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Gametrailers.com has posted a new trailer for the upcoming title, Resident Evil 5. 

It’s lookin’ pretty good!

Game on!

NASCAR 09 features the all-new Paint Booth tool which allows gamers to personally customize their car skins and share them with friends online. For the first time in franchise history, a car customization template will be available online, and will yield endless possibilities for personalization. Available for download (instructions below) are two videos that walk gamers step-by-step through the Paint Booth web application, and how to create customized cars using Photoshop.

NASCAR 09 will be available on June 10 for the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PS2. The game features highly adaptable gameplay that fits players of all levels and gives the gamers access to the emotion and personality of NASCAR more than ever. Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon serves as your guide as you try to build your reputation and race your way to the top in NASCAR 09.

Game on!

Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that the first television commercial for Street Fighter® IV will debut during the CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights mixed martial arts (MMA) event. The EliteXC bout takes place on CBS on Saturday, May 31 at 9 PM EST. Immediately following the bout, the Street Fighter IV trailer will debut on the newly redesigned StreetFighter.com, along with the first chance for gamers to preorder Street Fighter IV for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system exclusively through GamesStop.

Viewers tuning in to catch the first MMA fight to ever air on US broadcast television featuring internet phenomenon Kimbo Slice battling British fighter James “The Colossus” Thompson, will be treated to the network premiere of a 60 second Street Fighter IV trailer and 30 second Street Fighter IV television spots, which feature a combination of stylized CG animation and game play, ending with a call to action that will drive viewers to the newly designed StreetFighter.com website.

Street Fighter IV brings the legendary fighting series back to its roots by taking the beloved fighting moves and techniques of the original Street Fighter II, and infusing them with Capcom’s latest advancements in next generation technology to create a truly extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts.

Everything that made the legendary Street Fighter II a hit in the arcades, living rooms and dormitories across the globe has been brought back in Street Fighter IV. Players will be able to play their favorite classic characters, such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile, along with new characters, including Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte, and Rufus. Characters and environments are rendered in stylized 3D, while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. Six-button controls for the game return, with a host of new special moves and features integrated into the gameplay system. Street Fighter IV brings a brand new fighting game to fans the world over.

Features:

• 3D environments and characters
• Traditional “2D” Street Fighter six-button gameplay
• Classic Street Fighter characters re-imagined for a new generation of gamers, including the original cast of Street Fighter II
• New brawlers: female super-spy Crimson Viper, lucha libre wrestler El Fuerte, mixed martial artist Abel and more!
• New special moves that go beyond any Street Fighter fan’s wildest imagination, including Focus Attacks, Super Combos, and the revenge-fueled Ultra Combo system.
• Amazing locations never seen before in a Street Fighter game
• New gameplay elements provide challenges for both newcomers as well as the most seasoned Street Fighter pro.

Game on!

The demo for Crash Time is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.  The demo is rated T for teen and is 406MB. 

Various exciting cases await the player as part of the “Cobra 11″ police force. Solving them requires several diverse missions to be successfully completed: Be it helicopter chases,jumps across moving trains or reconnaissance runs in tanks.

This looks to us a bit like a new Burnout, but with ‘missions’ included. We’ll give it a try and let you know what we think.

Game on!

If you’re eager to get your hands on Battlefield: Bad Company, then you’re in luck!  The B:BC demo will be arriving on Xbox Live on Thursday, June 5th. 

Can’t wait that long?  Well 360 Rant Rave has got your back.  Thanks to our friends at EA and DICE, We have a few exclusive demo codes that will allow you to get the demo a whole week early (US & Canada only).  Want in?  The codes are only available to 360 Rant Rave forum members with 25 forum posts or more, so log onto the forums & let us know you’re interested!

 See HERE for more Battlefield: Bad Company coverage on 360 Rant Rave. 

Game on!

Nyko Technologies®, the premier gaming peripherals manufacturer, today announced that their Charge Base 360 has shipped to stores. This new charging solution for the Xbox 360 provides a drop-in charging and storage solution for up to two wireless controllers. Nyko is the first to offer such a charging solution for the millions of Xbox 360 owners looking for a faster and more efficient way to store and charge their controllers. The Charge Base 360 offers an alternative to USB charging or wasteful and expensive disposable batteries.

Nyko’s Charge Base 360 comes with two custom NiMH rechargeable batteries that feature special contact points, allowing the controllers to be easily dropped into the Charge Base 360 without removing the battery packs. Two ports allow up to two controllers to charge simultaneously, with a single charge providing up to 25 hours of play time for each controller. The device is AC powered and plugs into any standard outlet for a charge time of less than 2 hours for one controller, and less than 4 hours for two controllers. The Charge Base 360 also includes two LED lights which change color to indicate the charge status of each controller.

“Nyko has identified a need among Xbox 360 owners looking for a more convenient way to store and charge their controllers, said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. “The Charge Base 360 eliminates the use of wasteful and expensive disposable batteries and keeps your controllers charged while you store them, so that they are ready to go for an extended gaming session every time you pick them up.”

Nyko’s Charge Base for the Xbox 360 is available for the suggested retail price of $34.99. Please visit www.nyko.com for more information.

Game on!

This year’s breakout 3rd person co-op shooter just got more intense!  Players now have the chance to extend their ARMY OF TWO(tm) experience with two brand new co-op campaign maps and an enhanced multiplayer map that offers more opportunities to show that a two-man team can be unstoppable. The free Veteran Map Pack, sponsored by Pontiac, will be available on May 29 in North America and Europe on Xbox LIVE(r) Marketplace and PLAYSTATION(r) Store.

Players will experience an all-new map as they find themselves underground in a subway station in Kiev where they must find and destroy the central hub of a dangerous militia. The second map takes players back to SSC headquarters in Miami where they finally get the chance to take out Dalton, Rios and Salem’s ex-boss and the man responsible for framing them, in an intense boss fight where the glory of revenge is finally felt. The Veteran Map Pack features dynamic and interactive environments including destructible objects that were not available in the retail version. The action also continues online with two-on-two teams battling it out in the China Canal Lock map.

Game on!

 On Friday, May 16th, over 30 NFL rookies gathered in the Arcadia Ballroom at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel for the EA SPORTS 2008 Rookie Madden Bowl. The second annual Rookie Madden Bowl brought together top NFL rookies to compete on Madden NFL 08 to see who would be crowned the 2008 EA SPORTS Rookie Madden Bowl Champion.

The eight-man tournament included New England Patriots quarterback Kevin O’Connell, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brian Brohm, Washington Redskins wide receiver Devin Thomas, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Dexter Jackson. Devin Thomas came out victorious, proudly taking home the 2008 Rookie Madden Bowl trophy.

Madden NFL 09 marks the 20th anniversary of one of the best-selling and most critically-acclaimed videogame franchises of all time, and the game will feature adaptable gameplay tailored to every type of gamer, online enhancements and a broadcast style presentation delivering an authentic NFL experience. Madden NFL 09 will be available in stores across North America on August 12.

The graphical enhancements of Madden NFL 09 are extremely impressive and bring the emotion of NFL football to life. Madden NFL 09 features amazing detail to stadiums, weather effects, player models and a whole host of other elements.

Click HERE for a video showcasing a side-by-side comparison of
Madden NFL 08 vs. Madden NFL 09 graphics.

Here are a few photos from the Rookie Madden Bowl:

Shot 1

Shot 2

Shot 3

Shot 4

Shot 5

Shot 6

Game on!

This past week, 360 Rant Rave changed hosts. 

Our old host was a bit of a pain to work with, and even refused to help with certain issues (making the use of image verification during forum registration impossible).  They weren’t exactly a great deal either.

Well, that’s all changed now.  We have a new host - a friend of a friend.  Things seem to be running more smoothly and all the site features, including image verificaiton for forum registrations, now work correctly (thanks Aaron!)

We apologize for the lack of main site updates since the 16th, but we are still working through one last server switch issue, which has prevnted us from accessing our e-mail since Saturday 5/17.  Rest assured, however, that the site will be virtually floode with updates once we’re back in. 

Hopefully the switch was mostly invisible to our users.  Thanks for your patience with the forums being down during the changeover. 

Game on!

The organizers of the fifth annual Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) today announced key details of the upcoming gaming festival, to be held Aug. 29-31, 2008 at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center in Seattle.

Noted game designer, screenwriter, and playwright Ken Levine will provide the keynote address. Mr. Levine is currently best known for his work on the critically-acclaimed BioShock, developed by 2K Boston (formerly known as Irrational Games). Mr. Levine is currently President and Creative Director of that development studio, and has been a coveted speaker at game industry-related events, discussing storytelling and player engagement in gaming. “Obviously, Ken is pimp supreme,” said Penny Arcade’s Robert Khoo, “We’re super excited to have him open up the show.”

Another highlight of PAX is the Omegathon, in which twenty randomly-selected PAX pre-registrants compete against each other in tabletop, videogame and computer games each day of the annual gaming festival. Organizers revealed that this year’s “Omeganauts” will battle for the ultimate prize: a trip for two to the Tokyo Game Show, along with $5,000 in spending cash and an incredible, almost supernatural home theater system. The 2008 Tokyo Game Show will be held Oct. 11-12 at the Makuhari Messe convention center near Tokyo. In Japan.

In addition to the numerous panels and game demonstrations, Omegathon, Exhibition Hall, and The PAX 10 independent games showcase, PAX offers attendees a musical lineup that spans two nights, delivering an uncompromising selection of acts to tantalize the gamer palate. Returning musical guests include MC Frontalot, mc chris, FreezePop, the MiniBosses, Jonathan Coulton, and The OneUps. New for 2008 are Vancouver, B.C.-based Horror Rock outfit The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, as well as New York City’s bitpop heroes, Anamanaguchi.

As if all of this weren’t enough, PAX organizers further confirmed that this year’s Exhibition Hall is officially sold out, leaving any industry professionals waiting until the last minute to request space with only the option of peddling their wares on the sidewalk outside the festival venue. Exhibitors interested in getting a jump on PAX 2009 can contact Mike Fehlauer at mikef@penny-arcade.com for more information.

About Penny Arcade Expo: Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is a three-day celebration of games and gamer culture. The festival includes an exhibition floor filled with playable builds of upcoming tabletop, console, and computer games; a conference program of game industry speakers; music concerts; freeplay areas; industry parties; an independent games showcase; game tournaments and more. Since its inception in 2004 the show has doubled in size year-over-year, growing from 4,500 attendees to 37,000 in 2007, making it the largest gaming festival in North America. For more information visit www.pennyarcadeexpo.com.

About Penny Arcade: Equal parts online comic and commentary, Penny Arcade (www.penny-arcade.com) keeps its finger on the pulse of the gaming industry, prompting conversation and controversy alike from community members and industry experts. What started as a hobby in 1998 for Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and Mike “Gabe” Krahulik has grown into an online phenomenon serving over 55 million page views a month to millions of readers worldwide. In addition to the comic strip and PAX gaming festival (www.pennyarcadeexpo.com), Penny Arcade has expanded its reach to include a growing line of merchandise, a video game and management of Child’s Play (www.childsplaycharity.org), a gamer-driven charity for children that spans the globe.