THQ recently announced an official release date for Saints Row 2. The sequel to 2006’s Saints Row (which, incidentally was developed here in town at Volition, Inc.) will be available on August 26th for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Pre-order it on 360 and PS3 today! Saints Row 2 is also available as a collector’s edtion for PS3 and 360.

In the unlikely event that you haven’t heard yet, Grand Theft Auto IV will be released worldwide on April 29. You can pick up the regular version, or go for the special edition, which includes a customized GTA metal safety deposit box, GTA IV in special packaging, a GTA IV Art Book, selected Soundtrack CD, a Rockstar keychain, and a limited edition Rockstar duffel bag.

Preorder it for PS3 or 360 today, or grab yourself the PS3 or 360 Special Edition, and get all that other nifty stuff.

All hail the rumble!

Word on the street is that, now that the DualShock 3 is hitting retail shelves this week, the PlayStation 3’s original controller, the rumble-less (and therefore, by default, vastly inferior) SIXAXIS, will be traveling to that big gaming cabinet in the sky. MTV Multiplayer says Sony is discontinuing the device in favor of the rumble, and the SIXAXIS won’t be around at all by this time next year. Shocking. Really.

Ok, not in the least. Who’d want an un-rumbly controller now?

It seems like it wasn’t so long ago that Sony was in hot water over patent issues with force-feedback in its DualShock 2 controllers… which subsequently resulted in the SIXAXIS. That lawsuit that was finally settled, and PS3 owners will soon have the DualShock 3 in hand. And of course, back in February, Toshiba’s HD-DVD surrendered to Sony’s Blu-ray, effectively ending the format war. Sony should be sitting pretty right about now.

Gertrude Neumark
Rothschild

Unfortunately for them, this week, the US International Trade Commission has announced that it will be starting an investigation into possible patent infringements involving the Blu-ray technology, based on a complaint filed by one Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, a retired Professor Emeritus at Columbia University who has done research into blue and violet LEDs.

Rothschild claims that the blue laser diodes used in Blu-ray players and the PS3 infringe upon one of her patents, and has requested cease and desist orders against Sony and other companies involved in the development of the technology in order to block imports into the U.S. of Blu-ray products and components. What’s really worrisome is that she apparently filed a similar suit against other electronics manufacturers, which was settled out of court earlier this month, in her favor.

Check out mrontemp for a more detailed look at the complaint.

Wherein we take a look at this week’s releases. And I’m definitely looking forward to this week, because I finally get to play Crisis Core. Yay!

PSP

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Feeding my required Final Fantasy fix, Crisis Core will be released on the 25th. A prequel to the original game, and starring the much loved but little seen Zack Fair, the Crisis Core is an action RPG that covers the period of time leading up to the events at Nibelheim five years prior to FFVII. Combat is a combination of skill and luck, with the randomly determined “Digital Mind Wave” bonus popping up every now and then. I’ve had this on pre-order for months. Hopefully, it won’t turn out to be another Dirge of Cerberus.

Warriors Orochi - A crossover between the Dynasty Warriors series and Samurai Warriors series, Warriors Orochi is the PSP port of the PS2 title of the same name. It combines various gameplay elements of both Dynasty Warriors 5 and Samurai Warriors 2, and boasts a whopping 77 playable characters to choose from. I can’t say I’ve ever been a fan of either series, so I can’t really offer much of an opinion on this one.

XBox 360 and PS3

Dark Sector (360 | PS3) - A third person shooter with a rather apocalyptic scenario, Dark Sector places you in the role of a covert operative inadvertently infected by an enemy with the Technocyte Virus. The resulting mutations give him superhuman powers, in particular the ability to grow a three-bladed throwing weapon from his arm. The game features solo and multiplayer modes, as well as online multiplayer combat.

Viking: Battle for Asgard (360 | PS3) - In Viking: Battle for Asgard, you must stop a banished goddess from wiping out humanity with her army of resurrected vikings. The player take on the role of a young warrior named Skarin, chosen by the gods. Primarily a hack and slash title, Viking boasts open-world exploration and massive battles comprised of hundreds of warriors, but no multi-player mode.

Wii

Obscure: The Aftermath - I love a good survival horror title, and this one looks somewhat promising, if a little campy. Supposedly influenced by teen horror movies, in Obscure you play as students at Fallcreek University who discover strange black flowers (that have hallucinogenic properties) cropping up all over campus… so of course it’s only a matter of time before something goes horribly wrong, and mutants start leaping out at you. This title is also available on PS2, for those out there who can’t seem to find a Wii yet.

Opoona - An RPG from ArtePiazza and Koei, in Opoona you play as the titular character who winds up in a hospital, with no memory of how he got there, and no idea what happened to the rest of his family. Though I don’t know much about it beyond the basic plot, the game is apparently played almost entirely with the Nunchuck attachment.

Octomania - This is a puzzle game from the makers of Puyo Puyo!. It features single player story mode (WTF?) and multi-player mode, as well as being Wi-Fi enabled. The object is to clear variously colored octopi from your screen by matching them with like-colored octopi all while infesting your opponent’s screen with sea urchins. Take a look at the gameplay here. I know I’ve seen this in less advanced versions under other titles on many a casual gaming site.

Nintendo DS

Harvest Moon DS Cute - The only explanation I can think of for this is that certain game developers think that making the main character a little blond girl and slapping the word “cute” in the title will make every DS-owning girl on the planet want this game. I find the marketing insulting… to quote the product description:

“Help break the Harvest King’s spell by tending to your garden and finding the Harvest Sprites. Start by mastering planting fields and tending livestock. Who knows, maybe a handsome guy will help you out, but watch out for that thief! Soon you might even get married and have a child. Come restore the magic. Have either a male or female child. Play as the blonde Claire from the original Harvest Moon for Girls and from More Friends of Mineral Town or the pony-tailed brunette Jill from Another Wonderful Life.”

M&M’s Kart Racing - Dear god, why? That is all.

*reaches into the Hat ‘O New Games (patent pending)* There are lots of new games coming out every week. Let’s see a few of the most recent.

PS2 (Yes they’re still releasing stuff for it)

Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection
A nifty little compilation set containing the original Metal Gear Solid, and director’s cuts of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, all for about $10 a game. Not too shabby, really.

SingStar ’90s
Nothing like a night of bad karaoke with friends, I’m not sure whether I should be nostalgic about this one, or horrified. On one hand, it offers such ’90s classics as Love Shack, One Week, and Stay. On the other hand, it also has Barbie Girl, Achy Breaky Heart, and *shudder* U Can’t Touch This.

PS3 and Xbox 360

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 | PS3 version | 360 version
I know some people who swear by this series. Personally, I never quite got into it, but maybe someone out there is interested

Wii

Worms: A Space Oddity
Worms comes to Wii. This one boasts the classic gameplay of the series, as well as multiplayer and solo modes, and party games.