I was recently sent a press release regarding, Pro-Gamer, Justin Wong’s upcoming canned food drive being sponsored by Evil Controllers at E3 next week. The release reads as follows: 

As part of his attempt to set the world record for longest win streak, pro-gamer, Justin Wong and Xbox 360 modded controller creators, Evil Controllers will be holding a canned food drive and raffle at the 2009 E3 convention June 2rd through 4th at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA.

“The premise behind the food drive is simple,” says Evil Controller’s Director of Operations, Jonah Coe, “When we realized how many people were expected to attend E3 this year, Justin and I saw this as the perfect opportunity for Evil to do some good in the world.”

Wong will begin entertaining challengers at the Evil Controllers booth on Tuesday morning and will continue playing until the convention starts to wind down on Thursday. For each person who challenges Wong, Evil Controllers has promised to donate 1 can of food to the Saint Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. If a contestant manages to do the unthinkable and beats Wong, Evil will donate 10 cans.

In an attempt to sweeten the deal, Evil has made it free to play, and all contestants will be entered into a raffle drawing to win a Red Elite Xbox 360. The drawing will be held at the Evil Controllers booth at 3:00 pm on Thursday June 5th, the final day of the E3 convention.

A stop by Evil’s booth not only offers visitors face time with one of pro gaming’s fastest rising stars; it will also give them hands on experience with Evil’s newest innovation: the Evil Sticks. The recently introduced ergonomic xbox 360 thumbsticks are already gaining praise from pro gaming’s elite. WGC Ultimate Gamer, Prodigy X says “Precision and Accuracy of this level will make any game better.”

Evil will also be showing off a wide variety of its custom controllers at the convention in Los Angeles this summer. For more information on Evil’s product line and what to expect from them at E3, visit www.evilcontrollers.com.

ABOUT EVIL CONTROLLERS - Evil Controllers is a Tempe, Arizona-based company that specializes in custom modded Xbox 360 controllers designed to enhance game play for a variety of different game genres.

Evil Controller LLC develops modded controllers whose aim is to mitigate a player’s physical limitations while gaming. Through innovative design and ergonomic upgrades tailored for specific types of games, Evil provides gamers with custom controllers that best fit their needs.

Justin is a really sweet guy, and I think it’s wonderful that he’s decided to do this. I have to warn anyone who feels like taking him on though, the guy is a definite shark when it comes to fighting games. I’ve even lost $20 to him over a game of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 years ago, and I consider myself formidable. I don’t believed they mentioned which game he’ll be playing but I can only assume it’ll be Street Fighter 4, MvC2, or a similar title. No doubt he’s cleaned plenty of unsuspecting gamers wallets for them. Thankfully this event is free to all comers, assuming you can get in to E3 in the first place. I suppose that once you’re over that hurdle though, you’re welcome to try your hand. Besides, if a good cause isn’t enough, you can always brag about how you took on the champ and won.

[image source: evilcontrollers.com]

Apparently there is a new camera rumored to be in development for the Xbox 360. It’s said to have full body motion sensing abilities, and might be capable of providing all sorts of new methods to control games. While I have little doubt that any sort of motion sensing would be a successful feature for any console, I’m a little apprehensive as to how the product is going to be used.  If it means potential ports of Wii exclusive titles for next gen systems, that’d be awesome. The only issue there is the pile of shovelware that we see released for that console. I’d rather not see those titles in our Xbox 360 libraries. 

One of the suggested methods of control included punching and kicking, similar to that of the old Activator accessory released in the mid-90’s by Sega. If you ask me though, I’d rather poke my eyes out. A lot of the time, I feel like an idiot while I’m doing the motions with my wiimotes–I can only imagine how terrible it’d be doing it with my entire body.

Still, if this product is in development, we might expect to hear more about it next week as Microsoft gears up for their major press conference. Already I’m hearing mentions of a major AAA titles coming out of their camp, though details have been quite scarce. I suppose we’ll just have to wait to see.

[via destructoid]

While I was invited to the Sony press conference at E3 next week, I felt it’d be wrong for me to not post about the latest bit of news that leaked onto the net just days before the conference itself. Eurogamer.net managed to snag some of the official press photos for Sony’s upcoming handheld console. It apparently slides open, and plays games via download, though  I’m not exactly sold on it myself. Still, it might be a good buy for anyone who hasn’t already bought a PSP slim. You can find out more about the console from this video released on Destructoid back in March.

 That’s right, I said March. Apparently they were the first ones to drop the details about this console, and more astonishingly, they were almost completely on the mark. I’m still in awe that they managed to get this info up as early as GDC, but equally amazed by how nobody else seemed to pick up on it–that is, until 1Up mentioned something about it. That said though, Destructoid had them beat to the punch. If any of my robotic friends are reading this, way to go. You guys deserve the props for being first. 

I’m still looking forward to hearing what Sony has to say at their press conference, as they’ll probably have plenty to talk about in addition to this latest console. Still, why all the secrecy Sony? I don’t think anyone will be able to steal your thunder. After all, the DSi just came out, and I don’t think Nintendo plans on trumping your new console anytime soon.

 [Image Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/]

The teaser site for Kojima Productions upcoming game has finally revealed what appears to be a man who resembles Big Boss.  You may remember as the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 3 and Portable Ops–however, some of you may have been around to play the original Metal Gear, and recognize him as the final boss of that first game. Magazine scans of what I could only guess is Famitsu, have also been floating around with images of Raiden from Metal Gear Solid 4, complete in his cyberninja outfit. Given that we’re still only able to speculate on what exactly the game could be, I’d feel it’s safe to assume, from Kojima’s GDC presentation, that it’s the next installment of Metal Gear Solid. 

There is also no hint regarding potential console exclusivity, but as always, there are plenty of rumors floating about regarding an Xbox 360 port of the previous title Metal Gear Solid 4. Kojima has always looked to the future of gaming when designing his titles and has expressed, time and time again, that he would prefer his games be able to take advantage of the latest in technology. It became rather obvious that he was displeased when Sony decided to remove the rumble feature from it’s latest console, and many people attribute addition of Dual Shock for the PS3 to Kojima’s scrutiny. Arguably so, Sony wouldn’t want to lose one of it’s biggest supporters, and what could be considered a “system selling”, AAA franchise. While I can’t say for sure, I would say the safe money is on it being yet another PS3 exclusive, at least, for the time being. We’ll see if any of that changes next week.

[Image Source: http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/next/]

Due to a missing install file, the PC version of Terminator Salvation has been recalled. According to their official forums, a defect occurred during replication of the PC title, preventing complete installation of the game. Fortunately, other ports of the game, including the downloadble version for the PC are all unaffected and functioning as intended. As a result, all copies of the PC version have been recalled from various retail outlets and new copies are currently being replicated which should resolve any further issues. From what we’re led to believe, the new copies should appear a few days from when the statement was officially posted, last Wednesday. That said, I wouldn’t expect to see them on the shelves until early next week.

It wasn’t long before gamers found a way to manually fix the issue, posting the steps in the same topic, however it does require some work on the user end. If you’re hoping to avoid issues, or having to fix the issue manually, it might be best to wait until the new copies come in. Evolve Games, the developer behind the game, have announced that they have currently set up a replacement plan for anyone who may have had the unfortunate luck of purchasing the defective title. Most retail outlets won’t allow you to return an opened PC game, regardless of defect, so this might be your only option. If that’s the case, you should check their forums for any updates regarding the replacement plan, though currently they direct you to their support page, here. Frankly, I’m amazed that the game was distributed before any of the replicated copies were properly tested by a quality control team. Maybe I’m being a little hard on them, but seriously? You’d think they would have caught it a bit sooner.

[Image Source: terminatorsalvationthegame.com]

In an article released by the Associated Press last Friday, EA went on record stating that early copies of their upcoming title The Sims 3 is pre-final, and plagued with bugs. In addition to the unstable build, it apparently lacks an entire second city, which EA claims consists of half the game itself.

The game was leaked about two weeks prior to the release date, and sadly, the title has been passed around via various torrent sites such as the infamous Pirate Bay. Strangely, in a move I could only attribute to a lack of common sense, the upcoming final build of the game will lack any form of DRM–digital rights management to the uninformed–or other forms of anti-piracy countermeasures. While I understand that they feel there might be some form of backlash, a simple authentication key would do wonders. I get that some people will undoubtedly crack the codes used for that, it should at least encourage more people to locate official copies of the game.

Is EA proverbially shooting itself in the foot? I don’t know, I suppose there are arguments on both sides regarding the actual effectiveness of DRM. Let me put it this way though, The Sims itself has–as much as I personally abhor it–become part of our pop culture. We see references to it in shows like The Simpsons, or more recently, an episode of 30 Rock. You’d think EA would do whatever they could to protect their product, much like Apple does with it’s proprietary quicktime formats and itunes. Well regardless, I’m sure plenty of people love the game and will be buying it after it’s released next month.

[via google]

IGN is reporting that the classic PSone titles, Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid, have recently received ESRB listings– strongly indicating that they may be released via Playstation Network in the near future.  In the past, these listing have been used to determine upcoming releases for both the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. While there is no news regarding which versions of these classics have been cleared, I could only assume that Resident Evil will come with the dual shock that was included in the directors cut. My prediction for Metal Gear Solid is that it will not include the VR missions– however, this remains to be seen.

These titles will join the recently released Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!, R-Type Delta, Bowling, and SNK classic King of Fighters ‘99. While Japan has been enjoying a wider selection, it’s likely that Sony will continue to bring us releases in the coming months. Capcom has recently gone on record stating that they hope to make more classics available.  With any luck, we should be seeing some of those released on Xbox Live as well. While it’s nice to see more content on the Playstation Network–which sony still prides itself on for being free of charge–I still find myself wondering when Sony will make the PS3 itself more affordable. With E3 coming up, Sony has yet to give any hints towards a price drop. How big of a cut would you need to see before you pick one up?

[via IGN]

 After a long wait, it looks as though Capcom has somehow managed to settle the licensing issues that were holding up it’s latest installment of the Vs. series, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom. According to a post by GoNintendo yesterday afternoon, the upcoming issue of Nintendo Power has an article confirming as much. Shortly after the news broke, screen shots of the article began circulating the net.

The licensing issues stemmed from the multiple licenses involved with the various anime series developed by Tatsunoko Productions overseas, which have been subsequently licensed to various distributors outside Japan. Given the popularity of the Vs. games–as evidenced by the upcoming re-release of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 on both Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade–it’s no wonder that Capcom was anxious to get this title released in North America. The gameplay is heralded as being extremely fun and easy to control, comparable Capcom Vs. Snk 2. The graphics are completely new renderings, instead of rehashed sprites found in previous titles from the Vs. franchise. While there is no reported release date as of yet, Capcom is likely to mention something at E3.

While I’m disappointed that it’s only coming out on the Nintendo Wii, I haven’t given up hope for a multiple console release in the future. That said, I’ll buy it anyways, but can you really blame me for being so concerned about the lack of higher definition graphics and friendlier controls?  Despite the new character renders and the ability to play as Gatchaman–that’s right, from G-Force–the system exclusivity bothers me. What can I say, I like having choices. 

 [Image Source: Shoryuken.com]

It’s been several years since the last installment of the popular Fight Night boxing series and EA has taken that time to really polish it’s latest venture Fight Night Round 4. According to a producer on the title, the physics engine was completely rewritten to allow for more accurate connections, be it punches, glancing blows, or the dreaded hay-makers which can have your boxer seeing stars, or picking himself up off the mat. This increases the importance of moving around, causing your opponent to miss his shots and providing the opportunity to retaliate. Whlie playing I noticed that counter attacks now give you a larger advantage by dealing slightly more damage.

Between rounds you’re given the opportunity to heal based on a new points system which seems to accumulate over the course of the round, as opposed to the previous system of mini-games which you had to play in the last installment. This makes healing quick and easy, and lets you get back to the game with little to no delay. The actual judging seems to be even more accurate than before, and seems to take into account everything from the number of connections, to your overall performance in the ring.

While the demo itself limited your choices to the Filipino phenom, Manny Pacquiao, and his recent pay-per-view opponent, Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, it also showed off it’s latest line up of boxers who are to be featured in the full game in a gallery mode. This includes the infamous Mike Tyson, The Contender season one champion, Sergio Mora, and of course, the boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

While I’m not exactly the worlds biggest sports gamer, I happen to enjoy the Fight Night series quite a bit, and boxing is one of the sports I actually do follow on a regular basis. That said, I’d like to think with my previous experience with Fight Night Round 3, I’d be a force to be reckoned with. Unlike the real match however, I was unable to knock Hatton out within two rounds, let alone the three rounds the demo provides you–leading me to believe that either I’m just terrible, or the game is harder than it should be. Of course, Pacquiao could have just been really lucky in real life.

[Image Source: http://fightnight.easports.com/]

Kojima Productions has been hinting at their next big project since GDC in March. With E3 just weeks away, they’ve posted what appears to be a teaser site. I’d like to say that it’s an epic video, guaranteed to blow you away, but it won’t. These teasers are often cryptic, but easy enough that you can discern a meaning. I’d like to think that Kojima isn’t messing with us, but that said, Kojima has always had a very good sense of humor. The April Fools joke they pulled this year certainly gave me a laugh.

As of yesterday, my twitter was buzzing with various journalists speculating as to what Kojima’s E3 announcement might be, and while the odds on favorite would be a follow up to Metal Gear Solid 4, a few seem to be hopeful that it’ll be a new intellectual property, or even another sequel to Zone of the Enders.  The teaser really doesn’t give us an answer, so we’re left guessing and hoping. Either way, I’d keep my eye on the site leading up to and during E3. While I doubt that we’re going to get an answer before the official announcement from Kojima himself, you never know.