GAME profits up

Sales up 45 per cent, profit at £6.2 million

GAME has reported soaring profits for the first six months of 2007, driven by the new consoles on the market.

First half profits were GBP 6.2 million compared to a loss of GBP 5.6 million for the same period last year, with group turnover at GBP 482.4 million, up from GBP 272.9 million in 2006, with expansion and the acquisition of Gamestation central to the rise.

"The strong performance reported today is a result of our hard work in getting GAME properly positioned ahead of the new technology cycle," commented Peter Lewis, chairman of GAME.

"We have a fast growing international business and are well placed for further organic growth. We look forward to the key Christmas trading period when our store portfolio will exceed 1,120 across the UK, Continental Europe and Australia," he said.

Like for like sales were up 45.6 per cent as the company benefited from strong sales of all new consoles and associated software.

The company now intends to focus its efforts on its strongest retail territories – UK and Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal, Scandinavia and Australia.

GAME continues to integrate the Gamestation business into the Group's infrastructure at an approximate cost of GBP 5 million, and the company also revealed the cost of compliance with the Office of Fair Trading's review of the Gamestation acquisition will be an additional GBP 4.5 million.

Sony dismisses £299 PS3 rumours

Talk of entry level console shot down by SCEE

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has told GamesIndustry.biz that recent chatter about an entry level 40 GB PlayStation 3 is just "rumour and speculation".

Numerous websites and blogs have suggested that Sony is due to unveil a scaled-down console for around GBP 299 in the UK, with USB ports and backwards compatibility functions removed.

Although the US and Japan has seen PlayStation 3 price cuts this year, the console currently retails in the UK for GBP 425, complete with an extra controller and two first-party games.

Halo 3 Last One Standing video

SORRY THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE - you can still view it here on the Discovery Channel web site - SORRY nothing I can do...

A brand new live action Neill Blomkamp Halo 3 short available over at Discovery.com

Gamers scramble at Halo 3 launch

Halo 3, one of the most anticipated and heavily marketed video games in history, has gone on sale at thousands of stores across the US, Australia and New Zealand.
More than 10,000 US shops opened their doors to sell the title which is Microsoft's key weapon in the console wars with Sony and Nintendo.

More than 15m copies of the first two titles in the series have been sold.

Microsoft hopes day one sales of the game will top £70m ($140m).

If the game does bring in more than $140m, it will earn more in 24 hours than the opening box office takings of any movie in history.

However, sceptics point out that video games cost upwards of £40 ($80), while cinema tickets are much less.

In New York, about 500 people turned out for the midnight launch.

Gamer Alex Escobar, who was one of the first in the queue, told Reuters news agency: "It is worth it. It is time to finish this fight," echoing the tagline for the science fiction game.

Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said the hoped for success of Halo 3 was an essential element in the competitive console market.

He said: "Halo 3 is the biggest franchise for Xbox. The game is going to drive a lot of Xbox 360 sales and Xbox Live subscriptions this Christmas."

More from the BBC

Starting at Midnight the Worldwide Wait for "Halo 3"

Highly anticipated game expected to register the biggest day in retail entertainment history.


Starting tonight “Halo® 3,” the final chapter of Microsoft Corp.’s epic video game trilogy, finally goes on sale around the world. By the end of the week, fans in 37 countries will be playing the game Wired magazine recently called “a cultural touchstone, a Star Wars for the thumb stick generation.”

In the United States, more than 10,000 retailers across the country are opening their doors at midnight tonight solely to sell copies of the game and accompanying Xbox 360® consoles and accessories. With nary a pirate, a spider or a wand in sight, day-one sales of the highly anticipated video game are expected to shatter entertainment sales records and top the biggest entertainment launches of all time.

“The excitement and demand for ‘Halo 3’ has transcended a typical video game release and we’re preparing dedicated registers for its midnight release in our 24-hour stores,” said Darin Dickson, video game merchandise buyer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. “It’s clear that this is one of the most anticipated games of the year and that 12:01 am Sept. 25 will be a memorable moment for thousands of gamers.”

The conclusion of “Halo 2” left unanswered questions around the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief™ and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana® as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. The legions of dedicated fans lining the streets tonight are waiting for the chance to be among the first to own the coveted final chapter in the “Halo” trilogy and unearth the well-kept secrets of the storyline.

“Our customers have been waiting for ‘Halo 3’ since the day after ‘Halo 2’ launched in 2004,” said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy. “‘Halo 3’ is going to bring the experience to new levels, and we are excited to help our customers get the best possible game playing experience.”

Developed by Bungie Studios, the “Halo” franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. The more than 7 million Xbox LIVE users will get a continually evolving gaming experience with “Halo 3” and its online multiplayer and cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables infinite customization options.

“With ‘Halo 3,’ Bungie Studios has further mastered the art of marrying fantastic gameplay with the intangibles that make the experience extraordinary for gamers, evoking incredible emotion through its story and character development,” said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. “That emotion is at the heart of what makes this more than a game and why ‘Halo’ connects with its audience in the way other great stories like ‘Star Wars’ resonated with theirs. But unlike the static experiences of a great film or novel, ‘Halo 3’ offers a dynamic and social interactive entertainment experience that enables players to finish the fight themselves.”

Regional Marquee Events and Global Celebration

More than 10,000 retailers are planning events and opening their doors at midnight to celebrate this third installment in the billion-dollar franchise. In New York, Seattle, Miami and Los Angeles, Microsoft and retail partners are hosting marquee launch events that will feature contests and appearances by local celebrities and celebrities and professional athletes who are fanatical about the “Halo” franchise.

The marquee launch events will be held at the following stores:
• New York: Best Buy, 529 5th Ave, New York, N.Y. 10017
• Seattle: Best Buy, 457 120th Ave NE, Bellevue, Wash. 98005
• Los Angeles: GameStop, 1000 Universal Studios Blvd, Universal City, Calif. 91608
• Miami: Circuit City, 8575 Northwest 13th Terrace, Miami, Fla. 33126

A list of retail outlets opening at 12:01 a.m. can be found at http://www.xbox.com/unitetofight.

More than 1.5 million copies of “Halo 3” have been sold before a single store opens its doors at midnight, making this the fasting pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of “Halo 2.” Well beyond just a U.S. phenomenon, the launch of “Halo 3” is a worldwide celebration that is releasing in 37 countries and available in 17 languages.

Made exclusively for Xbox 360, “Halo 3” will be made available in three versions: Standard Edition at $59.99 (U.S. ERP*), Limited Edition for $69.99 (U.S. ERP*), and the ultimate collector’s item, the Legendary Edition at $129.99 (U.S. ERP*). The Legendary Edition will be released in limited quantities and arrive in a highly collectible Spartan helmet case, along with two bonus discs full of exclusive content. The Limited Edition will ship in a sleek metal collector’s case and include the first bonus disc found in the Legendary Edition, as well as a special “Halo” fiction and art book. And for those who crave nothing more than the highly anticipated third chapter to one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time, the Standard Edition will consist of the “Halo 3” game.

In November 2004 the world’s view of video games changed forever with the release of “Halo 2,” which generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) in sales within the first 24 hours and changed the way people think about interactive entertainment. Three years later, it remains the most-played game on Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.

EA REVS UP BURNOUT PARADISE WITH INNOVATION AND STYLE

PLAYSTATION 3 version to feature Rumble Controls, 3-Button EasyDrive & PLAYSTATION Eye for Instant Mugshots that Capture the Fun of the Moment

Paradise City awaits. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed the unique feature set that will define Burnout Paradise – the next-generation of Burnout. With true open world freedom, seamless ‘EasyDrive’ online multiplayer, four unique single-player events, and hundreds of online Freeburn challenges, Burnout Paradise thrusts gamers into an incredibly vivid HD world that pushes the limits of the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ videogame system. The white knuckle action explodes as players pull up at any stoplight and spin their wheels to jumpstart the action.

Spectacular bone-crushing crashes and an unparalleled sense of speed will always be a hallmark of Burnout games but Burnout Paradise ups the ante with an all new game design that expands the experience into a deeper, ever more immersive driving dream. Some of the key features that set Burnout Paradise apart include:

• True Open World Freedom – The entire city will be available from the outset, giving players the freedom to explore this immersive world known as Paradise City. Experience open world driving Burnout style as the action begins with you, but it doesn’t have to end.
• EasyDrive Online Social Gaming – See your friends online with the EasyDrive Friends List and connect with them instantly without having to wait or exit your game. Burnout Paradise is revolutionizing the way players jump on and offline, making it as simple and quick as possible.
• Single-player Events – Choose from Race, Marked Man, Road Rage, and Stunt by pulling up to the numerous stoplights in the game to initiate the event. The action isn’t forced any longer, as players have the freedom to start and even end a challenge at their leisure.

“This is the true beginning of next generation racing. On PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360, we are delivering a game that brings brilliant graphics into HD at 60 frames per second. Burnout Paradise does something that no other Burnout game has ever done – it gives the player full control on how to play the game,” said Alex Ward, Creative Director at EA Criterion Studios. “At Criterion, we have a long history of delivering stand-out software on the PlayStation consoles. The entire team is fired up about the opportunity to carry that heritage into the PLAYSTATION 3 generation.”

Burnout Paradise will have you feeling every bump, crash, scrape, and collision using Sony’s new DUALSHOCK®3 Wireless Controller with rumble feature for the PLAYSTATION 3 . The EasyDrive online Friends List keeps the action flowing on the PLAYSTATION 3, as players get into a challenge with three easy taps of a button. Once the competition heats up, players can grab snapshots as they rip through opponents and collect candid Mugshots of friends and foes alike using the PLAYSTATION Eye. The Xbox 360 version of the game features Mugshots using Xbox LIVE® Vision.

New TV Channel Gives Gamers 'The Edge'

XLEAGUE.TV

is proud to announce the premiere of a brand new show. The Edge features professional gamers from around the world sharing their most closely guarded hints and tips across a wide range of games and genres.

Whether you're an amateur or advanced player, The Edge has something to offer you. Each game is divided into two fifteen-minute programs - one specialising in tips for beginners, and the other for the more experienced player. "This way we are catering to a much larger audience," says Ray Mia, Channel Head. "We wanted a show that would benefit people no matter what their level."

The first show premieres this Sunday 23rd September at 8.30pm on Sky Channel 279, with world famous Team Dignitas giving their tips on the real-time strategy game 'World in Conflict.' The premiere will be a double-bill, featuring both the amateur and advanced tips programs back-to-back.

The Edge adds to a range of existing XLEAGUE.TV shows, including The Match, Game60, The Chart Show, Trailblazers and Inside Gaming.

Don't miss out. Learn from the best. Get 'The Edge.'

XLEAGUE.TV is the UK’s first dedicated eSports channel and fully integrated website launched in May 2007. The revolutionary channel, which broadcasts on Sky channel 279, offers a comprehensive range of services to its members including leagues and tournaments, customisable user profiles, match scheduling and club and team creation. By competing on www.xleague.tv, gamers can win the opportunity to be invited to the studio for the chance to play on television.

Check out www.XLEAGUE.TV or tune into Sky Channel 279.

About XLEAGUE.TV:

The channel was launched at a cost of £5 million and is part of the Portland Media Group. XLEAGUE.TV has a wealth of In-house facilities include production, post-production and play-out, as well as an advertising agency, a media buying and planning department and a modelling agency.

X-OOM Software Launches New Media Centre For Wii

NINTENDO Wii NOW A FULLY FLEDGED PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM USING BUILT IN WI-FI TO ACCESS DIGITAL MEDIA FILES ON PC

X-OOM Software, part of bhv Software, a leading publisher of digital media software for media devices, will be releasing its X-OOM Media Centre for Wii in late October 2007. This ground breaking product turns your Nintendo Wii into a fully functional media centre, accessing all digital media on a PC via the Wii’s built-in Wi-Fi capability, allowing users to access their music, view photos and watch films on their Nintendo Wii.

NO CABLES, NO MEMORY CARDS, NO DISCS

X-OOM Media Centre for Wii will transfer media files to the Wii with a few clicks using the built in Wi-Fi connection, entirely eliminating the need for any cables, CDs or a memory card. This latest software for a PC will effectively transform a Nintendo Wii into a personal multimedia station for the sitting room in one, uncomplicated process.

With a PC at home usually located upstairs in a bedroom or a home office, and a Nintendo gaming console usually in the living room, X-OOM’s latest software will effectively bridge the gap between the two media devices. Now you will be able to access all digital media files normally stored on a PC directly on the Nintendo Wii in the living room.

Straight forward installation and a clear, accessible structure make this new innovative system really easy to use. X-OOM’s interface on the Wii is easily navigated using the Wii wireless remote control. Video and audio files are streamed direct to the Wii so users can watch or listen instantly. It will also provide access to more than 1000 TV channels and radio stations and caters for all your media files in one package.

Network connection through WLAN or LAN. Supports MP3, WMA, OGG, DivX, XviD, MPEG 2, MPEG 4, WMV, JPG, BMP.

Wii-kly Update: Three New Classic Games Added To Wii Shop Channel

When you take on a challenge, it's helpful to know your goal. Are you trying to bury an opponent under colorful boulders, defeat the evil Syndicate's lifelike robots or rescue a princess? Maybe all three? Well, you can rest easy knowing that this week's diverse selection from the Wii Shop Channel is here to help you take care of all the above.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Kirby's Avalanche (Super NES, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Everyone's favorite round, pink hero takes a break from swallowing his enemies to put your brain to work in this fast-paced puzzle game. Players take control of Kirby and match wits with well-known enemies from the Kirby series (including his archrival, King Dedede) in an effort to win the First Annual Dream Land Avalanche Competition. The simple-but-addictive game play revolves around brightly colored blobs and boulders. When the right amount of matching blobs are stacked, they explode and rain down on your opponent's field of play. Repeat this until your screen is clear to move on to the next round. But be careful—the farther you advance, the faster the blobs fall and the smarter the opponents get. Are you good enough to help Kirby become the avalanche king?

Streets of Rage 3 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Violence, 800 Wii Points): Just when you thought the world was safe from the Syndicate and its shady leader, Mr. X, they have returned to torment the city once again. Mr. X has developed lifelike robots to take the place of various city officials so he can be in complete control. Now it's up to our old heroes Axel, Skate and Blaze to stop the threat with their amazing fighting skills. With more weapons and combat moves, as well as secret characters and various endings, this return to the streets is one you won't want to miss.

LEGEND OF HERO TONMA (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone - Mild Cartoon Violence, 600 Wii Points): LEGEND OF HERO TONMA is an action game that puts players in control of the magic-user Tonma, whose role - as was typical for game heroes of the day - is to travel to another world and save the princess. Fight your way through seven stages using Tonma's jump ability and shot power. Collect power-ups and barriers to grow in strength and pummel your enemies. Bring that strength to the end of each stage to face off against and defeat the menacing bosses that aim to keep you from the princess. This well-detailed game's comic visuals and feel will have players wanting to come back for more frantic and exciting action.

Sims 2 Castaway Fact Sheet

Help your Sims build a life from scratch after washing ashore on a deserted tropical island. Overcome the forces of nature to help them become the ultimate survivors and thrive in this undiscovered paradise while unearthing clues that will lead them back to civilization. Build shelters, craft unique items, and discover many useful treasures and ancient mysteries hidden deep within a diverse jungle environment filled with plants, fruits, and even wildlife. Your Sims change as they take on the challenges of island life and learn to survive in style. Create a new life for your Sims on an uncharted island in The Sim 2 Castaway.

• Stay Alive! - Help your Sim meet basic needs to survive.
  
• Discover Diverse Islands - Explore a variety of new environments; beaches, caves, lagoons, jungle, plains and volcanic mountains.
  
• Craft Everything - Create a new life from scratch. Develop tools, build shelter, craft furniture, create clothing, and make art & entertainment.
  
• Gather and Collect - Gather fish, trap animals, raise plants, collect shells, scavenge and decode treasure maps.
  
• Flourish or Escape - Build a life comfort on the isalnd or find a way to escape back to civilization.
  
• Special DS Features - Control everything with the stylus, Play music with the microphone and unique mini games, sucah as bug hunting, spear fishing and painting.

The Simpsons Game Fact Sheet

The Simpsons Game features a hilarious, sprawling, and mind-busting storyline crafted by the TV show’s Emmy Award-winning writers. For this action-comedy, the full cast of voice actors from the TV show and movie reprise their roles to lend the ultimate in authenticity and realism to the game.

In The Simpsons Game, Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa use exciting, all-new powers to save Springfield from rising chaos. To help the Simpsons, gamers must journey through their home town (as well as vast worlds beyond!), vanquish an amazing array of villains, and fight their way through parodies of multiple popular games.
• Play Your Favorite Characters – Battle enemies and save Springfield while playing as your favorite dysfunctional TV family; Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge and even Maggie Simpson.
• The Real Simpsons – With the actual voice actors from the TV show and movie reprising their roles; characters from The Simpsons Game sound exactly as they should.
• Unique Character Abilities – While The Simpsons family have general abilities that can be used to fight opponents, interact with environments, and finish puzzles; each one has been imbued with special abilities that are unique to their personalities. These abilities grow and change as they progress through the story to battle tougher and tougher enemies in their quest to save Springfield!
• Looks Like The Simpsons – Using innovative 3D into 2D technology, the developers have been able to recreate Springfield and the entire cast of The Simpsons as the most visually authentic Simpsons game to date.
• Featuring Favorite and Original Springfieldeans! – The Simpsons Game features over 100 of your favorite Simpsons
characters from the show along with 50+ new characters that were inspired by the fiction.
• An Original Episodic Adventure – The Simpsons Game features a 100% original script from the writers of the show with 4 distinct acts divided into 16 episodes and over 8,000 lines of dialogue.
• Springfield Hub – The open-world Springfield was designed as a central locale to jump into episodes with iconic locations to visit, characters to be visited and interact with, and hundreds of collectibles to be found.
• Parodies and Satire – With parodies of the video game industry, pop culture and current events, the game has the same gut wrenching hilarity as the show.
• Co-op Play – With two members of The Simpsons family involved in each episode, all episodes can be played cooperatively in addition to being played in single-player mode. Play by yourself and switch between characters to solve the various puzzles or have a friend come over, pick up a controller and drop-in drop-out of any episode they choose.
• Collectibles – Roam throughout the episodes and Springfield itself to discover custom video game clichés, and unique collectibles for each member of The Simpsons family. Collectibles lead to trophies that increase your family’s powers, and can be viewed in your trophy rooms back at home on Evergreen Terrace.
• Time Challenges – Every episode can be replayed, and each unlocks a unique Time Challenge. Use the skills you’ve learned throughout the game to beat target times over 16 individual Time Challenges.

Platform Features

• Nintendo Wii™ / PlayStation® 2 / PSP™ – Enjoy more than 6,000 lines of dialogue and 16 chapters of hilarity in these popular platforms. Jump directly from The Simpsons House from one episode to the next, or into your saved game. On Nintendo Wii, use gestures with the Wii Remote to unleash the Simpsons video game powers or play addictive mini-games such as Bite Night and Bart Wings.
• Nintendo DS™ – One of the most ambitious side scrolling action adventure games containing a Springfield based hub with 12 episodes and over 2,000 lines of dialogue. Be an action hero with Bart, a wreaking ball of destruction with Homer, and use the stylus to solve puzzles and defeat enemies with Marge and Lisa. The Simpsons DS is packed with features including lush environments sprawling across both screens, mini-games to unlock and conquer, 4 single card multiplayer games to play, and even a stylus controlled Pet Homer to love for your own.

Set the Trends with Fashion Empire

Fashion Empire is a new mobile phone game that teaches players, in a fun way, how to run a fashion business

British designer Paul Smith is just one of many examples of entrepreneurs graduating from corner boutiques to international design superstardom.

Now that’s the challenge posed by Bocconi University in Milan and Times Online. Players can put their own management skills to the test – while having fun - with the mobile phone game Bocconi Fashion Empire.

Fashion Empire is a strategic simulation game for java phones developed with the help of the faculty of the Master in Fashion, Experience and Design Management (MAFED) of Bocconi.

The game which can be downloaded at www.unibocconi.eu/fashionempire and www.timesonline.co.uk/fashionempire builds on the success of Ice Cream Empire launched by Bocconi last year and is played by 18.000 people in 160 countries.

Players are asked to build and run a fashion design business for a virtual year, taking a variety of strategic decisions ranging from the location of the shops in the European fashion capitals, Milan, London and Paris to the manufacturing and distribution of products.

The virtual entrepreneurs have to react to daily information about the markets and the style trends. They design, buy products, control distribution and manage shops as they build up their own fashion empires.

The advanced graphics designed by the game’s developers at Impressionware show customers going into players shops and buying, or not buying, products. Then, at the end of each virtual trading day, players are presented with economic and financial reports showing their results.

Players can then reconsider their strategies depending on the preceeding days financial results. By demonstrating a good understanding of competitive markets and by making effective investment choices, players can expand their fashion empire across Europe.

The players may compete by sending their results to the Fashion Stock Exchange, which publishes rankings sorted by country.

Angelo Provasoli, Bocconi’s rector, said: “We want Bocconi Fashion Empire to be a first contact with self-selected European young people with an interest in business and economics. More than 10 per cent of our undergraduate rookies are now from outside Italy and attend programs taught in English. We are eager to bring to Milan the best European talents”.

Carol Lewis, the editor of timesonline.co.uk’s Career channel, said: “Times Online is delighted to be working with Bocconi on the Fashion Empire. It is a fun game which is an excellent and stimulating way to learn business basics”.

Halo 3 (Xbox 360) - Review

GameSpot editors' review
Reviewed by: Jeff Gerstmann
Reviewed on 9/23/07 Updated on: 9/23/07 Release date: 9/25/07

Regardless of how you felt about its cliffhanger ending, there's no denying that Halo 2 was a gigantic success that raised the bar for what we, as a game-playing society, expect out of a good console-based first-person shooter. In the years that followed, plenty of games attempted to duplicate the Halo formula, with varying degrees of success. But there's still nothing quite like the genuine item. Luckily for all involved, Halo 3 is a positively amazing package that offers extreme satisfaction across all of its different parts. Maybe now you can finally retire your Halo 2 disc and really move into the next generation of games.

Halo 3 manages to feel familiar while also packing in a good amount of new material.
Halo 3 is an interesting mix of established protocol and intriguing new stuff. For example, the gameplay doesn't stray too far from Halo 2, which, in turn, didn't exactly reinvent the original Halo. Don't take that as a negative, because it means that Halo 3 plays extremely well, with the same types of light tactical considerations that have made the series stand apart from other, faster-paced shooters. The balance between your guns, your grenades, and your melee attack has always given Halo a unique feel in the genre, and those same considerations apply today, both in the campaign mode and in multiplayer. You'll also have new weapons and items to consider, such as a host of Brute weapons. One example is the spiker, which is an exciting automatic pistol that fires quickly and decimates opponents, especially if you're holding a pair of them. Another is the mauler, which is a one-handed shotgun that can level enemies up close. You'll even find weapons so huge that your movement speed slows when you carry them. When you use these weapons, the camera pulls out to a third-person perspective so you can see your missile pod, plasma cannon, or flamethrower as it fires. And then there's the gravity hammer. Originally shown in Halo 2 (where it wasn't usable by the player), the gravity hammer is a large melee weapon that will wipe out most regular enemies in one swipe. Needless to say, it can be especially fun in multiplayer settings. The end result is gameplay that feels wholly familiar without retreading the same ground too heavily.

The campaign is structured in much the same way as past Halo games, with multiple chapters and effective streaming that ensures you'll see load times only between chapters. There are also lengthy vehicle sequences to break up the on-foot action. You'll pilot the classic Halo vehicles, such as the Ghost, a hovering one-person craft that's fast and deadly, and the Warthog, a dune buggy with a turret mounted in the back. You'll also see new vehicles, such as the Brute Prowler, which is a two-person vehicle with turrets. Like in previous games, the vehicles are fun to use. Also similar to previous games, the artificial intelligence can't drive very well, so if you're playing alone, you'll usually want to grab the steering wheel rather than the weapons.

The concept of "equipment" is new to the series. These deployable special items have a variety of effects. The most obvious example is the bubble shield: You (and your enemies) can walk through it, but bullets and explosions bounce right off. It's especially entertaining when your enemies use it, given that you can just walk through and bash them with the butt of your gun. You'll also find items that make your shields regenerate more quickly, and others that drain enemy shields and stop their vehicles dead in their tracks. These items also show up in multiplayer, where they're a little more interesting.


Halo 2's ending was widely criticized for being too much of a cliffhanger and leaving you with no sense of progress or resolution whatsoever. It's good news, then, that Halo 3's story doesn't suffer from that problem at all. It opens immediately following the events of Halo 2: The Covenant is on its way to Earth, continuing its religious zealotry and attempting to activate the floating space weapons known as Halos, which could destroy civilization as we know it. The Master Chief and the other Earth forces of the UNSC are in hot pursuit to stop them, with newfound allies such as the Arbiter coming along for the ride. We'll spare you the specifics because they're quite compelling and should be seen firsthand. All you really need to know if you're on the fence about Halo 3's campaign is that it's a delicate balancing act that manages to provide satisfying closure for the trilogy, make perfect sense of all the cryptic events in Halo 2, and leave you filled with anticipation for more adventures set in the Halo universe. Not bad for a game that will take most players between 10 and 15 hours to finish on one of four difficulty settings.

But you'll probably go through the campaign more than once, thanks to the inclusion of a strong co-op mode. Previous Halo games have let two players go through the campaign; Halo 3 ups that number to four players and lets you do the whole thing over Xbox Live, if you so choose. This is a really fun way to experience the campaign's nine chapters, and you can choose to go through them in any order, provided you've already played through it alone. Furthermore, this method of play (which you can also do alone) lets you turn on scoring in campaign mode, in which you earn points for kills and lose them for dying. This adds a sense of competition to the co-op, and there are also achievements associated with finishing chapters with high point totals. You can also customize the experience a bit by turning on a series of unlockable modifiers that open up as you collect hidden skulls. The skulls are stashed around the game, and some of them do things such as increase the amount of damage you'll need to deal to take an enemy down, remove the heads-up display and make your weapon invisible, and so on. This gives the story-driven section of the game some more replay value, although it doesn't get significantly more difficult as you scale up the number of players. Consequently, finishing the game on legendary difficulty is a breeze if you're rolling through with three experienced fellow triggermen.


You can earn the campaign achievements in co-op mode, which makes the legendary difficulty a lot easier to manage.
In addition to the four-player co-op action, you can also play competitive solo and team-based multiplayer matches with up to 16 players on 11 different maps. There's a lot of depth to the multiplayer modes, ranging from simple stuff such as deathmatch and team deathmatch (still referred to as slayer and team slayer here), to more objective-based gameplay such as capture the flag. Another similar mode is called territories, in which the two teams fight to defend or attack various control points around the map. You'll also find a mode called infection, where a percentage of the players start as sword-wielding zombies and must convert the members of the other team by killing them, until only one non-zombie remains. Each of the maps can handle any of these game modes.

Like in Halo 2, you can customize these game types, and there's more to customize this time around. You can change things like starting weapons, the weapons that appear on the map, whether the motion sensor is active, the force of gravity, the game speed, whether the players all have active camouflage or not, and much, much more. The multiplayer is as strong as it has ever been thanks to the addition of new weapons and tweaks to old ones. Swords have been made much more interesting this time around: If two players run at one another with energy swords and attack at the same time, the swords clash and the players bounce off one another. This makes all-swords matches totally wild. The gravity hammer is also big fun in multiplayer matches, both because it crushes enemies that are foolish enough to get too close, and because you can smack incoming rockets to bat them away, which makes for an interesting game of baseball.

Halo 3 Review of Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

The weird thing about this last concept is that, with the addition of the Forge, you'll actually be able to build some sort of crude baseball variant if you want. Forge mode is a map editor, but not in the 3D modeling sense that you're used to seeing in PC shooters. You can't edit level geometry with Forge, but you can spawn, remove, and move objects and items around the level. All of the editing is done in real time, and you can pop in and out of edit mode by pushing up on the D pad. You can also play this mode with other players, letting everyone run around in edit mode to spawn Warthogs, rocket launchers, and whatever else is already on the map. On the surface, that doesn't sound so exciting. But in practice, it's a weird and potential-rich addition to the game because there are a ton of little secrets and tricks you can use to manipulate the objects in ways the developers may not have intended.

The Forge might not sound like much at first, but when you figure out how to play with it, it becomes one of the game's most impressive features.
For example, take the fusion core. It's Halo's version of the exploding barrel, and by default, it blows up when you shoot it or drop it from a significant height. It also takes 30 seconds to respawn. You can modify it to respawn every 10 seconds and, with help from another player's rifle fire, you can coax it into respawning in midair, where it tumbles to the ground and explodes every 10 seconds. Naturally, if you surround that spot with more stuff that explodes, you'll have a fun little physics-based bomb that respawns and explodes every 10 seconds. If you've ever messed around with Garry's Mod, a similar physics-based toolbox for Half-Life 2, then you'll recognize this as a simplified take on that idea when you start using it for more than simply adding a few weapons to a map or moving spawn points around. Though many players probably won't get hooked on Forge tinkering, it's an extremely powerful addition that may just take over your life.

You'll be able to easily share your Forge creations with other players via a handy file-sharing system that lets you quickly send map configurations and gameplay types to your friends. You can also set a certain number of items as publicly shared, and users can go to Bungie's Web site to browse and rate the shared items. Additionally, you can flag items for download on that Web page, and the next time you fire up Halo 3, it'll download the items you've marked. It's a very slick interface that makes moving stuff around very easy.

You can also use the file-sharing options to send screenshots and saved films. Saved films are replays of action from any of the modes in the game, from campaign to multiplayer to Forge sessions. The game automatically stores the last 25 or so sessions, and you can choose to save them more permanently from there. Once you've got them, you can edit them down to key kills, weird single-player behavior, or the strangest Forge stuff you can come up with, and then save them for sharing, just as you would with a map or game mode. Much like Forge, the saved-films feature doesn't really sound like much, but Halo 3 is a very replay-worthy game, and you'll probably run into plenty of little moments that you'll want to save for posterity. Another nice touch is that the films aren't locked to one perspective. You can detach the camera from your player and fly anywhere on the map, or change it to any other player's view, as well. The only real issue is that rewinding and fast-forwarding are a little clunky. So if you've got something you want to save that's at the end of a 45-minute session, you'll have to hold down the fast-forward button for a long time to get to that moment, and if you miss it, rewinding can be a real pain, too. Once you've figured out the little idiosyncrasies of footage manipulation, it's not so bad.

Halo has always had a very strong artistic vision, and the graphics have always been just good enough to convey the necessary imagery without becoming huge technical powerhouses. That's not to say that the game isn't technically impressive, because it maintains a smooth frame rate throughout, and looks very sharp overall with plenty of great lighting and other nice effects. But the visual design overpowers its technical side and really stands out. Given that the game takes place in a wider range of locales than the previous two games, you'll see a lot of different, colorful environments, including deserts, snow, jungle settings, great-looking building interiors, and more. The enemies, many of which are returning from past games, also look great.

The audiovisual portion of Halo 3 is definitely impressive, with great art, sharp effects, and terrific music.
The sound in Halo 3 is a good mix of old and new, much like the rest of the game. You'll hear the familiar Halo theme music and variants thereof. You'll also hear plenty of great new music, including one suspenseful track with a heartbeat-like sound that manages to get your heart pounding as well. Most of the voice cast from Halo 2 returns to voice their respective characters, and they again turn in terrific and believable performances. You'll also hear a ton of combat dialogue, both from the marines that fight by your side as well as the enemies you're fighting, who don't seem to appreciate it when you kill one of their comrades. Our favorite line from the Covenant was probably "You've killed my brother for the last time," which is pretty hilarious.

As games start to consider user-generated content, it's becoming clear that more and more games will be ready to give you back just as much as you're willing to put into them. On the surface, Halo 3 is every bit the sequel you would expect it to be, in that it delivers meaningful upgrades to both the story-driven and competitive sides of the package. However, it's the addition of the Forge level editor and the saved films that give the game an even longer set of legs, legs that will probably keep you running at full speed until Bungie figures out where, exactly, to go from here.

Source: GameSpot

More details on the Dual Shock 3 PS3 controller

The official announcement of the vibration-enabled Dual Shock 3 controller for the PlayStation 3 was the biggest news from Sony's otherwise lackluster Tokyo Game Show keynote address. Since the broad strokes of the original announcement, GameSpot was able to glean some additional details on the new controller--and get some hands-on testing of the unit as well. Here's what they found:

The Dual Shock 3 weighs a bit more than the current rumble-less Sixaxis controller, but it's otherwise identical to the existing PS3 controller.

The GameSpot crew found the Dual Shock 3's rumble to be "a touch weak" but "close to" the force feedback of the classic PS2 version.

When it goes on sale (November 2007 in Japan, early 2008 in North America and Europe), the Dual Shock 3 apparently won't be bundled with the PS3 console itself, but instead will remain an add-on upgrade that must be purchased separately.

Sony has released a list of at least 65 games in North America and Europe that will offer rumble compatibility. In addition to such hotly anticipated forthcoming titles such as Assassin's Creed, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Haze, Metal Gear Solid 4, Resident Evil 5, and Uncharted, the list includes current favorites like Heavenly Sword, MotorStorm, Resistance: Fall of Man, and Warhawk. Rumble compatibility for that latter set of games will be added via software patches downloaded via the online PlayStation Store.

Pirated Copy of Halo 3 Hits the Internet

Days before its release, a pirated copy of Halo 3 has made its way to the Internet for illegal download.

Days before its release, a pirated copy of Halo 3 makes its way to the Internet for illegal download.

Several piracy sites began hosting downloads earlier this week of the full and complete Halo 3 disc.

On Thursday, it was reported that many UK retailers had broken the game's street date given the anticipated demand.

Due to its popularity leading up to a 2004 launch, Halo 2 was also made available online as an illegal download.

It's worth noting that pirated games only work on modified Xbox 360 units. Additionally, daring gamers who meddle in piracy run the risk of being permanently banned from Xbox Live, or worse, facing legal action.

Halo 3 on EBay sells for $500

The most widely anticipated video game in history has been made available a week ahead of its formal release date thanks to a gaff by a British merchant.

Argos, a UK operator of catalog stores, on Tuesday started handing copies of Microsoft (MSFT)'s Halo 3 over to customers who pre-ordered the game on its Web site. The Xbox 360-based first person shooter isn't set for formal release until September 25th.

A copy of Halo 3 has already turned up on eBay (EBAY)'s UK Web site -- selling for about $500 U.S.

In a statement, Argos officials blamed the foul up on "a genuine administrative error" and said only a "small number" of Halo 3 copies were sold.

That may not be good enough for Microsoft officials, who are no doubt apoplectic. The company has spent millions on a high profile Halo 3 marketing campaign that will culminate with elaborate launch events in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Seattle next week.

Argos may already be feeling retribution from the software maker. A check Wednesday afternoon revealed that the merchant's Web site is no longer able to accept pre-orders for Halo 3. To date, retailers around the world have taken more than one million pre-orders for the game -- an industry record.

Halo 3 stars Master Chief, a biologically enhanced soldier who has to blast his way through a futuristic, 3-D landscape to survive and accomplish missions. Version 3 of the game, developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft, features a host of new levels, weapons, vehicles, and level types.

Most retailers are selling the title for around $60. A special "Legendary Edition" sells for about $130 and includes a helmet-style case, bonus discs, and collector's art. Microsoft is also planning to introduce a special Halo 3 version of the Xbox 360 that's emblazoned in the same green and gold colors sported by Master Chief.

Microsoft Banks On Halo 3 To Save Its Dodgy Gaming Reputation

After forking out over $1.3 billion to fix dodgy XBox 360 consoles, Microsoft is now banking on the roll out of Halo 3 to save its day in a bitter battle with both Sony and Nintendo in the games console market.

With Australia set to be one of the first countries in the world where Halo 3 software will offically go on sale, Microsoft is doing everything it can in an effort to rescue its gaming reputation which has been hit hard by the constant failures of the Xbox console which had a 30 percent failure rate in Australia compared to less than 1.5 percent failure rate for the Sony PS3 and the Nintendo Wii.

More than 42,000 advances have been lodged for the Halo 3 game in Australia, which will retail at $99.95 for the standard edition.

Also available is a AU$199.95 Legendary Edition of Halo 3 which will be released in limited quantities and arrive in a highly collectible Spartan helmet case. Included in the Legendary Edition will be two bonus discs packed full of extra content.

Already millions of fans around the world have placed orders for the new Halo 3.

Microsoft's marketing mavens are using the slogan "Finish the Fight" to promote the company's "Halo 3" video game, the final chapter in a popular science-fiction combat game trilogy.

Microsoft is hoping that Halo 3 will be the rallying cry for Microsoft to beat rival Sony n the next-generation video game console war. Though few hold out hope as Sony is getting stronger by the week with PS3 sales improving over forecasts.

"We're locked in a pretty good fight with Sony and (its) PlayStation 3 to win the generation. That's always been our aspiration," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "This holiday season is critical in terms of winning that generation."

"Halo 3" is Microsoft's biggest weapon yet. The game goes on sale on Monday night at EB Games stores and JB Hi Fi. Some retailers, including EB games, will hold Monday night events capped off with "Halo 3" sales at midnight.

With its big guns and corny sci-fi plot, the Halo video game series is undeniably the province of die hard gamer, as a result it has become one of the most lucrative entertainment franchises of all time. Sam Leith of the Daily Telegraph in the UK met up with the programmers and professional gamers to find out why.

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GAME backs Halo 3 with 150 midnight openings

Retailer expecting thousands to collect pre-orders

High Street retailer GAME is due to open 150 stores at midnight for the launch of Halo 3 next week.

The retailer expects thousands of customers to queue for their pre-ordered game, and will also be opening stores early on the morning of September 26.

"Halo 3 will be a huge event in towns throughout the UK, so we’re pulling out all the stops to help our customers start playing it as soon as humanly possible," said Robert Quinn, operations director at GAME.

"Over 800 GAME staff will be on duty at midnight to serve customers and keep the shelves full.

"Halo 3 is hotly anticipated by thousands of customers who have reserved it months in advance, and we are working flat out to make sure our customers are first to get the products they want," he added.

Earlier this week Microsoft revealed that it would be hosting the UK's official Halo 3 launch at London's iMax Cinema, complete with celebrities, competitions and screenings.

Final Fantasy VII sells nearly half a million in first week

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was released in Japan last week and sold 487,000 copies in the seven-day period.

It was a bumper week for software sales in the territory, with two new Pokemon titles taking second and third spots yielding a top three sales figure of over 1 million units sold.

Elsewhere Mario Party 8 was the sole Wii entrant in seventh, with Wii Sports and Wii Play both dropping out of the top ten last week.

The full sales top ten is as follows:

1. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)

2. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai (DS)

3. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai (DS)

4. Fate/Tiger Colosseum (PSP)

5. Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (PS2)

6. Taiko no Tatsujin DS (DS)

7. Mario Party 8 (Wii)

8. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - Ring of Fates (DS)

9. Sengoku Musou 2 Mushouden (PS2)

10. My Housekeeping Diary (DS)