So Marvel vs. Capcom 2's HD semi-remake has finally been announced. Fantastic news, isn't it? Silky visuals, online multiplayer, 3-on-3 tag team matches and more, all for your hard-earned 1,200 Microsoft Points. According to the financial report of publisher Marvel today, theXBLA/PSN port of the fighting game will be available the week of June 29th. Huzzah!

But where is Marvel vs. Capcom 3? You know, the real, proper next-generation debut of the fan-favorite series, possibly made using the Street Fighter IV engine? Nowhere to be found, apparently. Not yet anyway. Speaking with Joystiq, Capcom's Seth Killian said that "licensing issues" are preventing the publisher from making MvC3. Al hope is being placed on the success of thei digital re-release.

"What we're hoping is that if people get really juiced about this title, and we can show Marvel that there's a lot of heat behind this, then they'll open up the door for us to do something with '3,' which is something we'd love to do."

Bummer, Fret not, though, as this is not limited to the Marvel series. No, no, it's also affecting a North American version of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. "It's a lot of 'dance with the lawyers' on that one. ... The rights holders for Tatsunoko in Japan are one company, but in the U.S. it's ... 13 companies -- and some are very attentive and some are not."

And the recent leak of the Mad Catz MvC2 fighting sticks? Hopefuly you didn't pre-order one, because they were a "complete fabrication." But Capcom are looking into offering them.

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The second round of Microsoft's massive,  5,000-employee axing move begins today, reports C|NET. 3,000 pink slips were issued today. Back when the unfortunate situation was initiated, it cost the gaming community not only the Gamerscore Blog and its hard-working employees, but also QA staffers at the Games for Windows group, and an entire development studio. In an email from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, it's stated:

 "In January, in response to the global economic downturn, I announced our plan to adjust the company's cost structure through spending reductions and job eliminations. Today, we are implementing the second phase of this plan. ... Today's action includes positions in the United States and in a number of countries around the world. In the U.S., affected employees will be notified directly by their managers today. In other countries, local leadership teams will provide more specific information about the impact to their organizations.... For those of you directly affected by today's announcement, I want to thank you for your contribution to Microsoft and assure you that we will continue to provide support as we did during the previous job eliminations."

Ballmer goes on to say that Microsoft are "moving quickly" to complete the restructuring move by June 2010, and that they will "closely monitor the impact of the economic downturn on the company" and react accordingly. That means if things do not pick up in this troubled world, more employees could be on the chopping block.

Best of luck to everyone affected. Let's just hope that the folks let go today aren't subjected to accidental overcompensation of severance, and then asked to give it back.

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Sometimes I'm truly amazed at how long it takes people to see something and proclaim "Ah ha! I see what they did there!" This is no different. Last week when Engadget broke news regarding Microsoft's allegedly-to-be-announced-at-E3, waggle-free motion sensing camera, we immediately drew the conclusion that if real, this was based on the "ZCam" technology that 3DV Systems (the company that Microsoft recently acquired) had developed and shown off at CES last year. Needless to say I was quite surprised to see that few sites managed to point this out when running their articles. But not everyone picks up on things so quickly.

A few days have gone by, things have sunk in, and now come the grand, news-making revelations. Ars Technica believe, like we did, that this new, hands-free motion detecting sensor bar is indeed based on the ZCam. Amazing.

"Every feature discussed in the Engadget report—every single one—we saw in action [at CES] in January 2008, by a company that Microsoft was reported to be in talks to buy, using sub-$100 technology that was mature more than 15 months ago."

3DV indicated back in 2008 that upon release, their camera device would be released at a price point under $100 - and that was just for the technology and application that they had come up with at that point, pre (alleged) Xbox 360 advancements. As a reminder, the rumor is that this motion sensing device will be able to offer 360 users "full body and hand gesture control of games / characters" ; "video conferencing and games with video"; "trivia games over the internet with live images of each person playing"; ability to "move objects on your screen" and the ability for the camera and sensor to distinguish the player from background distractions.

E3 will be interesting.

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Treyarch and Activision announced today that the Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 1, which included 3 maps and a Nazi Zombie-upgrading arena, has sold two million copies since its release in March. yes, the same one that sold a million copies its first week.

"This is a huge milestone and we are so appreciative of our incredibly supportive community who continue to play and enjoy the game," said Mark Lamia, Studio Head of Treyarch. "We're hard at work on Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 2 and look forward to delivering that in June."

At 800 MS Points a pop, that's quite a lot of money.  The second 3-map, Nazi Zombie-upgrading map pack is currently in the works for a June release.

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When The Beatles: Rock Band releases on September 9th this year, it will not only bring a $250 bundle with it, but also slightly expensive, standalone and customized instruments to fill out your Beatles merchandise collection.

Harmonix and MTV revealed the first images of the wireless Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet today, and they are sure purdy, But are they $100 purdy? You be the judge. That's correct, folks: Purchasing these bad boys, along with your full-band box, set will equal you dropping almost $500 day one. Phew.

And don't foget the the fact that the game will utilize four-part harmonies for vocals - which means a few extra mics. And there will probably be a premium wireless drum kit at some point, in case the included, reskinned RB2 kit - with a classic pearl finish, a metal kick pedal and a vintage replica drumhead - isn't enough. Save up that cash!

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Can we say "told ya so" now? After the mess that befell Fallout 3's "The Pitt" DLC last month, we had hoped that the two-week delay for "Broken Steel" would result in a worry-free launch today over Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows LIVE. How wrong we were.

PC users that have purchased the content have been reporting the following error upon installation: "Not a cryptographic message or the cryptographic message is not formatted correctly. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8009200D)."

In other words: That's not good. Bethesda's Pete Hines responded to the complaints, saying: "We're seeing the same error folks have reported, which is a Games for Windows Live DRM install error. Microsoft is working on fixing it, and we'll let everyone know once we've verified it. "

Ah, yes, a Microsoft error. In the meantime, Xbox 360 users have reported numerous bugs from the inability to prompt and activate the "Project Purity" quest, to Achievements not popping up when earned. Microsoft say that they are currently working on ths issue.

Bugger. Doesn't that frost your radiated cookies? Somehow, the name of the DLC is a bit ironic.

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Here's what you get when a mainstream media outlet, like CNBC, takes it upon themselves to "analyze" gaming trends or industry happenings. In a recent piece on the Grand Theft Auto franchise, the news outlet asks the question is the Rockstar-developed series - that just entered the current generation and sold nearly 13 million copies - "running out of gas?"

The author cites sluggish sales of GTA IV's Xbox 360-exclusive "The Lost and Damned" DLC (which we've never gotten confirmed sales figures for), and the less-than-stellar sales (and recent price cut) of the new DS installment Chinatown Wars as examples the open-world shooter is fizzling out, at least compared to when it was on the PS2. Chinatown Wars is one the most risky, hardcore and mature-themed games on the DS, a platform that is anything but. Plus the fact that it wasn't really marketed al that well.

CNBC state that though analysts claim TL&D has sold roughly a million copies over Xbox LIVE, that that is "hardly the barnburner the industry was expecting." They then go on to compare that $20, twenty-hour expansion pack to an already overwhelming fourty-plus hour game ... to the $10 "Variety Map Pack" for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's multiplayer, which managed to sell over a million downloads in its first week last year. What? Excuse me as I editorialize for a minute: How is that even relevant? While both require access to Xbox LIVE, one is half as expensive, half as time consuming and not nearly as controversial. And suggesting that TL&D selling only a million units (which would equal roughly $20 in revenue on a single platform) makes it a failed product, thus a sign that there's a slow and apparent downfall of GTA? Really now.

Moving on, CNBC argue that the "lack of information" from MS and Rockstar and lack of "buzz" from the consumer about the second batch of GTA IV DLC, due this Fall, is also a sign of growing disinterest. Lack of "buzz" ... from something we know nothing about. Huh.

"So what’s happening here? Part of the blame can be pointed at the changing face of gaming. ... While the hardcore gamer is still alive and well, the influx of casual gamers has shifted where the gaming population as a whole is spending its money."

Interesting. The basic gist of this article is that, casual gaming not withstanding, the underperforming sales and 'low response' to DLC, as well as a mature game on a handheld means that arguably the most popular franchise of the last generation is dying? And that if the next add-on 'fails' "investors might begin questioning if the franchise is as ‘grand’ as it used to be"?  Wow.

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Electronic Arts confirmed today that their Redwood Shores location has been renamed to Visceral Games. Within the press release, it's stated "The studio is currently working on the highly anticipated games, Dante’s Inferno and Dead Space: Extraction, and two other unannounced titles."

Two other unannounced titles, you say? One of those wouldn't happen to be Dead Space 2, would it? You know, the sequel to the excellent and well-received shooter from 2008 that's already been semi-confirmed to be a "go"? Possibly (or they're new IP). On the "about me" section of the website of Salil Nair, a lead character artist at Mindwalk Studios, the 3D designer lists Dead Space 2 as one of his current projects for EA. Hmm.

"Currenly working on 'Dante's Inferno', a fantasy based game and 'Deadspace 2', the second instalment of last year's critically acclaimed sci-fi horror game by Electronic arts."

Mindwalk worked with EA Redwood Shores on the first Dead Space, modeling and texturing "the majority of humanoid primary and secondary photo realistic characters (alive and corpse versions) as well as a number of creatures along with their dismembered pieces and parts," and "an entire level environment as well as a number of props."  Salil says that he was lead character artist "on about 25 characters" for the first game.

Huh. Doesn't take a lot of smarts to guess what's going here here. The words "second installment" make it quite easy, too. Unless Mindwalk are taking their expertise on the next-gen horror game and its technology to work solely on Dead Space: Extraction for the Wii, looks like we've probably got our sequel here. Unless we don't.  But a game that sells 1.4 million copies isn't likely to not get a sequel these days. 2010, then, EA?

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