Prepare to serve once again,Call of Duty 4

So the new trailer of all of duty 4 was released on the Internet this week and confirmed what many gamers had predicted. Instead of being set in World war 2 the game which is subtitled Modern Warfare is erm well set in the present day (ahem, bit obvious really). The graphics look absolutely breathtaking and look as though they will easily surpass the impressive call of duty 3s. Lets just hope the game play goes more back to number 2's style and miss out the annoying characters and limp plot and story lines. With the market being literally swamped with War based shooters this will have to be pretty impressive to stand out from the crowd. With competition from Medal of honour and countless other WW2 shooters the new present day setting may prove to be the factor that does just that. The game is bound to be a success, just
on the series famous Xbox live game modes, with thousands of gamers still waging war online via COD2 and 3 the multi player will prove to be the main factor for its success.Call of duty 4 is out at the end of the year.

Spiderman swings into London

The Spider-Man 3 premiere will be swinging celebrity stars into London tonight. Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire, who once again star in the film of the arachnid superhero, will greet fans at Leicester Square's Odeon cinema on April 23rd.If the London event mirrors the New York premiere, the red carpet will be replaced with a black one in honour of the change in Spidey's outfit.Just as the superhero and his alter ego Peter Parker have found a work-life balance, the new suit comes along and enhances his powers while fuelling his dark side.While trying to curb the uglier elements of his own psyche, Spider-man also has to deal with two new super-villains, Sandman and Venom.Venom, Spider-Man's arch enemy, is the body of Peter Parker's journalist rival and a body snatching alien.

Prepare to command and conquer on 360

Last week, Electronic Arts revealed what many gamers were anticipating--a demo of the Xbox 360 edition of Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars was in the works. Today, the publisher pulled the curtain back on the demo and released it to the public over Xbox Live Marketplace.
The file weighs in at 1GB, which apparently has clogged some Internet pipes and made downloading fairly sluggish. Though EA hasn't come forward to explain what is in the demo, message board users have. The file allegedly features a pair of single-player missions, a tutorial, and Xbox Live multiplayer support. The Xbox 360 version of Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars is scheduled for release on May 10. If the 360 version is the same as the PC version (reviewed earlier this month) then 360 users should be in for a treat. Prepare for epic online battles via xbox live and wage war with gamers from across the globe. I can hardly wait.

Tarantino up for Canne award

Quentin Tarantino and Gus Van Sant are among the directors vying for the top prize at the 60th Cannes Film Festival. Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai, who headed last year's Cannes jury, is also in the running with his first English language film, My Blueberry Nights.
The prestigious event has unveiled the line-up ahead of its opening on 16 May.
Tarantino's Death Proof, half of his double bill Grind house, and Van Sant's Paranoid Park join 20 other entries in competition for the Palme d'Or.

Prince of Persia movie 2008?

Another video game series is being eyed for a film adaptation franchise, this time the Prince of Persia games from Ubisoft. The game has taken off in recent years with at least 3 recent sequels and become a huge hit for Ubisoft. The series has been in discussion for a while with Disney, since Hollywood mogul Jerry Bruckheimer bought the rights in 2004. The Jim Hill Media blog talked about it briefly, stating that “in theory Prince of Persia will be Disney's big action-adventure release for the Summer of 2008.” Which afterwards “could then lead to a new hit series of movies for the studio.”Although nothing is officially confirmed for a 2008 release, it does sound like the project is moving along and they're waiting to use the Prince of Persia series as the new successor to Pirates of the Caribbean. Little is known as to whether the movie will follow the games storyline ( I for one would like to see that as the story for the game was pretty good) and lets hope the films director doesnt take the same route with the persian prince as has been done to the Resident Evil series of movies. (i.e crappified). Rumours abound that Michael Bay will take the directors chair and after his transformers film it'll be interesting to see what direction he decides to take. Lets hope there will be a decent movie of a game for once.

Gere burnt

Angry crowds in several Indian cities burned effigies of Richard Gere, a day after he swept up Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty in his arms and kissed her several times during an Aids-awareness event. In Mumbai, members of the right-wing Hindu nationalist group Shiv Sena set fire to glamour shots of Shetty and beat burning effigies of Gere with sticks.
Similar protests broke out in other cities, including Varanasi, Hinduism's holiest city, and in the northern town of Meerut, where crowds chanted "Down with Shilpa Shetty."
In a country where sex and public displays of affection are largely taboo, photographs of Gere embracing Shetty and kissing her on the cheek were printed on newspapers' front pages.
The two appeared at a press conference on Sunday in New Delhi to highlight the HIV and Aids epidemic among India's truck drivers. In front of a cheering crowd, Gere kissed Shetty on the hand, then kissed her on both cheeks before embracing her to kiss her more. If this is all it takes for these people to riot then they really need to lighten up, their crazy!

Release list

The biggest and best titles scheduled for released this week.

Final Fantasy III (DS)Some 17 years after it was released in Japan, final fantasists get the chance to complete their back catalogue at long last. With a total overhaul to match the DS’s capabilities rather than a simple graphical update, it is certain to be an enrapturing experience.

FEAR - First Encounter Assault and Reconnaissance (PS3)A solid port of one of the best FPS’ doing the rounds at the moment, which kept us nervously clutching the pad throughout. Exclusives for the PS3 version include an extra mission, some new multi player maps and a very tasty rapid fire shotgun. Sweet.

Diddy Kong Racing DS (DS)Remastered from the classic N64 title of the same name, this colourful racer has more than enough substance to hold its own against the likes of Mario Kart. Pumped with new characters, four new tracks and a sparkling six person multi player – this is all you’ll need for weeks.

Also out this week:Aces of War (PSP) Ancient Wars - Sparta (PC)Dawn Of Magic (PC)Exit 2 (PSP)Final Fantasy V (GBA)Free Running (PS2/ PSP)Gurumin (PSP)Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (PC)Red Star (PS2)Stacked (PC) World Championship Poker 2 (PS2/PC)Zendoku (PSP/DS)
Coming Soon (27 April 2007)Burnout Dominator (PSP)Buzz: The Mega Quiz (PS2)Coded Arms Contagion (PSP)Dancing Stage Super Nova (PS2)Dead Head Fred (PSP)Death Junior 2 - Root of Evil (PSP)Demon Chaos (PS2)Driver - Parallel Lines (PC)Earthworm Jim (PSP)Frontlines - Fuel of War (Xbox 360)God of War II (PS2)Mercury Meltdown Revolution (Wii)Monster Madness - Battle for Suburbia (Xbox 360/PC)NBA 2K7 (PS3)Playwize Poker and Casino (PSP)Pocket Pool (PSP)Rainbow Six Vegas (PSP/PS3)SingStar Pop Hits (PS2)Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Summoner - Kuzunoha Raido vs. The Soulless Army (PS2)The Cube (PSP)The Elder Scrolls - Oblivion (PS3)The Godfather - The Dons Edition (PS3)Top Trumps - Horrors and Predators (PS2/DS/PC)Valkyrie Profile - Lenneth (PSP)World Series of Poker - Tournament Champions (PC)Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2007 (DS)

Sonys online dream

(Article from the BBC website)
Sony is hoping to replicate the success of social networks and Second Life with a feature called Home. Playstation 3 gamers will be able to meet, chat and share content with friends inside a 3D universe.
"It's about community, collaboration and customisation," said Sony's Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference, in San Francisco.
Gamers can buy furniture and clothes, while publishers and retailers are also expected to offer 3D spaces. Mr Harrison said the games industry had to learn from the success of the web 2.0 movement This is not just about Sony brands and Sony games - it's a much wider network of connected spaces "We want to start a movement called Game 3.0. It's about emerging entertainment, powered by the audience at the centre of the experience."
Home is similar to Second Life, the popular 3D universe for PCs and Macs. Gamers can create avatars - online versions of themselves - and buy new clothes and create their own homes.
Mr Harrison described Home as a 3D social networking service.
Dynamic advertising - including high definition video - can be pushed into the 3D universe.
The service launches in the autumn and Sony hopes it will answer critics who feel the firm has been overtaken by Microsoft in the online gaming arena.

Hanks onboard for Da Vinchi prequel

Tom Hanks is in final talks to star in a Da Vinci Code prequel.
He is reported to be close to agreeing to return as Harvard professor Robert Langdon.
Ron Howard is also in final negotiations to direct Angels and Demons, according to the Hollywood Reporter.The Da Vinci Code has made a healthy $758 million at the box office.
Sources say the prequel, also based on a Dan Brown book, will start shooting as early as January.

China clamps down on online gaming

The Chinese government has clamped down on the amount of time youngsters can spend playing online games, according to the official news agency Xinhua.
Under-18s who play for more than three consecutive hours a day will have limits imposed on the amount of points they can score, the agency reported. Online game companies based in China have been given three months to install the so-called anti-addiction software. It is part of an on-going attempt to limit how long people are online. A recent report from the China National Children's Centre said that 13% of under-18s who used the web were addicted to online gaming. In the past several years gamers mostly from Korea and Asia have even died through marathon gaming sessions, some literally die of exhaustion after 72 hour sessions non stop.

Halo 3 Beta test confirmed

Halo 3, one of the most anticipated video games for the Xbox 360, will be released to the public in test, or beta, from 16 May. The online multi player element of the game will be made available to the public with feedback going to developers Bungie. More than 14.7m copies of Halo titles have been sold and more than 800m hours of online Halo games have been played. The beta will last for three weeks and ends on 7 June. Three multi player maps will be available - Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla. Halo 3 is expected to be released in the last quarter of 2007 and is a key weapon for Microsoft in its rivalry with Sony and Nintendo. The game has become an important franchise for Microsoft and has evolved into an industry which encompasses action figures, graphics novels, books and clothes. On the website of Halo creators Bungie, content manager Frank O'Connor said the beta would contain "quirks, a couple of rough edges".
He added: "A lot of secret features are hidden in this beta. We're keeping a lot of our powder dry for Fall."

Gears of war updated

One week ago, Gears of War fans got in a tizzy when Epic Games vice president Mark Rein revealed that the game's next update was "almost here." Rein said the update was out of Epic's hands and in the final stages of Microsoft's certification process.
Today, Microsoft announced that it has given the update the thumbs up and will release it over Xbox Live Marketplace at 4 p.m. Not just a few tweaks to bugs, the update will add a new multiplayer mode called Annex. In Annex, two teams will battle to occupy key map locations like a standard King of the Hill or Domination match. Each map contains two to five key locations, and throughout the match the area to be controlled will move.
Also included in the update is VGA cable support, tweaks to the Boomshot and Hammer of Dawn weapons, and several bug and exploit fixes.
The update is free, unlike other Gears of War content that was recently revealed to be offered initially at a "reasonable price" before becoming free months down the line.

Spore release date TBC

Since it first wowed audiences at the 2005 Game Developers Conference, Spore has seen the buzz around it grow. Its expansive game play spans the entire history of life on a planet, from primordial prehistory to modern civilization. While it ends with the technological wonder of space travel, it also focuses heavily on biology, letting players create their own race of creatures and watch them evolve. Like Spore's subject creatures, its release date has undergone several stages of evolution. Initially, the game had no release date, and then it was tagged for a late-2006 launch. But when Electronic Arts, Spore's publisher, released its E3 roster this past May, the date had reverted to "TBC." At the moment the games release date is unknown but many web sites and Magazines predict a late 2007 release. With a game as potentially huge as Spore promises to be I reckon we may even see it slip back until early 2008.

Connery undecided on Indy 4

Actor Sir Sean Connery is still deciding whether to appear in the next Indiana Jones film, according to trade magazine Variety. Directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are hoping the 76-year-old will feature in the fourth instalment.
Sir Sean, who has not appeared in any films since 2003, has apparently said he would consider returning if he liked the script. Harrison Ford has already signed up to return as the daring archaeologist.

GTA4 Sparks controversy (already!)

Late last week, Rockstar Games showed its first trailer for its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV. Though bare on gameplay details, the trailer did reveal one of the game's most asked questions--its setting.
Advertisements, store names, and other items in the simulated city read "Liberty City," the very same city featured in the controversial franchise's break-out hit Grand Theft Auto III and debut on the PlayStation Portable. The city's layout and character were influenced by New York City, and modeling each games' setting after a real-world city has become a bit of a tradition. Vice City from GTAIII's follow-up was a nod to Miami, Florida, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was set on turf reminiscent of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
However, this new look at Liberty City featured some landmarks that look incredibly similar to places only found in New York (which is where Rockstar Games' US headquarters are located), such as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Empire State Building.
While most gamers were excited about going on a virtual crime spree through a next-generation Liberty City, New York officials are already voicing their disdain for the game and saying the similarities are only cosmetic, reports the Associated Press.
"The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers," New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement. Are Rockstar taking a huge gamble with the setting or will the obvious outbreak of paranoia and screaming headlines of the press create tonnes of publicity just like the other games in the series. My moneys on the latter.