Yahoo! News Search Results for Nintendo DS LiteMay/16/08
 Enews 2.0 | Disney announces DGamer community on Nintendo DS TechWhack (press release), India - Entertainment industry giant Disney has announced the launch of their DGamer community on the Nintendo DS console. This announcement comes with the Nintendo ... Disney Launches Online DS Community Disney Interactive Studios Launch Virtual World For Nintendo DS Disney Launches DGamer Community For DS Gamers |
23:30 SingStore Update Dies In My Arms Tonight [Singstar] 
I've had many issues with SingStar's DLC before, but let me make this clear: none of them are issues with the game's technical delivery. They're all to do with the tracklist, which is so half-assed it doesn't even qualify as an ass anymore. It's just a lump of flesh sitting awkwardly above a leg, just under the back. It throws pop songs at you, but they're not popular songs. It throws rock songs at you, but they don't really rock. But once in a while, they get things right. Like this week's inclusion of Cutting Crew's (I Just) Died In Your Arms, showing that once in a while, London Studio remembers that SingStar's at its best when played drunk, by friends, and you're not singing rubbish pop songs, you're singing the awful/brilliant/cheesy classics of yesteryear.
English* Avril Lavigne - Complicated
* Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack - Tonight I Celebrate My Love
* Good Charlotte - I Just Wanna Live
* The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
* Shocking Blue - Venus
* Golden Earring - Radar Love
* The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So
* Hard-Fi - Hard To Beat
* Avril Lavigne - My Happy Ending
* Erik Faber - Not Over
* Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms
* R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts
* Wilson Phillips - Hold On
* Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You shouldn't've)?
* Alphabeat - Fantastic 6
* The Vines - Get Free
* Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel)
* Westlife - Queen Of My Heart
* The Hoosiers - Cops N Robbers
* Coldplay - Shiver
* Coldplay - The Scientist
* Duran Duran - The Reflex
* Moloko - Sing It Back
* Aslan - This IsDutch
* Het Goede Doel - Belgie
* Kadanz - IntimiteitFrench
* K-Maro - Histoires De Luv
* Luke - La sentinelleNorwegian
* Tine - Vil ha deg
Portuguese
* André Sardet - Foi feitiço
* Clã - Tira A Teima
* Humanos - Maria Albertina
* Três Tristes Tigres - O Mundo A Meus PésSpanish
* El Arrebato - Búscate Un Hombre Que Te Quiera
More songs for PS3 SingStore [Eurogamer] [Pic]
23:15
Is it time to hate Ubisoft yet?
... [Ubisoft]
Is it time to hate 23:00 A Week In Comments [Hyper Multi-tap] EA's Riccitiello Talks "Holographic" Madden Interface, No Need for Take-Two
Comment by: StagnatedLives
Nominated by: Karlot
Maybe I'm just a jaded old gamer, but I fail to see how EA will create a true holographic interface. Unless, of course, they develop a new type of 'television' that we haven't seen before. Seeing as how I don't see that happening anyti— ok never, I would like to take this opportunity to address EA.Dear EA,
False promises only work for doctors and governments. The reason they work for these two groups is because by the time you are able to realize it is a lie, you are probably dead. Following this logic, I am pleading for you to NOT kill the customers.
More Ubisoft Games on Steam, 96 Percent of World's Population Still Can't Play Them
Comment by: Artful Dodger
Nominated by: Majorasblaze
Ubisoft Exec 1: Hey, great news: we finally got the clearance to release a bunch of classic games on Steam.Ubisoft Exec 2: Oh awesome. That'll definitely bring in some nice revenue for Q3.
Ubisoft Exec 1: Yeah, they asked if we wanted to make the games available for purchase worldwide, but I told them to kiss off.
Ubisoft Exec 2: Well of course, you've gotta- wait, WHAT?
Ubisoft Exec 1: I told them to kiss off.
Ubisoft Exec 2: I know, but WHY?
Ubisoft Exec 1: Well, I was gonna tell them to kiss my ass, but that seemed a little rude.
Ubisoft Exec 2: No, no. Why did you tell them we didn't want to release the games worldwide? Wouldn't we make a lot more money that way?
Ubisoft Exec 1: Well... no.
Ubisoft Exec 2: Uh, how do you figure?
Ubisoft Exec 1: Because we live in the United States dummy. We use American money. If we let foreigners pay us, we're gonna get crazy foreign money.
Ubisoft Exec 2: Like what?
Ubisoft Exec 1: Like "pounds". That's what they use in England, "pounds". They don't even use money, they use weights.
Ubisoft Exec 2: That's no good.
Ubisoft Exec 1: Exactly. You know what they use in Russia? Rubles. I mean, what the fuck is a ruble?
Ubisoft Exec 2: Ruble... isn't that some sort of fruit?
Ubisoft Exec 1: I dunno, probably. I mean, what are we gonna do with a million rubles except snack on them? Sorry, but I didn't get into this industry to eat rubles all day.
Ubisoft Exec 2: Yeah, that sounds stupid. Good call. Hey, speaking of snacks, you wanna grab some lunch?
Ubisoft Exec 1: Ahh I can't, I have to get my tires rotated. I told the guy at the shop that my tires are rotating fine, but apparently they've got some high-tech procedure they gotta do.
Bayonetta Sells Itself In 36 Seconds
Comment by: Ex_EA_Slave
Nominated by: user.error
Meh, stiletto pistols. Now a pistol bra, that would be worth seeing. Or a canon diaphragm.
Perhaps The Stupidest Anti-GTA Vid You'll See Today
Comment by: stevesan
Nominated by: futurebiblehero
*sigh*Conservative estimates put the civilian death toll of Iraq at around 100 thousand. That's about 100 thousand innocent people dead thanks to a war based on, at best, complete incompetence and national stupidity. And here we have Glen Beck talking about a fucking video game, as if once we get rid of video games, all our problems would be solved.
Our media loves to hang on to these insignificant issues because it helps to maintain an illusion of rigorous journalism. If they can say something controversial and "to the point" about insignificant news, then that excuses them from being controversial about real issues. Real issues, such as the civilian death toll of Iraq and the inevitable consequences.
Not to mention other real issues, such as poverty in the lower class. Real issues that, if fixed, would actually address the root cause of violence.
Food can cause death if you're already unhealthy. Should we get rid of food because of that?
Metal Gear Movie Update
Comment by: 108
Nominated by: kcorbo
Let's go ahead and say that, if Paul Thomas Anderson is directing and Hideo Kojima is involved as a producer, that pretty much means it's going to be a good movie. Don't even think of it as a "videogame" movie. Think of it as a "movie".PTA is the man who made a thoughtful comedy-drama about the 1970s pornography industry somehow flow like an action flick; he spent three hours building up fourteen ad-lib-heavy plot lines in "Magnolia", only to destroy them all with a ridiculous injection of the supernatural (probably the only part of the movie that was set in stone from the beginning).
And above all this, PTA is a man who looked at Adam Sandler's comedic works, noticed their trend toward outbursts of freakish angry violence, and made it a personal quest to write a "Meta-Adam-Sandler Flick", which turned out to be "Punch Drunk Love", which was, whether you like it or not, pretty amazing from a technical standpoint. I mean, he turned "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore" into art. That's impressive, in this bullshit Hollywood world.
So: I'm prettttttttttttty sure if PTA is confirmed as the director, it's not going to be a "Generic Super-Soldier Action Movie". I'm pretty sure that he, if no one else, would be able to understand that the heart of "Metal Gear Solid" isn't the soldiers and the "action", it's the . . . atmosphere.
I'd expect something like Shakespeare, with nuclear missiles and giant robots and soliloquies and deceptively simple character relationship dynamics.
The story of the first game could be compressed and made into a pretty spectacular two-and-a-half-hour movie.
The Difficulty of (Games') Difficulty
Comment by: Uzumaki_Kiba
Nominated by: Gree-clad Gamer Dude
I think I'm in the group of people who prefer really difficult games.It's not because I'm an elitist asshole who considers himself "hardcore," and just wants bragging rights about how easy Ninja Gaiden was for him.
It's just that... When I think back, all of my favorite video game experiences have been moments wherein I triumphed over some great video game evil. When a villain kicked my ass so thoroughly and for such a prolonged period of time, that I actually began to see him as an evil fucking villain. When my motivation, although entirely different, was just as passionate as my character's.
When you just want more than anything for that fucker to die, and after hours of being slaughtered (slightly less severely each time), you finally manage to end his miserable life.. Ah, it's euphoric.
Now, I realize that this could also be accomplished more accessibly with a superb story or a high level of interactivity/non-linearity. But there's something about that video game feel that an incredibly immersive, non-linear, interactive story just can't match for me. I like to feel like I'm playing a game, sometimes. Life bars and continues and impossible boss fights. It gets me nostalgic. It makes me remember why our hobby is the best in the world.
Can't We All Just Get Along?
Comment by: Cchrist
Nominated by: DaiMacculate
Are you really that closed minded that instead of dealing with a bigot you stay away from a confrontation?When someone gets beaten up in the street do help or do you look away and walk past as quickly as possible? Oh god do you stand there and watch?
This isn't a problem of anonimity its a worldwide problem! Racism and Discrimination is on the rise. In europe and russia extreem right wing fascist kids are being given a green light in the name of freedom of speech and democracy.
Well guess what? Calling someone a F***** or N***** is NOT part of free speech. It's rasicm ad discrimination and i don't know in what country you live in but in my country those are crimes. Too bad no one pays any attention to the law anymore.
Did you know that you can DO SOMETHING about bigots and racists? Report tem on xbl (no don't give them a bad report FILE A COMPLAINT. It's easy and just a few button presses away. Here you can send a little mail about someone to comments@kotaku.com and on a forum you can report someone to the admin or appointed moderator.
Don't just sit on your lazy ass and let this kind of shit happen! Get up! Do something about it for once! This world CAN be a better place but it wont just happen overnight whilst you do nothing about it!
Don't turn a blind eye to racism and discrimination! Seriously YOU can make a difference.
If you don't, and you really don't care anymore, we're doomed to keep ging through genocide after genocide like we saw in WWII, the bosnian war and what we now see in darfur.
Go ahead, ignore this comment. And ignore that bigot on xbl. It'll bite you in the ass eventually.
Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page, the actual comment and your commenter page.
Also know: Dip into tool territory and we'll ban yer ass. And quick!
22:50 Linger In Shadows Impressions [SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's Day] 
Tucked away in the back corner of SCEA's Pre-E3 Judges Day suite was a PlayStation 3 demo station featuring Linger In Shadows, an interactive, semi-playable technical demonstration designed by demoscene team Plastic. We showed the Linger In Shadows video back in March—but don't watch it if you want to avoid "spoilers"; it's pretty much the entire demo that will hit the PlayStation Network later this Summer.
But Linger In Shadows can't just be watched in full from the get go, it has to be unlocked. At certain moments in the demo, clues will be given to the player, indicating that some unspecified action needs to be performed. Miss it and the demo will rewind. The display then switches to a letterboxed mode and you'll be shown controller prompts that give you an indication about how to move on to the next scene.
Some of those prompts are more descriptive than others—and sound subject to change—as one displayed a DualShock controller with arrows pointing outward in four directions. The SCEA producer responsible for Linger In Shadows then violently shook the controller, using a single handed, palms down grip on the thing, until the spiral of metaballs on-screen spawned a few dozen more, unlocking the next scene.
The player will have to unlock the demo bit by bit, using all aspects of the SIXAXIS/DualShock. One portion looked to be unlocked by simply rewinding or fast-forwarding through the scene via the L1/R1 buttons, which then kicked off the next segment.
Linger In Shadows also has a few Easter Eggs buried within, shout outs (aka greets) to other demoscene teams. At points in the demo, players will have partial control over the camera. That camera control appears to be mostly limited, but will let the player peek around paused scenes, looking for hidden team logos and tags. Players can bring up a greets reference overlay, giving them clues about where to find them and which ones they've already found.
Graphically, Linger In Shadows looks spectacular. It may not have the high budget production values of a game like Killzone 2, but it more than makes up for it in cool technical tricks, like custom fur shaders, real-time physics modeling and pretty paint filters.
While we didn't get to go hands on with the title, we're certainly curious to check it out in its final form. Pricing wasn't specified— there's a possibility it may be free to download—and it sounds like this is still under discussion internally.
We think that the majority of folks who download Linger In Shadows will find it nothing more than a confounding curiosity, but others may look at it as a graphical showcase—SCEA reps referred to it as an interactive digital coffee table book—and some may even consider it truly interactive art. It may not be for everyone, but we're sure everyone will have a fairly strong opinion on it.
22:40 Blow $135,000 On This Bogus, Crystal PS3 [Playstation 3] 
Let's say you've got $135,000 lying around the house. You're a big PS3 fan, and you just don't know what to do with all that money. Sure, you could buy a bunch of PS3s for hospitals or charities or something, help out people in need, but that's boring. Why don't you blow it all on this auction for a PS3 entirely covered in Swarovski Crystals? Note I say blow it on the auction, not the PS3 itself, because if this is real then I'll...look, just read the auction listing, there's no way this is real.
One Off Swarovski Crystal Covered Sony Playstation 3 Up for Sale [Bornrich]
22:20 Rock Band Update Brings Parity With The Old World [Rock Band] 
Rock Band makes its expensive, long-overdue debut in Europe next week, and brings with it a bunch of Euro-specific tracks. Tracks that aren't that Euro-specific, however, since next week they'll be making up the American content update as well. There's a nice mix of British, German and French songs on offer, which to be honest is probably headlined by Die Toten Hosen's "Hier Kommt Alex", since the British offerings don't quite rock as hard as one would have hoped.
* Die Toten Hosen "Hier Kommt Alex"
* Blur "Beetlebum" (Cover)
* Muse "Hysteria"
* Oasis "Rock 'n' Roll Star"
* Tokio Hotel "Monsoon"
* Juli "Perfekte Welle"
* Les Wampas "Manu Chao"
* Playmo "New Wave"
* H-Block X "Countdown to Insanity"
22:00 Hey! You Got Your Xbox 360 Dragon Ball Z Shots On My PlayStation.com! [PS3] 
Namco Bandai's Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is multi-platform. It might be difficult for customers to pick which one they should get: Xbox 360 or PS3 version? Well, maybe PlayStation.com can help. Look at the "PS3" screenshots that appeared on the official Japanese PlayStation site. What do you notice? Oh, you can't see it? Well, hit the jump for a closer look.
Those aren't Sony buttons! What's going on here?!
ボタンが360なのにｗｗｗ [Namidame.2ch]
PlayStation Japan (cache) [Official Site Thanks, muu!]
21:20 Mega64 Hit David Jaffe With The Hard-Hitting Questions [Mega64]
Witness Mega64 spread their comedic wings and take a shot at interviews. Interviews with people from the videogame industry, like David Jaffe. Interviews done by Marcus, a hand-puppet with the most delightful little Tom Tucker moustache. And yes, Marcus, if you can keep the remaining five episodes this charming, we'll certainly do our best to fucking care.
[Mega64]
21:00 The Power Of Kamehameha [Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit] 
Hit the jump for the other three clips, which get progressive more amusing as they go along.
20:30 PixelJunk Eden Hands-On Impressions [SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's Day] 
We just returned from SCEA's Pre-E3 Judge's Day, an event that gave us hands-on time with highly anticipated titles like Killzone 2, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet. So why am I writing about PixelJunk Eden first? Probably for the same reason that, at the end of the day, while Killzone 2 demo stations were available with no waiting, the wait to get hands on a DualShock to play more PixelJunk Eden was a good 15 minutes. We're not trying to downplay Killzone 2, mind you, as it's a fine game. But Eden? I'm already having withdrawals.
The thing about PixelJunk Eden is that its appealing and addictive qualities might not come across well in screen shots or trailers. Q-Games Dylan Cuthbert showed a trailer for the previous build of Eden at GDC, likening it to "an organic Mario." It's accurate, in some sense, as the game is a platformer at heart, but one that oozes style and originality.
Here's how you play PixelJunk Eden.
The concept is simple. One to three players—we only played in a cooperative trio—will each control their "Grimp", a flea-like creature named with a portmanteau of "grip" and "jump." The goal is simply to build your garden. That will require each player to find a level's Spectras, analogous to a Star or Shine in a Mario game.
Grimps have a few ways of getting around each level, populated with plants, rocks, pollen and enemies. They can jump by double tapping X (or any face button) or launch them selves from a silken tether (tap X once) if launching themselves from a plant—they'll always grip to plants. That tether will keep the Grimp attached to the branch or stem it leaped from, allowing it to rotate around the centerpoint, picking up pollen or using it to fling the Grimp across open space.
The tether also acts as a sort of radar while the Grimp is rotating, with blips indicating where the next Spectra is located, a clever choice that keeps the game's HUD minimal.
Each level begins with a handful of stock plants and flowers that Grimps can climb upon or leap from. As you collect the pollen that floats about, you'll feed unpollinated seeds that will then sprout new growth when you touch them. The level design is more vertical than a traditional 2D platformer, with much of your progress upward. There's a danger to falling, of course, as landing on the ground will drain partially pollinated seeds, slowing your upward mobility.
When playing with a group, however, falling downward off-screen doesn't mean certain doom, as you'll respawn where the rest of your fellow Grimps are after a few seconds, if they're gripping a plant. This is where a good portion of the challenge—and PixelJunk Eden's addictive nature—lies. You'll work as a group to grab more pollen, to catch your teammates if they fall, to build pollen grabbing combos, to stay atop a level, even if the other two plummet downward. You'll take giant leaps of faith, tweaking your fall with the analog stick, delighting in perfectly targeted flying arcs.
Q-Games collaborated with Japanese artist and musician Baiyon to give the game much of its visual and musical style. It's said to feature over 100 minutes of original, electronic music from Baiyon, a soothing pulsing soundtrack that matches perfectly with Eden's zen-like visual atmosphere. The game will most likely see comparison's to previous works like Rez for its gorgeous visuals and throbbing soundtrack, despite the differences in style and energy.
PixelJunk Eden may be hard to describe—and your first few minutes with it may be slightly unsettling—but it's equally hard to put down. Hopefully, Q-Games and SCEA will release a demo soon, so more people will get to experience it for themselves before its release this Summer.
20:00 Siren: Blood Curse Even Scarier Moving [SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's Day] 
Someone hold me.
19:50 Frankie Leaves Bungie [Bungie] 
It's just been announced that Bungie's Frankie O'Connor will be leaving the company and heading for greener pastures. Which makes today a sad day for Bungie fans and Bungie employees alike. But not Halo fans! In his parting letter to the company's fanbase, O'Connor writes that he's "off to work more closely with Microsoft on the Halo franchise", which can only be good news for everybody involved. Best of luck at Microsoft, Frankie. The letter's in full after the jump if you're interested.
Dear BungieFans,It's not you, it's me.
In many ways, you're too good for me. You can find someone better. Maybe a little hairy dude. Maybe a Hungarian Unicyclist. I just know that I don't deserve you, and that this is just as hard for me as it is for you.
Yours truly,
Frankie.
I am leaving you. I am off to work more closely with Microsoft on the Halo franchise, so I shan't be too far away, but I wanted to take this last chance, appropriately enough in a Weekly Update, to tell you a very fond thanks. Thanks for being the most energized, enthusiastic, loyal, faithful, creative, imaginative and incredible community any video game could ever have.
Thanks for being patient when things went wrong, when playlists didn't work, when matchmaking broke, when bugs were being fixed. Thanks for the mail, the screenshots, the movies, the machinima, the models, the paintings and the sheer enthusiasm and talent you've shown me over the years.
Thanks for not following through on the death threats.
Thanks for sticking with us through thick and thin and thanks for the loyalty you're going to show Bungie over the coming years.
And on that note, let me tell you a bit about the coming years. It was very hard for me to make the decision to move on, but one thing that made it just a bit easier, was seeing the amazing work that's coming down the pipe. I was busy working on a story for one of our next games, an experience that is destined to surprise, amaze and entertain like nothing we've ever made before. That game has an amazing team invested in it, and one that will be tasked with building the Next Big Thing. You should see what they've already achieved, you truly should.
And there are other things rumbling at Bungie, just as secret, just as epic and just as incredible. And the thing that turns all that rumbling into incredible gameplay experiences is, has always been and will always continue to be, the people. The brilliant, talented, industrious gang of geniuses who brought you everything from a monochrome Pong clone to the staggering vistas and vision of Halo 3.
Artists, engineers, musicians, designers, writers, administrators, producers, managers, even our security staff are Bungie people, through and through. They are all, every last man, woman and Bob, the very essence of the spirit of the company and the thing I will miss most of all.
There are too many to name. More than 120 now, more than double the number than when I first started, about halfway through Halo 2. Amazing to think that I am Old School Bungie, when I never felt like anything other than a wide-eyed child in a moonlit candy store.
So thanks again. And look forward to all that candy. They're making it for you.
Goodbye, thanks for all the Photoshops today - and don't eat stuff off the sidewalk.
Bungie Weekly Update: 5/16/2008 [Bungie]
19:40 ESA, Game Critics' Awards Debate "Best Of E3" Eligibility [E3 Award Debate] 
A heated debate has erupted between the Entertainment Software Association and the Game Critics' Awards over the eligibility of games in this year's E3 Media and Business Summit. The dispute was prompted by Activision and Vivendi's recent departure from the ESA and, simultaneously, from the show.
The association assumed that the departed companies' games would no longer be eligible for any of the annual "Best of E3" awards, given out by an independent group of Game Critics' Awards judges at each year's show.
But Geoff Keighley, GameTrailers executive producer and co-chairman of the Awards, said that decision hasn't been made yet. The critics' group, of which Kotaku managing editor Brian Crecente is also a member, still needs to meet to discuss the issue and decide how exactly to define which games are and are not eligible.
"The fact that Activision is not a registered exhibitor for E3 has brought to light the issue of how to determine the eligibility of games," Keighley said.
At first blush, the issue seems clear-cut. Not in E3? No "Best of E3" award. But, said Keighley, "A precedent has been set that in the past, judges have voted on games that have been presented off the show floor at hotel suites and across the street from E3."
Adhering too closely to the rules might lead to problems, as with Capcom's disqualification from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' DICE Summit awards show. Neither the critically-acclaimed and highly successful Resident Evil 4 nor the innovative fan-favorite Okami were eligible for any form of recognition, because Capcom had refused to pay membership fees to join the Academy.
"It would be a shame for me if the best game of E3 didn't win the Best of Show award because it was demoed across the street from the show floor," Keighley said. Capcom had no comment on the present issue.
Keighley's co-chair at the Game Critics' Awards, Rob Smith, said it's impossible to decide until the judges know what Activision and Vivendi have planned. At this point, neither of the companies, whose merger will soon be official, have revealed their plans for a possible summer showcase of their games.
"From Activision's standpoint, they were aware it could impact them. But their decision [to leave] the ESA is going to impact their business in a variety of areas," said Smith. "They're dealing with each of those on whatever basis they have to as an organization. They haven't lobbied us to ensure inclusion... the Game Critics' Awards wants to be able to recognize the most exciting games coming out this year, and the politics involved are not really a part of what we're about."
"That all being said... we really don't know what that means, because the game does have to be shown at E3, and nobody knows if they are."
Smith also said that he's yet to hear from either Sony or Microsoft regarding any possible award policy issues involving third-party titles. Neither Sony or Microsoft provided comment to Kotaku, either.
Activision itself declined to comment on the issue, but while the judges have their own criteria on which to make a decision, how do the other publishers feel? After all, all ESA member companies pay dues to the organization and incur heavy expenses to be part of E3. Should Activision and Vivendi receive the same considerations for E3 awards as the ESA's members do, even without being a part of the organization and, by association, the event?
While Electronic Arts, an ESA member company and a supporter of E3, sees that it is an issue, they remained impartial in their response to us.
"The landscape has changed considerably, obviously," said Mariam Sughayer of EA's corporate communications. "But the way we see it is that this is... a debate happening between the ESA and the E3 judges. We don't have comment on the way we think it should go, or which way is right."
"The dust is going to have to settle on this; there's a lot up in the air. We're letting the ESA decide it with the judges."
For its part, the ESA also declined to comment on the issue.
Making the debate somewhat more complex, according to the Awards' Keighley, is the absence of a financial component from the Game Critics Awards, which gives the judges latitude to make their own eligibility determinations.
"The fact we are independent awards [lets us] define our own rules for eligibility," said Keighley. As publishers revise their part on the E3 show floor, you have to consider the best way to move forward, to ensure we are rewarding the most creative and promising games that will shape the future of the industry."
"Our organization isn't for profit," Keighley said. "It's a volunteer organization, a consortium of journalists, so we can be pure."
Nintendo was unavailable for comment due to the Wii Fit launch, and as of press time we are awaiting reply from Vivendi.
19:00 Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 - More Tiny Golfing Goodness [SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's Day] 
Hot Shots Golf®: Open Tee 2 FACT SHEETPublisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment Japan / Clap Hanz
Platform: PSP® (PlayStation®Portable)
Genre: Sports / Golf
Release Date: June 2008
Rating: "E" for Everyone
OVERVIEW
Developed by Clap Hanz, in conjunction with Sony Computer Entertainment America's Santa Monica Studios, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee® 2 brings another chapter of the beloved Hot Shots franchise onto PSP® (PlayStation®Portable). Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 adds six challenging new courses to test even the most hardened golf veteran, and 12 new characters are available to customize with hundreds of accessories. With the franchise's signature over-the-top visuals and pick-up-and-play action, fans of the series can once again look forward to hitting the links on the go with the most fun and wacky golf experience available.Players will also have unmatched online access with robust Internet play available for players to challenge other Hot Shots across the globe in tournaments of up to 16 players. Additionally, players can tee-off locally with up to eight players via Match Play or head-to-head in Ad Hoc mode. Individually, players can test their prowess on the links with a number of single-player modes such as Challenge, training, and Stroke Play.
KEY FEATURES
Online Golf Action - Tee off in tournaments of up to 16 players online and challenge others around the world for the Hot Shots title.
Ad Hoc Multiplayer - Players can engage in an eight-player Match Play mode or even hit the links one-on-one via Ad Hoc.
Exotic Courses - 12 challenging courses to conquer, with a mix of new courses as well as fan favorites from the past to challenge golfers of all levels. The environments will take players across tropical islands, vast desert plains, snow-capped mountains, and oceanfront views.Crazy Characters & Caddies - Choose from 24 different playable characters and five different caddies, each with their own distinct look and characteristics that embody the fun and spirit of the Hot Shots franchise.
In-Depth Customization - Customize characters with more than 300 different options, including clothing, hairstyles, shoes, clubs, hats, and much more. Successfully conquering challenges in the game will allow players to further upgrade equipment, allowing for more accurate shots, longer drives, and impeccable control.
Clothing & Accessory Attribute Boost - Incorporating special combinations of clothing and accessories will provide a unique boost to character attributes as well as overall fashion style.
Unlock A Variety of Equipment - Players can earn new clubs and golf balls throughout each match to execute more accurate shots, longer drives, tighter approaches, and pinpoint putts.
A Variety of Golf Outings - Multiple single-player and multi-player modes of play including VS Mode, Training Mode, Tournament Mode, Stroke Mode, Match Play Mode, and other challenging modes offer a diverse golfing experience for everyone.
18:40 NYC Eyeballs Growing Games Industry [NYC Game Mecca?] 
New York City's Center For an Urban Future released an in-depth report on the state of the city's game industry, with the aim of encouraging city government to become more involved. Given the overall health of the industry, NYC joins a number of cities around the world looking for ways to attract game development; recently, we reported on a 20 percent tax credit granted to developers who create their projects there.
The report found that the city has more incentive to focus on the game industry than it's been given credit for:
According to local industry experts, the number of game development companies in New York City could be counted on one hand as recently as five years ago. But today, the city is home to more than 30 game development companies and another 55 firms involved in some aspect of games, from sound effects to distribution. Only a handful of other cities in North America have as many gaming firms.
The report recommends a number of strategies for the city's administration to bolster New York City's role in the industry, to create jobs and support economic health, and to develop "a framework for supporting the video game sector," including government liaisons, encouragement for trade shows, and expansion of city university programs for game development.
The report doesn't go as far as to encourage the Georgia-style tax breaks, however, which might at a further stage be a reasonable recommendation for the city with one of the highest costs of living in America.
Getting in the Game [New York City Center for an Urban Future] (Thanks, Mike!)
18:20 U.S. Exclusive Siren Screens, So Nya [SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's Day] 
Sure, they showed a whole lot of this at the European PlayStation Day last week, but they didn't show these babies. These are U.S. exclusive shots of Siren: Blood Curse, the episodic horror game that Sony will begin delivering via the PlayStation Network this summer. If you are not from the U.S., please refrain from looking through this gallery. We appreciate it. Just trying to follow instructions.
Feel free to hit the jump for the fact sheet, however, as it doesn't seem to be exclusive at all. Just not the screens. If you look we shall be very cross.
SIREN: Blood Curse Fact SheetPublisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Studio: SCE Japan Studio
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™)
Distribution: 12 downloadable episodes via PLAYSTATION®Network
Genre: Survival Horror, Adventure
Rating: RP for "Rating Pending"
Release: Summer 2008OVERVIEW
Released in twelve downloadable episodes, SIREN: Blood Curse™ delivers a haunting and horrifying story exclusively to PS3. In SIREN: Blood Curse, players are pulled into an epic tale with realistic gameplay and graphics complemented by chilling cut scenes. The unique "sight jack" system allows the player to see from the point of view of the Shibito, or living dead, to avoid their detection or anxiously watch as they close in. Intense graphics, realistic character animation, and a gritty film-like graphical presentation add to the horror of SIREN: Blood Curse.STORYLINE
Set in the Japanese village of Hanuda, an American TV crew has arrived to research and film an exposé on the legend of a "vanished village." Controlling seven different playable characters, the player must discover the mystery behind the curse that grips the eerie village of Hanuda.KEY FEATURES
Epic Story - spread across 12 dramatic episodes, SIREN: Blood Curse will feature interactive scenarios and gripping cut scenes in each episode to keep players on the edge of their seats.
Enhanced 'Sight Jack' System - the automatic and seamless sight jack system allows players to see exactly what their enemies see
Playable Characters - players will control seven playable characters throughout the haunting story
Fatal Moves - Sneak past the deadly Shibito or take them head on with over 50 kinds of weapons, each with unique fatal finishing move animations
Archive System - lets player unlock a variety of story clues and important background information
What color Nintendo DS would Carrie Underwood carry? My Tennessean.com, TN - Underwood and America Ferrera will be featured in commercials for the metallic rose version of Nintendo DS, a color the system debuted in late 2007. ... |
18:00 Pixeljunk Eden Does...Something [SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's Day] 
17:40 Little Big Planet Needs To Stop Teasing Us [SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's Day] 
That's it. I don't want to see any more Little Big Planet screens until I can play the game with my own two hands. This latest set, available at the Sony Pre-E3 Judge's day goes beyond tantalizing to torture. Can I be a zebra? Do I want to be a zebra? I just don't know! What I do know is that companies need to stop showing really cool stuff a year and a half before it is released, because my mind just cannot handle it anymore.
Yes! I want to be a zebra! *breaks down*
Metallic Rose DS Lite Going Solo 1UP.com, NY - By Andrew Hayward, 05/16/2008 Nintendo announced today that the Metallic Rose-colored Nintendo DS Lite hardware, previously released as a bundle with ... |
17:30 Zoo Games' Order Up! Reminds Me Of That Chef Ramsay Show [Tactical Restaurant Action] 
You've also got to hire and fire your own kitchen staff to improve efficiency, wow restaurant critics and avoid the health inspector. Zoo Games is bringing the title to Wii on July 22nd.
This reminds me of those Chef Ramsay kitchen shows where he browbeats and berates young, incompetent chefs or overhauls people's horrible, dangerous restaurants. I love those shows, especially if food gets burned and dishes get broken and people storm out.
17:20 SOCOM Confrontation Screens, Art & More [SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's Day] 
Sony's Pre-E3 Judge's Day is in full swing, and while Brian and McWhertor will be updating throughout the afternoon with hands-on, eyes-on, and whatever other body parts they can get onto the games featured at the event, we'll be here at home base gathering up the information, screens, and movies for your viewing and reading pleasure.
First up is SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, due out in September for the PlayStation 3. We've got screens, concept art, and a giant fact sheet after the jump that contains all you really need to know about that latest game in the SOCOM series. Enjoy!
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation FACT SHEETPublisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Slant Six Games
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system
Genre: 3rd Person Shooter (Online Only)
Players: Multi-player (32 players)
Launch Date: September 16, 2008
Rating: Rating pending (targeting M-Mature)OVERVIEW
Following its success as the number one online PlayStation®2 franchise,
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs breaches onto the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system this fall with SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation. The highly anticipated title promises to deliver the ultimate next-generation online combat experience, exclusively on the PS3.With the power of the PS3, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will deliver the most intense and authentic high definition modern combat action. The title's focus is on online play and the global community and clans that support it. With an emphasis on Tournaments, Clan Ladders, Leader Boards, the latest title in the multi-million unit selling franchise is exactly what SOCOM fans have been clamoring for.
Delivering a global-scale combat experience that has been refined over four generations of the SOCOM franchise, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation gives players the opportunity to battle against the best and brightest from the U.S., Europe and Asia. Additionally, players will be able to modify their appearance through facial and physical customization.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation features seven North African environments, including a 32-player version of the most popular SOCOM map of all time "Crossroads." Additional themed packs containing new Special Forces, weapons, maps and features will be made available for download via the PLAYSTATION®Store.
KEY FEATURES
Intense online combat experience with up to 32 players delivered in High Definition7 highly detailed maps, 5 scalable for 8, 16, and 32 players with night and day versions.
New engine built for PS3 with advanced physics, lighting and ballistics including penetration modeling
Choice of playing as one of five special forces units: United States Navy SEALs, Special Air Service (SAS, United Kingdom), Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Germany), Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE, Spain), 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa, France)
Comprehensive player customization including facial and camo customization
Customizable load outs and gear, including weapons modifications
Up to seven different game modes, including all from previous SOCOM games. Full support of the Dual Shock 3 SIXAXIS™ wireless controller, offering greater control
Advanced voice communication systems and immersive audio
Unrivaled Community Features with increased clan & ladder support
Tournaments available at the regional, national and global levels
Advanced player matching enable players to form teams with their friends and easily join an online game
Integration with SOCOM.com: Stat tracking, clan management tools, My SOCOM pages and more
17:00 The Beijing Olympics, Brought To You By Sega [Sega Game Day] 
Sega's official video game of the 2008 Beijing Olympics is looking pretty damn realistic, if these screenshots are any indication, but as Olympic games of the past have taught us, it isn't about the looks so much as it is the motion. I am actually willing to take that a bit farther.
There will be no successful Olympics video game until they implement realistic hurdle-based testicle damage.
As someone who has felt the painful impact of a hurdle between my legs, I can safely say that making the runners simply stumble or slow down for hitting a hurdle does not accurately represent the rigors of the sport. It's the whole reason they implemented hurdles in the first place!