XBox game statuses, More Gaiden Goodness, and The Sony PStwo ...

1. BioWare to use Unreal 3.0 engine
   
2. Another Ninja Gaiden Hurricane Pack
   
3. Game title updates
   
4. Wireless XBox Live Controllers (Finally)
   
5. Sony to release PStwo?
   
6. Sony to release new PSXes -- in Japan?
   
7. New Releases
   

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NEWS:
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1. BioWare to use Unreal 3.0 engine
   
   
   
   • BioWare announced it will be licensing Epic Games' Unreal 3.0 engine, which blew folks away at this years' E3. Having already surprised gamers with the announcement earlier this year of the previously under-wraps Dragon Age (and still working on the XBox-exclusive Jade Empire), BioWare said Epic's Unreal engine will be used for "an as yet unannounced title, which features BioWare’s third new intellectual property."
     
   
   
   
2. Another Ninja Gaiden Hurricane Pack
   
   
   
   • Team Ninja is readying another Ninja Gaiden addition ("Hurricane Pack Vol. II"), which will feature new costuming, enemies (some using new weapons of their own), and tougher, more adaptive AI.
     
   • [Sniffle.] Team Ninja really loves gamers. They're all about growing you. Or killing you ...
     
   
   
   
3. Game title updates
   
   
   
   • Guilty Gear X2 #Reload ships -- the 2D, Live-enabled fighter is finally available, and reviews are stellar so far.
     
   • Fable -- After four years in development, the Big Blue Box's RPG hits store shelves nationwide -- buy it on the cheap from Fry's Electronics for at least a few more days.
     
   • Star Wars Battlefront -- Though the game is scheduled to ship Tuesday to coincide with the boxed-set DVD release of the original trilogy, Best Buy, Hastings, and other retail franchises will be holding midnight release parties tonight for all things Star Wars. The DVD boxed set includes a playable XBox demo of the game. If you're out there tonight, be careful, and cap an Ewok for me.
     
   • Mortal Kombat: Deception -- The title has gone gold, and is on schedule for shipment October 4. The title looks to rejuvenate the franchise in a big way.
     
   • Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude -- The game has gone gold, and troll lovers everywhere can get their freak on coming October 5th.
     
   • Midway Arcade Treasures 2 -- Midway Games second classic games offering was certified gold, and is on schedule for an October 11 release.
     
   • Project: Snowblind -- The FPS game that was Snowblind that was Deus Ex: Clan Wars gets a new name, and is still being developed by Crystal Dynamics, rather than Austin-based Ion Storm.
     
   • Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory -- The third installment in the Ubisoft/Tom Clancy stealth blockbuster franchise looks like it's going to try to avoid the holiday blockbuster slugfest, and is now slated for March of 2005. It looks like due to the delay, the title won't release exclusively on XBox, followed by PS2 and Nintendo (though it still will look better ...).
     
   • Greg Hastings’ Tournament Paintball -- This title actually snuck in under the radar. To be published this fall by Activision's sub-label, Activision Value Publishing, the game plans to merge professional sports with the online and offline FPS genre. Players can play as one of 14 pro paintball brawlers (who knew?), play arcade and multiplayer battles, and individually outfit players and grow them in various skill areas (speed, accuracy, etc.). Let's hope this game is better than it's PC equivalents.
     
   
   
   
4. Wireless XBox Live Controllers (Finally)
   
   
   
   • Hip Interactive Corp. announced a wireless XBox live controller based on Bluetooth technology, allowing fully functional wireless online play previously missing from other offerings. The controller will be released next month, with an MSRP of $99.99.
     
   • Hip is actually second to the wireless communicator game, with their controller joining the XBOX Wireless Wideye Controller (by Wideye). Interestinglyh Wideye's offering uses 2.4GHz technology for the wireless controller, and 900MHz for the audio. This is the same controller released as part of a Microsoft/Hong Kong Cable XBox Live co-packaging deal released in Hong Kong in April.
     
   
   
   
5. Sony to release PStwo?
   
   
   
   • Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) will be holding a strategy conference in Japan Tuesday, mere days before the Tokyo Game Show. Rumors have Sony announcing solid details on the PSP street date and price, and the possibility of a "PStwo" redesign, a la the "PSone" (Sony trademarked "PStwo" earlier this year). Supposedly, the PStwo will be launched October 26, and Take-Two Interactive has delayed Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas until October 26, to take advantage of a co-release or co-branding opportunity. It would be cool, but I'm not holding my breath, since all of the rumors stem from one industry analysts speculative report.
     
   
   
   
6. Sony to release new PSXes -- in Japan?
   
   
   
   • Dunno when we'll see them in the U.S., but Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) will be releasing new versions of the Sony PSX -- their combination PS2/TV tuner/DVR machine -- in Japan in time for the holiday shopping season. Oddly, though the units are thankfully cheaper than previous models and include some new functionality, (Sony has made some odd decisions to remove functionality from the lower end model (a satellite tuner and the unit's ghost reduction capability).
     
   
   
   
7. New Releases
   
   
   
   
   • September 12
     
     
     
     • Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums (Adventure)
       
     • Fable (RPG)
       
     • Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
       
     • ShellShock: Nam '67 (Action)
       
     • Syberia II (Adventure)
       
     • Vietcong: Purple Haze (Action/FPS)
       
     
     
     
   • September 20
     
     
     
     • Def Jam: Fight for NY (Fighting)
       
     • Headhunter: Redemption (Action)
       
     • Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders (Strategy)
       
     • NHL 2005 (Sports)
       
     • Second Sight (Action)
       
     • Star Wars: Battlefront (Action/FPS)
       
     • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 (Sports)
       
     • X-Men Legends (RPG)
       
     
     
     
   • September 27
     
     
     
     • Crash Twinsanity (Action)
       
     • The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee (Driving)
       
     • Rocky: Legends (Sports)
       
     • Shark Tale (Action)
       
     • Still Life (Adventure)
       
     • SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom (Fighting)
       
     • Trigger Man (Action)
       
     • Xbox Live Arcade (Multiple)