In case you missed it, Codemasters Grid hit the shelves next week.  I checked out the X-Box demo and the game is shaping up pretty nicely. I’m not big on racing games, but I do love to smash up a car. Check out the new Press Release.

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The alien invasion has begun with the announcement that id Software’s Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars™ published by Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Set in the year 2065, Enemy Territory:  QUAKE Wars pits the armies of Earth’s Global Defense Force (GDF) against the invading alien menace, the Strogg, in an all-out struggle for the fate of the planet.  Enemy Territory:  QUAKE Wars is slated to arrive on European and Australian store shelves on May 30, 2008. "Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars raises the bar for next-gen console games with its variety and intense combat," said Kevin Cloud, Executive Producer, id Software. “Whether you’re playing online with fifteen friends, or playing a single-player campaign against amazing AI, Enemy Territory:  QUAKE Wars delivers a new level of team play and combat strategy to the PS3 and 360.”

Set within the expansive QUAKE® universe in the year 2065, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is the ultimate team and mission-based multiplayer warfare game offering console gamers distinct classes, vehicles and weapons to choose from, giving players countless ways to join the battle.   Players work as a team to defeat the enemy and achieve objectives either online against other players or battle offline with surprisingly lifelike AI.  Across multi-mission campaigns, players earn experience and promotions while stats are recorded globally for players to track their rank and prestige in the community at www.enemyterritory.com.   Based on the critically-acclaimed game from id Software and Splash Damage for Windows® PC that has received over eighty awards and nominations, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars was developed for the Xbox 360 by Nerve Software.

I’ve never been a fan of racing games, so personally, I never got into the whole GTA thing. But I have to say this game looks absolutely amazing. I’m tempted to run out to Best Buy this week and pick it up. In Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, players can drive 70 vehicles from top car manufacturers including Ferrari, Nissan and Ford around six meticulously rendered courses, each with two race routes. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue introduces various revolutionary modes to the series, including support for up to 16 players head-to-head racing offline and online, complete with race events and leaderboards to quell any question of who is the best driver in the “World of GT.” Furthermore, all drivers will receive access to Gran Turismo TV, a new in-game online channel that delivers automotive video content directly to a user’s PS3. Furthering the authentic driving experience, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue introduces an interior dash view, complete with driver animations and working vehicle gauges rendered in real-time to reflect the car’s performance, and Drift Trials, where the player’s drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones. The BD version will include an exclusive behind-the-scenes HD video feature called “Beyond the Apex,” offering an intimate look at the franchise’s history. Both versions are available for $39.99 SRP. 

The North American version of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue also features an edgy and exclusive soundtrack that mixes an aesthetic audio blending of indie dance rock, electronica, classic rock and new remixes by some of today’s hottest recording artists such as Weezer, The Mars Volta, DJ Shadow and Justice. The soundtrack will provide North American racing fans with a High Definition (HD) audio experience to complement Gran Turismo 5 Prologue’s stunning HD visuals.  And it’ll support the new Dual Shock 3 controller. Which is good, because I was forced to buy one this weekend after I dropped my other one in the water.

If you want to see what’s going to be in the Iron Man movie, today’s announcement and showcase of the new unlockable suits in the game may provide a sneak peak.  This is the very first Iron Man suit ever built. In a life changing moment, Tony Stark is attacked and captured by terrorists. While being held captive, Tony is forced to build a weapon of mass destruction. With the help of Yinsen, Tony builds the Mark I suit instead and uses it to escape. Thus, a new Super Hero is born: IRON MAN! 

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Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.  Everyone here knows of my Christmas holiday obsession with playing COD Multi-player for hours on end, to the exclusion of all else. I finally broke free last month and started playing some other titles, especially my Wii was lonely. So I started playing Super Mario Galaxy and recently Smash Brothers.  As a lark - actually because I was tired of COD 4 multi-player I thought I’d try out the single player campaign. Which believe it or not, I hadn’t tried yet. Last week, I fell in love all over again, the single player mode is just as brilliant as the Multi-player. The campaign is just the right length and intense enough to keep you coming back for more. There were so many wholly f moments that I felt like I was playing that perfect action/war movie. It had it all. Once I finished it, I was ready to move back over to my Wii or take Vegas 2 or Condemned for a spin, but frankly COD 4 tired me out. I’m tired of shooters and am ready for something else.  But then Activision announced the release of Call of Duty 4 - The Game of The Year Addition and 4 all new maps!  If you purchase the new game, they supply a token that you go onto their website to redeem your maps. Activision was cool enough to give me a token to use, but I got so frustrated with the stupid system, that I was like, hell, I’d rather just buy the new maps then deal with this. So I spent my 800 points to get them. This is the first time, that I’ve spent my own money on game DLC. I don’t know what they were thinking releasing the game before they could include the new maps anyway. 

The new maps are pretty stellar and exclusively available for Xbox 360 for the next 21 days, the map pack includes “Broadcast,” which features tight corridors and wide open parking lots where large groups utilize close-quarter fighting and strategic maneuvers; “Chinatown” where night battles well lit by the full moon play havoc against a backdrop of brightly colored lamps, antique shops and neon signs of the local district; “Killhouse,” a desolate warehouse under enemy attack where squads will need to move through building mock-ups and plywood walls in order to full take control of the combat arena; and “Creek,” A large wide open village in a heavily wooded area where battles are fought between high ridgelines and deep in underground caves.  The only problem is Infinity Ward has the maps on lock down.  So you can only play against people who already have the maps.  I’m sure this will change in the next few months.

One of the many reasons why I hate the PS3 as a video game system is the design of the Playstation Store is HORRIBLE. The navigation is terrible and those stupid online Eulas have a tendency to your cursor. It’s basically unusable.  But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Sometime this month the PS3 store is getting a fresh coat of paint. Take a gander at this screenshot. It’s looking nice. To enable enhancements to be made to the store, no additional downloadable content will be posted prior to the revamp, starting April 3. However, customers will be able to access, browse, shop and download from the PLAYSTATION Store during this period. Regularly scheduled PLAYSTATION Store content updates will resume with additional games and game-related items, including the downloadable version of the highly-anticipated exclusive PS3 title Gran Turismo™ 5 Prologue, the next installment of the billion dollar selling racing franchise and intense precursor to Gran Turismo™5.  I will say that I’m trying to get on the PS3 as a game machine bandwagon, primarily because the noise level of the 360 is starting to bug me. It never has before, but now, Jesus that thing is LOUD. The reason I’m noticing the noise more and more is, I’ve been using the PS3 as a Blu-ray and upscale DVD Player and it’s just beautiful and quiet. Making me go, hmmm….

This video is courtesy of the folks at Joystiq. Rock Band announced it’s latest downloadable track - “Still Alive” by Jonathan Coulton. Best of all, the song will be free. It’s an interesting mellow choice. I’m really impressed with the consistency in which Rock Band has been adding tracks. I’ll go on record as saying that I prefer Guitar Hero to Rock Band. The majority of the RB sucked, but they are making up for that with this constant flow of tracks.  Activision is really dropping the ball with Guitar Hero with the piecemeal way they are trickling out new tracks.  And originally I was excited about the upcoming Aerosmith game, but the more I think about it the more it annoys me. I mean really, they can’t make those tracks downloadable? I’m sick and tired of being forced to switch between GH2 and GH3 to play certain songs when. Why can’t I get all my GH tracks on one platform, like with Rock Band?

The wait is over! D3PA has shipped their highly anticipated action-thriller Dark Sector to retail stores all across North America for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation3. Utilizing the Evolution Engine, proprietary next-gen technology developed by Digital Extremes, Dark Sector is designed exclusively for next-generation gaming. The game thrusts players into the role of Hayden Tenno, an elite black-ops agent sent on a dangerous mission into a decaying Eastern European city that hides a deadly Cold War secret. Attacked by an unknown enemy, he awakens to find part of his body altered by an infection that has granted him inhuman abilities; now he must learn to evolve along with his powers, to survive and to become a hero. Dark Sector is available for the suggested retail price of $59.95.

If it’s Tuesday, it must be Bluesday (copyright EM) and we have a tone of interesting news on Sony’s PS3 upcoming firmware upgrade.  Not only are we going to get the new Profile 2.0 update which will bring us Blu-ray Live functionality.  I saw this at CES earlier this year and it looks really promising. The Internet interfaces that was showcased at the Blu-ray conference looked beautiful and fully like Web 3.0.  My fear is it’s going to end up being just as lame as all Internet enabled DVDs in the past.  Not only is the new PS3 upgrade bringing us profile 2.0 capabilities, but today rumor has it that you will soon be able to download a copy of your Blu-ray movie directly to your PSP.  I recently picked up an 8 Gig SD Duo stick for $80. How cools will it be to be able to drop your movies onto your PSP. It’s nice to see studios finally loosing up on their draconian DRM and helping people take their content with them.  The first two movies to support BD- Lve will be Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and The 6th Day.  Here’s the full press release on the PS3 Upgrade.

Update (Tuesday, 8am) -  Sony saw my post and decided, “Y’know what? Let’s release this update now!” So get it while it’s hot.

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