The release date for the long-awaited Guitar Hero competitor from EA, Rock Band has finally been honoured with it's European release date. Hitting shores May 23rd. The game will be semi-exclusive to the Xbox 360 at first, but will be released for other major consoles later in the summer (no dates on these).

The game remains the same as the US release, but the price certainly does not. With a price hike of over double the US retail price. Coming in at £280 ($355) or €240 ($380), it's no longer a toy to be used recklessly, in fact if your on a Xbox, it could have cost more than your console with the recent price-drops in the region.

The response to the announcement has been less than gratifying for producers Harmonix, so Greg LoPiccolo, vice president of product development has offered the community an explanation for the pricing, "We're not making a killing on Rock Band in Europe. We are incredibly sensitive to pricing issues. We are painfully aware that the higher the price we charge, the less copies we'll sell. The fact of the matter is the costs of releasing in Europe are far higher than in the US." he also goes on to mention that shipping costs to Europe are "really high," and the UK has its own, extra VAT (value added tax) of 17.5% on top and also that Euro retailers have the freedom to discount the product as they choose, unlike US stores.

As for LoPiccolo's conclusion, "We're not gouging you primarily because doing so doesn't serve our interests. We can only build our franchise if you buy our games. You may conclude that Rock Band isn't worth the price charged, and that is your prerogative. But it's not magically going to get cheaper because you wish it to be so....We've sold a ton of these in the US at a far higher price point than people are used to paying for a video game because it really is a new and different experience that you have to experience to believe."

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In a turn that has shocked Sony's entertainment department to the core, Nintendo and BBC have announced that they have struck a deal to broadcast television shows straight into a Wii console sitting at home, making a mockery of both Sony's and Microsoft's claims that their console are true multimedia machines.

So why not the PS3 or Xbox 360? Well according to the BBC's Future and Technology Group Coordinator Erik Huggers "If you want to get on the PlayStation or Xbox, they want control of the look, the feel and the experience; they want it done within their shop, and their shop only,". Microsoft and Sony appear to have lost out on a big deal here, and will have struggle to compete in the UK for a multimedia minded public after failing to beat a console that doesn't even play DVDs.

The hugely successful iPlayer, has apparently beamed-out over 42-million television shows since its launch 3 months ago and will appear as a channel on the Wii's home screen. The service recently came under scrutiny by regulator Ofcom who say that someone is going to have to pay for the upgrades to the network that the BBC iPlayer is forcing them to make to help increase capacity, with the figure expecting to be around £830million.

Sadly the service is only available in the UK, so as soon as the service comes live, UK Wii owners will be notified via a service message. and the final word from BBC's technology blogger - "Nintendo has gone a step closer to achieving what many companies are working at - namely, bridging the gap between the web and the TV". Well done Nintendo.

It might be Apple's fault, stealing all the limelight with their MacBook Air, that is causing Dell laptops to fight back and retrieve their owner's attention in the form of electric shocks.

CNET reporters have commented on their own laptops giving them a nasty shock or two, according to them it feels like a "gentle tingle to a sudden jolt" and is caused by touching the aluminium casing when plugging in peripherals like printers and PDAs.

The problem lies with the 2-pin power connector that is found between the mains lead and power adapter not being correctly earthed.

The Dell forums are also "live" with numerous owners preaching their nasty experiences with the aluminium XPS M1330 and XPS M1530 laptops. Dell is yet to comment on the issue.

CNET

Despite being first prepped for launch on the PC solely it seems Ubisoft have had a change of heart and are now looking to be releasing an Xbox 360 and PS3 port of the game also, however no word on a simultaneous launch on all platforms.

Today Ubisoft officially announced that the game was coming to Xbox 360 and that a Playstation 3 version was also in the works

The original Far Cry shooter was a Far Cry from the harsh African wasteland that the game now revolves. Originally developed by the Crytec, the game was set in the tropics, with ravenous monsters hunting you down and one lead character, now the game is in the hands of Ubisoft Montreal studios, after Crytec left to partner with Electronic Arts to develop and spin-off of the game, now known as Crysis, the Ubi' team have built the engine for Far Cry 2 from the ground up in order to fully utilize newer technologies and produce as close to life-like physics as possible. The story also takes a twist on the original, involving 12 unique characters who all have one goal, to assassinate an international arms dealer

The first person shooter promises stunning graphics, breathtaking settings and fast-paced action, which the average humble PC will not suffice to produce. With the news of the game heading to consoles, this may bring hope to gamers who - otherwise - would end up missing out on great game.

With other games like Tom Clancy's End Was and Brothers in arms: Hell's Highway hogging up the office space, Far Cry 2's release has sadly been bumped backwards towards Ubisoft's Fiscal Period between April 2008 and March 2009.

Well that is if you can trust the music industry for Mac news.

After a recent party for Apple employees, which featured many rappers and music performances during the night, one rapper by the name of Just Blaze has let slip about his payment for the night, a spanking new 12" Macbook, which he was told was to be unveiled at next months MacWorld exhibition.

The notebook - expected to be remarkably thin - will go on sale one week after the exhibition, with a 12" screen, Flash storage and be priced at around $1,500 (£750).

Similarly to the Microsoft team, the Sony crew are ready to release their next, and surprisingly frequent, instalment of the Playstation 3 Firmware including DivX support.

It was the job of the UK Playstation website [which appears to have been removed] to spill the beans on the update, to be released on the 18th December (not 100% confirmed yet), with some DivX shaped goodies before the holidays, sadly with some limitations though that hopefully won't affect too many users:

• Files that are copy-protected,
• files encoded with DivX 3.11 or
• files that are larger than 2GB...

...will simply not play on the console.

Something that may disappoint PS3 owners, is the still missing in-game XMB, which some are now crossing their fingers for in the next update.

Also being added in the update is support for VC-1 (WMV) playback, Type 3 music bitmapping, Blu-ray Profile 1.1 and a "Voice Changer" which begs the question, "is it a good idea that some adults will be able to sound like little children?".

...is to turn in-game violence into reality.

A game developing company who specialise in Impact Generating Devices by the name of TN Games has developed a jacket (similar to a bulletproof vest) that can simulate the effects of getting shot in a game, to the actual discomfort. Taking that feeble rumble action in your controller to the next level.

The jacket can cause the user to feel a "thud" when a bullet enters one of four hydraulic powered areas on the jacket and also feel it exit from the opposite side. The jacket comes in a number of designs including charcoal black and full-on camo. They will also soon be releasing a number of other impact generating devices to completely cover you, including your head, arms and legs.

The current jacket design comes with the jacket itself as well as a USB lead for feedback from the game your playing and also a hefty power supply that is the similar size to a large hard-backed novel.

The company currently have a deal with Activision to use their Call of Duty 2 game as a development platform for this technology and are even making their own racing simulator using a similar G-force simulating jacket. The company is hoping to release another jacket that will pack a little more punch, 50% more punch, some time next year. The suite can be bought from as little as $189 and must be used with compatible games (which isn't many).

So hopefully, next time your buddy launches a grenade at you in Halo you may actually end up in a little pain in real-life.

Watch the video interview with Mark Ombrellaro, MD (President & CEO of TN Games) over a Channel 10

After last months fiasco with Halo 3 not quite making the HD mark by 80 pixels and all of the hysteria that went along with it, it now it seems that another of the blockbuster hits of the year has failed to meet the mark also.

Call of Duty 4 is gaining a Scrutinous inspection from the guys over at the Beyond 3D forums, who claim that the game uses 600p (1024 x 600 resolution) rather than the HD minimum of 720p on both next-gen consoles. This means that the game is missing a whopping 307,200 pixels from its picture.

It was indeed the Beyond 3D members who proved that Halo 3 wasn't quite HD and have therefore proven their reliability, and although there is no official word yet or visual proof, it is still to be proven wrong. 

The rumours and images that have been circulating the past week have finally been confirmed. Microsoft are indeed going to release a timer that will limit the length of time children can play on their Xbox 360 console.

Microsoft has announced this new feature in the hope of appealing to their new found audience, the average family - "As the customer base broadens, the demand for these kinds of capabilities does increase" says Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division.

The feature has been dubbed the "Family Timer" and can be set to limit weekly or daily usage and cuts the console when the time runs out. A similar feature can be found in Microsoft's operating system, Windows Vista.

Research into parental controls over children revealed that 90% of parents restrict gaming in some way, half of which are on playing time. This new feature goes a step further in helping parents enforce discipline without feeling too bad about it - "The number-one tool they miss is the ability to enforce time restrictions electronically on the console" commented Bach. Problem is, Microsoft will need to make this easy to use for, non-technology, expert parents and hope that they will remember their Windows Live ID in a few months, in case they want to change limits.

More information can be found on Xbox.com

Surveillance in a gaming store has captured the unbelievable heroism of a man trying to prevent an armed robber stealing a Playstation 3 console.

At the GameStop store on University Avenue, Florida, a mysterious man in a gray T-shirt and cornrows walks into the store and begins asking the clerk behind the counter about the Playstation console.

Employee, Ericson Santiago, showed the man the console box and the man then began to move around the counter to get closer. He then began violently tugging on the box, attempting to pull it from Santiago's vice-like grip. After a moment the robber realizes the store employee was not going to give up easily, so he physically drags Santiago all the way to the store door, before another customer in the store pulls him away, after apparently seeing a weapon in the robber's pocket.

It's been over a year since another GameStop store was robbed on October 19th, but it's even stranger when you can watch the actual robbery in action.

"He got knocked down and dragged halfway to the door," commented one police officer on the scene.

With the console only being worth around $600, it makes you want to ask Santiago "why risk your life? When it would be human nature to let it go". The police are still unsure if the man is in connection with any other similar incidences.

The awards for the second annual BAFTA Video Game Awards have been announced and one of the biggest games this year certainly was Wii Sports, the game snapped up six gongs including: Gameplay, Casual, Innovation, Multiplayer, Sports and Strategy & Simulation making it the biggest success at the awards this year only missing out on one nomination.

Obviously there weren't just six awards and the few that remained were dished out to some of the other biggest games of the year. Bioshock, the stunning game released in August for the Xbox 360, won Best Game. Another exclusive 360 game, Crackdown, took best Action & Adventure Game and Best Use of Audio. However the Playstation 3 failed to add any stars to their lapel without a single gong going their way.

The amazing Playstation 2 game, God of War, didn't disappoint seizing Best Technical Achievement and Best Story & Character. Also Okami took Best Artistic Achievement and Best Original Score. The only publicly voted for awards - PC Gamers award for Best Game - went to Football Manager 2007 for the PC.

According to the technology site Smarthouse, Microsoft and Toshiba may be in development of a brand new Xbox 360 console dubbed the "Entertainment Hub". Along with the standard console specification, this edition will add a built-in HD-DVD player, dual HD TV tuner (with EPG capabilities) and rather surprisingly a MP3 docking port (we assume for a Zune).

This change comes after a recent Sony Brand Wave study in the UK, Australia, France Germany and Spain revealed that the main reason people were buying a PS3 was because it's a cheap Blue-Ray player as well as a high-performing console.

Recent GFK research shows that the current HD-DVD peripheral is suffering in popularity and also suggests that the lack of a HDMI port at launched may have hindered early sales and boosted the PS3 ahead, when it was originally intended to cut costs and beat the competition to launch.

The console is not expected to be released this holiday season however, more likely closer to late 2008 or early 2009.

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Rockstar's highly controversial game Manhunt 2 has received the thumbs down from the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification), in the UK, for the second time this year despite the game developers attempts to alter the game to meat the approval of the BBFC.

Rockstar's first attempt to pass the game was turned down by the BBFC in June because of it's ferociously violent content, which had them attempt an appeal to the decision, but that was put on hold whilst a revision of the game was put forward for analysis.

"We recognize that the distributor has made changes to the game, but we do not consider that these go far enough to address our concerns about the original version," said BBFC director David Cooke. But more interestingly...

"There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the 'execution kills', but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature."

The game has passed ESRB's testing, but the BBFC still feel that the changes haven't made a convincing difference.

"As a result we have rejected the game on both platforms. The decision on whether or not an appeal goes ahead lies with the distributor."

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Yesterday Wii console owners were greeted with a blue tinted console, generally meaning that there is a firmware update or important message from Nintendo Headquarters, this time it was the later. Nintendo are now offering silicone coats for your Wii-Motes for added safety which, even in the sweaty mitts of any outlandish gamer, should prevent the thing from flying out of grip and into your prized telly.

Although there are yet to be any reports of serious injury caused by the remotes, Nintendo won't take any chances and is nipping the danger in the bud.

For current console owners, the coats are available from your regional Nintendo homepage for free for up to four jackets, providing you have a genuine console serial. However the coats will be bundled with any future remotes. Amazingly, this could mean a potential demand for 37.2 million jackets from 9.3 million console owners, but it does show that Nintendo is doing everything in their power to make sure consumers are getting a full-proof console for their money.

All orders will begin shipping on October 15th (Oct 2nd - UK)

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According to gaming news site Joystiq, a "Mole" has informed them of interesting changes coming from Microsoft this holidays for their next-gen console the Xbox 360. Although this isn't the first we have heard of this bundle shake-up, Joystiq's "mole" has brought some renewed interest and support for the rumors first hinted at last month.

The Pro version of the console will reportedly come bundled with Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel: UL in a single case (similarly to Sega GT and Jet Set Radio for the original Xbox). The Elite is also expected to receive a similar bundle.

The package is expected to drop in stores October 8th, but the Mole insists that there will be no price-drop with the release.

The second piece of information the Mole has unearthed includes an updated model of the Xbox 360 Core, Microsoft hopes to boost sales of this stripped version of the console by adding one vital feature, a HDMI port, and packing it with goodies: a wireless controller, 256MB memory card, and FIVE Xbox Live arcade games (Boom-Boom Rocket, Pac-man, Uno, Feeding Frenzy, and Luxor 2) on a separate disc. Even more shocking is that it will keep it's price tag of $279.99 (£173.98). Sadly no confirmation from the Mole whether this will affect worldwide stores, but its a safe bet it will.

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The iPod Touch, or as I like to call it "the iPhone doppelganger", features a full 3.5-inch wide-touchscreen and also packs WiFi capabilities for surfing the web or iTunes on the go.

The Touch has been designed with the same size screen as the iPhone but the whole unit is actually thinner - 8mm to be exact. the Touch also copies the iPhones slide-to-lock feature using the touchscreen but unfortunately the coverflow lacks the smoothness of the iPhone. Although the black internal antenna (which you can see from the back corner) isn't too pretty, the ability to surf the web on an iPod is one feature iPod owners were gasping for. With 22-hours audio playback and 5-hours video playback the Touch continues to impress, sadly no word on how battery draining Internet shopping will be.

Worldwide shipping will commence in a matter of weeks, but if you just can't wait that long, you can already pre-order form the apple store for a reasonable $299 (£199) for an 8GB model or $399 (£269) for a not-so-whopping 16Gb

View: New iPod Touch

First off the 3rd Generation iPod Nano, has a brand new design which retains the original aluminium casing but adds video playback and gaming.

The screen is a reasonable 2-inches and is 65% brighter than before. As well as the display being brighter, it is also wider than ever before (for better video playback) and features the new and enhanced user interface, which itself has its own version of coverflow (slidey album artwork).

With the Nano, comes three games with the option to buy more via iTunes. Apple claims 24-hour audio playback and 5-hour video playback capability. At only 6.5mm thin, it's certainly worth the $149 (£99) for 4GB or $199 (£129) for 8GB. As usual the cheaper 4GB is only in silver and the 4GB in the nice rainbow colours.

View: New iPod Nanos

At this years "Special Event" Apple wowed crowds by proving recent rumours of new iPods, to be true.

The new iPod family consists of a revamped iPods and iPod Nanos and a new member by the name of iPod classic, all with lower price tags and new features. They also made another contribution to the Product (RED) campaign with a red iPod Shuffle.

This generation iPods all feature a brand new user interface and extended battery life. More details soon.

View: New iPod line-up

Microsoft have officially confirmed that their Xbox 360 console will indeed be getting a price-cut this August (US only). The confirmation came late Monday night.

This isn't the first we've heard about a price-drop, in-fact over the past few weeks there have been tonnes of hints to the $50 cut, which was finally semi-confirmed by a Circuit City flyer which detailed the changes. Apparently this announcement comes because of the 360s "greatest holiday lineup in videogame history".

Beginning August 8th all the consoles, in US retailers, will retail at:

• Xbox 360 Premium (now simply called the Xbox 360) will drop $50 to $349
• Xbox 360 Core drops $20 to $279
• and Xbox 360 Elite, $30 to £449

They also re-confirmed their Halo 3 Special Edition console in Master Chief green, which will have a price tag of $399 and be HDMI capable, with a wireless controller, wired headset, 20GB hard drive and plug-and-play charge kit - all in green (but won't include the actual game).

Again, no word on world-wide price drops. It appears that Microsoft's love for the rest of the world has drained and love for the US has doubled. An Australian representative refused to give word on when a cut would be coming to the land down under

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