When the BBFC isn’t busy keeping cool, violent games away from kids with totally square parents, they like to leak out the occasional news tidbit, just so all the game journalists think they’re “hip.” It’s actually a little sad, but it’s hard to argue with the benefits, like learning the content on the Gears of War 2 bonus disc that comes with the Limited Edition of the game. Now, because there are some of you who may want to go into the experience completely pure, we’ve put the list after the break. But the awesome rebels among you should waste no time in clicking below.

• 00:34:29:00 BENEATH THE SURFACE (NO SOUND UNTIL 3M30S)(FREEZES AT 6M50)
• 00:01:05:00 RENDEZVOUS
• 00:01:28:00 BARE YOUR TEETH
• 00:07:30:00 E3 2008: GEARS 2 DEMO
• 00:03:38:00 GTTV SPOT
• 00:11:56:00 CHARACTERS - MARCUS FENIX
• 00:07:40:00 CHARACTERS - DOMINIC SANTIAGO
• 00:07:40:00 CREATURES - BOOMER
• 00:07:10:00 CREATURES - KANTUS
• 00:15:55:00 LOCATIONS - HOSPITAL
• 00:13:01:00 LOCATIONS - THE HOLLOW
• 00:07:08:00 VEHICLES - CENTAUR
• 00:06:10:00 VEHICLES - REAVER
• 00:13:00:00 WEAPONS - LANCER
• 00:10:50:00 WEAPONS - HEAVY WEAPONS
• n/a MAIN THEME
• n/a CINEMATIC OPENING
• n/a ASSULT INTRO
• n/a MARIA
• n/a COG SQUAD PACK (5 IMAGES)
• n/a LOCUST SQUAD PACK (5 IMAGES)

We don’t know for sure if Sony downsized the PlayStation 3’s RSX graphics chip to 65nm, matching the already 65nm Cell processor, but we might have some anecdotal evidence from an external source. A forum poster at slickdeals used a Kill-a-watt device to check the power consumption of the 40GB and 80GB models during idle phase, while spinning a DVD and with Metal Gear Solid 4 in the drive, and found a 12-20 watt difference favoring the new 80GB. It’s not enough to say Sony has finally upgraded its RSX graphics chip, but it is interesting to ponder. Now, can someone end this speculation by voiding their 80GB’s warranty and snapping a photo of the guts?

Well, we’ve got a box (from the same team that doodled the Halo 2 and Halo 3 art, no less). That’s a start. Unfortunately, we’re no closer to nailing down a release date for Halo Wars. The “first half of 2009″ is where the date stands.

What we heard: From Fable II to Gears of War 2, Microsoft Game Studios has a number of highly anticipated releases headed to the Xbox 360 in the coming months. While the software division has been busy, the hardware team has had its hands equally full with the Xbox Live dashboard overhaul. A hot topic during this year’s E3 2008, the latest firmware upgrade to Microsoft’s system adds a number of features, including avatars, Netflix integration, and the ability to install games to the console’s hard drive, to name a few. Not to belie the obvious, Microsoft has thus far only said that the dashboard overhaul will be rolled out this fall. However, confirmation of a more narrowed release window appeared to arrive earlier today. After attending a Microsoft London event last week demoing the new update, a representative of the publisher reportedly told UK gaming blog RPG-TV that the dashboard revamp would be pushed live in November. “I’m not sure if this has been confirmed already or not but I was told the new dashboard would arrive in November,” said the gaming blog. RPG-TV also noted that the much touted downloadable content for the Xbox 360 edition of Grand Theft Auto IV would also arrive in November. There, the information sat quite innocuous for the remainder of the week, seemingly destined to be lost in the Internet’s murky depths. That is, until a variety of gaming Web sites and blogs went deep-sea diving earlier today, hauling the revelation to the fore.

The official story: Unfortunately, it appears as if RPG-TV’s information was either erroneous or off the record. After contacting the publisher to confirm the validity of the information, a Microsoft representative has said, “We have not yet announced the timing of the fall update.”

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus that the fall Xbox Live dashboard update is a lock for November. However, given that the hardware maker’s last two fall updates arrived at the end of October and the beginning of December, a November launch is certainly possible.

Hoping to somehow diminish our aversion to the sight of Miis playing musical instruments, Vicarious Visions is working the user-created, er … “avatars” into the Wii version of Guitar Hero World Tour in a so-called unique way. In an interview with IGN, the developer explained how the recently revealed Mii mode, known as “Mii Freestyle,” will work. Using the guitar or drumkit peripherals (or, if you’re so inclined, the Wiimote and Nunchuck for “air drumming”) the mode lets you and a friend jam in a variety of music genres, laying down single notes, chords, and beats as you wish. According to Vicarious Visions, it’ll all sound good because, well, it’s programmed to clean up what you do. Take that, years of practice!

After making a return to Bullworth Academy on the Xbox 360 and Wii earlier this year with the updated Scholarship Edition, Bully will soon make mischief on another platform. According to signage and postcards at Rockstar Games’ booth at the Leipzig Games Convention, the once-controversial juvenile delinquency will soon be graduating to PC. According to German-language handouts at the Rockstar stand, Bully: Scholarship Edition (known locally as Bully: Die Ehrenrunde) will be “soon available for PC” with “82 missions and 45 school hours, more than 30 hours of fun and countless collector and minigames.” The game tells the story of Jimmy Hopkins, a troubled 15 year old who is dumped at the front gates of New England private school Bullworth Academy by his mother. At the prestigious school, Jimmy will deals with his past while trying to keep out of trouble and beat the school’s bullies at their own game. The game was originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006 after legal obstacles laid by permanent disbarment-facing anti-game activist/attorney Jack Thompson were thrown out.

To date, the vast majority of Wii peripherals have been little more than foam shells or lever-driven plastic cases for the console’s motion-sensing remote. The major exceptions to this rule have been the Wii Fit Board, the Wii Classic Controller, and the instruments for Guitar Hero III and Rock Band: Special Edition. The Wii Nunchuck and the forthcoming Wii Motion Plus are also technically add-ons to the remote proper, which comes bundled with still-bestselling “game” Wii Play. Soon, though the Wii peripheral family will have a new member, courtesy of Logitech. Fresh off its deal to make premium Guitar Hero instruments, the peripheral maker has now inked a deal to make the first force-feedback driving wheel for the Wii. Called the Speed Force Wireless racing wheel, the add-on will retail for $99.99 when it goes on sale this November in North America. As the name implies, the Speed Force Wireless is indeed cord-free (other than for electricity), and uses a 2.4 GHz wireless signal to transmit back to the Wii from up to 30 feet away. The wheel bears the Wii remote’s standard control scheme on its front, replete with buttons and a directional pad. Unlike the Xbox 360’s racing wheel, the Speed Force will use two paddles underneath the wheel for acceleration, braking, and shifting. It can be either placed in a player’s lap or used on a table. Though diehard Nintendans will surely use the add-on to take Mario Kart Wii for a spin, Logitech made the Speed Force Wireless with a third-party publisher’s title in mind. The Switzerland-headquartered peripheral-maker is partnering with Electronic Arts to optimize the wheel for the forthcoming racing game Need For Speed Underground, also due in November.

All signs point to another epic rock-off between Activision Blizzard’s and MTV Games’ rhythm games this holiday season, and one of the ways that Rock Band developer Harmonix hopes to rouse crowds in its favor is its vast library of downloadable songs. During this year’s E3 Media & Business Summit, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos promised that more than 500 songs will be available for play in Rock Band 2, thanks in part to the ability to transfer Rock Band tracks to its successor. However, that much-touted song-transfer ability won’t be free. Speaking with MTV’s Multiplayer gaming blog, Harmonix public-relations coordinator John Drake said that players will be charged a one-time fee that “will not exceed $5.” At cause for the cover charge? According to Drake, Harmonix can’t simply export the tunes from one game to another without ponying up extra licensing fees to the songs’ rights holders. Laying out how the exact process will work, Drake said that a patch will be rolled out for the original Rock Band on the day that its sequel is released. The patch creates an Export menu in the original game, and players who select it will then be prompted to input a password provided with the Rock Band 2 disc. After paying the aforementioned fee, Rock Band songs will then be transferred to the player’s hard drive, where they can then be accessed in Rock Band 2. MTV notes that Drake’s comments regarding the process and accompanying fee thus far hold true only for the Xbox 360 edition of the game, which sees a timed exclusivity when it launches on September 14. In other Harmonix news, the developer announced that pioneering prog-rock act Rush will lend its celebrated 1981 album Moving Pictures to Rock Band. Pricing information was not revealed for the seven-song pack, but the full-album DLC will be available for the Xbox 360 on August 26 and the PlayStation 3 two days later. Of the seven songs in the full-album pack, “Tom Sawyer” appeared in the original Rock Band, though the new release will be a master recording. Tracks appearing in Rush’s Moving Pictures are listed below.

Moving Pictures
“Tom Sawyer”
“Red Barchetta”
“YYZ”
“Limelight”
“The Camera Eye”
“Witch Hunt (Part III of Fear)”
“Vital Signs”

In an interview with Gears of War 2 lead designer Cliff Bleszinski at X08 in Toronto, Canada, Joystiq learned of an upgraded version of the original “Seriously” achievement, first seen in the popular franchise’s previous installment. The achievement, “Seriously 2.0,” requires 100,000 kills across the single and multiplayer campaign of the anticipated title. Who thinks they’ll unlock this achievement first?

G4 claims to have gotten “the hot word” on a new Guitar Hero World Tour peripheral from Neversoft’s Brian Bright who “wouldn’t go into detail about what it will be” though he apparently said the new peripheral was “specifically for the game’s Studio mode.” We’ve reached out to Activision for some kind of comment or confirmation; however, until then, speculation seems to be the name of the game. G4 is guessing keyboard, which is all well and good. And who knows, it may well be a keyboard. We’re not oracles here. But as long as we’re just guessing, why not guess a little bigger, y’know? That’s why we’re happy to announce Joystiq’s official guess for the rumored new Guitar Hero World Tour peripherpal: keytar.

This morning at the Leipzig Games Convention, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced it would release a new 160GB PlayStation 3 in Europe for €449 ($660). Within minutes, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced the model, which boasts twice the hard drive space as the current 80GB SKU, would also be making its way to North America, albeit in a different form. While the European model will come with €70 ($102) in downloadable content localized to the user’s territory, the US and Canadian model will be introduced November via a limited edition bundle. Costing $499 in both territories, the package will include the 160GB PS3, a DualShock 3 controller, Naughty Dog’s acclaimed adventure game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, and a voucher for the downloadable game Pain. In a statement, SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton explained the rationale behind the new PS3 model. “As [the] PlayStation Network continues to evolve with our recently launched video delivery service and more exclusive games, PS3 owners are demanding more storage capacity,” he said. “Consumers also are utilizing PS3 as an entertainment hub for their digital media, placing content such as their entire music collection on the hard drive. The 160GB PS3 system addresses this growing consumer demand.” Sony also had news today for those unswayed by the 160GB PS3 package’s offerings, or those simply unable to afford it or wait until November. The company said that this week, the new $399 80GB PS3 had begun shipping to stores. Announced at the E3 Media & Business Summit last month, the console is $100 cheaper than the previous 80GB PS3 SKU, but no longer offers software-based backward compatibility for PlayStation 2 games. SCEA reps confirmed for GameSpot that the 160GB model would also be bereft of PS2 game support.

Nice little update to the system, but why remove PS2 backwards compatibility? Unless its now going to be non software based…

Also this morning at the Leipzig, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe officially revealed the PSP-3000. Shortly thereafter, Sony Computer Entertainment America formally announced that the latest hardware revision of the PlayStation Portable would ship worldwide in October, or roughly two months’ time. SCEA’s announcement gave more concrete details about the PSP-3000 and Sony’s plans for it outside Europe. The handheld is the same width as the PSP-2000, the slimmer model Sony unveiled at E3 2007, and will sport the same video output functionality. However, the new model will now output gameplay in interlaced video format compatible with non-progressive video displays. More significant new additions to the new PSP include a redesigned LCD screen that boasts “more natural and vibrant colors” and “anti-reflection technology” to foil glare. The handheld will also sport a built-in microphone for use with the PSP’s Skype functionality and voice-enabled games, eliminating the need for an external headset. Another change visible on the PSP-3000 is the replacement of the “home” button on its front with a button bearing the PlayStation logo. The switch prompted rumors that the new PSP would sport a XrossMediaBar (XMB) which could be accessed in-game as on the PlayStation 3. However, SCEA reps said that the logo button would have the same functionality as the home button, and had no new information on whe, or if, an in-game XMB would come to the PSP, as trophies are suspected of. Sony also announced today that the new PSP would come in three colors–”Piano Black,” “Pearl White,” and “Mystic Silver.” The new model will replace the PSP-2000 in all current retail configurations, including the $169 PSP Core Pack and the various $199 PSP Entertainment Packs. These include the forthcoming Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters Entertainment Pack, which also contains a 1GB Memory Stick Duo, an UMD copy of the film National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, and a voucher for the downloadable title Echochrome.

Better, but why are they still sticking with those stupid UMDs?

At its Leipzig Games Convention press conference today, Sony unveiled a wireless keypad peripheral that attaches to the top of the PlayStation 3 controller (presumably into the mini-USB port). The keypad also features a “touchpad mode” for mouse input. Pricing was not revealed, but the device will be released in 8 different languages.

It’s worth noting that MadCatz released an attachable thumbpad for PS3 in April 2007. Sorry Sony, but your a little late I’d think.

We’ve just heard from our connections at the Leipzig Games Convention, and they’ve got some exciting news for fans of pint-sized rocking: Miis will be used in Guitar Hero World Tour’s Wii version of the game. He didn’t say how, so we’re hoping that they’ll play Oompa-Loompa-like minature roadies who rush onto stage and fix broken strings for the full size rockers. But we doubt it.

Oh, they also passed along that all versions of the game would include exclusive European tracks, which is secret code for “you’ll have to buy them later through DLC.”

Source: See below.

What we heard: This morning many Nintendo fans perusing RSS feeds did a spit-take upon seeing two headlines, both from the online edition of British industry-news magazine MCV. The first proclaimed “‘Wii 2′ in production, confirms Nintendo,” apparently indicating the successor to the console is ready for manufacturing. Another piece on the site titled “Wii Music ‘Miyamoto’s last idea’” gave the impression that the legendary game designer had finally hit a creative wall after three decades at Nintendo.

Unsurprisingly, the eternal game of telephone that is the forumsphere reverberated with the double-shot of news–news that actually originated from a single article in The Wall Street Journal. Titled “Keeping Up Nintendo’s Momentum,” the piece is a collection of quotes from an interview the financial daily’s Japan correspondent did with company president Satoru Iwata. But while a pair of the executive’s comments led to MCV’s attention-grabbing headlines, upon closer inspection, their meaning radically diverges from what said headlines imply.

Concerning the Wii’s successor, Iwata said, “The hardware team started work on the next thing as soon as they were done with their previous project, but what they think up doesn’t necessarily become a product.” (Emphasis added.) He went on to emphasize the conceptual nature of Nintendo’s next console, and to underline the fact there is no actual Wii 2 product yet–let alone one in production. “We only turn something into a product after it’s been thoroughly vetted inside the company,” said Iwata. “We’re not at a point where we can give specifics, but of course we’re working on it.”

As far as Miyamoto goes, Iwata said that Wii Music, the rhythm title awkwardly demoed at Nintendo’s E3 press conference, was the last of the designer initial concepts for the Wii. “Wii Music completes what Miyamoto wrote in his proposal when he came up with the idea for the Wii,” Iwata told the paper. The executive continued, “He was saying that he needs to think up more ideas now,” indicating that far from being at his wit’s end, Miyamoto is hard at work on Nintendo’s next big thing.

The official story: See above.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus that the Wii’s successor is in the early stages of development–as is the fourth PlayStation and the Xbox 720 (working title). However, it’s 100 percent bogus that Miyamoto has had his last idea. That won’t happen until the 55-year-old designer jumps off into the great Mushroom Kingdom in the sky.

Well I’m back, and thanks for sticking wit us. Ok just so you know my next project will be an update to a review, Gears of War [Halo 2, Gears just wouldn't work for me, it sucks!], I just got the PC version finally and I guess I’ll start playing it. Past that after that will be an older game: Blazing Angles: Squadrons of WWII for the Wii. Anyways back to work I guess!