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Capcom has officially announced Viewtiful Joe VFX Battle for the GameCube and PSP systems. VFX Battle will be the first game in the series to introduce competitive gameplay into the cel-shaded beat-'em-up franchise. The game will retain its 2D, side-scrolling look, but it will also include interactive environments, where players will be able to use enemies and background elements to attack. Characters from the previous games in the series, as well as some from the anime, will make appearances in VFX Battle. These include Sylvia, Alastor, Captain Blue Junior, and Sprocket, who has an icy stare that can halt opponents in their tracks. The storyline of VFX Battle involves production on Captain Blue's newest movie. He's having a tough time deciding on the star of the show, so the various characters will fight one another for the honors. As far as gameplay modes, the campaign can be played with just one player, or two players can work together cooperatively. There will also be a head-to-head versus mode, which implies the game will be limited to two-player fights. The PSP version will also include some additional content, but as of press time, no details were available. Viewtiful Joe VFX Battle is currently scheduled to ship in North America this winter for both the GameCube and PSP. Keep your eye on GameSpot for further details as they develop. By Bob Colayco, GameSpot

Square Enix showed off an all-new trailer of Kingdom Hearts II at its pre-E3 press conference, while promising that the game would feature two and a half times the content of its predecessor. The short snippets of footage revealed a whole bunch of keyblade combat, some new features, and an appearance by Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean fame. You read that correctly--this installment of Kingdom Hearts won't just pull from Disney's breadth of animated features this time, though those favorites are still here. The initial part of the trailer featured the threatening visage of Anselm, the ultimate foe of the first Kingdom Hearts, followed by a scene with a young boy and girl seated at opposite ends of a long table. The girl, named Namine, starts to talk about how she is a witch who has been placed in charge of governing Sora's memories. Though she is blonde, she bears more than a passing resemblance to Sora's friend Kairi from the first game (she appeared in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for the Game Boy Advance, as well), and the boy she is speaking to is the spitting image of Sora himself. It looks as though the realm of Sora's memories will continue to be an integral part of the storyline of the series, much like it was in the GBA prequel. The trailer featured a montage of characters of both Final Fantasy and Disney origin that will be making an appearance, and as we mentioned before, the world of Pirates of the Caribbean will be part of the adventure. A scene in the video placed Sora, Donald, and Goofy with Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow (the first sighting of which elicited cheers from the crowd), with the former characters keeping the cartoonish look of the normal Kingdom Hearts world, while Sparrow was rendered in a realistic style. He fought with the group against a mob of undead pirates in a cavern taken straight from the movie, and the look was definitely surreal but also quintessential Kingdom Hearts crossover craziness. Mulan and her dragon pal, Mushu, from the animated film Mulan also join the Disney lineup, with returning characters like Belle and Beast from Beauty and the Beast and Jack Skellington of The Nightmare Before Christmas. The combat in some cases showed Sora and his friends going up against very large numbers of foes--great milling masses of Heartless that the group scattered into the air with keyblade swings and other attacks. Sora appears to have gained some new abilities. In his fight against a three-headed Cerberus, Sora leaped at the beast and balanced himself between the left and right heads with a foot on each, before jumping again in the air to strike at the middle head. Linked attacks with special characters seem to have returned as well, as the trailer showed Sora teaming up with Final Fantasy X's Auron and Beast (not at the same time) to go against bosses and other enemies. The gummi ship is also back, but the gummi ship combat seems much more involved this time around, showing the little blocky vessel in lots of active shootouts with obstacles and opponents. The ship was able to move rapidly and showed off a good amount of firepower, though we weren't able to tell if the sequences were still on rails. Still, it seems that this part of the game has been punched up a bit, which is good news, since those sequences in the original were a little out of whack. The trailer definitely left us wanting to get our hands on the game to see what other surprises could turn up. The addition of Disney's live-action property is a new element that looks like it absolutely works in Kingdom Heart's unique and wacky universe. We'll bring you as much detail on Kingdom Hearts II as we can from the show floor and beyond, so keep your eyes on this gamespace, you savvy? By Bethany Massimilla, GameSpot

Ubisoft will be showing off its upcoming Xbox shooter, Far Cry Instincts, at E3 2005. Though the shooter bears the same name as the acclaimed 2004 PC game, lead designer Jean-Francois Dugas explained that some of the game's environments may resemble some areas from the previous game, but all of the content will be brand-new. The single-player game will be a retelling of the single-player game from the PC version--you play as Jack Carver, a retired soldier whose reporter friend Valerie has disappeared after your boat has been blown up (and you yourself have been left for dead). The single-player game will include both stealth and action elements as Carver makes his way across a tropical island crawling with enemy soldiers. The developer says that while the core storyline will be the same as the PC version, Instincts will further flesh out some of its characters and will contain a few small twists to keep things interesting for returning players. You've never battled in such a lush and tropical environment. Too bad there's no time to work on that tan. The game will let you simultaneously carry up to three firearms (a pistol, a medium weapon such as an assault rifle or submachine gun, and a "special" weapon, such as a sniper rifle or rocket launcher), and it will also let you make silent kills by attacking enemies from behind with a knife. In fact, Instincts will give you a number of abilities that weren't included in the PC version, most of which will allow you to take out enemies without raising any alarms. You'll be able to throw rocks to attract an enemy's attention and then sneak up behind them, for instance, or set up a tree-branch whip trap that triggers when an enemy crosses its tripwire, sending them flying. Later on in the game, Carver will be injected with some kind of experimental serum that gives him superhuman sensory abilities, which will include a special type of vision, the ability to detect the scents of enemies (which are represented by visible clouds hanging in the air), and the ability to perform a lunging "predator attack." Eventually you'll even get an ability being referred to as force, which will give you massive strength that will let you pick up and carry stationary weapons like a mounted machine gun as if they were handheld weapons. However, the new game will share at least a few things with the original PC version, such as the "sandbox" layout of its levels, which let you approach groups of enemies using stealth, a frontal assault, or the game's drivable vehicles. Variants on all of the PC game's vehicles will be in the Xbox game, though the Xbox game will actually let you aim, shoot, and fight while driving a vehicle, which you'll need to be able to do if an opposing player jumps into the passenger seat in multiplayer. Far Cry Instincts will feature five different competitive multiplayer modes that will work with a four-player split-screen setup or with 16 players on Xbox Live. These will include chaos (a free-for-all deathmatch), team chaos (team deathmatch), and steal the sample, essentially a capture-the-flag mode in which your team must recover a lab sample--however, you'll be able to fire your weapon while carrying the sample, and you'll also be able to pass the sample off to a teammate if you're under heavy fire. The game will also feature a seek-and-secure mode in which a helicopter will drop supplies onto a map, and the first team to get to the item will be required to defend the supplies from the opposing team. Finally, the game will offer a predator multiplayer mode, in which one player will play as a superhuman predators, whose low-light vision and lethal bare-handed attacks will make him or her extremely dangerous in dark areas of the map. Meanwhile, all the other players will attempt to take down the predator, who won't be visible on your radar but will cause your controller to shake when he or she is close by. We had a chance to try out some free-for-all chaos gameplay, which seems to be fast-paced and intuitive for a console shooter. The Halo-like control scheme uses the two analog sticks to move and shoot, and you can jump, crouch, zoom in using your current weapon, and throw grenades without having to swap weapons. The map we played on was a waterlogged jungle temple surrounded at the top level by dense foliage, similar to something you might have seen in the PC version of Far Cry. This particular level was fairly snug but had a generous weapon, health, and armor layout and seemed to promote continuous movement rather than hiding in one spot. We also got a look at Far Cry Instincts' map editor. Developer Ubisoft Montreal has apparently decided to make the editor resemble the powerful Far Cry PC editor as much as possible. Specifically, the editor will let you paint different kinds of terrain with a paintbrush, lower and raise terrain, choose different environments and times of day, drop in items and vehicles, and even jump into the maps from a first-person view instantaneously to see how a map is working out. Like the editor in Digital Extremes' Pariah, Far Cry Instincts' editor will have a meter at the bottom-right corner of the screen that fills up as you add more objects (trees, bases, vehicles, and so on). This meter will limit the amount of geometry you can place in a map to keep it running at a smooth frame rate. The developer hopes to keep most maps at about 500KB in size, so they should be easy to trade with your friends or pick up online. Get ready to unload a whole lot of ammo. From what we saw, Instincts' editor will be extremely user-friendly. You'll be able to start off with one of a number of templates that will provide a base to build a map on, or you can start with a clean slate and control everything from the map's topography to the time of day. The editor will even notify you when you've met the requirements for a given game type, such as team chaos or predator. Once you're done, you'll be able to send out new maps by hosting a game with them; any new players that join in should automatically download your custom maps to their hard drive. Ubi is considering different methods of hosting the best maps on its own site after the game has been on the market for a few weeks, so aspiring mappers can look forward to their work being put on display for everyone to play. Far Cry Instincts looks very solid, and its powerful editor and fast-paced multiplayer bode well for fans of online console shooters. The game is scheduled for release in September. By Andrew Park, Brad Shoemaker, GameSpot

Just because a sequel has an air of finality to it doesn't necessarily mean it's really the end. As is the case with Capcom's Onimusha franchise, which seemed all but concluded by the end of the last game in the series, Onimusha 3. But that's the benefit of creating a universe like that of the Onimusha series--you can just jump ahead 15 years in the future and you can start the whole thing anew. Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams for the PlayStation 2 will do just that, revolving around a new hero, a new threat, and a new dual-character play mechanic. Dawn of Dreams was available at Capcom's pre-E3 press conference, and we got to sit down and play it for a little while. The main hero of Dawn of Dreams is Soki, a mystically powered warrior who is on a mission to stop the newest villian of the Onimusha series, a man called Hideyoshi Toyotomi, from taking over the Genma, the demonic group previously headed by the evil Nobunaga. You'll be able to control five different characters in the game, though they'll always come in pairs (with Soki always being one of them.) As you play, you'll be able to switch between Soki and his chosen partner on the fly by pressing the "select" button. As you would imagine, each character moves differently and features unique abilities. In the demo levels we played, we switched off between the decidedly more sword-heavy Soki and a female companion, who moved and attacked in a more ninjalike way. You'll be able to use combination attacks that both characters execute in a special cutscene when both of you fill up your magic meter. We got to try out a couple of demo levels at the event. One such level was something of a time trial. The battle took place on a thoroughly rain-soaked field, and we initially started battling it out with what looked like skeletal zombies, which were relatively easy to dispatch. However, after slicing through a few of them, much larger, much more bladed enemies began appearing. These creatures could literally jump up and hang in thin air when in trouble, making it more difficult to attack them. The catch here was the five-minute time limit that counted down as we played. In that time, we were required to kill 15 of those hover-happy foes. The folks at Capcom referred to this type of mission as a test of valor, and noted that we'd find several of them scattered throughout the game. Apart from this level, we also got to check out a couple of boss fights. One such fight involved a large, four-legged spiderlike creature, which, despite its relative size, actually seemed pretty easy to beat up on--save, of course, for its tendency to hurl large flaming objects at us (possibly boulders.) A number of zombified soldiers would also appear from time to time to hassle us, making things a tad more difficult. Significantly more impressive was another fight against a giant, mechanized samurai warrior, who literally towered over an entire city, crashing through buildings as it came after us. Finally we settled on a platform, where we found ourselves running back and forth as it swiped at us with its large blades and shot at us from gigantic chest cannons. Periodically, when it would miss with a strike, its sword would become embedded in the ground, at which point we would attack it. We had our ass handed to us before we could finish the fight, but the fight itself was pretty epic and thoroughly enjoyable. The visuals in the game seemed to be in good shape in the demo we played. The main characters all had a distinctively colorful look, with a sort of ancient Japanese/fantasy hybrid design, and the demonic monsters looked appropriately deformed and horrific. The environments all looked impressive, especially the first, rain-soaked area we encountered. The impressive weather effects didn't seem to have any negative impact on the frame rate, which was certainly a plus. The game will also feature a new, dynamic camera system that you can adjust as you please with the right analog stick. Admittedly, during our play time, we did run into some issues with camera angles that weren't terribly conducive to a productive combat experience, so hopefully those issues will be ironed out before the game's release. Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams seems to be coming together pretty well, and it appears like it will be a nice treat for those who were saddened by Onimusha 3's evident finality. Capcom will have a playable demo of the game available on the E3 2005 show floor. The game will hit stores exclusively for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. By Alex Navarro, GameSpot

U gotta click this and watch the trailor, this is a true Final Fantasy movie not that dud thing they released a few years back that had nothing in common with the FF universe. It’s been a lengthy wait, but Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is at last poised to arrive for the legions of hungry fans. While Japan will be seeing the movie on September 14th, and those of us in the United States will be getting it not long afterwards, a new trailer of the film was shown at Square Enix’s press conference earlier today. We've secured much of that trailer for viewing at your leisure, and it contains a few new story tidbits as well as truly gorgeous animation. Some of the characters in the movie, including Cloud, were known to be infected with geostigma, a fatal disease resulting from exposure to the planet's lifestream energy. There appears to be more to it than a simple malaise, however. Vincent tells Cloud that his body is reacting to an "unwanted visitor", while the villainous Kadaj tells a group of children that "the planet doesn't like our powers". He then tells the kids that the planet is the source of the pain that they're experiencing, and that to end their suffering, they need to "strike back at the planet". Kadaj is revealed to have a connection to Jenova, meaning that the world is once again imperiled by the calamity from the skies. At the very end of the trailer we saw, Sephiroth was revealed by a slow camera panning up the length of his slender frame, so he definitely has his part in the story, though his origins aren't made clear. Vincent does tell Cloud that it was possible for another Sephiroth to be created, so it's within the realm of possibility that we're dealing with a clone. The trailer features plenty of eye-candy, including a scene with Kadaj summoning Bahamut from the skies, and the Final Fantasy VII gang fighting him in spectacular fashion. Barrett hangs from the edge of a building and fires rapid rounds from his gun arm, as Vincent takes to the air via some sort of jetpack and brings battle to his foes that way. Yuffie acrobatically twists and flips through the skies to attack the summoned monster, while Cid brings his spear down and rains death from above. Everything is intricately detailed, from the kinetic motorcycle battle sequences with their raised dust and gunplay, to the rust that’s invading the simple designs across the surface of Cloud’s buster sword. While the end of the trailer displays a date for the North American release, we’ve been told by Square Enix that they’re still in talks with Sony Pictures Entertainment in regards to a release date outside of Japan. However, the release should be close to Japan’s September date, so fans in the United States shouldn’t have to endure for too much longer to get their Final Fantasy goodness. If there are any new developments on the film, we’ll be sure to report it, so stay tuned to this gamespace. By Bethany Massimilla, GameSpot

PS3 Devil May Cry 4 During Sony's press conference before the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the company revealed a cavalcade of new titles for its newly-announced PlayStation 3 console. Among the lineup was Devil May Cry 4, the next installment in Capcom's influential action adventure series, whose main character, Dante, is a half-demon swordmaster/gunslinger. The mere fact that a new DMC sequel was announced for next-generation platforms is exciting news in itself for fans of this popular series. And that's good, because the brief video shown at the otherwise-mind-bogglingly-insane Sony press conference was both brief and not all that special. The DMC 4 trailer basically looked like...DMC 3, the recently released latest title in the series. Quick black-and-white clips of characters and action sequences are interspersed with some Gothic-sounding melodrama: "We are born... The innocent suffer... Legends are made... Evil is punished..." Yeah, OK, but how about some gameplay footage or something? Anyway, the trailer shows Dante, as well as DMC3's Lady (a female demon hunter) and Virgil (Dante's stern and sinister twin brother). Finally, the footage goes to color and basically just shows an eerie-looking castle and then Dante performing a quick sashay, twirling his sword and guns. The Devil May Cry 4 title screen is shown. We want to see more. We'll bring you more information as soon as we do. By Greg Kasavin, GameSpot

Ubisoft has been working steadily to mature its reinvention of the Prince of Persia series into a solid franchise ever since the first Prince of Persia debuted in 2003. The third-person platformer offered a fresh take on the old 2D rotoscoped adventure game that challenged you to navigate all manner of hazards on your way to rescue a fair maiden. The latest 3D update of the classic series has sprung from Ubisoft's Montreal studio, which has reenvisioned the prince as a swashbuckling action hero with mystic-fueled time powers. To date, there have been two entries starring this new prince--The Sands of Time and Warrior Within--that have made strides to establish and evolve the budding action hero. While The Sands of Time was universally embraced, Warrior Within actually polarized fans, who either loved or hated the new game's direction. For the prince's third outing, tentatively called Prince of Persia 3, Ubisoft is aiming to blend elements from both games into a new adventure (set to release this fall) that continues the tale of the agile hero. We got an early look at the game at a pre-E3 press event, wherein Ubisoft walked us through a work-in-progress version of the upcoming platformer. Welcome home to Babylon. But before you get too relaxed, you've just got to save the city. Like its predecessors, Prince of Persia 3 continues the narrative that began in The Sands of Time by once again messing with your head through the employment of time travel. It seems our boy still isn't out of the woods yet, even after having altered time and space to set things right. The game opens up shortly after the finale of Warrior Within, where it finds the prince returning home abuzz from his victory. For about half a second, it appears as if Prince of Persia 3 may end up focusing on the prince's happy home life with his main squeeze Kaileena. However, upon arriving home to the magnificent city of Babylon, the prince finds all-new trouble. The once grand kingdom is ravaged by war, and for some odd reason, all his people have turned against him. With the prince captured, Kaileena does the only thing she can do to help: She unleashes the sands of time to save the prince by sacrificing herself. (D'oh!) The good news is that Kaileena's sacrifice does the trick, and the prince escapes his captors. The bad news is that the prince discovers he has a dark twin who's been created because of all his mucking about with time. Unsurprisingly, the pair doesn't get along. But like any good buddy movie starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the two have no choice but to work together to stay alive. The rich story helps set up the new gameplay mechanics in Prince of Persia 3 that let you play as the prince (whom we all know and love) and his grumpier twin. Though the core elements that have made the series popular are all here (you'll still solve puzzles, control time, perform all manner of athletic feats, and battle many foes), they're being given a new twist courtesy of the two playable characters. Each incarnation of the prince will now have his own specialty gameplay you'll have to use to make it through the game alive. The prince we all know handles almost exactly as he previously has, although his balance has been changed up. In Prince of Persia 3, you'll rely on him more for his acrobatics than for his combat skills, although he can still hold his own in a fight. The dark prince, on the other hand, is your go-to guy for murdering, especially when performing the stealthy kind. The shadowy avatar comes packing a wicked hook blade, called a "daggertail," that offers some stealth options that are key to getting around Babylon. However, don't think Ubi has stapled Splinter Cell gameplay onto the standard Prince of Persia formula. The dark prince still has an action feel to him. You'll still have to slow down a bit when lining up a kill, such as when you're balanced on a chain directly above your prey and are about to drop on him. However, combat still has a good feel to it that improves on the direction Warrior Within started heading in. Your time powers have been tweaked some--allowing for some new surprises that Ubi will reveal later on--which will also complement the new gameplay mechanics. As far as structure goes, Prince of Persia 3 will feature more of a free-roaming mechanic than the previous games in the series. You'll be able to explore the streets of Babylon or run across rooftops, depending on the situation and who you're playing as. From the sounds of it, the normal prince is tailor-made for roof hopping, while the dark prince is the guy you want on the streets. To switch between the two, you'll have to walk in fire to get your dark side on, and you'll have to take a dip in some life-restoring water to lighten up. Chariot races are just one of the many new features in the game, apparently. The game's presentation, while still being pieced together, is coming along well. The visuals are sticking to the ambitious precedent set by the previous entries in the series, presenting the keen eye for scale that has always been a high point of the franchise. We were only able to see a bit of the war-ravaged Babylon, but, as a once-epic kingdom that was brought down by war, it was looking good. The rooftops let you see far off into the distance, where fires and smoke are visible. The streets were in ruin, but they were the perfect places to sneak around for killing. The audio in the work in progress was still coming together, but Ubi reps on hand noted that in keeping with the goal of melding the best aspects of the previous games, Prince of Persia 3 will attempt to walk the delicate line between Warrior Within's Hoobastank-fueled rock and The Sands of Time's more ethereal soundtrack. Based on our early look, Prince of Persia 3 seems to be aiming for a middle ground that should appeal to fans of both games. The new gameplay options open to both princes, as well as their unique feels, should provide good amounts of depth to mine while playing. The story is, once again, a powerful draw that will no doubt suck you in as you try to unravel what the heck went wrong this time. The visuals that are currently being cooked up to frame both the narrative and varied action are looking epic, thus wrapping the whole package up nicely. Prince of Persia 3 is slated to ship this fall for the GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox , so look for more on the game from the E3 show floor and in the coming months. By Ricardo Torres, GameSpot

Click title for links to movie page It's not every day you walk into a darkened conference room about to see your first Xbox 360 game, so we tried to keep our cool when Sega recently invited us to look at Full Auto, a new car combat game in development at Toronto-based Pseudo Interactive. The easiest way to describe Full Auto is with a phrase like "Burnout meets Twisted Metal," and while it looks like there will be a lot more going on in the game than such a simplification would imply, that analogy is a good place to start. Even in its extremely early state, Full Auto was already showing off more stuff blowing up than we've seen in just about any action game in memory. And that's saying a lot. We didn't manage to get many story details for Full Auto out of Pseudo's reps. We're not even sure this game needs a storyline. The premise is simple enough: Choose a tricked-out street car, outfit your ride with an array of high-powered weaponry, and race at breakneck speed through the city streets, outrunning or blowing away your competitors and destroying as much public and private property as you can. You'll apparently be cast as a retired driver being pushed back into racing by the Shepherds, a gang that has taken hold of the city of Staunton. Pseudo is still playing with many aspects of the game's design, though we were told the game will have a cohesive career mode, as well as other modes like pursuit, arena, and tag. Eight-player online support will round out the package, presumably taking place on the Xbox 360's as-yet-unnamed online service. Pseudo reps stressed that Full Auto is a racing game first and a combat game second, though it looks like you'll get in plenty of shooting action as you speed through Staunton's five districts. Your primary objective in any race is to navigate the winding streets and cross the finish line before any of your seven competitors. How you get those competitors out of the way is up to you--you can blow them away with grenade launchers, side-mounted shotguns, and smokescreens, or maybe you'd like to bring a massive elevated train track (complete with train, natch) crashing down on top of them. The game will tally the dollar amount of your destruction as you race, and this value will be used like a score at the end of each run. As you play through the game, you'll pick up new weapons and upgrades, some of which can even be mounted on the rear of the car. Time controls have been big in game design for several years now, with everybody from Max Payne to Microsoft's own ill-fated Blinx earning his or her temporal chops. So why has it taken this long for time manipulation to work its way into racing games? Full Auto's most interesting feature is the "unwreck" ability, which will let you rewind the action every time you crash, miss a jump, or just want to replay the last few seconds of the race. You'll have only limited access to this feature, since unwreck will deplete a finite meter rapidly as you use it. From what we could see in the two demo tracks on offer, there will be plenty of secret jumps, shortcuts, and opportunities for excessive destruction, so you'll want to save your unwreck for the places you really need it. Pseudo says its aim with Full Auto's time control is to never make you restart a race again just because you messed up a turn in the first five seconds, and it looks like unwreck will go a long way toward achieving that goal. It's a safe bet that you've never seen this much raw activity in a racing game before. Every explosion is accompanied by pieces of, well, everything flying all over the place. Take out a phone booth, and you're going to see glass flying in all directions. Blow out the side of a building, and you've got debris everywhere. Cars spit sparks and belch smoke when they fly through tight turns and rub against each other. Even the aforementioned train spewed seats and other sundry objects when it ate the pavement. You'll be able to target just about any object in the environment and trash it--either by running into it or blowing it away--and watch it be reduced to its component parts, the flights of which will be fully governed by the game's encompassing physics system. Full Auto uses a comprehensive physics system to govern everything from the way cars smash and crumple to the destruction of environmental elements. This kind of destructive freedom owes to the fact that nearly every element of Full Auto's scenes is physically modeled, especially the cars you'll drive. Have you ever seen the Microsoft XNA video where a car crashes realistically into a wall? The cars in Full Auto wreck a lot like that, in that the damage they take corresponds directly to where and how hard they were hit by another car or flying object. The artists are doing a "physics pass" on each of the cars in the game to model the way their pieces are put together, so the physics system can realistically bash them, dent them, and take them apart when they're involved in wrecks of varying intensity. A brief slow-motion demonstration of this system revealed smashed-in fenders, dented side panels, and other damage. Based on this demo, we'd say it's a safe bet that none of the cars will be showroom-ready at the end of a race--the damage is extreme, to say the least. Though Staunton has been designed as a full, cohesive city, Full Auto won't be a free-roaming game--you'll play through specific levels like you would in an arcade racer. But the continuous layout of the city means the designers can place start and end points just about anywhere they want to, and furthermore, the tightly constrained courses let them make veritable Rube Goldberg machines out of the levels. One level we saw had a large gas tank positioned strategically near a tight turn. The Pseudo rep playing the demo took the game into a slow-motion, free-camera mode to show us the intricate layout of the upcoming explosion, which involved the gas tank being propelled through an 18-wheeler and setting off a number of other gas tanks that had been placed for the express purpose of blowing up real big. Pseudo says the levels will be packed with many such carefully laid traps that will let you easily level Staunton as you race through it. As an Xbox 360 game, it goes without saying that Full Auto looks better than just about any game we've seen (but you'd expect that with a new console). The cars and environments are made up of far more geometry than what you see in current-gen games, and advanced effects like real-time reflections were evident all over the place. There's just a startling amount of debris flying every which way when things are destroyed, too, which lends a frenetic quality to the action that should prove essential to sealing the combat-racing experience. The amount of environment interactivity is as impressive as the visual fidelity. For instance, we saw how telephone poles were connected by a physically modeled cabling system that caused them to pull each other over when one was blown away. We got a good look at only one area of Staunton during our demo--a grungy, dilapidated warehouse district--but the city will be split into five distinct districts in the final game, each of which will offer widely varying scenery (and hopefully equally varied opportunities for destruction). Another area, for instance, will be a neon nightlife spot that sounded not entirely unlike the Las Vegas strip, though perhaps not quite as flamboyant. Even though multiple tracks will be set in each district, the level designers have powerful tools at their disposal to make sure the tracks all look different. They'll be able to match up different building foundation types with different upper floor types, slap on a different set of textures, and make a huge number of buildings that all look different from one other. Further, the levels will make use of gameworld materials like concrete, glass, aluminum, and so on to govern the appropriate looks, behaviors, and sounds of these surfaces when they're destroyed. Every car in the game will have its own customized damage model. Our look at Full Auto came at a relatively early point in the game's development--doubly so considering that the next Xbox's hardware hadn't even been finalized at the time. According to Pseudo, we were looking at an alpha build of the game running on alpha-level Xbox 360 hardware. With presumably two hardware revisions to go and months more work left on the game, reps said we'd see a threefold leap in performance and fidelity when all is said and done. Given how busy and varied the game's massive environments already are, we're looking forward to great things on the visual front when the final game rolls around. At this early stage, the audio and music in the game were mostly placeholder, but Pseudo says that certain noted electronic artists are very interested in providing tracks for the game, which will use an adaptive system to vary the music based on the action currently taking place in the race. Pseudo stressed during our demo that Full Auto is in no way a tuning game--you won't be swapping out exhaust manifolds or throwing your car on the dyno machine just to squeeze out a few extra horsepower. Although the roughly 20 cars will have individualized handling characteristics, we were told that each one would be pick-up-and-play accessible in the tradition of the greatest arcade racers. The heavy degree of combat in the game mixed with this accessibility should make Full Auto a game that any action fan can get into, and we're looking forward to finding out how it handles (hopefully at E3). Stay tuned for more on what looks like quite a promising addition to the Xbox 360's launch lineup. By Brad Shoemaker, GameSpot

XBOX 360 Project Gotham Racing 3 (working title) Click above for link to movies!! Though Microsoft had officially confirmed that Project Gotham Racing 3 was in development for the Xbox 360, we finally got a first glimpse at the game during the MTV unveiling of the next-generation console. The original Project Gotham Racing and its sequel delivered some great racing experiences for the Xbox, so the stakes will surely be high for this next installment. Sure enough, our admittedly-brief look at the game made us very excited to see more. The most striking aspect of the visuals we saw had to be the realistic in-****pit camera angles that occasionally flashed onscreen. Most racing games offer a static in-****pit camera, usually with a totally transparent heads-up display--so it's like you're disembodied, rather than at the wheel of a high-performance sports car. Well, PGR3 seems to offer that high-speed you-are-there feel that most racing games lack. We could see the driver of the car shuddering from all the G forces, even as the car itself shook as it roared across the pavement. Whether the game will really be playable from these angles remains to be seen, but it's a cool effect. The exterior shots of high-performance concept cars and at least one nice Lamborghini looked great...though, not necessarily so jaw-droppingly great as to be suggestive of a massive technological leap, especially in the wake of the outstanding, recently-released Forza Motorsport for the Xbox. We never got to see more than a couple of cars onscreen at a time, either, and the action all took place on what appeared to be a single track, set within an urban environment that could have been Los Angeles or something similarly filled with high-rises and spectators. Still, it was a satisfying first look at the game. Previous Project Gotham Racing titles have flaunted massive amounts of content--near-countless unlockable cars and tracks, plus tons of music. We'd expect nothing less from PGR3, in addition to some fancy Xbox Live support. We'll bring you more information on this one as soon as possible. By Greg Kasavin, GameSpot

XBOX 360 Need for Speed Most Wanted Click above for link to movies!! During the MTV premiere event for the Xbox 360, one of the games shown was the next installment in Electronic Arts' Need for Speed franchise, titled Need for Speed Most Wanted. As the name vaguely implies, the game will feature some high-speed police chases, in addition to the series' now-signature street racing antics. Though we got to see less than 30 seconds of the game in action, what we saw revealed a bit about the cars, the theme, and the gameplay, not to mention the impressive graphics the Xbox 360 is apparently capable of. The demo clip showed a tricked-out BMW trading paint with a rival vehicle...in dusty, broad daylight. The recent Need for Speed Underground titles have featured nighttime racing, so Most Wanted immediately looks different. There's sort of a grainy, cinematic look to the action, and the level of details in the cars and urban environments is quite striking--seems like you can see every crack in the pavement. The action picks up as the Beamer slips right underneath a big rig passing in perpendicular traffic...a dramatic near-miss. Apparently stunned by this show of skill, the red rival car spins out. The coast is clear for the heroic BMW--until a couple of cop cars show up and cut it off, sirens wailing. End of story. The Need for Speed titles are known for featuring tons of licensed cars and modes of play, and the more-recent entries have been chock-full of multiplayer offerings as well. Need for Speed Most Wanted will certainly follow suit. We're excited by this entry's new look and are eager to see how the rest of it shapes up. We'll have more information on it for you just as soon as we dig it up. By Greg Kasavin, GameSpot

It's hard to argue with the notion that the Mortal Kombat series perhaps ought to just stick to its fighting roots, especially when the previous examples of the franchise's branching out, like Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat Special Forces, are all you have to reference. However, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks might just turn you around on the whole subject. Currently in development at Midway's most recently acquired studio, Paradox Development, Shaolin Monks looks to take the age-old concept of the arcade beat-'em-up and mix in a whole lot of Mortal Kombat nostalgia. You see, this game is based in the MK universe, and it takes place in the time period that MK fans remember most fondly, which is right around the same time period of Mortal Kombat II. At E3 2005, Midway will have Shaolin Monks on display for everyone to try, and we got an early look at the demo it will be showing off. Whether you're fighting solo or with a friend, you can expect the attacks to come at you from all angles. In Shaolin Monks, you'll have the option of playing as MK's legendary Shaolin warriors, Liu Kang and Kung Lao. You can opt to play as one, the other, or both, if a friend happens to be sitting right next to you. The basic gameplay doesn't fall too far from the typical designs of modern, side-scrolling beat-'em-ups. You'll have a few different attack buttons at your disposal, all of which can be modified and upgraded into more-powerful attacks, and both Liu Kang and Kung Lao will have all their classic maneuvers. However, you won't be executing the moves in the same way as you did in the fighting games of old. The moves are pulled off using regular attack buttons in conjunction with modifier buttons, rather than just the forward-forward-low-kick brand of play. The actual fighting felt fairly simplistic, though not unsatisfying, especially since you can actually fight multiple opponents coming from multiple directions. When fighting solo, we didn't have much trouble dispatching the hordes of nasty bad guys that kept popping up. However, the game was definitely a lot more enjoyable when played cooperatively. During our two-player session, we found ourselves able to execute a lot of nifty back-and-forth juggle combos that seemed like they could go on for quite a while, if we were so inclined. These combos worked both aerially and on the ground, adding a fair amount of variety overall. You'll also be able to pick up weapons scattered about each level and execute fatalities by building up a meter near your health bar. Although, you won't just be able to automatically pull off a spectacular kill; you'll have to execute a combination of directional button and attack button presses first. The one fatality we were able to execute involved Liu Kang using an uppercut to chop an ogre's head off. Liu Kang then spin kicked the head back into its body, causing the whole thing to explode into a bloody mess. This is just one example of several fatalities each character will have in addition to their classic killers. Shaolin Monks goes out of its way to create a vibe very much like that of MK II. The opening level has you battling ugly, ogre-looking creatures inside Goro's lair. As you progress, you'll eventually end up at the bottom of the classic pit stage, complete with plenty of corpses impaled on the spikes around you. In fact, once you climb out of the pit after a brief platforming sequence, you can uppercut enemies into the pit. À la MK II, the game even goes the extra mile of switching to a top-down camera view of the enemy shrieking as it falls to its doom. The graphics shown in the demo weren't exactly awe inspiring from a technical perspective, but aesthetically, they caught the feel of old-school Mortal Kombat very well. Cameos from Mortal Kombat favorites, such as Reptile, look to be commonplace. Of course, Liu Kang and Kung Lao aren't the only classic characters to make an appearance in Shaolin Monks. During the course of our play time, we counted no fewer than three brief cameos from characters like Raiden (who acts as your tutor during this first level,) Johnny Cage (who shows up just long enough to uppercut an ogre into the pit, as well as put on his trademark sunglasses,) and Reptile, (who disappears via his invisibility power before you get the chance to take him on). The demo was also bookended by a boss fight against everyone's favorite Outworldian ginsu knife, Baraka. The fight began simply enough, with us executing combos on the bladed one, while he did the same to us. After Baraka's health was depleted to a certain level, however, he jumped back across the stage to grab a couple of caged monks and then set them on fire. This made things a tad more difficult, as we now had to fight Baraka while a pair of flaming monks ran wild, constantly knocking into us and damaging us. It took a couple of well-placed fireballs to finally do away with the monks and resume the fight. The fight continued to build up to the big climax, and then right before we could actually vanquish Baraka, the game thanked us for trying the demo and ended. A painful, harsh tease, but effective, as we now can't wait to see what happens next. All told, we came away from our time with Shaolin Monks pleasantly surprised. Given the previous pedigree of MK spin-off games, as well as the fact that Paradox's earlier games hadn't exactly wowed us up to this point, we weren't really expecting much when we got our hands on this one. However, the game's earnest desire to cater to classic Kombat fans, combined with its seemingly well-put-together brawling mechanics, might just make this the first good non-traditional fighting MK game. The same demo we played will be available at E3 on the show floor, presumably with the same abrupt ending and a versus mode, which regrettably we didn't get a chance to check out. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks will hit the PlayStation 2 and Xbox this October. We'll bring you more coverage of the game as it becomes available. By Alex Navarro, GameSpot

I would have preferred the graphics like this artwork below than what it is above Looks like only one player if thats the case capcom need a kick in the @SS Click the link and check the movies! Capcom announced Final Fight: Streetwise for PlayStation 2 and Xbox at its E3 press conference today. As the newest game in the venerable arcade beat-'em-up series, Streetwise will feature a fully 3D and explorable Metro City, which is a departure in style from the 2D side-scrolling style of the first iterations in the franchise. The gameplay will still offer a lot of hand-to-hand fighting, complete with combos that finish off with gritty street-fighting moves like haymakers to the nose, and knees to the groin. The fighting and overall gameplay will be deeper this time around, as you'll need to complete storyline missions and side missions, be able to interact with non-player characters, as well as gain new fighting skills and weapons as you earn respect throughout the course of the game. You'll take the role of Kyle Travers, renowned pit fighter and the brother of Cody Travers, who was one of the original Final Fight characters. Cody gets kidnapped by an underground gang, while the whole of Metro City is in upheaval thanks to the rapid spread of a new designer drug. Kyle must deal not only with the forces who've kidnapped Cody, but also with the random violence that's erupted throughout the city. As you make your way through the campaign, expect to run into some familiar faces from previous Final Fight games. The graphical style of Streetwise is gritty, with the city plunged in a perpetually grimy darkness. The character designs seem more conservative than in the original Final Fight, which offered '80s-style punks with colored mohawks, biker chicks in dominatrix-style clothes, and burly wrestlers who bore a suspicious resemblance to Andre the Giant. By contrast, the characters in the first screenshots of Streetwise are clad in typical urban gear, like gold chains, baggy cargo pants, and bucket hats. Parts of Metro City look much like a war zone, with collapsed buildings, fires, and debris to move in and around. Since the game is now fully 3D, you'll be able to explore the city in a somewhat open-ended nature, finding NPCs to interact with who'll give you missions to complete as you inch closer to rescuing Cody. The new respect system is a method of scoring that dynamically updates based on your actions during the game. Respect is important because it affects the way that you interact with both neutral NPCs and enemies, and it also unlocks new moves and weapons. Beating down bad guys, winning pit fights, finishing side missions, and playing minigames are different ways you can earn respect and improve your character's fighting ability. Respect is split into two components: tension and money. You build tension based on the way you fight. Doing stylish combos in quick succession builds more tension than using weapons or defeating enemies with simpler attacks. The money you earn throughout the game can be used to buy weapons, information, and hire sidekicks to help you. As mentioned, the fighting system in the game offers combos and supercombo moves when in hand-to-hand mode, but as in the original Final Fight games, Streetwise will also include limited use of weapons. These range from pool cues, lead pipes, and knives, to guns like shotguns and automatic weapons. You'll also be able to activate special modes while fighting, including an "instinct mode" that increases your attack speed and accuracy, and allows you to combine fighting moves with weapon use. The "countertime" mode is a system for defense that lets you slow down time by parrying and countering the attacks enemies use on you. Final Fight: Streetwise is currently slated for release on the PS2 and Xbox this winter. Stay tuned to GameSpot for more details on the game as we get them.

PS3: F1 E3 2005 Preshow Impressions Dont forget these links have movies and hi res pics as well. Today's Sony teaser trailer of games currently in development for the PS3 began with a Formula One-style bang. Sony's currently untitled F1 title was the first over the start/finish line in the demo reel and set the tone for the rest of the footage with some high octane speed and absolutely ear-blistering sound. The demo footage begins in the ****pit of a Ferrari, a team that until very recently has been the dominant force in the sport. As your virtual head scans back and forth, you watch as some of your crew members check your tire pressure and generally prepare you for the start of the race. A helicopter flies over the course, and your virtual eyes follow it as it flies by. A few more shots of the grid follow, showing teams like current constructor's championship points leader Renault, as well as Toyota and Sauber. The cars have a spectacularly realistic look to them, not overly shiny but wonderfully solid in appearance. As the lights go out and the grid takes off from the starting line, the camera pulls back to the familiar camera angle of an F1 standing start. Cars rocket off the line--tires smoking probably a bit too much to be realistic in these days of traction control--all the while jockeying for position heading into that crucial first turn, where many races are won or lost. One car even stalls at the start, a fairly common occurence, and the cars behind the stall struggle to get around him. The scene then cuts to a shot of Ferrari fans doing the wave in the stands--suggesting that perhaps the track shown in the demo is San Marino or Monza (two traditional Ferrari fan strongholds). A shot of a Fernando Alonso pitboard is followed by a yellow and blue Renault (perhaps Alonso himself?) spinning off the track coming out of a turn and slapping a wall. Cut to an in-car shot of a ****pit view of the Renault driver, where you can now see the right front tire crumpled in after the shunt. A final handful of scenes show a Ferrari speeding down a straight while his front tires lose traction on the tarmac, and the traditional champagne celebration that ends every F1 race. As great as the graphics look in this F1 title, the sounds are nearly as impressive. The screaming whines of the V10 F1 engines are present and accounted for, along with a punishing "bumpity-bump" as cars pass over the rumble strips on the side of the tracks at upwards of 150 mph. All in all, it's an impressive graphical and audio package. There's no word yet whether this PS3 F1 game will be coming to the States yet, F1 falling somewhere behind lawn mower racing in the American viewing popularity. Still, we'd love to see more of this title and hope to bring you more information as we approach the PS3 launch. By Brian Ekberg, GameSpot

PS3 Unreal Engine 3: Under the hood Hardware Analysis: Epic shows off Unreal Engine 3 on the PlayStation 3; gamers contemplate a match made in heaven. The power of one of the next-generation consoles was shown today as Sony and Epic Games showed off Unreal Engine 3 running in real-time on the PlayStation 3. GameSpot had the opportunity to see Unreal Engine 3.0 at this and last year's Game Developers Conference, and while undoubtedly gorgeous, one couldn't help but notice that the then-cutting edge PC hardware struggled to run it smoothly. The PlayStation 3 was the first time GameSpot editors have seen the graphics engine running in beautiful, smooth motion, and it's undeniably impressive. The demo was given by Tim Sweeney, Epic cofounder and chief technology officer. A quick synopsis is as follows: the demo began with fiery explosions, one of which hurled an Unreal-style soldier clad in metal armor through the air. Sparks flew when the soldier slams on a metal walkway as he aims his weapon at the sinister looking robot chasing him. The soldier then fires his weapons and drops the robot, gets up and limps to the walkway's edge. However, the perspective changes to the robot's point of view, and one sees it reactivating and getting back up, then charge at the soldier. The soldier, sensing the danger, turns around and tries to raise his weapon, but the robot gets to him first and tackles him over the precipice. They fall to the platform below, and they both get up and stare at each other. Half the robot's head is shot off, and you can see the metal glowing around the shot-off area. Somehow, the soldier's rocket launcher is thrown into the air, where it begins to slowly tumble. The robot slams into the guy and tries to crush him, but the soldier gets leverage and tosses the robot over another edge. He then catches the falling rocket launcher, and then pumps three rounds at the falling opponent, which explode and destroy it finally. As a movie, it was a spectacular technological tour de force, and just to show that it wasn't a pre-rendered movie, Sweeney replayed the demo, then paused it and zoomed in and out, showing off various technological details. The engine was running in 720p on a high-definition screen, about the equivalent of a PC's resolution, giving everything a sharp look. The engine also had perfect lighting and shadowing, with shaders that are approximately 200 times more complex than in the previous console generation. What was most impressive is that the engine takes advantage of high dynamic range lighting, which allows for a very realistic simulation of real light and shadows. The engine also uses per-pixel lighting and shadowing, to capture the little details that, when taken together, are most impressive. It's no understatement to say that the industry has reached a new plateau in graphics, and we're looking at games that are on par with Hollywood movies. Unreal Engine 3 is also a very interesting choice for Sony to demo, as the engine is extremely multiplatform. Epic is primarily a PC developer, and the company is already using Unreal Engine 3 in its game for Microsoft's Xbox 360 Gears of War. The early screens of Gears of War, as well as early gameplay that we saw at Game Developer's Conference in March, indicate that Unreal Engine 3 will look as impressive on that platform as it does on the PS3. And as PC graphics and CPU power inevitably improve over the next year or so, we'll be able to see that level of graphical prowess on desktops. So the good news is that Unreal Engine 3 looks good to go on next-generation consoles and PC's, and gamers will be better for it by a large margin. By Jason Ocampo -- GameSpot

The Quake games from id Software are made up of the most widely recognized and popular first-person-shooter series of all time. So some were surprised to hear that the next game, Quake 4, was going to be a departure from the "lone hero against an army" style of gameplay used in the previous games. People were probably even more surprised to hear that the game was being developed by longtime id collaborator Raven Software rather than at id's own studios in Dallas, Texas. But now that we've finally had a chance to see the game, it seems safe to say that Quake 4 will have plenty of exciting shooter action and even a few intriguing twists and turns. Quake 4 will be the first game in the series in which you'll play as an actual named character with an identity beyond a call sign. Specifically, you'll play as space marine Matthew Kane, an elite commando with a mysterious (and possibly checkered) past whose reputation as a tough soldier precedes him. Kane has been drafted into Rhino Squad, one of the squads of space marines currently assaulting the planet Stroggos, home of the strogg aliens. In fact, Quake 4 picks up where 1997's Quake II left off. In that game, the protagonist was a nameless space marine attempting to fight off the stroggs, who have a nasty habit of propagating themselves by capturing beings of other races, retrofitting their bodies with mechanical parts, and implanting neural control chips to turn them into mindless slaves. The climactic battle of Quake II took place on Stroggos as the protagonist traveled to the planet and dispatched the leader of the stroggs, known as the "makron." This surgical strike should have ended the conflict, but it didn't. Now planet Earth has sent in space marines like Rhino Squad to invade the enemy planet and rid the universe of the threat once and for all. Unfortunately for Kane, his start on Stroggos won't exactly be a glorious one. His dropship is shot down by strogg antiair cannons and he is left for dead. He comes to briefly and hears a foul-mouthed comrade trying to revive him, but then the poor sap gets shot in the head. When Kane finally gets back on his feet, he clambers from the wreckage to find himself in the middle of a fierce battle with nothing but a lousy pistol and a humongous robot monster with long, spiderlike legs and mounted laser cannons trudging past him just over a hill. The dazed Kane makes a hasty and quiet retreat, running by a few scattered soldiers either tending wounded or using, of all things, a laptop computer to try to reconnect with headquarters. Kane shoots down a few strogg soldiers, picks up an assault rifle with a zoom lens (and a flashlight attachment, thanks very much), and enters a strogg complex where he sees one of the aliens dragging away a marine's corpse deeper into the compound. We fought through the first leg of the compound, which consisted of connected corridors and hallways that, unlike those of Doom 3, were decently lit and also lined with rusted, bloodstained metal slabs--much like the strogg areas in Quake II. We skipped ahead to another field area that led to, of all things, a series of World War I-style trenches where a different squad had regrouped. Kane is eventually reunited with the members of Rhino Squad, like Cortez, the team's cold-blooded sniper who casually blasts a lunging strogg in the head without so much as a look as he rejoins you. According to id Software's Todd Hollenshead, you'll play through about a third of the full game with your teammates in the squad, and you'll find that Rhino Squad is full of characters with distinctive personalities. We rejoined the squad and eventually circled back to an intact dropship, which we entered after going through a decontamination chamber. The dropship is a huge base of operations where marines stand guard outside classified areas, performing experiments on dead strogg corpses and generally shooting the breeze. We also heard a few awed comments about Kane ("I thought Matthew Kane was just a story they made up to scare new recruits," said one of them). Kane finally heads to the briefing area, a meeting room with a circular table, where the surviving officers make room for him and show varying degrees of acceptance ("Hey, quit giving him s***, Kane's alright," said one). We eventually learned that Kane was to be reassigned to a core group of four squads who are named for the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse (he's assigned to the squad called "death," of course) as part of a joint offensive on the strogg compound. His team's objective is to infiltrate the compound and destroy the "nexus," the strogg compound's communication network, in order to cripple the enemy. (New objectives, once received, will be added to the game's onscreen compass as waypoints to help you find them.) We then jumped ahead to a later part of the game--a critical, pivotal part of the single-player story in which Kane's squad is thwarted by the stroggs, captured, and then sent to the "medical facility." Apparently, the strogg idea of a medical facility is a mechanized conveyor belt where still-living victims are strapped to metal slabs and "assimilated" into brand-new strogg soldiers. This was a particularly grisly sequence in which Kane (who, from the first-person view, can see only his bare feet twitching as he lies down on his slab) gets ferried from station to station, where he witnesses what's in store for him next, as he can see another soldier just ahead of him on the conveyor belt. Kane then endures a series of gruesome "operations," including having a gigantic needle jammed through his skull, and having two rotating blade saws actually slice off his lower legs below the knee to replace them with artificial legs. Kane fades in and out of consciousness as he is whisked past various terminals, and he begins to realize that he can actually understand the strogg language (which had previously been nothing but jumbled symbols on the compound's computer readouts). Through a stroke of luck, he is rescued just before the final part of the strogg assembly line, which would have implanted a control chip in his brain. His body was suspended above an amniotic tank just as another squad of marines bursts into the compound. Before one of them could put you out of your misery, another recognized you and instead brought you down from the tank to join them, to considerable disagreement from the rest of the squad. From this point in the game, Kane will be equipped with the superhuman abilities of the strogg, including faster running and higher jumping. Also, his ability to understand the strogg language and interface with strogg technology will make him the linchpin in crippling the enemy's communications and eventually winning the war. We then jumped to a final action area, in which Kane, now clutching his rifle with metallic hands, is in the desert of planet Stroggos once again, up against enemies like the enhanced strogg berserker (a huge strogg with a heavy club in one hand and a long, sharp knife blade replacing its other arm), which still has a nasty habit of lunging toward its enemies. Kane was able to commandeer a walker--a huge two-legged mech suit that will be one of the game's drivable vehicles. From what we could tell, walkers will be equipped with two standard weapons mounted on each arm, a heavy-duty machine gun on one side and a repeating rocket launcher with a five-round clip on the other. The walker helps Kane devastate regular strogg troops, but he'll be up against much bigger and tougher enemies. Unfortunately, the demonstration ended at this point, and id Software representatives weren't able to reveal much more information about the game, such as its multiplayer details. Hollenshead did explain that id and Raven looked to previous Quake games for inspiration and determined that Quake II was the "best in terms of single-player story," and that Quake III: Arena was the "best in terms of multiplayer." The id CEO made broad statements about being able to expect the sort of multiplayer matches that were featured in Quake III, like deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag (and possibly some variants of capture the flag), characterized by battles with rocket launchers and railguns. Still, Quake 4 packs a significant visual punch thanks to its Doom 3-powered graphics. And while we were shocked that id and Activision would go so far as to reveal such a critical plot point, Hollenshead assured us that there would be at least a few more twists and turns that we hadn't yet seen. Quake 4 is scheduled for release later this year. By Andrew Park, GameSpot

The Bible Game Crave announces game show-style trivia game featuring questions about the Old and New Testaments. Crave Entertainment today announced The Bible Game for the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance. The game, which will be different for both systems, will be released this October. PS2 gamers will be able to show who is omniscient in the ways of the teachings of the Bible by answering questions related to the good book in a game show format. Contestants will be quizzed on such stories as Jonah and the Whale, David and Goliath, and many more. A thorough knowledge of the work won't do alone; blessed be those who are also quick on the buzzer. The family-friendly game's multiplayer mode allows up to four to jump in on the fun. On the GBA, gamers will play as either Billy or Jenny as they attempt to protect the "Armor of God." The action adventure trivia game takes characters across seven levels as they answer questions about the Old and New Testaments. The Bible Game will sell for $19.99 on both systems. By Staff, GameSpot

Sega's current push to both reinvent itself and expand the type of material it publishes in the coming generation has led the Japan-based publisher to make some interesting choices as of late. One of the best examples of this push is its recently announced Xbox 360 game Condemned, currently in development at Washington-based Monolith Studios. We recently had the opportunity to check out the atmospheric action horror game in a demo given by Monolith reps, which shed light on the genuinely disturbing next-gen title. Clearly, Monolith is aiming for an 'E for Everyone' with Condemned. The visuals in the work-in-progress game were still rough, as it was running off a development kit that was still a few steps below the final hardware specs for the Xbox 360. However, it still packed an eerie punch thanks to a high level of detail, rich dynamic lighting, and creepy art direction. Our demo of the game involved a run-through of different floors in an unsettling building that was big on scares. There were also several game mechanic concepts shown in the demo, such as the ability to use elements from the environments (like pipes and wooden planks) as weapons, in addition to using your various forensic scanning devices to coordinate with other members of your team. There are some downright scary examples of Monolith's wish for the artificial intelligence, as enemies popped out at just the right moments to freak us out and prove that Condemned is being tailor-made to scare the crap out of the unsuspecting gamer. The graphics in the demo also showed off some very interesting uses of the various special effects you can expect from the Xbox 360, albeit in a limited fashion due to the modest power of the development kit. There was a good sampling of assorted lighting, filter, particle effects, and other touches of eye candy on display as well. Texture detail, despite the dev kits' limitations, already looked razor sharp. But as interesting as the controlled demo was, we've seen more than a few tech demos that have ended up looking nothing like the final games they've become. So we're understandably skeptical. However, we literally just had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at the playable version of Condemned. And while we were literally held at bay from touching the controller with a pipe, we're pleased to report that Monolith is certainly going to town in developing the game. The playable demo not only touches on all the elements shown in the controlled demo, but it also actually surpasses them. The most significant change from the demo is easily the pacing of the experience. Whereas the demo offered a much more methodical experience, which was obviously designed to show off the finer points of the technology on display, the playable version didn't waste much time in freaking us out and keeping us on the run. You'll still be looking for clues and the like, but the pacing is better. More importantly, the combat, which only pitted us against one or two foes, has been ramped up considerably. You'll now have to contend with multiple enemies that display sharp AI. In one sequence, we saw the enemies size up the main character at a glance, and upon noting his superior weapon, they turned around and scavenged themselves better gear. Keep an eye peeled for Condemned to hit on or around the date the Xbox 360 launches in November. Combat is much more nerve-wracking now, with foes coming at you from all sides. More importantly, fighting is much more dynamic. Anyone used to the standard first-person combat seen in other games--which usually consists of bashing away at an enemy until he, she, or it stops moving in a very static sequence of events--should brace for Condemned. One particular sequence in the demo, which we'll admit was a little contrived (but not any more than, say, an episode of T.J. Hooker), found the main character doing battle while on a moving object. We can't be more specific than that just yet, but suffice it to say, the sequence was very cool. The other element of note in the combat we saw was the inclusion of a wealth of other weapons besides the rifle, planks, and pipes from the tech demo. Given that the hero has tech ties, you can expect some more-exotic weapons, not all of which are lethal. Based on what we've seen, Condemned is a provocative new game from Sega and Monolith that isn't quite like anything that's come before. While there are certainly flashes of elements taken from the likes of Silent Hill, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, and Riddick, Condemned looks to be its own unique beast. We liked what we saw of the controlled demo and are hoping the game can build on the creepiness we've seen so far. Condemned is currently slated to ship near the launch of the Xbox 360, so look for more on the game in the coming months. By Ricardo Torres, GameSpot

Ah, the 1980s, the decade of President Reagan, Miami Vice, big hair, and some of the greatest arcade games of all time, a large number of which will appear in Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection. What's this about 50th anniversary? After all, the '80s were only two decades ago. The 50th anniversary refers to Namco's own 50th anniversary, and to honor such a milestone the company is putting out this collection of 14 of the greatest Namco arcade games ever. You really can't have this list without Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, the two definitive video games of the decade. But wait, there's more. Galaga, Galaxian, Dig Dug, Pole Position and Pole Position II, Rolling Thunder, Rally X, Bosconian, Dragon Spirit, Sky Kid, Xevious, and Mappy. Yeah, some of the games at the end of the list aren't anywhere near as popular as Pac-Man, but trust us, those are some great games. And relax, the arcade games that originally supported up to two players will support up to two players in this collection. So what will you need to revel in this cornucopia of arcade delight? You'll be good to go so long as you have a PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, or PC. And, let's face it, you wouldn't be reading this if you didn't. (We should probably note that the GBA version will only include Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, and Bosconian.) The Namco 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection will ship for all those platforms this August. By Jason Ocampo, GameSpot

Fifth Phantom Saga E3 2005 Impressions Fifth Phantom Saga, from the formidable Sonic Team of Sega, is a PS3 title that appears to be a kind of supernatural FPS. It's difficult to really get a bead on the game from the short clip that was shown, which features a first-person viewpoint, but also had a multi-colored demon-thing-creature in each section of the clip, which implies that Sonic Team will either be pushing coop-play for the game, or that the player somehow controls his own character while also commanding the demon to do his or her bidding in the game world. Or perhaps both interpretations are correct, in that it offers up a single player mode where the demon is controlled with AI, but also supports coop play for two players? Whatever the specifics are, Fifth Phantom Saga looks like it has a pretty unique twist on the standard FPS conventions. For now, there's not much more to say about the game, except that it's from Sega and Sonic Team, the same combo that has brought us games like Phantasy Star Online and Feel The Magic XX/XY. The teaser site even has the genre listed as "To Be Revealed," so keep an eye on GameSpot for more details on Fifth Phantom Saga as they become available. By Matthew Rorie, GameSpot

PS3 Heavenly Sword E3 2005 Impressions Heavenly Sword is a new game from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the Playstation 3, and while it doesn't look like it's going to break any new ground in terms of its genre - it seems to be a fairly straightforward one-against-many action fighting game - it is, like the rest of the PS3 titles on display at the Sony press conference here, incredibly impressive from a visual and graphical standpoint. We don't have many details on the story, but the clip that was shown in the highlight reel shows a young woman - perhaps the Heavenly Sword of the title? - taking on a small group of soldiers and, well, completely demolishing them. She appears to be using a pair of swords similar in function to the blades that Kratos uses in God of War, with blades for slashing and an extension function for swinging enemies around when they're well and hooked. In addition, she also brings to bear environmental weapons, such as by kicking tables at her foes. What's more, there also appears to be some kind of aerial combat segment of the game, a la Dragonball Z, although this seems like it might be more appropriate for one-on-one duels, or perhaps boss fights. To wind down the demo, or perhaps to wind it up, the mysterious woman is shown destroying an entire army of foes with a single blast from a powerful gun/cannon flame weapon. While this is likely just a conceit for the purposes of the highlight video - any game that let you take down 10,000 enemies with a single weapon blast would have some interesting balance issues - it's still an interesting piece of footage, as it demonstrate's the PS3's impressive ability to render hundreds of characters at the same time with little apparent loss of visual quality. If this represents the graphical capabilities of the system when it finally arrives, then we'll call ourselves impressd. Stay tuned to GameSpot, as we'll have as many details on Heavenly Sword as we can possibly gather in the coming days. By Matthew Rorie, GameSpot

Square Enix released new storyline details on Dirge of Cerberus, which will eventually become the third title in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series of products (after Before Crisis and Advent Children are released). While gameplay details are still fairly scant, we do know more about the era in which the game takes place. Dirge of Cerberus is set three years after the original FFVII game (and one year after the events in Advent Children), and the plot revolves around a group of Deepground Soldiers who emerge from their underground lair--in which they were apparently buried after the meteor events at the end of FFVII--and begin terrorizing Midgar. Vincent Valentine, the enigmatic character from the previous game, is somehow connected to these attacks, and he'll be the character you take control of as you investigate the attacks and attempt to get to the root of the mystery surrounding the appearance of the Deepground Soldiers. The only other character from FFVII that's known to appear in the game is Cait Sith, although we wouldn't be surprised to see a few other familiar faces when the game comes out. Beyond these basic details, Square isn't tipping its hand at this point. It promises "shocking truths never revealed in the original game," and its press release includes an odd tagline: "The time has come to cleanse this world. Hunt down the unworthy...and show them no mercy." Unfortunately, no release date has even been hinted at for Dirge of Cerberus, but GameSpot will have more details on the game as they become available. By Matthew Rorie, GameSpot

Halo 3 parrying PlayStation 3 launch Time quotes Bill Gates saying that Sony's next-gen console will "walk into" the Xbox 360 follow-up to the best-selling sci-fi shooter. For months, the Web was rife with rumors that Microsoft would ship the sequel to Halo 2 for the Xbox 360 simultaneously with the launch of the PlayStation 3. Now, that has been confirmed--by none other than Bill Gates himself. In next week's issue of Time Magazine--which features Gates holding the Xbox 360 on the cover--Gates mentioned plans for the release of the much-anticipated follow-up to the best-selling console shooter. In a parenthetical sidebar in the article, Time says the following: "Note to the hard-core faithful: the next version of Halo will not, repeat not, be ready in time for the launch of Xbox 360. It will be part of the all-important second wave next spring. 'It's perfect,' Gates says, radiant with bloodlust. 'The day Sony launches [the new PlayStation], and they walk right into Halo 3.'" While Microsoft reps were not available for comment as of press time, Gates' comments appear to confirm the theory that Microsoft will release Halo 3 either simultaneously or near the release of Sony's next-gen console. It also marks further official confirmation that a third Halo is indeed in the works and will be released for the Xbox 360. Although such statements might be interpreted as grandstanding, such a maneuver definitely would have an impact. Halo 2 sold more than 6.5 million copies to date and is credited with doubling the subscriber base of Xbox Live from around 750,000 to more than 1.5 million. It is also credited by industry-watchers as one of the main reasons for boosting sales of the original Xbox last holiday season. By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot

Xbox 360 Peripherals Developed by the creators of the Xbox® video game system, Microsoft® Corporation's new line of Xbox 360™ system peripherals extend your digital entertainment experience on Xbox 360. Faces Unlike any console before, Xbox 360 puts gamers at the center and gives you the freedom to personalize your gaming experience however you see fit. Xbox 360 Faces make it easy and fun to change the face of your console. Change your Faces whenever you like to match your personality, your mood, or your wild side. So flip it, switch it, or leave it be, and express your unique sense of style. • Interchangeable faceplates allow you to express yourself and create a one-of-a-kind system. • Find cool, customizable, cutting-edge designs that are fun to change. • Faces are highly versatile, with multiple designs to choose from. • Faces are designed for easy switching. • Maintain full functionality of your system, regardless of which Face you choose. • Pick up copies of the collectable limited-edition Faces. Memory Unit Further enhancing the gaming experience, Xbox 360 Memory Units allow you to save your in-game achievements and unique gamer profiles. The Memory Units are easily portable and enable quick and easy access to previously established benchmarks, putting you in control of your games and your lifestyle. You can save your games, your Xbox Live™ profile, and more with Xbox 360 Memory Units. • Transport your Memory Unit in the portable carrying case that fits on your keychain. • The Memory Unit (64 MB) requires no setup. Just plug it in, and you can save your favorite games. • Xbox 360 holds up to two Memory Units, so you can easily upgrade to more storage space. Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote The Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote was engineered to serve as your integrated control center for the entire Xbox 360 experience. Enter a new world of digital entertainment with the touch of a single button. Play DVD movies and music, plus control your TV and your Media Center PC with one controller. The centralized, glowing Xbox Guide Button gives you quick access to your digital movies, music, and games library, and backlit buttons make the keypad easy to see in a darkened home theater. So kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride. • Power your Xbox 360 system on or off without leaving the couch. • The Xbox Guide Button allows for easy navigation of the Xbox Gamer Guide. • The Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote includes control buttons for your music, pictures, and more. • The Xbox 360 supports progressive-scan for DVD playback functionality, including a control for opening and closing the tray. • The remote supports universal TV and console functionality, including volume and mute buttons and up-and-down channel changing. • Windows® XP Media Center Edition Button and Media Center Edition functionality are featured. • A, B, X, and Y buttons are included for basic control of your Xbox 360 system, even without a controller. • Numbered and backlight keypad gives you full functionality, even in the dark. Peripherals Designed Specifically for Xbox Live Xbox Live Camera The Xbox Live Camera for Xbox 360 opens up a new world of gaming and entertainment on Xbox Live, the world’s premier online video games service. With the Xbox Live Camera, video chat and video messaging with your friends becomes more than just a feature set; it is an integrated part of the Xbox Live experience. Connect and communicate while playing the same or different games, watching movies, listening to music, and more. The Xbox Live Camera also takes personalization to a whole new level and allows you to customize your gaming experience by putting your face on characters in your games, all while being able to video chat with your friends as you play online. And with next-generation online motion-detection-enabled games, the Xbox Live Camera puts you entirely in the game and in control of the on-screen characters over Xbox Live. ● High-end online camera supports up to VGA 640x480 video at 30 frames per second and takes 1.3-megapixel still photos. • The camera includes a microphone that connects to the controller, so everyone in the room can chat online with their friends. • The camera supports built-in video chat and video messaging on Xbox Live. • Your face can be imported into games and can also be placed next to your name on leader boards for even more recognition or fame. • Chat with your friends while you play online in Xbox 360 games as well as in the Xbox Live Arcade. Xbox 360 Headset The Xbox 360 Headset heightens the experience of the unprecedented online gaming community, Xbox Live, allowing you to strategize with teammates, trash-talk opponents or just chat with friends while playing your favorite games. You can record and leave short voice messages for friends or family through the free Xbox Live Message Service or connect with buddies online using the headset in place of the phone. Turn it up or turn it down, and experience the most intense gaming experience possible. ● Boom microphone can be adjusted for optimal sound quality. • In-line volume control and mute switch let users adjust the headset volume or switch mute on and off easily. • Noise-canceling microphone improves game response to voice commands, and provides crisp and clear voice communication. • Lightweight, over-the-head design enables comfortable use. • The headset plugs directly into either the Xbox 360 Controller or Xbox Wireless Controller for easy use. Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter Designed for versatility and ease, the Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter enhances your Xbox 360 experience in the digital home, seamlessly synchronizing with the Xbox 360 system. You can easily transfer videos and music to your Xbox 360 system from your Media Center PC, chat with your friends, play games via Xbox Live, and more—all without the clutter of wires. • The Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter is highly versatile and supports 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a. • The Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter is powered seamlessly by your Xbox 360 gaming console, so there's no external power adapter to plug in. • You can transfer high-definition video and CD-quality music from your Media Center PC to your Xbox 360 via 802.11a wireless media support. Xbox 360 Wireless Controller High-performance wireless gaming is here! Using optimized technology, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller lets you enjoy a 30-foot range and up to 40 hours of life on two AA batteries—and when they run low, you're given ample warning so you can connect a Play & Charge cable for uninterrupted play. Plug the Xbox 360 Headset into the controller for full duplex voice communication: a wireless first. With quick access to Xbox 360 features including DVDs, music, pictures, and more, along with the ability to support four wireless controllers simultaneously, gamers can experience wireless freedom, precision, high quality, and performance for endless gameplay. • It's cordless—no cables to plug in—with a 30-foot wireless range. • The controller features integrated 2.4GHz high-performance wireless technology. • New and improved ergonomic design enables maximum comfort and endless gameplay. • New left and right shoulder buttons are designed for ease of use. • Six analog buttons have 256 levels of sensitivity. • Two analog pressure-point triggers, two vibration feedback motors, and one eight-way directional pad are included. • Experience an unprecedented level of Rumble Control. Set the Rumble Control to Full, Medium, Low, or Off to match your personal preference. • The Xbox Guide Button at the center of the controller gives you quick access to all your favorite Xbox 360 system activities, such as watching movies, listening to music, contacting friends on Xbox Live, and customizing your gaming experiences. Easily jump to the Xbox Gamer Guide or Xbox Live Marketplace. Xbox 360 Controller Based on the acclaimed design of the Xbox Controller-S, the Xbox 360 Controller features an extended nine-foot cable and an improved ergonomic design. The centralized, glowing Xbox Guide Button grants you quick access to your digital movie, music, and games libraries. The ultimate in gamer flexibility, precision, control, quality, and comfort are all yours. • New and improved ergonomic design enables maximum comfort and endless gameplay. • New left and right shoulder buttons are designed for ease of use. • Six analog buttons have 256 levels of sensitivity. • Two analog pressure-point triggers, two vibration feedback motors, and one eight-way directional pad are included. • The controller includes a nine-foot (nearly three-meter) break-away controller cable. • Experience an unprecedented level of Rumble Control. Set the Rumble Control to Full, Medium, Low, or Off to match your personal preference. • A port for your Xbox 360 Headset is included. • The Xbox Guide Button at the center of the controller gives you quick access to all your favorite Xbox 360 system activities, such as watching movies, listening to music, contacting friends on Xbox Live, and customizing your gaming experiences. Easily jump to the Xbox Gamer Guide or Xbox Live Marketplace. GAMES Among the publishers are all the biggest players, as well as a number of smaller houses which have already committed to the next generation, and are showing plenty of promise. They are: 2K Games Activision Atari Bandai Bethesda Softworks Buena Vista Games Capcom Codemasters Eidos Electronic Arts FromSoftware InterServ International KOEI Konami LucasArts Majesco Midway Games Namco Phantagram Rockstar Games SCi Games SEGA Tecmo THQ TWP Ubisoft Vivendi Universal Games Webzen Microsoft also has a strong lineup of developers set to create exclusive titles for the new Xbox system: BioWare Bizarre Creations Bungie Studios Epic Games FASA Studio Lionhead Studios Rare Yoshiki Okamoto's Game Republic Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment Nothing has officially been announced, so even if we did have a definite lineup it couldn't be posted. However, there are a few standbys that appear at almost every console launch. The genres that should be covered are football, racing, an FPS, and a killer app. Judging by commercials shown during the draft, it looks like EA has Madden Next-Gen ready to come down the barrel. From images released on Ourcolony.net we are almost positive that Project Gotham Racing 3 will also be available.

XBOX 360 Product Overview The Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system places you at the center of the experience. Available this holiday season in Europe, Japan, and North America, Xbox 360 ignites a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized, and always in high definition. Xbox 360 gives you access to the games you want to play, the people you want to play with, and the experiences you crave—when and where you want them. Key Highlights ● Hardware, software, and services: Unveiled to the world on MTV on Thursday, May 12, 2005, Xbox 360 represents a dramatic leap forward in high-definition gaming and entertainment experiences. Fusing powerful hardware, software, and services, Xbox 360 fully engages you in a gaming experience that is more expansive, dramatic, and lifelike, where the possibilities are limitless and your imagination knows no boundaries. The next generation is here. ● Industrial design: A merger of form and function, Xbox 360 wraps powerful technology in a sophisticated exterior. Two of the most innovative design firms in the world—San Francisco-based Astro Studios and Osaka, Japan-based Hers Experimental Design Laboratory Inc.—came together to craft a sleek, stylish system that conveys the very essence of Xbox 360. ● Xbox Gamer Guide: The Xbox Gamer Guide is an entertainment gateway that instantly connects you to your games, friends, music, movies, and downloadable content. Available at a touch of the Xbox Guide Button, the Xbox Gamer Guide gives you instant access to the experiences and content you want, from the gamer card of the player that just invited you to play online to new downloadable content for the game currently running. ● Personalized interface: Xbox 360 lets you create your own unique system and experience. With interchangeable Xbox 360 Faces, it's easy and fun to change the appearance of your console. Switch on your system and customize the look and feel of the Xbox Gamer Guide and Xbox System Guide with unique "skins." From sleek and sophisticated to fun and funky, pick the Faces and skins that show your personality. ● Ring of Light and Xbox Guide Button: Divided into four quadrants, the glowing Ring of Light and Xbox® Guide Button visually connect you to your games, digital media, and the world of Xbox Live™, the first global, unified online console games service. Featured on both the wireless and wired controllers, the Xbox Guide Button puts you in control of your experience. In addition to bringing up the Xbox Gamer Guide and the Xbox System Guide, the Xbox Guide Button lets you turn the system on and off without ever leaving the couch. ● Xbox Live: Xbox Live is where games and entertainment come alive, the only unified place where you can play with anyone, anytime, anywhere. And the best just got better. Connect your Xbox 360 to your broadband connection and get instant access to Xbox Live Silver. Express your digital identity through your Gamertag and gamer card, talk with others using voice chat, and access Xbox Live Marketplace—all right out of the box, at no extra cost. Upgrade to Xbox Live Gold and enter the exciting world of multiplayer online gaming. With intelligent matchmaking, access to all your achievements and statistics, video chat and video messaging, and an enormous selection of games, Xbox Live Gold delivers your competition, on your terms. ● Xbox Live Marketplace: Keep your favorite games fresh with instant access to new content. Xbox Live Marketplace is a one-stop shop to download new game trailers, demos, and episodic content, plus new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins, and more. Accessible to everyone who establishes a broadband connection with their Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace lets you personalize and extend your experience, on demand. ● Games: Xbox 360 redefines what games look like, sound like, feel like, and play like to engage you like never before. With Xbox 360, epic worlds are alive with detail, from thunderous skies rumbling over a mountain range to tiny blades of grass rustling together in the breeze. Vibrant characters display depth of emotion to evoke more dramatic responses, immersing you in the experience like never before. You’ll see all Xbox 360 titles at 720p resolution in 16:9 widescreen, with anti-aliasing for smooth, movie-like graphics and multi-channel surround sound. ● Digital entertainment: Amplify your music, photos, video, and TV. Watch progressive-scan DVD movies right out of the box. Rip music to the Xbox 360 hard drive and share your latest digital pictures with friends. Make the connection, and Xbox 360 instantly streams the digital media stored on your MP3 player, digital camera, Media Center PC, or any Microsoft® Windows® XP-based PC. Custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU • Three symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz each • Two hardware threads per core; six hardware threads total • VMX-128 vector unit per core; three total • 128 VMX-128 registers per hardware thread • 1 MB L2 cache CPU Game Math Performance • 9 billion dot product operations per second Custom ATI Graphics Processor • 500MHz processor • 10 MB of embedded DRAM • 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines • Unified shader architecture Polygon Performance • 500 million triangles per second Pixel Fill Rate • 16 gigasamples per second fill rate using 4x MSAA Shader Performance • 48 billion shader operations per second Memory • 512 MB of GDDR3 RAM • 700 MHz of DDR • Unified memory architecture Memory Bandwidth • 22.4 GB/s memory interface bus bandwidth • 256 GB/s memory bandwidth to EDRAM • 21.6 GB/s front-side bus Overall System Floating-Point Performance • 1 teraflop Storage • Detachable and upgradeable 20GB hard drive • 12x dual-layer DVD-ROM • Memory Unit support starting at 64 MB I/O • Support for up to four wireless game controllers • Three USB 2.0 ports • Two memory unit slots Optimized for Online • Instant, out-of-the-box access to Xbox Live features with broadband service, including Xbox Live Marketplace for downloadable content, gamer profile for digital identity, and voice chat to talk to friends while playing games, watching movies, or listening to music • Built-in Ethernet port • Wi-Fi ready: 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g • Video camera ready Digital Media Support • Support for DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD • Ability to stream media from portable music devices, digital cameras and Windows XP-based PCs • Ability to rip music to the Xbox 360 hard drive • Custom playlists in every game • Built-in Media Center Extender for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 • Interactive, full-screen 3-D visualizers High-Definition Game Support • All games supported at 16:9, 720p, and 1080i, anti-aliasing • Standard-definition and high-definition video output supported Audio • Multi-channel surround sound output • Supports 48KHz 16-bit audio • 320 independent decompression channels • 32-bit audio processing • Over 256 audio channels System Orientation • Stands vertically or horizontally Customizable Face Plates • Interchangeable to personalize the console

Final Fantasy VII Tech Demo For PS3 One of the more impressive aspects of the Sony press conference was the appearance of a so-called Final Fantasy VII "Technical Demo for PS3," a recreation of the original CGI intro for Final Fantasy VII rerendered in real-time for the PS3 hardware. The power of the PS3 is immediately apparent, as the low-poly CGI of the original game is replaced with some impressively modelled characters; Aeris actually looks recognizably human now. After pulling back to reveal Midgar in all its plume-of-smoke glory, the sequence cuts back to the train from which Cloud first appeared in FFVII. Instead of being up of about 100 polygons with big blocks for hands, though, Cloud here appears to be almost as realistically rendered as he is in the FFVII: Advent Children all-CGI movie. At the outset, the tech demo features a profile of Aeris, doing her flower-selling thing on the streets of Midgar. As the camera pulls back, we see the actual cars on the streets, faithfully modelled and bouncing realistically, until finally it pulls all the way out to a panorama of Midgar itself, complete with iconic green smoke issuing forth from the chimneys of Shinra's power generation facilities. Soon enough, flashes of the train from the opening sequence of the game appear, and Cloud appears, big-ass sword in tow. The sequence ends with a - we admit it - absolutely gorgeous close-up of Cloud, with sword in tow. The speculation now revolves around whether or not the "Technical Demo" of FFVII intimates that there will actually be a full remake of the game for the PS3, which is something that fans of Final Fantasy have been begging for for years. Final Fantasy VII is still arguably the most well-regarded of the Final Fantasy games, and speculation has been mounting for a while now that Square might attempt to cash in on that popularity by issuing a remake. Considering that this is a company that's announced at least three other games, as well as an all-CGI movie, based on the characters and storyline of FFVII, we can't rule anything out at the moment. Square didn't state anything for sure at the press conference, but we will of course have more details as they come along. By Matthew Rorie, GameSpot