Enjoying your R4 carts, Britain? I bet you are. Designed as they are to run code on a DS, many use them for homebrew, but some, obviously, also use them to pirate legitimate DS games. And it's those folks attracting the attention of the authorities, spoiling it for everybody else. The ELSPA (Britain's industry body) reckon that the sale of R4 (and other, similar) carts "is an infringement and an offence under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Trade Marks Act 1994", and from here on they'll be investigating any and all retailers stocking the units. It's important to note that at this stage this is more of a warning than a direct threat, as they haven't come out and called for an immediate, blanket ban, but I imagine a stern warning is all it will take for many small retailers to quit stocking them anyway.

DS: The Shocking Truth [MCV]

For a game I hadn't really spent much time with, Mirror's Edge sure has blossomed in my thoughts lately. My first thoughts, when I saw this trailer last month was that I wished that the actual game looked like this and that it wasn't just an animated tease for Mirror's Edge. But then I saw the actual game again and quickly changed my mind. The ultra realistic look of the game, the crisp lines, the colours, theres something about them that coalesce into a look that deepens the impact of the game's fast-moving parkour feel.

From what I saw of Mirror's Edge it looks like the sort of game you would want to play through over and over again until you got a level perfect. Missed a step? Screwed up a jump? Start over. Not because you have to but because you want to. And don't worry, they showed some combat as well. People have guns, they want to kill you, and you are fast enough, dexterous enough to deal with them in style. Oh yeah, this is shaping up to be a must have.

Check back on Monday morning for my hands-on impressions of the game.

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Remember Clifford Michael Bleszinski stated how "Metal Gear Solid is our example of the game we're not doing" and "Passive entertainment is on its way out" and something about Web 2.0? Sure ya do! The Cliffster is back with more opinions about Metal Gear Solid, but seemingly less disparaging ones. Cliff says:

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E3's right around the corner, so it's time for publishers to man up. Puff out their chests, maybe grunt a little, size themselves up against the competition. It's been happening a bit over the past few days, and this morning, it's Midway's turn. Sadly there's no NBA Jam on the menu (at least that we know about), but they do seem awfully proud of their lineup, particularly Mortal Kombat vs DC and Wheelman. Indeed, they're calling the whole lineup "powerful". Click through to see if you agree.

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Developer DICE and Electronic Arts bring word that writer and story designer Rhianna Pratchett will be writing and story designin' the upcoming Mirror's Edge. Prachette previously worked on Heavenly Sword and Overlord — her website also points out that she has even written some short stories. DICE's Mirror's Edge follows main character Faith in a highly monitored urban cityscape as her sister is framed for a murder she did not commit. Says Pratchett:

It was a great experience working with the team at DICE to help breathe life into Faith; her world, relationships and backstory. My heroines and heroes have always been the ones who were ordinary, but through the events of a story, became extraordinary. Faith is skilled, but she's certainly not a superhero. She has her flaws, like all of us. In short: she's real. That's her appeal.

Mirror's Edge drops this summer. Full press release after the jump.

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Will he? Won't he? WILL HE? Who knows. The soap opera over the future of "retired" Packers QB Brett Favre is reaching farcical proportions. Example: this (100% serious!) report on ESPN entitled "Report: Favre sends text message to Packers GM Thompson" ("Favre sent a text message to Packers GM Ted Thompson on Saturday — and Thompson's reply was that he is on vacation and the two men will have to talk later). Whatever. Regardless of the real media circus, however, EA were smart enough to include a little feature in Madden 09 where you could not only tempt the future Hall-of-Famer out of retirement, but tempt him to suit up for the team of your choosing.

On November 21st, Konami's Dance Dance Revolution will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Can you believe it? It's been ten years since DDR stormed arcades and home consoles. This year, it seems Konami is releasing Dance Dance Revolution X on the PS2 and in arcades as well it seems. As both commenter Riyu and arcade site Arcade Renaissance points out, the teaser page shows a somewhat different cabinet design. Nothing's really been announced by Konami, so sit tight for more details.

DanceDanceRevolution X [Konami Thanks, Riyu!]

You may be familiar with top-shelf industry news site Next-Gen. They're the online reincarnation of a long-dead US magazine, which was basically the American version of respected British mag Edge. Being so close and all (both are run by Future publishing), for the past few months, Next-Gen have begun hosting Edge magazine's content, giving the magazine a decent online presence for the first time in its existence. A presence that's about to get a lot more prominent. Next-Gen will, come Monday, be rebranding their website, which will now be known as Edge. Just like the magazine. This is being done in an attempt to "emulate the respect and credibility of the print magazine online". Odd move, seeing as Next-Gen were already respected and credible, but so long as it doesn't affect either the magazine or the current site, everything should turn out just fine.

Future to rebrand Next Gen website as Edge [GI.biz]

Ernie Hudson's doing the promotional tour thing for the upcoming multi-platform Ghostbusters game. And that means that we all get a chance to ask him incessantly geeky questions about the Ghostbusters films and learn things we never knew. Things like:

He also accepts the fact he'll always be remembered as the fourth Ghostbuster, although he had a much bigger part in the original script. "I was the guy who got slimed in the hotel, but I guess the studio felt they wanted more stuff for Bill Murray", Hudson reveals. "I was the guy who thought of the marshmallow man on the rooftop, but then it became Danny [Aykroyd]'s character". It was only after he won the part of Winston that the decision was made to reduce the character's role. "And they didn't do that till the day before we started shooting, so I didn't have time to adjust", Hudson says. "Yeah, when the part was cut there was some frustrating stuff associated with that. But it was what it was, and it is what it is. 24 years later, people still like the movie, and I'm glad".

Other tidbit bits include Bill Murray's reluctance to sign-off on a Ghostbuster sequel that would pass the proton packs off to some younger dudes.

Ghostbusters' Ernie Hudson [Eurogamer] [Pic]

They're to be sold by a company by the name of oioo. No idea what games could ever support this. They come in his & her's varieties. Or her's and her's. Or his and...look, we're still a little unsure about the one on the left. It looks like it will cause injuries. And not the type that break a television. The type that makes medical textbooks, the type nurses and paramedics will joke about for years to come.

ooio [via Gizmodo]

These aren't from the original Crysis. Promise! They're from Crysis Warhead, Crytek's upcoming sequel/expansion thing. We know, it's the same bad guys, same island, but you'll just have to take our word for it. Also take our word that it's probably best to call this a mission pack, like we used to in the good old days.

Max Payne Trailer Filmu [Gaminator Thanks, Lukasz!]

The old adage is that as a developer gets more familiar with a platform the better able it is to wring every last drop out of it. Forza developer Turn 10 is apparently doing that on what's believed to be Forza Motorsport 3. According to Turn 10 community manager Che Chou:

here's stuff being worked on here at Turn 10 that I simply can't talk about right now, but the progress we've made in the last six months has been absolutely incredible. The fact that we're working on our second game for Xbox 360 means our software architects have figured out ways to push the 360 in ways I didn't think were possible in terms of both visuals and performance. You'll pardon me if I sound a little excited, because, frankly, I'm frickin' psyched.

Just imagine how excited Chou will be on the next next Forza game. His head will pop!

Volume 98 — July 3, 2008 [Forza Motorsport 2 via VideoGamer]

So, Why did Activision leave the ESA? People have been searching for one for weeks now, and now, Bobby Kotick (pictured, presumably while filming a commercial for Nautica) has the answer. And that answer is: we're special. So special. Kotick says that "We have our own issues that are not the industry's issues...Our challenges are sufficiently different from other publishers' issues that we need our own point person". Translation: they make so much money from World of Warcraft (as well as Asian markets) that they feel the ESA aren't up to the job. Instead, the company will be handling government relations on their own, with an announcement on who'll be entrusted with that job to be made "soon".

Why Activision left the ESA [Variety]

Michael Atkinson? Who's that guy? Oh yeah, that's right - he's the Attorney-General against an R18+ rating for video games. Fallout 3, Dark Sector, Grand Theft Auto IV - their bans and/or censoring can be primarily attributed to this man.

Some will be sad to hear that Atkinson's tempting had nothing to do with an irate cop, a baton and an unspeakable act. No, according to a story over at The Australian, Atkinson is on the verge of being sued by Dr Andrew Cannon, one of his own magistrates. Dr Cannon has accused Atkinson of defamation, after the South Australian AG called one of his statements "daft and delusional".

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Going to QuakeCon 2008? The 13th annual event is being held at the Anatole Hotel in Dallas (my hometown!) from July 31st to August 3rd. Organisers are expecting 6,000 folks to be in attendance over the four day extravaganza. This year's QuakeCon will see the debut of QUAKE LIVE as well as an Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars console tourney, a QuakeCon first. Hit the jump for a full rundown and more details.

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To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Capcom's Street Fighter franchise, longtime series collaborators Udon Entertainment are releasing the mother of all (Street Fighter-related) coffee table books: Street Fighter Tribute, a "special volume of original illustrations from artists all around the globe". Above, you can see Gabe from Penny Arcade's contribution. Below? A selection of some of the other illustrations to be included when the book starts shipping next month.

This is only fair, we guess. Wii Fit Girl and Playboy's Jo Garcia showed just how saucy playing Wii Fit is. Playgirl model Nicholas Ryan tosses his hula hoop in the ring with a YouTube video showing the male retort — among other things. The video quality isn't as high as in the Jo Garcia clip, but Ryan attempts to make up for that with a variety of underpants, a riding whip and nunchakus.

Hit the jump for the clip. It's NSFW and there is man arse. You've been warned.

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Mmmm, yummy. Just in time for Japan's dog days of summer, game maker Atlus has done traditional arcade crane games one better by stocking a 'em with ice cream. And how doesn't like ice cream? (Bad people, that's who!) Dubbed the Triple Catcher Ice -25, the machine is set at a frosty -25C and has players manipulate a three pronged claw to pull out delicious icy treats. As the official page explains in English:

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We've long been working under the assumption that Microsoft have conned Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents creators iNiS into developing a Singstar-killing karaoke game - called Lips - for the Xbox 360. An assumption that should next week be kicked up a notch. Variety's Ben Fritz is reporting that "Microsoft will be debuting a brand new music/singing game", which fits Lips' mission statement pretty snugly. Having been almost continually disappointed by SingStar PS3's tracklist, here's hoping iNiS can get this one right. And if not, can at least get it wrong but with Ouendan's homework-finishing, meteor-deflecting charm.

Microsoft to debut a new music game at E3 [Variety]

Do you feel that, PC gamers? That pressure? It's the future, bearing relentlessly down upon you. While many PC gamers are still without DirextX 10, thanks to its Vista-only segregation, word on the PC tech streets (in this case, Graphics Whore boulevard) is that DirectX 11 will be announced by Microsoft later this month, no doubt accompanied by pictures of Crysis featuring all kinds of lighting and environmental effects you won't be able to see/afford until 2011. The announcement's supposed to take place on July 22-23 at the XNA Gamefest event in Seattle.

DirectX 11 to get announced this month [Fudzilla, via VG247]

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This November, famed Japanese figure maker Kotobukiya is bringing the latest entry in its Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 series with a 1/6 Kokoro statue. Priced at ¥7,882 ($US 74), the figure not only features removable clothes (been there! done that!) but hot umbrella action (ooooooooooooh). Out of all the Kotobukiya DOAX2 figures, this one has the most graceful pose. Umbrellas really make everything all classy like.

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Following the release of Majesco's Wonder World Amusement Park, there isn't much for fans of casual mini-game collections to play on their Wiis. Well, there's Sports Party, Summer Athletics, and Carnival Games: Mini-Golf, which all hit later this summer, but after that? It's looking a little dry.

Fortunately, Midway is filling the spring 2008 void, announcing Game Party 2 for the Wii, sequel to the million-plus selling original. It promises a total of eleven games, including Skee Ball Skill Ball, Jarts Lawn Darts and Beer Pong Ping Cup. Sounds like something I'll never touch fun! Pics of some of the games in action in our gallery below.

Bionic Commando Rearmed might be coming to both Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, but that's not to say both versions are identical. Capcom's Ben Judd has teased that they have a "VERY cool surprise for those of you who purchase the PSN version". So not cool, then, but VERY cool. Guess that'll be revealed next week. Something revealed today, however, is the fact the game will also support Remote Play via your PSP, which really, is as VERY cool a surprise as we need.
Bionic Commando: Rearmed, PSN Features: Revealed [PlayStation.Blog]

Those looking for more to do in Ninja Gaiden II should start rooting through the couch cushions for loose Microsoft Points, because details on the game's DLC have appeared, like, out of nowhere. One second there's a puff of smoke, the next Gamersyde reports that you'll be paying 800 MS Points for 25 new missions via Xbox Live. Cheap!

According to the report, two types of self-contained missions will extend the life of your Ninja Gaiden II experience: "Karma Attack missions task you with obtaining the highest score, while Survival missions give you a single weapon to fight off as many enemies as possible". What? No camera battle missions? That's the best part!

Ninja Gaiden DLC details [Gamersyde]

You decide! Gameplayer believes there's more than a passing resemblance. It even went to the effort of doing one of those frame-by-frame morph things in Photoshop.

Where is this Snake look-a-like from? Let's read the post:

I have a brother and he got married recently, so I was at the wedding and there were lots of family members about, some of which I had not seen for years. One man in particular caught my attention. An uncle of mine that had aged considerably since I last saw him - maybe more than ten years prior. I looked at him and thought "I recognise that face and not just as the face of my aged uncle". Then it dawned on me and I found myself thinking "Snake....... Solid Snake?......Snake....What happened............. Snake............ SSNNNAAAAAKE!"

On another note - I wonder if David Hayter can do an Aussie accent...

Real-life Solid Snake discovered [Gameplayer]

That Sony Computer Entertainment is going back to the LocoRoco well for another chance at acclaim and fortune should come as no surprise. The game's director, Tsutomu Kouno, has been chatting it up for ages and even SCEE reps confirmed it for a PSP release this year. Good then, that Sony got around to confirming its existence in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu.

According to details translated by 1UP, LocoRoco 2 looks to stick to the formula of the first pretty closely, with new music, new bosses and the ability to bite more things — that's a bullet point, for sure — topping the list of new features. Following sequel evolution tradition, your Locos can now swim. Amazing how that always seems to take an iteration or two.

LocoRoco 2 Confirmed, Detailed [1UP]

What the?! Another Nintendo controller peripheral? This recently published US Patent and Trademark Office filing would certainly convince one to believe so! That is, until one looked at the date of the patent application submission, which dates back to 2005. Sure, the patent was published on June 28 of this year, but it references foreign application data that predates the official unveiling of the Wii Remote prototype.

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Finally, D3 Publisher of America has come to its senses! We don't want your Dark Sectors, guys; we want your poorly animated super soldiers shooting giant bugs and gooey zombie killin' adventures in combat inappropriate clothing. We want that mind-numbing stuff. That's why we're so pleased to learn, via GamesRadar, that Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers will be coming to the Wii in early 2009.

Sure, it wasn't my most memorable experience at Tokyo Game Show last year and these games aren't exactly "good", but you can dispatch the undead in bikinis, biker outfits and barely legal schoolgirl get-ups. We're willing to sacrifice our joints to over-waggling if it helps convince D3 to bring Onechanbara VorteX over here.

Onechanbara's coming to the Wii [GamesRadar - thanks, Jeff!]

When I woke up this morning, I thought the Fallout 3 ban had been a dream. Yet, when I opened my browser to Kotaku AU's front page, there it was: my own post declaring the event as fact. When I wrote the post, I could only guess at the reasons why the game was refused classification, though rumours suggested drug references as the likely cause.

Well, Australian Gamer managed to get its hands on the OFLC's report for Fallout 3. The ban had nothing to do with decapitation, gore or dismemberment. It was the drugs, and only the drugs. I should be shocked, but all I can do is shake my head. And shake it hard.

From the report:

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Downloadable music has made music-specific games, like Rock Band, essentially self-renewing, as new tracks to play are popping up all the time. But when MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo talked to EA music guru Steve Schnur (we talked to him, too), he asked him when we'll see the ability to change up the soundtracks of other games with DLC.

"You're going to see it in 2009," he said. He said that by "Madden '10" gamers can expect some of the "broader-based" EA games (not just any music titles) to be able to "continually recommend" new music that can be downloaded to enhance a soundtrack.

That makes connected video gaming sound kind of like iTunes, huh? But I'll ask you guys the same question Totilo asks: would you pay for that? What's it worth to you?

EA: Next Year's Non-Music Games Will Feature DLC-Enabled Soundtracks [MTV Multiplayer]

EA just tipped us off to the fact that BioWare's long in the works PC role-playing game Dragon Age is going to be "one of the premiere titles" showcase at E3 next week, with select press getting hands on time with the game — which is a good thing, because I have an appointment to play the thing next Tuesday. If I showed up and it wasn't on display, it might get awkward.

You'll get your first look at Dragon Age this Friday, as first footage of the game will be featured on the next episode of GameTrailers TV on Spike.

The "highly anticipated dark fantasy epic" also has a new name, officially known as Dragon Age: Origins from this point forward.

The official Dragon Age web site continues to tease us with its promise of "More July 9, 2008". We hope they hurry it up, because there's not much July 9, 2008 left to spare.

Dead Rising 2 Set in Vegas ?
As long as it's got zombies and chainsaws, it could be in the Arctic as far as I'm concerned!

Microsoft Denies Motion Control Revealed Via Banjo Kazooie Preview
Oh Microsoft, you're so silly.

Zero Punctuation on Lego Indy, With Bonus!
I'm glad Yatzhee and I agree on the stupid auto-aim.

Frankenreview: Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution
It's Civ on next-gen consoles. You'd think it wouldn't work, but it does.

Thompson: Judge Recommends Permanent Disbarment
Is this the last we'll hear of Jack Thompson, Crazy at Law?

It's Official: Fallout 3 Refused Classification In Australia
And in case you missed it, Kotaku AU got the scoop on the OFLC's banning of Fallout 3.

James Bond may have taken a digital breather on Casino Royale, but Daniel Craig fans will finally get to play as the super buff super spy in Treyarch's Quantum of Solace. Oh, sure, the name is horrid, but the gameplay could be a silky smooth experience, given that Quantum of Solace is built on the Call of Duty 4 engine. That means there will be plenty of shooting, but Treyarch's take on Bond adds some variety with stealth gameplay and "quick time events". Damn it, Shenmue. I'll never forgive you for these.

Over at Introversion Software's blog, the developer of Defcon and Darwinia has revealed it's at work on its sixth game, Chronometer, with funding from the UK's Channel 4.

It's unclear what the fate of the game, currently in pre-production, will be; said Introversion's Chris Delay:

Ultimately we don't know for certain if Chronometer will be going into full production - the conditions would have to be right for Introversion and for Channel 4, although they've been fantastic to work with during pre-production. We're pretty much finished with this phase of Chronometer for now, and we'll keep you updated about this interesting sixth game project as decisions are made.

The team is currently preparing for the launch of Multiwinia (shown), a multiplayer version of strategy title Darwinia, for PC.

Chronometer [Introversion blog]

Lionhead fan site Loinhead has posted a rather suspicious and alleged Fable II screen shot today, one that it claims originates from an anonymous source. The site cryptically writes "we seem to have found an image in the style of Fable 2 very shortly after the Collector's Edition was announced". Hoax? Semi-clever marketing? Merely intense character customisation?

My usually reliable Photoshop bullshit detector isn't being very helpful, but those who suspect that a Master Chief lookalike in Fable II is simply pixel alchemy are welcome to eyeball a larger version linked below.

Master Chief Rockin' [Loinhead via Lionhead Forums]

31 complaints against a TV ad for Take-Two's Bully: Scholarship Edition were dismissed by the Advertising Standards Authority. The complainants said that the ads "glorified and trivialised" bullying, but the ASA found that the ads themselves were not in violation of any standards.

According to GamesIndustry, the ASA did find the game distasteful, but was not glorifying violence because of its "comic and exaggerated" nature:

"Although many might find the name and content of the gam