Oh me, oh my. It was announced today that the Call of Duty series will finally move on from the events of the early 1940s for its fourth game. Yes, that means no more fishy WWII action (get it? Call of Duty? Cod? Hohoho).

The newly announced Modern Warfare, revealed during the NFL Draft, will now instead be set in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The trailer shown contains a Russian voiceover in the background, which can be translated to: "Today there is minus one nation in the world. The time has come to show what we really are. We are not afraid of anything."

Ooooh...

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.

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It's a week for Sony console owners as Oblivion finally hits the PS3, God of War II shows up on PS2, and new versions of permanent party favourites SingStar (PS2) and Buzz! (PS2) rear their pro-alcohol-gaming heads. If you missed it the first time around, some may be interested in Kingdom Hearts II (Platinum) (PS2) - at the discounted price point, it'll be hard to say no to.

On 29 April, America will be getting themselves the Xbox 360 Elite package, but that's more of a note than a recommendation. Unless, of course, you want to import a $479.99 console. I just think the money would be better spent on God of War II.

Hit the jump to see the full list of games that will be gracing us with their presence this week.

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Sonic Team have begun to release details of the upcoming expansion for Phantasy Star Universe players.

The Ambition of the Illuminus add-on will improve character customization; add new weapons, photon arts and sub-classes; and allow players entry into two new levels – the ruins of Old Rozenom City and the Granigs Mines. Each of these environments contains a new boss for players to tackle.

The expansion is due in Autumn across all platforms. It will be made available as downloadable content for 360 players and a retail pack for PS2 and PC players.

EA announced today that the next entry into its popular Nazi-blasting series Medal of Honor will be released on 31 August.

The game’s selling point is the ability to parachute into missions, allowing the player to slightly alter the events that follow thereafter. Hopefully this means that Airborne won’t follow the usual formula of the previous games – that is, a roaring opening cut-scene and first mission, followed by a sharp downhill descent in the quality and variety of the levels.

In case you hadn’t guessed, the game will also be set in World War II.

Morning everyone! The first news to break today comes from the Crackdown official forums, where community liaison "Agent G" posted a new screenshot of what some upcoming downloadable content could offer.

The screenshot, which you can see after the jump, shows four dune buggies racing it out across one of the beach areas near a Pacific City highway. Whether the DLC will just offer this as a new vehicle, a new gaming mode, or just as a multiplayer option is as yet unknown, but the content is promised to arrive "soon".

There's also currently no word on when Realtime Worlds will cough up those missing 100 Gamerscore points, or if they will come with this new content.

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In a recent interview with a Polish gaming magazine, Bizarre Creations took some time out to spill a few beans on the popular racing series' fourth iteration.

Fans may have already heard about the realtime weather change in the biggest ever announcement-that-didn't-actually-announce-anything, and this was expanded upon in the interview. It was noted that, say, if the weather was frosty, the windshield would be affected as well as the surfacing of the road. This then causes any puddles to freeze over and black ice spots to appear in specific places.

And other such guff.

Details that might actually interest included news such as the fact that all tracks from PGR3 will return, as well as a new Shanghai location, at least two more cities that are to be announced, and an oddity "fantasy track". New makes of car will also be included, such as a 1960s Mini, a '63 Corvette Stingray, a '54 Maserati 250F, and a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. I'm just gonna keep on writing like I know what all of those are.

In terms of gameplay, Bizarre have made the AI racers more personal, in that they will develop and maintain certain traits of their own over the period of the Career Mode. Speaking of which - said mode will be improved upon, giving you more options such as different nationalities when creating your driver.

Bizzare finished things off by explaining that the game controls and online physics have all been tweaked in the name of fairness, and that all models, especially the cars, will have a much higher polygon count than in PGR3. This is also likely to make them even shinier, because everybody loves a shiny next-gen car.

The game that everyone saw coming months ago has now been officially announced - yes, God of War is coming to PSP with the subtitle of Chains of Olympus.

Website islandofrhodes.org has had a hidden countdown on its website for a while now, and as it counted down a new logo was slowly revealed. Today, the countdown hit zero and those who could actually find the damn thing were treated to a sneeky-peak trailer (viewable after the jump) of the new title. Unfortunately, more concrete details have yet to be revealed, but it does look to be more of the same.

Which is probably no bad thing.

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Nintendo announced this morning that the big dubya's (no, not President Bush) next adventure will debut in PAL territories on 1 June.

Wario: Master of Disguise sees the portly plumber plunging (alliteration!) into his TV set to steal treasures. Taking place across ten "episodes", including a "luxury ocean liner, watery ruins and an Egyptian pyramid", Wario's gimmick this time is the ability to change his disguise to suit the situation.

There are seven costumes in total, including Thief Wario (improves power and stamina), Cosmic Wario (you get a laser gun), Artist Wario (create blocks or doorways to escape through), and Captain Wario (summon boats to cross watery expanses). Costumes are changed through drawing on the touch screen, and in the case of Cosmic Wario, your taps indicate what to shoot at.

Now all Europeans need to get their fair share of Wario is WarioWare: Twisted. Any word on that one, Nintendo?

You may have seen the Super Mario Bros. theme tune done on the piano. You may have seen the Super Mario Bros. theme tune done on the piano while blindfolded. You may have seen any number of Nintendo themes done a capella.

What you haven't seen is the Legend of Zelda theme done on a theremin. Thus, without further adieu, it is now time for something completely different.

There's currently very little to say on this one apart from - hurrah, online play, 720p, and hurrah!

Beautiful Katamari takes place after The King Of All Cosmos has a "very un-royal and unfortunate accident" causing the Prince (you) to have to go and roll up the world. For those who've never heard of the Katamari series before - that's what you do. Roll. Roll stuff up with a sticky ball. It's one of those propositions that sound absolutely awful in text, but not a single Katamari game has failed to disappoint in terms of sheer fun and personality.

A Wii version was also rumoured to be on the cards, but for the moment the team behind the game are concentrating on the PS3 and 360 versions which are currently half-finished. American and Japanese releases are confirmed without dates, but Europe is still entirely in the dark. After the PAL releases of We Love Katamari and Me And My Katamari, however, it would be unusual to see Europe shunned with this title.

Lets keep our fingers crossed, and eyes peeled...

American news rag TIME Magazine has compiled a list of 202 people for their annual feature on the 100 most influential people of the year, and Shigeru Miyamoto just happens to be included in that throng.

TIME describe Miyamoto-san's greatest qualities as "most successful game designer" through his creation of the Mario, Donkey Kong, and Zelda series, and attributes the Wii's success to his name. His bad side includes "his perfectionist tendencies", which "often result in games being significantly delayed", and the Wii's graphics, which are "far behind the competition".

At the time of writing, Miyamoto-san is in second place, and about 100,000 votes behind Stephen Colbert (an American satirist with a creepy fan base), so he needs all the votes you can give.

Presumably following up the American price-drop, Sony are dropping the PSP's price in Europe.

The handheld will now cost £129.99 (down £20 from £149.99), but is still about £44 more expensive than the US equivalent, and £29.99 more costly than a DS Lite.

However, out of the goodness of their hearts, Sony have also dropped the price on some of the titles in their PSP Platinum range. Ridge Racer 2, Tekken, Killzone, Loco Roco and Moto GP will now only set you back £14.99 each, hopefully taking your mind off Sony's expensive hardware trend.

That sound you can hear right about now is a horde of fans stampeding to pre-order Golf With Style. PangYa, for those not in the know, is a fantasy online multiplayer golf game that has developed a disturbing cult following in some gaming communities.

The Wii version promises more of the same by taking many aspects from the web version and adding in specialised controls (as demonstrated by the artist previously known as Wii Sports: Golf).

Players can run through the story mode (PangYa Fiesta) and earn Pang Points - the game's currency that will allow you to purchase performance-enhancing clothing to customise your character. You'll also have the option to dress up your PangYa-ite as some of the girls from Dead or Alive ('Non-Existent Top: +3 boob'). Players can then put their custom characters on their Wii Remote and use them on a friend's console.

Other modes include Stroke Play (sink the ball with the least number of strokes), Match Play (sink the ball with fewer shots than the maximum allowed), and Versus Mode (go on a murderous rampage with your nine wood, or, play against friends).

PangYa! Golf With Style will be entering PAL Wiis on 8 June.

I'm hoping that you'll all be gunning for Final Fantasy V Advance (GBA) this week - a port of an old classic - rather than Diddy Kong Racing (DS) - a rejig of a highly overrated Mario Kart clone. Really, I never did see the appeal of DKR on the N64. It was dull, with annoying vehicle controls for anything but the karts, and obscene difficulty spikes reared their ugly head far too often.

But that's just me. Maybe you enjoyed it. I'll just be disappointed in you if you did.

If you're a fan of importing, you'll obviously be grabbing Pokémon Diamond and/or Pearl (DS) when it comes out States-side on 22 April. I would recommend it, but I've always been a bastion of supporting sales within your own region (barring games that won't get regionalised). Plus waiting will earn you Nintendo Stars!

Nah, I didn't think that would make you wait either.

Hit the jump to see the full list of games that will be gracing us with their presence this week.

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In a recent interview with gaming website Eurogamer, Harvest Moon series creator Yasuhiro Wada commented that he is "working on a European version of Magical Melody for the Wii."

This will be good news for any fans who were anticipating the second GameCube Harvest Moon title and felt shortchanged by the lack of a PAL release after the console's decline, especially seeing as many critics seemed to enjoy Magical Melody more than A Wonderful Life.

There is also another Harvest Moon Wii game in production. Entitled Harvest Moon: Tree of Peace, it's due for a Japanese release fairly soonish.

Just a quickie.

Capcom are pleased to announced that Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition is to be released on 29 June, with Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles coming afterwards "in late 2007".

Precise and concise - lovely.

That's the Tennessee Titans' Quarterback.

That's American Football.

Not much else to note, apart from the possibility of the Madden Curse - the myth that suggests that every cover star of the Madden NFL games has had a bad season because of it. Hit the jump for the evidence.

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Following an announcement-spoiling rumour, SEGA has opened the lid of the tin that is Sonic Rush Adventure.

Beginning in Windmill Village, it's up to Sonic to save the day by speeding through seven acts made up of two 2D courses (including the obligatory forest) to defeat new pirate baddie Captain Whisker. Odds are in favour of Captan Whisker hunting some kind of powerful emerald, possibly of the chaotic type.

Much like the first Sonic Rush, boss and extra stages will be in 3D, with extra stages requiring stylus use. New boating sections will also take place in the third dee, again requiring stylus control to enable Sonic to "gather rings, perform tricks, torch pirate boats, and engage in fierce ship-to-ship battles".

There's also gonna be a robotic triceratops.

Cool.

Hurrah! Capcom USA confirmed today that the third iteration in the popular lawyer-em-up series Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will get an English language release after mass demand.

Known as Gyakuten Saiban in Japan, there are currently four games in the series - three that are on the GBA (and subsequently translated and ported to DS), and one that has been developed exclusively for the DS. Capcom's intentions were to give Western gamers Phoenix Wright's full trilogy before he is replaced as the main character in number four, and will be finalising the series with Trials and Tribulations.

The game is set to wrap up the storyline between Wright and the Fey family, as well as delving way into Wright's past. The first and fourth cases do, in fact, have Wright as the defense and Mia Fey as the defense attorney. If you can't wait to find out what happens until the game is released on 25 September, many translations of Gyakuten Saiban 3 are available around the net, but you will obviously spoil the entire game for yourself.

The only OBJECTION (it had to be done) I have to this announcement is that there's no word of a European release. Get it done, and done quickly, Capcom.

Hit the jump to see the trailer.

UPDATE: A friendly reader informs me that in the fourth case you will actually play as Miles Edgeworth, and not Mia Fey. Apologies also go out to any other readers who were frustrated by any possible spoilers within this post. (23 April 2007)

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EA announced today that Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars will follow on from its PC release onto the Xbox 360 on 11 May, with a demo to come shortly.

The next instalment of the popular strategy series comes with plenty of talent for the live-action cut-scenes. Michael Ironside (Jester from Top Gun; Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell), Josh Holloway (Sawyer from Lost), Tricia Helfer (Number Six from Battlestar Galactica) and Grace Park (Sharon Valerii from Battlestar Galactica) are just a sprinkling of names from the cast list.

Oh. Reviews say the gameplay's good, too.

It's an extremely strong showing for the DS this week - everybody needs to pick up a copy of Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS), a game that takes you through a fantastic detective story point-and-click stylee. It's from the same people who did Another Code, so if you enjoyed that, you'll love this.

If you've got a little bit more fun money this week, farming sim Harvest Moon DS sounds like an awful chore but will have you hoeing away 'til the wee hours. It's yet another dutiful but excellent entry into the series with added DS functionality (you can finally wash your cow by touching it!).

And, if you enjoy your Pokéfun, Nintendo have released Pokémon Ranger (DS). This is sure to sell - it's Pokémon. Help out the little guys instead by buying Hotel Dusk.

Hit the jump to see the full list of games that will be gracing us with their presence this week.

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Sony has confirmed today that it will be discontinuing its supply of the 20GB PS3s in American territories.

The news comes after Dave Karraker of SCEA announced that demand for the 60GB model was much, much higher - it has ultimately, he said, been outselling the 20GB version by "ten to one".

It is now unlikely that European consumers will ever get the choice of the 20GB pack, although Sony's Japanese division will be keeping it and have commented that they are "currently not considering changes akin to North America".

Remember Donkey Kong: Bongo Blast? It was a title destined for life on the GameCube, but the console's death saw it do a Twilight Princess/Super Paper Mario/whichever. Originally the racing game would be controlled via pounding on the bongo drums that were rolled out with the rhythm action series Donkey Konga, but now it's hit Wii you'll be waving to move along.

Shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuck in tandem will accelerate, shaking either separately will steer you in that particular duration, and raising both controllers together will make you jump. Somewhere in there there's also going to be an option to punch your opponents and obstacles when close enough, as well as being able to throw barrels about the course.

I'm feeling tired just writing about how to play it...

Wii HyperCompuGlobalMeganet users! Opera have finished up their Internet Channel and have today released the full version. It'll be free for everyone until July 1, at which point you'll have to fork out 500 points for the privilege.

Opera have taken in most of the feedback relating to the old trial version, and as such the channel now supports manual zoom, D-Pad scrolling, automatic Google or Yahoo! searching, and the ability to hide the bottom toolbar.

There are multiple other changes you can notice, and it's well worth upgrading and/or downloading even if you don't use the channel that much. Get it for free while you can, you know? Just in case.

And it is with delight that I take in every morsel and feed it back out to you, dear reader.

Here's the deal - you will play a Russian 'gentleman' called Niko Bellic. He's travelled to the USA - specifically a Liberty City version of New York (so the trailer wasn't hinting at either, it was both!) - in search of the American Dream. But he sure ain't gonna do it the Willy Loman way.

Niko's cousin Roman, who heads up a taxi firm and just happens to be in a spot of trouble with some local gangs, will be the first person to dish out your orders. However, Rockstar are keen to point out that this time your way of getting missions will be slightly different, and players will be encouraged to have a freer experience.

The new Liberty City will emulate four major parts of New York - Dukes (Queens); Bohan (The Bronx); Broker (Brooklyn); and Algonquin (Manhattan). Some parts of New Jersey will also be recreated as Alderney.

Rockstar have commented that there will be nothing but city for Niko to roam around in - instead of mass countryside such as in San Andreas, they're making sure that city life is brimming with activity. This will be reflected in the way random pedestrians go about their business, and in how the city will change at night-time.

Rockstar also noted their high ambitions for GTA IV as a project. Rockstar's co-founder Dan Houser said that "the world is not designed to be a video game. We are trying to make a video game that feels like the world, but still plays like a video game". This will be shown through aspects such as the game physics, which will be highly improved; through gameplay elements such as the jetpack and planes being unavailable (cars and motorbikes, yes); and how the game's radio stations won't have songs from well-known artists (to make a videogame world, not a realistic one).

Houser also noted that both the PS3 and 360 iterations would be "near identical", but that the 360 version will have downloadable content.

Chalk up some extra thousands for 360 pre-orders, then.

Don't you just love it when a game's release date is announced and it's just around the corner? Because I do. I especially like it when the announcement concerns the sequel to fan-favourite DS game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan.

The latest issue of the popular Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu reveals that Ouendan 2 (Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Tamashii: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2, if you want it all) will be released in Japan on 17 May. Don't expect any kind of American or European release (that position has been filled by Elite Beat Agents) - this is import-only stuff.

For the uninitiated, Ouendan is a sublime rhythm action game that has you tapping circles on the touch screen in time to the tune of the soundtrack. It's incredibly import friendly, and the fact that neither Ouendan or Elite Beat Agents has failed to let anyone down is definitely indicative of the expected quality of the upcoming sequel.

Microsoft and Bungie finally announced today that the Halo 3 Beta will begin on 16 May at 1:00PM GMT and continue until 7 June at 7:59AM GMT.

The beta promises to offer the definitive glimpse at Halo 3's gameplay - how it 'feels', what the transition from Xbox to Xbox 360 has been like for the series, and how Bungie has tried to improve on a near-perfect multiplayer formula. Those who received an invite through purchasing marked copies of Crackdown, the "Rule of Three" program, or being one of Bungie's best fwends will get to gun their way across three maps - Snowbound, High Ground, and Valhalla. You will also, of course, be able to play with all of the new weapons and vehicles that have been slotted into Halo 3. Just keep in mind that this is a Beta, and Bungie is doing this to gather information just as much to drum up [even more] interest for the title - you will encounter some bugs and inconsistencies.

Hit the jump to see the announcement-accompanying video that demonstrates what you can expect to play with in the Beta.

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Not much on this one unfortunately, but RedOctane's support pages offer a golden nugget of insight for the future.

It quite matter-of-factly states that "Guitar Hero 3 for the Playstation 2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii are currently scheduled for release in the United States in Fall of 2007."

RAWK!

UPDATE: The information has been pulled from said support centre page. A prank? An accident? Time will tell. (11 April 2007)

Loading up your copy of Gears of War today should earn you an automatic update that grants access to the new multiplayer mode "Annex".

Following a 'hold the fort' style of gameplay, players need to run to a specified weapon placement on the map to activate a small ring on the floor. The ring will turn a dark colour (red for Locust, blue for COG) after a few seconds of staying within the boundaries, thereby securing the team inside the spot. This then allows players to step outside for a more spread out defense of their new-found territory.

Each ring has a duration of sixty seconds after turning active, with one point being dished out per second. As soon as somebody from the other team steps in, however, the timer will stop and you'll be forced to eliminate any threat. A team wins once a specified number of points is reached.

Initial playtests show that Annex certainly isn't a bad addition, but the close-quarters-combat nature of the mode demands yet more gratuitous use of the shotgun weapon - something that is arguably already far overused in multiplayer matches. New Gears of War players are also likely to be highly intimidated by having to run to weapon spawn points that will be totally uncharted territory for them. These are about the only things worth criticising though, and Annex mode promises to maintain Gears' top position on the chart for the most played Xbox Live game.

Hit the jump to read about other aspects that have been tinkered with (thanks to Major Nelson's blog for these).

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