Does Namco have some sort of "just add water and get a next-gen Ridge Racer" kit hanging around? I don't think I've seen a console launch (or handheld) in recent years that didn't always get a Ridge Racer.

Did you grab the Loco Roco demo that's available for PSP? I've got it, you just grab it from the Japanese site and copy to your memory stick. It's an odd game to get used to, but pretty fun. A lot like Kirby Canvas Curse for DS

Shameless pimping alert- (they are a client of mine, but I figure you guys might be interested)

CDV's announced Panzer Tactics: DS for the DS (duh). No assets to be released until the show, but it'll be a turn-based strategy title set in WWII. Sort of a "Advance Wars meets Panzer General" (my words, not theirs) and features WiFi play for multiplayer and an online ladder system for tracking top players.

I'm pumped about this...especially now that I have a DS

Did not know about that...I iwll hunt for that now...thanks!

Sweet, that sounds really cool.

I'll spare you the hunting -
http://pspupdates.qj.net/LocoRoco-de...g/49/aid/28713

Make sure to read the instructions on their site, because you have to create a very specific folder structure on your memory stick. Then copy the file to the right folder, and your'e done. You go to GAMES and MEMORY STICK and there's loco roco, ready to play.

Since it's in Japanese, here's the quick and dirty "how to play"
You've got to roll the little blob around the level by tilting the screen left and right. To do that, you use the left and right shoulder buttons. To jump, you tap the opposite shoulder button of the one you're tilting with. So say you're holding down the right button to tilt right, then you just tap the left button to jump. The O button breaks your critter down into smaller critters, which you'll have to do to make it through some puzzles. To rejoin them all, you hit O again.

Beware..the music sticks in your head for hours.

More Namco/Bandai news this time for E3 :


New installments of notable franchises to be unveiled at this year’s E3 include Xenosaga® EPISODE III: Also sprach Zarathustra, Tales of the Abyss™, Pac-Man World Rally™, Ace Combat® X: Skies of Deception, Tekken®: Dark Resurrection, The Legend of Heroes™ II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch™ and Mobile Ops™: The One Year War.



NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. will also be showcasing its highly-anticipated PC titles such as Mage Knight Apocalypse™, Warhammer®: Mark of Chaos™ and Flagship Studios’ HELLGATE™: LONDON.



Popular licensed properties making their debut at the show include The Fast and The Furious, Snoopy™ vs. The Red Baron and Charlie Brown’s™ All-Stars.



Renown anime based franchises on display for play include Naruto™: Ultimate Ninja™, Zatchbell!™: Mamodo Fury™, .hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth™, IGPX™, One Piece™: Grand Adventure™, and Eureka Seven™ Vol. 1: The New Wave™.

Ubisoft announces new title for PS3:


SAN FRANCISCO – May 2, 2006 – Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced the development of a new video game franchise: Assassin’s Creed™. Assassin’s Creed is being developed for PLAYSTATION®3 by an all-star team from Ubisoft’s world-class Montreal studio – the studio responsible for acclaimed franchises such as Prince of Persia® and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®. The Assassin’s Creed franchise will combine compelling new gameplay, superb graphics, and an immersive and sophisticated storyline to deliver an epic experience that will redefine the action genre in the next generation.

“Assassin’s Creed is going to push the video game experience as we know it today into an entirely new direction,” said Yannis Mallat, chief executive officer at Ubisoft’s Montreal studio. “Assassin’s Creed’s compelling theme and storyline experienced through the next-generation console will captivate audiences and affect them on the same level as an epic novel or film.”

The first game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players, assuming the role of the main character Altair, will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and to shape events during this pivotal moment in history.

Ubisoft has a strong record of creating some of the industry’s top-selling video game franchises and anticipates that Assassin’s Creed will experience the same success.

“Ubisoft has established itself as a creative force in the video game industry by developing new intellectual property and turning it into multimillion-unit selling brands,” said Serge Hascoet, chief creative officer at Ubisoft. “Our goal to introduce three new brands into the marketplace every two years is working. With Assassin’s Creed we’re introducing a franchise that will establish itself as the must-have next-generation game for the next-generation gamer.”

The first game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise will make its worldwide debut at E3 in Los Angeles and will be available to consumers in 2007. For more information, please visit www.assassinscreed.com.

This title has not yet been concept approved by Sony Computer Entertainment America.

I dunno, knock MS all you want but at this point any details about Halo 3 will have me jumping for joy. I absolutely cannot wait for this game. I still think the original Halo and to a lesser extent Halo 2 are some of the best games I've ever played and I can't wait for the third installment.
I'm hoping we hear something about a new Forza game for the 360, that was a pretty good game and could really be a great sequel on the 360.

While i'm not a PS gamer at all it seems like conspiracy sort of games set during the Crusades would be bank right now with everyone getting all hot and bothered over the DaVinci Code and the Grail mythos. Which btw cracks me up because i've been reading conspiracy theory stuff for years about all of this and now it is hitting the mainstream. Now if we could get some David Iche movies made i'll be set.

Go figure.....A hippie that thinks everything is a conspiracy

A, the long awaited Nietzschian RPG. I personally can't wait for the accompanying racer... Sartre's Epic Midnight Speed Club: Basel.

Now i never said i think everything is a conspiracy - i'm merely highly amused by conspiracy theories.

I guess this may be a given, but there are hints of Metroid Prime 3 showing up at E3.

IGN thinks that Metroid Prime 3 will be playable.

While i actually really disliked Metroid Prime i think it is cool they are doing a sequel because it was a neat new take on the FPS genre (yeah i know they called it a first person adventure not shooter).

Any word on a new GTA game for 360 or PS3...?

Culdcept is available for the PS2, though it isn't online... it's more of a board game with card battles, though still lots of fun.

Culdcept is pretty much Monopoly except that instead of houses and hotels you put monsters on the various board spaces and instead of paying "rent" (mana) you can summon your own monster to battle and possibly take over the space.

Ubisoft's List:
Today Ubisoft announced its lineup of titles for the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) May 10–12, 2006 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Ubisoft will showcase its titles at booth #924 in the South Hall.

Ubisoft lineup for E3 2006:

• Assassin’s CreedTM: Experience the power of a feared Assassin in the game that will redefine the action adventure genre for the next generation. Players’ actions will throw the immediate environment into chaos and shape events in this pivotal moment during the Third Crusade.

• Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway™: Gearbox Software’s critically acclaimed squad-based WWII shooter launches into the next generation of gaming with amazing graphics and cutting-edge game play features powered by Unreal Engine 3 and a completely redesigned online component. As Matt Baker, lead a squad of real soldiers who think, relate and fight together through the brutal trials of the dramatic Operation Market Garden.

• Dark Messiah™ of Might & Magic®: Discover a new breed of PC game that will redefine the Action-RPG genre. Powered by an enhanced version of the Source engine from Valve, the second chapter in the new Might & Magic® franchise allows players to experience ferocious combat as an expert warrior, mage, or assassin using a vast array of devastating weapons against vicious creatures in a captivating fantasy environment.

• Enchanted Arms™: The first RPG developed exclusively for Xbox 360™, this epic adventure created by FromSoftware in Japan is arriving for the first time in North America and Europe. Enchanted Arms allows players to escape to a fantasy world filled with beautiful cinema-quality graphics, unique characters and bizarre creatures.

• Game to be Unveiled: Experience the next-generation project from Ubisoft and Free Radical, the developers of the critically-acclaimed Timesplitters® series for the first time at E3.

• Open Season™: Team up with the cast of characters from Sony Pictures Animation’s feature-length CGI film Open Season coming in September. It’s a riotous romp in the great outdoors for kids of all ages when a rowdy brood of forest animals turn the tables on unsuspecting hunters.

• Rayman Raving Rabbids™: Developed by famed creative director Michel Ancel, this new installment of the Rayman franchise will be the funniest and zaniest yet. Rayman’s world is threatened by a devastating invasion by the most unexpected creatures and Rayman must battle to save his world and its inhabitants.

• Red Steel™: The only original first-person game built from the ground up and exclusively for the Wii™ launch. Red Steel takes full advantage of Nintendo’s innovative controller and provides the unique experience of combined gunplay and swordplay.

• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent™: The best-selling Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® saga is taking an entirely new direction. In the highly anticipated next chapter, play as a double agent spy for the first time. Take on dual roles of covert operative and ruthless terrorist, where choices of whom to betray and whom to protect affect the outcome of the game.

• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Vegas: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® makes its dramatic next-generation debut. Rainbow operatives take to the chaotic streets of Las Vegas as an escalating terrorist siege in “Sin City” threatens to take world terrorism to new heights.

This sounds interesting, except that it's for PC.

THQ's E3 list:
Next Generation Console Line-Up

THQ's next-gen console line-up includes original, internally developed titles, and a high-profile addition to the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise that brings the series to the Xbox 360 for the first time:



Saints Row: An explosive, third person, open-world action/driving hybrid developed by THQ's Volition, Inc., Saints Row is the only game in its genre that offers players unrivalled character customization options and a multiplayer experience through Xbox Live(r) online entertainment network. In the game, players assume the role of a member of the 3rd Street Saints on a mission to rise up the gang ranks and eventually take over the city of Stilwater, controlled by rival gangs. In Saints Row, actions have consequences and players decide how best to muscle their way to the top. Saints Row is scheduled to release for Xbox 360 in fall 2006. Saints Row is also scheduled to ship for wireless devices in fall 2006.



Frontlines: Fuel of War: Developed by THQ's Kaos Studios, Frontlines: Fuel of War is an open world infantry and vehicle-based First Person Shooter featuring advanced next-gen weaponry that places gamers in a desperate struggle set in the near future. A global war for oil is being waged between two superpowers, the Western Coalition (US/NATO) and the Red Star Alliance (Russia/China), and gamers will play both sides within the context of battle. The single player campaign will focus on this story, as players battle through intense scenarios with other squad members, moving the frontline through enemy territories in this war-torn universe. Frontlines: Fuel of War is expected to ship for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION(r)3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC in 2007. *



WWE(r) SmackDown(r) vs. Raw(r) 2007: The eighth release in THQ/JAKKS' critically-acclaimed franchise, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 delivers the next generation of World Wrestling Entertainment(r) experience with incredible high-definition graphics, intense action and unprecedented levels of choice and control. New additions this year include a brand new analog control grappling system, new high-impact movesets, user-controlled environmental hotspots and an interactive fighting area within the crowd. In addition, the game includes updated rosters for Raw and SmackDown, an expanded General Manager Mode and online multiplayer game play with voice chat support. In development by Yuke's Co. Ltd., for the PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system, PSP(tm) (PlayStation(r)Portable) system and Xbox 360, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 is scheduled to release beginning in fall 2006. *





The Sopranos: A mob war is brewing as Philadelphia's and New Jersey's most powerful families are about to collide. As the illegitimate son of "Big Pussy," the gamer has been born into the organization and is now being given an opportunity to demonstrate loyalty to Tony Soprano. As a soldier, players must earn money on collections, protect turf through intimidation and gain admiration within their own family to move up in the ranks of the organization. Carry out orders from Paulie, Silvio, Christopher and Tony in familiar locations such as the Bada Bing!, Nuovo Vesuvio's and Satriale's. The storyline was created in collaboration with show creator David Chase, and the show's key cast members provide the voices. The Sopranos is scheduled to release in holiday of 2006.



MotoGPTM '06: Building on the successes of its Xbox predecessors, MotoGP '06 re-launches the franchise on Xbox 360. Gamers will be met with new tracks, bike models, refined handling and Live! functionality, making this a truly fresh and aspirational title for even the most hardened fans of the series. MotoGP '06 will launch with the current 2006 season data, giving an unprecedented accuracy to the real sport, in addition to visual effects that surpass any racing title to date. All extreme mode circuits have been revamped, streamlined for speed and fast-flowing racing action. Customize and ride all new extreme bikes in street racing action from the gleaming skyscrapers of Rio de Janeiro to the jagged mountains of Tuscany. MotoGP '06 is scheduled to release for Xbox 360 in spring 2006.



GTR: Crafted by award-winning Swedish development studio SimBin Development Team AB, GTR features all the cars, drivers and tracks from two full FIA GT Championships and challenges casual racers to become world-class drivers. Directed by professional racing driver and former FIA GT Team Owner, Henrik Roos, GTR sets new standards for auto racing realism. GTR is expected to ship globally on Xbox 360 in spring 2007.





Next Generation PC Line-Up

In addition to carving out a leadership position on next-gen console systems, THQ is showcasing a collection of triple-A, next-generation Windows PC properties at E3, highly targeted at the core gamer:



Supreme CommanderTM: Developed by Gas Powered Games, founded by Chris Taylor, creator of Total Annihilation and the Dungeon Siege series, Supreme Commander features a riveting, action-packed storyline, ground-breaking gameplay and genre-defining online multiplayer battles. In the 37th Century, the galaxy is torn apart by three rival factions, each vying to eradicate its enemies from the universe, end the Infinite War and become the reigning power supreme. Supreme Commander represents the next evolution in the Real Time Strategy genre through its truly strategic and tactical gameplay and mind-blowing scale and scope, which is coupled with unrivalled zoom and control features. Supreme Commander is scheduled to release for Windows PC in early 2007.



Company of HeroesTM: Developed by THQ's Relic Entertainment, creators of game of the year Warhammer(r) 40,000 TM: Dawn of War, comes Company of Heroes, the next revolution in action strategy. Company of Heroes is a WWII RTS game that brings to life the brave men of Able Company in cinematic intensity as they fight across Europe in the greatest war mankind has ever known. Relic's proprietary next-gen Essence Engine provides unprecedented graphics and physics complete with the destruction of all terrain and buildings. Featuring 2-8 players MP competition via Lan or Internet, Company of Heroes is scheduled to release for Windows PC in fall 2006. Company of Heroes is also scheduled to ship for wireless devices in fall 2006.

* WINNER Best Strategy Game of E3 2005 - Game Critics' Best of E3 Awards

* WINNER Best PC Game, Best Strategy Game of E3 2005 - GameSpot







Titan QuestTM: From the co-creator of Age of Empires, Brian Sullivan, and his team at Iron Lore Entertainment, comes an all-new action role-playing game set in the mythical worlds of ancient Greece and Egypt. Amazing visuals and fast-action gameplay deliver a true cinematic gaming experience. Lush ancient-world settings crafted in near-photo realistic detail provide the player with an extraordinary canvas on which to embark upon an epic quest of the ultimate good versus evil. Titan Quest is scheduled to release in summer 2006.



Warhammer(r) 40,000TM Dawn of War - Dark CrusadeTM: The highly-anticipated second expansion pack to internal THQ studio Relic Entertainment's critically-acclaimed real-time strategy hit Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade features an all new single-player experience and 2 new races - The Necrons and The Tau - allowing the gamer to play up to 7 unique races from the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War universe. Based on the world of Warhammer 40,000 - the dark, futuristic universe from Games Workshop - Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade offers massive non-linear strategy and is scheduled to release for Windows PC in fall 2006.





Industry Leading Mass-Market Line-Up for Next Generation and Current Generation Systems

THQ will be displaying titles based on its own core IP, mass-market titles and established original franchises for next-gen as well as the huge installed base of current-gen console and hand-held systems:



Disney*Pixar Cars: Cars, the video game, is a high performance interactive experience in the open world created in the film, challenging players to relive the excitement created by Lightning McQueen and his friends. Fans will discover unique characters and environments inspired by the film with more than 10 playable characters and 30 races and minigames to choose from. The game features a fully immersive re-creation of all major environments introduced in the movie, including Radiator Springs and Ornament Valley, which will offer distinctive racing experiences to players while maintaining the artistic style of the film. Disney*Pixar Cars, the video game, is expected to ship for PlayStation 2 system, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube(r), Game Boy(r) Advance, PSP system, Nintendo DS(tm), Windows PC and Mac in June 2006 and for Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii console in fall 2006.



Destroy All Humans!TM 2: The plot for world domination is renewed as acclaimed developer Pandemic Studios transforms conventional expectations - allowing gamers to play as the Alien and take on the most feared enemy in the universe - mankind. Packed with non-stop action, an explosive arsenal of alien weaponry, advanced mental abilities and an irreverent personality that satires 1960's era icons and science-fiction mythology, Destroy All Humans! 2 uncovers an open-ended world where the player can unleash massive destruction on the ground or in their UFO. Destroy All Humans! 2 is scheduled to release for the PlayStation 2 system and Xbox(r) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in fall 2006. Destroy All Humans! 2 is also scheduled to ship for wireless devices in June 2006.



SpongeBob SquarePantsTM: Creature from the Krusty Krab: In a unique and creative twist, SpongeBob SquarePants explores the peculiar world of Bikini Bottom as it transforms through a series of various unique visual styles. Continuing the popular sea sponge's reign as a gaming and TV property, SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab offers fans brand new gameplay mechanics through nine visually bizarre levels and is expected to ship for Nintendo's Wii console, PlayStation 2 system, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Windows PC and Nintendo DS in fall 2006. SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab is also scheduled to ship for wireless devices in fall 2006.









Monster HouseTM: Based upon the upcoming computer animated film from Columbia Pictures, the Monster House(tm) videogames will allow players to experience key moments of the movie as they unravel the creepy mysteries of old man Nebbercracker's possessed house. Players will encounter unique adventures as they explore a living, breathing house, full of traps and secrets. With three playable characters, fans of the film will enjoy seeing the movie come to life in their living rooms. The Monster House videogames are expected to be available for the PlayStation 2 system, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS in July 2006.



Bratz: Forever Diamondz: YasminTM, CloeTM, SashaTM, and JadeTM are back for a brand new adventure sending them across the country in search of the hottest fashion designer. Players will experience unique adventures through the eyes of the four playable characters, in detailed open world environments, as they compete for a spot in "America Rocks Fashion" TV show. Fans will discover new features that include a figure skating competition and the ability to adopt a pet to train, dress, accessorize and showcase in competitions. Bratz: Forever Diamondz is expected to ship for PlayStation 2 system, Nintendo GameCube, Windows PC, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance in fall 2006. *



Barnyard: Enter the world of Nickelodeon's newest adventure and bring the
"Barnyard" movie to life. Players will interact with their favorite movie characters while trying to prove they are the biggest party animal of them all. The film is written, produced and directed by acclaimed comedy writer/producer Steve Oedekerk ("Bruce Almighty," "Ace Ventura," "The Nutty Professor," "Kung Pow") and Nickelodeon Movies, producers of the Oscar(r) nominated "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius." The Barnyard video game is expected to ship for PlayStation 2 system, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and Windows PC in July 2006.



Avatar: The Last Airbender: Based on Nickelodeon's hottest new show, fans will play as Aang, Katara, Sokka and Haru as they grow into an unstoppable team utilizing the kung fu inspired bending arts through the Avatar universe. Players will explore the four Avatar nations in beautifully detailed environments and battle new enemies. Avatar: The Last Airbender is scheduled to ship for Wii, PlayStation 2 system, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PSP system and Windows PC in fall 2006.



JuicedTM: Eliminator: Developed by THQ's newly acquired studio Juice Games, real street racing speeds onto the PSP system, utilizing wireless functionality to offer never-before-seen multiplayer games. Building on the crew & pink-slip racing that established Juiced as a leader in the street-racing genre, the game offers two new 'ad-hoc' multiplayer modes, Eliminator & Relay, challenging gamers to put their hard-earned cars on the line. In addition, players will choose from new crew chiefs, locations, tracks, as well as new cars with tons of new body-kit components. Juiced: Eliminator is scheduled to release for the PSP system in June 2006. Juiced: Eliminator is also scheduled to ship for wireless devices in June 2006.



Alex Rider(tm): Stormbreaker(tm): Embrace the role of Alex Rider to out-spy, out-wit and out-cool evil in a thrilling action adventure featuring third person stealth game play, fast-paced racing action, intense fighting and unlockable mini-games. Players will relive defining moments from the StormbreakerTM movie and become the ultimate spy. Alex Rider: Stormbreaker is scheduled to release exclusively for Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance in Summer 2006.

THQ's E3 lineup looks more like a TV listings.

You think you could make those posts a bit longer the few you have here didn't quite take up the entire page

all in all it looks like they have some cool shit to show.