To: Crecente
From: Ashcraft
RE: Ubidays to Captivate

After a gajillion years of feeling like bird shit and barfing like it was a recreation sport, Mrs. Bashcraft was in a little better spirits today. She was up and about — even decided she wanted to cook beef stew! (FYI: Her beef stew is way better than the dinner meals at 7-11.) After that, she passed out on the sofa for an eternity, woke up and played NSMB on the DS and then went back to sleep.

Literally, like in the last two days, she has really started to show. There is a definite pregnant belly going on. She still isn't up to walking the kid to the bus stop and waking up early. But just seeing her back to her old self (somewhat) has been great.

Oh, so the hamster that powers the site went bananas a few hours back. Good times.

What you missed last night
Mass Effect PC ships without DLC
Yahtzee on TWEWY
PSP upskirt crime
Saints Row 2 Delayed
New Gears 2 characters
360 soccer team

Yes. This old chestnut. Going off sales data compiled by European chart keepers ChartTrack, it's been revealed that since the launch of GTA IV on April 29, the 360 version of the game has outsold the PS3 version in the United Kingdom. By how much? Well, by around 180,000 copies, with the 360 version moving 750,000 copies, and the PS3 version, 570,000. It's also apparently had an affect on console sales, but since ChartTrack only give out percentages, and not hard numbers, those are useless, and I'm not going to post them. All in all, not a bad rear-guard action by Microsoft's last European stronghold.

360 outselling PS3 since GTA IV launch [Eurogamer]

Man, maybe I have bad eyes or something. But I cannot tell these PS3 BioShock screens from the Xbox 360 ones. And you know what, that's not necessarily a bad thing! Click through the gallery and feel free to point out what I am missing. (OH, as some commenters have pointed out, that Big Daddy right up there looks new, so there ya go!)

Forget the Sega Rambo arcade game for a moment, look at that mullet! Look!! That business-in-the-front party-in-the-back belongs to none over than Hiroshi Fujiioka, the Sega Saturn's human mascot Segata Sanshiro. In the late 1990s, that character went around telling people to play the Sega Saturn — and had a truly amazing theme song. A Rambo arcade game makes this press conference cool. That mullet makes it even cooler. But that mullet belonging to Segata Sanshiro? Jeez, that pretty much seals this as the press event of 2008, hands down. Oh, that lady with him is Maomi Yuuki.

HINT: It's not Splinter Cell. Not Rainbow Six either. Or Prince of Persia. No, when you look at the list Ubisoft released yesterday, showing the total lifetime sales of its major franchises, you'd best brace yourself for a surprise or two. Because atop the chart, beating out all Ubisoft's current AAA series, is France's favourite limbless platforming hero, Rayman, with 22 million copies sold (they have to be counting the Raving Rabbids games in that). Slightly shocking, no? But wait. That's only surprise #1. Surprise #2? How about Petz games selling more than Prince of Persia titles.

Ah, yes. Swingers. Those interested in using game consoles to host orgies, listen up! Online swinger site Kasidie offers up some tips on how game consoles can be liven up an evening of sex with multiple partners. From the site:

Even the names of today's gaming consoles seem like they were geared towards swingers...

How'd you like to come back to my "Playstation" so I can put my "Wii" into your "Xbox"?

If you can make it through that line without cringing, perhaps you might be able to make it through the rest of the piece. Remember kids, writing about sex is way more difficult than actually having it!

The New Social Lubricant [Kasidie via Go Nintendo via Next-Gen] [Pic]

Anyone lucky enough to be part of the Home beta tests right now will know that Ubisoft's Ubidays 08 event was one of the first to be broadcast in the service's "Media and Events" hub, an area of Home that lets publishers and Sony throw up videos and screenshots of upcoming games in a virtual exhibition. It all sounds great in theory, but as the clip above shows, it's going to take a particular breed of person/fanboy to be bothered running around a virtual space (complete with eerily disembodied David Reeves talking head) just to see a clip when they're only a few mouse-clicks away on this here internet.

No Bo in the new Tecmo Bowl? It's so. Best way to deal with it is to get over it, and move on with your lives. Focus on the future. A future where, despite featuring no NFL licenses and receiving a complete visual overhaul, Tecmo Bowl on the DS is looking as faithful an update as you could hope for.

Over at Northwestern University, an Xbox 360 was stolen from a locked dorm hall basement closet on May 11th. When the student checked the locked closet on May 22nd, he found an original Xbox inside. Oh, the hi-jinx! The kicker? Only one other dorm hall government officer and that student have access to the closet. This sounds less like a robbery and more like a practical joke — or a trade, even!

Xbox 360 Stolen [The Daily Northwestern via Binge Gamer via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Europe, take a bow. That Nielsen report from the other day, the one which gave us all kinds of neat statistics on European gamers, also gives us one piece of information that's much more important: the fact that Europe has overtaken the US in terms of market size. And not even all of Europe, just the European Union, since Nielsen's poll only included countries from the continental body. Turns out that in 2007, gaming pulled in $US 11.4 billion in the EU, compared to "only" $US 10.7 billion in the US. That figure puts the EU second only to Asia in terms of size, where $US 11.5 billion in gaming revenue was generated during 2007. The figure's probably skewed by the fact there are nearly 500,000,000 people in the EU, who in US dollar terms are paying almost double what Americans are, but hey, we're here for numbers, not nitpicking.

EU is second largest videogaming territory [GI.biz]

A deputy head of a Nagoya technical college has been arrested for supposedly using a PSP and PSP camera peripheral to look up the skirt of a 19 year-old female. On the 27th, the 59 year-old college administrator was apparently caught using the PSP Chotto Shot peripheral on the Nagoya Kintetsu train line. He has been arrested under anti-stalking legislation. The above TV news reenactment describes how the crime is believed to have gone down.

スカート内盗撮で59歳副校長を逮捕 [nikkansports via my game news flash]

Poor mobile games. Always the hope for the future! Always the laughing stock of the present. And fair enough, too. Cheaply made, rubbish to control, the vast majority of mobile games are a waste of everyone's time. Oh, unless you're Japanese, and pick up a Panasonic p906i. If you do, well, you'll be able to play Professor Layton. In widescreen, no less! And if you can't be arsed counting matchsticks, there's a nice-looking Gundam game on offer as well. Can have in West, please? Kind of bored of my 4th successive phone with a Worms clone.

Panasonic P906i [Product Page]

Before his new gig at Atari/Infogrames, Phil Harrison did tons of cheerleading for Home during his tenure at Sony. But Home keeps getting pushed back, causing PS3 owners to wonder if and when PS3 games will get Achievement-like trophies for Home. Since the PS3 version of Atari's Alone in the Dark isn't out until spring, it is possible for the game to have trophies? Let's ask new Atari/Infogrames exec Phil Harrison:

If the libraries are available, then yeah, I would hope that the PS3 version can take advantage of that.

"Would hope"? Heck Phil, everyone would hope that.

Harrison Unsure [Multiplayer]

Been a while since a game really worth playing (beyond Super Baseball 2020) turned up on Gametap's free-to-play service, so it's nice to be able to report on one. Deus Ex. Starting next week, anyone who downloads Gametap's launcher program can enjoy the game without paying a cent. There's worse ways to get hold of one of the best PC games of all time. Like, you know. Paying for it.

Deus Ex Coming to GameTap's Free Game Roster Next Week [Shacknews]

(Man, the guy who plays Liu Fang gets dizzy by the end of the clip.)

Mortal Kombat Gets A Happy Ending [Topless Robot]

News.com.au is reporting (though the story is sourced from The Australian via Reuters) that the "computer generated" image of the city that appears above was posted on an "Islamist forum", apparently to show off what Washington DC would look like after a nuke strike. Which I guess is kind of right, seeing as that's exactly what it's supposed to be. It was supplied by SITE, a group that monitors Islamic websites.

Wait a minute...

That's no CG image! That's concept art by Bethesda for Fallout 3. I tell you, those terrorist groups are getting sloppy. They should spend more on artists and less on AK-47s. Stop stealing stuff off Google Images! It's bad!

[Thanks JamesC]

Battle Of The Bands Shirt Comp Ends Tomorrow: That's right folks, you have until the end of Friday to win $350 worth of sweet-as T-shirts. I say sweet-as, because I've licked them. In my mind. How can you win this mind saliva-coated apparel? Just hit up the competition post! Thanks again to THQ for supplying the goods.

(No, not those guys.) Some of you might consider the following Metal Gear Solid 4 information spoilerific. Others of you are impatient and like to open your presents on Christmas eve. Click over for two new old MGS4 characters. DO IT.

A few days ago I asked for opinions on Game Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) - the game developer conference to be held in Brisbane during November - and what you guys felt it should have to make it a compelling event.

I'd like to clarify something - you don't have to be a developer or event organiser (current or former) to comment. If you have a good idea, or heard an interesting talk/been to a great session at any conference or expo, please comment - particularly if it would benefit someone already in or looking to get into the games industry.

Tell you what: I'm going to sweeten the deal. If I see a great proposition or comment that provokes serious discussion, I'll take down the owner's name and address and send them out a little something. It won't be dirty, I promise.

Now hit the jump to see what's already been covered. I'd also recommend reading last week's post about GCAP speaker fees, as there's quite a bit of commenting occurring there.

There was loads of good stuff on show at Ubidays. Loads. The announcement of Beyond Good & Evil 2 probably stole the show, but Prince of Persia and H.A.W.X. are also looking mighty promising. But you know what? We've covered those already. And they weren't the only games on show. No, with Ubidays, as with all things in life, you've got to take the good with the bad. And when it comes to Ubisoft, "the bad" is sadly, as always, the bulk of their Nintendo lineup.

Since we don't know when Street Fighter IV, Variety's game blog The Cut Scene offers up guesstimation when the game is coming out. And hey! It's a pretty obvious, albeit logical, one. According to the Cut Scene:

The much-improved PC version of BioWare's Mass Effect shipped on PC today. Should be worth a look not just for PC owners who are yet to play the thing, but for people who already have and would like an all-around...slicker experience. If the free inclusion of the 360's paid DLC - Bring Down the Sky - was going to factor into your purchasing decision, however, you should note that problems with BioWare's "space hamsters" mean it's not quite ready for download just yet. Go register at the page below if you're super-keen, they'll ping you when it's done.

Bring Down the Sky - new downloadable content for Mass Effect coming soon! [BioWare]

The World Ends With You [The Escapist]

Don't look so surprised. THQ have announced that they're pushing the release of Saints Row 2 back a couple of months, "due to product quality and marketing considerations". In other words, due to "oh man, that GTA IV is pretty good". Originally due to ship in August, the game is now slated for release on October 14. You may be finished with GTA IV by then. You may even care by then.

THQ delays 'Saints Row 2' by nearly two months [Reuters]

Update: The offer is available at more retailers than I first thought! They have been added.

EA's just sent word that Australian gamers can now preorder the Collector's Edition of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. It weighs in at a chunky $129.95, which sounds darn expensive, but not horrible when you consider the preorder bonuses and the contents of the CE.

Preorder bonuses? Yes, I definitely said bonuses. I don't have to make them up either - EA went ahead and included them in the press release. Thoughtful, don't you think?

Okay, okay. Here they are:

• Access to Open Beta
• Special early access to the live game
• Bonus in-game items:
RITTENBACH'S PORTABLE CAMP: Rest your weary soul and heal your wounds between battles
SENTINEL'S AMBER BAND: Enhance your stats and cast "Touch of Earth," increasing your chance of doing additional corporeal damage with each hit (Usable in PvE combat only)

If you're keen, I wouldn't recommend waiting. According to EA, only 6,000 copies of the Collector's Edition are available in Oz.

The CE itself has its own delicious treats. They come in the form of a Games Workshop miniature of Grumlok and Gazbag (goblins, not Klingon warriors, as I first assumed going by the names); the graphic novel Prelude to War by Graham McNeill; the 224-page The Art of Warhammer Online; The Grindmonger Trilogy, an in-game item that allows you to earn experience at an increased rate; and bonus in-game content including quests, titles, rewards and character heads (for that unique look).

Hit the jump for a juicy, detail-filled press release.

This footage was taken at a recent SCE New Zealand press event. In the men's bathroom. It's...just...yeah.

Sony's Automated Potty-Mouth [Geekpulp]

That's tomorrow kids (and people somewhat older than kids)! Nintendo just sent us the good news in the form of one of those fancy emails with an even fancier Word doc.

Okay, it's no homebrew channel, but I'm not going to say no to a service that provides product updates, demos, trailers, a game search and ratings facility and downloads for DS.

As an aside: Is it just me or has the Oz branch been more active of late? First there was Club Nintendo and the release of Mario Kart Wii within a reasonable time frame. Then we got Wii Fit before the US and a date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl after months of nothing. Most recently, WiiWare made its local debut. Hopefully Nintendo Australia can keep up the pace.

You'll find the press release for the Nintendo Channel after the jump.

Yes, yes, we've seen the Gears of War 2 meat shield. And the flame thrower, we've seen that. Pretty cool! But these new characters? Well, these are new. Details on the characters are super scant, but it looks like the game is finally getting a female character. (Well, more than Gears of War sole standard narrator/codec/briefing lady in one cutscene. Remember her? Nah, neither do we.)

Another scan after the jump.

The Seattle Sounders will be joining the the MLS next year. Means they need a big-time sponsor. Lucky Microsoft were just up the road, then, because it's been announced that the team's sponsor for next season will be...the Xbox 360. As such, the team will have "Xbox 360 Live" splashed across the front of their kit, and the Sounders' home ground will also be referred to as "The Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field" during games. Last time a console was the major sponsor of a football team was when Arsenal's home kit had Dreamcast all over the front of it around a decade ago. That did not end well. Lucky for 360 fans, I don't think it costs quite as much to sponsor the Sounders as it does Arsenal (whose last deal cost Emirates airline $US 200,000,000). Oh, and the shirt's green! That's got to count for something.

Far Cry 2 uses a proprietary engine that was built from the ground up for the game. The developers told me that about 175 people worked on creating the engine and then the game for the PC. Currently that team is working to build in DX10 support, though it wasn't ready when I had a chance to look at it.

Because the engine was built to work on a PC, bringing the game, with all of its bells and whistles, over to the Xbox 360 was a relatively easy affair, the developers told me. Afterall, they said, the Xbox 360 is essentially a computer. In fact they only have three people working on the team that is porting the game over.

The Playstation 3? Not quite as simple an affair. They have a team of 14 working on that port, mostly because of the "difficulties" of working with the Playstation 3's unique architecture.