So Bungie is wrapping up its time with the Halo franchise with the last of the trilogy, Recon. Everyone's been asking what their plans are after Halo, but they've been pretty mum about it. However, one thing is clear: they aren't tied down to the Xbox 360 and the PC anymore.

Go to the full article to read up on what Bungie's Brian Jarrard has to say about the studio moving on to new projects.

Certain Affinity reveals in the latest Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) magazine that the company is working on a game to be released over Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. The ex-Bungie developers are making a pirates-themed game with tile-based RTS elements and many influences from a famous 1995 board game. Find out more about the game in the full article.

Gearbox Software has done a lot of accomplishments in the past and has a lot of successful titles under its belt. How would you feel now if the company says that it is working on its biggest and most ambitious project to date?

Well, we are pretty sure that you will be ecstatic because that's what exactly what we felt. To know more about this, read the full article to read what company president Randy Pitchford had to say about the project.

There are video game awards, and then there are video game awards. This particular video game awards feature is probably of the latter, but with a lot of good-natured irreverence thrown into the mix. While it would have been easier for us to just make an article about our favorite games (and we did), we felt that the gaming year of 2007 had a lot to offer, and thus we're giving credit (and blame) where it's due.

Check out the winners in the full article.

Originally posted on January 21, 2008 at 1:14 PM.

Microsoft and Bungie Studios' Halo 3 is hands down the standard by which video game sales success is measured these days, but analyst Jesse Divnich of simExchange says that things just might get a little tighter in the FPS market. The Arrival of A-list shooters such as The Orange Box and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox 360, PC)could weaken Halo 3 sales dramatically in the weeks to come leading to the holidays.

Speaking before Nintendo's investors, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimes states that their rivals, Sony and Nintendo, made a grave mistake in developing expensive consoles. "They've gone down the path with building expensive machines that they lose money on. They've gone down the path with games that are hard to develop," said Fils-Aime. Pretty believable from someone who said that the "Wii isn't a fad, it is the future"? We'll see.

Read more in the full article!

According to Wedbush Morgan's analyst Michael Pachter, it's all sunshine and roses for the console hardware sales this year. That would be thanks to the recent success of Bungie Studios' Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 (which moved a lot of Microsoft Xbox 360 units) and the entry of Sony's new 40GB PS3, PSP Slim units into the market. Pachter said that there will be a considerable increase in hardware sales due to the new options available to gamers.

He also opined that there will be no more price cuts for the remainder of the year, but there's a chance that the release of Nintendo's much-awaited Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii will spark a hardware price cut. "We do not expect a price cut for the Wii until supply and demand are in balance, but believe that the launch of Super Smash Brothers Brawl on February 10, 2008 presents an opportunity to adjust pricing," said Pachter.

Beefed up with an all-star cast and its fans further worked up by a release date delay, it's no wonder that Super Smash Bros. Brawl (you can check out how epic the game will turn out in this video) alone will manage to make an impact on the gaming market, aside from Halo 3.

The NPD Group has just released the retail sales numbers of Canada's video game industry, and for the month of September, hardware sales of the Microsoft Xbox 360 have jumped to 51,200 units. The rise was attributed to the September 25 release of Bungie Studios' Halo 3, published by Microsoft. Over all, the game industry was reported to have met a 96% increase in total sales from US$ 66.2 million to US$ 129.7 million, year on year.

Throughout the retail sale categories that the NPD report covered, console hardware sales have more than doubled for the month alone, confirming Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter's prediction. The revenue hit a high of 244% from US$ 13 million in September last year to US$ 44.7 million in September this year.

With it, console software sales rose 79% year-on-year, from US$ 27.8 million to US$ 49.9 million in revenue. Handhelds in contrast performed in the lowest margins, though both software and hardware revenue increased according to NPD's numbers.

Handhelds sold in the nation hiked up 29% from US$ 9 million in September last year to US$ 11.7 million this year, while handheld video games rose by a slim 2% from last year - US$ 9.5 million to US$ 9.7 million. The hardware sales ranked by most unit sales for the month of September stood as:

• Microsoft Xbox 360 - 51,200
• Nintendo DS - 45,000
• Nintendo Wii - 42,900
• Sony PSP - 2,200
• Sony PS2 - 16,500
• Sony PS3 - 15,600
• Nintendo GBA - 8,600

You can also see the top 10 video games for September 2007 ranked by most unit sales at the full article.

Another analyst's tossed in his two cents regarding projected sales for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Kaufman Bros. analyst Todd Mitchell has estimated that thanks to the massive sales being generated by Bungie Studios' Halo 3, Microsoft could be looking at increased console sales by the holidays.

Mitchell estimated that total Xbox 360 consoles sales by the end of the year to be around 17.1 million. Predictions aside, it is tough to deny the flood that Halo 3's generated come launch, with US sales reportedly topping US$ 170 million within just 24 hours.

But while all looks rosy for the 360, Mitchell predicted tough times for Sony's console. The analyst cited the PS3's high price and lack of "compelling content," and stated that the company stood to face "a worse case scenario" come the holidays. Todd predicts that total PS3 sales by the end of the year would total 10.3 million. He also estimated that Wii sales would total 19.8 million within the said time period.

It'll be remembered that earlier, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter made his own estimates. Pachter's predictions included the possibility of a 80GB PS3 marked down to  $499, and of the release of a 40GB PS3 costing just US$ 399 before Christmas. And in the case of Master Chief's big boost for the 360, PS3 dudes might just be getting their own comeback by way of Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 4, although that'll have to wait.

How many titles more before Jack Thompson succeeds in driving home the point that minors are being sold Mature-rated games even without the proper identification from retail stores?

After sending his 15-year-old son to purchase BioShock (PC, Xbox 360) a while back, the kid adds yet another to his growing collection, in the form of Bungie Studios' epic Halo 3.

In a press release circulated yesterday, the anti-game advocate claims that his son was able to purchase the game from a Target store without having to verify his age. Ironically, in doing so, he helped the very title he sought a TRO for just last week.

Miami attorney and anti-violent video game activist today did a successful sting on Target Corporation. His fifteen-year-old son, on the first try, was able to buy the "Mature-rated" Halo 3 without producing any age ID at the Dadeland Station Target.

Thompson is aiming to prove that the current game age rating system is majorly flawed and that serious revisions have to be made on it to make it more effective.