In a surprising move, Microsoft released a second demo onto the Xbox Live Marketplace today. An Xbox 360 demo of Eidos Interactive's Just Cause is also now available for download. The demo weighs in at 632.71mb.

Eidos has also released a PC version of the demo which can be found at your favorite download portal or directly from Eidos' servers

I have to admit that I barely know anything about this title other than the fact that it's a first person shooter. I'll give the 360 demo a whirl, and give some more details if the demo managed to leave a good impression on me.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:19 AM EDT

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As we reported yesterday, a second demo of Atari's Test Drive Unlimited is now available in the Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo weighs in at 738.23mb, roughly twice the size of the demo released at E3. Hopefully that additional space was used to remove teh suck from the demo, because the last one was pretty rancid.

You can check out the Test Drive Unlimited official website at this link for more information about the game.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:18 AM EDT

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Following in the footsteps of the command line version, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.108u1 is also now available.

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

Posted by nylatenite at 2:17 AM EDT

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The first interim update to MAME v.108 is now available. According to the update notes, this update mainly deals with fixes to the Play-Choice NES system games.

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

Posted by nylatenite at 2:15 AM EDT

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Sony has reportedly announced that they will be bringing a total of 27 playable Playstation 3 games to the Tokyo Game Show. The show, which runs from September 22nd through the 24th, will be one of the last big media events before the launch of the Playstation 3 on November 19th, so a good showing will be critical.

• Armored Core 4 (From Software)
• Blade Storm Hyakunen Sensou (Koei)
• Coded Arms Assault (Konami)
• Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom)
• The Eye of Judgment (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Fatal Inertia (Koei)
• Formula One World Championship (working title) (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Genji (working title) (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• "Gran Turismo" Series (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Heavenly Sword (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Lair (working title) (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Mahjong Taikai IV (Koei)
• Minna no Golf 5 (working title) (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight (Namco Bandai Games)
• MotorStorm (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Railfan (Ongakukan)
• Resistance: Fall of Man (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Ridge Racer 7 (Namco Bandai Games) - (ed- Riiiidge Racer!)
• Warhawk (Sony Computer Entertainment)

Not too shabby of a list there Sony, though I've got to wonder why Assassin's Creed isn't on it. Another notable title missing from the list is Unreal Tournament 2007, my guess is the recent production delay on the game (for those who don't know, UT2007 has been pushed back to... 2007) is the culprit in that case.

This article was compiled from multiple sources. You can check them out by visiting the following sites; Kotaku, Gamespot & Gamasutra.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:55 AM EDT

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Microsoft used the Leipzig Game Convention as a chance to both show their commitment to the European market and put a price and date range on some of their upcoming Xbox 360 peripherals.

Here's what you can expect from the world of first party 360 accessories in the months to come;

Xbox Live Vision Camera 9/19/06 - $39.99
The basic camera pack includes the Vision camera, 2 games (Uno & TotemBall), an Xbox 360 headset and a one month subscription to Xbox Live Gold.

Xbox Live Vision Camera Bundle 9/19/06 - $79.99
The Deluxe camera pack includes the Vision camera, 3 Live Arcade games (TotemBall, Uno and Robotron), 200 Microsoft points, an Xbox 360 headset and a 12 month subscription to Xbox Live Gold.

Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel - November - $149.99
-The wheel will (for a limited time) include a special "force feedback capable" copy of Project Gotham Racing 3.

Xbox 360 Wireless Headset - November - $59.99
Just what it says, it's a wireless headset.

Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for PC - Late December - $19.99
Lets you use all the 360 wireless accessories on your PC.

Not a bad list of items, but I'm a little disappointed with the prices on some of the items and the pack-ins included. Would it really have killed Microsoft to let the buyer choose what games they would be getting with the camera?

Microsoft also took the opportunity to show their love for Europe by announcing that they've signed 12 month "next-generation" exclusivity deals with both Electronic Arts and Konami for their soccer games.

"Microsoft announced that the next generation of soccer will be available exclusively on the Xbox 360 console this year. With “FIFA 07” from Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) and “Pro Evolution Soccer 6” from Konami Digital Entertainment Inc., Xbox 360 will be the only place where gamers can enjoy next generation soccer this year." -Microsoft Press Release

Furthering the european love-fest, Microsoft also announced that the 360 will be launching in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia on November 3rd.

To check out the full press release detailing the accessories and Microsoft's announced 12 month exclusive deal on 2 soccer games, and some upcoming Live board games, click here.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:54 AM EDT

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Gamespot is reporting that Atari will be releasing a second Test Drive Unlimited demo via the Xbox Live Marketplace some time today. While I wouldn't bet the house on it appearing today since Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb has often taken issue with developers announcing demos that hadn't passed Microsoft's quality testing, those interested in the game (read: not me) should keep an eye out for it during the next few days.

Having played the demo of the game that popped up during E3, I have almost no interest in this title at all. Xbox Live is a double-edged sword - while a good demo can boost your sales and create word-of-mouth sales for your title, a bad one can do the opposite just as efficiently.

Those looking for more information can check out the Gamespot article at this link.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:53 AM EDT

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Many were disappointed when Nintendo didn't announce a launch date or price for the Wii during their Leipzig Game Convention press briefing earlier this week. Well, the wait may not be that much longer - according to Kotaku, Nintendo will be holding a press event in New York City on September 14th and it seems to me that would be a perfect time for the announcement as Nintendo would have the press all to themselves.

Check out the Kotaku article here for more details.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:52 AM EDT

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Yesterday at the Leipzig Game Convention, Nintendo announced that Super Mario Strikers and Battalion Wars will be coming to the Wii.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:51 AM EDT

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Poker comes to the Xbox 360 today in the form of TikGames' Texas Hold'Em. Supporting up to 8 players via Xbox Live, the game is the first title released with the Xbox Live Vision Camera in mind.

More importantly, this title is being offered as a FREE DOWNLOAD for the first 48 hours after it's release. Once that initial period has passed, those who want the game will have to drop 800 points ($10) for the game, so be sure to grab it before 1am PST on Friday the 25th.

Title: Texas Hold 'Em
Developer: TikGames
Publisher: TikGames
Genre: Card
Release Date: 8/23/06
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1 - 8
Xbox Live: Yes
HDTV Support: 1080i
Full Game: Free for the first 48 hours, 800 points ($10) thereafter
Demo?: Yes

Description as per Xbox.com

"Texas Hold 'em poker is the most realistic poker game around. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, enjoy the thrill of the perfect hand or the perfect bluff. Test your skills in ring games and tournaments, or fine-tune your skills playing the scenario you always wanted to be in.

Customize the game however you want. The comprehensive help provides details on each aspect of the game. Texas Hold 'em has it all—play it today! It's the closest thing to actually being there."- Xbox.com Texas Hold 'Em product page

This release leaves just two titles on the confirmed Xbox Live Arcade launch list;

• August 30th - Time Pilot - 400 points ($5)
• September 6th - Scramble - 400 points ($5)

Posted by nylatenite at 7:51 AM EDT

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