Raiden IV Pre-order Love

Shooters like Raiden IV usually don't get any kind of fanfare for its release outside of Japan. Hell, shooters themselves have a difficult time seeing any kind of release in North America, so it's very cool to see that Raiden IV will have some pre-order lovin'. Anyone who pre-orders from GameStop will receive a Raiden IV soundtrack and a DVD with the Raiden IV Secret File PDF art book, which I believe is the same contents from the game's first print run in Japan. It's very awesome to see that Raiden IV is getting this kind of treatment over here. Raiden IV is due to shoot up North American Xbox 360s this September.

Raiden will handle the fireworks for this evening.

- Shawn - 7/04/09

Direct link: Raiden IV Pre-order Love

A Very Girly Gundam

Girly Gundams are nothing new. There have been a few Gundam models released or customized to be pretty in pink. However, this RX-78 is probably the girliest Gundam ever conceived. It's easily girlier than the "female" Sailor Moon-styled Nobel Gundam. It's slightly girlier than this other pink and stone-covered Gundam. This Gundam is so girly, it's even girlier than a real girl dressed in a Gundam costume. It's that girly. View more photos of this girly Gundam at Gigazine.

Pink, prettied-up, and ready to blast unbridled sugary sweet girl power straight in your face.

- Shawn - 7/02/09

Direct link: A Very Girly Gundam

Dreamcast Keeps on Shootin' with Dux and Pink Bullets

The 2D shooter has been making a comeback since 2007 and while still slim pickings, the games can be found much more readily. Even on the Dreamcast. Dux is a brand new 2D shooter for the Dreamcast, keeping the system somewhat alive in 2009 (via Joystiq). Somehow any news of Dux's development by independent developer Hucast slipped by me. I guess I just gave up hope for the system after the shooter Last Hope came out in 2007. From the look of it, Dux is very similar to R-Type. I might classify it as R-Type's younger sister; she has similar-tough-as-nails gameplay and weapon system, but with a delicious candy coating. I was already sold on "new 2D shooter for the Dreamcast" so I will get this as soon as I possibly can. Enjoy the trailer for Dux, complete with a sweet techno soundtrack.

Continue Reading Dreamcast Keeps on Shootin' with Dux and Pink Bullets...

- Shawn - 6/29/09

Weekly News Roundup: 6/28/2009

Games

MVC2 is the best way to be taken for a ride.

• Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is getting a PS3 retail box release. Maybe. GameStop has since taken down the listing for it, but the case included a code for the game, an instruction booklet a disc with wallpapers and stuff, a subscription to Marvel digital comics, and 2000 Capcom points. Sounds like a deal for only $5 more than the straight download. Whether a retail box is true or not, the release is coming up soon, so here is Episode 1 of the Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 trailer.

• Japan had been missing out on some hot Mega action, as Mega Man 9 has only just been released in Japan. To celebrate, those with the highest scores will win the downloadable Rockman: Complete Works, a remake of the first Mega Man. Right now the contest is the only way to get this, but hopefully Capcom will release it in mass downloadable form at some point.

• Similar in what Sony did with Patapon 2, NIS America's Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! will now be a PSN exclusive downloadable title.

• Strikers 1945 Plus will be heading to North America, but it will only be a downloadable title on PSN, not be a regular retail title. This updated version of Strikers 1945 includes tuned-up graphics and an endless play mode.

• Capcom has made a teaser site with the number 1560 meandering on the screen. Speculation is that this is for a new Onimusha as the first game took place in the year 1560.

• Obsidian Entertainment has announced that the Aliens RPG is dead.

• Warner Bros. turned out to be the only bidder for Midway. You'd thin at least a few companies would want Mortal Kombat.

• Square-Enix's The Last Remnant was originally meant to be multiplatform, but it looks like the PS3 version could get cancelled if it's not already.

• Cross Edge, the epic cross-company RPG that brings together characters from Capcom, Namco Bandai, Nippon Ichi, Idea Factory, and Gust will be heading to the Xbox 360 - in Japan at least.

• A new KORG DS-10, called KORG DS-10+ will be out in Japan in September for the DSi. The + gives four analogue and eight drum synthesizers, 12 tracks, and the ability to edit in real-time.

• This Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Newbie cartoon is pretty hilarious.

• Unsurprisingly, a survey revealed that 20% less people know about Modern Warfare 2 and that it is the sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare because the "Call of Duty" was dropped from the title. I knew something like this would happen.

• A survey hinted at new units and gameplay features for a possible Command & Conquer 4. These features included a mobile base and MMORPG-like experience system. Sounds cool.

• This Resident Evil claymation is 100% awesome.

• iPhone game developer Ketera Software blatantly copied flOw for their game Aquatica, even though they say it was an original idea.

- Shawn - 6/28/09

NECA's Street Fighter IV Series 2 "Battle" Images

NECA's Street Fighter IV Series 2 figures will be out soon and in preparation, they have made some battle images of the figures in various fighting poses. NECA really knows how to make great figures and accompanying imagery. The 31 - 35-point articulation lends itself to most of the stances and positions that Guile, Chun Li, and Akuma can do in the game. There is, however, one thing that NECA needs to realize: Street Fighter figures need extra heads. SOTA knew this and nearly all their Street Fighter figures had at least one extra head since each character's face does go through varying expressions during a battle. Because Guile and Akuma are pissed-off 95% of the time, their heads work fine; Chun Li's expressionless husk does not. She doesn't look like she even cares what moves she is doing, but what really gets me is the third Chun Li picture. This winning pose pf hers always includes a super happy grin on her face, but here she doesn't seem to give a damn. Your enormous thighs just saved the day, lady, be happy about it! When you read NECA's description of the figures, Guile and Akuma both have two extra hands, while Chun Li has five. Five extra hands and not one extra head? That is a shame indeed.

Unfortunately, having already collected many of SOTA's Street Fighter figures, I don't feel a need to buy any of NECA's offerings unless they are a character that hasn't been made before (Crimson Viper) or are actually quite different from the standard look of the character (Guile in Charlie's clothes SDCC exclusive). I still respect the work they do, because obviously the figures look fantastic, but hopefully NECA can bring some extra heads for whichever characters they have planned for Series 3. Perhaps we'll see prototypes of them at Comic-con in a few weeks.

Guile and Akuma prepare to bring your other figures the pain. Chun Li, on the other hand, has become utterly disinterested in the size of her thighs, fighting, and life itself.

- Shawn - 6/26/09

Direct link: NECA's Street Fighter IV Series 2 "Battle" Images

Japan's Second Life-size Giant Robot is Tetsujin 28

The Gundam was only the beginning of Japan's ultimate quest to flaunt its robot dominance to the rest of the world. The next life-size giant robot is Tetsujin 28, otherwise known as Gigantor (via Japanator). When completed, Tetsujin 28 will stand a fearless 18 meters tall (about 60 feet for you Westerners). Unlike the Gundam RX-78, it will not have an movement, light-up eyes, or steam. It will, however, be in a pose so heroic that any crime in a 100km radius will immediately cease upon its completion. Also unlike the Gundam, Tetsujin 28 is set to be a permanent fixture in Wakamatsu Park in Shinnagata, Kobe, Japan. The statue should be completed in August, which gives me just enough time to watch the Tetsujin 28 series so I know the kind of power and destruction to expect once it teams up with the Gundam for robo-dominance of the planet. View more photos of its construction at the official site. I would say that the U.S. should start work on its own giant robot statues, but they'd probably make one of the crappy movie version of Optimus Prime, so it's better to just let Japan rule us under their robotic fist.

Escaping the robot masters by jumbo jet will no longer be a viable option when Tetsujin 28 is completed this August!

- Shawn - 6/26/09

Direct link: Japan's Second Life-size Giant Robot is Tetsujin 28

The Most Epic Mega Man 2 and Final Fantasy Raps Ever

I love things that involve Mega Man and things that are epic. This is both. Yesterday, a friend mentioned that I had to watch this Mega Man 2 rap. Not a fan of rap? Me either, but this is unbelievably fantastic and hilarious. It uses the original music with added guitar and drums and more than just rap, with some rock and even rock opera in their Final Fantasy song (coming up next). This song and video comes form The Adventures of "Dave" and BrandO, formerly Duane and BrandO. If you have ever played a Mega Man game, you need to watch this. Be warned: The lyrics get a bit vulgar so this is totally NSFW, but completely balls-to-next-year's-walls awesome. Enjoy.

That isn't their only song/video though. They have songs for Ninja Gaiden, Punch Out, Duck Hunt, Kung Fu, Earthbound, and Little Nemo of all things. There is also this aforementioned near 11 minute Final Fantasy masterpiece which contains cameos from Mega Man and Doc Brown's DeLorean (the original Final Fantasy, before the characters got ridiculous hair - also NSFW).

Continue reading The Most Epic Mega Man 2 and Final Fantasy Raps Ever...

- Shawn - 6/23/09

Tekken 6's Marshall Law Just Shat Himself

Continue reading Tekken 6's Marshall Law Just Shat Himself...

- Shawn - 6/22/09

Weekly News Roundup: 6/21/2009

Games

In my day we weren't able to wait for a patch to make a game easier. Go back and play the original NES version; it'll bring you to tears.

• The PS3 version of the amazing Bionic Commando: Rearmed is getting Trophies with an upcoming patch. The patch will also make the game easier for those who complained it was too hard. Oh, boo hoo, it was supposed to be hard, but was already a bit easier than the original, you pansies. At least this will make it more accessible for some. Since Capcom is adding Trophies to this, how about Trophies for Mega Man 9?

• There is a secret in Mega Man 9 that has not been discovered yet. Seriously. So many things about the game have already been found, but there is one thing, still there, waiting to be discovered. What could this mega-secret be?

• The box art for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 has been revealed and it has the "only on PlayStation" tag on it. Just like how Ninja Gaiden II has "only on Xbox 360." The same game is only on Xbox 360 and only on PlayStation 3. Funny. Yes, the PS3 version has a few extras, but it is the same core game.

• Valve had to change the cover art of Left 4 Dead 2 to appease the ESRB. It's okay to have a zombie hand with a chewed-off thumb, but not two chewed-off fingers? A PS3 version was listed by EA, but was quickly taken down. We'll just have to wait and see if a PS3 Left 4 Dead 2 is ever announced.

• Apparently there is a Tekken 6 Twitter site. And apparently they posted a screenshot of Penny Arcade's Cardboard Tube Samurai in Tekken 6, in some form at least. If you look closely at the picture, you can see Yoshimitsu's flag. So, I'm thinking that CTS is an unlockable skin for Yoshimitsu. God, I abhor Twitter.

• An update for Virtua Fighter 5 Arcade will add some cool Sega-branded costumes, like Ulala and Samba de Amigo. No word on whether this will appear as in the West as DLC or otherwise.

• 1up interviewed Soren Lund, director of the Watchmen: The End is Nigh games. If you want to know why the games turned out bad this holds your answers. Lund states one reason is that Zack Snyder got involved with the games and wanted more levels when the team was supposed to be fixing the game. He also says that Warner Bros. over-priced it, by a lot.

• DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou Black Label Extra for the Xbox 360 version was so buggy that retail sales needed to be halted. The reason it was buggy is that the source code was copied over directly from the PS2 version of the game.

• Macross Ace Frontier for the PSP game is getting a sequel. Macross Ultimate Frontier will be out this Fall in Japan, but not North America. Never, North America.

• SOTA has released images of their upcoming Akuma "Raging Demon" 12" resin statue. I just want to know when SOTA is going to make more Street Fighter figures.

- Shawn - 6/21/09

Gunstar Heroes Review

Treasure's Sega Genesis masterpiece Gunstar Heroes is on PSN and XBLA ready for you to download in all its supreme awesomeness. Here's a review, but first check out the Japanese Mega Drive box art.

Only the Japanese box art accurately reflects the full epic-ness of Treasure's Gunstar Heroes.

- Shawn - 6/20/09

Halo Series 6 Exclusives Remain Chief-less

Well, contrary to what I thought last week, it appears that Series 6 will indeed have the retailer exclusive Spartans we've come to loathe. I guess I was just putting too much hope out there that there would actually be a Halo figure series without the over-abundance of Spartan repaints. We can hope, but it will probably never be. The good news is that this wave of exclusives will introduce a brand new color: sage! This series' Hayabusa sports the sage armor, so he can oh so cleverly hide in the bushes outside of Amazon.com and in International territories, perhaps like the real Amazon. Unfortunately, there is only one Elite repaint and he will be difficult to get. This gold Elite Assault will only be available at FYE, in the UK, and Australia. The "coveted" Recon armor makes a steel-colored appearance at GameStop. It seems the days of the brown Spartan armor are over, for now, as Toys 'R' Us moves over to the brighter, and possibly more kid-friendly, orange armor. A teal EVA shoots up with Fred Meyer and Wal-Mart gets a blue EVA Spartan. Like the regular Series 6 figures, these also include the silly achievement-style Medals. At least series 6 is still without a Master Chief figure and that, my friends, deserves an achievement medal all its own.

The ninja Spartans of the forest hide atop tall trees and await their adversaries with Fuel Rod Guns.	The gold Elite will only be found in random places in the outback and over-priced mall music stores.

Continue to see four more unsurprising Spartans...

- Shawn - 6/19/09

Weekly News Roundup: 6/14/2009

Gundam!

Japan has proven they can build a life-size Gundam. So how long will it be until they actually make a fully-functional one?

• Japan's life-size Gundam is completed. This is something that should be left up all year round, not just for the couple months they have planned. The RX-78 Gundam does move, a little. It is able to move its head, has light-up eyes, and steam shoots out from the chest. Once that thing starts walking, though, that's the day we're all in trouble. Check out more photos at dannychoo.com and kenleewrites.com.

Games

• Some new screenshots from The Last Guardian have made their way online.

• Muramasa: The Demon Blade will not have English voice-overs. Because the game is so steeped in Japanese mythology, dubbing it would have lost some of its brilliance. Don't worry, there will be subtitles.

• Metroid: Other M was so secret that Koei didn't even know about it until well after Koei and Tecmo completed the merger.

• Here is a real-life Ryu vs. car bonus stage.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled will be yet another timed Xbox 360 exclusive. The PSN version will be out later in the year.

• Kenji Inafune is a trooper. Here he is signing 500 Dead Rising 2 Servbot mugs by hand.

• Hey, its BioShock 2's Big and Little Sister anime-style on the cover of Taiwan's Famitsu.

• The Director of PSN Operations, Erik Lempel, has stated that because the PSP has been hacked so much, we will never see Trophies on the PSP. People don't need to be giving themselves large Trophy counts without doing all the game-work.

• Xbox Live's Community Games will be renamed Xbox Live Indie Games. That does sound a lot better.

• If you watched the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker trailer then you saw the cardboard box with two Snakes in it. In a recent interview Kojima called it The Love Box, with no additional explanation. This game is going to get weird.

• These Resident Evil cosplayers do the Thriller dance. It's awful and great at the same time.

• Valve has responded to the boycotters of Left 4 Dead 2 and stated that the content is too big to just be DLC, so it's coming out as L4D2. They still have more DLC headed for the first game.

• It appears that Mezco has cancelled their LittleBigPlanet figure line. Surely somebody will pick up this cash cow of a license.

- Shawn - 6/14/09

Halo Mongoose Trilogy

Perhaps the reason that there are only 6 figures in Halo Series 6 is because the Mongoose is also being released that month. In fact, there won't just be one Mongoose pack (because that would be the sensible thing to do), there will be three, each with an exclusive Spartan figure. Ah, so this is where the extra Spartans are at. Strangely, none of the Mongoose packs have a Master Chief. Hey, I'm not complaining; No Halo fan needs another Master Chief figure. The first Mongoose pack introduces a brand new Spartan armor, the Mark V which is only slightly different than the Mark VI armor. Seriously, it's nearly indistinguishable. The second pack will include a cyan EOD Spartan. The third pack is exclusive to Diamond and Toys 'R Us and includes a crimson CQB Spartan with steel trim. It appears that the Mongoose itself will be identical in each pack and I'm not sure how many collectors are going to actually want three Mongooses parked on their shelves. They will probably want the new armor variations, though, and the Mongoose can hold two Spartans at once for Road Rash-type battling. McFarlane Toys says this is the first in-scale vehicle for the Halo figures. Hopefully "first" means they will eventually be releasing what fans really want: an in-scale Warthog.

"It doesn't look like Mongoose to me. It looks more like a meerkat."

Continue for the other two Mongooses and Spartans...

- Shawn - 6/13/09

Medium-Sized Armored Enemy Soldier Machine Can Not be Harmed!!

Not being satisfied with just releasing recognizable and popular shooter ships and robots, Yujin/ Takara-Tomy A.R.T.S. will be producing a limited edition garage kit gashapon of a generic Wolf Fang enemy; An enemy so generic that it did not even have a name until the Yujin team decided to make it. Since a product has to be called something, they basically named it the "SRGK Wolf Fang Video Game Robotics medium-sized armored enemy soldier machine." Yes, this generic enemy soldier now has the longest name in giant robot history. This garage kit stands the same height as the other Shooting Game Historica and Video Game Robotics figures at approximately 4 inches and has no articulation. This little guy will only be available at certain events that Yujin/Takara-Tomy A.R.T.S. is at, like Wonder Festival 2009 on July 26th or some Comic Market on August 14th-16th. If you happen to find yourself at one of those events, please, pick one up for me. Because it's a limited edition they'll cost ¥3,809 (around $40.00 U.S.), but I would be ever grateful. My aim was to collect every version of the SGH ships and VGR robots, and I've been good about it so far, but it looks like this one may slip my iron twitch grasp. Oh, and I did not add the "I can not be harmed!!" line; That was the work of Yujin themselves because they know that medium-sized armored enemy soldier machine is one generic adversary that must be feared by all.

Medium-sized armored enemy soldier machine is a mad warrior that can not be harmed and is feared by all.

- Shawn - 6/12/09

Direct link: Medium-Sized Armored Enemy Soldier Machine Can Not be Harmed!!

Halo Series 6 Earns a Medal for Less (Updated)

McFarlane Toys has revealed the final line-up of figures for Halo Series 6, dubbed the Medal Edition since each figures includes a shiny medal. Halo collector's can breathe a collective sigh of relief that they won't have to spend nearly as much on this series as past ones; there are only 6 figures and none of the are Master Chief. (UPDATE: Curses, Retailer Exclusives have been revealed.) Where's the Chief? Who cares, because I don't have to buy his damn figure again. Most of the figures in Series 6 are repaints, but they are important repaints, not just the endless rainbow of Spartan variants of before. The Flood Stalker is an all-new, creepy-looking figure. The Rookie is the star of Halo 3: ODST, so he's not just some faceless soldier. Elite Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadumee helped out Earth forces in Halo 3 and is missing two mandibles, which instantly makes him an elite bad-ass. The Brute Bodyguard has fancy new armor, so he is half-new. The lone Spartan in this line-up is the White Recon Spartan, marking the first time that the Recon armor has been made available to the mass market and not just by way of exclusives or mail-in. Finally, there is the Grunt wearing red. This little guy is the equivalent of red-shirts in Star Trek. Don't you want him just so he can be the first to die in your mock Halo figure battles? If that's what you like do your Halo figures, that is. Halo Series 6 should drop in this October. Yes, I completely stole that line from Halo 3: ODST. Hey, this series has The Rookie, so it works.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat without half your mandibles? I can barely tear a baby apart anymore!"	"Wait, if I'm always playing flashbacks of other ODSTs, do I ever get to play as myself in the game?"

Continue to see the other figures of Halo Series 6...

- Shawn - 6/11/09

E3 2009 Booths and Sights Gallery

E3 2009 was so ball-bustlingly metal.	Modern Warfare 2. It's so good you don't need to see the rest of the name.	Sony's tattooed dude grabs a little sack.

It would have been hilarious if 3/4 of that Xbox 360 booth circle was red.	Drop you E3 junk in the toilet and get Rabbids panties. It's a deal.	I don't care about Dragon Ball games, but the title for this one is great. Although, it's much better if you read it as Dragon Raging Ball Blast. Awesome.

Continue for many more E3 2009 photos...

- Shawn - 6/9/09

E3 2009 Booth Babes and Costumes Gallery

Trauma Team requires you to have a double dose of sexy nurse every day.	I have no idea what game she is for, but I want to play it.	Sure... you can give me your sales pitch. Uh, what are you selling again?	Do not mess with EverQuest girl; she will destroy you.

Continue for more E3 2009 Booth Babes...

- Shawn - 6/8/09

Weekly News Roundup: 6/7/2009

Games

Well, L4D2 has fighter jets flying by, so that's something, at least.

Although most of the newsworthy buzz and announcements were all from E3 this week, there were a few things that came outside of the expo.

• Not long after the "too soon" announcement of Left 4 Dead 2 at E3, nearly 10,000 Left 4 Dead fans began boycotting the sequel. The boycotters do have some valid reasons, such as splitting the Left 4 Dead community, and not supporting the game as they continue to do with Team fortress 2. Valve has yet to respond.

• Shadow of the Colossus content is coming to LittleBigPlanet on June 11th. This is LBP DLC that I have to actually buy.

• Activision is suing Double Fine over Brütal Legend because they claim that they still have a valid contract to release the game. They why did they previously drop the game?

• Burnout Paradise's Big Surf Island will add 10 Trophies for the PS3 and 5 achievements for the Xbox 360. The PS3 version will have 98 Trophies, the most of any game and 32 more than the next closest game with Trophies. Big Surf Island is expected to be about $12.99 when it releases.

• A man dressed as an Umbrella agent from Resident Evil was arrested and detained for a short time when he was the first to arrive at a zombie crawl. His costume was too good.

• According to the internets, Conan O'Brien's new set looks like Super Mario Bros. There was a video with Conan's response to the while thing, but NBC took it down.

- Shawn - 6/7/09

E3 '09 Impressions

"By the horse of Odin, my finger smells awful!"

This year's E3 was getting the convention back into the mass powerhouse that it wasn't in the previous two years. While it was big, it didn't seem as big as the previous E3s I had attended. I'm sure next year will be bigger as companies get back into the swing of things. I'll be expecting many more booth babes next year, too. Above all, there are too many great games coming out, especially if you own every console. Here are, in no particular order, some quick impressions from E3 2009.

The Last Guardian: The official name of Project Trico, the third game to go with Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, is called The Last Guardian. This is probably my most anticipated title. Who wouldn't want a feathered kitty-dragon thing?

Final Fantasy XIII: Final Fantasy XIII will be game of the year when it finally gets released. It should be out in 2010. Although the game will be on the Xbox 360, only the PS3 will have the "full" FFXIII experience.

Final Fantasy XIV: Disappointingly, FFXIV will be another MMO. I still have never played an MMO and have never felt the need to. At least this looks more appealing than FFXI. This will be exclusive to the PS3, but for how long?

Halo 3: ODST: ODST adds two sound suppressed weapons, a low-light visor, and a pistol like the one in the first Halo. The playable flashbacks into other ODSTs to solve the mystery of what the frak happened will make this a unique FPS story-wise.

Halo: Reach: Awesome. This will be out in 2010. Anyone who purchases Halo 3 ODST will be able to get in to the Reach beta.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: A Castlevania game that involves Hideo Kojima and Patrick Stewart? Wow, I can't wait.

Continue reading E3 2009 Impressions...

- Shawn - 6/6/09

The Booty of E3 '09

Nothing wrong with getting some booty at a convention.

Above you see the mass amount of booty I got at E3 '09. No, this isn't booth babe booty, although I do have plenty of that for a future posting. This is the free schwag companies were giving away this year. I was only at the show for the first two days, so there would have been even more crap on my floor than what I ended up with. There were the typical catalogs, magazines, bags, posters, and shirts, but also a few more booty-licious items.

Battlefield 1943 Aviator Glasses and Shirt: The Aviator glasses have a small 1943 logo on the upper right corner and feature full 100% protection from UV rays. They protect your eyes and are stylin' at the same time. I only mention the shirt because it was another item they gave away. It's an XL, so elsewhere it will go. More companies need to give out t-shirts in sizes other than massive. Dragon Age Origins, Evil Controllers, and VideogameVoters.com had shirts in normal sizes like Large or even Medium (as well as other sizes) because they probably realize that not every gamer is a hairy, sweaty beast.

Spudz Lens Cloth: Spudz was giving out clip anywhere lens cloths that came attached in their own clip anywhere holder. I used it on my camera at one point and my lens was cleaned up better than a cat licking itself all day. I love this cloth.

Data Design Interactive USB Drive: DDI was giving out USB drives that contained a press kit full of images and videos of Wii games that I will probably never play. Once you were done looking at the stuff, you could delete it and have yourself a 2GB USB drive.

Splinter Cell: Conviction Posters and Shirts: Out in the main convention center entrance, a small printing press team was printing and pressing posters and t-shirts. They were not giving away anything; they were printing it for give-away a few hours later at the Splinter Cell Conviction demonstration at the Xbox 360 booth. On Tuesday they were printing red posters and shirts, while on Wednesday black posters and shirts were printed. There was probably only around a hundred or so of each colored poster, so these were extremely limited items. Plus, not all the shirts were the same, so getting a one-of-a-kind t-shirt would not be unheard of. After the demo, the posters and shirts were handed and thrown to rabid fans. I was able to score a red poster and t-shirt the first day, but only a black poster the second day. The posters are just the simple Tom Clancy silhouette logo guy, but look incredibly cool. The shirt I snagged has Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction three times at varied angles, but there were other designs as well, like a silhouetted gun. It's too bad the shirt is XL, because I might actually wear it if it was in my size. I'm sure it will find a nice over-sized home on eBay.

Continue reading The Booty of E3 '09...

- Shawn - 6/5/09