To: Crecente
From: Bashcraft

Ahoy! Welcome back from you boating adventure.

Today, I went to the immigration office to see if I got permanent residence. The way it works here (and other countries, too, I guess) is that you typically get a one-year or a three-year visa from your employer, who sponsors your visa. If you are married, then your spouse is your sponsor. That's kinda worrying if you've got a family — like, what if you don't get your visa renewed? (It happens!)

What's more, for me, I can't qualify for a home loan with a spouse visa. Banks just won't lend money! They got burned lending easy money during the Bubble Economy are are extra cautious. Want to buy a house? Most foreigners need that governmental Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval that is permanent residency. To apply, I had to fill out a bunch forms, stating why I wanted residency, divulge personal info. like how I met Mrs. Bashcraft and include pictures of us together over the years. She was my sponsors for my application, and her parents, my in-laws, were like the back-up sponsors. The government checked my tax record, blah, blah, blah, to see if I was being a good foreigner. We've been on pins and needles, 'cause we are too ready to buy a house, sick of paying rent, whatever. And today, we went to the immigration office and learned that, yes, I am officially a permanent resident of Japan. Yay!

What does that mean? Pretty much that I don't have to renew my visa and can stay here as long as I want, but do have to get re-entry permits for my passport when I leave the country (which is something every foreigner has to do — maybe except for Korean-Japanese, not sure). Can't vote with permanent residency, though, you gotta be a citizen for that. In the past, it's been somewhat challenging to get permanent residency, though it probably was much easier for me as I am married and do my part in increasing the shrinking Japanese population.

What you missed last night
Rock Band 2 announced
2.40's In-Game XMB Walkthrough
"Major Retailer" Confirms 360 Price-Cut
DualShock 3 Finally Dated for Europe
Metal Gear Online Stand Alone Confirm, Access Numbers Announced

A retro-themed Mega Man 9 is a surprising move by Capcom! You know what's less surprising? The news the game won't just be appearing on Nintendo's WiiWare service. Really, why would Capcom turn down free money? Turns out the game's also destined for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade as well, making Mega Man 9 the first game (I can think of) to be released across all three current-generation platforms.
Megaman 9 to be the first game to hit Wiiware, XBLA, and PSN [Ars Technica]

Wonder about firmware release dates no more, PS3 owners. The console's 2.40 update - which will bring trophy support, in-game XMB access and limited custom soundtracks - will be out this Wednesday, July 2. That date comes straight from Sony. We suggest you spend those two days wisely. Spending them copying your entire CD collection over to your PS3 is not - as any 360 owner will tell you - spending it wisely.

More talking! Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, Stephen Totilo from Hogan Knows Best, Brian Crecente and Brian Crecente's hair are back for another pre-E3 chit-chat. This time around, the fellas talk about Sony's E3. Insights abound — especially from Crecente's hair.

If you missed Part 1, click here.

Bless him, Eric Lempel did his best, but standing in front of a TV on a low-resolution web clip was never going to really capture what the PS3's 2.40 firmware update was all about. No, for that, you'll need pictures. Big pictures. [via Game|Life & PS3F]

While it's never been given an official, bells-and-whistles announcement by the company, they've made it clear enough in the past that Nintendo will some day release a Wii that's capable of playing DVDs. It was meant to be in 2007, but that obviously didn't happen. Our advice is not to expect one in 2008, either, as Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said "With supply constraints [of the Wii] continuing worldwide, the priority is on the current model". The 0.3% of the population with a Wii but without a DVD player must surely be distraught.

Nintendo Holds off on Wii DVD [IGN]

And the 2.40 good times just keep on coming. Everyone's favourite 2.40 video spokesman, Eric Lempel, now brings you the skinny on just how the PS3's achievement trophy system will work. Enjoy.

The 2.40 firmware is bringing in-game XMB and trophies. The first games getting trophy support include BUZZ! Quiz TV, LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm Pacific Rift, NBA 09, PAIN, PixelJunk Eden, Resistance 2, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation and Warhawk. Some of those games (like PAIN and Warhawk) require a game update for trophies. More info is detailed in the presser. That, after the jump!

The first Rock Band's European roll-out was...less than ideal. So news of the sequel's announcement earlier today will, for a lot of Europeans, bring more questions than excitement. Questions like: what about a European release date? Wil it be released outside the UK, France and Germany? Will it be released in Europe at all? Well, yes (to one of those questions). No firm date as of yet, but EA have confirmed to VG247 that the game will be released in Europe in September, same month as it is in the US. Much better.
Rock Band 2 release is "the same for Europe" [VG247]

Metal Gear Solid 4 is a sexy game. It's got it all — sexy posing, sexy stone penis grabbing, sexy skin-tight outfits and sexy nard punching. At the recent MGS4 signing session in Tokyo's Shinjuku, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima joked that it sure seems like, with what Snake's arse-clenched sneaking suit and the Beauty and the Beast Corps tush-hugging outfits, there was a "butt depiction obsession". Sure seems like it! Kojima continues, "Originally, we were planning to have the Beauty and the Beast Corps appear buck naked". Character designer Yoji Shinkawa, who was also at the Shinjuku event, added:

We miss J Allard! Real bad. We miss pudgy Allard, we even miss HD Allard. It was bad enough when he stopped hanging around the Xbox guys and was welcomed to the social, but over the past few months, he hasn't even been doing that anymore. He's just...faded away, without a trace. We were getting worried. Worried sick. But it's OK! J's popped up with a new job, and a new job title. One as aWeSome and eXtreme as J himself: Chief Experience Officer. As Microsoft's CXO (yes, a real title), Allard will be "responsible for the technical architecture and user experiences related to products and services of the Entertainment and Devices (E&D) division". Not really sure that means, but in a perfect world, it'll mean he's back at E3 this year.

J Allard gets a new job [ZDNet, thanks Marc!]

We sure hope that upcoming Capcom arcade fighter Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is good. So far, it looks good! But we won't know until we give it a whirl at one of the location tests for the game. The game will be playable next month (soon) in locations in both Tokyo and Osaka — Taito Hey! in Akihabara and Ikebukuro GIGO from July 10th to the 13th and Osaka's SEGA Avion from July 25th to the 27th. Announced fighters for both the Capcom side and the Tatsunoko side include Batsu Ichimonji from Capcom 2-on-2 fighter Rival Schools, Chun-li, Ryu, space knight Tekkaman, Gatchaman and Casshern. In the flier for the arcade location test, it says there will be a new character announced. So there's that to look forward to, too.

カプコン、ロケテストを東京と大阪で7月10日より [Game Watch Impress]

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced that the DualShock 3 for that region. The vibration function controller goes on sale in Europe from July 2nd. Says SCEE honcho David Reeves:

We are delighted to confirm that DUALSHOCK 3 will be released in SCEE territories in early July. We hope this will add to the intense gaming experience for our fans, as we continue to evolve PS3, its software and its peripherals.

Rock Band 2. Recently hinted at, and now confirmed, I'm sure most of the world is as excited about the sequel as it was when Guitar Hero 2 was announced by Activision.

Well, everyone in the world except Australia. Yes, 7 months on from its US release, we're still waiting for Harmonix's rhythm game to debut here. 7 months on, EA has failed to provide any reason for the delay, or even a vague street date, leaving us to feed desperately on retailer estimates. 7 months on, and resentment continues to build for both publisher EA and developer Harmonix.

EA's silence has forced gamers, once excited about the possibility of playing the game, to either boycott its release or import it from overseas. Desirable options? Not really, but what choice has EA left us?

Konami arcade shooter Otomedius features a touch screen and traditional joystick/buton interface. How the heck is that going to work on the Xbox 360 version? Well! Konami has teamed up with Japanese peripheral maker Hori to offer a solution: The Hyper Stick Pro - Otomedius Gorgeous Version. The specific stick features a touch pad, making it possible to recreate the arcade Otomedius experience at home. Bundle with Otomedius Gorgeous and character badges, the Hyper Stick Pro - Otomedius Gorgeous Version will go on sale September 25th for around ¥27,000 ($AU 265.05). So subtract the $AU 62.36 or the $AU 72.76 that the game will retail and remember touching doesn't come cheap!

Check out the gorgeous Otomedius Gorgeous trailer here.

Hori Otomedius [Konami Style via Arcade Renaissance]

Hey, another Gears 2 mutliplayer clip! But this ones all neat and official and concise and has a ton of new multiplayer footage of the new maps, weapons and game modes. Worth a watch, but not if there's wee ones around, as the tomato sauce is spread around quite liberally over the course of the vid.

Shocker! Harmonix has done and made Rock Band 2. The game will be out on the Xbox 360 this September, and the PS3 later this year. The sequel will feature a new set list, and the RB2 bundle will feature "quieter, more realistic, and more reliable instruments" says Lead Designer Dan Teasdale. The good news for those who already own Rock Band is that all the songs you've purchases so far will be playable and supported in Rock Band 2. As far as Harmonix is concerned, there's no difference between "Rock Band 1 DLC" and "Rock Band 2 DLC" — we're just releasing awesome songs every week onto the Rock Band platform, all of which are playable by the Rock Band titles that support DLC," says Teasdale. The sequel will offer folks a new way to play the DLC they currently own, however. Sure, Rock Band 2 should come as no surprise, but it does sound like Harmonix is pushing things forward. Teasdale points out:

We've been working hard with Microsoft and Sony to develop a way to share content between games, and we're really happy that we'll be the first game to support fully functional cross-title DLC.

Rock Band 2: The Opening Act [IGN Thanks everyone who sent this in!]

Metal Gear Solid 4 on the Wii — or so says Sam's Club. Reader Stephen writes:

Saw this a few days ago at my local Sams Club in Douglasville Ga.
I picked it up to verify it is for the Wii. The release is, I think, is a week or two away.
Sorry for the poor quality. I was in a huge rush.

The Hollywood Reporter are...reporting that, according to a "major retailer", Microsoft will indeed be slashing the price of its Premium 360 bundle next month by $AU 51.97, from $AU 362.75 to $AU 310.78. They also say the cut will come into effect before E3, which takes place in a couple of weeks. If anyone's wondering as to the reliability of this "major retailer", it's worth noting that the Hollywood Reporter nailed the timing and details of the last price cut, which took place in August 2007. It's a safe bet these are the same sources.

Microsoft slashing price of Xbox 360 model [Hollywood Reporter]

Here's Sony's Eric Lempel. Eric's taking us through Sony's 2.40 firmware update for the PS3, and in particular, how the much-requested in-game XMB is going to work. Pleased? You're no doubt the sensible type, who knew not to expect too much. Disappointed? You've got nobody to blame but yourself (specifically, your unrealistic expectations).

Over the weekend, MGS4 creator Hideo Kojima did a world-wind autographing tour of Japan. After hitting America and Europe, we've covered this plenty! New bits: At the Yokohama Yodobashi Camera event, Kojima talked up Metal Gear Online, saying:

Domestically, the one-day peak time is 11pm with 12,000 players playing online simultaneously. Worldwide, we've seen about 100,000 connect [to MGO].

横浜で"MGS4 ワールドツアー in Japan" [Famitsu]

My choice of classic line: "Can you actually make her have small boobs?" No, Simon's girlfriend, it's Conan.

GF AoC [Youtube, thanks Simon]

by Lesley Smith
*DING!*

It's a sound that World of Warcraft fans will be very familiar and it was during the Closing Ceremony Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain finally leveled up, becoming Level 72, 74, 76, 78 and finally Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain.

The Closing Ceremony marked the first time the heavy metal rock band - which is comprised of Blizzard staff and fronted by Blizzard's art director Samwise Didier - has performed in Europe and over the course of their five song set - which included 'Power of the Horde', 'Terran Up The Night!', 'Rogues Do It From Behind', 'I Am Murloc' and a new song inspired by Diablo III entitled 'Raise Some Hell' - the band dinged (complete with a shot of a WoW avatar surrounded in light and amended promotional artwork - until they finally hit eighty, officially becoming Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain.

Update: Since posting this story, Atari has made it clear it has no comment regarding the reasons for the ban. As such, I've contacted the OFLC for additional information.

One June 20, Rebellion's Shellshock 2 was refused classification in Australia. When we asked Eidos' distributor Atari if there were plans to edit the game and try for an MA 15+ rating, it replied in the negative.

We know the OFLC has a thing against excessive blood, decapitation and dismemberment, so I assumed it was one (or a combination) of these elements that earned Shellshock 2 an RC. Atari did provide a comment, but has since retracted the statement.

Recently I posted about some perks I saw during Pete Hines' Fallout 3 demo last Monday. Going through my notes, I realised I missed one! Called Strong Back, it allows you to carry an extra 100 pounds of equipment. Again, it's an oldie from the previous games, altered to suit the mechanics of the new title.

I should mention that Bloody Mess was originally a trait. It seems it's been changed to a perk for Bethesda's instalment.

Now... about this cheat. Is it god mode? Unlimited ammo? A second Dogmeat? You'll find out after the jump.

For those of you out there that still doubt EB Games Australia has the exclusive on the Fallout 3 Collector's Edition, look no further than EB's own website. See that new banner, you know, the one that says "exclusive"? Yeah, that one.

Now, other retailers (such as GAME) have a similar bundle (the notable difference being a Brotherhood of Steel figurine instead of the PVC Vault Boy bobblehead), and some might believe it's the Collector's Edition. Sadly, I'm pretty sure you'll find it's the preorder bundle.

Forget about a $99 PS2! How about an Xbox 360 for $278? Cheapo from CheapOzGamer has let us know that Big W is currently selling the console for this low, low price. Heck, at $278, it's in close competition with the Wii!

Other sweet Big W deals include a 12-month Live kit (headset, 200 MS points) for ~$70 and Battle of the Bands for ~$40. More beyond the link.

Big W Delivers - So much stuff [CheapOzGamer] [Pic]

Blockshooter is the third game to come out of Kotaku Australia's Game A Week feature. If Game A Week is new to you, I suggest you give Zafehouse and Wizkill a go. Both of these (and Blockshooter) were coded in seven days by your resident Kotaku AU editor (in other words, me).

Blockshooter is a combination of Breakout and Space Invaders. It's your job to pilot a little ship, shooting at coloured blocks that come your way. Shooting multiple blocks of the same colour will award you a point multiplier. Destroying entire segments will drop a "piece", which can be collected and added to your ship. You lose points by getting hit or allowing blocks to slip past you.

That's the nuts and bolts of it. If you'd like to give it a go, hit the jump for a download link and developer's diary.

PS. Yes, this has come out on Monday instead of Friday. I've decided to shift the Game A Week schedule by two days, so I can have the weekend to playtest and debug. Don't worry, I'm sticking with the whole "seven days to code" requirement.

by Lesley Smith
Ever since the Blizzard Museum opened at Blizzard's HQ earlier this year, it has captured the attention of fans around the world and in a prominent position on the second floor of the WWI is a scaled down version which not only takes attendees on a trip back into the past, it also offers some hints at what is to come, with new artwork for Diablo III (which appeared mysteriously right after the opening ceremony) and the latest concept art for Wrath.

Guess what was announced on the weekend? That's right, it was Diablo III. To help you get up-to-date on everything that went down, I've collected all our Diablo III and Blizzard Invitational content here.

Blizzard Worldwide Invitational (includes some Diablo III stuff):
Blizzard Worldwide Invitational: 'There Is No Penguin Level'
Blizzard Worldwide Invitational: Day One
Blizzard Worldwide Invitational: How Much Is Your Goody Bag Worth?
Blizzard Worldwide Invitational: Diablo III In-Depth

Diablo III screenshots, trailers and info:
One Stop Shopping For Your Diablo III Trailer Needs
Just ... Forget About Diablo III on a Console, Mmkay?
Diablo III Videos (Trailer, Gameplay Footage)
Diablo III Webpage Filled With Trailers, Screens, Evil
A Blurry Screen From Diablo III
Blizzard Announces Diablo III

Everything else not Blizzard-related:
Crytek's CEO: Piracy Threatens PC Exclusivity
Kotaku Originals: Recipe for a Douche Simulator
New Soul Calibur IV Screens: Tits