ALL-PRO FOOTBALL 2K8 CONFIRMED FOR THIS SUMMER!

Unless you've been living in a hole, you've no doubt heard rumors of a 2K series football game since the day Electronic Arts secured the rights to just about every professional football league on the planet. As of yesterday, that game is no longer just a rumor - According to an article over at Gamespot, the heavens opened and an angelic choir broke into song as Visual Concepts President Greg Thomas confirmed that 2K Sports will be returning to the gridiron this summer with All-Pro Football 2K8.

"Football gamers have been awaiting the return of the 2K series, All-Pro Football 2K8 will deliver an authentic next generation gridiron experience and we are happy to give fans another choice in the football category." - Greg Thomas - president, Visual Concepts

Beyond the fact that the game is scheduled for release on "next-gen platforms", not much is known about the title. Previous rumors have pointed to the possibility that the title would be based on retired NFL players as some sort of a "Football Legends" game, though based on the actual title of the release, I'm thinking we'll be looking more at a game featuring NFL lineups minus team & player names. (Think back to the days before licensing deals were the norm)

No matter how you look at it, yesterday's announcement bodes well for football fans everywhere as even those who traditionally prefer Madden over the 2K series should see benefits due to the return of competition.

Check out the links below for more details on the announcement. Now you'll have to excuse me for a bit while I step outside and do the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" (tm) dance. Feel free to join me.

• 2K Sports Announces All-Pro Football 2K8 - Official press release
• 2K returns to gridiron - Gamespot
• All-Pro Football 2K8 Q&A: The Road to Rebirth - Gamespot
• Happy Happy Joy Joy - Ren & Stimpy

As is par for the course, still no love for video files in the archives (I really cannot wait to finish the conversion to the new archive system) so use the above "Happy Happy" if needed.

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES NEXT 10 LIVE ARCADE GAMES

Microsoft's in-house employee blog, Gamerscore Blog, has given gamers a glimpse into the future and announced the next 10 games that will be premiering in the Xbox Live Arcade starting this February. While no specific dates have been given to any of the titles, here's what we can expect to see over the next two and a half months;

• ""3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures,” from developer Wanako Games and publisher Sierra Online, allows gamers to putt their way through 36 fun-filled holes of manic minigolf action on wild courses that range from the Old West to outer space and feature a bevy of crazy hazards and obstacles.
• "Alien Hominid HD” from The Behemoth features side-scrolling, hysterical cartoon action with a quirky twist and exclusive Xbox Live Arcade features.
• “Band of Bugs” from NinjaBee is a fast-paced tactical strategy game that offers gameplay deep enough to satisfy tactical genre fans and friendly enough to appeal to casual gamers. Creative gamers can even design their own levels with the built-in level editor, then play them solo or over Xbox Live with friends.*
• “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” from Konami is a faithful version of this legendary classic updated for Xbox Live Arcade and featuring the game’s full soundtrack and memorable side-scrolling vampire-hunting action.
• “Catan,” from developer Big Huge Games Inc. and publisher Microsoft® Game Studios, is a faithful remake of the immensely popular strategy board game.
• “Eets: Chowdown” from Klei Entertainment Inc. is a completely revamped version of the popular PC title of the same name. It offers new items, 120 new levels and the exclusive debut of Marsho Madness, a high-adrenaline action game in which players must keep the impending evil marshmallows at bay.
• “LUXOR 2,” from developer MumboJumbo LLC, sets a new standard for action puzzlers as players match and shoot their way through the land of ancient Egypt.
• “Paperboy,” from developer Digital Eclipse and publisher Midway, is a classic coin-op hit, specially enhanced for Xbox Live Arcade.
• “Root Beer Tapper,” also from developer Digital Eclipse and publisher Midway, features fast-paced reflex action as players scramble to keep thirsty patrons happy without dropping root beer mugs in the scramble to earn the biggest tips.
• “Worms” from developer Team 17 Software Ltd. features armies of adorable weapon-toting worms locked in tactical combat." - Gamerscore Blog

Check out the full text of the media alert at the below link;

• Ten New Titles Approach the Xbox Live Arcade Horizon - Gamerscore Blog

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 3 "VALOR PACK" MAPS FIXED

ArsTechinca is reporting that Activision has patched and re-released the Call of Duty 3 "Valor Pack" for the Xbox 360. For those who don't remember, the pack was released a short while back and had some serious bugs in it, which rendered it useless.

The updated map pack is now available for purchase once more via the Xbox Live Marketplace, and those who purchased the pack previously are advised that they can re-download the corrected pack free of charge. Check out the link below for more details;

• Activision relaunches Call of Duty 3 map pack, promises it will work this time - ArsTechinca

MAME32 .111.6 RELEASED

Following in the footsteps of the command line version, MAME32 v.111.6, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.111 is also now available. The same warnings I gave about the latest build of MAME apply to MAME32 as well.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

MAME V.111U6 RELEASED

The latest "update" version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version 1.11u6, is now available for download. There's still a ton of work being done on the emulator behind the scenes, so yet again, you should probably steer clear of the update for now unless you're interested in testing the changes for the dev team. In the event that you are interested in testing the build, head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.

The updated emulator files can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see the full list of what's new in this update.

BEST BUY OFFERS HALO 3 PRE-ORDER BONUS

It would appear that Best Buy is upping the ante in the battle for a piece of the Halo 3 pre-order pie. According to the company's online Halo 3 product pages, customers ordering any version of the game via Best Buy's website can take advantage of an option to purchase a 1600 Microsoft Point card for only $4.99. (retail price $19.99)

At $15.00 off retail on the points card, this one sounds like a pretty good deal at first glance, but there is a downside - this is an online offer only, so depending on what shipping option you select, there is a good chance you won't have the game on day one. Those shipping costs will also eat into whatever savings you get with the points card. Keep those "hidden" costs in mind when you check out the link below;

• Xbox Live Marketplace Points Offer - Best Buy

One last note, while that offer page does not show the "Legendary Edition" of Halo 3 as being a qualifying product, the individual product page for said edition does have the link to the offer as well, so it should be valid for the deal.

THIS WEEK'S RELEASES: JANUARY 29TH - FEBRUARY 4TH

While there are some interesting titles on the list this week, without a doubt the most important thing going on this week is the release of Windows Vista. Vista is the next stage of Microsoft's attempt to bring Windows gaming back into the spotlight, and it's the key to the entire Windows Live experience.

If you've been keeping up with all the news on Vista, then you know that the system requirements can be somewhat extreme. As such, before you pick up the latest and greatest operating system, you should check the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to make sure your system meets the minimum system requirements for each version - or at least find out where your system needs upgrading before you do make the move to Vista.

Here's this week's list of what should be hitting retail over the next seven days;;

• Blitzkrieg 2: Fall of the Reich - PC - 1/30/2007
  
• City Life World Edition - PC - 1/30/2007
  
• Europa Universalis III - PC - 1/30/2007
  
• Vanguard: Saga of Heroes - PC - 1/30/2007
  
• Battlestations: Midway - 360 - 1/31/2007
  
• Battlestations: Midway - PC - 1/31/2007
  
• Fuzion Frenzy 2 - 360 - 1/31/2007
  
• Rogue Galaxy - PS2 - 1/31/2007
  
• SnoCross 2: Featuring Blair Morgan - PS2 - 1/31/2007
  
• Sonic the Hedgehog - PS3 - 1/31/2007
  
• Windows Vista - PC - 1/31/2007
  
• GTI Racer - PC - 2/2/2007
  
• Monopoly Here and Now - PC - 2/2/2007
  
• Real World Golf 2 - PS2 - 2/2/2007

I've included some helpful links for Windows Vista below - as for the release list, please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.

• Windows Vista - Microsoft
• Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor - Microsoft
• Windows Vista Recommended System Requirements - Microsoft

MICROSOFT CLEARS UP CRACKDOWN CONFUSION

In a post over on Gamerscore Blog, Microsoft's in-house employee blog, the company decided to clear up the confusion regarding just how many copies of Crackdown will include an invite to the Halo 3 multiplayer beta test;

"The initial shipment of Crackdown at retail will include access to the Halo 3 beta.  The "initial shipment" is pretty huge, so there will be enough to go around.

For those Halo 3 fans who are STILL losing sleep over this, you can guarantee entrance into the Halo 3 Beta by purchasing a copy of Crackdown when it launches Feb. 20th." - Gamerscore Blog

So there you have it, buy Crackdown at retail on launch day and you're guaranteed of getting into the beta. It should be noted that Microsoft has indicated "retail shipments" of the game will include the beta invite - this could mean that rental establishments that sell their games (like Gamefly and Gamesnflix) might not receive copies with the invite. In other words, if you want to be sure of getting the Halo 3 invite, your best bet is to pre-order the game at retail.

I've got my copy on pre-order, so I'll see you in the beta!

• Clearing up the Crackdown/Halo Confusion - Gamerscore Blog

MAME32 .111.5 RELEASED

Following in the footsteps of the command line version, MAME32 v.111.5, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.111 is also now available. The same warnings I gave about the latest build of MAME apply to MAME 32 as well.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

MAME V.111U5 RELEASED

The latest "update" version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version 1.11u5, is now available for download. There's still a ton of work being done on the emulator behind the scenes, so once again, you should probably steer clear of the update for now unless you're interested in testing the changes for the dev team. In the event that you are interested in testing the build, head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.

The updated emulator files can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see the full list of what's new in this update.