As we reported the other day, Microsoft and Bungie have opened up registration for this spring's beta test of Halo 3's multiplayer mode. Those interested in taking a shot at being selected for what is probably going to be the hottest Xbox 360 title of 2007 should head over to www.halo3.com, read the requirements and then start the process of filling out the application.

As you might well imagine, traffic on that site is extremely high at the moment, so if at first you don't' succeed, try, try again... and again, and again. Rinse, lather, repeat. Remember, signing up is not a guarantee that you'll be selected to participate in the beta, so keep your hopes in check.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:41 AM EST

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Wow, if you thought last week's release list was short, you haven't seen anything yet. While the list may be short this week, that doesn't mean that it's empty. Castlevania fans get the latest Nintendo DS installment of the series with Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, PSP owners get Metal Gear: Portable Ops and PlayStation 3 owners get Fight Night: Round 3.

Beyond those titles, there are a few other potential winners in the pile, but nothing that really jumps out as a potential must have. I've got Castlevania on pre-order at Gamestop, but they seem to be waffling on whether or not I'll be getting my pre-order bonus 20th anniversary kit, and let me tell you this - if they don't come through with the shiny baubles, I'm going to be mighty pissed off.

Here's what should be hitting store shelves this week;

• Barnyard - WII - 12/5/2006
  
• Brothers in Arms: D-Day - PSP - 12/5/2006
  
• Cartoon Network Racing - DS - 12/5/2006
  
• Cartoon Network Racing - PS2 - 12/5/2006
  
• Grand Theft Auto Trilogy - PS2 - 12/5/2006
• Hard Rock Casino - PSP - 12/5/2006
  
• Ice Age 2 - WII - 12/5/2006
  
• Kirby: Squeak Squad - DS - 12/5/2006
  
• Lionel Trains: On Track - DS - 12/5/2006
  
• Mercury Meltdown Remix - PS2 - 12/5/2006
  
• Metal Gear Portable Ops - PSP - 12/5/2006
  
• Star Wars: Lethal Alliance - PSP - 12/5/2006
  
• The Ant Bully - WII - 12/5/2006
  
• WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2007 - PSP - 12/5/2006
  
• Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin - DS - 12/6/2006
  
• Fight Night Round 3 - PS3 - 12/6/2006
  
• Rayman - PC - 12/6/2006
  
• Rayman: Raving Rabbids - PS2 - 12/6/2006
  
• Star Trek: Legacy - 360 - 12/6/2006
  
• Star Trek: Legacy - PC - 12/6/2006
  
• Zatchbell: Mamodo Fury - GC - 12/6/2006
  
• DNA - PC - 12/7/2006
  
• SpaceStation Sim - PC - 12/7/2006
  
• X3 Reunion 2.0 - PC - 12/7/2006
  
• Full Auto 2: Battlelines - PS3 - 12/8/2006
  
• 18 Wheels Haulin' - PC - 12/9/2006
  
• Fly the Airbuss A380 V2 - PC - 12/9/2006
  

Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:07 AM EST

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I don't know if you've noticed, but Sony did some restructuring this week, where they basically moved Ken Kutaragi up (and somewhat out of the way) and put Kaz Hirai in direct charge of Sony Computer Entertainment. There's a lot of speculation right now about what this move means - If you remember, Microsoft did something similar right after the Xbox 360 launch. Some claim that it's indicative of Sony preparing to move away from manufacturing game consoles and return to being a software developer while others feel that Kutaragi is being groomed to take over for Sir Howard Stringer as head of Sony Corp. at some future date.

My take on it? (none of what follows is official, just my own speculation based on what I've seen and read) - I personally don't buy the "Sony plans on making the PS3 it's last console" speculation, but I do believe that Sony is getting ready to concentrate on software (Hirai's specialty) over the now completed hardware end of the PS3 (Kutaragi's specialty) - Again, this would be very similar to Microsoft moving J Allard out of the way when the 360 launched and moving Peter Moore into the spotlight.

There's been a general sense that while Kutaragi may have pushed the limits on the PS3 hardware, he doesn't grasp just how important the software end of the business is - as indicated by his allowing so many potential exclusives slip away and the generally poor way Sony has been dealing with third party developers.

Hirai supposedly has a much greater understanding of just how important the games are to a system and rumor has it, he plans on trying to repair a lot of the damage that's been done to Sony's rep with third party developers. Only time will tell if it's too late for that.

Again, this is just my twenty-five cents on the situation - your mileage may vary.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:07 PM EST

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MAME32, the Windows GUI version of MAME, has also been updated to incorporate the u4 changes listed below. As with the regular version of MAME, MAME32 110.4 centers around a lot of background updates, so you may want to hold off on upgrading until the next full release - just to be on the safe side.

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

Posted by nylatenite at 10:19 AM EST

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The third interim update for MAME v.110 is now available. MAME v.110u4 centers around some behind the scenes fixes, so unless you've been having problems with the most recent build or are into testing the changes in each update, you may want to consider holding off for the next full release.

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 10:18 AM EST

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The other day I filled you in on how to sign up for the Xbox 360 Shadowrun beta test... well, today I've got one better than that for you. Microsoft will be opening sign-ups for this Spring's multiplayer beta test of Halo 3 on December 4th. Yes, you read that right, Halo-freaking-3.

Those interested in getting into the beta (and let's be honest, who isn't interested in getting into this beta test) should head over to www.halo3.com on December 4th and fill out all the forms required to put your name into consideration for the test. As with the Shadowrun test, just signing up does not guarantee you'll be selected, so be prepared for the possibility of being rejected. Good luck!

Posted by nylatenite at 1:58 AM EST

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Another quick note. Microsoft has fixed the issues they were having with 1080p video playback on the Xbox 360 via a dashboard update that should be available in all regions at the time of this posting. As per Xbox Live's Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, the dashboard update will correct the following issues;

• Improved support for HD video output over VGA, including 1080p resolution
• Improved plug and play performance for wired headsets when being used with wireless controllers 
• Changes made to recently played games list to improve accuracy

Xbox 360 users should be prompted to download the patch automatically the next time they log onto the Xbox Live service.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:57 AM EST

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Just a quick note here - the much sought after Nintendo Wii Component Cables are back in stock over at the Nintendo Online Store. If you've been looking for them everywhere with no luck, head over there quick and get your order in before they run out! They'll set you back $29.95 + any applicable tax and shipping charges. Here's the linkage - Wii Component Cables

Posted by nylatenite at 1:56 AM EST

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You know, I could have sworn I ran this story last week, but for the life of me I can't find it anywhere on the site - forgive me if this is a repeat. Microsoft has announced that Gears of War broke the million unit mark in only 8 days on the market, making it both the fastest selling game of 2006 and the fastest selling Xbox title of all time. The title has also taken over the overall #1 slot on Xbox Live from Halo 2 and is being credited with a 50 percent increase in Xbox Live Gold sign ups. Not bad for a new IP, not bad at all.

While we're on the subject of Gears of War, over in the official Gears forums, Epic VP Mark Rein disputed Microsoft's earlier statement about Gears being a trilogy by stating that if the demand was still there, they see no reason to stop at three. The way they see it, the world of Sera is a big enough place to tell quite a few stories;

"Gears is a trilogy? If we can keep making quality games that fans obviously love (see announcement) then why would we have to stop at three? I don't see the Metal Gear Solid, Mario, Grand Theft Auto or Final Fantasy series (among others) stopping at three and they're still delivering compelling entertainment content that's easily worth the money (see Unreal Tournament as well). There's definitely, as many of you have pointed out, a lot more to learn about what's really happening on the plant Sera and in the lives of the members of Delta Squad" - Mark Rein, Vice President, Epic Games

Posted by nylatenite at 1:55 AM EST

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Maybe you've been sitting around wondering if there's a noticeable difference between titles on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Maybe you've been wondering if, as Ken Kutaragi has said, the next-generation of gaming started with the release of the PlayStation 3 and not the launch of the Xbox 360... and maybe, just maybe, you've been wondering if there's an article out there that can help you figure out the answer to those 2 mysteries.

Well, I'm here to tell you there is a place you can go to get those answers. 1UP.com has posted an absolutely great article where they take a look at several multi-platform titles on the 360 and PS3 and then took the time to splice together footage of each title into one video where the left side of the screen is the 360 version and the right side is the PS3. What you'll find is that when the games are put side by side, there really is no difference between the two systems as far as the selected games go.

I'm not trying to push either system here, because I truly do believe that people should play games, not systems - and if you can only afford one, you should pick the system that is going to offer you the most fun for your hard earned cash. All three of the next generation systems have games that I'd love to experience, and I look forward to eventually owning all of them. All I'm saying is that right now, for all of Sony's claims about how far ahead the PlayStation 3 would be compared to it's competition, there really doesn't seem to be much of a jump in quality. My guess is that most multi-platform titles are going to look fairly equivalent this time around, and it's only going to be the first party titles that are going to try and make the systems stand out in the crowd.

So without further delay, click here to head over to the 1UP.com article and see just how similar these games are on both systems.

Posted by nylatenite at 2:26 AM EST

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