Xbox LIVE $100 Platinum Membership the Next Step?

Most of us know by now that the Xbox LIVE price will be raised from $50 a year to $60 in November. What most of you probably don't know is that Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter predicted that this price hike would occur, and that he made one other prediction. That prediction has to do with a higher tier membership level priced at $100. Currently, we have the free Xbox LIVE Silver membership and $50 a year Gold membership. Could a third be on the way?

Britain Defence Secretary Condemns Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor is making news before release, yet again. The upcoming title, published by Electronic Arts has caused the British defence secretary to call on retailers to show their support for troops by not selling it. Britain's defence secretary Liam Fox had this to say:

"At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands. It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers. It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product."

Despite not responding immediately to the statement made by Fox, EA spokeswoman Amanda Taggart made the following response:

"We give gamers the opportunity to play both sides. Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays cop, someone must be robber. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's got to be the Taliban. Nobody who plays video games is going to be shocked or surprised by this."

Maybe she's right, but maybe it's just a little too soon. With something so recent and still an ongoing struggle, it's understandable that people will react sensitively to the content of the latest Medal of Honor.

[bigpond]

Will Resident Evil 6 Be Coming Out Sooner Than Expected?

It's been over a year since we last saw the latest installment in the Resident Evil series, but already Capcom is hoping to put Resident Evil 6 in the hands of gamers as soon as possible. Capcom's Keiji Inafune made this statement in his 3DJuegos interview:

"Given the great success which led to us Resident Evil 5, we want Resident Evil 6 to hit the market as soon as possible...In fact, Capcom will have news about this soon..."

Soon, you say? Maybe as soon as Tokyo Game Show? Looks like we'll have to wait and see!

Medal of Honor Banned from Military Stores

As if this comes at a great surprise, and to add to the growing mound of controversy, it looks like EA's Medal of Honor will not be sold or promoted in any Army and Air Force bases, as well as 49 GameStops located across the U.S.

If someone wished to pre-order a copy of the game, which focuses on the war in Afghanistan, they will be directed to a GameStop that wll take reserves of the game. Along with the banning, all marketing material will also be removed as well. GameStop employees were told this along with the news of ban:

"GameStop fully supports AAFES in this endeavor and is sensitive to the fact that in multiplayer mode one side will assume the role of Taliban fighter."

Kirby’s Epic Yarn Trailer – The Cuteness is Overwhelming!

Here's the Japanese trailer for the upcoming Kirby game, Kirby's Epic Yarn. The game is as much charming as it is eye-catching and just overflowing with cuteness. If you've been waiting for another Kirby game, like I have, you'll definitely want to check this trailer out. Yet another reason it's good to own a Wii this fall, even if it might not get used as much as other consoles. Kirby's Epic Yarn comes out in North America on October 19, 2010. Hit the jump for the video and let us know what you think!

Denver Thieves Makes Off With More Than One Grand In Stolen Video Games

Reportedly, in Denver, Colorado, a pair of thieves made off with more than one thousand two hundred dollars in video games from a shop. Of the two crooks, one of them would distract the single employee by asking for help with various things while the other tucked games away in his clothing.

The heist took place on the morning of August 10th, 2010 at approximately 11:15 AM. At the very least, twenty fully priced titles were taken. Denver residents are urged to call a tip line with whatever information they may have, and a cash reward is being offered.

Keiji Inafune Comments On Devil May Cry 5

It has been more than two and a half years since the release of Devil May Cry 4 on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Since that time, we have heard absolutely nothing on the next entry in this storied franchise. Hardly confirming it, head of R&D and designer for Capcom said to Spanish gaming site 3D Juegos:

Devil May Cry 5 is a game that, when started development, this will change a lot in relation to the above. The reason is that, despite the franchise has some very loyal followers, their sales are not particularly high, especially overseas. For this reason, it is likely that in the fifth chapter will incorporate certain "Western touch" to make it more attractive to American and European players.

So it's nice to know that we'll be getting the game eventually right? I suppose, but no further details have been revealed about the title. Let's cross our fingers and hope that the game makes an appearance  at the Tokyo Game Show.

Shinji Mikami Underwhelmed by Motion Controls

Recently we posted an article that lambasted both the PS Move and MS Kinect as silly motion control fads that were a waste of time and money. It would appear that gaming great Shinji Mikami, creator of Resident Evil and director of the upcoming TPS Vanquish totally agrees with that:

"I don't think motion controls will be in the gaming mainstream in the next ten years. When the technology gets to the point where you can just flick your eyeballs around and the computer can pick it up, you won't need a controller anymore. Obviously it's going to take a while to get there."

I don't see how he could have called them a gimmick any kinder. Perhaps we dont have to get there at all Mikami-san. Long live the controller. Vanquish comes out for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 19th. Currently (thankfully) there is no news of motion control support for the title. Check out our impressions of the game, here.

Chime Trailer Shows Gameplay Footage of Still Alive Track

The first gameplay footage of the exclusive Glados track "Still Alive" from OneBigGame's successful hit music-puzzler game Chime.

This trailer shows us just exactly what to expect from the music-puzzler that reminds me a lot of an intense session of Tetris, but better.

Zoe Mode, the UK-based developer who had created the original game pro bono (or free to us layman's) for OneBigGame, will donate part of the proceeds of the PC version. And as for Xbox Live Arcade, Chime royalties from the PC version will benefit OneBigGame's charity partners Starlight Children's Foundation and Save the Children. For more information, please visit OneBigGame's website.

Check out the trailer after the break.

Mythos Official Website Now Live + Screenshots

Mythos is an upcoming hack n slash action MMORPG from Frogster. The game utilizes 3D graphics and a lovely, comic book esque art style. The game will be free to play and features all of the aspects of MMORPGs you've grown accustomed to like PvP battles and guilds.

There is also a beta scheduled for the game, which you can learn more about at its official website. The game will launch officially early next year. To learn more about Mythos and check out the new screens, hit the break.

The Next BIG Thing Gets Screenshots

If you are a fan of adventure games, this just might be up your alley. Pendulo Studios has released some new screens for their upcoming adventure title, The Next BIG Thing.

The Next BIG Thing follows a couple of charismatic heroes, Dan Murray and Liz Allaire, who are involved in a crazy adventure full of twists, monsters and comedy that makes some subtle references to popular movies and TV shows.

The Next BIG Thing will be making its way towards PC's during the first quarter of 2011.

Take a look at the screenshots of The Next BIG Thing after the break.

Mirror’s Edge iPhone/iPad Details and Screens

2008's most slept on cult prize Mirror's Edge is getting a fresh face with the upcoming iPhone re-release. While there is still no word on the Mirror's Edge sequel, it's very nice to see that EA hasn't completely abandoned the franchise.

Amongst its legions of triple A shooters and action titles, it's easy to see how a game like this could be forgotten. The game is scheduled to be released sometime this month and there is no word yet on pricing. Hit the break for further details about the game, as well as some new screenshots.