-searing World Tour events. Burnout Dominator challenges gamers to face off against a series of hot-blooded rivals in brutal tests of aggressive driving techniques where performing burnouts gives you the advantage and multiplies your score potential. For the ultimate nerve-wracking experience, Burnout Dominator takes you to the very edge of control, punishing the smallest mistakes and rewarding drivers for taking outrageous risks.

"The series was born on the PlayStation 2, and Burnout Dominator is about celebrating the essence of Burnout", said Nick Channon, senior producer of Burnout Dominator. "Burnout Dominator focuses on the reckless skill-based racing and fear of crashing that fuelled the first games."

Also, let's not forget that EA is also preparing the next generation of Burnout games as we speak, with Burnout 5 set to launch on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2007 as well.

UPDATE: We got screenshots.

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