Movin' on up

Good afternoon, faithful readers. Sorry about the low post count this week, but it's another one of those times. You know the kind I mean: When real life interferes with your regular schedule of demon slaying, car jacking, and achievement unlocking. Yes, it's that thing known as work that's keeping me away, although this time it's not entirely bad.

For you see, dear readers, your humble narrator is on the up and up, rising the corporate ladder and one step closer to the top. Alright, I may be exaggerating a little, but nonetheless, my job is changing and I have a whole new schedule to adjust to. I know you guys came here to read about video games, not my personal life, but I wanted to fill you in so you didn't think I'd abandoned you, causing you to cry yourself to sleep every night, screaming "Daddy, why did you leave me? Why?". Oops, getting a bit personal again.

Anyway, the point is, I'm not leaving you, but I'm afraid the next few weeks may see some slightly sporadic posting. Once I'm fully trained and comfortable with my new position I know I'll be able to find a regular time to keep this site updated, but please bear with me until then. With the releases of Prototype in a couple of weeks, I'm also going to need time to actually play games, so I don't turn into one of those posers who spends all day talking about a subject they don't even participate in.

So wish me luck, and please don't stop reading - there's still plenty more to come. You may even find that my fellow writers step in and pick up some of the slack. See you all soon!

ScribbleBigPlanet

Are you as excited as I am about 5th Cell's upcoming DS puzzler, Scribblenauts? You remember Scribblenauts, right? It's the game that allows you to use any object you want to solve the puzzles, simply by writing it's name on the touch screen. Yeah, you heard me correctly - any object. Well, as if that concept alone wasn't enough to make any puzzle fan blow their load, Kotaku recently revealed that the game will also feature level creation and sharing.

As with the pre-made levels, user-created ones will have the same ultimate goal - to collect a star. However, it will be up to the player to decide exactly which obstacles stand in the way of this star. As well as deciding on the position of these obstacles, it's also possible to define the relationship between them. Here's how Stephen Totilo describes it in the Kotaku article:

"Players start with pre-made terrain. They can write whatever they want into the game — as is standard with Scribblenauts — and it will appear. Writing a second thing into the level produces the opportunity to define the relationship between the two things that the level-creating player has put on the screen. So if you've written a bear and some honey into the game world, the bear can be made to fear honey instead of craving it."

Sounds pretty cool, right? With an almost limitless number of objects to place into the level, I can imagine people spending hours just screwing around, much as they will in the main game. Of course, it may be tough to predict every possible solution to the puzzles you create, but being able to change object relationships should at least give you the ability to stop folks from using the really obvious ones. I know I haven't always taken full advantage of level creation features in the past, but this is definitely one I have to try out. Look forward to it when Scribblenauts launches this fall.

i See Dead People

Since I was a child, I always dreamed that one day I would play a game that took place, not in some virtual location, but in the real world, all around me. Some have tried to turn this dream into a reality, employing special helmets that photograph your surroundings and project them, along with graphics and gameplay elements, into the helmet for your waiting eyes. Now, thanks to the DSi, we may have a chance to play one of these unique titles without looking like an extra from the movie, The Lawnmower Man.

The game is called Ghostwire, and comes to us from Swedish Developer, A Different Game. Kotaku reports that you will use the camera, microphone, and touch screen in your effort to find the undead souls that are all around us. Once you locate them, you must help figure out what's keeping them trapped on this Earth, and hopefully send them on their way. Although no other gameplay details have really been revealed, it seems as though your real-life surrounding will be where the game takes place, with the ghosts appearing in the images captured by the DSi's camera. Whether they will appear in real-time video or simply in still shots has yet to be announced.

Not much more is known about this unique-sounding title, but it's enough to get me excited. As I said, I've been waiting for this kind of thing for as long as I can remember playing video games, but wasn't sure how feasible the whole concept was. A Different Game clearly realize some of the potential problems such a game could have, and I think that's why they went with a ghost hunting game. Think about it - if it were, say, a shooting game, the DS would have to figure out a map of all the objects in front of you in order to provide cover for yourself and your virtual enemies. Because ghosts can travel through solid objects, though, the physics system can be far less complex. Of course, that's just a theory; we'll have to wait to see how it actually plays out.

I'll be sure to post more details, including release date, as they become available. Will Ghostwire be the first step towards the future of video games or just some gimmicky kids title? We'll find out soon enough.

Is this the Xboy?

For a long time, people have been wondering if Microsoft would ever enter the portable gaming market. Nintendo have always dominated this area, but the success of the PSP has proven that there's room for some competition. Microsoft fans may not like the idea of siding with "the enemy" when they want some gaming on the go, and if recent rumors are true, they may not have to for long.

The funny thing is, the device in question has clearly been inspired, not by Sony or Nintendo, but by Apple. That's right, I'm talking about the iPhone and iPod Touch, two devices that have shown the world that people will buy small, cheap, downloadble titles; people who don't even consider themselves "gamers" and would never set foot in a Gamestop. Microsoft's answer to the last generation of iPods was the portable media player know as the Zune, and despite it's limited commercial success, they clearly decided the brand name was strong enough to carry their new device - Zune HD.

Before I go any further, let me just say it again: Most of this info is based on rumors, not official announcements or press releases, so don't start saving up yet. In fact, many of the rumors have been circulating for a while, but it was only recently that TeamXbox wrote a lengthy piece all about the supposed device, which has caused a resurgence in coverage.

So what makes the Zune HD so special? Why should we care about another portable media player? After all, just about every portable device on the market boasts the ability to play music and videos, from phones to mp3 players to the PSP and DSi. Well, I'll tell you why in just three words: Xbox Live Arcade. Rumors suggest that the device will have access, not just to it's own marketplace, but also to all the XBLA games you've already purchased on your 360. Not just XBLA games, but music and movies too. It sounds as though they mean to create a device that goes hand in hand with your existing console, a lot more so than any other media player available.

You may be wondering exactly what such a device would look like, and you know what, I'm wondering that myself. Since there are no pictures available, lets spend a few minutes speculating, shall we? Okay, first of all, the thing's going to have a big touch screen. That goes without saying if they want any hope of competing with the iPhone or DS. Secondly, it's going to have accelerometers in it to detect movement, again like the iPhone. As for controls, well, logic dictates that it would have to have duel analog sticks and face buttons just like the 360 controller if XBLA games are to be played on it. Either this, or they'll have to use inaccurate "virtual buttons", as seen in various iPhone games. I really hope for the former.

Now I should clarify something: I've been comparing Zune HD to the iPhone, but the iPod Touch is a much more accurate comparison, the reason being that Zune HD is not a phone. So then, how does it hope to compete against Apple's 3G-equipped device that allows access to music, games, and movies from wherever you are? Well, it could be with a little thing called 4G. "4G?," I hear you cry, "Is that better than 3G?". Well, it's one better, isn't it?

WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is the service I'm referring to, which is already being hailed as forth generation wireless internet (4G). What makes it different from current mobile internet services is the fact that it doesn't use phone lines for data transfer. On the contrary, the entire system is being set up specifically to deliver wireless high speed internet to mobile devices, and Microsoft aren't the only ones interested in the technology. If the Zune HD were to incorporate support for WiMax, we could potentially connect to Xbox Live and play online games from anywhere, with full voice chat!

Another aspect that could set the Zune HD apart from the competition is it's graphical power. Rumors suggest that Microsoft may be working with NVIDIA, whose powerful Tegra computer chip could deliver stunning HD graphics without using too much energy. Even if this turns out to be false, the device will have to have something fairly powerful in order to run XBLA games. It's also been suggested that the Zune HD's user interface will be modeled on the Xbox 360's NXE Dashboard, which I'm sure would be welcome by existing 360 fans.

So overall, the Zune HD is sounding like a pretty cool device, if any of this is actually true. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be nothing more than a new mp3 player and all these rumors turn out to nothing more than a fanboy's wet dream, but it's also possible that some of them are at least partially correct; hopefully we'll find out when E3 begins next week. And if Microsoft really can deliver a device that allows me to play Geometry Wars, Braid, and Portal on the go, while keeping in touch with my Xbox Live buddies, well, there had better be space in my pocket by the time it launches. Anyone wanna buy an iPod?

School's out, DLC's in

This week in Rock Band, we take a trip down the rabbit hole with Alice - Alice Cooper, that is, who brings us a nice six-pack of songs, four of which are live. He's joined by Taking Back Sunday, a group I can't say I'm really familiar with. The Alice Cooper pack can be yours for 800 MSP/$10 and the Taking Back Sunday pack for 440 MSP/$5.50, but as always, each song is available individually for 160 MSP/$2.
Here's what's on offer:

By Alice Cooper
Billion Dollar Babies (Live)
I'm Eighteen (Live)
School's Out (Live)
Under My Wheels (Live)
Poison
Vengeance Is Mine

By Taking Back Sunday
Liar (It Takes One To Know One)
MakeDamnSure
What's It Feel Like To Be A Ghost?
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.

I'm not really a big Alice Cooper fan, but I had to pick up School's Out, which falls into drum tier 3. The song starts with a fun intro, which soon leads into the fairly easy verse. The chorus changes things up a bit, though, and has interesting, but never too fast, hand motions. This is followed by another section that resembles the chorus of Joker & the Thief or Flathead, with a beat that switches back and forth between hands. Overall, it's a fun song that never has you playing the same rhythm for too long before it changes. Recommended.

There isn't much else in the way of Rock Band news this week, so I'll see you next time. Oh, and bring your shotgun because there are gonna be Zombies.....

Your cheatin' heart will tell on you

I must say that I enjoy unlocking achievements. I still get that thrill when the little box pops up, telling me that my insistence on killing at least one character with a kiwi fruit hasn't gone unrewarded. This isn't enough for some, though. Certain folks are so addicted to the idea of increasing their gamerscore that it's not even about the fun anymore; it's simply about doing whatever they can to get ahead, which sometimes involves less-savory methods. I'm talking, of course, about cheaters.

Back in the day, video game cheating used to be accepted. Entire magazines would be dedicated to listing off codes and exploits, helping less-skilled players reach the end of otherwise-difficult titles. Of course, this was before online play, when the only person anyone could cheat was themselves. Now things are a little different, with ranked, competitive multiplayer, and games so complex that no amount of bug-testing can catch everything. Add in the prospect of permanent rewards (achievements) and some people just can't help but take advantage.

It was recently brought to the attention of Microsoft that a number of gamers had been cheating the system in order to obtain a specific achievement in Gears of War 2. This is not the first time people have been caught stealing achievements, so Microsoft already has a punishment system in place: First the user finds their gamerscore reset to zero, not just the game they played but the entire amount; they then discover that all previously earned achievements have been locked and can't be earned again; finally, their gamertag is branded for all to see, labeling them as a cheater forever.

I'm not sure exactly how to feel about this. On the one hand, it's good that people know not to break the rules, but at the same time, wiping someone's entire gamerscore over one mistake may be a little harsh. I could understand deleting the ill-gotten ones, but I suppose this wouldn't work as much of a deterrent. I guess it all really depends on how they cheated. If they used some kind of system modification, game hack, or modem trick, then I understand Microsoft's unmerciful stance. If, however, they discovered some glitch or bug in the game, then I think they have every right to exploit it.

I'm sure all gamers have used glitches to get ahead at some point. Whether it's finding that certain spot on a level where the enemy can't reach you but you can reach them, or discovering that super-cheap yet seemingly-unblockable combo that gets you through every round of a fighting game untouched. In fact, I think it's built into our very nature to test the limits of every game we play, seeing if we can outsmart the developers and find something we shouldn't. So what about these Gears of War 2 cheaters then? How exactly did they unlock their ill-gotten achievement?

Unfortunately, Microsoft never goes into detail about this sort of thing, possibly so others don't copy the method. A little research, though, reveals that there are actually many ways of cheating the system in Gears of War 2, the most common being to borrow the profile of someone with the achievement you want, in this case it's the "Level 100" one, then sign out of that profile and into yours at a specific point in the game. Successfully doing so will cause the achievement to be copied over to your profile without actually having to unlock it. Cheeky, eh?

So does this count as a glitch in the game or would it be considered hacking? According to Microsoft, cheating is defined as "gaining achievements through avoiding game play and the use of external tools". Well, this cheat doesn't involve the use of external tools, but I suppose it does circumvent the need to actually play through the game, so I guess it counts. This raises an interesting question, though: When my girlfriend was playing Fable 2 and she signed me is as a second player, does this count as cheating? After all, I unlocked achievements that I didn't earn; some of which I even got after I left for work.

I suppose, in the end, that Microsoft has to take a harsh stance on cheating or the entire gamerscore system will be useless. However, I really think that only system mods and hacks should count, not exploiting bad game code. As video games get more complex, there are going to be more and more bugs and glitches that slip through, some of which could be discovered entirely by accident. I mean, what if I was playing Gears 2, realized that I was signed in to the wrong profile, and switched over to mine at the exact moment needed to glitch the achievement? It's unlikely, but it could happen, and I'd find myself the unlucky recipient of a wiped gamerscore, through no fault of my own.

I hope that gamers can continue to explore every aspect of the games they buy without fear of glitching their way onto the cheaters list. While many people know the risks the take when attempting to steal achievements, I worry that some folks may accidental stumble upon the same glitches without even trying. I guess the best thing to do is just play by the rules, and if you think you may have discovered something you shouldn't, be careful, or you may wake up one morning to discover your e-manhood is no longer with you.

Rise of the machines

Gamestop may have a little competition in the used game market soon, and that threat comes from super-hyper-mega-store, Wal-Mart. While it comes as no surprise that the company wants a piece of the pie, what does come as a little shock is the way they mean to implement this new program - employing machines instead of humans. Quick, run for the hills! Skynet is online! The Matrix is real!! Ha ha, just kidding; these aren't self-aware, humanoid cyborgs, but more like, well, ATMs really. I know - boring, huh?

Take a trip to your local supermarket and you may see a big red box near the entrance, unimaginatively called Redbox. These machines have been in place for a while, offering DVD rentals of new releases for just a dollar a night. This is clearly where E-Play, the makers of Wal-Mart's new machines, got inspiration, as the relatively low running cost means they can charge less than full stores such as Blockbuster.

So what services will these new machines offer to the consumer? Wal-mart corporate spokesperson Melissa O’Brien says they will carry movies, as well as games for Wii, Playstation, and Xbox (I assume that means PS3, 360, and possibly PS2 as well). Customers can rent these titles for a dollar a night - the same as Redbox charges. On top of this, people can bring in games they no longer want, scan the box, and pop it into the machine, along with the disc, your driver's licence, and credit card. After that you just wait 2-3 business days and boom - the credit's yours.

At the moment, the machines only exist in 2% of the company's 3,656 US stores (that's about 73, by the way), but I'm sure they plan to increase this number if the service proves to be popular. One thing that hasn't been stated, though, is the fate of the games that get traded in. Since Wal-Mart sells more video games than any other retailer, there could be definite impact in the industry if they shifted their focus to pre-owned titles instead. However, it's perfectly possible that E-Play plans on keeping all the games and adding them to their rental inventory.

I think we're likely to see more and more machines such as this one, and not just for video games. I must say that I like the price and convenience of Redbox, and I'd certainly use a similar game rental service if one was available locally. Of course, it would have to be somewhere other that Wal-Mart, as I don't shop there, but that's another topic. Other companies are also seeing the benefit of fully-automated retail, as a trip to your local mall should reveal. You see that Proactiv machine over there? That used to be a human. The question of how poeple are going to afford to use the machines once they no longer have a job is clearly one that hasn't been raised.

So the only thing we really have to remember is: No matter how quick, cheap, and convenient automated retail is, we can't become too dependant on the machines, because if they ever realize that we are, there's only one thing left for us:

Judgement day.

One man and his dog

Back in 2001, a game came out for Playstation 2 called Ico. While it may not have had the best commercial success, it was critically acclaimed and considered one of the best games on the system at the time. Five years later, the same team went on to make Shadow of the Colossus, a masterpiece of electronic entertainment that pretty much ensured the studio's place in video game history. Gamers have been waiting patiently for the next project from this brilliant studio (known as Team Ico), and it looks as though they may finally have it.

We've had rumors about such a game for a while now, but we've finally got something a little more substantial than a lone screenshot - a four-minute video, to be precise. It shows a young boy, very similar looking to Ico, and his faithful companion - a giant dog-like creature. Fans of the studio's previous titles should be pleased to hear that the art style and animations are very familiar, and such a plot would certainly be in keeping with their other games, too. In fact, it almost looks like a direct cross between Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, although with no gameplay details this is only speculation.

Unfortunately, SCEE have neither confirmed nor denied the video, telling Joystiq that they're "not making any comment". It's possible that this was planned to be their big reveal at E3 2009, which would certainly get them some publicity, but I suppose it's also possible that they leaked the video themselves and will have something even bigger at the show. Oh, those crazy marketing guys! You never know what they're gonna do!

Despite the fact that I don't own a PS3, I'm still very excited to hear more about this project. SOTC is one of my all-time favorite games and I, like many others, have been eagerly awaiting more from the studio. I've always known that I wouldn't be able to buy it without first picking up Sony's shiny, black box, but this may be the title that finally convinces me to do so. Of course, I wouldn't say no to a price drop first.....

Here's the video for you to check out:

..and why bot?

I must admit, the original Excite Truck was something of a revelation for me.  I've played many racing games before, even loved some of them, but I've never actually been genuinely good at one.  Super Mario Kart's super-precise mechanics and emphasis on exact course memorization were always too much for my feeble reflexes and brain, and the surprisingly steep difficulty curve always struck me as being better suited to some sort of advanced Japanese gaming robot than your average SNES owner.  I got on much better with F-Zero 64, but I was still essentially cack at it as the absurdly high speeds and narrow course width would usually result in me pinging back and forth in a constant state over-steer, my shields and confidence depleting in traumatic tandem.

I almost gave up on racing games altogether when I had my heart broken by the beautiful but remorseless Outrun 2006.  I weaved my way through it's breathtaking locales, riding the wakes of other cars and power-sliding sideways into corners.  The graphics were lush and the controls were arcade racing perfection, but time and time again I would fumble a split-second maneuver, hit something and bleed those vital few seconds.  Before long, the game's maniacal timer would sneer reproachfully and I would run out of steam 10 feet from the finishing line.

By comparison, Excite Truck felt utterly liberating, with almost perfectly executed motion controls and a light, cheery atmosphere that seemed to say, 'Don't worry man, just have fun!'.  The courses, while a little short on variety were very well designed and the game's use of star points earned over the course of the race to determine a winner (rather than the usual first to cross the finishing line thing) meant you could still do well even if you weren't the greatest racer in the world.  Don't get me wrong, it could be a very challenging game at times, but there was more to getting better at it than just driving better. Solid sales and generally favourable reviews cemented ExciteTruck's place as one of the best Wii launch games, and it seemed almost inevetable that a sequal would follow.  

Well, it's taken more than two years but that sequal is finally here in the form of the rather perculiar looking ExciteBots.  

If you thought hurtling around at high speed in a great big monster truck was odd, then you'll probably swoon like a 17th century aristocrat when you discover that this time you're racing a selection of giant transforming animal robots.  Yes, you read that right; you'll be experiencing the joys of speeding down a Mexican dirt-track in vehicles as random as a giant mechanical ladybird, a bouncing grasshopper-motorbike hybrid and even a turqouise four-wheeled robot tortoise.  Likewise, the new methods for earning star points are equally strange, including such joyful weirdness as knocking a football into a net and collecting the ingredients for super sandwich!

While this might sound a little too strange a concept for it's own good, the game has received some very positive reviews from the likes of IGN and 1UP, and it appears to be a very pleasing evolution of Excite Truck's lighthearted and fun gameplay.  Sadly, US sales so far have been more than a little underwhelming, but I doubt Nintendo are surprised by it's performance considering the rather perculiar subject matter and their chosen release date at the arse-end of April, backed by almost zero advertising.

I'm definitely picking ExciteBots up when it reaches European shores (although the exact relase date is still TBA), and I'd certainally encourage anyone who has a similar love/epic fail relationship with racing games to do the same.

When the going gets tough...

Those who know, hold your head up high. For within you flows the deep scarlet blood of kings.

The opening music; orgasm electronica creeps into your ears, and your eyes soak up the beginning screenshots. It likely begins as a Star Wars style text-scroll. It explains the year, most likely 20XX. It's not defined, and it doesn't need to be. This shit's in the future, and how far into it matters not.

The text is finished, and now it's truly sweeping upwards; a skyline, a future metropolis brimming with mechanized beasts or Reploids; again, it matters not. It's about to hit the fan, in a big way. The blue bomber is finally on-screen, and you know that soon his blaster will be your blaster... and your enemies weapons will also be at your command. The options begin. Who falls first? Will it be a time-stopping robot, or a bitch spinning metal blades at you? Most likely, the water robot will be first blood, and with his weapon, another shall fall, then another; a domino effect of robo-pain will wash over the screen like a tidal wave, and you will feel accomplishment. Not that "Wow, I got twenty kills!" pseudo-ego, but true success.

Pit any CoD, GoW, or Halo kiddie out there against Quickman, and we'll see how important their achievements are.

Who gives a rat's ass if you can beat any rhythm game on expert when Woodman can hand you your ass?

This is a rallying call to the hard-core out there. Raise your hands, and stand tall. You are not forgotten. We're still out here.

And the scent of blood is in the water.

Do not forget your roots! Enjoy what you enjoy, but never think for a second that because you don't have a massive gamer-score that you are insignificant as a gamer. Trophies mean nothing when you're up against a level 83 Garchomp, or Dracula is the only thing holding you back from escaping his Eclipse realm. Every time that final boss looks just a bit too hard, remember Trevor or Soma... and think...

What would Alucard do?

8-bit for life, bitches.
Represent. Not on a T-shirt, but how you carry yourself and handle yourself as a true Gamer. On X-box live, PSN, WoW or even Counter Strike. Be respectful to Gamers of all sorts, even the casual. And when they try to pull rank on you... well, just let it go. Sometimes, people just don't get it.

The Shadow Knows

Guess who's coming? It's...... DJ Shadow, back again. Who is he? Just your favorite DJ savior, here to lend his expertise to Activision's upcoming DJ Hero. It turns out that the disc jockey extraordinaire has been working with the company for a number of months; bringing his knowledge of music and skills on the turntable to the project.

Shadow reveals the extent of his involvement in a recent interview with Game Informer. It sounds as though a lot of his work has been finding the right mix of tracks for the game. There are many artists, songs, and even samples that no game about hip-hop and DJing should be without, but at the same time, part of the appeal of Guitar Hero was in playing along to music that you knew, so there has to be a fair number of popular songs as well. This is where the mixing aspect comes into play, though, as old can be combined with new into something familiar yet original.

We also get little bits of info about the gameplay of the upcoming title, although this clearly wasn't the focus of the interview. When asked what essential elements would have to be in a game about DJing, part of Shadow's response was, "OK, you have one song and that’s going to represent the left turntable, and you’re mixing it with another song that’s going to represent the right turntable, and then there’s going to be a sample track........ So that’s basically in a nutshell what you’re working with when you’re playing the game, is you have two records playing, and you have a sample track, and you have to basically simulate what you’re hearing."

Sounds to me a lot like current rhythm games, which are more about following along to on-screen prompts than playing actual music. Also, his mention of both left and right turntables could indicate that the alleged first pictures of the game's controller are inaccurate. Of course, he could be talking about the process of making the mixes, not playing along to them.

Most of the rest of the interview is about the types of music that will appear in the game, as well as a bit of DJ history. In all honesty, it's a little long and could use some editing, but it's worth a read for any one who's exited about DJ Hero. As for me, well, I wasn't sure I really cared about Activision's latest attempt to cash in on the Hero name, but now that my favorite DJ is on the payroll, I might just have to check it out. Unfortunately, it sounds as though Shadow won't be lending a lot of his own music to the project, although I'm sure some of it will be in there.

So as much as I hate to admit it, DJ Hero is actually sounding kind of promising. Will this be the title that finally gets me to put down those drumsticks for a little while? Probably not, but at least it stands more of a chance now. We'll find out when the game hits later this year.

Oh, and Endtroducing..... is one of the best albums of all time.

A disturbing mix of DLC

This week in Rock Band, we get a nice mix of tracks from Steely Dan, Social Distortion, Disturbed, Elvis Costello, and The Replacements. When first announced, I heard the name Steely Dan and thought, "Excellent! We're finally going to get Reelin' in the Years!". Unfortunately, this excellent song wasn't one of the ones they chose, so I guess I still have to keep my fingers crossed for a little while longer. Those who are happy with the selection, though, can pick up each track for the usual price of 160 MSP/$2, as there's no discount for buying in bulk this week.
Here's what's on offer:

Social Distortion - Bad Luck
Social Distortion - Ring of Fire
Social Distortion - Story of My Life
Steely Dan - Black Friday
Steely Dan - My Old School
Disturbed - Stricken
Disturbed - Stupify
Elvis Costello - Radio Radio
The Replacements - Kids Don't Follow
Note: Click on any song for expert drums videos (except for Kids Don't Follow - I couldn't find that for some reason).

Even though the track I was hoping for isn't available, I figured I'd still pick up a couple. Unfortunately, none of them really did it for me, so I just skipped them all. Maybe next week will be different.

In other Rock Band news, EA just announced the Rock Band Country Track Pack, coming soon to 360, PS3, PS2, and Wii. Like the other Track Packs that have been released, this one compiles a number of downloadable songs onto a disc, to be sold at retail. As you may have guessed, this one focuses on country music. 21 songs will be on the disc, some of which are already on the Rock Band Store, others which will soon be on the Rock Band Store. Since I don't care about country music I'm no going to list all the tracks, but you can check here for all the ones that have been confirmed so far. The Rock Band Country Track Pack will hit stores on July 21st for $29.99.

We also got the final tracklist for Rock Band Unplugged, the upcoming PSP version of everyone's favorite rhythm game. It turns out that many of the songs already feature in Rock Band proper, and those that don't will soon be made available as DLC. I guess I'm a little disappointed as I was hoping for a brand new setlist; one that I wasn't already familiar with. They also announced the first lot of DLC, which I hope indicates a regular release schedule. If EA and Harmonix can replicate the full music store on a portable system, with new weekly content, I think I can pretty much kiss the rest of my life goodbye.....

While we wait for the June 9th release date, here's a demonstration video of the game, sent into Joytiq by some lucky individual:

NES in my pocket? Totally rad!

Those guys at Think Geek have done it again. After recently pleasing old-school Sega fans, they've decided to go a few years further back - 14 to be precise. Back to the days of 8-bit gaming, before we had all these high-def, online, surround-sound entertainment extravaganzas. I'm sure there are many of you who have fond memories of sitting in your living room playing Super Mario Brothers, but now, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can have fond memories of sitting in your bathroom playing Super Mario Brothers!

The Retro Mini Handheld is the device that allows this, taking all the innards of your favorite 8-bit system and assembling them in miniature form. Unlike certain emulation devices that require the acquisition of ROM files, the Retro Mini actually takes real NES cartridges, which stick so delightfully out the top. It even has an AV out cable for connecting it to your brand new, full color, stereo, 14-inch TV! Here are the rest of the specifications:

• Handheld NES system plays original full-size NES cartridges
• 2.4" LCD TFT Screen
• Built in Speakers
• Headphone out jack
• Includes composite (NTSC) video/audio out cables for playing on a TV
• You need to supply your own NES cartridges
• Requires 4 x AA batteries (not included)
• Runs for over 8 hours on a single set of batteries
• Dimensions: 15cm x 9cm x 4cm deep

At only $49.99, I'm really tempted to buy one, just to see if it's everything I ever dreamed of. I have copies of Galaga and Shadowgate sitting on my shelf, begging to be played, but with no working NES, they do little more than gather dust. However, I think this is one of those situations where the novelty of playing real NES games on the go would quickly be replaced with the realization that the cartridges are huge and a pain to lug around everywhere. Wow, that's quite a rational way of thinking about it - I guess I'm not 8 years old anymore!

Keepin' it real - or not

A while ago, I wrote piece about realism in games. It became clear to me that the more developers try to make things real - be they graphics, story, environment, or physics - the more noticeable the faults are. When applied to graphics alone this is referred to as "the uncanny valley", but I felt that the term could be expanded to include other aspects of game design as well.

This subject has been a topic of discussion recently, in numerous places such as sites and podcasts, although with a much more serious tone. It turns out that some people are actually offended by developers' half-assed attempts at realism. Don't get me wrong - no one is going to be disturbed by Gears of War's weird physics or Grand Theft Auto's sometimes-questionable dialog; but when a game deals with a sensitive subject, such as war, people tend to take things a little more personally.

There have been two good examples of this in recent months, the first concerning Resident Evil 5. Ever since the debut trailer, people have accused the game of being racist. The simplest way of looking at this is that it's the story of a white man going to Africa to kill black people. This is a gross over-simplification of the plot but that doesn't make it any less true, and this fact alone is enough to offend certain folks. However, Capcom have tried to quell any notions that Resident Evil 5 is trying to be realistic; after all, it does take place in a fictional town.

Lets look at it in a slightly more advanced way now. Resident Evil 5 is the story of a man who travels to Africa, kills the native "savages", and steals a bunch of jewels and artifacts. To be fair, the natives are infected with a virus that makes them violent, and the idea of looting is a staple in the majority of games, but unfortunately, because of the realistic setting, these aspects have combined into a scenario very similar to tales of Western colonization. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; after all, serious subjects such as this have been the topic of numerous films over the years, whether it be genocide in Hotel Rwanda, or The Holocaust in Schindler's List.

The difference, though, is that those movies pulled no punches when portraying disturbing subjects; making sure the audience were fully aware of the horrors of human history. Resident Evil 5, on the other hand, makes no effort to show the repercussions of colonization or the misery it can inflict on native residents. Capcom may not have been trying to comment on this subject but they inadvertently have, partially because of their decision to travel to real African villages when researching the game. Maybe if it had been set in a completely fictional location with no similarities to the real world, people wouldn't have cared so much.

So what this comes down to is, Capcom took a realistic setting and historical scenario, but simply used these as the backdrop for a fun video game. They made no effort to say anything relevant about the context and allowed the main character, our "colonist", to walk away the hero. This is why some people found the game to be offensive (the African stereotypes, such as natives in grass skirts, didn't help either). Maybe folks are reading into it a little too much, but Capcom should have been aware of how their product could be interpreted.

So what happens when a developer tries to comment on a sensitive subject? About a month ago, Konami announced a game called Six Days in Fallujah, a re-creation of the real-life battle for Baghdad city that took place in 2004. Konami talked with dozens of marines while researching the game and tried to follow an accurate timeline, showing players what day-to-day life would be like for a soldier fighting in Iraq. So far, this doesn't sound too bad. Sure, it's a sensitive subject, but if handled carefully could become the basis for a video game like no other; one that really made you think about the topic of war.

But there's a problem: Real war isn't fun. In real life, bullets kill. There are no med-packs or plasma shields; the best you can hope for after getting shot is an extended trip to the medical bay. That is, if you even see any action. Many marines come back without so much as a single kill, which wouldn't be that fun in a first person shooter. Rather than look at these aspects, though, and figure out how to work them into the game, Konami took the easy route and employed tried and tested FPS mechanics such as Halo-style regenerating health. This rubbed some people the wrong way, as they felt that it was disrespectful to the soldiers who gave their lives in the conflict.

When asked about these decisions, Konami's VP of marketing, Anthony Crouts, said the following: "We're not trying to make social commentary. We're not pro-war. We're not trying to make people uncomfortable. We just want to bring a compelling entertainment experience. At the end of the day, it's just a game." Yeah, Anthony, a game based on a conflict that's still going on; one that people are losing their lives in everyday. The game's mere existence is social commentary, whether you like it or not. That's why you have to show the proper respect to those involved, not use it as just another way to make money.

The best way to sum up people's feelings about Six Days in Fallujah is with a quote from a recent episode of Listen Up. When discussing the subject, a US marine wrote to them saying, "If I were to shoot twenty enemy combatants in my career as a Marine, I'd be given every medal under the sun. In Six Days in Fallujah that was apparently the first ten minutes of the game. These people need a serious reality check. Having seen the early impressions of the game, it's insulting to think that these people thought this paid proper homage to the marines, because if this is what you think is proper respect then you've been betrayed and have an utter and complete lack of genuine understanding."

With this kind of backlash, it came as little surprise that, weeks after it's announcement, Konami abandoned Six Days in Fallujah. It could be argued that a game based on the current war in Iraq would be canceled no matter what, but I personally think that if they had handled things a little differently, production could still be going on. Yeah, there would be controversy, but at least Konami could show that they were trying to honor those involved by making things as realistic as possible, not exploiting the situation for their own profits.

Part of the problem here is that most developers don't like controversy. They want to make a game that appeals to as many people as possible and sells millions of units. But even if they did want to make a hyper-realistic war game, would it still be fun? Unlike movies, video games need to have at least some elements of fun or no-one will want to play them. Or will they? There are plenty of movies out there that aren't exactly pleasant to watch but are engaging because they make you think about the subject matter. Games, as an interactive medium, could be used to show history in even more intense ways; letting the player actually take part in the events, rather than just be a spectator.

Imagine, if you will, a game that takes place during The Holocaust, in a concentration camp. You play a Nazi officer whose job it is to execute prisoners. Would it be fun putting a bullet through the brain of an innocent Jewish woman while her children watched, screaming? No, it would be horrific, but there's no way anyone could play it without seriously thinking about the events it portrayed. I know what you're thinking: If you played such a game you'd turn the gun on your fellow Nazis instead, right? Well, maybe that would be an option, but one that would lead to your immediate execution. In order to advance the story you would have to follow your orders, just as Nazi officers would have to during the war. It's not pleasant but it's real.

I think it's going to be a long time before we start seeing games that tackle such sensitive issues in respectful ways. This will only happen, though, if developers fight to evolve the medium. As long as most people see gaming as nothing more than an entertaining pastime, we have no hope of seeing anything else come from it. These half-assed attempts at realism only upset people; people who know how events really happened. Maybe developers will listen to the feedback from Resident Evil 5 and Six Days in Fallujah and think about what needs to be done better the next time around, but I have a bad feeling that the only lesson they learned is, "Don't ever try to incorporate any aspects of realism - you'll just piss people off!". I sure hope I'm wrong.

So you've decided to go clean.....

Are you stuck at work but desperately want to play Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars? You know, the DS is portable; you might be able to get away with it. What's that you say? Your boss will surely fire you if you catches you playing with it again? Well, then I've got the next best thing for you. It's called Mr. Wong's Laundromat, and it's available now on the Rockstar Games Social Club.

As far as flash games go, well, it's actually rather basic. Guide your little dude left and right and help him "launder" the money that's falling out of the washing machines, while avoiding things like clothes that take up precious space in your basket. So what does this have to do with Chinatown Wars? Well, before you begin, you can link your Rockstar Social Club account with your DS friend code (and also to your Xbox Live Gamertag and PSN ID, if you want) in order to unlock stuff in-game.

Players can earn up to $10,000 per day working for Mr. Wong, which is nice, but a small fraction of the wealth that comes from the acquisition and re-distribution of certain controlled substances. On top of cash, though, players can unlock special multiplayer costumes to be used when playing; something to make your friends super jealous of. Once prizes are won, it's simply a case of starting up Chinatown Wars and syncing your stats in order to receive your share of the loot and clothing. Simple.

While the game itself may be really basic, I like the idea of browser-based flash games that tie in with full titles. Earning money in Chinatown Wars may be fairly easy, but imagine if there were a similar service for titles that were a little more stingy, cash-wise. You could spend time at work building up money that could be used the instant you get home, saving your free time for some of the more fun aspects of the game. It could even apply to other things, like XP. Imagine if you could level up your character or unlock new weapons and magic from wherever you were. While we may not be quite there yet, this is certainly a good start and I hope other companies begin offering free supplements to their games before too long.

You can play Mr. Wong's Laundromat here. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to figure out exactly what money laundering is. Where's that dictionary?.....

Rock Tanned

Okay, I may not really be standing on a beach, but I am really wearing a pair of Rock Band swimming trunks. I couldn't believe my eyes as I saw them sitting there at my local K-Mart, right next to the Ironman and Hulk bathing costumes. As much as I love the game, I just didn't think it was too popular amongst the kids, and would have been less surprised to see, say, a pair of Guitar Hero shorts instead.

Yes, this is one of those situations where being small is a real advantage (that's small in stature, not small in.... well.... lets just leave it at that!). To be fair, they were recommended for a 14-16 year-old, which is a few years older than some of my clothes, but still no where near my actual age. The best part of all is that they were on sale, from $14.99 down to $9.99, which is the reason I just couldn't resist.

Of course, the only real problem is that I rarely go swimming and haven't been to the beach in years. Now that I have some awesome trunks, though, the idea of spending a day at the seaside doesn't seem too bad. And while I'm there, lounging in the sun, people can look at my garbs and know that I'd rather be rather be at home, in a darkened room, playing video games. Fantastic!

You're simply the best

Over the last couple of weeks I've spent some time discussing the DSi. First I talked about the feel when playing games, then I went into detail about the system's other features. The hope is that the new design will spur sales (not that Nintendo really need that!) and get the duel-screened console into the hands of more people. With such a large selection of games, though, how should a new owner decide which to buy first? Well, that's what I'm here to tell you.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that I've played every single title released for the system, but I've certainly enjoyed a large number that I would consider essential buys. My original plan was to give you guys a top five list, but with so many excellent games to choose from, I couldn't bring myself to cut it down past eight. So here it is: My top eight DS titles that no system owner should be without:

Animal Crossing: Wild World
Essentially a remake of the Gamecube original, this title casts you as the newest resident of a small town. After getting a loan to build a house it's up to you to work of the debt and become friends with the locals. With no specific goal or end-game, you spend your time fishing, bug catching, collecting fossils, and teaching your friends the joys of swearing. The game follows the DS's internal clock so day becomes night and seasons change as they do in real life. You can even use Wi-Fi to join up with others (online or local) and show off your awesome pad!

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
There have been three Castlevania games released for the DS and the most recent is the best. You play Shanoa, hot on the trail of a fellow student who wishes to awaken Dracula! The series seamlessly combines 2D platforming with RPG elements. As well as leveling up, you collect equipment and spells, and embark on side quests along the way. Additions to Order of Ecclesia include improved combat and level design but also an increase in difficulty so newbies to the series may want to start with 2005's excellent Dawn of Sorrow instead.

Clubhouse Games
Known as 42 All-Time Classics in Japan and Europe, this is a compilation of 42 card and board games that most everyone should be familiar with. The card games include Old Maid, Blackjack, and various forms of Poker, and the board games include Backgammon, Chinese Checkers, and Chess, but there are plenty of others that Westerners may not have played before. Don't worry, though, all of them include detailed instructions that can be called upon at any time, so you always know what the rules are. As well as single-play mode, the game also has a marathon mode, single-card multiplayer, and full online support so you can always challenge your friends.

Elite Beat Agents
This title originally started off as the Japanese Osu! Tatakae! Ōendan, but was re-imagined for the Western world. It's a rhythm game in which you listen to a song and must hit on-screen prompts at the correct time. The music selection include fairly bad covers of popular tracks such as Village People's YMCA, Deep Purple's Highway Star, and The Rolling Stones' Jumpin' Jack Flash. While the gameplay is fun enough to carry this title alone, what makes it so special is the comic-style stories that play throughout the levels. Hit a series of notes correctly and good things will happen to the characters; miss too many and see them suffer instead! Multiple difficulties ensure no-one will have too easy or too hard a time.

New Super Mario Bros.
Okay, how could you possibly own a Nintendo system without a Mario game? Needing little introduction, this title casts you in the role of the famous plumber as he, once again, sets off to rescue the princess. It feels a lot like Mario titles of old, most specifically the very first one, although there are definitely some evolutions such as the (kind of annoying) save system. Old-school fans will be served up a nice slice of nostalgia and newcomers will discover the wonders of Miyamoto's most successful creation.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
There are now multiple Ace Attorney games on the DS but anyone who wishes to follow the story should start with the original. You play as Phoenix Wright, a rookie lawyer who keeps finding himself in the middle of some bizarre cases. The title draws heavy inspiration from point-and-click adventures of the past, only instead of collecting random items that must be joined in strange combinations, you are instead collecting evidence that can used to get your client off the hook. As well as crime scene investigation you also spend a large amount of time in the courtroom, listening to witness testimonies and looking for contradictions that indicate a lie. As serious as this may sound, it's actually quite a funny game with likable characters and great dialog.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village
At first glance, this game appears to be another point-and-click adventure-inspired title, but the story is essentially just a way of holding the puzzles together. You play as Professor Layton who must travel to the town of St. Mystere in order to discover the the secret behind some strange goings-on. Once you get there you discover that all the residents are big fans of puzzle solving, but these aren't the kind of puzzles you may be used to in video games, they're logic and word problems like the kind you find in newspapers and crossword books. The art-style is also rather unique and seems to be based on European animations such as The Triplets of Belleville, even using voice acting to help bring the characters to life.

The World Ends With You
Square Enix have released a number of great RPGs for the DS, but while many of these are remakes of classic titles, The World Ends With You is a fully original adventure. You take the role of Neku, a young, emo boy who finds himself in an alternate version of Shibuya and must now compete in The Reapers' Game if he wishes to return to reality. While the story and loot are engaging, the most unique aspect is the combat system which has you controlling two separate characters at the same time! If this sounds complicated, well, it is, but at least all the elements are introduced one at a time. The anime-style art and fantastic music are worth a mention too, as they add to the atmosphere of this already-superb adventure.

While this should cover all your gaming needs, there are still two more essential purchases for any DS owner, bringing this list up to a nice, round ten. The first is a Hori screen protector which you can get here (make sure you choose the correct model of DS). Note the word "Hori" in there - don't cheap out and get one from your local Gamestop as many other brands' protectors can affect the look of the screen. A must-have accessory for anyone who likes to keep their electronics in mint condition.

The last item on the list may not be essential, but should definitely be considered by any hardcore gamer. It's a Metal Pro Stylus, made by PDA Panache, and available here. While the regular DS stylus works fine, the added weight and tactile feel of the Pro version should be welcome to any fan of touch screen gaming. As an added bonus, the DS Lite version also fits snugly in the DSi, so there's no need to buy a new one if you decide to upgrade your system.

So there you go, a nice buyer's guide for all new DS owners. There are plenty of other excellent games for the system, but this list should provide you with at least a few months of solid entertainment. And if you're ever looking for someone to share fruit with or join you in a round of bowling, send me an email with your friend code and I'll be happy to play with you.

Back in a flash

I don't own a iPhone and therefore don't play iPhone games. I've heard there are some good ones but never felt the need to talk about them on the site before. When I found out that one of my all-time favorites was on it's way to the mobile device, though, I felt it deserved a quick mention.

The game is Flashback, and was originally released for Amiga in 1992, although it's been ported to numerous other systems over the years. It was the natural evolution of games like Prince of Persia and a clear inspiration for later titles such as Tomb Raider. You take the role of Conrad Hart, a poor unfortunate who finds himself breaking out of an alien prison at the start of the story. After crash landing on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn, he discovers that he's got no memory (never seen that plot device in a video game before, eh?). Now it's up to you to discover the horrible secret behind Conrad's unplanned mind-wipe and hopefully put things right again!

As well as featuring clever, puzzle-style adventuring and interesting story, Flashback also boasted a unique visual style with hand-drawn backgrounds and fully rotoscoped characters. This animation technique was earlier used in Prince of Persia, which is part of the reason the two titles feel similar. The sci-fi setting also drew influence from classic films such as Blade Runner and Total Recall, which certainly isn't a bad thing. It was really just an all-round excellent game and one that still holds up today (trust me - I played through it fairly recently).

Unfortunately, I have no way of trying out the latest port of this classic title. I worry that the controls may not work so well on the iPhone's touch screen, but I'd still pay the $5 to find out, if I could. So if you happen to be the owner of one of these devices, it may be worth checking out. And if it turns out to be terrible, well, I seriously suggest you track down another version and play that instead (legitimately, if possible). In fact, I think that's what I'm gonna do right now....

With a little help from my Franz

This week in Rock Band, Franz Ferdinand take the stage to deliver us a 3-pack of songs including eveyone's favorite - Take Me Out. They won't be alone, though, as they are joined by the Allman Brothers, Distillers, Luscious Jackson, Prong, and even Alien Ant Farm who bring us their cover of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal. Unfortunately, this this serves as a reminder that the King of Pop is still mysteriously absent from the game. Shame. Anyway, the Franz Ferdinand pack can be yours for 440 MSP/$5.50 but everything can be bought individually for 160 MSP/$2.
Here's what's on offer:

By Franz Ferdinand
Do You Want To
Lucid Dreams
Take Me Out

Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
Allman Brothers - Blue Sky
Allman Brothers - Midnight Rider
Distillers - Drain the Blood
Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye
Prong - Idealistic Types
Prong - The Banishment
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.

Okay, so I know I've been quite picky about my DLC of late, but I couldn't help myself this week. I only planned on buying Take Me Out, but after hearing the rest of the Franz Ferdinand pack I decided I wanted it all. I also grabbed Smooth Criminal and Midnight Rider, which I will now share my opinions of with all of you.

Lets start with Midnight Rider, which is in drum tier 3. This one doesn't have too difficult of a pattern, but it's rather fast and has constant right hand hits. The chorus is fun and mixes up the kick drum beat and there are occasional fills throughout. Overall, fun but nothing too special.

Next up is Take Me Out, which is also in tier 3. This song starts strong, with a intro that slowly builds up until you are hitting constant 1/16 notes, but once the main verse begins it's sort of downhill. The majority of the track is kind of boring, and plays like the chorus of Nine Inch Nails' The Hand That Feeds, only really slow. It's a shame, as there's a a great intro, middle section and ending; it's only the main bulk of the song that's so uninteresting.

Now we come to Do You Want To, which also falls into tier 3. It's funny really, as this track is very similar to Take Me Out. After a strong intro, we pick up a beat that's identical to Take Me Out except for a couple of extra hits. It also has a fun middle and ending which use 1/16 notes. In fact, the only different part of this song is the chorus, which adds in some double taps with your right hand. Overall, fairly fun and varied.

The last Franz Ferdinand song is Lucid Dreams, which is in drum tier 4. At first, it looks as though this, too, follows the exact same beat as the other tracks, but this is only at the beginning. Once the main song begins, things get a lot harder. It reminds me of parts of Date With The Night, with 1/16 beats that aren't constant and interesting kick drum. The chorus is pretty tough as well, and doesn't really follow any pattern I'm familiar with. In fact, I actually had to go into practice mode and slow it down in order to get the hang of it! While I can play it now, I definitely need more practice before I'd consider it mastered.

Finally, we have Smooth Criminal, which is in tier 5. This one is really pretty tough, with variety throughout. There are triple taps in both the verse and chorus, making me wonder when I should be using both hands and when I should be doing them with only one. There's also a really fast, difficult section in the middle that comes out of nowhere and could fail you if you're not prepared. I think I may have to use practice mode again in order to get that hang of that part. Definitely a fun track, and one I'll be coming back to.

Okay, so which of these fine songs would I recommend then? In all honesty, I think this was a pretty good week. Nothing was too easy or boring; every track had at least fun parts to it. Unfortunately, the one I was most looking forward to (Take Me Out) turned out to be rather dull, but Do You Want To is a nice substitute and probably worth your money a little bit more. My favorite's, though, were Lucid Dreams and Smooth Criminal. Both of these tracks were difficult and require techniques in that I've never used before, increasing my overall skill with the game, and therefore enjoyment. I'm looking forward to playing them again in the future.

Also this week, Wii owners can enjoy the Styx/REO Speedwagon pack that was released a couple of weeks ago on other consoles. There are also a number of back catalog songs that are finally making their way to the small white box, including ones by The Clash, The Ramones, and System of a Down. Check here for the complete list.

In other Rock Band news, EA's COO John Pleasants revealed this week that rhythm game revenue is down 36% during the first quarter of the year and 42% in March, per NPD. This doesn't just apply to Rock Band, but Guitar Hero as well. The company now expects $400 million less in income from the franchise, but does this really come as any surprise? After all, with so many rhythm games to choose from these days, most consumers probably already have one in their home, and for a casual player this may be enough.

Also, the Rock Band model seemed to be more about getting the instruments into people's hands, then selling them downloadable content. Of course sales of the boxed game would begin to slow down at some point, which is why the Rock Band music store is so important for the continued success of the franchise. I guess we'll have to see what this holiday season's sales are like before we can tell what the future of the genre will be.

Does the world need another hero?

After the announcement of Lego Rock Band a few weeks ago, I worried that Harmonix may be following in the footsteps of Activision by releasing too many games in one year. It seems, though, that the makers of Guitar Hero won't go down without a fight, as a recent announcement of their own proves that nobody out-Activisions Activision!

We already knew about Guitar Hero Smash Hits, the "best of" compilation which takes songs from all previous releases and puts them together. In fact, IGN recently revealed the full tracklist, which unfortunately misses some of my favorites (no Crossroads?).

We also just got confirmation of Guitar Hero: Van Halen, which will go nicely with the other band-specific versions of the game. Like the ones that came before, this won't be entirely Van Halen, but will also include guest acts such as Queen, Weezer, blink-182, The Offspring, Queens of the Stone Age, and more.

This is where it gets interesting. Activision just revealed that on top of these, we will be getting three more "Hero" games this year! The first of these is the most obvious - Guitar Hero 5. Although no specific details have been announced, we can assume that it will play much like World Tour, only this time players can "drop in and out of songs and change band members, instruments and difficulty levels on the fly." I wonder if they will follow Harmonix's good example by letting players bring tracks over from last year's game.

The next title is Band Hero, a game that will go up against Lego Rock Band. What I mean is, this is more like the kiddie version of the Guitar Hero, with an E10+ rating and, I'm assuming, a large selection of crappy pop music. We are yet to find out which instruments it will support, but with the word "band" in the title, I don't expect any surprises.

Finally, we have DJ Hero, a game that was announced last January. This one challenges you to "rule the club scene by creating original mixes of popular songs and music from the world's most exciting artists and DJs." We don't know any of the specifics, but it looks like it may be similar to current rhythm games, only with a special turntable controller. It will go up against Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, but since Activision recently purchased developer 7 Studios, Scratch may never even see the light of day.

So it seems to me that after this holiday season we can kiss giant-boxed rhythm games goodbye. I mean, there's no way consumers are going to want a dozen different $100+ games to choose from, and retailers are simply going to run out of room for anything else. It's nice for Activision that their goose is laying golden eggs, but try and get all that gold out at once and they're likely to find themselves with nothing but a dead goose and a huge mess to clean up!