Holy Cow! Lots of news announcements!

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » March 28th, 2007, 11:46 pm

(A) What I predicted about Lego Videogames is coming true...

Another franchise might be brewing after the success of the two Star Wars Trilogy (or is that TRILOGIES?) games on X-Box, GameCube, and PS2.

A LEGO Batman game, evidently influenced by the comics more than the movies (there IS a God!), is coming out next year. Thanks goodness the development is by the same team that worked on the previous LEGO Star Wars games (check again for the existence of God) and NOT the publisher, Warner Bros. Interactive.

Can LEGO Justice League, LEGO Superman, etc. be very far behind now?

This has been announced all over the place at the usual videogame and comic book newssites...

(B) X-Box 360 is getting a hardware upgrade. Available ONLY in the X-Box 360 Elite package is the sorely missed HDMI/HVI linkage to produce the absolutely best video quality with HDTV sets. Standard with the Elite model is a 120GB hard drive. $479 for this package. You still have to buy the HD-DVD drive (DOORSTOP by next year if trends hold) add-on separately.

The previously released X-Box 360 models can also be upgraded with the same 120GB hard drive for $179.99. You'll have to trade in the whole system, though, for the HDMI connection. It's hard-wired into the 360-Elite.

Man, oh man, does it look like I'm NOT getting a PS3 any time soon!

(C) Lots of previously announced Sony "exclusives" are jumping ship or being simultaneously released on the X-Box 360 and PS3. Jumping ship altogether is the Ace Combat series which will see an exclusive NUMBER 6 release on the X-360 in two formats -- game-only and limited edition bundle with a flightstick like the one released with Ace Combat 5.

I guess the last Sony exclusives are the perpetually delayed PS3 version of Gran Turismo and Ratchet & Click 5?

(D) By this time next year, there should be a clear winner in the high-def DVD wars. Looks increasingly like it will be Blu-Ray as no announcements for major HD-DVD releases for Europe or Japan are forthcoming. Also, since the beginning of this year, Blu-Ray sales have been outpacing HD-DVD software sales by 2-1 or better.

Predictions are that sub-$300 Blu-Ray players should hit market sometime next year. Hopefully, decent sized TVs with TRUE 1080p broadcast capability will drop below $1200 sometime in the near future as well.

Post by **droosan** » March 29th, 2007, 1:05 am

I gotta admit, it's looking pretty good for Blu-Ray. Not good enough for me to take the 'plunge' and buy a player/HDTV-set, just yet .. but most of the titles I would buy are (so far) exclusively on Blu-Ray.

hey! hey! -- 200 posts!

(took me 2½ years to get there, though)

Post by **Daniel** » March 29th, 2007, 2:49 am

Same here, droo! I'm not buying into the whole Blue-Ray till its actually confirmed to be the winner. Can't waste money, ya know!

And congrats on the 200th post!

Post by **ShyViolet** » March 30th, 2007, 10:23 pm

I very much want Lego Star Wars for the DS!!

A LEGO Batman game, evidently influenced by the comics more than the movies (there IS a God!), is coming out next year. Thanks goodness the development is by the same team that worked on the previous LEGO Star Wars games (check again for the existence of God) and NOT the publisher, Warner Bros. Interactive.

Yay!!! This sounds very cool. I hope it comes to DS/GB platform.

Also, random fact: The original Aladdin video game (I'm not sure if it was for Nintendo or Sega) developed in 1993 was produced, drawn and created by....you guessed it.....WDFA!!!

It's actually considered (according to Hard-Core Gamer mag anyway) one of the Best. Video Games. Ever.

Post by **Daniel** » March 31st, 2007, 1:53 am

I believe that!

And yes, I too hope the Batman Lego game gets the DS treatment. It sounds cool!

Post by **Christian** » March 31st, 2007, 1:56 am

What about the new Walt Disney Treasures announcements?

Post by **Daniel** » March 31st, 2007, 2:15 am

Well, that was just announced (by you) a few hours ago, Christian.

Post by **Christian** » March 31st, 2007, 2:22 am

I just thought there'd be some discussion on it.

Post by **ShyViolet** » March 31st, 2007, 2:51 am

Very interesting to see what the reaction to the Oswald shorts will be.

Post by **Jeroen** » March 31st, 2007, 5:38 pm

Also, random fact: The original Aladdin video game (I'm not sure if it was for Nintendo or Sega) developed in 1993 was produced, drawn and created by....you guessed it.....WDFA!!!

It's the sega version, That was indeed a great game and a childhood favourite. The graphics we're amazingly close to the movie so I can understand that WDFA had something to do with it!!
The nintendo version was a completely different (and bad) game.

Post by **Meg** » April 1st, 2007, 6:53 am

Oh man, the Aladdin game was the snazzle when I was a kid!