Dawn over San Diego: thousands of undesirables file into queue on hot bricks, the muzzy sun making the sweat pool in their fright wigs, ooze down their squinting faces and finally down the backs of their Tifa bodices, their Storm Trooper torso plates, their squishing, squeaking fursuits. My earbuds are screwed in so tight that Captain Ahab’s bass line can’t get out of my skull, bouncing around between aural walls and tympanic tubes....

So it seems that while PlayStation 3 owners have towait a little longerto get their ghostly reconnaisance on, Ubisoft may soon be delivering a treat for Xbox 360 owners. I must have stepped away from the computer for a second when (according toGameSpot) “rumblings around the Internet, including many European sites such as360Monster,Boomtown, and the UK-basedonline branch ofOfficial Xbox Magazine” started to indicate that Ubisoft would be delivering an Xbox 360 demo forGhost Recon Advanced War Fighter 2....

Hands-On Mobile announced today an agreement with Activision to bringGuitar Heroto mobile devices. Like, y’know, cellular phones. I’ll give you a minute to take that in. The obvious question that the good people at Activision/RedOctane are probably ready and willing to answer is this: how would it work?Guitar Herois an experience built almost entirely upon its awesome peripheral. Without the controller, what are we left with? Let’s drink deep the PR cup, shall we?...

[Update:During the conference, Activision just confirmed the death ofDJ Heroas part of theGuitar Herofranchise.True Crime: Hong Kongwas canceled because it was “just not good enough” to compete in the open world genre. Most of all, they didn’t expect it to generate enough profit and stopped development.] Activision Blizzard is set to announce its Q4 results any minute, but that didn’t stop them from announcing thatGuitar Herois dead. No longer shall we have to deal withRock Bandvs....

If you’re not familiar with the concept of asynchronously multiplayer games, then there are two games you would do well to try out:Tetris Friends, and George Buckenham’sHell is Other People. Where the former merely tasks you with playing against recordings of other people’s games in a sort of isolated way that doesn’t feel very multiplayer-ish until someone dumps a bunch of trash blocks on you, every moment spent playingHell is Other Peopleis a moment in which you will (A) be directly competing against recordings of other players, and (B) feel your hatred grow toward the members of your own species....

I got to check outSuper Mario Galaxy 2at Nintendo yesterday and one of the new things that was revealed to me wasGalaxy 2’sversion of the Super Guide feature seen inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. There’s actually two systems in place to aid players: Hint TV and the Cosmic Guide. Mario will come across special TVs in levels which will show him how to get across certain sections. In one of the levels in the Fluffy Bluff Galaxy, there’s a large open space that Mario needs to get across using the cloud suit....

If you’re one of the few people on the planet who don’t already own a copy ofCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare— and if so, you probably either don’t like FPSes or are destitute — then Activision has just the deal for you! They’ve just shipped the Game of the Year Edition forCall of Duty 4, which was one of 2007’s top-selling games. It retails for $59.99 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3....

At a Bethesda Softworks press event last month, id Software brought out the latest build of its upcoming first-person shooter,Rage. Previously shown only running on a PC, the developer pulled out its Xbox 360 kits to demonstrate the game. But what of the PlayStation 3? id Software’s Tim Willits says not to worry, that the engine that powers Rage, idTech 5, is “true cross-platform technology.” “We demoed on the 360 here today,” he explained, “but our program director actually said ‘Do you want to take the PS3?...

I’m still not entirely sold on the concept of real time strategy games appearing on consoles, butTom Clancy’s EndWarcould be just the game to change my mind. Unlike previous RTS titles that have used gamepads exclusively,EndWarallows you to use voice commands to order your troops around.As the above clip reveals,EndWaris essentially Clancy’s vision of World War III in videogame form. As far as I’m concerned, there have been more than enough games surrounding past wars, and it’s about time we see some new material....

With the firstinFamous, Sucker Punch crafted the classic super hero origins tale. What happens when a once ordinary man becomes extraordinary? The answer was an entire city gets wrecked by electricity, and said man spends a lot of time slinking around sewers, evidently. In the follow up, the game’s central character, Cole MacGrath, is already acquainted with his powers. The goal, Sucker Punch says, is to take it to the next level ininFamous 2....

With the 3DS’ rough start and Nintendo’sfinancial faltering, some have already suggested that the dark days of the Gamecube have returned. However, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata believes that the 3DS won’t repeat past mistakes, and last week’sprice dropwas in fact due to lessons learned last generation. According to Iwata, the Gamecube suffered because Nintendo did not take certain opportunities when they were available. The general feeling within company management is that the console had a chance to succeed, but that chance was not seized upon....

I’m on the bad side of town now and it looks like its been rolled over with a giantKatamariball. There is rubble everywhere. It’s the perfect hiding place for that nefarious Easter Bunny. Speaking ofKatamari Damacy, have you seen the new filters that the next iteration of the game,Katamari Damacy Tribute, will have? They make the HD game look even better inso many wonderful ways. Above you see the Colored Stencil filter which gives off a hand drawn feeling....

As Sony lovers huddle around their PS3s, holding out their frozen little hands to bask in the warm glow of Blu-ray, they patiently await word from on high that just a sliver ofKillzone 2has arrived to save them. They’ll have to wait just a little bit longer, asword has itthat the demo will arrive at about 5pm UK time. “PSN updates vary but hopefully around 5pm everyone should be able to download it,” said a SCEE rep, adding that he was “very excited” about the download’s launch....