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JANUARY 2007 NEWS

January 31, 2007

    PS3 News
    Ubisoft has confirmed that while Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 won't be released on the Playstation 3 in time for the European and Australian launch it won't be too far off with a American and European Spring launch now being targeted (That's Q'2 2007 for us in the Southern Hemisphere).

    PS3 Preview
    Go! Sudoku is yet another Playstation 3 launch title, and for only a couple of dollars this title is certain to keep you entertained for a long time. The PSP version was very impressive and we expect no less from this game as well. Here's a preview of this classic puzzle title.

January 29, 2007

    PS3 News
    Do you live in Perth? Hell, do you live in Australia? If so then you may want to get to Perth on Saturday March 31st at 4pm as none other then Hideo Kojima will be speaking at the GO3 event. His chat is scheduled to last 45 minutes - and we can only prey that he brings out a couple more details about a current project he's working on - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. That's not all though. On March 30 Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Q Entertainment) will be in attendance speaking as will Rod Fergusson from Epic Games. Sunday 31st will also be very interesting with a presenter from Sony giving a speech from 5.00 until 5.45. There's plenty more too! You can check out the official website here (including pricing). Exciting stuff.

    PS3 Preview
    Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII is yet another of Ubisoft's PS3 launch titles. This World War II flight sim not only looks stunning but makes use of the PS3's tilt functionality in the controller. While the game is already out on other formats, the PS3 version will include plenty of new features. We give you all the details.

January 28, 2007

    PS3 Preview
    Enchanted Arms is a game which XBox 360 owners will probably be familiar with - if only because it's one of the few RPG's on the system. Seeing a RPG at the launch of any new console is a rare event but this will be out at the PS3 launch though Ubisoft. Fortunately there will be many enhancements on PS3. We take an early peek.

    PS3 News
    One of the biggest complaints about the PS3 is that the machine won't scale images leaving some people with 1080i TV's out in the cold. The machine would not scale games up from 720p to 1080i/p but rather downscale the games to 480p (this issue was most common in CRT-based HDTV sets). According to Beyond3D though Sony has just unlocked the scaler in the latest SDK meaning that game developers will now be able to scale thier games properly. There is a catch though. Sony has only unlocked the vertical scaler, and not the horizontal one. This will mean developers can output new resolutions including 960 x 1080 - which will work on the problematic HDTV's, but developers will have to include it in their games. You can check out the full article (which gets slightly technical here). An interesting read.

    Epic has confirmed that Unreal Tournament 2007 has been renamed to Unreal Tournament 3 - but will now also be hitting the XBox 360 as well as previously announced PC and PS3. The game is still due out in 2007.

January 27, 2007

    PS3 LAUNCH THOUGHS!
    Well now that the dust has settled we thought we'd comment on the PS3's launch announcement in Europe and Australia. Here's a couple of topics worth pointing out our opinions on (seeing as my MSN Messenger and e-mail is getting a bit of a pounding of late).

    The Price: The price is the same as announced last May which is fair enough, but Australians will be paying about $AU230 (or 23%) more then Americans for the same system. I really did hope that Sony would have adjusted down slightly given the strong Australian dollar. Having said that it will still be the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market by about $AU400.

    The Games: We're pretty happy with the launch line-up, although there is disappointment with some titles missing including Lair, Heavenly Sword, Madden NFL 07, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Rainbow Six: Vegas and SingStar - all previously listed or rumoured as launch titles. They may be added to the launch lineup in the coming two months, but at this stage they're out. The thirty games confirmed for launch promises to be the biggest and best launch line-up of all time and there's several major titles that will keep us entertained.

    System Inclusions: One thing Sony hasn't done is confirmed the inclusions in the pack. We were hoping for a Blu-Ray movie much like America (Where purchasers got Talledaga Nights free). Given that Casino Royale is to be released on Blu-Ray only days before the PS3 launch it seems perfectly suited, but wasn't announced. Perhaps Sony are trying to squeeze even more money out of us by not packing it in, knowing that it would be a big seller on the format. For the love of God Sony, you must realise that this is the kind of triple-A movie with big special effects that could show the format off to millions of people still needing to be convinced that Blu-Ray is the format of choice in the HD war! Besides a free movie no details were given about the cables being packed in.

    Australian Game and Peripheral Pricing: While we know the system price Sony Australia has not announced prices for First Party Games (most third party will be $119.99). We expect that Sony's titles will be $AU99.99 - but even at that price we will be paying the equivalent of $US78 (when first party titles in America have a RRP of $US59!). Sony Australia has also failed to confirm periperhal pricing - although converting from Euros gives us some idea. and we'll be looking at about $79 or $89 for a controller, and $29-49 for cables.

January 25, 2007

    PS3 LAUNCH NEWS!
    Well Sony has finally officially announced the PS3 launch dates for Europe, Australia and New Zealand and as the speculation has been running over the last week or two the date is March 23, the price is as expected, and the launch titles were known. I have copied the entire press release sent out by Sony (with links to games added and developers). The only unknown remains the price of first party games which Sony hasn't announced, and they haven't announced any pack in movies or games (demos) with the system. Still it's a start.

    PS3 to Launch in Europe and Australasia on 23rd March 2007

    Over 30 Titles for Launch Period
    1 Million units forecast for Initial Launch Period

    London, 24 January 2007 (Sydney 25 January) – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced that PLAYSTATION®3 will be launched in the PAL territories of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Australasia on 23rd March 2007 at a price of €599 (£425, AUD 999.95, NZ 1199.95).

    Responding to retail and consumer demand, SCEE confirmed that initially only the 60GB model would be available, with the 20GB model to follow later in the year dependent on demand.

    An expected one million PS3 units will be made available during the initial launch period.

    SCEE also announced a stellar launch line-up of over 30 game titles for PS3, including eagerly awaited titles published by SCEE such as Resistance: Fall of Man™, MotorStorm™, Genji™: Days of the Blade, FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION and Ridge Racer™ 7. An exceptional range of titles in every genre will also be available at launch from the world’s leading third party publishers, including Electronic Arts, Activision, Namco Bandai, Sega, Take 2, Ubisoft, Vivendi Universal, and Sony Online Entertainment.

    In addition to games on disc, an exciting range of fully-featured downloadable games will debut on the PLAYSTATION®Network. These will include gaming icons such as Tekken®: Dark Resurrection and Gran Turismo® HD Concept; the fully-featured PS3 debut of the best-selling franchise Gran Turismo, realised with full HD (1080p) visual quality. Created by Polyphony Digital Inc and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Gran Turismo® HD Concept has been downloaded by more than 350,000 users since it was released in December 2006 in North America and Japan.

    Also available on the PLAYSTATION®Network will be brainteasers such as Go! Sudoku and Go! Puzzle, and innovative games such as Blast Factor™ and flOw™, designed exclusively for PLAYSTATION 3 and delivering on the promise to provide original content created by non-traditional developers and publishers.

    Concurrent with the European launch, a new System Update to further enhance the entertainment potential of PS3 will be issued.

    Announcing the launch details, David Reeves, President of SCEE said, “Following the hugely successful launches of PS3 in Japan and North America, we are absolutely delighted to be able to bring significant numbers of PS3 to the SCEE territories. To be able to launch with over 30 titles across every genre shows that this is our strongest launch line-up in the history of PlayStation, and is what PlayStation fans in Europe have been crying out for.”

    PLAYSTATION 3 LAUNCH TITLE LINE-UP
    Game Name (Preview) Publisher Developer Media
    Blast FactorSonyBluepoint GamesNetwork
    Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWIIUbisoftUbisoft RomaniaDisc
    Call of Duty 3ActivisionTreyarchDisc
    Def Jam: IconEA GamesEA ChicagoDisc
    Enchanted ArmsUbisoftTBADisc
    FEARVivendiDay 1 StudiosDisc
    Fight Night Round 3EA GamesEADisc
    FlOwSonyTGCNetwork
    Formula One Championship EditionSonySCEEDisc
    Full Auto 2: BattlelinesSegaPseudo InteractiveDisc
    Genji: Days of the BladeSonyGame RepublicDisc
    Go Puzzle!SonyTBANetwork
    Go Sudoku!SonySonyNetwork
    GripshiftSony Online Ent.SidheNetwork
    Gundam: CrossfireAtariBandai Ent. CompanyDisc
    LemmingsSonyTeam 17Network
    Marvel: Ultimate AllianceActivisionRaven SoftwareDisc
    MotorstormSonyEvolution StudiosDisc
    NBA 2K7Take TwoVisual ConceptsDisc
    NBA Street: HomecourtEA GamesEA CanadaDisc
    Need for Speed CarbonEA GamesEA Black BoxDisc
    NHL 2K7Take Two2K SportsDisc
    Ridge Racer 7SonyNamcoDisc
    Resistance: Fall of ManSonyInsomniacDisc
    Sonic The HedgehogTHQSonic TeamDisc
    Super Rub'a'DubSonyTBANetwork
    Tekken: Dark ResurrectionSonyNamcoNetwork
    The Godfather: The Don's EditionEAEA Redwood ShoresDisc
    The Elder Scrolls IV: OblivionUbisoftBethesdaDisc
    Tiger Woods PGA Tour '07EA SportsEA CanadaDisc
    Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double AgentUbisoftUbisoftDisc
    Tony Hawk's Project 8ActivisionNeversoftDisc
    Untold Legends: Dark KingdomEASony Online Ent.Disc
    Virtua Fighter 5SegaSega StudiosDisc
    Virtua Tennis 3SegaSega AM2Disc
    World Snooker Championship 2007SegaSegaDisc

    PLAYSTATION 3 Peripherals Available at Launch (Australian Pricing is direct conversion - no pricing has been announced yet)

    SIXAXIS™ Wireless Controller €49.99 ($AU83.20)
    Blu-ray Disc Remote Control €24.99 ($AU41.60)
    HDMI Cable €24.99 ($AU41.60)
    AV cable €16.99 ($AU28.30)
    Component AV cable €24.99 ($AU41.60)
    S Video cable €16.99 ($AU28.30)

January 24, 2007

    PSP News
    Ubisoft has finally confirmed the world exclusive news which we broke on January 13th - that being that Driver 76 (we called it Driver 1976 in our news 10 days ago) is in development for the Playstation Portable with a release set for March. The game, which is only coming out on PSP (at this stage) is in development at Ubisoft's Reflections studios, and Sumo Digital.

    PSP Preview
    Full Auto 2: Battlelines will be out for the PS3 launch in March, but it is also coming to the PSP and will be loaded with additional content. We've taken an early look at the game from Sega, and PSP developers Deep Fried Entertainment. It looks quite impressive.

January 23, 2007

    Industry News
    One of my few monthly purchases, and the only magazine which I've bought on a regular basis over the last 10 years is Edge. One of the most reliable and interesting read you'll ever get. Well their online site (located here) has spilt the beans on the PS3 launch date and price for the UK from a reliable source - March 23rd and £425. Still no word on a date for Australia - but as we mentioned the other day Sony Australia are considering March 23 and March 30 - we may be a week later here to allow for shipping I guess. Stay tuned.

    PS2 Preview
    God Hand is a title we had a look at around a year ago now, but with the release only a month away there is now quite a bit more information, and a lot of new screenshots, available. This game, from now-closed Clover Studio - a division of Capcom, looks very impressive. It's certainly one to check out.

January 22, 2007

    Industry News
    Some big news today with Atari Australia sending out a release schedule. No, that's not the news. What is news is that appearing under the PS3, PS2 and PSP sections is none other then Kane & Lynch: Dead Men - a game previously only announced for the XBox 360 and PC in mid-2006. The title is being developed by Io Interactive, who have series' such as Hitman and Freedom Fighters to their names. Kane & Lynch: Dead Men follows the fortunes of a flawed mercenary and a medicated psychopath forced together on a violent and chaotic path seeking redemption and revenge. No means is too harsh as the volatile partnership is pushed beyond reason in this brutally realistic, character-driven third person action shooter. The game is due out on all platforms in June 2007.

    PS3 News
    Bethesda Softworks have confirmed that they will release The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles expansion pack on the Playstation 3. It wasn't made overly clear but it is assumed that the pack will be downloadable, and not on the disc being released to retail for the systems launch in March. For those of you unaware The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one of the big launch titles on Sony's system - a RPG with well over 100 hours gameplay.

    PS2 Preview
    Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007 (which will be known as Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 outside Australia) is a very exciting title for cricket fans the world over. With the World Cup tournament due to start in the West Indies in March 2007 this game will be released at the end of the month. We have the latest screens and info for you to check out.

January 20, 2007

    PS3 News
    Sony America has confirmed that Motorstorm will not be released on February 26 as previously stated, but has been pushed back until an unspecified March release. This will give the developers more time to fine tune the game further. The game is expected to be a launch title in Europe and Australia - and we suspect the American release will be around the same time (that being March 23-30).

    PS2 Preview
    Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2 is due out in Australia at the end of February. Compilation titles are big business, and Capcom's are among the best. This latest compilation includes some classics: Super SF2 Turbo, Strider, Captain Commando and more.

January 18, 2007

    PS3 Launch News
    Some major developments today with regards to the Playstation 3 launch in Australia. We've received some interesting information from someone working at a Sony Central Store. Apparently Sony Central stores received an e-mail from Sony Computer Entertainment Australia with early details about the PS3 launch. We've known for a little time now that something was brewing with Sony Central, and we can now reveal some details. We must stress that we don't have actual "in-hand" evidence of these statements, however this person has proven to be reliable in the past. The key points are as follows:

    • Sony Central Stores will be receiving Playstation 3 demo units in approximately 3 weeks time.
    • Following delivery of the demo units all staff will be trained on the features of the system (we assume how the Cross Media Bar works, benefits of Blu-Ray, different connection types, downloadable content etc)
    • At the end of February the stores will be having a demonstration night for Sony Members to look at the system.
    • Most interesting is the fact that Sony will apparently only 'guarantee' pre-orders will be met if ordered through Sony Central - not other stores.
    • Sony are deciding between two dates - March 23rd and March 30th. This will be determined closer to the announcement next week.
    • There was no mention of price, or items (such as a Blu-Ray movie) to be included with the system.

    PS2 Preview
    Rogue Galaxy could be one of the last Triple-A RPG's to be release on the Playstation 2. With a release looking likely for Q'2 this is a game that should keep you quite busy for some time. With the same development team as that behind Dragon Quest VIII this is a game worth checking out. Screens and info online now.

    Just a quick not to let you know we've update the preview of Capcom's highly anticipate Okami. After receiving several awards recently our antipation for this title is only growing. Here's an updated preview.

    PS3 News
    Koei has confirmed that both Fatal Inertia and Bladestorm: The 100 Years War will not be launch titles in Europe this March, but will be released in "UK Summer 2007". This will allow the development teams the greatest opportunity to polish off the games. I must say I always find the delays to Fatal Inertia rather amusing given the game was to be a launch title in the aborted March 2006 PS3 launch! Still, it is shaping up nicely.

January 17, 2007

    PS3 News
    GamesIndustry.Biz has put up an article (available here which indicates that the PS3 will retail in the UK for £425 - the same amount revealed at E3 last year. This pretty much dashes any hope that the console will see a pre-release price drop similar to that in Japan. We're still hoping for one here in Australia given the strength of our dollar (at the moment the $US599 console translates to $AU761 - $239 below our RRP!). Our other hope is that we get something decent bundled in with the system. With Casino Royal due out on Blu-Ray in mid-March our money is on that being a bundled movie, and we would love to see Sony include a demo disc that includes much of the downloadable content. Yes we could all download Gran Turismo HD on Day 1, but why overload the servers when the 500Mb-odd download could be on a disc for us with a swag of other Blu-Ray trailers and demos.
    Update: We've also just noticed that the Australian Playstation 3 site has the price $999 on it for the 60GB version, so the liklihood of a price drop here seems remote as well.

January 16, 2007

    PS2 Review
    The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning is certainly a game aimed at the younger market - but Michael certainly had some fun with the title. In fact he discovered possible the most entertaining game in the series for quite some time. Here's his full review.

January 15, 2007

    PS3 News
    According to advertising agency TBWA in an interview on Gameindustry.Biz the advertising campaign for the Playstation 3 "launches towards the end of March" in Europe pointing to a late March console launch as well. A retail source also predicts a release date of March 23rd. A bit later then we were hoping, and certainly not confirmed by Sony, but who knows.

    PS2 News
    According to American magazine EGM the next Guitar Hero title will be called Guitar Hero: 80s Edition. While no songs have been mentioned we're pretty damn excited if this turns out to be true. The 1980's was probably the best decade of all time for rock music and there should be dozens of exceptional titles. Now, if Activision release an adapter for the controller to work on PS3 we'll be even more excited! The game is due out around Q'2 2007.

    PS3 Preview
    Fight Night Round 3 is headed to the Playstation 3 in time for the systems launch and it has plenty of additional content to keep you happy. EA's Fight Night series has not only been a massive critical, but also a commercial, success. This looks like being one of the hottest games on the PS3 this year. Check out the preview now.

January 14, 2007

    PS3 Preview
    The Godfather: The Don's Edition has just been announced by Electronic Arts. The game was one of the biggest sellers of 2006 despite some less the glowing review scores around the globe. Still this PS3 version has quite a few enhancements. We take an early look at the title which could be one worth checking out in March.

    PS3 News
    EBGames had an interesting Playstation 3 listing online for a short period of time the other day - that being for Saint's Row for PS3. The listing was pulled rather quickly but did list a release date of May 15th, 2007. THQ haven't commented on the listing as yet. While it could be a mistake it could also indicate an upcoming announcement for a port of the hit XBox 360 title to Sony's system.

    While Konami confirmed that the four other games listed by Famitsu the other day weren't canceled they company has confirmed that the very sexy looking Unreal Engine 3 powered Coded Arms Assault has been scrapped. Shame, it was looking good.

    PS2 News
    Sega has announced they have sold over 500,000 copies of Ryuga Gotoku 2 (or Yakuza 2 to Westerners). The first game has been a pretty big hit as well and we expect this sequel to get a release in late 2007.

January 13, 2007

    PS3 News
    Sony Europe has confirmed to UK Online publication C&VG that European gamers can expect an announcement regarding the Playstation 3 launch in that territory (and we assume Australia) by the end of January. Start hedging your bets on dates folks. March 3 (03/03) and March 15 (15/03) seem to be the two rumoured ones - the former in Europe and the latter for Australia. Time will tell.

    Square-Enix, and through Australian distributer Ubisoft, have announced that Final Fantasy XII will be released on February 23rd 2007. The game is being optimised for PAL TV systems with the 50Hz mode running in full screen and at full NTSC speed. The game will also include a widescreen mode, but no Progressive Scan.

    PSP News
    Sega has announced they are bringing one of their most loved arcade games in recent years to the PSP. The company has announced they will be releasing Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars on the system in European Summer 2007 (Australian Winter). The game is a combination of the first two titles, and is currently in development at Sniper Studios.

    Well here's one that we weren't expecting. Our sponsors at Gameswarehouse have just listed a new title from Ubisoft called Driver 1976. As many of you would be aware Ubisoft recently bought the Driver franchise from Atari - could this be the first title in the franchise from Ubisoft. Naturally there has been no comment from the company.

    While on the topic of unannounced games Gameswarehouse also has a link to Pursuit Force 2 and Jak and Daxter - both for release on March 15th. The games have not, as yet, shown up on Sony's release schedules - then again nothing post-Christmas has yet.

    Industry News
    Square-Enix have announced that they will have a surprise relating to Final Fantasy later this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series on December 18, 2007. It is unclear when the announcement will be made, or what it will be. I'd like to put a bit of money on a remake of Final Fantasy VII for the PS3 Playstation Store - but I could be way off too.

January 12, 2007

    PS3 News
    Ubisoft America has officially anounnced that From Software's Enchanted Arms will be coming to the Playstation 3 in America - no word yet on a PAL release, but we suspect it isn't far off.

    Some good news from Famitsu in Japan with confirmation that they were incorrect about Konami canning 4 PS3 titles which we reported yesterday. The article was apparently a misprint, and the titles are still in development. Phew.

    With the Playstation 3 launch (hopefully) approaching the signs are all looking good. This week has seen Sony submit Motorstorm to the OFLC where it has been awarded a PG rating for "Mild Violence". Also classified recently was Ubisoft's TMNT which was also given a PG rating for "Mild Violence" and is rumoured to be a launch title. During December THQ submitted Virtua Tennis 3 which received a G rating while Virtua Fighter 5 received an M rating due to "Moderate Violence".

    Despite an earlier announcement at the CES show that Motorstorm would be running at 1080p and 60fps on the PS3 Sony has since retracted that statement and confirmed the game will run at 720p and 30fps. While somewhat disappointing the game is still an absolute standout title on the PS3 - and should be the title to have at launch this March.

    PS2 News
    Sony and Relentless Software have announced Buzz: The School Quiz which is aimed at (we presume the UK) school market. We expect the game to follow the pattern of previous titles with questions focused towards the current curriculum. We're not so sure that this title will make it to Australia, but who knows.

January 11, 2007

    PS3 News
    According to Peter Dill, the Senior Vice President of Marketing of Sony Computer Entertainment America, Killzone 2 (as he called it) will be released on the Playstation 3 by the end of the year. Our bet is the big Christmas title to battle Microsoft's Halo 3.

    Midway has announced they will release six titles onto the Playstation Store for download onto the PS3. Believed to be selected for release due to the multi-player options the titles include Mortal Kombat II, Gauntlet II, Joust, Rampage World Tour, Rampart and Championship Sprint. No word yet on release dates or possible upgrades.

    Some not so good news for PS3 owners today with Konami canning development of four previously announced PS3 titles. The games include a new Gradius title, Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball, New Action Game and a New Role Playing Game. Each of the titles were presumedly early in development as they didn't have any actual names as yet and hadn't been seen outside the company. Several Nintendo Wii titles have also been scrapped.

    PSP News
    Atari Australia has confired that the puzzle game Gunpey from Namco Bandai will be released in Australia this March.

    PSP Review
    Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception is the latest in Namco's flight sim series. Indeed Namco's series has a great track record on the PS2, but now it's available on Sonys handheld. Michael has played through the game and gives us his thoughts. In short; he's impressed.

January 10, 2007

    PS3 Preview
    Gripshift is coming out this March. No, we're not looking at the PSP title again, but rather the much upgraded PS3 version which should be a launch title with the PS3 upon launch. Impressive work from Sidhe and a game which could be an essential purchase at a budget price.

January 9, 2007

    PS3 Preview
    Blast Factor was the first downloadable title for the PS3 in America, and should be a launch title here too. With 1080p support this Geometry Wars styled game looks like a stunning release for the Playstation 3. Here's a preview of the title.

    Lemmings is a classic puzzle game that has seen some very solid releases on the PSP and PS2 in recent months. While most gamers will head straight to retail to buy games for the PS3, Sony's online Store should provide ample games at a very cheap price. Here's one of them!

January 8, 2007

    PS3 News
    Sony's Peter Dille has confirmed that the company has shipped over 1 million units by the end of 2006 in North America - and has restated the companies goal of selling 6 million units by the end of March 2007. With the addition of the 500,000-odd units in Japan Sony fell short of their 2 million unit target, but they weren't far off. Here's hoping some of those units due by March still make it to Europe and Australia by this date!

    XBox 360 Special News
    Want to see Motorstorm released on the XBox 360? Well someone has leaked a promo video for the game and it's worth a look. Check out the movie here. Enjoy, Sony fans...

January 7, 2007

    PS3 News
    According to reports Electronic Arts has canned the production of Lord of the Rings: The White Council. While the company is yet to put out an official confirmation, but it is believed that Steve Gray, who was leading the project, is no longer with Electronic Arts, and the team has been disbanded and moved to other projects. This news comes from Shacknews. More news as we get it.

    The Playstation Store has just made Gripshift available for download on the PS3 for the measly price of $US9.99. The game is an updated version of the stunning PSP title (which we reviewed here) and includes not only enhanced 720p, 60fps visuals, but also 4-player online racing, 150 levels across 4 themed worlds, 38 different music tracks and much more. The game weighs in at a very reasonable 293Mb download. A demo is also available and we do urge all our American readers to check it out. It's a great title at a super-cheap price.

January 6, 2007

    PS2 Review
    Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories probably isn't at the top of most peoples shopping lists, but if you're an RPG fan it should be. This SRPG from Nippon Ichi, and distributed in Australia through THQ, is one of the best on the PS2 for quite some time. With well over 100 hours game time this deserves some attention.

January 4, 2007

    PS3 News
    Perhaps Sony read our site. Today the company has altered their official Playstation 3 web site, removed the March 15th 2007 dates for PS3 games, and changed it simply to March - perhaps the date is changing, perhaps Sony realised they let is slip early, but we'll stay on the case.

    PS3 Preview
    NHL 2K7 is a very impressive game from a very impressive sereis. Indeed 2K Sports' NHL 2K series' has been the highest rated for the last four years now. 2K Sports have a very real alternative to EA's games when it comes to sports. This Ice Hockey title looks stunning and should be a must have for sports fans upon release with the PS3 in March.

January 3, 2007

    PS3 News
    Over the last couple of days I had a few people ask me where I received confirmation of the March 15 release date for the Playstation 3 as I reported on December 24 and if it was official. It is not official as yet in the regard that Sony Australia has not put out an official press release to date. Having said that the March 15 date is all over the official Playstation web site - and we tend to believe that as a reliable source if ever there was one.

    PS3 Preview
    Formula One Championship Edition is the official game of the FIA Formula One Racing Series. It is the biggest racing series around the globe and this Playstation 3 launch title looks absolutely sensational. Real cars, real teams, real tracks and real drivers. Can you pass this one up - we think not!

January 2, 2007

    PS2 Preview
    Arthur and the Invisibles is, in case you were unsure, a movie tie-in. While the movie is due out in a couple of weeks - so is the game tie-in thanks to Atari. What makes this so interesting is that the part live action and part CG movie has been written and directed by Luc Besson (Leon, Fifth Element). An interesting prospect if ever there was one.

December 26-31, 2006

    Special Article
    2006 Futuregamez Awards
    The year is at an end and that means it's time for the Annual Futuregamez Awards. In fact all three parts are online now and we give you everything from the Worst game of 2006, to the Best Peripheral, Best Online and Offline Multi-player, Best in each genre, Best Sound and Graphics on the PSP and PS2 and of course the Overall Game of the Year for 2006. What games did you miss this year?

December 24, 2006

    Christmas Message
    Well, well. The years sure do fly past don't they. It feels like only months ago that I was writing my last Christmas message. Alas, a year has passed and for many it was disappointing for one single reason - the PS3 didn't hit our shores. But we do have good news about the PS3 launch in Australia - so make sure you keep reading.

    2006 was a fantastic year for PS2 and PSP owners though with many stunning games on offer. Don't forget to check back over the next week as we put up the Sixth Annual Futuregamez.net awards.

    We must send some very special Christmas cheer to those that make this site possible - the games companies. These guys make Futuregamez.net what it is with fantastic support all year long. Thanks go to: Activision/Joel Graham & Suddy Bhardwaj, Atari/David Wildgoose, Gillian Nalletamby, and Sabrina Naidu, Electronic Arts/Burchin Ergin & Jamie McKinlay, QV Software/Snezana Stojanovska & Omar Braery, Red Ant/Joseph Donoghue, Leigh White (sorry to see you leave this week!), Malcom Ma, Nichola Bryan, Ivone Bozzi, & Tim Formosa, Sony Australia & related companies/Adrian Christie & Rebecca Rice, Rob Lowe, Anna Donnison, Jon Manning, Annette Vitetta, Nicole Kennedy & Amanda Starr, Take Two Interactive/Leigh Harris & Simon Ramsey, THQ/Drew Taylor, Ben Pollock, Paul Houlihan & Katherine Charles, UbiSoft/Owen Hughes & Chad Acers, and finally Vivendi/Bennett Ring, Jane Flockhart, Sarah Frare, Nick Wong, Chris Davey. There are tonnes of other companies too - but to list them all would take pages.

    There are two other very special groups of people to thank. The first are the reviewers who don't get paid for what they do, but take time out to play games, sometimes good, sometimes bad, in order to contribute to the site so to Ben and Michael - Thanks.

    Finally the readers. Without you the site would be nothing. We look forward to bringing you even more coverage including the Playstation 3 launch (which we will get to in a second) in 2007.

    Merry Christmas,
    David Warner, and the Futuregamez.net team.

    PS3 Australian Launch
    You want it - we've got it. Now this isn't 100% confirmed with a press release, but it's pretty much as good. Sony has just updated thier Australian web site with a sweet new look and plenty of new content - including the Playstation 3. (You can check out the site here). Where this gets interesting though is the game pages. Each of the major titles expected for launch now has a date of March 15, 2007. We're pretty confident that this is the date Sony Australia are currently targeting - if they weren't sure they surely would have just listed "March 2007" as they have in the past. The site also lists both 20GB and 60GB versions, so contrary to rumours we may see both systems at launch, and games such as Heavenly Sword and Warhawk are also listed for launch day. Well, there you have it folks. Merry Christmas.

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