StarCraft 2 Dated?

Future Shop’s website is reporting a release date for StarCraft 2…

Read this and more at our new site at http://csource.ca.

Report: Sony ‘on brink of upheaval’ – factory, division closures

Look, we know the economy is in shambles; a perambulating corpse, gnawing its way through the hopes and dreams of the global populace … but this is getting ridiculous. Reports of “drastic cost cuts” at Sony have us really spooked, think not only “factory closures” but also “the abolition of several major divisions,” according to the Times of London. (In response to the report, Sony told Reuters, “We don’t have any such plan.”) While there’s no mention of specifics (will the PlayStation brand/division be affected?), the Times does quote a Credit Suisse analyst who says that, unless Sony takes aggressive steps to consolidate power in the hands of prez Howard Stringer – it will be unable to “close the gap with competitors such as Apple and Nintendo.” Perhaps more evident to those of us watching the gaming industry specifically is the mention of “frustrations … and a clear internal cultural clash between Japanese Sony and its US and European operations.” We thought Kaz was going to bring some of that good, ol-fashioned American can-do attitude to Japan back in ought-six? Nevertheless, we want to talk to the investors directly: Listen guys, we know Sony’s got some problems. We know that. But you’ve got to just chill out and relax, chillax even, and wait until the Big S shows off whatever Team ICO’s got in the oven. Not buying it? How about this: Microsoft is feeling the economic pinch also, but the grapevine seems to think the Xbox division will be spared. Nintendo isn’t the only competition out there, you know?

Best Buy vending machines now offering portable games in airports

We live a fairly fast-paced, jet-setting lifestyle, an unfortunate side-effect of which are the hours of frequent layovers we are forced to suffer while flying between Hugh Hefner’s Sky Villa in Vegas and our private, opulent island getaway off the coast of O’ahu. These long stretches are made even more unbearable when we forget to pack our handhelds, a situation that often causes us, in a sheer fit of boredom, to overdose on Dramamine and attempt to ride the baggage carousel.

Luckily, we’ll never again have to know the firm, rubber-gloved grip of an annoyed Air Marshal, Best Buy recently began offering DS Lites and select DS titles in their Best Buy Express vending machines. These machines are located at several major airports throughout the U.S., and sell a number of important devices for travelers, such as headphones, chargers, and most recently, Pokémans catching simulators.

Report: PS3 leads Wii … in web browsing

If you’ve ever wondered “Does anyone actually browse the web on consoles?,” Market Share has an answer for you: yes, but not very many people. The firm reports that .04% of all web browsing is performed on PS3, compared to the .01% of Wii, the only other current-gen console with a browser. Of course, PS3’s browser is built-in; Wii’s particular version of Opera costs 500 Wii Points ($5) and, well, people have to seek it out among the other WiiWare offerings. So, tell us, are you reading Joystiq on a console, and if so, which one?

Tune Raider: ‘Underworld’ soundtrack available for free download

Nothing says “yuletide cheer” like a bombastic action score, such as the one written by Colin O’Malley for Tomb Raider: Underworld. Good news: said soundtrack is being offered as a free download from the website Tomb Raider Chronicles (and actually has been for a while, but “better late thannever“). There are actually several downloads to choose from: bundles of tracks associated with each of the game’s locales, or one big “deluxe edition” (198MB) containing all 71 tracks in 320kbps MP3 format. (Lady Croft demands nothing but the highest bitrates.)

Suit up: New TR Underworld costumes available

Eidos has given Underworld fans another free costume pack, perfect for playing dress-up with Lara Croft. The 62MB download gives Lara a blue and a red wetsuit to add to her walk-in closet. A previous free costume pack bestowed Lady Croft with her treasured original (Anniversary) outfit and her Legend ensemble. As much as we love putting Lara in new clothes, pretending she’s the Barbie doll dad wouldn’t let us have as a kid, don’t think we’ve forgotten about those Underworld level packs. Pretty clothes might distract us, but the “Beneath the Ashes” mission was originally planned to be out by now.

CVG digs up Dead Space’s religious secrets

Even after you’ve milked Dead Space for all the fun of its dismemberment and plant-monster scares, did you know there’s a deeper mystery to uncover? CVG is offering up all the tools you need to decipher the secret language of the in-game religion, Unitology. If you’re too lazy to do even that, they’ve already done much of the legwork for you. This isn’t just a way to uncover back story either, as there are some power nodes and other goodies to be had. Be aware, though: There are also some spoilers to be had.

New Home

So we’re moving away somewhat from this site and joing a friend of mine’s site. Our new home at csource.ca will be he first place we’ll update from now on, this site will still get updates, but less frequently. So be sure to check us out there!

Wired hails Duke Nukem Forever as 2008’s vaporware king, baby

Wired, embracing the redundancy of doing so, has named Duke Nukem Forever as the top piece of vaporware in 2008. As others have made it abundantly clear in the past, much has happened since Nukem’s latest adventure was first announced back in 1997. Wired was going to leave the perennial favorite off the list this year because “even the best jokes get old eventually,” but obviously thought the DNF horse, with a DNR order, still had enough life left in it for one more jab. Keeping the dream alive that DNF may be coming to the end of a very, very (x12) long development cycle was its appearance on the Jace Hall show earlier this year. However, that was followed up by more teaser images. Keep hope alive, Duke faithful. Keep hope alive.

ESRB lists Guitar Hero: Modern Hits for DS

Everyone, please, raise an eyebrow and pretend to be surprised. We first heard about Guitar Hero Modern Hits when Activision Blizzard trademarked it in October, but we didn’t have any more details. Now, GHMH has resurfaced, this time on the ESRB’s website with an E10+ rating for the Nintendo DS. Based on lyrics referenced in the listing’s description, we know three songs from the game: Finger Eleven’s “Paralyzer,” Franz Ferdinand’s “The Fallen” and Sum 41’s “Still Waiting.” Given the DSi’s launch next year, this will likely be the last GH DS title before Activision Blizzard needs to figure out a new peripheral to release.