During Microsoft's Tokyo Game Show conference yesterday, the company announced new details regarding its upcoming HD-DVD movie player attachment for Xbox 360. It will be available in Japan on November 17, 2006 for 19,800 yen ($168.21). No North American release date nor price was announced, though many expect Microsoft to round up to $199 for the U.S. market, where Xbox 360 has seen the greatest success.

Microsoft also put rest to long running arguments regarding the attachment's ability to output in 1080p resolution. Despite the attachment and the Xbox 360 itself lacking HDMI, the device will indeed be able to play content in 1080p resolution via component cables. More surprising was the company's announcement that, following an upcoming Xbox 360 software update, the Xbox 360 console itself will be able to output video and game content in 1080p. The HD-DVD attachment will not be required to achieve this on the Xbox 360 console itself. Existing games for the system, nearly all of which are rendered in 720p, can be upscaled to 1080p in real time once the update goes live, but for games to output in 1080p natively, developers will have to code games specifically for that resolution. These announcements come after various Microsoft employees downplayed the importance of 1080p gaming, particularly in the context of Sony's PlayStation 3, which also supports the resolution. Last month, "There's been a lot of interest in the PS3 due to its stated 1080p output for both games and movies (via Blu-ray)," wrote Microsoft's Andre "Ozymandias" last month in his blog. "What's interesting is that a lot of folks don't realize how meaningless 1080p actually is in this generation."

Several new Xbox Live Arcade titles were announced: Konami's Gyruss, Konami's Rush'n Attack, Namco's Ms. Pac-Man, and Namco's New Rally-X. Konami's Yie Ar Kung Fu will be heading to Live Arcade as a Japanese exclusive. Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani also took the opportunity to announce that Microsoft will be collaborating with Namco Bandai on what appears to be the first Pac-Man World Championship, to be held next year. The world's top ten Pac-Man players according to Xbox Live Arcade will be invited to New York to compete for the title of Pac-Man world champion.

During its conference, Microsoft put a great deal of emphasis on its dedication to the Japanese market. Over 100 retail and Xbox Live Arcade games are currently in the works for the territory, 70 of which are being developed by Japanese studios and 50 of which will be exclusive to Japan. The company also announced a new advertising campaign for the Japanese market, and showed trailers from high-profile Xbox 360-exclusive games likely to appeal to Japanese audiences, such as Capcom's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Tri-Ace's Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream, and Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi.

Various sites, tracking back to a forum post on Beyond3D, are reporting on news from Japanese publication Famitsu that Polyphony Digital's upcoming Gran Turismo HD will ship as a bare bones game and filled out with vehicles and tracks purchased online. Gran Turismo HD, a PS3 conversion of Gran Turismo 4 (PS2), was first unveiled at E3 2006 and is intended as a stopgap between GT4 and the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 (PS3), expected in 2008. According to these reports, GT HD will be released soon in two varieties, Gran Turismo HD: Classic and Gran Turismo HD: Premium. The Classic edition appears to be essentially an online enabled version of the E3 demo, but does not include any vehicles or tracks. These components must be purchased individually online for between 50 and 100 yen ($.43-$.85) per vehicle and between 200 and 500 yen ($1.71-$4.26) per track, with a total of up to 750 cars and 50 tracks available. Not all vehicles and tracks will be available for purchase at launch. Some may be released on a periodic basis and some may even be limited quantity offers. The Premium edition does not appear to feature online play, but rather includes a "cusual arcade mode." This version comes equipped with 30 cars, some new, and two courses, both new. Up to 30 additional cars and two additional courses would be made available for purchase online.

Update: It appears that both the Classic and Premium editions of the game are included on the same disc. While the Classic game is largely GT4 upscaled to 1080p, the Premium portion takes greater advantage of the PS3 hardware. It is intended as "prologue" for the upcoming Gran Turismo 5. Essentially, the Premium game with its included two tracks and thirty cars is the primary game, while the Classic game is the online mode that must be filled out with content purchased online from the beginning.

No pricing for either base game was given. It is unclear whether either game is set for release outisde of Japan. However, in an Official PlayStation Magazine interview with SCEA's Phil Harrison, the exec specifically singled out Gran Turismo as an example of a game for which users could buy and download new content online. "Imagine Gran Turismo shipping on a disc with one car and one track. And then you can browse, online, a dynamic circuit of vehicles that's growing every day because either the car manufacturers are adding new vehicles or we're adding new vehicles," he explained. "And you can see a specific-type car that's being called up and say, 'I think I'll play with that one. Let me download and play it.' Maybe the business model allows you to play it for a day; maybe the business model allows you to own it forever."

Last week, Telltale Games marketing coordinator Emily Morganti put up a blog post about a number of emails Telltale received from fans about the possibility of the company's upcoming Sam & Max series of episodic adventure games possibly heading to Nintendo's Wii console. The rumors were based on a comment made by Telltale CEO Dan Connors at the recent Penny Arcade expo, and, the internet being what it is, they quickly ballooned into the subject of a fan crusade. It wasn't long before Nintendo got wind of all this, and the company responded by getting in contact with Telltale. Though the first game, entitled Culture Shock, is headed for the PC in just a few weeks, Telltale is enthusiastic about the possibility of Sam & Max coming to Wii or to other consoles such as Xbox 360, via Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade. Shacknews contacted Telltale CEO Dan Connors for some answers regarding the matter. Check out the full interview for more.

Ever since Activision picked up Guitar Hero publisher RedOctane, many have speculated that Harmonix's wildly popular PlayStation 2 title may eventually be headed to other platforms. It appears those hopes have been confirmed. Activision CEO Robert Kotick, speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia XV Conference, stated that the game will indeed be coming to "every significant new format." In all likelihood, this applies at least to the three next-gen console systems.

Yesterday, rumors emerged from the Gamestation Conference, held by UK retailer Gamestation for its employees, that the upcoming Guitar Hero II (PS2) is headed for Xbox 360 in 2007. Kotick's statement lends credence to those rumors.

Microsoft today announced that it will soon be launching a Platinum Hits program for Xbox 360, shaving $30 off the initial launch price of several top selling games for the system. The first set of games to become Platinum Hits is comprised of Rare's Perfect Dark Zero, Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham Racing 3, Rare's Kameo: Elements of Power, and EA Black Box's Need for Speed Most Wanted. These games will be rebranded to the new line as of October 15, 2006 with an MSRP of $29.99.

Xbox Platinum Hits for Microsoft's debut console, which included games such as Bungie's Halo and FASA Studio's Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, reportedly made up a hefty 16% of all Xbox software sold.

Today there's Tokyo Game Show coverage from GameSpot, IGN, 1UP,

Nintendo today revealed launch date and pricing information for the remaining major gaming territories, following this week's earlier announcements of the system's North and South American and Japanese launch details. After launching in the Americas on November 19 and Japan on December 2, the system will reach Australia on December 7 for a retail price of AU$399.95 (US$301.32). Europe will follow on December 8 for GBP 179 (US$336.73) and 249 Euros (US$316.33). Nintendo also revealed the system's Canadian launch price of CA$279.95 (US$250.40). Interestingly, this actually puts the machine at an initial price of CA$20 less than its predecessor GameCube, which launched in Canada at CA$299.95 (US$268.29).

Shacknews has also received official comment from Nintendo in regards to certain Wii details that have seen various conflicting reports in recent days, thanks to inconsistent statements by Nintendo executives. A Nintendo representative stated that, contrary to a report from CNet, Wii will not be bundled with component video cables but rather will include composite cables. Component cables will be available separately. Nintendo also clarified that, contrary to statements made by Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan, first party software will indeed be region encoded.

One odd bit of news regarding Wii is that the system's Opera-developed web browser will be a free download via the system's Wii Shop Channel--but only until June 2007. At that point, the software must be purchased. No price was revealed.

Nintendo's official site now lists the full slate of Wii Channels:

- Mii Channel, used to create and store caricatured models of the system owner and his or her friends, which can also be loaded onto a Wii remote for transportation.
- Photo Channel, used to view, sort, and edit digital photos, and create slideshows.
- Forecast Channel, which reports global weather forecastsusing a Google Earth-like interface.
- News Channel, with up to date global news broken into various categories.
- Wii Shop Channel, where users purchase Virtual Console games and can download software such as the Opera web browser.
- Virtual Console Channel, from which Virtual Console games are launched.
- Internet Channel, used to browse the internet with the Opera software; Nintendo was sure to note that the browser supports Flash and Ajax, in case you were wondering.
- Wii Message Board, from which users can send messages and photos to other Wii users, as well as to cell phones. Users can also leave local messages to those within their own household, essentially serving as an electronic corkboard or refrigerator door. This is also the channel through which the always-on WiiConnect24 service can seamlessly deliver downloadable content to games while the system is powered off.
- Disc Channel, simply used to launch the Wii or GameCube game inserted into the system's disc drive.

Nintendo has provided a list of 50 Wii games--41 of which are from third parties--known to be hitting North America by March 31, 2007, which also happens to be the date by which the company plans to have shipped 6 million consoles worldwide. Of these games, 21 are currently expected to launch with the system. Obviously, both lists are still subject to change as developers announce more titles and others inevitably delay some. Launch titles are as follows, prefaced by developer and followed by publisher; no developer is listed when that information has not been released:

- Monster Games' Excite Truck (Nintendo)
- Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
- Nintendo's Wii Sports (Nintendo)
- Treyarch's Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
- Raven Software and Vicarious Visions' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Activision)
- Rapala Tournament Fishing (Activision)
- Toys for Bob's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Activision)
- World Series of Poker (Activision)
- Atlus' Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Atlus)
- EA Canada's Madden NFL 07 (EA Sports)
- EA Black Box's Need for Speed Carbon (EA Black Box)
- Konami's Elebits (Konami)
- Amusement Vision's Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (Sega)
- Ubisoft Romania's Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII (Ubisoft)
- Ubisoft Montreal's Far Cry Vengeance (Ubisoft)
- MTO's GT Pro Series (Ubisoft)
- Monster 4x4 World Circuit (Ubisoft)
- Ubisoft Montreal's Open Season (Ubisoft)
- Ubisoft Montpellier's Rayman Raving Rabbids (Ubisoft)
- Ubisoft Paris' Red Steel (Ubisoft)
- Ubisoft Montreal's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent (Ubisoft)

Microsoft and developer Blueside today announced that Blueside's previously-announced Kingdom Under Fire game for Xbox 360 and PC is now an Xbox 360 exclusive. Kingdom of Fire: Circle of Doom, expected to release worldwide in early 2007. Blueside is largely comprised of core team members from Phantagram's epic RTS franchise Kingdom Under Fire, and most recently developed Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes (Xbox). This game deviates somewhat from the series' established conventions, spinning off the KUF universe into an action RPG containing randomly generated environments and dungeon crawling, as well as online cooperative play. The trademark enormous masses of enemies will, however, carry over. "Finally, the world will be able to see what to expect of Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom," said Blueside VP S.D. Kim. "I think its innovative use of technology and new features that we kept up our sleeves will be pleasant surprises for all the gamers out there."

Seaman (DC, PS2) developer Vivarium has officially announced details on its upcoming Seaman 2 (PS2). Surprisingly, the upcoming incarnation of the bizarre backtalking life sim features a substantially different creature than the original game. Rather than a grumpy human-faced fish, Seaman 2 features a caveman, of all things. Publisher Sega is expected to show the game at next week's Tokyo Game Show.

Former Square Enix designer Yasumi Matsuno is known for his directorial roles on Ogre Battle (NES, PS1, SAT), Tactics Ogre (SNES, PS1, SAT), Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1), and Vagrant Story (PS1). More recently, he was directing Square Enix's Final Fantasy XII (PS2) but left Square Enix and the project before its completion, and apparently disappeared from public view. Matsuno resurfaced this week in a video interview shown at Nintendo's Japanese press event. 1UP has translations of statements made by the developer, indicating that he is currently working on a Wii project. "The Wii controller makes total sense when you think about FPS-like games, but my question was, will the controls fit other existing games?" he noted. "However, when I first tried Mario Galaxy, I realized that the controller fit the game almost scarily well. It allows you to intuitively feel the game and its atmosphere." Given his extensive history as a director of roleplaying games, it seems likely that Matsuna's Wii game is an RPG, but no details were given. It is unknown what studio is developing the title.

Developer Hudson Soft today announced that it is currently developing eight games for Wii. The titles have only been officially confirmed for Japanese release, though given that the announcement was also parotted by the company's US division, it seems likely that some of the games will find their way to North American shores. Hudson's lineup ranges from simple puzzle games, to more fully fleshed titles, to games with no English description. The full list is as follows (all dates currently pertain only to Japan):

- Batinda (Feb. 2007)
- Bomberman Land (working title) (Mar. 2007)
- Crossword (Mar. 2007)
- Fishing Master (working title) (launch)
- Jigsaw Puzzle (Mar. 2007)
- Korinpa (TBA): A Marble Madness-like game with world-tilt control similar to Monkey Ball
- Sudoku (launch)
- Wing Island (working title) (TBA): Hudson's "Flight Game" first announced just prior to E3

Hudson has also stated that it is currently planning at least 30 TurboGrafx-16 games for Wii's Virtual Console, with multiple titles coming at launch.

Nintendo is currently in the midst of a Japanese press conference at which it is revealing many of the final details about its upcoming Wii console. Known information will be updated here as it is reported.

- Latest: Nintendo is launching websites left and right. Here's a list that will be updated accordingly:

- Wii.com: Contains videos of the Wii interface, avatar functionality, and weather and news channels.
- Wii Preview teaser trailer: Consists of footage of various games that have been announced as well as some that have not previously been shown.
- Wii Preview coverage: Twelve-page compilation of slides and trailers from Nintendo's presentation. Notable: Zelda trailer, Virtual Console footage, Opera browser footage, photo browsing.

- Nintendo has released a teaser reel on its official site showing, among other titles, the previously unannounced boxing and bowling Wii Sports games. It also demonstrates new environments from Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, previously unseen footage from Atlus' Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Intelligent Systems' upcoming Fire Emblem game, the Resident Evil game for Wii, and others.

- Nintendo has launched Wii.com, currently containing the first video footage of the system's interface, as well as clips of its news and weather channels and web browser, as described below.

- Update: All information regarding the system's North and South American launch should currently be considered unconfirmed. News from the New York Times as relayed by the Seattle Post-Intelligence has been retracted and may not be accurate. In several hours, Nintendo will be holding an event in New York, at which time final information will be released. Update 2: The article has been reissued and is being confirmed by other news sources. The North and South American launch information is likely correct.

- According to the New York Times, the system will launch in North and South America on November 19 with a suggested retail price of $250. This will be packed in with Wii Sports, a collection of accessible multiplayer sports titles including baseball, tennis, golf, boxing and bowling. Update: The New York Times Article has apparently been pulled. More as it develops. Update 2: The article has been reissued.
- Famitsu is reporting a Japanese launch date of December 2, with a retail price of 25,000 yen ($212.50).
- Nintendo plans to ship some 4 million Wii units to retail channels within 2006.
- Virtual Console games will run between $5 and $10 each, putting them largely in the range of Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade titles. Approximately 30 Virtual Console games will be available at launch. Among these may be the six Genesis titles revealed by the ESRB earlier this week.
- Retail games are expected to retain the current generation pricing of $50. About 25 games are planned for the system's launch.
- According to the New York Times, the already much-delayed The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess may not be launching alongside Wii, but will instead appear later in 2006. Update: This information is currently in question. Twilight Princess is apparently set for a Japanese launch at least. More as it develops. Update 2: The New York Times does not explicitly list the game as missing launch or making it.
- Wii will include various "channels" allowing the system to serve as a living room centerpiece, though it has a different slant than the media hub-oriented features being pushed by competitors Sony and Microsoft. The console will include a channel for users to display digital photos, and will also feature weather and news channels. Opera's custom web browser will be included with the system.
- Confirmed Japanese launch titles so far are The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, Wii Sports, and Pokemon: Battle Revolution.

Speaking at the Merrill Lynch Media and Entertainment Conference, Activision CEO Robert Kotick laid out the upcoming launch titles the publisher will be providing for PlayStation 3 and Wii, with three games coming to each system. Both PS3 and Wii will be receiving Treyarch's Call of Duty 3 and Raven's Marvel: Ultimate Alliance on their respective launch days, as well as one Tony Hawk game. PS3 will get Neversoft s Tony Hawk's Project 8, while Wii will get Toys for Bob's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam.

Kotick noted that, as many have anticipated, most PlayStation 3 titles will be priced at $59.99, following in line with Xbox 360's game pricing. He also revealed the company's upcoming Spider-Man 3 game has surpassed a staggering budget of $35M across its various platforms.

Given the success of Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham Racing franchise, it seems quite likely that a fourth iteration of the popular racer is in the works, though no such game has yet been officially announced. However, confirmation of Project Gotham Racing 4 may have inadvertently come via automobile manufacture Peugot. In the company's official rules of its Peugeot Design Contest 2007, it notes that the contest winner's design will be featured in Project Gotham Racing 4. The relevant text, which also includes a projected release period, is as follows:

In addition,the winning concept car will be included by MICROSOFT in the Project Gotham Racing® 4 game, exclusively on Xbox 360 that will be released towards the end of 2007 or first half of 2008. The future winner is hereby informed that he/she will not receive any remuneration for this.

When contacted by Shacknews regarding the matter, Microsoft declined to comment. Inquiries have also been sent to developer Bizarre Creations, but were unanswered at time of writing.

Ubisoft has announced two upcoming action games for PSP. First up is a version of Ubisoft Montreal's Rainbow Six Vegas, previously announced for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The story will parallel that of the home console games, and has players alternating between control of two main characters, field operative Brian Armstrong and sniper Shawn Rivers. Ubisoft promises a "tailored control system built specifically for the PSP system," as well as exclusive PSP content such as concept art and a "Terrorist Hunt" mode, unlockable by building up stats in the game. The game features local and online wireless multiplayer modes, which include six unspecified classic Rainbow Six maps. The PSP version of Rainbow Six Vegas is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec City and is due for release this holiday season.

The publisher also announced that PSP will be getting another Prince of Persia title. Last year, Pipeworks Software delivered a port of Prince of Persia Warrior Within to Sony's portable platform, and the developer is following up on that title with Prince of Persia Rival Swords, a port of Prince of Persia The Two Thrones. The PSP game will contain the same game content as the original game, released last year for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC, and will also include a new multiplayer mode allowing players to race against one another as the Prince and the Dark Prince. Rival Swords also includes new single-player chariot race menus that exist outside of the game's main story. Pipeworks Software's Prince of Persia Rival Swords is set to arrive this holiday season in Europe and in 2007 in North America.

The official site of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, which assigns content ratings and descriptors to North American video games, can occasionally be a good place to spot unannounced upcoming video games, since every major North American publisher submits its games to the organization. Recently, the ESRB rated--and thus publically revealed--seven upcoming Virtual Console games, all originally released on SEGA Genesis. The list is as follows:

- Altered Beast (Sega, 1989)
- Columns (Sega, 1991)
- Ecco the Dolphin (Appaloosa Interactive, 1992)
- Golden Axe (Sega, 1989)
- Ristar (Sega, 1995)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega, 1991)
- Toe Jam & Earl (TJ&E Productions, 1991)

No indication was given as to the games' release dates. Shacknews has sent further inquiries to Sega on the matter. Oh, and in case you were wondering, all of the games have been rated E. Some contain "Animated Violence," and Toe Jam & Earl was marked with "Comic Mischief." (Thanks Codename Revolution)

Developer FromSoftware has launched a teaser site indicating that the company's Xbox 360 RPG Enchant Arm (Enchanted Arms in English language territories) is in development for PlayStation 3. Enchanted Arms was released in North America last month, and its cover art features an "Only on Xbox 360" logo. Notably, the game's Japanese packaging does not feature such a logo. This may mean that the game is headed for PS3 in Japan only, but it is not yet clear if this is the case.

The Seaman official site, operated by franchise developer Vivarium, has been updated to indicate that a sequel to the Dreamcast cult classic will be officially announced later this week. Original publisher Sega will also be publishing the sequel. Almost exactly a year ago, Vivarium revealed that PlayStation 2 would be seeing Seaman 2, but no details have been revealed since then. Since then, Vivarium has released the bizarre pinball/strategy title Odama (GCN) and The Tower SP (GBA), a port of the company's original SimTower.

GameSpot AU chats with Xbox Australia boss David McLean, who gives his thoughts on Sony's recent delay of PlayStation 3 in Europe and Australasia. "[It] doesn't surprise me--and it further wouldn't surprise me if this product wasn't seen in March next year either," said McLean.

We've got a wacky interview with Atlus' Tomm Hulett about Grasshopper Manufacture's wacky upcoming game Contact (NDS).

In late breaking news that came after a day of hype by various gaming blogs yesterday, Nintendo and IBM Corp. announced that the Broadway CPUs used in Nintendo's upcoming Wii console have entered production. "The first chips are in our possession," said Nintendo senior director and general manager of integrated R&D Genyo Takeda. "Today's milestone marks the final stage of our drive to reach both core and nontraditional gamers with an inviting, inclusive and remarkable gaming experience." The chips feature silicon-on-insulator technology that reduces energy consumption by 20% while improving processing power.

Earlier this week, Sony announced that it has stockpiled many of the Cell processors used to power its upcoming PlayStation 3.

Last month, Ubisoft announced that it will be shipping seven launch titles alongside Nintendo's upcoming Wii console. Today, IGN reported that it will be bringing the number up to eight, as it tacks on a previously unannounced Wii version of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent. The game will feature a unique control scheme tailored to the system's motion-sensing controller, but in depth details were not revealed. IGN is also hosting the first screens of the game. Ubisoft Montreal is handling development of the game, which is based on the PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions of Double Agent with graphical enhancements.

IGN has acquired the first official shot of cover art for PlayStation 3 software. The artwork corresponds to Sony Online Entertainment's action RPG sequel Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom. Rather than the horizontal branding bar used in all three current-gen cover art templates, the PlayStation 3 template uses a vertical "PlayStation 3" branding bar reminiscent of the vertical bar used for original PlayStation software. There is also a white-backed PlayStation family badge in the upper left. Noticing that the artwork is the precise size of Blu-ray Disc movie cover art, IGN created a mockup of what the final product may look like when inserted into a Blu-ray Disc case.

Sony's official System Update site for PSP reveals that the latest version of the portable console's system software has been made available. Among other tweaks, version 2.81 adds support for video and image content download via RSS, allows playback of AAC sound files with the .3gp extension, addresses a security vulnerability, and enables content playback from root [MUSIC], [PICTURE], and [VIDEO] folders on Memory Sticks. Sony has also made available a demo of SCEE London's World Tour Soccer 06.

Famitsu's official site has a listing of publisher Koei's upcoming Tokyo Game Show lineup, translated by IGN. The games to be showcased span PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP, and PC. The list is as follows:

- Blade Storm (PS3)
- Dynasty Warriors Mahjong (NDS, PSP)
- Fatal Inertia (PS3)
- G1 Jockey 4 2006 (PS2)
- Harukanaru Toki no Naka De (PS2)
- Mahjong Taikai IV (PS3)
- Ni-Oh (PS3)
- Nobunaga's Ambition Online (PS2, PC)
- Pocket Scenario Series Harukanaru Toki no Naka De (NDS)
- Samurai Warriors 2 Empire (PS2)
- Samurai Warriors Wave (Wii)
- Sangokushi 11 (PS2)

Microsoft today announced that 4Kids Entertainment's computer animated television series spun off of Rare's upcoming Viva Pinata (X360) will debut on FOX network television tomorrow. "People of all ages are invited into the Viva Piqata universe," said Microsoft corporate VP Shane Kim, "where they will meet a cast of wacky characters and enjoy an immersive interactive experience with the Xbox 360 game and Viva Pinata merchandise." Microsoft plans to launch an extensive merchandise line in 2007. The Viva Pinata official site will relaunch on September 11. "This is a brand the world will grow to know and love, thanks to a dynamic partnership with Microsoft Game Studios and Rare," said 4Kids chairman and CEO Alfred R. Kahn.

IGN interviews Atlus' Tomm Hulett about the company's Wii surgery-based launch title Trauma Center: Second Opinion.

IGN is hosting the first developer diary for Konami's crazy Wii launch title Elebits (check out our preview).

IGN has a developer diary written by Insomniac's Ted Price about the studio's PS3 launch shooter Resistance: Fall of Man.

IGN speaks with Ubisoft producer Tats Myojo about MTO's upcoming GT Pro Series (Wii), and has pictures of the steering wheel-shaped shell that will be included with the game.

Sony Computer Entertainment has revealed that its planned worldwide launch for PlayStation 3 this November will be reaching a little less of the world than expected. Territories using the PAL display standard, including Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australasia will see PS3 launch in March 2007. Dates for Japan and North America were unaffected by the change, remaining on November 11 and November 17 respectively. Apparently, the postponement comes as a result of difficulties in manufacturing the blue laser diode used in the system's Blu-ray Disc player. According to Sony Computer Entertainment head Ken Kutaragi, manufacturing has been set back about a month. Today's press release noted that Sony is still on track for its previously stated target of shipping 6 million PS3 units within its fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2007.

Throughout the day there were numerous contrary claims regarding how many units Sony would ship upon launch, and how the shipments would break down between North America and Japan. Early reports came from the Associated Press' coverage of a Tokyo press conference held by Ken Kutaragi. The AP reported that the United States will receive an initial shipment of 400,000 units, with 100,000 heading to Japan. These numbers were later denied by Sony Computer Entertainment representatives, who claimed that the company's original plans of shipping 2 million units on launch day and 4 million by the end of calendar 2006 were still in the works. However, these claims were further disputed. When contacted for clarification, SCEA confirmed to Shacknews that the 400,000 and 100,000 figures for North America and Japan are indeed accurate. Sony now plans to ship only between 2 million and 2.4 million units between those two territories by the end of calendar 2006, with approximately half of that sum going to each.

As far as reasons for Europe being chosen for the delay, Kutaragi cited product transport costs as well as time needed to complete multilingual localization for games. In regards to the manufacturing problems themselves, it seems that they lie solely on Blu-ray, and not the system's new Cell CPU. Kutaragi claimed that despite PS3 not yet having entered production, Sony has already stocked 3 million Cell chips, with production on schedule.

In the wake of Sony's announcements of PlayStation 3 delays and shortages, executives--at Sony and elsewhere--and analysts have come forward to offer their opinions on the matter, the latest in what many have perceived as an ongoing line of PR nightmares for Sony. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Computer Entertainment UK boss Ray Maguire said, "We are extremely disappointed at news of this delay. We can truly empathise with everyone who was looking forward to PS3's imminent release." He went on to reassure fans that the upcoming March 2007 launch will be "the biggest and best in the company's history." These announcements come just one day after Sony launched its official European PS3 website, serving as a starting point for its "This is Living" advertising campaign and featuring short films promoting the system.

GI.biz also got feedback from an executive at major Sony competitor Microsoft. Speaking to the site, Xbox UK head Neil Thompson took some veiled jabs at Sony's latest announcements. "We know how challenging it is to pull off a global launch," he said, "so it's not surprising that Sony has backed away from their previously announced launch plan, due to the unproven technology they are trying to pack in to their console." Thompson went on to make various comments on the relative awesomeness of Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Analysts had mixed reactions to today's news. Outspoken Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter claimed that the news demonstrates Sony's firm commitment to the North American market. "The allocation to the US--80 per cent of initial shipments--is shocking," said Pachter. "I really think it's unfortunate for European consumers, but the delay makes clear that Sony intends to fight the Blu-Ray - HD-DVD battle on US soil." He believes that the diode-related shipment problems may occur into 2007, evoking similaties to Microsoft's widely reported Xbox 360 shipment issues. London-based KBC Financial Products analyst Amir Anvarzedah was less charitable. "Sony Computer once again proves that its execution remains awful," he said, also pointing out that the last quarter of the calendar year, which PS3 will be missing in Europe, is responsible for up to 80 percent of industry sales.

IGN today published an interview with outspoken Team NINJA designer Tomonobu Itagaki, who spoke about his company's current projects in his well known brash manner. Most of the interview was dedicated to the studio's upcoming Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (X360), the volleyball- and mini-game-laden spinoff of the Dead or Alive series of fighting games. Later on, however, Itagaki got to talking about the Xbox 360 platform. Speaking on the system's multi-threaded architexture, he dropped a hint that a sequel to the studio's well received Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) may well be in the works. "if you're working on a game like Ninja Gaiden 2, where it's really important that enemies are smart and challenging, then we might use up to two threads on AI," he said. When asked about Ninja Gaiden 2 outright, Itagaki responded, "I won't upset anybody by denying your expectations. I like to see people's expectations fulfilled."

Itagaki also stated that Team NINJA has seen PlayStation 3 hardware and would consider developing for it. "I think the most important thing is for people to have good games that they want to play on good hardware, so if there is a demand for it, we may follow that path some time in the future," he said, adding, "Obviously, we are big supporters of the Xbox platform." Team NINJA has developed for the Xbox platform since 2001's Dead or Alive 3.

In the latest edition of IGN Wii's Mailbag column, editor Matt Cassamassina let loose two Wii-related rumors. The first is speculation on Cassamassina's part that, contrary to prior announcements, Wii may not have an optional DVD playback attachment. When first announced as Revolution, the system was to have a small internally contained component that would enable DVD playback in the machine, should owners need it. However, as Cassamassina points out, Nintendo has not so much as mentioned this attachment recently, and no mention is made of it on the company's official Wii site. Inquiries to Nintendo about the matter went unanswered. Looks like prospective Wii gamers may have to rely on one of the other half-dozen DVD players likely present somewhere in their houses.

Cassamassina's other claim, which seems to be based on tangible insider knowledge, is that the quietly announced GameCube platformer Super Paper Mario (screenshots) is now headed to Wii rather than to Nintendo's waning current-gen system. He did not have (or give) any details as to how it may affect the game's release or content.

Microsoft studio Turn 10's racer Forza Motorsport 2 (X360) has been long delayed beyond its original planned release of late 2004. Now, it appears it has been delayed again. According to a post in a monstrous Gaming-Age Forums thread on the part of Forza 2 community member Che Chou, the game will be missing its holiday season 2006 release date. Chou claimed that a new release date will be announced during Microsoft's upcoming X06 event in Barcelona.

This week, Microsoft released several new screenshots and wireframe renders for the game.

Atlus today announced that it will be publishing Mitchell's Polarium Advance in North America. The game is a sequel to Mitchell's Nintendo DS title Polarium, and features new sets of puzzles using the same tile-flipping gameplay as its predecessor, adding a few new types of tiles as well. Polarium Advance will contain 365 puzzles that can be played at any time or in a "Daily Polarium Mode" that delivers players a new puzzle each day. It also features an edit mode, allowing players to create up to 100 custom puzzles which can be sent to friends, presumably using a Game Boy Advance link cable or wireless adapter.

Atlus plans to release Mitchell's Polarium Advance in November 2006.

This week, Ubisoft officially confirmed that Assassin's Creed, previously only officially announced for PlayStation 3, will also be coming to PC. However, the company did not clarify whether the game is heading to Xbox 360, a rumor that has continually surfaced for months. Now, IGN's Xbox 360 site features a large feature link proclaiming "Assassin's Creed 360 Bound; Confirmation of what we all expected has arrived with the first screens." However, for several hours after the image was posted, the link lead only to a 404 page. Now, the link and image have been removed altogether.

Further cementing the likelihood of the game's presence on Xbox 360 is a preview image of the latest issue of UK publication 360 Magazine, via Imagine Publishing's official site. The magazine cover states "World Exclusive; Assassin's Creed; Ubisoft Goes In for the Kill." This story exclusivity may be the reason for IGN's hesitance to run its own story.

Shacknews has sent inquiries to Ubisoft regarding the matter.

Update: 1UP joins in the fun as well, offering yet more confirmation, this time from Electronic Gaming Monthly.

GameSpot has conducted an interview with Capcom producer Jun Takeuchi, currently working on the slick Xbox 360 sci-fi action title Lost Planet, in which Takeuchi reconfirms that the game is indeed headed only to Xbox 360. "Typically when the development team sets out to create a game, we focus development of the title on a single platform and for Lost Planet that platform is the Xbox 360," he said. "We have no plans at this time of porting to or developing for another console as this would potentially dilute the final product." He made a similar claim about the recently released Dead Rising (X360).

This runs contrary to recent statements made by Takeuchi. At the time, Takeuchi noted that while Capcom would "try to keep it as a 360 exclusive," certain business factors may result in the game being ported to PlayStation 3. Capcom also developed something of a reputation for breaking exclusivity late in the current console generation when it released several PlayStation 2 ports of formerly GameCube exclusive titles such as Resident Evil 4 and Grasshopper's Killer7.

In the interview published today, Takeuchi seemed unconcerned with the Xbox 360's lackluster performance in Japan, even if "of course we wish there was a larger installed user base domestically in Japan, as do all Japanese developers and publishers." He stated that more Japanese publishers should take a global perspective and develop titles tailored not just for Japan but for other markets. Takeuchi pointed to Dead Rising's North American success as vindication of this strategy.

Capcom expects to ship Lost Planet for Xbox 360 worldwide in January 2007. - Screenshots.

Atlus announced today that it will be bringing to North America its Nintendo DS RPG entitled Etrian Odyssey, known in Japan as Sekaiju no Meikyuu. Etrian Odyssey is a turn-based RPG using 3D graphics on the DS' top screen, with the ability to draw on and create maps on the bottom screen. The game is set in the land of Etria, where players explore a forested labyrinth. - Screenshots, artwork.

Etrian Odyssey is directed by Kazuya Niinou, also responsible for the well received but punshing Trauma Center; Under the Knife (NDS), with story and world design by Shigeo Kobayashi, credited in the upcoming Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner (PS2, PSP). Monster design is by Shin Nagasawa (Final Fantasy IX [PS1]), and the game's score is by Yuzo Koshiro (Actraiser [SNES], Sreets of Rage [SMS, GEN]).

Atlus plans to release Etrian Odyssey for Nintendo DS in Q1 2007.

This week, Volition's GTA-esque Saint's Row (X360) hit store shelves, but was met with complaints of various bugs, many related to the game's online multiplayer mode. Today, the studio posted a message on its official forums stating that a single- and multiplayer patch for the game is currently in the works. This update will address several issues, including problems with the game's bandwidth management, matchmaking system, a "clothes stealing" exploit, and resolution-related graphical errors. No timeframe was given for the release of this patch.

A playable demo of Ubisoft Montreal's Far Cry Instincts Predator (X360), released this March, is now available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace. This multiplayer demo weighs in at 344MB and contains the gametypes Steal the Sample, Seek and Secure, Predator, Chaos, and Team Chaos.

Atlus today announced that it has launched the official site for Grasshopper Manufacture's upcoming RPG Contact. The game is expected to ship for Nintendo DS this October. - Screenshots.

Game Informer chats with musician Marcus Henderson, who recorded tracks for both of Harmonix's Guitar Hero games, about the upcoming Guitar Hero II (PS2).

Electronic Arts today announced that developer Criterion is currently working on the fifth entry in its well regarded Burnout series of racing games. Entitled simply Burnout 5, the game is headed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Burnout 5 diverges significantly from past series entries by featuring a seamless open world environment called Paradise City. "Gone is the need to jump in and out of menus to aimlessly search for fun," notes EA's press release. As players gain more notoriety in the world, they will face up against the city's other legendary racers. "Burnout 5 is a complete reinvention of the series, built from the ground up for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," said Criterion designer Alex Ward. "To create truly next-generation gameplay, we needed to create a truly next-generation game, from top to bottom." In a feature that is somewhat reminiscent of Stefan Eriksson's car crash that spawned months of bizarre and convoluted Gizmondo-related news, today's announcement claims that players will be able to actually "rip their cars in half."

EA plans to ship Criterion Games' Burnout 5 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2007.

Raven Software's upcoming action RPG superhero mashup Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (PS2, Xbox, GCN, PS3, X360, Wii, NDS, PSP, GBA, PC) will be scored by its own alliance of composers. Activision announced today that Chance Thomas (Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire, Unreal II: The Awakening), Cris Velasco (Jaws: Unleashed, Terminator 3: The Redemption, God of War), and Mark Griskey (Gladius, Star Wars: Racer Revenge, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith) will be handling composition duties for the game, which will feature over 50 minutes of original music.

Activision plans to ship Raven Software's Marvel Ultimate Alliance to all platforms later this year.

IGN relays information from a Tecmo financial report indicating that the veteran publisher has signed on to release content for Nintendo's Virtual Console service for Wii. Long time gamers no doubt remember the company's classic NES titles such as Tecmo Bowl and other sports games, as well as the Ninja Gaiden series, both of which are likely candidates for Virtual Console inclusion. Apparently, the company's support for the service is "aggressive." No specific titles or release dates were divulged.

Bethesda sends word that its next piece of downloadable content for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be available for the Xbox 360 version of the game via Xbox Live this Thursday, August 31, the same day the content for the PC version will be available. The Spell Tomes pack, which adds several new spells to the game, is the cheapest Oblivion download yet, at 80 Microsoft Points ($1).

Atlus announced today that its dark Sony-developed survival horror title Rule of Rose (PS2) has received its very own official site. Rule of Rose is set for release in North America on September 12, 2006.

Capcom has announced that its zombie killing title Dead Rising (X360) has seen brisk sales in its first two weeks at retail, with the publisher already having shipped over 500,000 units in North America. The game, which has also seen strong reviews, is set for release on September 8 in Europe and on September 28 in Japan.

Over at FileShack we've got a video diary on Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Vegas (PS3, X360).

As you may have noticed in tonight's Evening Reading, Wired has a lengthy feature up asking whether the PS3 can save Sony. It frames the upcoming PS3 in the context of Sony's recent PR and financial troubles, looking back on the company's history leading up to its present situation, and comparing it to its competitors in Microsoft and Nintendo.

CNET News.com has an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment America president Kaz Hirai, speaking on PlayStation 3 and revealing nothing particularly new.

CNN/Money's Chris Morris posted the latest edition of his Game Over column today, reporting on analyst expectations in regards to potential price cuts for Sony's two current consoles. American Technology Research analyst P.J. McNealy expects Sony to drop the price of its PSP to as low as $149 by the end of the year. Why? According to McNealy, the system has "lost momentum" to Nintendo's DS Lite and Sony will want to "regain some ground."

However, according to Lazard Capital Markets' Colin Sebastian, Sony will remain firm with the price point for PlayStation 2, despite frequent internet hopes that the machine will drop to $99 from its current $129. PS2 has seen consistently strong performance even well after the launch of the next-generation Xbox 360, and its sales are unlikely to be impacted by the more expensive PlayStation 3, which will be largely purchased by hardcore early adopters rather than the remaining gamers picking up a PS2 on a budget.

Bomberman is coming back to Nintendo DS--but this time he's online, as the gaming gods no doubt intended. Atlus today announced Bomberman Land Touch!, the latest edition of the long running explosive based party game. The game is classified by Atlus as "an action adventure game," as it consists of a substantial 15-hour story mode comprised of a full cast of characters over 36 stages.

Of course, that's not the important part. The important part is that the game supports up to four players in classic Bomberman multiplayer via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It will also support up to eight players using single- or multi-cart play via local wireless. - Screenshots.

Atlus and Hudson Soft's Bomberman Land Touch! is set to ship for Nintendo DS in November 2006.

Sierra Entertainment (aka Vivendi Games) today announced that it has entered an agreement with developer Spark Unlimited to create a new franchise for unspecified next generation consoles. No details regarding the gameplay, genre, or backstory of this franchise were given. The two companies expect to ship the first product of their collaboration in 2007.

Recently, Spark developed Call of Duty: Finest Hour (PS2, Xbox, GCN) for Activision, which ended up causing a nasty legal battle between the publisher and developer.

NPD Funworld today released U.S. monthly console sales data, and it turns out the industry collectively did a bit better than expected. Sales saw a 29% increase year over year, up to $684.6M from last July's $531.4M.

In hardware, the Nintendo DS had another month of handily outselling its competitors, with sales of 377,000. PlayStation 2 followed with 241,000 and Xbox 360 with 206,000. Somewhat surprisingly, Game Boy Advance managed to edge out PSP, whose sales took a sharp drop. The two systems sold 163,000 and 161,000 respectively. The waning GameCube and Xbox rounded out the list, with Nintendo's system moving 44,000 and Microsoft's 12,000.

On the software side, the Xbox 360 lineup and publisher Electronic Arts were the big winners. Ten of the top 25 games were for Xbox 360, though PS2 was close behind with nine. Eight of the top 25 were published by EA. Various versions of EA Tiburon's NCAA Football 07 took slots 1, 2, and 4, with Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. (NDS) sliding in between at 3. RedOctane and Harmonix's Guitar Hero (PS2) managed number 8, somewhat surprising given its November 2005 release. From Software's Chromehounds (X360) debuted at 5. Nintendo's two brain games, Brain Age (NDS) and Big Brain Academy (NDS) snagged the 18 and 21 slots, respectively.

Gamasutra has an interesting and lengthy postmortem on Wideload Studios' Stubbs the Zombie in "Rebel Without a Pulse" (Xbox, PC), written by Wideload founder and Bungie co-founder Alex Seropian.

Gamasutra reported today that Rockstar Games has won a lawsuit launched by a Los Angeles strip club, claiming the in-game strip club "The Pig Pen" from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, Xbox, PC) violates registered trademarks owned by the club. The logo of The Pig Pen bears a striking resemblence to that of the actual L.A. club, the Play Pen Gentlemen's Club--no doubt deliberately, as The Pig Pen is located in San Andreas' Los Angeles-esque locale of Los Santos. Despite the similarity, Rockstar was acquitted on First Amendment grounds, as though the in-game reference "bears some artistic relevance" to its real life counterpart, it "does not explicitly mislead consumers as to the source or content of the Game."

The official website of Leipzig's upcoming Games Convention has been updated to include a full list of publisher conferences to be held on August 23, 2006. Most of the conferences lack a detailed description and will likely be showcases for holiday season and 2007 lineups, but a specific title was given for Nintendo's: "Wii prove our promise." Earlier this year, company president Satoru Iwata stated that Nintendo will reveal launch information for its upcoming Wii console by September. So far, the only confirmed details are that the machine will launch before Thanksgiving and for under $250 in the United States. Rumors have been circulating this week that Nintendo will announce up to five new games during their conference.

Another interesting conference is listed. The exhibitor is "Electronic Arts/Nintendo," though no description or title was given. Last month, EA announced six Wii games based on long running EA franchises, only a few or which have as yet been shown. This conference may show more from that lineup.

Many other publishers and developers have Games Convention conferences scheduled, though few give descriptions. These companies include Electronic Arts ("Highlights 2006/2007"), Ubisoft, 10tacle Studios (Elveon & Codename Panzers: Cold War), Microsoft Xbox, Deep Silver, NCSoft Europe (Guild Wars Nightfall), Buena Vista Games, Midway Games, Square Enix, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, and Atari. All of these presentations will take place on August 23.

Though the last few months have seen a sudden upswing in publisher support for Wii, Ubisoft is one of the few third parties that has been on board with Nintendo's upcoming console since the beginning. During a presentation at the Ziff Davis Electronic Games Summit this week, Ubisoft North America president Laurent Detoc announced that the company currently has seven games in development for Wii. So far, the company has only announced two titles for the system--Ubisoft Paris' Wii-exclusive Red Steel, and Ubisoft Montpellier's Rayman Raving Rabbids, whose main version appears to be the Wii version, judging from comments by designer Michel Ancel.

Detoc also spoke on the Wii in general, particularly in regards to its potential to broaden the gaming audience. He sees the machine having "a large audience and market," and recalled that, "The first time I picked up that sucker I couldn't stop playing it."

Midway president David Zucker also revealed the extent of his company's Wii development, confirming that Midway has six games in the works.

Midway today announced that upon the release of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (PS2, Xbox, Wii), the PlayStation 2 version of the game will be available in a Premium Edition consisting of various extra features: an "arcade-perfect" port of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, 60 minutes of feature video content including a "History of Fatalities" movie, and a piece of animation cell cover art signed by Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon. There will be four metallic cover variants of the Premium Edition, three of which feature two characters each--Sindel/Shao Kahn, Johnny Cage/Goro, Kano/Sonya--and one of which is simply a metallic version of the standard box art.

The publisher also specified that the Wii version of the game confirmed yesterday will be shipping in the first quarter of 2007. More information about that version's features will be made available later this year.

Speaking to Kotaku, SNK Playmore marketing manager Yoshihito Koyama indicated that his company plans to avoid PS3 development for the console's first few years on the market. "The PlayStation 2 is good enough. It's small and cheap," he said. "Maybe 2009-2010 is a good time to release a game for the PS3." Why? "My first impression is that it's expensive," he said about Sony's next-gen console.

In terms of next-gen systems, SNK has expressed interest in Nintendo's Wii as a viable target for its games. The company currently plans to launch Metal Slug Anthology, also headed to PSP, as a Wii launch title.

Three new single- and multiplayer maps for the Xbox 360 version of EA LA's The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II are now available via Xbox Live. The maps, named Weathertop, Argonath, and Umbar, are available as the Aragorn's Journey pack, and cost 700 Microsoft points ($8.75).

We've got an interview on Climax LA's upcoming Silent Hill Origins (PSP).

Ubisoft sends over a producer video interview on the upcoming Rainbow Six: Vegas (PS3, X360), speaking on various features and graphical improvements.

GameSpot talks with Bizarre Creations' Gareth Wilson about the challenges of developing Project Gotham Racing 3 as an Xbox 360 launch title.