It appears us Australians are going to miss out on yet another game this year because of our lack of a R rating for videogames. The latest casualty is Fallout 3.

But it isn't for the violence or swearing, but because the main character can use morphine as a stimulant, which people under 18 seemingly can't handle. Excuse me, I'm going to go become a drug addict now.

Just a week ago Metal Gear Solid 4 lost it's top spot in the Japanese sales charts.

This week shows Derby Stallion DS pushing Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk from the top stop, with MGS4 dropping all the way down to seventh place.

"Breaking news...


Xbox 360 Codename: Cagney

We’re sorry to announce that the Codename: Cagney update for Xbox 360 has been delayed by 4 days.

The update is currently with Microsoft and is now on track to be released on 14th July.


PlayStation 3 Codename: Cagney

The PlayStation 3 version of Cagney has been approved by Sony in the USA, Europe and Japan. We currently await approval by Sony in Korea.

This means that the PlayStation 3 version of Cagney should release on July ..."

"Picking up almost four years after the "Big Shell Incident" from MGS 2, Metal Gear Solid 4 takes place in a world where the restriction of military intervention on foreign soil has been eased, fuelling the need for private military companies to fight proxy wars for business purposes. Nanotechnology has become prominent, both to enhance the capabilities and enforce the loyalty of mercenaries and five of the largest PMC’s are owned by Outer Haven, a company operated in the Middle East by Liquid..."

"I don't have any more specifics right now, but like Kaz [Hirai] said, it will go live [in the US] this summer and I think it will offer consumers everything they're looking for from us. It will offer everything they expect from us and probably a little bit more."

As mentioned in my article yesterday Metal Gear Online now has a new game mode and new rules after the recent maintenance. The new game mode taking its inspiration from the Sneaking game mode features two teams battling it out, one team trying to steal one of two objects, the other team trying to defend them. But there's a catch, the attacking team has stealth camouflage but is limited to non lethal weapons while the attacking team can use whatever they please

Contrary to what most of us have probably been given the impression of (if you don't pay attention to rumours anyway), Blizzard says Diablo III on consoles is "theoretically possible." During a Eurogamer interview previewing the game, chief designer Rob Pardo seems to think out loud on what such an endeavour would entail.

It's a really solid preview too, so check it out if you're interested.

Unexpectedly, Sony has decided to release a new model of the PS2 in European and Indian territories; this appears to be based on Sony's feeling the PS2 is a "gateway console" for new or inexperienced gamers.

The new model (its unclear whether the one pictured here is the same one being released, as it looks like the same ol' slim PS2) is to be "slimmer, sleeker and more suave". Interestingly, the traditional AC adapter will be replaced by a built-in one.

More than that, the PlayStation...

"According to 2chan, the latest issue of Famitsu quotes Yakuza series director Toshihiro Nagoshi as stating that the game is a direct sequel to Yakuza 2, and is in development exclusively for PS3. In the same article, Nagoshi states that Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! is actually considered a spin-off from the "main" Ryu ga Gotoku series."

"Midnight Club: Los Angeles, which was originally slated for release on September 9th and 12th in North America and Europe, respectively, has been delayed a month until October 7th and 10th, Rockstar Games announced today.

The publisher also announced Midnight Club: LA Remix for the PSP, which is scheduled for a simultaneous release. This version, however, is being handled by Rockstar London (Manhunt 2) rather than the studio in San Diego."

"The controller finally brings vibration - left out of the original PS3 pads for legal rather than design reasons - back to the Playstation. Rumble is subtly effective, especially on racing games, and is one of those features that you tend to miss when not there. So today's release has got to be good news for PS3 owners right? Not quite. The main problem is the price - the controller costs 40 quid. That's around 10 more than the original Sixaxis PS3 controller and the 360's pad. Reviews sugges..."

GamesRadar has put together an article comparing the length of the Wikipedia pages for certain games in comparison to the similar topics and world events.

You know there's something wrong with people when the Call of Duty Wikipedia page is longer than the World War II page, or when the Final Fantasy albums' page is longer than the Rock and Roll page, or when the Minor Star Wars characters page is longer than the Founding Fathers page ...

(go to source for full article)

"With our super-secret hands-on report of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 a little over a week away -- see you on July 11th, everyone -- THQ has loosened its iron grip on some news and let the official box art for SVR '09 hit IGN.

Degeneration X fans should be pleased.

Yes, this year's game will come to you boasting none other than the mugs of the King of Kings and the Showstopper. As you can see below, Triple H and Shawn Michaels are there in all of their badass glory. This is Hunter's fifth..."

""I think for us, we don't really see the Wii as a direct competitor, we actually very much complement the Wii experience. It's obviously clear that we're going head-to-head with the PS3 in this generation. I think what Xbox will be able to do as well as the Wii is grow the market"

When asked about Nintendo's de-emphasizing of hardware power with the Wii, with Gamasutra's interviewer suggesting that "...if they keep going down this path, they don't really need to make a Wii 2", Microsoft's ..."

"However thanks to a podcast made by 1UP the rumor was quickly smashed , stating that Kratos will be absent from Namco’s upcoming game. But, there still is the strong possible that he could be included in future planned downloadable content."

Good news for all you survival horror fans who can't wait until next year's Resident Evil 5 to get your hands on some zombie fun.
Siren: Blood Curse has finally been dated and priced.

The game is set for release on July 24th on PSN.
(A release date for the Blu-Ray version has not yet been announced).

Blood Curse will be broken up into four downloadable chapters, with three episodes per chapter.
Each chapter will cost about $9.90 (GBP 4.99) each, or you can download the entire game...

"Kojima, who lived in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures for 30 years from the age of 3, cannot forget the spirit of entertainment or comedy for which his home region, Kansai, is known.

MGS 4, too, is filled with giggle-inducing aspects. "I'm often asked not to include such elements in a hard-boiled game. But I can't help it," Kojima said with a laugh. "My ideal game is something that makes you want to come back to the world later. It is not enough only to make you enjoy the sense of tension. I w..."