Those floozies!. Here we were, thinking Turbonegro had pledged themselves to just Rock Band II, when the lovely Snorre Byrne - from Norwegian site Dagbladet - got in touch to let us know the band aren't exactly Rock Band-exclusive. The band's manager Rune Grønn has also signed deals for the band to appear in Guitar Hero and SingStar! Byrne tells us that the song "Do You Dig Destruction" will be appearing on all three games, while SingStar will get a second track, "High on the Crime", as well.

Turboneger kan bli kongene av musikkspill [Dagbladet]

Nintendo's Father's Day Smash Bros. Tournament
Comment by: nick.soapdish
Nominated by: Pezdispenser

I guess the acceptable plural for the Nintendo Wii has just become Wii. Like sheep, or moose.

"We can see the herd of Wii roaming the countryside".

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Scared yet? No, probably not. They're just screenshots! But seeing as Siren is one of the few series able to genuinely get me feeling a little icky, they're scary by proxy, because now I can imagine those events in-game, with the siren, the shuffling, etc, and that gets me a little jittery.

If you're reading this chances are you're a night owl. Good thing too, tonight's episode of GameTrailersTV has Geoff Keighley pulling an all nighter with Insomniac's Ted Price as the two check out some never-before-seen single player campaign footage from Resistance 2. The show will also include some new multiplayer footage as well as a peek at some new cities, enemies and weapons from teh game.

If you're up for some Resistance 2 and can't sleep than check out the show on Spike at 1 a.m. Yes ONE in the morning.

Since leading the team that put out BioShock, Ken Levine's been enjoying his fair share of accolades, awards and respect. But money? Well, his cash income's the same as it was pre-BioShock, something he (and his Hollywood agent) are looking at changing. Variety reports Levine's been in negotiations for months now with Take-Two, hoping to not only get the kind of money being such a big name warrants, but an increased amount of creative freedom as well. Be interesting to see how it all pans out, especially if it sets a precedent for other big-name devs to follow.

Ken Levine re-negotiating contract with Take-Two [Variety]

Yesterday, amongst the usual assortment of motion pictures, reality television programs and comic books the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification usually sift through and classify, one item stood out. It's this one. Says that Mega Man 9, by Capcom, has been given a G rating, and is good to go for a local release. Mega Man 9? Never heard of it. Must be real/coming, though, because last I checked the OFLC don't review and classify rumours. If it's not at E3 next month you can join me in being deeply shocked.

[via Evil Avatar]

While everyone else was pushing Metal Gear Solid 4 sleeves in Hideo Kojima's face, nervously anticipating his autograph, Ray—friend of Kotaku reader Andrew—went clever. At the New York City Uniqlo signing event, he opted to have a pack of Marlboros personalised by Hideo while everyone else was upping the value of their copy of Snatcher. Kojima seems to have found the situation quite amusing. Thanks, Andrew!

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We always post the month's ten best-selling games. The glory boys. The highlight reel. But what about the games that sell...okayish, but not well enough to make that top tier? The second division, the practice squad, the B-list? Today, well, today is their chance to shine. NPD have released the list of May's top twenty-selling games, giving us a chance to see how well games like We Ski, Game Party and Haze did.

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Yes, I'm writing a game every week! The first one, Wizkill, was released yesterday. It's a tiny download - about 40K - so don't be afraid to give it a go and post your scores! We've already had one winner, why not be the next one? Hey, why not take this opportunity to suggest ideas for new games? I've already started on something, but I'm definitely taking down stuff for other weeks.

A report from Spiegel online points to someone who isn't that bright theorising that Grand Theft Auto IV's designers were inspired by attacks from the Osama bin Laden lead terrorist group. Spiegel cites a member of a message board populated by "cyber-jihadists and al-Qa[e]da sympathisers" who contends that GTA IV's use of mobile phone triggered bombs "shows the power and effectiveness" of, well, something Al-Qaeda related that is just too dumb to reprint.

The theory is fleshed out by evidence that things explode in GTA IV. Compelling stuff. You've given us a lot to think about this day, random internet moron.

Was Grand Theft Auto IV Inspired by Al-Qaida? [Spiegel via GamePolitics]

Not since the announcement of Yuke's Double D Dodgeball have we been so disappointed to see a developer take the high road in a sports video game. Agetec's upcoming Women's Volleyball Championship is regrettably classy, a harsh reminder that it may be a long time before we see another tasteless bikini-riddled volleyball title that can compete with Team Ninja's DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball in terms of trash.

The respectable PlayStation 2 sim ships to North America in August. We seriously doubt the addition of vulgar camera angles or beachwear will be added by then. An unfortunately tame press release is after the gallery.

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Lionhead hasn't made much noise about the tree beasts that inhabit the world of Fable 2—at least not that we've noticed—as the developers seem to be focusing more on choices and consequences, pets and acorns. Epic stories and working family structures are great bullet points, but give us a nasty tree golem or benign but menacing looking treant and we're pretty much satisfied.

A smattering of new Fable 2 media joins that woodsy monster pic.

Xbox 360 owners are gluttons for punishment. Many of us have suffered through multiple red rings of death, shipping off coffin after coffin, twiddling our thumbs between repairs and refurbishes. Why? We're already invested in an extensive Xbox 360 games library and an Xbox Live subscription, something Robbie Bach says "speaks to the power of the product offering and service we provide". That's a positive way to look at it, I suppose.

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Gamasutra has noticed a change in some of the PlayStation Store prices on downloadable PSP titles, mostly "premium" games being republished on the store.

One title, Gangs of London, saw its price rise by 11 dollars to $AU 31.92. Kingdom of Paradise and Ape Escape: On the Loose saw six-dollar jumps, while Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, WipeOut Pure and SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo saw their prices go up by $AU 5.32.

Twisted Metal: Head-On PSP and LocoRoco saw only a dollar increase. Many other titles, including FlOw and Echochrome remained the same, while The Con actually saw a $AU 10.64 reduction.

Gamasutra's full list of changes follows the jump:

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Apparently, Mike Myers and I have different definitions of the word "exactly." Perhaps it's the Canadian definition, as Myers' assertion that his Mii looks "exactly" like him is more of a "kind of" or "barely" in my opinion. While, I assume, pitching The Love Guru on The Tonight Show, Myers exposed his Wii avatar to the television viewing public, one which could easily be confused with Hawkman's Mii.

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Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said that Nintendo's lead over its competitors in hardware sales is no cause for alarm for Sony and Microsoft, even though console sales in the recent month saw declines Xbox 360 and the Wii declining over the month prior. Even though console sales are still within expectations, the analyst said the Xbox 360 and PS3 will see at least a $AU 53.22 price reduction by the Holiday.

"I don't really think that Microsoft and Sony are doing badly - just doing badly in comparison to Nintendo", Pachter said. "It makes sense that PS3 and 360 are doing about the same... instead of saying 'what's wrong with Sony and Microsoft,' we should be looking at Nintendo and saying, 'how the hell do they keep doing this?'"

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If you're finding Wii Fit to a less strenuous workout than the one required to help you shed your flab, perhaps the prospect of training with fitness guru Jillian Michaels will help. Majesco is publishing Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 which—surprise!—uses the Wii Balance Board to integrate "a tiered fitness regimen, expert advice and exercise techniques from the charismatic Jillian Michaels, the game delivers a focused workout that will help players reach their own personal fitness goals".

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Marvellous' upcoming Little King's Story, formerly known as "Project O", has some gorgeous art, so it's not a stretch to guess it might inspire some fan art. With that in mind, Marvellous and its publisher, Xseed, have announced an art contest, with the winner's design to appear in the game.

One artist will be chosen among 100 winners submitting an original picture of a creature, person, ghost, beast, or anything like that - the chosen design will become a character in the game, while the other 99 will be featured in the in-game museum exhibit.

The requirements for a valid entry are pretty specific, and all info and submission instructions are included after the jump. Pens, pencils, paint, go!

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2K Sports made kind of a big deal about the impending release of NHL 2K9 being "the first and only officially licenced NHL and NHLPA video game for Wii" but we didn't know how serious the Take-Two label was. They got Mario—yes, that Mario—to help drum up enthusiasm for video game hockey, waggle-style at last night's 2008 NHL Awards in Toronto. Normally, our eyes glaze over when someone brings up hockey video games that were released after NHL 94 for the Genesis, but when Mario foregos pimping his own sports ventures, we're forced to sit up and listen. Or at least write a smarmy post!

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Way back in 1996, two University of Georgia students, Mike Chapman and Craig Zobel, created The Homestar Runner Enters The Strongest Man In The World Contest as a parody of the chidlren's books of that bygone era. Shortly after this the characters introduced in that book - Homestar Runner, Strong Bad, Strong Sad, and Pom Pom - would make their console debut as a cartoon created in the Super Nintendo game Mario Paint. In 1999 Mike Chapman and his younger brother Matt launched Homestarrunner.net ("It's Dot.Com!"), creating what could possibly be the most family-friendly flash humour website available on the internets.

Now some 12 years after the characters' initial video game debut, Strong Bad and friends are set to make their triumpant return to a Nintendo console with Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People, collaborating with Sam and Max developers Telltale Games on the episodic adventure title. I recently met with The Brothers Chap at a gourment Atlanta restaurant to discuss the upcoming game, the perils of voice-acting every character on your website, and of course, the finest cuisine available in the United States.

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Did you know that Wii Fit won the highly coveted Chrysler Design Innovation Award? Neither did we! Of course, we didn't know that Chrysler awarded such a thing to begin with, nor were we aware that Chrysler awarded anything to anyone ever. We've learned so much, thanks to Bravo's A-List Awards, which gave "the Wii Fit" an opportunity to shine on basic cable in a manner just slightly less awkward than when it appeared on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. One last thing to note, we'd avoid using the word "diddling" in proximity to the word "Wii" in general conversation lest there be some unfortunate misunderstanding.

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Me? Metal Gear Solid 4 obviously! I'm only a few hours in, right when Snake starts battling the space aliens and all those Raiden clones start showing up and attack Meryl with the leech launcher. That's total bullshit, obviously, so don't string me up for spoiling you on Solid Snake's search for the kingdom of the crystal skull and that there's an unlockable bloodsucking weapon.

Beyond MGS4, I have a Kotaku giveaway contest to design this weekend, a birthday party to attend, plus some Meat Bun related things to wrap up, all very exciting stuff. All that and a Metal Gear Solid 4 review by Monday? Can I do it?! What about you? What are your IRL and virtual plans for the weekend?

MGM Studios and The Weinstein Company's new animated film Igor is set to get the video game treatment courtesy of publisher Southpeak Interactive this September. Developed and co-published by Legacy Interactive, the game, in development for the Wii, DS, and PC, will follow the exploits of the John Cusack-voiced Igor, a mad-scientists helper who dreams of one day winning the Evil Science fair.

"Legacy and I2G are doing a tremendous job bringing Igor into the virtual gaming world," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. "This is a great property and promises to be a huge hit when it comes out this fall. We love the fact that the game is able to capture the elements of the film so well and turn it into a fun, interactive environment."

The Wii and PC versions will allow players to team up for four-player co-op, while the DS version will utilise the stylus to perform movement combinations, battle enemies, and solve puzzles, as well as letting players build their own monsters.

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[The following article discusses the themes of Metal Gear Solid 4 and contextualizes them with Hideo Kojima's directorship. It contains no plot spoilers, but nonetheless those wishing to avoid all thematic details should steer clear.]

"War has changed."

That's one of the main themes of Metal Gear Solid 4, and from the beginning, it forms a major thread that runs through Hideo Kojima's hallmark marriage of gameplay and narrative.

Even if one were to skip the game's introductory cinema, it's evident something has changed from the first moment of gameplay. The silent tranquiliser gun, a fixture of the Metal Gear Solid series, has historically been the key weapon in a game that prefers the player be stealthy rather than confrontational, pragmatic rather than murderous. As the symbolic lynchpin in that approach, it's usually one of the earliest pieces of equipment the player obtains.

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An anonymous industry source has told Kotaku that reports of a "break-apart" motion controller for the PlayStation 3 that splits into two parts are not entirely accurate.

The control system, said the source, actually consists of a smaller-sized device that can attach to the body - and multiple devices are intended to be used in concert, such as wearing two on the hands to move a character's hands in-game, or four, on hands and feet at the same time to move a character's body.

Though the source admits the technology might have evolved since the last time it was seen, the source disputes the idea that any of these pieces merge to form a single controller. It is also unclear how the individual pieces will be packaged, whether individually or in sets.

Sony declined to comment on "speculation".

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is finally upon us. The game that launched a million PlayStation 3 consoles has reached the eager hands of gamers and reviewers all over the worlds. Solid Snake's swan song, Kojima's masterpiece...call it what you will, there's no doubt that MGS 4 is one of the most important titles in the PS3's short history, and will set the bar for action adventure games on the console for years to come.

Now, as millions of gamers all over the world immerse themselves in Snake's final adventures, we take a look at how the game fared in the hands of the reviewing public.

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It's been more than a year since I first floated the idea for an Oprah-esque Game Club to quite a lot of support. Heck, I've even had people email me about forming local Game Club chapters for physical meet-ups, including one developer. Since that time we had a beta of sorts and played Mr. Robot together. And then things got quiet... too quiet.

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It almost goes without saying, but Nintendo of Europe's managing director Laurent Fischer deeply regrets stating that "geeks and otaku" were the only people concerned about running out of space on their Nintendo Wii due to WiiWare and Virtual Console titles, comments that ticked off gamers and developers alike. Speaking to videogaming247, Fischer offered the following by way of apology.

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Diet.com fitness guru Sarah puts the Wii Fit through its paces in this video and comes to pretty much the same conclusion the rest of us did: It's better than not exercising. Here's a taste:

Soccer:
"Labeled as a balance exercise, this game could really double as a core workout however in order to get the benefits you need to engage your core.

Hula Hoop:
"According to my heart rate the benefits I received from hula hoop were equivalent to a walking warm-up. My advice go out and buy and actual hula hoop if you like it that much".

Running Program:
"Why purchase a $AU 95.79 game to run when you can do it for free?"

Back when I was but a wee child I would have nightmares about werewolves. I'd be in a secluded area somewhere in the woods, and I would hear a sound in the distance. I would turn to look, and there, silhouetted in the moonlight, would be a twisted, lupine form. Slowly the form would turn, and lightning would flash, a snarling face looking my way only to disappear in the blink of an eye.

I mention this because the werewolves in this latest batch of screens from Spark Unlimited's PS3, Xbox 360, and PC game Legendary (formerly Legendary: The Box) look exactly like the ones I used to have nightmares about. Could be time for a little virtual catharsis.

Last month Sony Online Entertainment announced that upcoming titles The Agency and Free Realms would be utilizing the Live Gamer service for real money transactions, which many people took to mean that players would be able to buy weapons and equipment to enchance their gameplay. In an interview published over at Eurogamer, lead designer Hal Milton explains that this isn't the case at all.

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Midway released two new screens of their upcoming open-world driving game starring Vin Diesel. Not a whole lot to see here, besides the sparks.

Action film megastar Vin Diesel and his Tigon Studios are again blurring the lines between entertainment mediums, this time collaborating with Midway in the design and production of Wheelman to ensure an edge-of- your-seat gaming experience. Diesel's voice and likeness will appear as the game's main character, expert Wheelman Milo Burik.

Combining spectacular Hollywood-style stunts with a gripping storyline, Wheelman provides an adrenaline-fuelled, cinematic thrill ride guaranteed to leave you breathless. Vin Diesel stars as an undercover agent and highly skilled driver who must infiltrate the Barcelona underworld to gather intelligence surrounding a covert heist. Posing as a driver-for-hire, he ends up caught in a crossfire of corruption and chaos while trying to stay one step ahead of local law enforcement and rival gangs.

The game is set to ship this spring for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

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According to a report over at GamesIndustry.biz, Sony's next motion-sensing controller is closer to fruition than we may have though. Citing various industry sources, GI explains that the company is working on a controller that breaks into two pieces, each containing an accelerometer for Wii-like motion sensing capability. The story mentions that working versions of the new controller have already been delivered to certain development partners.

Nothing official from Sony on this of course, but GI remains confident that something concrete will be announced in the coming month, possible at the E3 expo this July.

Sony working on 'break apart' motion PS3 pad [GamesIndustry.biz]

Get ready Guitar Hero II fans, for your doom (at least according to Luke) comes on June 19th, the official release date for the Coldplay track pack on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The three-pack of songs includes the single "Violet Hill" from their upcoming album Viva la Vida, due out June 17th, along with two of the band's older tracks, "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" form A Rush of Blood to the Head and "Yellow". Seriously, "Yellow"? Did that even have guitar in it? I'd head over to Amazon and check out the excerpt from the song to check but that would mean I voluntarily listened to it, and I made a pledge never to do so again after they played it on the local "alternative" radio station for the millionth time.

Anyone overly excited by this track pack? Speak up, so we might poke you with sticks and try to figure out what makes you tick.

David Jaffe is pissed. Nothing new, I know. But this time he's pissed about the same thing a lot of other people are pissed about: Nintendo's Geek and Otaku statement.

At a Euro press event earlier this week a Nintendo PR person, flustered by a question about storage space on the Wii, starting talking about "how "geeks and otaku" were the only people who would want this issue addressed".

If true, Jaffe says, it's a sign of either Nintendo's unbridled arrogance or the cluelessness of a single PR person.

YOU SHIT ON MY HOUSE!!! YOU SHIT ON MY HOUSE!!! [David Jaffe]

So Funcom and Eidos released Age of Conan, and hundreds of thousands of players have signed up...what now? The two companies have revealed their plans for evolving Age of Conan over the coming months, with heaps of new content influenced directly by player feedback in the pipes.

It all starts out later this month with a major PVP update, which they are calling "To The Death". The update will institute consequences and rewards for engaging in PVP battles, including the promised PVP leveling system and a Fugitive system, that will make it easier for other players to hunt you down the more lower-level characters you kill.

Other planned updates include guild alliance warfare, allowing guilds to team up and even form alliance keeps while fighting over "wonders of the world" that grant special powers, a system of in-game achievements called Powerpoints that will reward players for completing various tasks with points they can spend on special gear and powers, new areas to quest in, and a combo-based dancing system motion captured from professional dance artists. Joy! Hit the jump for more details on the evolution of Age of Conan.

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Awwww. Fable II's hero sure was a cute little kid, wasn't he? The very definition of adorable little scamp. Soon he'll grow older, wiser, and get himself a faithful canine companion, but for now he's just a little guy just like the rest of us were, filled with the potential for great good and/or evil.

I'm really digging the art direction for Lionhead's latest. It reminds me of The Dark Crystal a little bit, which is pretty much the set point from which I judge all fantasy works that may or may not contain muppets. I just hope that once the game is actually released I will be able to finally look at something Fable related without hearing the words "Chicken Chaser" in my head over and over again.

You guys seemed to like my horrific take on an organic Fruit Fucker so much I thought you might want to see what the little beast looks like in motion. Sadly, there's no option to drop an orange... or small child into the circle with your critter. What do you think? Should this be my entry into the Celebrity Spore-Off?

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