Guitar Hero, the arcade game? According to rumors, an arcade version is incoming from developer Raw Thrills and publisher Konami. Konami is of course no stranger to arcade music games with its successful Beatmania, DrumMania and GuitarFreaks titles. A source has apparently told game site bemanistyle.com that the Guitar Hero arcade game is 100 percent true. “So far, our source has stated the cabinet is going to feature 8-10 speakers,” bemanistyle.com writes, “more than 500 LED lights and a 32″ monitor. The cabinet is also reportedly slated to take advantage of Internet connections to provide online cash tournaments sometime starting in 2009.” If true, this arcade title will be unveiled at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions exhibit in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday.

RUMOR: Guitar Hero “Arcade” a Little Less Rumory [bemanistyle.com via Arcade Heroes]

More: continued here

Filed under: X3F Features

This week two of our esteemed writers are having a go at Mirror’s Edge, and both of them are having mixed feelings. Gasp! There’s no time to dawdle though. With seemingly all of the major 2008 releases hitting the shelves within the next month, we’re all going to be very, very busy. But, the video game industry waits for no one, so we’d better just get to it. As always, don’t forget to share what you’re playing in the comments.

Dustin Burg (SuperDunners): I have two big gaming goals this weekend. One being my attempt to reach wave 50 in Gears of War 2’s Horde mode on normal difficulty. My second goal is to finish Mirror’s Edge and generate a solid opinion on the game. So far, I have mixed feelings. That’s about it, Gears 2 and Mirror’s Edge.

Xav de Matos (Snypz): I’ve spent a good amount of time with Faith in Mirror’s Edge. Where do I stand? Well, I don’t know. There are some great ideas in the game but I’m seeing missed opportunities everywhere. I’m also spending a good amount of time playing another big, and upcoming, title … but we can’t talk about that right now. Sorry!

Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM): I finally wrapped up Silent Hill: Homecoming. I have to admit it was a very good entry in the series. Congrats, Double Helix. Now I’m freed up to really dig into Dead Space, which I’m enjoying, though I have to say that it’s only managed to scare me maybe once. Definitely not the psychological brain twisting you get with Silent Hill (thus far anyway). I’ve been digging the Left 4 Dead demo as well. My only problem with it is that it’s way too short. Thankfully that problem goes away when the full retaili version hits next week.

Leaderboards:
Xbox 360 Fanboy Leaderboard
Xbox 360 Fanboy Leaderboard Mk. II

What were you playing? (WRUP archive)

WRUP: Viva variety edition originally appeared on Xbox 360 Fanboy on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

More: continued here

Two years ago tomorrow the PlayStation 3 had its North America launch. Remember November 2006? Ah, yes, the days of $3,000 machines being sold on eBay and beyond-the-pale mayhem in the midnight line-ups to get one. Sony Computer Entertainment America had a far more sedate affair on Wednesday, toasting the two year anniversary (don’t call it a “birthday”) of the console.

There were no big announcements or proclamations at the event, but it did showcase Killzone 2 and Resistance: Retribution, kind of apt considering Resistance: Fall of Man was a console launch title. They also had a video depicting the evolution of the console’s firmware, which is always sort of trippy to remember what you didn’t have two years ago and what you take for granted now. And on that score, of course, PlayStation Home’s open beta will hit sometime before the end of the year.

Worldwide sales of the console stand at 16.8 million units at the year two mark. So, cheers and here’s to year three.

More: continued here

Wii Sports and Wii Fit have, for the most part, sold at astronomical rates. Though, the same cannot be said for the third brother in the family, Wii Music. Reported NPD numbers say that Wii Music sold more than 50,000 units, which isn’t exactly terrible. However, compared to Wii Fit, Wii Music has garnered a less successful reception. Nintendo wholeheartedly believes in the game, however, and are more than willing to defend the game’s sales…

More: continued here

From xbox360fanboy.com (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/11/13/rumor-zune-to-double-as-additional-xbox-storage/ ):[QUOTE]The rumor comes from the latest Zune newsletter that posts a link to this survey (http://surv.cheetahmail.com/s?n=319&t=hBJHF0qBhXwJuB7W$TQB18CunQe&CELL_ID=264&NODE_ID=21276362&USER_PUID=2533274798913995 ). After click “Yes” to the first question, question number two asks “Have you ever connected your Zune to your Xbox to do any of the following?” Not newsworthy, except for the fact that one of the possible answers is “Use my Zune hard drive for extra Xbox storage”. Interesting …Just don’t get too excited, because survey answer could have duel meanings. It could be referring to a Zune being used as official Xbox 360 storage allowing game saves and Marketplace downloads, which would be BIG news. Or the survey answer could be referring to the Zune being a portable media device and used as music and picture storage for use on the 360. If that’s the case, this isn’t news.[/QUOTE]Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/11/13/rumor-zune-to-double-as-additional-xbox-storage/ )

More: continued here

ROME (Reuters) - Facebook said on Friday it had removed several pages from its site used by Italian neo-Nazis to incite violence after European politicians accused the Internet social networking site of allowing a platform to racists.

More: continued here XBOX, PS3 and WII Gaming News

Filed under: News

Blade Interactive, developer of the upcoming waterlogged survival adventure game Hydrophobia, has told Eurogamer that it plans to self-publish the game in March 2009. Hydrophobia takes place on the Queen of the World, a massive city-sized ship with a teensy problem, it’s sinking. The protagonist, Kate Wilson, as it turns out, is deathly afraid of water. It kind of makes you wonder why she applied for a job on a giant boat, but we digress. The game focuses on water based puzzles and incorporates an impressive liquid physics engine to facilitate them.

Blade Interactive already has a sequel planned, the hope of which floats on the success of Hydrophobia.

[Via Joystiq]

Hydrophobia flows to March 2009 originally appeared on Xbox 360 Fanboy on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

More: continued here

See it? Look closely. In the DS cartridge slot. In the cart in the cartridge slot. The Micro DS Card. It’s there, we think, look. Just as Kyoto cops are cracking down on the R4 business in Japan, Japan-based Chinese bikini model Rola Chen is totally using a R4. And totally taking pictures of herself using it. And totally putting that on her official blog. She writes, “During times when I’m waiting around, I play my DS! …Now, what game do you think Rola?” Dunno, but we’re pretty sure Rola didn’t pay for it. Arrest her, officers!

??????DS [Rola SMILY Diary via Livedoor News]

More: continued here

Slashgamer Writes:"Entertainment Weekly compiled a list for the Top ‘25 Entertainers of the Year.’ And this is when you know video games have made it in the world. According to the magazine publication, the seventh most entertaining thing that came out this year was…RockBand 2."

Read what EW writes about the game…

More: continued here

If there’s one word that sums up World at War for us, it’s ‘brutal’. The latest Call of Duty, developed over the last two years by Treyarch – not series creator Infinity Ward – is a brutal slog through a WWII setting unlike any other. You may think you’ve ‘been there’ and ‘done that’ when it comes to this particular global conflict, but after five minutes in either the blood-soaked single player campaign or the frenzied multiplayer you’ll realise that this is far from your average, tired WWII shooter. …

More: continued here