On Saturday, June 28, Bilzzard Entertainment officially announced that the next chapter in the Diablo franchise is currently under development. While no release date was given, the company has stated that it intends to ship versions for Windows and OSX simultaneously. There is little information about the actual plot; however, the company has released an official trailer that brings back memories of playing the first two installments over eight years ago now.

Keep an eye on the official website for more information; I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking this one up as soon as it is released (and probably calling off work for the next couple days)!



Update: It appears Blizzard has also posted a gameplay footage video on the game’s official website!

Well, it happened a lot quicker than I thought it would. By chance, I was able to pick up my very own Nintendo Wii on Thursday after class from the Best Buy near my apartment. After watching The Office on NBC (a great episode by the way) and eating a quick dinner, I unpacked and setup everything in the entertainment center. After answering a few questions about my configuration and making my own Mii (virtual representation of myself), I loaded up Wii-Sports to see if it really lived up to all the hype it has been getting. I won't get into the details, but let's just say that I didn't get to sleep until at least 2AM that night.

Wii-Sports lets you choose from five different sports -- tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing -- and interact with your character by actually moving the controller in the same motions as you would if you were playing the game in real life. For the most part, it is pretty accurate and a blast to play. I'm going to need to rearrange my living room to give myself a little space between my couch and TV as I have had visions of throwing the Wiimote through my nice DLP TV.

As far as other games, I am eagerly anticipating SSX Blur, EA's snowboarding game which incorporates some interesting controls to make your boarder pull some crazy tricks. This game is supposed to be released on Tuesday so hopefully my Amazon order ships soon. One other very interesting feature of the Wii is its Virtual Console. This allows you to purchase classic games from not only previous Nintendo consoles, but Sega and others as well. So far I've purchased the classic Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, and Sonic the Hedgehog and they are dead-on to their cartridge counterparts. There are a couple other games I'd like to purchase, but they need more buttons than the standard Wiimote has. Luckily, Nintendo sells a Virtual Controller that features more buttons to support the newer titles.

OK, well I should probably get back to working on my midterm that is due on Monday... what am I saying, I'm going to go play some tennis. =)

So, I've decided that I want a Nintendo Wii and I have a little money from my tax return that I can put towards it. Why, you may ask, would I want such a primitive device when I have a fully-HD compatible Playstation3 already hooked up to my television? The answer is simple: this just looks like its fun. I think the wireless controller interface they have designed takes games to a whole new level, making you really feel like part of the game. Want to play some tennis? Swing the controller like a racket. Want to do some crazy snowboard trick? Twist the controller around like you would if you were really doing it in the air. It is clearly not for every game, but for those fun little games or playing with friends it is a neat little box. I hope to be able to find one soon... anyone seen any sitting on a shelf somewhere? =)

Over the years, I have not been the biggest F1 fan in the world. Sure, the cars are fast and they rev up to something like 14,000RPMs, but the series seemed so disconnected from racing. My impression had always been that the series was all about money, and the insane amount of cash thrown around by the manufacturers. Of course, having Ferrari dominant the sport for the past couple years hasn't helped this vision much. This might all be changing however as F1 Championship Edition ships in Japan for the Playstation3. The screenshot below is just one example of how incredibly life-like the game looks and, before anyone asks, it is not from a pre-rendered sequence. I'll be waiting another couple months to pick up the U.S. version (released sometime in March) as this version will include online play (a feature missing in the Japanese version).

Source: 1up.com:

Since Gran Turismo HD was shown as a demo at E3 this year, gamers all over the world have been left puzzled as to whether it would eventually be released as a game or not. Prior to the PlayStation 3 launch, SCE began listing it in their PS3 release schedule, and instantly everyone assumed it would be released at retail, similar to Gran Turismo 4 Prologue (which released at the end of 2003 in Japan).Well, today SCE and Polyphony Digital have announced that Gran Turismo HD Concept--note the name change--will be made available as a free download at the PlayStation Store, starting from December 24. The real driving simulator will be available to download for a limited period, and will feature a choice of ten cars and two layouts on a single course. There will be two modes of play included--Time Attack and Drift Trial mode. The demo will also have a Network Ranking feature, presumably for the Time Attack mode.Running up to the release of Gran Turismo 5, the "online car life simulator", it's possible a number of other concept releases will be released, but nothing is set in stone right now, including the release date of the finished game. But it's clear Kazunori Yamauchi and team are pouring their focus into the final game, rather than a cut-down preview. Still, it's free--surely PS3 owners around the world are rejoicing at the prospect of getting behind the wheel of the latest iteration in the 46 million-selling series. The download is currently only announced for Japan, but it's likely to follow in the US soon.

Looks like an early Christmas present for PS3 owners out there!