Wii play for the Nintendo Wii is a collection of 9 mini games that is to be released on 2 February. There are a few highlights to this game and it has a great potential to sell very well. This mini game collection costs the regular $50, but it includes a $40 Wii-mote for free. Yeah, that's true! You are really getting a $40 dollar wii-mote with a $10 game and with a total of 9 mini games, that makes it just over $1 per game.

The mini-games to be included in the package are:

• A shooting Range
• Table Tennis
• Laser Hockey
• Billiards
• Fishing
• Charge
• Tanks
• Find Mii
• Pose Mii

For screenshots, visit the IGN's Wii Play page here.

Microsoft announced today two new ways to get into the Halo 3 multiplayer beta program, which officially launches this spring. By playing Halo 2 over Xbox Live (XBL) and registering online, or by purchasing the upcoming title Crackdown, users who didn't get a chance to register in December can still get into the beta.

The first new way to enter the beta will be following the "rule of 3". Beginning midnight (EST) on February 1, and ending at 11:59 PM February 3, the first 13,333 people to play three hours of Halo 2 over XBL and register online at Halo3.com will be eligible for the beta program that opens up some time this spring.

As an alternate method, initial copies of Microsoft's first-party Xbox 360 game Crackdown will be specially marked, indicating the inclusion of an invite to the Halo 3 beta, which will allow them to download the beta program from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Crackdown will be available in the US on February 20, at a price of $60.

Both methods of entry require the user to have an Xbox 360 with a hard drive (which comes pre-installed in to $400 "pro" bundle), have an active Xbox Live Gold subscriber, and be at least 17 years old.

The final All Formats Chart for 2006 is now in and shows FIFA 07 taking the top spot once more, bringing EA’s total time spent with a game at number one in 2006 to a whopping 27 weeks – that’s just over half of the entire year!

EA’s success comes from its massive catalogue of popular franchises, most notably the Need for Speed and FIFA series of games, which between them have dominated the holiday season.

Still, despite a strong showing from Need for Speed Carbon this year, it is in fact Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 6 that ends the year in the number two. EA’s driving game now sits in third.

Lower down 2006’s last ever chart, the Sims 2: Pets is at four with Call of Duty 3 in the fifth position, closely followed by WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2007 in six.

Gears of War is still holding strong at seven, while Rockstar’s Canis Canem Edit jumps to number eight in the charts thanks to some post-Christmas price reductions.

The complete top ten is as follows:

1. FIFA 07
2. Pro Evolution Soccer 6
3. Need for Speed: Carbon
4. The Sims 2: Pets
5. Call of Duty 3
6. WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2007
7. Gears of War
8. Canis Canem Edit
9. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training
10. Cars

SOURCE URL:  360gamer

We all are obviously waiting fingers crossed for the next installment in the Halo series - the Halo 3. But US Soldiers in Iraq got lucky when they were sent an alpha release of Halo 3 for holidays!

A poster on GameSpot forums who claims to be a soldier in Iraq said:

"Well I played it last night and there was only 3 maps available all PvP. I didn't see anything of the single player mode. But what I did see was freakin sweet. O yeah you can store weapons and cycle through them for later use. The developers were pretty cool they were giving away games. A freind of mine won Gears of War. They said that story line wise they want to wrap everything up in the 3rd one. I asked for a release date, all they could tell me was late next year. O yeah the x-box 360s they had were weird. They were all black but not cool black, more like they just came off the factory line and never got painted. O and we were playing the game on HDTVs, and the graphics look very good. I'm goint back there tonight."

Read on for a few more pics and two short videos.

With over eight titles planned to be released across different consoles, Square-Enix Japan opened a section of its site dedicated in providing a one-stop spot for information of its upcoming projects.

The new page provides links for the official Japanese websites for each title while also categorizing them to the series they belong to.

The Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII compilation debuts to bring the Final Fantasy series to the powerful PS3 console. Three titles have been confirmed (2 for the PS2 and one mobile), but rumors suggest that 3 more may be under development. The three confirmed titles feature different stories, but all intertwine through a common theme: the crystal mythology.

The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII boasts the most titles - a proof of Final Fantasy VII’s unrivaled popularity as the top ranked Final Fantasy game of all time. Before Crisis and Crisis Core are set to debut for the PSP and IMode respectively.

The Ivalice Alliance explores the complex plot behind the original Final Fantasy Tactics and the newly-released Final Fantasy XII for the PS2. Both games take place in the fictional world of Ivalice where Humes coexist with Vieras, Bangaas and Moogles alike.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates brings the original game from Nintendo’s Gamecube to the DS. To be able to finally to team up with friends in a the handheld console (which was not available for the Final Fantasy III) brings excitement to many fans.

DIRECT URL: http://www.square-enix.co.jp

Nintendo has dismissed French reports that Wii Sports 2 is already in development as "pure rumour and speculation".

NGC France had reported that a second title may well be in development, perhaps even with swimming, basketball and other sports included.

The first title comes free with the Wii in both the US and Europe, while early sales figures in Japan, where it is sold separately, had it as the console's most popular title.

"We're really pleased with the reaction to Wii Sports - from people completely new to gaming to the hardcore fans everyone has taken to it straight away," a Nintendo UK spokesperson commented.

"It might just be the most popular game this Christmas in homes across the UK."

In other words, they may not be talking about a sequel yet, but with online gaming still to come to Wii and the first game's popularity already significant, don't be surprised if the tune changes in future.

"I'm Tony Montana! You f*** with me, you f***in' with the best!"

"You wanna f*** with me? Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!"

Which serious film watcher can forget these lines from the 1983 classic SCARFACE?! Remember the climax where Tony gets shot and dies? What would have happened if he survived the massacre? This is what the game, Scarface: The World Is Yours, exposes.

Read on for the full review...

 

After the widespread news about the Metal Gear Solid 4 making its way to the Xbox 360, Konami finally confirmed that its just a rumor.

"Konami has no plans to bring Metal Gear Solid 4 to the Xbox 360 at this time," a Konami representative told CVG, reiterating that the Hideo Kojima stealth-em-up was still "exclusive to PlayStation 3."

Though Konami confirms that MGS4 will remain a PS3 exclusive, CVG still doesn't totally rule out a 360 version.

Gamehead's Geoff Keighley did some backstage interviews during the VGAs. Most of it is fairly interesting stuff, but one specific interview really pops out.

While talking with the Epic guys they spilled the beans on some new downloadable content for Gears of War. Unfortunately, the didn't talk details. They just said that Epic is known for supporting their games and that they had started working on something for Gears long before it launched. They did say whatever it is it would be free.

Microsoft has released information on where you can get access to the Halo 3 MP Beta signup for Europe. They are being given away mainly as part of prize draws run by selected sites (each of which has 100 beta slots to giveaway). Be quick though, some prize draws end on the 15th December! Read on for a full list of the sites.

via HaHaUK.com