When Crecente shared tea and biscuits with Warhawk producer Dylan Jobe at GDC, he was told they were hoping to get the game's second expansion out by either the second half of March or the first half of April. Looking like it's the latter, as SCEA's John Hight told Gamasutra yesterday:

We just released an expansion on Warhawk in September, and we'll release another one in April.

April it is, then!
The State of PlayStation Network: John Hight Interviewed [Gamasutra]

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Americans lurve online gaming. But what about Japanese? Nope! An online questionnaire poled 15,000 members of Japanese internet community MyVoice about their feelings towards online games. The sample was 54 percent female, 2 percent teen, 16 percent twenty-something, 37 percent thirty-something, 28 percent forty-something and 17 percent fifty-something. Over half of them were not interested in online games! That's not including the 12 percent who are totally indifferent. And when asked what their image of online games was, the most common response was "Geekish." And get this, only 1 percent of those poled use Macs to play online games. At least we have that in common!

Hit the jump for the full breakdown:

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Seen the Robot Chicken Star Wars special yet? It's...OK. Some awful stuff, some stuff you've seen before, but Admiral Ackbar's cereal is always good for a chortle. I bring this up because it's now available on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace for 240 MS points (US-only, though, I'm afraid).

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For Nintendo, "okay" won't cut it. Its games have a spit-shine sheen, and everything is just so. You know, perfect. So when Dylan Cuthbert, honcho at Pixel Junk dev Q-Games, worked at Nintendo on the Star Fox series in the 90's, what did he learn? Cuthbert says:

The main thing I learned at Nintendo was that being "anal" is the most important asset a game creator needs to have. Mr. Miyamoto has the uncanny ability to spot the most minute detail in any game; just the odd pixel out of place and he will strike upon it like an eagle. So, although we are nowhere near that level yet, I am trying to guide everyone at Q to get good at "the details".

The other thing I learned from Nintendo, is learning to look at your game from a distance towards the end of development and decide what really needs to be done to make the game into a sell-able product. This is almost totally separate from the creative "game-making" process and most companies let their marketing departments do it which, in my opinion, is totally wrong.

Valuable lessons, indeed! If only more developers cut their teeth at Nintendo. If only...
Q-Games Dylan Cuthbert [Destructoid] [Pic]

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Poor Guitar Hero III on the Wii. It's had some problems. If it wasn't mono-only sound, it was lawsuits over mono-only sound, and if it wasn't lawsuits, it was botched sign-ups for replacement discs to fix mono-only sound. So it's only right Activision try and make amends. A good place to start is this new Guitar Hero III bundle for the Australian market, which features not only the correct, Dolby Pro Logic II sound output, but also a second guitar controller. No price given just yet, but since the existing one-guitar pack goes for $140, this should come in at just under $200.

Editor's note: All the details on the pack can be found in our story from yesterday.

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Saints Row was one buggy game. So buggy it even got its own song, "Buggy Saints Row". Surely this time around developer Volition learned from its mistakes last time. Maybe no! Says the game's producer Greg Donovan about the upcoming sequel:

It won't be bug free. I don't think any game is. But part of what we did was to start development early on. Our development schedule is all about getting the gameplay in and even though this (version of the game shown to press) is pre-alpha, we're all about iterating the gameplay now.

Sure, not all games are bug free. It's just some games are more bug free than others.
Saints Row 2 Is Buggy [VideoGamer.com] [Pic]

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I just know there are people out there reading this who want a silver PS3. Need a silver PS3. You've got a silver TV, silver DVD player, silver PVR and you just can not sleep until you get rid of that awful black PS3 and get one that matches your trendy technophile lifestyle. You'd best hit up Play-Asia, then, who have started pre-orders for the unit at the all-too-reasonable (for an import, anyways) price of $US 429.
PlayStation3 Console (HDD 40GB Model) Satin Silver [Play-Asia]

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Excited about Super Smash Bros. Brawl? We're willing to be not as much as the dude who created this special briefcase to lug the game around. Over at forum Wii Chat, poster Belarr writes:

This is a custom case for my copy of SSBB, it was crafted out of a blue foam to specific dimensions and has a tight seal. Watcha think?

We think you have a messy room. That, and you don't need a custom padded case, but a custom padded room. :)
SSBB Case [Wii Chat via Go Nintendo]

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Yeeees, more Kane! And not just regular Kane, new, improved CYBER KANE. And real, honest-to-goodness gameplay footage! This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make a trailer.

Yes, we're sure there will be a Heavenly Sword 2. It's already written! Heck, developer Ninja Theory would like to make it into a trilogy. But first, it needs the opinions of regular folks. According to one Kotaku tipster, that's exactly what Ninja Theory is doing. Last night, a focus group was apparently held by these people in Chicago. Writes the tipster:

They initially asked for video game background, then they had a follow-up phone call asking which games I had played or owned, focusing heavily on Heavenly Sword. There were 3 surveys done on Monday, groups of 6 for the first 2, 4 for the last group (my group). Predominantly males, asking about our impressions on Prince of Persia, God of War, Ninja Gaiden and, of course, Heavenly Sword. Some questions were asked about why Heavenly Sword didn't sell so well, what our impressions were on the gameplay, how the cutscenes were done, combat mechanics.

That's sorta interesting. The really interesting part is what was hinted at regarding Heavenly Sword 2. That, after the jump:

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Sure, we know, but they usually don't. Violent video games are always a favorite (and easy) scapegoat. Pundits are quick to point the finger, using "clinical findings" to back up their claims. Not every study says that, though. Take Dr. Cheryl K. Olson, author of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games, doesn't and instead dismisses the link. She says ineffective research that uses smaller sample sets and lower playing times renders such games-make-kids-violent findings suspect. Studies for Grand Theft Childhood used larger sample sets of kid players and had the children talk about what they were already playing. The book was based on a $US 1.5 million research project at the Harvard Medical School with focus groups that consisted of 1,200 middle school kids and their parents. The depth of this project supersedes the typical games-make-you-bad research that typically has college students play violent games for 15 minutes or so. Says Dr. Olson:

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Adowable! According to commenter Cchrist:

Here's my entry for the contest. I made it out of organs, fur, a kitten strap and some butterfly wings!
It even moves on it's own and doesn't even use electricity OR batteries.
The only thing i haven't figured out yet is making it fly...

Yes, our cold bitter heart just melted. In case you didn't know: We're giving away a copy of Insecticide (DS or PC, the winner decides). Here's the contest, it's a fun one: Make an insect. Like a 3D, real world one.

That's it.

You can use anything to make it EXCEPT CG. So yeah, if you want to make a bug outta newspapers, sticks, clay, whatever, DO IT. Send entries to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom with the subject line "Insect." The contest ends March 7th. The winner's fame is ENDLESS.

We told you to go buy Zack & Wiki. Some of you listened. You have our thanks. Everyone else, though, you're a great disappointment. Not just to your fellow Wii owners, but to Capcom as well, who have had to go to the trouble of throwing together a freen, Wii-friendly flash demo of the game, just so you can see what all the fuss is about.
[Zack & Wiki Flash Demo]

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Oh fuck yes. We don't like to post eBay things, but this auction is so over and so awesome. That is a UK Sega Dreamcast demo kiosk that's in fully working condition with the original monitor. The DC console itself is region free. Says the seller:

There is nothing more striking and impressive for a collector or gaming fan to have. In the dark it glows a beautiful neon blue colour when turned on, as you can see in the pictures. This really is the ultimate Dreamcast collector's item.

Don't think of this as simply a "collector's item", but a shine. Or better yet, an altar.
Dreamcast Kiosk [eBay via Engadget]

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Latest from the Uwe Boll files: his adaptation of Postal is hitting theatres on May 23. Same day as some Indiana Jones movie. An error on Herr Boll's part? Not on your life. Dude's out for blood. Spielberg's blood.

On the Indiana Jones weekend - May 23 - we will go out and destroy Indiana Jones in the Box Office! We all know that Harrison Ford is older as my grandpa and his time is up - would Michael Moore say!

Gotta love how his angry, broken English makes it into his emails!

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Sure, we've seen stuff like this before, that doesn't mean we're sick of Nintendo character evolution charts. Never! This time around we're tracking the progression that the brawlers from Super Smash Bros. Brawl have undergone. Hit the jump for a look at Samus, Kirby and non-Nintendo character but Wii-favorite Sonic.

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More from Activision boss Bobby Kotick's address at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference: Activision are waking up to just how much money artists can make by appearing on Guitar Hero (HINT: it's a lot). So, they figure, if artists are making money off Guitar Hero, then Activision can start making money off those artists. And their labels.

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You know, I'm just going to let the following craigslist entry speak for itself:

I want a guy who looks like link. from the game. I thought to myself that I might as well be honest. I look like zelda, so why not ask for it? who knows.. I know theres a guy like that. So if you think you look like link, the blonde skater cut, and light eyes look email me. Im a simple chick who loves zelda. I know thats a corney one to ask but heck we might as well be honest as to what we like? am I right? I want a guy like that and a guy who is romantic and believes in chilvary, love, old school ways, and doesnt have a problem with european culture. Thanks a bunch!!! If I like you, and you have a pic, ill email you back. PS I WILL NOT RESPOND to guys without FACE SHOTS. period. Thankyou for understanding. Im not a body chick. more a face and Please only guys 30 and below. And please do not email me rude comments... this world has too many jerks and I delete them and report to the authorities. Its extreme I know But please have respect.

Remember, gents: you MUST INCLUDE FACE SHOTS.
LOOKING FOR LEGEND OF ZELDA LINK>>> IF HES OUT THERE [best of craigslist, via GayGamer]

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Dogs are great — especially dogs with huge fake eyebrows that make them looks like video game characters. Somebody get this mutt a guitar! We have songs we'd love to request.
Found Here [4chan via That Girl's Site via ALBOTAS]

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Auran is still alive and so is its MMO Fury, despite its parent company Auran Developments throwing in the towel late last year. Even with this setback, Auran was able to produce a hefty content update, Age of the Chosen, that it believed would rectify most of the original criticisms of the game, including its steep learning curve and dodgy performance. For good measure, it removed the subscription fee.

Shortly after the release of Age of the Chosen, Auran was able to confirm that it had even more updates in the pipeline, but surely, three months on, what developers are left have to be operating on two cornflakes and half a can of Red Bull?

Apparently not. MMORPG.COM managed to get a hold of Auran's CEO Tony Hilliam at GDC 2008, and Hilliam was able to reassure the site that the 13-year old company is committed to Fury. Yet, my eyebrows couldn't help but elevate at a few of Hilliam's comments:

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During his address at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference earlier today, Activision boss Bobby Kotick was talking up Guitar Hero's plans for world domination. While Rock Band continues to struggle to reach American shelves, let alone European ones, Activision have outlined the series' potential to take over not just Europe, but Asia as well.

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To: Ash
From: Crecente
Re: What Is Happening To The US Dollar? (Someone Make It Stop)

Just be happy you're not Luke... or us, for that matter. The Australian dollar has been absurdly level with the U.S. dollar for months now and it's gotta be killing Luke. I know it sucks every time we send money to Trish's parents in Sydney.

Man, these big conferences really take a lot out of me. Not only do they wear you to a nub, but inevitably, due to the work schedule, stress and flights, I end up getting sick. This time around I caught some nasty sinus thing. Over the past few days the pressure has been slowly building in my head until it peaked today with such force that it felt like my left eye was going to pop right out of my head. Being stupidly pig-headed I've yet to take any sinus medication for it, though today I popped some pain killers and took a long soak in the tub.

What you missed:
Sid Meier - Gaming's Three Greatest Innovations
FutureMark Responds to Pwnage Trademark Ire
Larry Niven Teams With Alchemic For Free Fall
Gary Gygax, Co-Creator Of D&D, Dead At 69
Ugliest and Only Halo 3 Lamp

The long wait for more molded plastic is over—McFarlane Toys' first line of Halo action figures have begun arriving on retailer store shelves. The debut series includes Master Chief, Cortana, Brute Chieftan, Grunt, Spartan Soldier and Jackal Sniper, with the Spartan getting a multi-colour, multi-sculpt release. That means collectors can expect to do some extra work for a complete collection.

Also at your favorite toy reseller are the Warthog, Ghost and Brute Chopper vehicles. All of these superb sculpts can be seen at Spawn.com, with details on where to find Halo series 1 and how you can win an entire set at the news item linked below.

'HALO' 3 SERIES 1 ACTION FIGURES IN STORES NOW!! [McFarlane Toys]

As an experienced Man of the Web, I was impressed with EA's quick snatching up of the URL EATake2.com, a site that highlights the numerous reasons why investors would benefit from an Electronic Arts buy-out of Take Two Interactive. But I'm doubly impressed by Lord Riccivader and the Evil Acquirers creation of EatTake2.com. It features a similarly impassioned plea to the people of "Taketooine" about the wonders that await them.

Sure, comparing EA to the Galactic Empire has lost its shine, but seeing a Photoshopped John Riccitiello donning a Darth Vader helmet? That's gold, Jerry. Gold! The guest appearance from "Chatty" Mike Pachter makes it worth your page load.

EatTake2.com [via NeoGAF]

One of the numerous panel discussions at GDC last month did things a little bit differently, setting up a panel of video game journalists, lead by Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, to answer some of the questions game industry professionals have for those that write about them and their work. The panel consisted of 1UP's Garnett Lee, MTV's Stephen Totilo, Game Informer's Andy McNamara, Geoff Keighly of GameTrailers.tv, and our very own Brian Crecente.

The group covers a variety of topics, including the responsibility of a game journalist, the role of the reporter versus that of a critic, the impact that the emerging casual game market is having on game journalism, and one question from an anonymous contributor about the pay structure of gaming sites. One of the most interesting discussions, though, surrounded the influence giving a score to a game has on not only the game, but whether people will read the article:

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The head cheese at Activision, Bobby Kotick, recently made headlines for his assertion that, in order to compete properly with World of Warcraft, publishers may need to invest nearly a billion dollars in such a venture. Fortunately for Kotick and crew, they now have access to the big brains at Blizzard and Vivendi, a group of folks who know quite a bit about the MMO business. How then, can Activision exploit its biggest earners into even bigger financial monsters?

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Did you know the Game On exhibit down in Melbourne starts tomorrow? Tomorrow, of all days!

Ah, who am I kidding? There's nothing wrong with March 6, and I have no problem with July 13 either. That's that day the exhibit ends, if you were wondering. In fact, it gives you quite a few months to check out the event's selection of antique consoles, famous artwork and retro games.

Sounds delicious, no? Good thing we have six tickets to give away over two weeks then! To be in the running, just describe your most memorable retro gaming experience in fewer than 50 words and email it to tips@kotaku.com.au with the subject "Game On comp".

A few things to keep in mind:

You can enter multiple times, but if you win one week, you won't be eligible to win again the following week.

Entries that don't win in the first week will be eligible to win the following week, so don't resend them!

The winners for the first batch of tickets will be announced on March 12. Winners for the second batch will be announced on 19 March.
[Terms and Conditions]

Thanks to the ACMI for making the competition possible. Youse are awesome.

Game On [ACMI]

Ripped from tomorrow's press releases comes word that the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has submitted a purchase request for a bunch of PlayStation 3s—three hundred of the 40GB model, to be exact. They're not (officially) intended for playing Grand Theft Auto IV or training pilots under the harsh control conditions of Lair, mind you, but for "conducting a technology assessment of certain cell processors". Uh huh.

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According to the latest report by analyst group eMarketer, the in-game ad industry will grow to $US 650 million by 2012, more than doubling 2007's $US 295 million. eMarketer attributes the growth to the overall growth of the video game industry, with game launches overshadowing other big media events. Most recently, Halo 3 generated more in first day sales than the opening weekend of Spiderman 3 (the biggest opening weekend in history) and the first-day sales of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (the final installment in the series).

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Activision CEO Bobby Kotick spoke today at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference about the challenges facing his company, responding to concerns about growth on a few of its key franchises, like Call of Duty and Guitar Hero. While Kotick was wise to avoid revealing specifics, he may have let slip the next artist-focused Guitar Hero title. If true, it may be a very good fit.

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All three special editions DVDs of the Indiana Jones trilogy will be shipping with both a demo and trailer for the upcoming LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures game, Ars Technica reports.

Fantastic, now I have two excuses to buy Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I wonder when I can start showing my son the flicks? I'll have to rewatch them to make sure they're not too racy first, I guess.

Special Indiana Jones DVD to Ship with Lego Indy Demo [Ars Technica]

You damn kids! You need to put down your Nintendo PlayStations and get down to one of our nation's fine national or state parks, put some outdoor learnin' into you. In what's just one more advertorial away from becoming a trend, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune is calling for kids, parents and grandparents to get back to nature, shut down the Xboxs and get some eagle watching done, Minnesota style.

What the Star Tribune probably doesn't realise is that the grandparents are now hooked on Wii Sports bowling and the kids are getting their nature fix from Endless Ocean. I'm off to shun real life nature with a photo safari in Pokemon Snap. Take that, anonymous nature boy!

Editorial: Pause the Playstation and head to Wabasha [Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune]

Update: We have confirmation that the pack comes with the stereo version of the game.

Activision Australia has a new "limited edition" retail box out for the Wii version of Guitar Hero III that comes with not one, but two wireless guitars.

According to the publisher, the new bundle is compensation for the lack of GH III units for Nintendo's console, rather than a perceived increase in the number of depressed friends and relatives unable to jam co-operatively with their more game-orientated peers. From the release:

"Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock remains an overwhelming success for Activision Australia, and as such many potential guitar heroes have been disappointed by the lack of available units," said Peter Skjellerup, Product Manager, Red Octane/Activision Australia.

"The introduction of the Wii DOUBLE PACK bundle aims to make amends for the shortfall of stock by giving Wii gamers access to multiplayer fun without buying two copies of the game!"

Activision didn't supply an RRP with the release, but tipster Jeff says he's seen the package available at Target and Kmart for $169. Keep in mind that each Wii guitar requires a remote to function, as the guitar itself is not wireless.

The announcement also included a rebranding of sorts for the entire Guitar Hero series. So instead of calling them "those Guitar Hero games" we should say "those Guitar Hero: Amplified games". Interesting if you're a retailer, yawn-worthy for the rest of us.

The final part of the release is an April shelf date for the PC version of GH III. Not that we care, as the hybrid Mac/PC game has been available from local distributor Try & Byte since early January. It's a healthy $169 as well and has just the one guitar.

Press release after the you-know-what.

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We Northern Americans may still be sitting on a Spring 2008 release date for Mario Kart Wii, but our European brethren will be karting their overalls off come Aprill 11. In anticipation of the Wii racer's online debut, the boys and girls in the European marketing department have given their customers a Mario Kart Wii online primer, talking up twelve-player over-the-internet races and cool options like "ghost" data downloads.

They even provide a bit of insight into the Mario Kart Channel, which will allow Kart fans to access info on rankings and competitions as well as enjoy the thrill of inputting friend codes. Like Wii Fit, the dedicated game channel doesn't require the Mario Kart Wii disc to be in the system. The only thing that might impress us more is a proper ship date from Nintendo of America.

Going global with Mario Kart Wii [Nintendo UK]

Flattery certainly seems to be the wooing tactic of choice for EA in their attempt to win over Take-Two's affections. Chief Financial Officer of Warren Jenson has gone so far as to describe the people, studios and IPs at Take-Two as "diamonds":

"What we can do is take these diamonds, and really involve them in an organisation that does have global scale and that can help to work them to maximise the total effectiveness for the true market horsepower that their titles can have in the global marketplace."

Not only is he calling them diamonds, he's saying that EA is just the jeweler to polish them up and present them to the world! During the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference for investors, Jenson also put major emphasis on the importance of creativity from both within the parent company, and from outside acquisitions, not relying strictly on one or the other. Maybe all this ego stroking will change Take-Two's mind?

EA keen on Take-Two "diamonds" [GameIndustry.biz]

The PlayStation Store is going to undergo a fairly substantial revamp over the next two months, a fact confirmed by John Hight, SCEA's director of product development, in a newly published Gamasutra interview. Hight is low on details about what we can expect, but does have a few interesting things to say about what's in the works for the PlayStation Store.

He tells Gamasutra that he's "pretty darn sure" a few original PlayStation titles that were previously only released in Japan will make their way to a worldwide audience, courtesy of the Store. Vib Ribbon, anyone? In addition, Hight also teases a few more original, downloadable PSP titles are in the concept stages. Hopefully, he doesn't just mean portable versions of PlayStation 3 titles, a la flOw and Echochrome. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

The State of PlayStation Network: John Hight Interviewed [Gamasutra]

Gary Gygax, Co-Creator Of D&D, Dead At 69
I had no idea he was in such poor health. Look on the bright side Gary - at least you weren't eaten by a gelatinous cube.

Paramount Keen On Entering The Games Market
As long as they don't pump out a bunch of crappy Star Trek games, I think I'll live.

Why Phil Harrison Joined Infogrames? Magnetic Attraction
I was thinking the salary was bigger, but perhaps there's more to it than that.

New ASUS Gaming PC Will Systematically Destroy Humanity
It has 3-way SLI, so it's going to cost an arseload and be superseded in six months time. I know I won't be buying one.

Hawty McBloggy found this delightful Halo 3-themed lamp while perusing the dregs of eBay auctions. The lamp, which features two spartans being ambushed by a jackal sniper, is nearly two-feet tall and had a starting bid of just under $US 95. The auction ends on Sunday. Not bad for a lamp that blends kitsch with Halo.

Halo 3 Lighting Up Your Life [Hawty McBloggy]

David Yoon may be the most thoughtful Rock Band drummer in the known universe. He gutted his Xbox 360 drum controller, spread the innards upon some... thing, covered them with foam and created the quietest set of virtual skins we've ever seen. He even transformed his kick pedal into a mechanism comprised of nothing but a pair of CDs, foam, electrical tape and transducers. He didn't stop there, though, instead swapping out the cacophonous stock sticks for a pair of jumbo Ticonderoga pencils. It may not be the prettiest fake drum kit, but it's definitely the most considerate. Rock softly, David.

Rock Band drum kit mod. [Flickr via Gizmodo AU]

Each year 1,000 of the "world's most remarkable people" gather in one place for the TED conference to talk Technology, Entertainment and Design. The four-day event includes more than 50 speakers who address the year's "Big Questions".

This year the conference was held in Monterey, California to tackle questions like: Who are we? Is beauty truth? and How do we create? Why should you care? Because video game folks make that list of 1,000 too.

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I've long been mulling over exactly how a theoretical Diablo III should look...for years now. You see, Diablo is a 2D franchise entering a 3D world. And its graphical style, as trivial and superficial as the topic may seem, will affect the way the game feels to play (which many have probably noticed in 3D Diablo clones like Dungeon Runners that feel distinctly less satisfying).

But after reading that King of Fighers XII was compl