The second installment of the Wolfenstein Graphic Novel is now live at FileFront! Head over and check out this trailer highlighting the upcoming game from Raven Software.

Get it at FileFront!

In short, he refers to the recent rumors that Blizzard’s Chinese World of Warcraft servers aren’t going to be coming back up anytime soon. For those of you who aren’t aware, Blizzard recently transferred their license to operate WoW in China to NetEase, away from The9.

The9 filed several lawsuits in an attempt to stop this transfer, and the Chinese government accordingly refused to give NetEase a license to operate WoW, saying that “in order to protect the interests of domestic gaming enterprises,” they would “suspend review of all games belonging to foreign companies in the event of lawsuits or arbitration between foreign companies and Chinese companies.”

The Chinese servers have already been down for a month or so, and there’s still no word on when they might return. This really doesn’t hurt Blizzard as much financially as you might think, as they received little revenue from the Chinese players, who pay as little as 6 cents an hour to play.

But how does this get Blizzard down to 5 million subscribers?

Well, that number is admittedly an estimate, especially since Blizzard doesn’t release subscriber numbers by country…anymore. This number was arrived at by using the percentages from the last press release they revealed these numbers in, which as I recall was just after the release of The Burning Crusade expansion. However, it stands to reason that the country to country proportions wouldn’t shift that far from what they were then. After all, it’s not like WoW wasn’t already an established presence at that time. As Tobold himself explains in the comments of the post,

The source is the last Blizzard press release which still announced user numbers by continent. Unfortunately they stopped doing that a while ago, and we can only assume there have been no major shifts since then.

Blizzard has to be concerned about this. After all, their ‘11 million subscriber’ claim is without a doubt the 800 lb gorilla in the MMORPG room. If this outage continues, they will undoubtedly see players trickle away to other MMOs that are up and running. As we all know, once a player is gone and established elsewhere, it becomes difficult to lure them back.

Many of the affected players have moved to Taiwanese servers, especially those who raid regularly. As for the others, even if Blizzard were to lose every single subscriber, they’d still be somewhere between five and seven million (estimated) active subscribers. That’s still a massive base of playing customers, and it’s still the bulk of their income base, which makes me wonder: Why haven’t we heard about this from Blizzard already? I’d expect them to come out and try to get the court of public opinion on their side (not that it would make much difference to the Chinese government). Still, why haven’t they?

My questions: When will hear the details of this from Blizzard, and how long do you think those servers can remain down before they reach a point where they will not recover the majority of those players? Even more intriguing: Does this whole snafu have anything to do with Electronic Arts’ purchase of The9 in 2007?

Regardless of what we may think, Activision isn’t content to sit back and count all the money they’ve made from Guitar Hero so far. No, they’re going to release yet another iteration of the title.

Guitar Hero 5 will add some new functionality to the title, and strangely enough, it’s actually functionality that makes it a better party game than before. Chief among these new additions is the ‘Pick up and Play’ mode. This will allow anyone to grab an instrument, jump in, play for a few minutes, and drop out without failing or causing the rest of the band to fail. It’s perfect for those unscheduled bathroom breaks in the middle of a song.

They’re also including a RockFest mode to let you face off against four players locally, or up to eight online. Heck, you can even throw down with four guitars at once if you so desire. But the question remains: Do we really need another full game for this? Wouldn’t these features be awesome DLC for the folks who spent nearly $200 on Guitar Hero: World Tour? You could probably even convince those folks to pay for them!

Ah well, maybe I’m just a spoilsport. After all, at least they’re including 83 songs in this version, and all the World Tour DLC will carry over as well. Maybe I’m just sick of having all these plastic instruments clogging up my living room.

At any rate, there’s a brand new trailer showing off these new features. You can grab it over at FileFront, or catch the embedded stream after the break.

According to Robert Bowling, community manager for Infinity Ward (a.k.a. FourZeroTwo), Call of Duty is definitely part of the new title. How can we be sure? Well, he shared this picture with us via his Twitter account.

See, now THAT is definitive. I had thought it strange that Infinity Ward or Activision would remove the CoD title from the game, since that links it into a seriously well-known franchise. Sure, it might confuse the issue of which Call of Duty game is coming next, but I’ll bet it will be totally worth it.

I can assure you all that most of us here at Gaming Today will be available online for you to shoot at on day one of Modern Warfare 2. I know that you will all be happy about that opportunity.

Musical legend Grandmaster Flash, the first DJ to make the turntable an instrument, is coming to DJ Hero, joining the epic list of DJs who will appear as in-game characters and who have created mixes exclusively for the award-winning game. Along with contributing two never-before-released mixes, Grandmaster Flash lends his unique, recognizable voice and DJ know-how to the game’s tutorial level, schooling players on the game mechanics and the turntable controller. To top it off, FreeStyle Games created an exclusive mix using two of Grandmaster Flash’s original creations – “Boom” and “Tap.”

Check out and get ready to play as one of the founding fathers of hip-hop and experience his amazing turntable talents in Grandmaster Flash’s Herbie Hancock “Rockit” vs. N.E.R.D. “Lapdance” and Grandmaster Flash “Here Comes My DJ” vs. Gary Numan “Cars” mixes.

If you’re not familiar with Stardock’s digital distribution platform, Impulse, this would be a good time to give it a look. After all, they’re offering some great deals, like Call of Duty 4 for just $34.99 and Sins of a Solar Empire with its expansion for just $29.99.

The sale also includes titles like the complete Unreal series, Prototype, Red Faction Guerilla, and more. You can get your copy of Impulse and check out all the deals at ImpulseDriven.com

You can also see the full list of games on sale, along with their prices, after the break.

Here’s the full list of games Impulse has discounted for the weekend:

• Titan Quest – $3.99
• Red Faction Guerilla Pre-Order Bundle (RF1, RF2 and RFG) – $39.99 USD | $49.99 EUR | 34.99 GBP
• Sins of a Solar Empire + Entrenchment Bundle – $29.99
• Call of Duty 4 – $34.99
• Prototype – $44.99
• Street Fighter IV Pre-Order – $35.99
• King’s Bounty – $19.99
• Majesty Gold – $4.99
• Flock – $7.50
• Unreal Gold – $7.49
• Unreal II – $7.49
• Unreal Tournament 2004 – $11.29
• Unreal Tournament GotY – $7.49
• Unreal Tournament III – $22.49
• Unreal Pack – $33.79

Of course you have, I think it might be one of the few constants of the gamer experience – disappointment when a game fails to live up to its potential and promise. Well, Prototype is one of those experiences for me.

It has all the ingredients of a smashing good time – a super powered hero, a sandbox city, even a conspiracy relating to the military industrial complex manipulating people for their own nefarious ends only to have it go wrong somehow.

Well, despite the mix of interesting pieces, the sum of Prototype just ends up coming out as a fairly bland experience. Maybe my expectation was improperly set by the history of the developer. These same talented folks turned out one of the best super hero games ever developed – Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction. That title featured a super powered hero running around in a sandbox New York city setting solving missions and running side missions just like Prototype but somehow the fun factor seemed to be higher in that title.

Prototype is the story of Alex Mercer, a military man whose dealing with a nefarious genetics corporation leave him altered and amnesiac in  New York City. A city which is about to come under siege by a sentient virus and its offspring. Players start the game in full possession of Alex’s unique super powers under full assault in Times Square by a military task force. This method of dropping the players immediately into the action – a cinema term called in media res – might work normally in a game played in flashback but something about the technique feels jarring. The juxtaposition  is odd primarily because the “present time” sections of the game often feature a much more powered up version of Alex and then the next flashback segment removes all those neat abilities from you leaving you as weak as a super powered cannibalistic kitten.

The time jumping aside,  Prototype relies a bit too heavily upon the most popular of gaming cliche – a hero with amnesia. Now that said, the amnesia in this case makes some story sense. Players discover that Alex is effectively dead before he wakes up leaving him running around seeking to discover how he returned from the dead. Alex uncovers that his condition is directly related to exposure to the same virulent contagion that will soon be destroying New York City.

Along with discovering his new powers, Alex seems driven by a need to revenge himself upon those who left him this way and his super senses enable him to detect folks involved in the process merely by coming into proximity of them. Conveniently, a DNA helix symbol appears above those citizens who store a clue to Alex’s condition and he can use his powers to extract this information forcibly.

Extracting information here presents another issue – for a game where I imagine the creators intended the players to identify with Alex and want to help unlock his mysterious origins, I think they forgot a key piece of information: You have to make the character likable. Alex comes off in the game’s story scenes as a reasonably nice guy but exhibits absolutely no problems using the random bystander of New York City as popcorn to fuel his powers.

I can somewhat understand if he executed his revenge only on those who wronged him but come on! What did that tank commander ever do to Alex except get stationed in New York during this crisis? I mean he probably has a family and fiends who will miss him since Alex just eats anyone who has a skill he needs or frankly will get in his way. This sort of lack of moral impact left me feeling less than sympathetic to Alex’s plight and I wonder if it wasn’t just a shortcut to play up the coolness of a guy who absorbs foes like John Carpenter’s The Thing without doing the work of injecting any repercussions to that choice.

Couldn’t Alex just simply incapacitate someone, snake his fleshy tendrils into their brains and take what he needed without completely consuming them, leaving the full on absorption/consumption for his revenge motivated justice against the real bad people? Or is that just not “awesomer” enough to make an impact on today’s gamer?

Story considerations aside, Prototype is a fun sandbox super hero title. The powers Alex gains through the title do evoke a sense of strength and speed. Alex  reminds me far more of Carnage, one of Spider-man’s more dastardly symbiont foes, than he does Superman or the Hulk. His gory flesh spikes and tendrils as well as ability to create blades from his flesh also mirror the Marvel villain. Alex gains experience in the game by completing missions and can power up his abilities in increments, adding new power stunts and developing some completely off the wall abilities like his gliding power which is apparently powered by spraying his blood from his hands and feet. The concept itself of using blood spray as propulsion is laughable, but the effect comes off as cool on screen.

The key to any open world game is how the environment augments the character’s powers. In Crackdown, inFAMOUS or any of the better Spider-man games (i.e. not Web of Shadows) the city always seemed to complement the player with tall buildings and elevated rail. Prototype has some element of this but the setting feels a bit more bland than expected. There is not as much variety in the game’s setting and sometimes that made it difficult to immediately grasp my location on the mini-map without resorting to using the games full map which broke my immersion completely. The best open world design features distinct visual landmarks and clues to help the player navigate the playground, Prototype has a few of these but most of the landscape just doesn’t cut it.

You might likely think I was not a fan of Prototype. While its not going to remain on my must play list too long, I have to say I did have fun playing Alex Mercer in short bursts but it just didn’t grab me. The fighting can be frenetic at times, which is good. The story misses a few beats overall but is well scripted and its nice to have the choice on how to power Alex up.

Ultimately, Prototype suffers somewhat in comaprrison to the recently released inFAMOUS in that the games both feature similar protagonists, settings and core concepts. Both titles offer open world super hero fun but one thing missing from here, which makes inFAMOUS that much more fun, is the moral path in the story. Cole McGrath, the character in Sony’s game, is presented with a decision to be a hero or the ultimate destroyer. Alex however mopes a bit about how bad things are but ultimately still eats the granny walking down the street if he’s low on health and doesn’t bat a tendril over it. One advantage Prototype has however is its platform independent nature, meaning for 360 or PC owners who can’t choose inFAMOUS over Prototype the game really will provide some good open world fun, but for those with a ability to choose between the two titles I feel Sucker Punch got it more right.

Linkin Park contributed “What I’ve Done” off their Minutes to Midnight album to the original Transformers live action movie. Their new hit single “New Divide” is on the Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack.

More details from the press release follow the break.

Frontman Mike Shinoda of noted alt-metal band Linkin Park will play Xbox LIVE® Gold members June 26 in TRANSFORMERS(TM): REVENGE OF THE FALLEN(TM) THE GAME. If you’re an Xbox LIVE Gold Member (if not, upgrade now!), and you want a chance to play with Mike Shinoda, send a friend request to the following Gamertag and be online half an hour before (3:30 P.M. ET) the Game with Fame session starts on Friday, June 26, 4:00 P.M. ET. If you get a chance to play with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, we want to hear about it! Send us an e-mail (xboxgwf@live.com) with the subject: “GWF – Linkin Park.” Be sure to include your Gamertag and home town.

Linkin Park’s three studio albums, Hybrid Theory (2000), Meteora (2003), and Minutes to Midnight (2007), have all gone multiple platinum, and the band has sold more than 60 million records worldwide. Frontman Mike Shinoda, vocalist Chester Bennington, drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, and turntablist Joe Hahn have combined to form one of the most successful bands of this decade, scoring eight separate number one hit singles, including “New Divide,” reaching number one on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks list. “New Divide” was written for the Michael Bay film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and the band collaborated with composer Hans Zimmer to work the song into the film’s score.

If you want a taste of Linkin Park’s music, we have a lot of tracks available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Check these out:

“Numb” http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/cbce7628-c6d9-44d3-a9eb-177cfd78df3a/

“Shadow of the Day” http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/bf97ae36-6c69-4d0a-9ef8-06ecd95b420a/

“In The End” http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/cdcf801c-d269-432c-9374-02fc3b5718a9/

“What I’ve Done” http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/579b8854-e746-4285-ad52-14da7c51596d/

“Leave Out All The Rest” http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/36d1edcb-d974-4097-a6d0-a997a5f84c01/

All Linkin Park Tracks http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/catalog.aspx?d=0&h=0&r=-1&g=-1&mt=0&s=-1&st=linkin+park&sb=1&rl=0&p=1

Game With Fame on Xbox LIVE featuring Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park

Date: June 26th

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Time: 1:00PM – 3:00PM (PST)

Game: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

GAMERTAG: Mike LinkinPark

URL: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/calendar/gamewithfame/2009/0626-linkinpark.htm

Follow the Game With Fame Twitter: http://twitter.com/gamewithfame

According to MCV, Kotick said in an interview,

“I’m getting concerned about Sony – the PS3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don’t make it easy for me to support the platform. It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation.

They have to cut the price, because if they don’t, the attach rates are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony. When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP too.”

That’s a big shot fired across Sony’s bow. So, will Sony take him seriously, and how will they respond?

According to Industry Gamers, Sony has already responded to Kotick’s statement (sort of) with the usual PR blurb, saying,

“PlayStation has tremendous momentum coming out of E3, and we are seeing positive growth with more than 350 titles slated to hit across all our platforms, including many anticipated games from our publishing partners. We enjoy healthy business relationships with and greatly value our publishing partners and are working closely with them to deliver the best entertainment experience.”

So what does all this mean? Basically, it means nothing. Activision is flexing their considerable muscle at Sony; probably in the hopes of getting a cut in their licensing fees, or a cut in the cost of the PS3 to increase sales of their games. Sony’s responding by touting how amazing their platform is, and saying nothing to respond to Kotick’s actual concerns.

This sort of thing isn’t all that unusual in the world of business. Besides, there are rumors flying of a $100 PS3 price cut to coincide with the release of Madden 10 in August, so Sony is likely to just ignore this and move forward as planned.

It’s unlikely that Activision will take any further steps unless the PlayStation situation worsens. After all, Call of Duty 4 alone sold 4.34 million copies on PS3, and PS3 is a leading seller in much of the world. Dropping support for the PS3 would be like cutting off their nose to spite their face.

So, taking all this into account, it all boils down to a bunch of corporate dick waving. Not all that original after all, is it?

While you’re out in stores grabbing GH Smash Hits make sure to pick up the new Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits for your DS. There are 28 new tracks to be shared bringing the total to 75 for the GH On Tour series. Guitar Hero: never leave home without it.

Guitar Hero Smash Hits Track List

Guitar Hero

• Blue Öyster Cult – “Godzilla”
• Boston – “More Than A Feeling”
• Deep Purple – “Smoke On The Water”
• Franz Ferdinand – “Take Me Out”
• Helmet – “Unsung (Live)”
• Incubus – “Stellar”
• Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – “I Love Rock N’ Roll”
• Ozzy Osbourne – “Bark At The Moon”
• Pantera – “Cowboys From Hell (Live)”
• Queen – “Killer Queen”
• Queens Of The Stone Age – “No One Knows”
• The Donnas – “Take It Off”
• The Exies – “Hey You”
• White Zombie – “Thunder Kiss ‘65″

Guitar Hero II

• Alice In Chains – “Them Bones”
• Avenged Sevenfold – “Beast And The Harlot”
• Danzig – “Mother”
• Foo Fighters – “Monkey Wrench”
• Iron Maiden – “The Trooper”
• Jane’s Addiction – “Stop!”
• Kansas – “Carry On Wayward Son”
• Lamb Of God – “Laid To Rest”
• Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”
• Mötley Crüe- “Shout At The Devil”
• Nirvana – “Heart-Shaped Box”
• Rage Against The Machine – “Killing In The Name”
• Reverend Horton Heat – “Psychobilly Freakout”
• Rush – “YYZ”
• Stone Temple Pilots – “Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart”
• The Police – “Message In A Bottle”
• The Sword – “Freya”
• Warrant – “Cherry Pie”
• Wolfmother – “Woman”

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

• Anthrax – “Caught In A Mosh”
• Extreme – “Play With Me”
• Judas Priest – “Electric Eye”
• Poison – “Nothin’ But A Good Time”
• Ratt – “Round and Round”
• Twisted Sister – “I Wanna Rock”

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

• AFI – “Miss Murder”
• DragonForce – “Through The Fire And Flames”
• Heart – “Barracuda”
• Kiss – “Rock And Roll All Nite”
• Living Colour – “Cult Of Personality”
• Pat Benatar – “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”
• Priestess – “Lay Down”
• Slayer – “Raining Blood”

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

• Aerosmith – “Back In The Saddle

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits Track List

• 12 Stones – “Adrenalin”
• AFI – “Miss Murder”
• Angels & Airwaves – “Call to Arms”
• Atreyu – “Falling Down”
• Black Tide – “Shockwave”
• Coldplay – “Violet Hill”
• Endeverafter – “I Wanna Be Your Man”
• Evanescence – “Sweet Sacrifice”
• Fall Out Boy – “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race”
• Finger Eleven – “Paralyzer”
• Foo Fighters – “All My Life”
• Franz Ferdinand – “The Fallen”
• Kaiser Chiefs – “Ruby”
• Lenny Kravitz – “Where Are We Runnin’?”
• Modest Mouse – “Dashboard”
• Phantom Planet – “Do The Panic”
• Sum 41 – “Still Waiting”
• Tenacious D – “The Metal”
• The Bravery – “Unconditional”
• The Donnas – “What Do I Have to Do”
• The Duke Spirit – “Lassoo”
• The Fratellis – “Chelsea Dagger”
• The Kooks – “Always Where I Need to Be”
• The Offspring – “Half-Truism”
• The Strokes – “Reptilia”
• Weezer – “Everybody Get Dangerous”
• Wolfmother – “Dimension”
• Yellowcard – “Lights and Sounds”

You can view the COD: WaW Map Pack 2 Trailer for yourself along with a guided tour of design and gameplay for Corrosion, Bonzai, Sub Pens, and Shi No Numa after the break. CoD:WaW Map Pack 2will be available for download from Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store Thursday, June 11th.

After all the teasers for Guitar Hero 5, Activision is finally offering gamers some juicy chunks of the latest game in the GH series. The full line up is out, naming a good mix of classic, new and Indie bands and solo artists including Bob Dillon and Iggy Pop as well as Queens of the Stone Age and Wolfmother. You’ll notice many of the usual suspects and several bands that have released big track packs. I’m thrilled to see Muse, Rush, 3 Doors Down, Iron Maiden, and Kiss on the list as well. Whether you’re into The Man in Black or The Killers, you’re bound to find something to like about this line up listed.

Hit read the full article for all the Guitar Hero 5 goodness to look forward to until the September 1st release.

The complete list of solo artists and bands featured on Guitar Hero 5 are:

· 3 Doors Down

· A Perfect Circle

· AFI

· Attack! Attack!

· Band Of Horses

· Beastie Boys

· Beck

· Billy Idol

· Billy Squier

· Blink-182

· Blur

· Bob Dylan

· Bon Jovi

· Brand New

· Bush

· Children of Bodom

· Coldplay

· Darker My Love

· Darkest Hour

· David Bowie

· Deep Purple

· Dire Straits

· Duran Duran

· Eagles Of Death Metal

· Elliott Smith

· Elton John

· Face to Face

· Garbage

· Gorillaz

· Gov’t Mule

· Grand Funk Railroad

· Iggy Pop

· Iron Maiden

· Jeff Beck

· Jimmy Eat World

· John Mellencamp

· Johnny Cash

· Kaiser Chiefs

· King Crimson

· Kings Of Leon

· Kiss

· Love and Rockets

· Megadeth

· Mötley Crüe

· Muse

· My Morning Jacket

· Nirvana

· No Doubt

· Peter Frampton

· Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde

· Queen & David Bowie

· Queens Of The Stone Age

· Rammstein

· Rose Hill Drive

· Rush

· Santana

· Scars On Broadway

· Screaming Trees

· Smashing Pumpkins

· Sonic Youth

· Spacehog

· Stevie Wonder

· Sublime

· Sunny Day Real Estate

· T. Rex

· The Bronx

· The Derek Trucks Band

· The Duke Spirit

· The Killers

· The Police

· The Raconteurs

· The Rolling Stones

· The Sword

· The White Stripes

· Thin Lizzy

· Thrice

· Tom Petty

· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

· TV On The Radio

· Vampire Weekend

· Weezer

· Wild Cherry

· Wolfmother

While using the classic game as a promotion tool worked well for me with Quake 4 and Doom 3 (Quake 2 was included as a pack in bonus on the 360 Quake 4 Collector’s Edition, and the original Doom was bundled with Doom 3 on the Xbox) I know I’m going to pick this one up just to relive the glory of killing cyborg Mecha-Hitler as B.J. Blaskowitz, Ultimate American Hero.

The downloadable version will include all 60 original levels and still maintains its original “M” rating – though I admit I still find the gunned down nazi blood animations rivetting its hard to see this in comparison to a modern violent “M” rated title.

Well the day has arrived and the song is now available on the download services along with the theme song to Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits. The GHOT:WH (gotta love acronyms!) theme is composed by members of the Vicarious Visions dev team and is free as well.. but it can’t hold a flame to Stan.

Fans of The Touch can also participate in an online torunament starting today at 4PM EDT and concluding at 8pm EDT Sunday, May 31. Prizes for the competition include autographed Stan Bush CDs including a new remastered version of the song. Now if only they would bring some of the other songs like “Instruments of Destruction”, “Dare”, “Hunger”, “Dare to be Stupid”or “The Transformers (Theme)” to GH as well… my Transformergasm would be complete!

Check out a music video for The Touch after the jump!

And the Boogie Nights version – that will make you really appreciate the original:

Music fans have new bands and features to bump and grind to with Guitar Hero 5 and can explore new genres with DjHero. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is ready for show and sci-fi buffs can get their fill with Singularity and PROTOTYPE. I’m putting Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in with sci-fi because I can’t quite make the leap to call them superheroes. Get the full list complete with details on each game after the break.

Activision’s Full E3 Game Slate Includes:

Blur is set to revolutionize the racing genre as the ultimate wheel-to-wheel racing action experience with spectacular power-ups, real-world locations and over 60 licensed cars. The pick-up and play game drops players into heart-pumping, electrified racing action with 20 cars on track all targeting the finish line and battling each other as they trade paint and collect intense power-ups, including the ability to blast other cars out of the way with huge bursts of energy, boost their speed and more. Gamers can also engage in competitive and team-based multiplayer with up to 20 racers online, or on a single console via 4-player split-screen; plus create custom groups to design their own complete game mode. (Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows®; not yet rated by the ESRB).

In DJ Hero, faces in the crowd are transformed into the life of the party as the game’s turntable controller – created exclusively for DJ Hero and featuring familiar DJ tools including a fully-rotating turntable, sample buttons, effects dial and cross fader – immerses fans into the authenticity of DJ culture and a sea of music. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems and Wii™ system from Nintendo; not yet rated by the ESRB).

Guitar Hero 5 features the strongest, most varied set list to-date comprised of master tracks from 85 of the hottest bands of today and the biggest classic acts including Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of music genres that will be making their music video game debut. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii and PlayStation 2 system; not yet rated by the ESRB).

The greatest Super Hero™ action/RPG of all time is back with the world’s largest army of heroes and villains in Marvel™: Ultimate Alliance 2. Incorporating elements of the acclaimed Marvel Civil War storyline, the game allows players to choose their side and team up with revered heroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man, Deadpool, Venom, Green Goblin and Captain America. Players can combine characters’ powers and unleash astonishing new attacks. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii, PlayStation 2 system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system and Nintendo DS™; not yet rated by the ESRB).

On November 10, 2009, Infinity Ward will make its return with the release of Modern Warfare 2, the most-anticipated game of the year and the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game of all time, Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™, which has sold more than 13 million copies to date. Modern Warfare 2 continues the gripping and heart-racing saga with an unprecedented level of action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB).

An all-new, third-person open-world/action game, PROTOTYPE lets gamers feel the power of being the ultimate shape-shifting weapon. You are the PROTOTYPE: Alex Mercer – a genetically mutated man without memory, armed with amazing shape-shifting abilities, hunting your way to discover what created you and determined to make those responsible pay. As Alex, gamers tear through a densely populated contemporary New York City with Parkour-style agility, consuming anybody that gets in their way…assuming their physical identity, memories and abilities. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; the game is rated “M” by the ESRB).

Singularity pits shooter and sci-fi fans against a devastating fracture in time. As players attempt to unravel a conspiracy, they must fight their way through ever-shifting epic sci-fi environments, occupied by Russian soldiers and time-ravaged creatures, while sudden time waves hurl them back and forth between 1950 and the present day. Use time as a weapon as you attempt to unravel the mystery and prevent a catastrophic event that threatens all humanity. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB).

Featuring an innovative skateboard-shaped controller, Tony Hawk: RIDE redefines the sports genre by offering a dynamic hands-free gaming experience. Using full motion sensing technology, players physically control the action by performing various movements and gestures on the board that directly translate into amazing tricks in the game in a variety of settings and half pipes. The new wireless skateboard controller provides an accessible and social gaming experience that allows players to feel what it’s really like to skate. Without complex button combinations or analog sticks, gamers can literally step on the board to play the game. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii; not yet rated by the ESRB).

Based on Hasbro’s legendary TRANSFORMERS property and Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures’ upcoming feature film, Transformers™: Revenge of the Fallen, the video game thrusts players into a battle for supremacy across the globe as either AUTOBOTS or DECEPTICONS to drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels. Delivering more control than ever before, players can select from an extremely diverse range of playable TRANSFORMERS characters and jump straight into action as they instantly switch between robot, vehicle and weapon modes to fight for the preservation or annihilation of all mankind. Players can also fight the epic war between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS online in explosive, multiplayer combat. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii, PlayStation 2 system PSP system, Nintendo DS and Games for Windows; the game is rated “T” for the console and PC versions and “E10+” for the handheld versions by the ESRB).

Wolfenstein™ brings the Nazi’s dark obsession with the occult to life, by intertwining fast-paced, intense story-driven combat with a diverse sci-fi experience. As BJ Blazkowicz, a highly decorated member of the Office of Secret Actions (OSA), you are sent on a special mission into the heart of the Third Reich to investigate evidence that the SS hierarchy may possess a new and mysterious power. Wolfenstein is scheduled to be on store shelves on August 4, 2009. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB; the game is rated “M” by the ESRB).

Most likely the Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition will be an XBL Arcade title but if we’re lucky it’ll be packaged for retail. Here’s an old TV spot from the Sega CD version.

This adventure, fraught with pirates and voodoo, follows the adventures of Guybrush Threepwood on his quest to become a pirate. The game has it’s own inventive combat system: insult sword fighting. Find your way to Monkey Island and save the love of your life Elaine from the dastardly pirate LeChuck.

If you’re impatient to experience this game, you can hunt up an old disc and download a SCUMM emulator for your PC. I’m hoping that there will be something special enough about the Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition to make it worth getting for the Xbox 360.

Thanks to Gaming Nexus for the heads up.

via GamerBytes

According to a press release we received here in our Gaming Today Volcano Lair™, you’ll be able to have a band with three guitars and a singer, 2 guitars and two drummers, or any other combination you can think up (Or more importantly, any combination you can afford enough plastic instruments for). The release also mentions new game modes like Party Play, which lets players jump in and out seamlessly, and RockFest, which will feature five new head-to-head modes for both online and local play. as well as allowing you to play the whole setlist as soon as you get the game home.

The other interesting piece of news is that GH5 will support DLC from Guitar Hero: World Tour, proving that Activision realizes how stupid it was to partition our GH3 DLC off from World Tour. Well, some of the DLC. There’s a worrisome asterisk in the press release that says ‘Does not apply to a limited number of songs.’

Now, I’m obviously not someone who hates Guitar Hero. Heck, I have every GH game (except for for GH: Aerosmith, but then, who does have that one?). However, even I question the logic of their release ideas. GH: Metallica hasn’t been out that long, and they’re already dropping GH5? Look, I know World Tour was a letdown. It tried to be different with how it handled setlists and whatnot, and it just didn’t work. But GH: Metallica brought you back! It was a slick game that was fun to play again. Shouldn’t you give us some time to enjoy it?

(Read more ranting, and see new screenshots and the actual press release after the break)

To be fair, there was one thing I really liked about World Tour, and that was the guitar peripheral. It was such an improvement over everything out there, it was just amazing. Outside of that, the whole game was pretty forgettable.

So, what will GH5 bring us? Will you pick it up, or will you give it a pass? Is Activision flooding the market, or am I totally wrong?

  

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GUITAR HERO® 5 TO EMPOWER FANS TO ROCK THE WAY THEY WANT WITH THE BIGGEST ARTISTS AND WIDEST ARRAY OF TODAY’S ROCK TUNES AND CLASSIC HITS

The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, Santana and Johnny Cash Among the Artists Featured in Guitar Hero 5

Innovative Social and Competitive Gameplay Features Designed for All Levels of Expertise, Puts More Fun and Control in the Hands of Music Lovers

Santa Monica, CA – May 18, 2009 – Guitar Hero continues to re-define the music and gaming experience this Fall with the release of Guitar Hero 5. Featuring the best variety and biggest rock stars of today combined with classic rock anthems, Guitar Hero 5 is the latest installment of the world’s most popular music game. For the first time ever, players can customize the make-up of their band by rocking with any combination of instruments in-game: whether it be two guitars and two drums, or three guitars and a microphone, any combination is possible, allowing players to experience music their own way. Brand new, innovative, easy-to-use gameplay modes like Party Play and RockFest put fun, competition and control at center stage as fans tailor the Guitar Hero experience to match their personal style and interests. For extended hours of entertainment, downloadable content from Guitar Hero® World Tour will be compatible with the game and will automatically be updated to include all of the upgrades and enhancements of Guitar Hero 5.*

Guitar Hero 5 features the strongest, most varied set list to-date comprised of master tracks from 85 of the hottest bands of today and the biggest classic acts including; Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of music genres that will be making their music video game debut.

“Guitar Hero is the music platform for today because it celebrates the social nature of music and brings fans closer to the music and artists they love while allowing them to share and discover music with their friends, family and online communities,” said Dan Rosensweig, president and chief executive officer of Guitar Hero.

Among the first-time-ever features of Guitar Hero 5 are: Party Play, where players can jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly; RockFest, a comprehensive competitive experience available featuring five new head-to-head modes playable online or in your living room; and the ability to play the entire set-list from the first time the game is turned on.

Guitar Hero 5 refines the player experience, enhances the art style and redesigns core features such as GHMusic StudioSM, making it the most accessible, fun-to-play and authentic experience for seasoned music gamers as well as first-time players. New innovations such as Band Moments, where bands are rewarded for hitting special note streams together and song challenges where gamers are tasked to play through a song a specific way, add a new competitive layer of excitement and accomplishment to the music rhythm genre.

Published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), Guitar Hero 5 is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and by Vicarious Visions for the Wii™ system from Nintendo. Budcat is developing Guitar Hero 5 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero 5, please visit GuitarHero.com

*Does not apply to a limited number of songs

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and Australia. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Hi! It’s Friday, and we’ve got another great product for you! Not only is Friday great because it’s the end of the work week, it’s also weekend deal time on Steam.

That’s right, for a limited time only, you can be treated to the latest Call of Duty title from Treyarch, World at War, for 50% off. Now, since I know that some of our readers struggle with math, that’s just $24.99. $24.99!

But wait, there’s more!

If you order within the next 2 days, we’ll throw in the recently released Map Pack 1 absolutely free! We’ll even waive processing and handling fees! So stop playing older Call of Duty games, and get your copy of World at War today! Here’s how to order!

Head over to Steam and grab your copy today!

If your looking for a good reason to play the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen videogame, listen up. Composers Steve Jablonsky and Bobby Tahouri are collaborating with electronica artists Julien-K on the soundtrack. These musical masters have put the excitement in several familiar movie and videogame soundtracks.

You’ve probably heard Jablonski’s work on both the latest Transformers live action movies. If you haven’t seen them, you may have listened to his hard driving score while beating down the Locust Hordes in Gears of War 2. Tahouri worked on the Iron Man film soundtrack and Julien-K was featured on the 2007 Transformers movie with their track “Technical Difficulties.”

More details on these artists and the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen videogame follow the break.

Jablonsky is best known for contributing music to the original score for 2007’s live-action Transformers movie and, more recently, the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen movie. Jablonsky is also highly regarded for his work in the original score to the video game Gears of War 2.

Tahouri is best known for his contributions to the score for the 2008 blockbuster movie Iron Man. Julien-K’s “Technical Difficulties” was included on the soundtrack to the 2007 Transformers movie and was featured in the film’s closing credits. Their debut album, “Death to Analogue” was released on March 10, 2009 through Metropolis Records. The band was featured on the main stage of the 2007 Projekt Revolution tour and has toured as an opening act for rock band Evanescence.

The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game, based on the upcoming live-action feature film from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures in association with Hasbro, lets players take on the role of their favorite AUTOBOTS or DECEPTICONS, picking from the largest, most diverse range of playable Transformers – each with their own distinct abilities and weaponry. Set in unique environments across the globe such as Cairo and Shanghai, the game allows players to instantly switch between vehicle and robot modes as they drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels. After engaging in single player action, players for the first time ever will be able to go online and battle friends in all-new multiplayer modes.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen launches June 23, 2009 for all major platforms and handhelds. If you happened to have missed the latest Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen trailer, check it out on Gaming Today.