jondaw writes "The BBC is reporting that "Microsoft plans to make its next generation games console, the Xbox 360, as difficult as possible to hack...There are going to be levels of security in this box that the hacker community has never seen before...I'm sure sooner or later someone will work out how to circumvent security. But the way we have done the design doesn't mean that it will work on somebody else's machine.""

Next Generation has a conversation with the lead designer of the much lauded game Darwinia. From the article: "It sports astonishing graphics and original gameplay elements that weave their way around a decent story. Reviewers like it but, as is so often the case, publishers can't seem able to convince themselves it has anything other than niche market value. We spoke to Chris Delay about the frustrations and challenges of independence and originality..."

Chris Morris talks virtual nudity in his latest Game Over column, as videogame characters return to the pages of Playboy magazine. From the article: "[Game characters to be featured in the magazine hail from] Midway's upcoming 'Blitz: The League', Sony's megahit 'God of War,' Vivendi's '50 Cent: Bulletproof,' 'Playboy: The Mansion - Private Party,' 'Darkwatch,' and 'Hellgate: London'. While nude video game characters are nothing new for Playboy, the October issue hits stands just as the storm surrounding an unlockable sex scene in 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' begins to pass. The magazine said it never considered delaying the layout."

The Inquirer has the news that, it's official, IGN has been purchased by News Corporation. From the article: "For those not in the know, sites under the IGN network include IGN.com, GameSpy, GameSpy Arena, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, 3D Gamers, Direct2Drive, GameStats.com and a handful of sites under the Vault and Planet networks. IGN and its network will all become part of News Corporation's Fox Interactive Media unit, according to a News Corporation press release. This move is part of News Corp.'s plans to increase its presence online and follows the acquisition of Intermix - which ran MySpace.com - and a college sports outlet Scout Media."

404Ender writes "According to GameStop and EB, the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will finally be re-released without the controversial "Hot Coffee" content and clean of anything that might demand an AO rating. Will this be the first game in a series of many to come that will be pulled off the market to be changed due to questionable content? How long before a Hot Coffee replacement mod is produced?"

cliffski asks: "I have a Windows game that may benefit from a port to Linux. It's a complex politics sim based on a neural network, (think NationStates with complexity) and is probably right up the street of many Linux gamers. The problem right now is that I don't have the knowledge or the time to handle a Linux port, myself. What's the best way to arrange for a commercial port of games software to the Linux platform? Is it worth talking to lone enthusiastic hackers about collaborating? Would I save myself a lot of hassle by selling the porting rights to an established Linux games company?"

LATRINE! writes "Brittlefish has posted a wishlist of games that would make great ports to the Nintendo DS. While this isn't a comprehensive list, the idea of Starcraft on the DS is very exciting." From the article: "The Nintendo DS has given developers a chance to put forth new and innovative games. And with the addition of the touchscreen it has enabled developers to create game ideas that were previously impossible (or at best awkward) on any kind of console. Games like Nintendogs and Trauma Center are proof that new things are happening. One of the great possibilities the Nintendo DS offers is it's ability to emulate a mouse, and thus be able to handle PC ports that are mostly mouse-driven, but so far no ports have been done that utilize the DS hardware well." Any games you folks would like to see on two screens?

Next Generation has a pair of articles about the Massive scene today. One is an interview with NCSoft's Ryan Seabury about the company's shift away from the fantasy genre, and the other a short piece stating that in-game crime is on the rise in Japan as the popularity of MMOs continues to rise. From the NCSoft article: "There's a distinct lack of an online home for the wider action gaming crowd in the MMOG arena today. Although we've seen a general trend towards more action and more mainstream gaming in MMOs, still nothing is in the same league as your typical team based FPS style gameplay. We want to provide that home to the masses of action gamers out there, looking for over-the-top action. Our core gameplay mechanic and pace attracts the action gamer, but we subversively immerse them deeper into the world as they play, via the fiction, the item hunting, the crafting, the vehicle customization, the arenas, and so on."

dreamchaser writes "After a meteoric rise, online gambling companies appear to be taking a beating now with the loss of 33% in PartyGaming stock. Apparently the novelty is wearing off and no new players can be found. Why have you stopped playing?"

CNN/Money has a look today at the business fallout from the Hot Coffee incident. Though Take-Two's stock has taken a dip as a result of the negative media exposure, analysts say that this is unlikely to affect the company's long-term fiscal health. From the article: "So rather than focus on the problems of the past few months, analysts think investors should look ahead. In its current fiscal year, which ends in October, analysts are predicting a 20 percent increase in earnings and analysts expect profits to jump 31 percent in fiscal 2006. Still, Take-Two's stock trades at just 16 times fiscal 2006 estimates, a steep discount to top rivals Electronic Arts , Activision and THQ."

Another "Postcard from GDCE" is available over at Gamasutra, this article a postmortem of the title Project Gotham Racing 3. Game Developer postmortems are usually interesting, and always good for at least one insight. From the article: "However, as an ultimate lesson, the Bizarre Creations duo return to an earlier, extremely valid point. When you're making a next-gen game, don't forget that it's not the 'next-gen' which is the most important part but the 'game'. An obvious lesson, perhaps, but it's something that can't be said enough, and something we'll find out the results of this holiday season for PGR3, hopefully."

The world will get a taste of the first World of Warcraft expansion at BlizzCon, according to Gamespot. From the article: "In the second World of Warcraft Battleplan, which went up today, a Blizzard employee named 'Drake' confirmed the first WoW expansion will make its debut at BlizzCon, Blizzard Entertainment's annual expo. 'I'm very happy to announce that we'll have the first public showing of the expansion for World of Warcraft at BlizzCon,' wrote Drake. 'Attendees will be able to view the work that is going into the project and hear some of the eagerly awaited details.'"

An Anonymous Reader writes: "Next Generation has a feature interviewing a dozen or so developers, publishers and analysts on the new $60 price for games. Generally, publishers are positive, developers are skeptical and analysts are mixed." From the article: "The next gen world is considerably more complex - and prices for titles that deliver on pushing this complexity will definitely reflect that. We couldn't deliver the type of consumer experiences we're delivering in Full Auto as an example, on an existing machine. Hardcore gamers probably remember that $59 retail price points are not that unusual. Going back to N64 and as far back as the 16-bit generation - there were cartridge based games, some with battery back up that routinely cost $59. Those price points were to cover the larger cost of goods - in the next gen world it's to afford better artificial intelligence and technology, which I believe delivers better value to the consumer."

Might E. Mouse writes "What do you get when you combined the James Bond atmosphere and classic gameplay of GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo 64 with the cutting edge graphics of Half Life 2? GoldenEye: Source of course! I'm not sure how this one is going to avoid the lawyers shutting them down, but there is an army of volunteer modellers and level designers hoping to just have a bit of fun recreating their favourite game." Copious screenshots, nice looking.

404Ender writes "According to recent numbers the PSP has sold more than 185,000 units since launching September 1. This blows the previous record away, which happened to be set by the Nintendo DS. This is wonderful news for fans of the Sony handheld, and it certainly quiets many of the naysayers who have been pointing to the success of the DS sales compared to the PSP. Does this solidify Sony's position in the handheld market with a firm foot in the door?"

Jeku writes "Don Mattrick leaves Electronic Arts after 23 years. From the article, a quote from Larry Probst, EA CEO: 'Don would have been on a short list of internal candidates that might move into the CEO role,' Probst said. 'Don came to the conclusion that he was not interested in running a public company. And that he did not want to be doing the same job in five years or ten years.'" More commentary on the exec shakeup over at Gamasutra.

alstor writes "The New York Times has an interesting story about the success of World of Warcraft, and whether it is hurting or helping the gaming industry; this goes along with an earlier post on an article from CNN. From the Times article: 'WoW is now the 800-pound gorilla in the room. I think it also applies to the single-player games. If some kid is paying $15 a month on top of the initial $50 investment and is devoting so many hours a week to it, are they really going to go out and buy the next Need for Speed or whatever? There is a real fear that this game, with its incredible time investment, will really cut into game-buying across the industry.' What is the Slashdot opinion on World of Warcraft's impact on the gaming industry?"

hapwned writes "Following up on Greg Costikyan's first part of his article from last week, The Escapist goes for round 2 vs the Game Industry. Costikyna goes on to explain what they should do instead: 'One thing developers can try to do - and should do, if they can - is to take over that first additional piece of the value chain. They should try to fund their own development. If you can fund your own development, you get some big advantages. First, you can negotiate a higher royalty rate with the publisher, because they have less capital at risk. Second, you are not utterly at the publisher's mercy during the development process; if the publisher-side producer wants you to do something really stupid (and horror stories abound), you can tell him to screw off. And third,you can retain ownership of your own IP, so if you build a successful franchise, you (rather than the publisher) reaps the benefit.'"

1up is reporting on the anniversary this week of the original PlayStation. For many people the system represents a fundamental shift in consumer gaming. From the article: "PlayStation changed the way people played games--the way they thought about them, really. When Sony launched its console, the gaming industry was bogged down by expensive production, too many competing standards, and crippling uncertainty among the mind-share leaders. In just a few short years, PlayStation rose from that morass to become the undisputed champion of the era, not only taking the 32-bit prize but simultaneously paving the way for a comfortable lead in the following generation."

Gamasutra is reporting that the U.S. SEC has approved the merger of Gamestop and EBGames, which was proposed earlier this year. From the article: "If completed, the merger between GameStop and EB would create a single company representing 20 to 30 percent of the overall market for video game products in the United States, and practically the entire market for used games. It's currently unknown whether EB and GameStop stores would keep their current monikers, or unite under one central name for branding purposes."