Last week we reported that Mark Rain, an administrator over at the official Gears of War forums, had stated that there would be a big announcement regarding the game this week. At the time, we said our guess was it was going to be the announcement of a release date... we were right.

Microsoft and Epic Games today announced that Gears of War will be released on November 12th in the United States and on November 17th, 2006. Yes, Emergence Day finally has a date;

"Redmond, Washington—Since the first frightening images appeared a little over a year ago, gamers worldwide have felt the ominous rumblings of something approaching that defies all convention. Sightings as recent as at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo have confirmed its existence, leaving gamers breathless.

Microsoft® today announced what anxious players have been eagerly awaiting: Emergence Day 2006. Available exclusively for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the highly anticipated title Gears of War® will be available in North America on November 12, 2006." -Xbox.com

As already noted by retailers, the game will be available in both a standard version ($59.99) and a collector's edition ($69.99);

"Gears of War will explode onto store shelves with a standard edition available for $59.99 (suggested retail price) and a limited collector's edition available for $69.99. The limited edition offers an even deeper look into the graphically stunning and frightening world of Gears of War, providing an official "Destroyed Beauty" art book and a bonus DVD featuring an inside look at the making of the game—all enclosed in a highly collectible metal box." -Xbox.com

It would appear that with Halo 3 not launching until some time next year, Microsoft has turned the lead in the battle against the Playstation 3 launch over to Gears - here's to hoping the game can measure up to the expectations.

Check out the full press release here for more information. Let's see, I've booked a vacation day for Nov. 13th, I've got my collector's edition preorder in, and with some luck, my HDTV will be back from repair by then. it's all a question of waiting now... and waiting... and waiting. Maybe we'll get lucky and see a demo in the near future to ease our suffering.

Posted by nylatenite at 8:03 PM EDT

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Joystiq is reporting that several existing Xbox Live Arcade titles will be updated to support the Xbox Live Vision Camera when it hits retail on September 19th.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, a lot of what I've read regarding the camera seems to be a very bad idea, and one that will cause no end of headaches for Microsoft. Here's to hoping they've thought out all the angles.

Check out the Joystiq article here and consider this... people already complain constantly about the sheer number of idiots on Live - what's going to happen when those morons are given a chance to really "express" themselves?

Posted by nylatenite at 1:17 AM EDT

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ArsTechnica is reporting that Ziff-Davis Media is going to kill off Computer Gaming World and re-launch the magazine in a partnership with Microsoft as "Games for Windows" magazine.

If you look back to Microsoft's E3'06 press briefing, it seemed MS was getting ready to make a big push on PC gaming, both with the re-branding of Windows compatible games under the "Games for Windows" banner as well as with the upcoming Windows Live feature. The CGW move would seem to play further into the "brand" recognition end of this by putting the Games for Windows logo on the newsstands and into the public eye.

One question raised by the move is just how much editorial control Microsoft will wield with the magazine. Can we expect Microsoft products to get favorable reviews regardless of quality, or will the magazine avoid any conflicts of interest?

Check out the ArsTechnica article here for more information on this subject and ask yourself what Apple gamers will do for news from now on.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:07 AM EDT

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So before I headed to work yesterday morning, I bought Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting. It would go and figure that the one time I picked up an Xbox Live Arcade game without trying the trial first would turn out badly. Simply put, at least through the little I've played of it, it's a huge disappointment.

To start off with, the Xbox 360 controller is completely unsuited to the game. The d-pad is stiff and unresponsive and using the triggers as the "strong" kick and punch buttons just doesn't work well at all.

Even worse is the way the game plays. Simply put, you'd get a more "honest" game of Street Fighter II playing a pre-pubescent "cheezer". The game seems content to sit back and just execute special move after special move, constantly countering whatever you do. I'll give a prime example; if you're fighting Ryu, he'll simply blast fireballs non-stop, and if you try to jump over them, he'll hit you with that flying uppercut every time. While you might be able to beat that kind of strategy with a good controller, with the 360's it just becomes an exercise in frustration.

Finally, while I haven't experienced the online component yet, the 'net is filled with complaints about lag, disconnects, failures in the matchmaking software's filtering and worst of all, the complete lack of penalties for those who disconnect from a game. This last one seems to be the biggest complaint players have right now, with some people claiming they've yet to score a win because just before the match ends, opponents pull the plug to avoid getting a loss. Sad.

So there you have it. My advice is to be sure to download the demo of the game before you make the decision to purchase - I sure wish I did. There's one of the biggest problems with downloadable content - once you've bought it, you're stuck with it. You can't sell it to friends, trade it in, or do anything else but just live with your bad purchase.

As for the experience itself, If ever there was a game that screamed for an arcade stick on the 360, this is the one. I've been unhappy with the controller on quite a few of the Live Arcade games, and this one has finally convinced me I need to make an arcade controller.

I've got a ton of parts lying around, and while it's not enough to make a truly amazing controller, I should be able to throw together a simple one. The only part I'm really missing is a spare wired 360 controller - I'll probably price around over the coming week or so and then order one. If it turns out really well, maybe I'll spring for the cost to make a truly nice control set.

Posted by nylatenite at 12:44 AM EDT

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At long last, Capcom's legendary fighting series comes to the Xbox Live Arcade with Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting.

Title: Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting
Developer: Capcom USA
Publisher: Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Genre: Fighting
Release Date: 8/02/06
Console: Xbox 360
Multiplayer: 1-2 Players
Xbox Live: Yes
HDTV Support: 720p
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Demo?: Yes

Description as per Xbox.com

"Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, brings its arcade classic to Xbox Live® Arcade with Street Fighter® II’ Hyper Fighting. In addition to several offline modes and numerous leaderboards and achievements, the game takes advantage of the new online features of the Xbox 360™ console’s powerful processing capabilities to create a seamless online multiplayer experience. 

Among several online game options is an exclusive mode called "Quarter Match," a new way of reliving the exhilarating arcade experience at home. Xbox 360 users can access Xbox Live Arcade to download a free, feature-limited version of the game which offers two playable characters for one match. When you're ready for the ultimate retro gaming experience, unlock the full version of the game and choose from all eight original characters as well as four boss characters, each with their own special endings and home levels." - Xbox.com Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting game description

As much as I hate the idea of paying $10 for an Xbox Live Arcade title, the simple fact is that it's Street Fighter II and it's playable online. I just have too many fond memories of the game to pass it up. Whether it was playing the original machine in the game room at Fordham University or picking up a SNES when the game was launched simply because it had Street Fighter II - who cared if the cartridge was $80?. I guess what I'm saying is over the years, I've invested a ton of money in the series and I've probably gotten my money's worth back - what's $10 more, right?

After this, the only scheduled Xbox Live Arcade title in the release queue is Pac-Man, which should hit next week.

Posted by nylatenite at 7:42 AM EDT

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Just a note in case you haven't checked out the latest trailer for Capcom's upcoming Xbox 360 game Dead Rising - according to a note at the end of the trailer, a demo should be coming to Xbox Live sometime in the near future - hopefully before the game releases on August 8th.

In case you haven't caught it yet, or don't have a 360/Live account, here it is in YouTubed splendor. A word of warning - the demo contains depictions of extreme violence and gore. The video is probably not safe for work, and I certainly wouldn't play it with any young children in the room. You have been warned.

Still no love from Tripod on Embedded videos - click here for the YouTube video

Posted by nylatenite at 1:38 AM EDT

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Gamasutra is reporting that Kyoto based newspaper Kyoto Simbun has reported that the Nintendo DS has sold over 10 million units in Japan in it's first 20 months of existence, giving it the fastest start for a console ever in the country. In addition, at least 10 titles have already sold over one million copies each with several other titles closing in on the number.

In other words, the damned thing is popular as all hell. How popular exactly? In just over 2 months, the DS-Lite has already moved an astonishing 2.34 million units. Remember, these numbers represent only Japan - add the worldwide sales together and you're going to be looking at an even bigger number.

For a machine that started off on the wrong foot, Nintendo certainly has made a massive comeback - and as someone who recently picked up a used "fatty" DS, It's well deserved.

Check out the Gamasutra article here for more details - and stop touching - you'll go blind!

Posted by nylatenite at 12:58 AM EDT

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As promised, the demo for THQ's upcoming game Saint's Row is now available in the Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo comes in at 904.96mb, so if you're like me, your hard drive should be getting pretty crowded by now.

Posted by nylatenite at 6:14 PM EDT

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Electronic Arts has released the first map pack for the Xbox 360 version of Battle for Middle Earth II. The pack, entitled Aragorn's Journey reportedly contains just 3 maps for a whopping 700 points ($8.75) - no thanks guys, even if I had bought and enjoyed the game, no way I'd spend that much for three lousy maps. Those that do feel the need to be bent over can find the download in the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Posted by nylatenite at 6:14 PM EDT

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Gamespot is carrying a report that Crytek, the makers of the CryEngine used in many games and the developers of the much anticipated game Crysis, is looking for Playstation 3 programmers with cross-platform experience.

While that doesn't necessarily mean that those programmers are going to work on a PS3 version of Crysis, it would be a strong possibility. Hell, It certainly would be nice to see some good Playstation 3 news, though a multi-console launch would be even sweeter.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:18 AM EDT

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