Here's the first real (ie not just some artist doodling) trailer for Ubisoft's latest Prince of Persia title. If they were planning on tugging at the heartstrings of PoP purists and Ico fans alike, they're doing an excellent job.

While Microsoft's address yesterday was the biggest, it certainly wasn't the only source of news for the day. Square Enix announced some game of theirs was appearing on some console, EA gave an interesting talk, while Nintendo managed to steal a good portion of the day's limelight with just a press release and a single picture of their new, improved motion controls.

No Changes On Final Fantasy Versus XIII Being PS3 "Exclusive"
Liveblogging EA's E3 Press Conference
Is Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 Coming To Japan? "Ask Them"
Liveblogging Square Enix Press Conference
Breaking: Official Rock Band 2 Tracklist Revealed
Nintendo Introduces Wii Motion Plus

Yeah, E3 doesn't technically start until later on today, but there was enough news yesterday to cause us to re-evaluate our numbering policies. Microsoft's keynote address contained a few things we'd expected, but also a few things we did not expect, and one thing in particular we did not in any way oh my god expect. If you missed it all or were somehow otherwise engaged, you'll find the important stuff below.

The New Xbox Experience: Just The Facts (And Maybe Some Conjecture)
Interview: Catching Up On Microsoft's Big Announcements
Microsoft Releasing LE Red, Green 360 Controllers
Final Fantasy XIII: The E3 Trailer
Final Fantasy XIII Coming To Xbox 360
Liveblogging Microsoft e3 2008 Press Conference

And the Microsoft media just keeps on coming. Latest are these two clips for Ensemble's Halo-based RTS, Halo Wars, which we hear is due in early 2009. Above, some pre-rendered stuff. Looks nice, but if you're after more of an idea of how it'll look while you're playing it, a gameplay vid's after the jump.

Firstly, it's scheduled to kick off sometime "this holiday season". So, late November, early December. Secondly, if you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber and a Netflix subscriber, this won't cost you an extra penny. You're already paid, and signed, up (though if you're without a Gold and/or Netflix subscription, you'll obviously need to get one/both). Thirdly, the deal covers both Netflix's movies and TV shows, giving 360 owners access to over 10,000 downloads once the service kicks off.

One more thing to keep in mind is that this deal is designed to complement the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, not supplant it. Everything that's in the XBL Video Marketplace will still be there, you'll just soon have the option of using Netflix instead. Presser follows.

Freshy pried from the game's homepage, here's the first trailer for Maxis' upcoming top-seller-for-five-years sure thing, The Sims 3. And yes, it looks better, and the promise of a whole town is certainly a pleasant one, but every time they start to lure me in with those kind of deals, I hear one of them open their mouth, and all bets are off.

Microsoft's Shane Kim has something he needs to tell you. Something about that 360 "price cut" on the weekend. Something important.

The price reduction we announced yesterday is not a system price reduction; I want to be really clear about that because I don't want people to accuse us of doing something that we didn't do.

It's OK, Shane, nobody's accusing you of anything! They know a switcheroo when they see one. "Accusation" makes it sound so...ambiguous. The above quote's from a piece Kim wrote for the newly-launched Edge Online, in which he also stresses the importance of the Arcade 360 ("The Xbox 360 Arcade is more successful than many people credit"). It's good reading. You should, you know. Go read it.

Shane Kim Writes for Edge [Edge]

The news may be pouring out of Los Angeles at the moment, but that doesn't mean we've forgotten about you, Britain. Here's your weekly sales charts. Astute observers will note that Wii Fit makes a "surprising" return to the top of the charts. Surprising in that its taken this long for Nintendo to get stocks of the balance trainer - which based on demand cold/should have been #1 for the past few months - back into the country in significant numbers.

Not real of course, as we've seen his particular brand of internet fury before, but scary nonetheless. Why? Because while this performance is a (brilliant) fake, you can bet there are thousands of real kids out there venting in a similar fashion.

[thanks Flame Strike!]

About two weeks ago we reported that this is crunch time for the independent roster editors for NCAA 09, which goes to the street today. But as this video -- of NCAA 09's roster screen -- shows, using a third-party edited file can can corrupt a team's depth chart and its overall rating, if not delete the team entirely, until EA can patch the game.

As Dylan Jobe says in this PlayStation.Blog post, Warhawk is "almost a year old". Time for a fresh coat of paint! And Sony are obliging, with the innocently-titled "1.4" upgrade actually bringing a ton of gameplay and functionality tweaks to the game. On the gameplay side, two new modes are added, Collection and the great-sounding Hero (each team gets a "hero", who glows and can be seen on the map but is also incredibly powerful). Behind the scenes, everything from the mini-map to the scoring's seen changes, with the addition of new features like "Quick Join", which is Warhawk's name for instant matchmaking. The 1.4 update goes live on July 16 at 0300 Pacific Time, and is completely free of charge.

Warhawk v1.4 Update "Free Gameplay Modes!!" [PlayStation.Blog]

EA already have games on the iPhone, and already have plans for more games (like Spore, for example). But they're mostly like the ones they've currently got on other mobiles: cheap, disposable casual games. During their E3 address earlier today, however, the company announced plans to release games like Tiger Woods and Need for Speed on the iPhone (and iPod Touch). While they didn't get into specifics, when you consider the horsepower of the iPhone compared to other mobiles, the chances of these games being ports of PSP games seem high. The chances of people buying them regardless are also high. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, because really, Tiger Woods PSP but with swingy finger control would be pretty nifty.

Four player co-op in Gears of War 2 would be too messy, the plot would fall apart, Mark Rein told me tonight as we sipped mojitos at the Ciudad restaurant.

But he and Cliff Blezinski both know how much gamers thirst larger co-op experiences. So the development team set out to create something that would be just as fun as four player campaign co-op, but not as problematic.

In Horde up to five players take on increasing large waves of locust, clearing rounds and scoring points until everyone dies. The idea is fairly straight forward and surprisingly fun.

After Dr. Henry Jones, modern pop culture's second-best proponent of the whip has got to be Castlevania's Simon Belmont. And with a Castlevania movie (sort of) coming up, just imagine the kind of stuff he could be doing with said whip! And yet, courtesy of a script review for the upcoming project, it seems the whip's been relegated in favour of a sword. And not just any sword:

Though I said Vampire Killer is gone from this script, Simon does wield what is described as a chain whip in two instances. However, it is nondescript and in one of the occasions is wielded as an off-hand weapon. So what is Simon armed with throughout the film? A fucking sword.

Oh dear. Nothing like setting off on the wrong foot with fans, is there?
Paul W. S. Anderson's Castlevania [CC2K]

While it's enjoyed various ups and downs in the West, in Japan, the PSP has been emerging as something of a colossal hit. Over the first six months of 2008 it's been the best-selling console in Japan, and Sony have now announced that (based on Enterbrain figures), since the unit's launch in Japan in 2004, over ten million PSPs have been sold in the country. To anyone getting visions of a tortoise and a hare, it's OK, you're not alone.

Last night, hundreds of Kotaku readers were joined by fellow colleagues and game developers as we rang in E3 by swilling gallons of alcohol at LA's lovely Golden Gopher. Sure, there was only one bartender on hand to meet the needs of dozens of thirsty commenters and lurkers, but that didn't stop us from ordering drinks seven-at-a-time and partying hard.

It was a fantastic crowd, probably twice that of the E3 2006 party at the same location, full of friendly (and bashful) Kotaku regulars alongside compatriots at MTV, G4, Giant Bomb and elsewhere. Sure it got a little ugly at times — and we don't mean photogenic commenter Shindokie! — and Crecente committed a party foul by playing video games, but these photos, courtesy of Vlad and Jon from Videogame Visionary, show that folks aren't afraid of a good time.

Thanks a million to everyone who came out to rub elbows, snap shots and drink on our dime.

It's taken from a demonstration, so excuse the slightly grainy quality, but its a credit to the game's artists that its blue skies shine brightly regardless. This player demo of Mirror's Edge may seem familiar at first, but later gets into all-new territory, including combat and the disarming of opponents, a tactic so ingrained within the game that it's possible to complete the game without "having fired a single shot". Exciting stuff.

MGS actor and Hollywood writer David Hayter said, a few weeks back, that a deal to bring Lost Planet to the big screen was "not entirely confirmed yet". Is now! Variety are reporting that the project's a done deal, with Warner Bros. to distribute, former Marvel pictures boss Avi Arad to produce and Hayter to write. Capcom will be contributing at least some, if not all of the money for the movie, though there's no word on a release window. Expect more info at Capcom's E3 event tomorrow.

Capcom making Lost Planet movie [Variety]

If you're not quite ready to turn your back on Fallout 3, you could always put your name down on a couple of petitions. While their effectiveness is questionable, every little bit counts. Heck, even if one person unaware of the issue takes an interest and agrees with our position, then it's worth the effort.

I've spotted two petitions so far - one on ipetitions.com and another over at Gameplayer. Give them a look-see, add your signature, and feel a little happier in the knowledge you've done something positive.

Alternatively, if you're on Facebook, reader Kent Dempsey has started an R18+ classification group on the social-networking site. At last count, it had over 600 members. Nothing like uniting for a cause!

Michael Atkinson, No R18+ For Games In Australia: Why It Hurts Children [Kotaku AU]
It's Official: Fallout 3 Refused Classification In Australia [Kotaku AU]

Well, you're going to have to. Of the three, two are "trailers" in the sense that they're mostly there to set the tone, while the third is not. That third is a live gameplay demonstration. Meaning you get to see somebody playing Fallout 3. Meaning you get to see, amongst other things, the combat system in action, with a human controlling it. Above you'll find the game's "teaser", while after the jump, the gameplay demo and a downright charming live-action trailer.

It's been known for a while that the console edition of Street Fighter IV would feature a few extra bells and whistles the arcade version would not. Biggest and best being extra characters. But just who are those extra characters going to be? Well, why don't you decide. Yes, in a surprisingly generous act of fan service, Capcom are letting fans vote for which Street Fighter characters not yet already in the game should be making the jump over to SFIV. Hit the link below to add your Cammy pick (from a choice of 8) to everyone else's Cammy pick.

Vote for New Street Fighter IV Characters! [Capcom]

Red Octane's Kai Huang said during today's Microsoft address that there'd be some Metallica DLC coming for Guitar Hero, to coincide with their latest album, Death Magnetic. Well, it's not coinciding with it as much as it is the album, with a note on Metallica's homepage informing fans that, on the same day the album's released in stores, you'll be able to download all of its songs in Guitar Hero III. They also say there'll be Death Magnetic content for Guitar Hero World Tour as well, but info on that isn't quite as specific.

"Death Magnetic", the entire album, available for Guitar Hero too! [Metallica, via Guitar Hero News]

IGN is currently running a rumour sourced from "trusted insiders" that Nintendo may be planning to introduce a new, slimmed-down, sub-$US 100 Nintendo DS minus a GBA slot at its media briefing tomorrow morning. The new DS, the outlet writes, may come with a built-in accelerometer, bringing motion control to Nintendo's dual screen handheld. That news is paired with alleged details on an Activision designed accelerometer cart for the portable.

It would be surprising, considering the Nintendo DS Lite is just two years young and still moving through retail at a rate equal to hotcake sales. Still, after the Wii Remote Motionplus hardware announcement earlier today, it just goes to show you we never know what Nintendo will do next.

E3 2008: DS Accelerometer / New DS Forthcoming? [IGN]

By: Leigh Alexander and Adam Barenblat

After Microsoft's presser, Adam and I hit the floor to talk to Matt Barlow, general marketing manager for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment biz, about the announcements — we talked the new Xbox 360 user interface and the avatars, asked how Lips will work, and whether he thinks Final Fantasy XII will help the company's console penetration in Japan.

Tomorrow, Nintendo will kick off its E3 press conference. What to expect? Nintendo brass standing on stage, talking about stuff. What stuff? Dunno! What we do know is that Nintendo has confirmed Nintendo Co. Ltd. president Satoru Iwata, Nintendo Senior Managing Director Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America executive vice president for sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway and Nintendo of America vice president of marketing and corporate affairs Denise Kaigler will be on stage this Tuesday morning — not necessarily in that order. Whew, some of those folks have long job titles!

Nintendo confirms E3 speakers [CVG] [Pic]

This is Capcom's big E3 trailer for Resident Evil 5. Loads of gameplay, loads of the same alien bug things you grew to love in Res 4. As for the rest...the voice-acting at the start? Awful. The desert zombie biker gang? Awesome.

Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg and Marc Whitten lead a Community Roundtable discussion following the company's E3 media briefing, giving us further insight into the changes coming to the Xbox 360 dashboard. Officially dubbed the New Xbox Experience, the update was said by Whitten to be a response to the glut of content on Xbox Live, a system he claims was built with hundreds of pieces of content in mind, not tens of thousands — or potentially millions, as Whitten posited.

The new look and feel for the Xbox 360 dashboard was designed to be navigable by those unfamiliar with the current "blades" interface, with the New Xbox Experience akin to a TV remote control UI. In person, it's pretty slick — the Xbox 360 logo radiates a constant pulse in the bottom right corner, with iTunes Cover Flow-style reflections and navigation giving gamers a quick clean look at their games and content.

Fans of the current "blades" interface may be saddened to learn that the update isn't an optional redesign, it's a total replacement. They'll still get a taste of the old interface via the new Guide look and feel. Hit the jump for a photo.

Square Enix's pledge of allegiance to the Xbox 360 platform in the form of a Final Fantasy XIII port may have shaken the PlayStation fanbase to its very core. The loss of yet another PlayStation 3 "exclusive" essentially makes message boards the equivalent of a dark alley for Sony devotees. What about the other Final Fantasy XIII project, Final Fantasy Versus XIII?

Shinji Hashimoto of Square Enix said at the publisher's press conference today that plans for Final Fantasy Versus XIII to ship as a PlayStation 3 exclusive haven't changed. Of course, we have no inkling about what exactly Square Enix's plans for the title have been from the get go, as the core entry, FF XIII, has long been touted as coming "only to PlayStation 3".

Stay strong, console warriors. We think it'd be best to resign yourselves to the fact that third party console exclusives are but a thing of the past and that both Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will be enjoying the title by 2012.

It just wouldn't be Microsoft Day at E3 without some Gears 2 videos now, would it? So relax, put your feet up, grab a cup of tea and watch what feels like the 17th and 18th Gears 2 clips to be released in the past two weeks. The one above features Dude Huge talking us through some of the sequel's new stuff, while after the jump, a shiny new trailer.

Everything E3:
Liveblogging EA's E3 Press Conference
Final Fantasy XIII: The E3 Trailer
Liveblogging Square Enix Press Conference
Fact-Checking Microsoft's E3 Presser
Final Fantasy XIII Coming To Xbox 360
Liveblogging Microsoft E3 2008 Press Conference

The rest:
Xbox Live Reinvented This Spring - Adds Avatars, Live Party
Because imitation is the best form of flattery.

Fallout 3 Getting Exclusive Downloadable Content For Xbox 360 And PC
This would be great news... if Fallout 3 hadn't been refused classification.

Gears Of War 2 In November
Looks like Amazon was right!

Fable II Coming In October
Another game, another release date.

Resident Evil 5 Launching March 2009
Ah man, I don't know if I can wait the better part of a year.