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The blockbuster movie producer plans to create games based on original IPs.

Today MTV Games announced a partnership with movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer to build a game studio and create original videogames. The studio will set up shop in Bruckheimer’s offices in Santa Monica and plans to work on new IPs. Currently in its early planning stages, the studio does not yet have a name and the team isn’t ready to discuss any specific projects.

Bruckheimer has produced many successful films and television programs such as Armageddon, National Treasure, and C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation.

MTV and Bruckheimer’s team will collaborate during all phases of game development. There is always the possibility that the new studio’s creations could translate well to film or television.

This new initiative will serve as the third tier in MTV Games’ overall strategy. Tier one is to make music games (see Rock Band). Tier two is to support MTV properties with games (see Jackass). Bruckheimer’s games will take care of tier three: creating new IPs.

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Ubisoft raises its financial outlook and delays three major upcoming games.

With stellar sales of Assassin’s Creed under its knife belt, Ubisoft has increased its 2007/2008 financial outlook and pushed the release dates of three high-profile games back a quarter.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar, Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway and Far Cry 2, all previously scheduled for release in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2007/2008 (January – March 2008) have been bumped to a more general-sounding fiscal 2008-2009, which spans April 2008 through March 2009.

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That’s right! The ante!

Microsoft appears to be planning a major push in the Japanese market for 2008. FujiSankei Business reports today that the company expects to double its current software base across the Pacific to 500 games by the end of next year. The lineup currently stands at 250 titles.

According to the site, the new software will include titles distributed through Xbox Live. Additionally, Microsoft is looking into a sequel to Blue Dragon, currently the top selling Xbox 360 game in Japan.

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Standoff, Rat’s Nest and Foundry come to Xbox Live Marketplace.

The first wave of additional Halo 3 multiplayer maps is now available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The Heroic Map Pack features three new maps, including symmetrical Standoff, labyrinthine Rat’s Nest, and Forge-friendly Foundry. The maps will initially cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10) and will be available for free in spring 2008.

Microsoft also confirmed today that a second pack of maps is also on the way. They’ll be available after the Heroic Map Pack becomes free in the spring.

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Using Crystal Dynamics’s Tomb Raider engine. Just don’t expect the game to arrive any time soon.

Following the official opening of Eidos’s new Montreal office, studio head Stephane D’Astous has spoken out about its first project, the long-awaited Deus Ex 3.

Talking to Develop, D’Astous set out his vision for the third instalment in the critically revered series, and acknowledged the weight of anticipation surrounding the game, noting, “Our first challenge is a major one in Deus Ex […] All the developers working on Deus Ex 3 pretty much know the series inside and out - coming here, they were pretty aware of the opportunity and what they could do. We did our research to find out what worked well, what people enjoyed about it - especially the first game.”

D’Astous also revealed that Deus Ex 3 would utilise Crystal Dynamics’s Tomb Raider engine, last seen in this year’s Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Don’t expect the game any time soon, however -

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Sony pinning hopes on MGS4 proving the PS3’s first killer app

Following modest sales of its current crop of exclusive titles, Sony is eyeing what it hopes will be PlayStation 3’s first killer app, Metal Gear Solid 4: Rise of the Patriots, looking to shift a million copies of the game on its release later next year.

A year into the PS3’s lifespan, only two games have shifted over a million copies. Metal Gear Solid 4: Rise of The Patriots looks certain to join Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man in the millionaire’s club and, in an interview with Reuters, the game’s assistant producer Ryan Paton stated that a million sales on day one would be a necessity, due to high production costs.

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Will Lionhead’s RPG sequel cut into your leaf-raking time next year?

 Fable 2 is now scheduled for release in late 2008, most likely in the fall, according to Lionhead Studios head Peter Molyneux, who spoke to Eurogamer readers about the game in an online chat today.

Molyneux told the site to expect the Fable sequel next year “maybe when the leaves have a slight brownish tinge - but are still on the trees.” We’re not sure what happens to trees in England (we’re pretty sure it has something to do with druids), but here in America, that means fall. Lionhead, now owned by Microsoft, announced Fable 2 in May of this year.

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Movie previews, Xbox news feeds, and expanded user profiles highlight the new additions to the Xbox 360 dash.

Every six months the Xbox community is aflutter with wonderment as to what the next system update will bring. Message boards are inundated with guesses and theories, rumors flow through the entire Internet, and then the moment strikes when the update is released and the world knows for certain what new improvements Microsoft has added to its system. That time has come again and we’ve gotten our grubby paws on a pre-release version of the fall update to bring you all of the details before it hits the streets. Strap yourself in and get ready to find out how your Xbox 360 dashboard will be changed forever once December 4 rolls around.

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Plus, date announced for the next trailer.

GTA IV’s delay from its original October 2007 release left many gamers sad. But cheer up, Rockstar fans. The delay means we can enjoy several more months of delicious hype. The promising new installment in the Grand Theft Auto saga is coming in the first half of 2008. And as a new post on Rockstar’s website revealed, we can expect the next GTA IV trailer on December 6, 2007 at noon PST. Check back with IGN next Thursday to see the new trailer in all its glory.

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Japanese Naruto Voices Now Downloadable.

The voices of the official Naruto Japanese cast are now available as a free download for Naruto: Rise of a Ninja.

The Xbox 360 adventure game, published and developed by Ubisoft, is based on the VIZ Media animated series.

Here’s a list of the voices you’ll get with the free Naruto download:

Junko Takeuchi - Uzumaki Naruto
Kazuhiko Inoue - Hatake Kakashi

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Everything old is new again.

Today Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe have been trotted out once again and given a polish for the Xbox Live Arcade. Atari has announced that more games from its vault are being prepped for Microsoft’s download service.

Tempest, Battlezone, and Warlords will be arriving “soon,” according to Atari. As with previous games re-released over Live, each game will sport its original graphics and an enhanced mode.

Battlezone and Warlords will include online multiplayer and support for the Xbox Live camera.

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Rock those fireworks with your Guitar Hero controller.

Electronic Arts has updated its Xbox Live Arcade game Boom Boom Rocket with some improvements and new songs. EA says it has bettered the fireworks that players must explode in time with music. It has also added compatibility with guitar and dance mat controllers — a nice touch since Boom Boom Rocket is a music game. Your controller type of choice will now be listed alongside your score in the leaderboards.

Five new songs have been added, as well:

• Eine Kleine Rochtmusik
• Cannon in D
• Sugar High
• Sting of the Bumble Bee
• Explode to Joy

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Explore Area 51 for free. Again.

Blacksite: Area 51 was released last week, but if you’ve been on the fence about whether or not to pick it up Midway invites you back for a second look. A second demo for the shooter is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The official description of the demo reads: “Battle against a strange insurgency through the streets and backyards of a small American town crawling with alien life.”

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Terrorists retake Sin City in Ubisoft sequel, set to deploy on next-gen consoles and PCs in 2008.

At the finale of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas, the titular antiterrorist team foiled the launch of a missile toward the titular desert metropolis before uncovering a traitor in their midst. As a reward, players were greeted with a black screen bearing the words “To Be Continued,” which all but confirmed a sequel.

Today, Ubisoft made it official: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is indeed in development at Ubisoft Montreal for release sometime next year. For now, the Francophonic publisher says the game is being readied for “next-gen consoles and PCs.” No specific platforms other than the PC were mentioned, but the original Rainbow Six Vegas was released for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. (Proposed PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game were canceled.)

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Work on new Terminator game underway as Halycon Co. rekindles the popular movie franchise.

Despite losing it’s talismanic front-man to the upper echelons of US politics, the Terminator franchise moves on apace. With the first film in a proposed new trilogy hitting cinemas next year, work on the inevitable tie-in game has already begun.

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins focuses on the exploits of now 30-year-old John Connor, and Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the film’s production company Halcyon will be dealing with the game’s development. Halcyon Co. have taken the bold step of setting up their own game studio to oversee production of the tie-in.

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Microsoft celebrates five years of Xbox Live.

On November 15, Xbox Live turns five years old. To help mark the occasion, Microsoft has announced several bonuses and a new feature for its over 8 million members. If you missed out on the fun of the original Xbox, it looks like you won’t have to scrounge through the used games bin for a second chance.

The big announcement of the day is unquestionably the upcoming launch of Xbox Originals. Beginning December 4, Xbox 360 owners will receive a free system update when they log onto Xbox Live. Along with a number of unannounced features, this update will give players the ability to download original, full Xbox games to play on Xbox 360. Each download will cost 1200 Microsoft Points ($15 USD).

The initial release list includes Halo, Psychonauts, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge and Fable, as well as other as of yet unnamed titles. Microsoft has promised that this lineup is only the beginning and that Xbox 360 owners can expect to see the catalog grow in the coming year.

Microsoft is also giving away, as a gesture of thanks, a free game for all Xbox Live members. Between November 15 at 12:01 PST and 11:59 PST on November 16, all active Xbox Live members can download an Xbox Live Arcade game for free. For those in Korea, the game will be Hexic 2. The rest of the world will have the opportunity to snag Carcossonne.

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Japanese electronics giant pulls out of research and production facilities for high-powered processor; ramps investment in image-sensor tech.

The Cell processor has been both a boon and a burden for Sony. The high-octane processor at the heart of the PlayStation 3 has given Sony’s console a competitive edge in performance potential for the current generation of gaming hardware. However, its development has also inflicted a significant dent on the Japanese electronics giant’s bottom line, costing Sony approximately $1.7 billion alone, according to recent estimates by financial news service Bloomberg.

Last month, Sony confirmed speculation that it would be selling its stake in Cell manufacturing plants to development partner Toshiba. While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Bloomberg reported the deal will raise $860 million for Sony once final details are arrived upon in March 2008.

This week, Nikkei reports that Sony plans to cease participation in the Cell processor’s future iterations. Along with partners IBM and Toshiba, Sony has been researching 32nm and 45nm successors to Cell processor, which is currently made using a 65nm process–an improvement from the the original 90nm process. Sony is currently in negotiations with IBM and Toshiba on the exact date and terms of the pullout, and the two reportedly plan to continue development on the chips.

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Dreams do come true.

Microsoft is having one impressive week over in Japan. In addition to grabbing the second slot in the Media Create top 50 sales charts with Ace Combat 6, the 360 sold 17,673 hardware units in one week alone. With the new sales, the system has at last crossed the 500,000 sold mark, which is something that the original Xbox never did.

But more than that, this is what we’re sure will keep people talking. The 17,673 hardware units was enough for the 360 to beat both the PS2 and PS3! Yes, the 360 is now the second hottest console in Japan (next to the Wii).

Topping the Media Create hardware charts for the week of 10/29 to 11/4 is, expectedly, the DS Lite, whose 78,552 units beat second place PSP’s 59,714. Wii comes in next with 37,617 units, a jump of about 10,000 from last week, likely fueled by Super Mario Galaxy’s release.

The PS3 is actually pretty close to the 360, at 17,434 units. Given that Media Create estimates its numbers based off a sampling of stores, it’s possible that the PS3 did actually beat the 360 this week. We’ll never know for sure. What is pretty clear, however, is that the 360 beat the PS2, which only managed 10,209 units.

Strong 360 sales were likely influenced by Microsoft’s 5,000 yen price drop and the release of Ace Combat 6. The 360 also saw a flood of budget releases for popular titles like Idol Master and Earth Defense Force.

The true test will be if the 360 can maintain these impressive numbers next week. Koei is bringing Dynasty Warriors 6 to the system on Sunday, which should help drive system sales.

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Award-winning puzzle game now available for download.

Sierra Online, a division of Vivendi Games, has released Switchball, a new puzzle game for Xbox LIVE Arcade. The Switchball game challenges players to guide a transformable ball along extensive maze-like courses suspended in midair and set in stunning, expansive worlds. The game has already received critical praise, winning TeamXbox.com’s “Best Downloadable Game of E3″ and “Editor’s Choice” awards, as well as a 9.4 out of 10 rating from the site.

“Switchball exemplifies the innovation and level of quality we are bringing to Xbox LIVE Arcade,” said Nicole Perez, vice president of marketing, Sierra Online. “Switchball’s striking graphics, as well as the physics-based gameplay, advances the genre.”

Developed by Atomic Elbow, the Switchball game features an advanced Ageia-based physics engine, making the physical puzzles intuitive and allowing players to interact with objects just as they would in the real world. Players solve their way through challenging levels packed with tricky obstacles, traps and mazes using a rolling ball that can be morphed four different ways - Marbleball, Airball, Powerball and Metalball - each with its own physical characteristics.

The 30 levels of labyrinths are set in five different beautifully rendered 3D environments. Set on docks hovering among the clouds, Skyworld requires players to switch between the Marbleball to balance and manipulate objects and the Metalball to ram heavy boxes off the path. The Airball easily floats over gaps in the course of Iceworld. Caveworld is set in the dark with glowing crystals and introduces players to the Powerball, which can be charged with different powers to solve a variety of dexterity challenges. The challenges become more complex in Cloudworld, which is set inside a large cloud of colorful gas. The most challenging level, Lavaworld, is set inside a huge volcano with fiery explosions - if players get one puzzle wrong they must start from the beginning!

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Infinity Ward’s newest is ready to be extraordinarily rendered to your living room.

 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, a new first-person shooter from Infinity Ward and Activision, is now waiting for you in retail stores, smeared with camouflage face paint and constantly checking its six.

In a departure from its past storylines, CoD4 moves away from WWII and into modern times with a tense storyline about hijacked Russian nukes and terrorists hell-bent on destruction.

“We’ve set out to create the most intense, visceral experience in Call of Duty 4,” said Infinity Ward Studio Head Grant Collier. “From the beginning, our team has been focused on pulling players into an unfolding, well-paced and relentless action experience that includes: fast-roping from attack helicopters in the dead of night; utilizing a camouflage Ghillie suit as you inch behind enemy lines; or being immersed in fun, competitive action in multiplayer that enables gamers to create classes, unlock new abilities and taunt opponents as they level up.”

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