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I seriously wonder who it is that actually pays for theseso-called studies. A highly useful piece of research has shown that men are particularly drawn to videogames because they are internally wired to love competition. The need to conquer is provided by a videogame, hence their popularity. And we needed a scientist to tell us thiswhy? According to the tests, women and men have the same basic understanding of the appeal of videogames, but women lack the same driving instinct to win — it’s just not that important to them....

After playingLittleBigPlanetat this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, I can honestly say it is firmly planted in my top 5 most anticipated games of the year. It feels like so much information about the title has been leaked since its announcement at last year’s E3 that we should know all the ins and outs by now, but it seems Media Molecule likes to tease us like panting dogs. We like that....

According toDevelop, Microsoft Game Studios and Havok have recently signed a “perpetual licensing agreement” to ensure that Microsoft and its partners have access to flying trash cans, floppy bodies, and clipping issues for eternity. It is being described as a “unique deal,” but real specifics including exclusivity have not been discussed openly as of yet. The best part of the deal is that Microsoft will be able to utilize Havok’s upcoming “Havok Cloth” product, which is sure to strike fear into both Sony and Nintendo’s hearts....

So I know that everyone reading this is a fan of Monty Python because if they weren’t they’d be dead from the stress of not being able to laugh at even the funniest things on earth, but did you all play the old Monty Python PC games? They were awesome and were basically a collection of mini-games wrapped in Monty Python references and humor. More of that would be awesome, and, according to a preview over atRock, Paper, Shotgun, more of that is what we’re going to get when developer Zattikka launches the Facebook gameMinistry of Silly Games....

I’m a fan of theMotoStormseries, and I’ve playedMotorStorm Apocalypse— it’s pretty crazy. I kind of want it now. Looks like we’ll have to wait until “Spring 2011,” but there’s good news for those of you who like to try before you buy — there’s definitely a demo planned for the game. Don’t expect it this year, as it’s “planned for 2011.” Hey, that’s only a few weeks away! The game’s developer, Evolution Studios, have also shared its plans for post-release content including a “special island track” that they’re hoping to give away for free....

Some of the first “official” Wii Ware titles have been announced, during a Fall 2007 Nintendo Conference that took place in Japan today. According to Nintendo, the Wii Ware service is going to be getting more than just mini-games and puzzle titles. Square Enix is already on board, and are creating a new title for the service,Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and The Promised Land. It is said that in the game, you will build your own country, but no other information has been revealed....

Now that Nintendo’s eShop is open I’ll be looking forward to each week’s releases to get some goodies on my mostly boring Nintendo 3DS. Right now there’sOcarina of Timeand…Find Mii? Yeah, that’s not cutting it. Give me more new games! Here’s what Nintendo has lined up this week: The Game Boy version ofDonkey Kongis up on the eShop this week for your 3DS. The price of $3.99 is great for the game’s 100 levels....

You know how it goes. You go to the big box store around the holidays, looking for the hot new game system for little Timmy, and it’s not there. Instead, you find soccer moms swarming around and signs posted on when the next shipment might be coming. It only takes a couple of holiday seasons of this to be totally tired of the song and dance. Maybe that’s why CNBC asked Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime how the scene is going to look this year....

Destructoid editors manned a good chunk of a center row pretty close to the stage this year at Nintendo’s E3 presentation. We could even see Cammie’s teleprompter eyes. When the Wii MotionPlus perpherial was finally announced on stage, we all looked at each other as if to sayanother Nintendo add-on? Great. Superb. Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime said that the MotionPlus was a planned addition from the start. He explained in an interview withVentureBeatthat they were aware of thetechnologyback when the Wii was originally designed....

With Sony announcingPSP Ministhis week and promising fifty 100MB titles before the end of 2009, Nintendo’s largely terrible DSiWare service has its work cut out for it if it wants to provide a comparative platform. Nintendo seems to be aware that DSiWare games tend to suck, and istrying to instigatebetter quality games. The DSiWare pricing structure will remain the same, but Nintendo’s royalty rates will change depending on the game’s size, expecting a bigger kickback for bigger games....

It appears as if Ubisoft won’t be rolling the dice for timid or curious consumers when it comes toAssassin’s Creed II. During a demo session of the game at Eurogamer Expo, Web siteConnected Consoles(viaJoystiq) obtained confirmation that the developer won’t be releasing a demo for the knife-happy sequel. No explanation was recorded, so we’ve asked Ubisoft why a demo isn’t in the plans. But this isn’t a new thing — the firstAssassin’s Creeddidn’t have a demo either....

[It’s time for anotherMonthly Musing— the monthly community blog theme that provides readers with a chance to get their articles and discussions printed on the frontpage. — CTZ] The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. A fantastic game in every sense of the word (and my favorite game ever). Many would agree that Link and the King of Red Lions stole the show as excellent characters with a close bond and great character development (particularly for the King)....

Don’t get me wrong: I’m grateful for every soundtrack disc Atlus sends our way as a game pack-in via their Atlus Spoils program. I love having the music to listen to separately. But it always seems that I’m missing some of my favorites in these selection discs. I’m glad to say that this will not be the case for the upcoming PSP gamePersona, a remake of the PlayStation role-playing game that kicked the popular series off....