The obscure but excellent Eastern European RPG from Atari and CD Projekt is coming to consoles, redubbed The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf. Though the story, which revolves around the adventures of sword-swinging, monster-hunting, power-manifesting badass Geralt, will remain the same as in the PC version, the PS3 and Xbox 360 will be getting completely streamlined controls, built from scratch.

But that’s not all. The port of the once PC-only fantasy free-for-all will also feature extensive motion capture for character animations, improved lighting and environmental effects, improved enemy AI and full achievement and trophy support, according to game designer Jakob Stilinsky.

PC gamers may morn the loss of exclusivity, but as part of the console-playing proletariat, I can’t wait for the Fall of 2009 - Viva La Revolución!

Apparently Rockstar hasn’t paid much attention to the press lately, because if it did, it wouldn’t be shipping the PC version of GTA4 with the much hated and controversial DRM, SecuRom. Putting SecuRom in your game is a sure fire way to annoy pretty much every PC gamer there is. I hope Rockstar is prepared for the wave of backlash sure to come, as seen with EA’s many SecuRom debacles. I find it very curious that despite all the negative press and community reactions to SecuRom that developers and publishers alike, continue to use it.

Whether it’s wrong or not, the PC community has made up its mind about SecuRom. It’s pure diabolical evil, and if it could be represented in a non-digital way, it would be Satan himself with tattoos of Hitler and Mussolini on each arm. Steam users, just when you thought it was safe to go out at night, Rockstar throws SecuRom on the Steam version of the game as well. So no matter what avenue you take, you will be getting SecuRom’ed in the face.

While this version of SecuRom won’t limit installs or anything horribly restrictive like that, it’s still crappy DRM that the PC community has united against. I expect that GTA4 will get down ranked in every user score that PC users can get their revolting fingertips on. We’ve seen it as recently as Fallout 3 and its SecuRom based CD-check, and I guarantee we’ll see it again. Why won’t developers take StarDock’s approach on DRM, and understand that forcing DRM on us is a bad idea, no matter how big the game is. I actually suspect that SecuRom has caused more pirating than it has helped prevent. But that’s my personal opinion and based on no facts whatsoever (facts are for chumps!). This is just one more game potentially forever blemished by the nasty SecuRom disease that seems to keep popping up out of remission. Hopefully developers will take notice to how much displeasure SecuRom causes, and finally get rid of it. Until then, we continue the anti-DRM revolution. Viva la Revolucion!

Canadian Deals: Future Shop & Best Buy shower you with games originally appeared on Xbox 360 Fanboy on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Animal Boxing will be great if it features a shark and a dolphin. I ain't interested otherwise.

Husky checks out the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King launch event in San Francisco, we review Left 4 Dead, the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix press kit is made of win, God of War III is going to be amazing, and plenty more happened on 11/24/08. 

Monday Regulars:
Wii Shop releases: Boingz, Sudoku Challenge!, Boogerman
Games time forgot: Arm Wrestling
Podtoid 77 tonight is mainly about Valve and stuff
New releases this week: Chrono Trigger, Super Street Fighter II Remix, and more
Monday Mind Teasers: The Real Monday Mind Teasers
Scraps: WTF are Scraps? (11/24/08)

Originals:
Launch Event: World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Review:
Left 4 Dead

Announcments:
Destructoid podcasts join the GamerCast Radio Network, incest ensues

Contests:
EA Sports/Gillette contest recap: LOL SPORTZ [update]

News:
We can rebuild him, we have the technology: Guitar Hero
Microsoft licenses "The Guild" for video marketplace
David Jaffe flips out about how good God of War III looks, we get excited
US Army investing $50 million into training games
Gearbox lays off employees, Aliens: Colonial Marines still safe
Forget turkey, carve up monsters in Dead Space demo hitting PS3, 360 tomorrow
Sony not commenting on PS3 price drop rumors for next year
Rock Band and Eye Toy prototypes donated to National Videogames Archive
Holiday cheer: Mario will call your parents with your Christmas requests
Viva Cruiser goes soft thanks to the FDA
Halo Wars' controls trump the mouse and keyboard
Europe gets Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume for DS soon
Anti-violence group grades retailer's game displays
Konami launches a MySpace music games page, contest, and DDR web game
Xbox 360 surpasses original Xbox sales: 25 million units served
MTV Games/Harmonix calls drum pedal lawsuit 'opportunistic and baseless'
'Requiem for a Dream' director talks GTA IV as a moment that mattered in 2008
Microsoft to open up Xbox Community Game development for more regions
Get your PlayStation in my Visa: Sony unveils latest PS3 promotion
Guitar Hero World Tour drum kit and guitar now supported by Rock Band 2
PSP piracy sliding, not because all the good games have been downloaded
Star Ocean: Second Evolution pushed back
Game-breaking glitch found in Wii version of Tomb Raider Underworld

Rumortoid:
National Geographic: Afrika coming in November

Offbeat:
Street Fighter HD press kit: As rad as the Mega Man 9 kit Capcom didn't send us

Galleries:
1980 all over again: Retro Game Challenge sequel screens
Lionhead reveals Fable II 'Knothole Island' DLC
Sam's Club goodies: Locust Drone bust and GOW2 autographed copy
New Godfather II screens confirm inclusion of Italian guys with guns
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand footage shows blood, sand, and turret action

Videos:
Nikopol? Why did nobody tell me about this?
Is this trailer for ArmA II supposed to impress me?
MTV's lifetime achievement game award goes to Hideo Kojima
Mod: Slot-load DVD drive for Xbox 360
Animal Boxing is a game where you box animals, we have the trailer to prove it

Since August, I have played through:

• Too Human
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Spore
• LEGO Batman
• Lock’s Quest
• Bothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway
• Dead Space
• Fable II
• Gears of War 2
• Resistance 2
• Mirror’s Edge
• Call of Duty: World At War

And I have played several hours of:

• Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
• Wario Land: Shake It
• Wii Music
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
• LittleBigPlanet
• Fallout 3
• Left 4 Dead
• Tomb Raider: Underworld
• MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
• de Blob
• Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Plus, Patrick and Tracey have played a ton of games, even those music ones!

So… what do you need to know to make your shopping decisions easier? We can help.

Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images

FDA gave Pfizer hard time over Viagra game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare has a pretty neat promotion lined up for the holidays this year. First, the company is offering Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise players a new jukebox to decorate their in-game gardens. To grab the jukebox, simply scan the Piñata Vision Card found after the break. Of course, the jukebox isn't just for decoration. From now until December 10, Piñata Island will be conducting a poll to uncover the top 10 romance dance songs. Once the songs are decided, Rare will release one a day as special Piñata Vision Cards. Don't worry if a jukebox isn't your thing, as Rare will be releasing other special cards throughout December.

Continue reading Have a Jukebox for your Viva Pinata garden

Have a Jukebox for your Viva Pinata garden originally appeared on Xbox 360 Fanboy on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viva Cruiser, the advergame about Erectile Dysfunction product Viagra, is no longer coming to a console near you. I know you're heartbroken, but it's for the best, really, because the convulsions of laughter resulting from trying to play a game about the inability to retain a boner is not something that the world needs, not to mention sparing the feelings of men who actually suffer from this issue.

The FDA killed plans for the game, who claimed that the game was misleading in that it failed to disclose any actual risk information about the drug or its use. Here's a taste of what you're going to be missing:

Players are instructed, “You’re about to take your partner on a romantic getaway. Pick up a few things on the way.” Players must then guide a motorcycle rider down a desert road picking up gifts for a date and avoiding orange hazard cones. The gifts include roses, scented candles, gift boxes — and of course little, blue, diamond-shaped pills.

As the game progresses, players get points for running over gifts and are penalized for hitting the orange cones. As a stopwatch counts down the available gametime, Pfizer’s “Viva Viagra” theme song can be heard in the background...

(The game isn’t likely to threaten Grand Theft Auto. In only three attempts, I doubled my points from an initially disappointing 27 to a more robust 47.)

I don't understand who these companies think they are advertising to by using the medium of video games. I know it's popular and everything, but come on -- a Viagra game? Didn't you pay any attention to the reception Yaris got?

[Via GamePolitics]

Once upon a time there was a vibrantly green and luscious garden. The overly attentive caretaker, who was known for being more than a little eccentric, attempted to maintain a peaceful environment for the numerous piñatas who called this garden home. Sometimes she was successful; often times she was not. Welcome to The Viva Piñata Chronicles, the rather unique tale from bs angel’s garden where you are her piñatas.

With a shimmering glint of sunlight barely visible between the budding branches of freshly planted apple trees, a new day had finally arrived in the Stuicide-less garden. The piñatas continued to mourn the loss of their beloved Bunnycomb while the weather bespoke their poignant sorrow. A gentle rain washed over the garden, cleansing the surviving residents as they reluctantly consumed the candied remains. It may have been the first cannibalistic episode in the garden but it certainly would not be the last. As the dismal weather foreshadowed, it was destined to be a rough day in the deceptively innocent land of the piñatas.

Having spent an extended period of time watching the lascivious Whirlms experiment with their failed ménage à trois the day before, DeepCee and alakai (the resident Bispottis) decided it was time to try their unexperienced hands at the sensual romance dance. Each sporting a pair of provocative rainbow star-shaped sunglasses, their moment of sexual bliss lasted a mere 9.56 seconds but was fruitful enough that they were soon blessed with a baby by the name of ReverendTiki. Unfortunately shortly after the delivery of their beautiful child, a Sour Profitamole crept into the garden and defiantly consumed alakai in one swift bite. DeepCee then did what any respectable Bispotti would do when faced with the loss of a cherished partner. He began mating with ReverendTiki. Frequently. Until they had seven babies.

The Bispottis weren’t the only piñatas passionately copulating. The Whirlms continued their carnal pleasure until they turned vibrant shades of green, purple, and red. Between their sultry sessions, they even had a set of twins! Encouraged by the wonderful news, the Sparrowmints got in on the action as well. Sniperfive40 and Rhamsey performed their amorous dance atop a feathery bed of pillows and soon found themselves the proud parents of a precious baby bird named Qix. Admist all the mating ALTEX, the solitary Mousemallow, valiantly struggled to perfect his newly learned trick but had no companion to impress. The caretaker, unable to attract another one of its kind, finally opted to purchase one at the store. ALTEX was quite aroused upon laying eyes on the newly acquired soulofaqua, so much that plans were made to learn an entire new repertoire of tricks, this time of the more wanton variety.

As the garden quickly became overpopulated with the blossoming piñata population, the caretaker soon found herself overly burdened with the plethora of daily responsibilities. No longer capable of taking care of everything herself, she set off in search of some benevolent helpers. She hired mendicantbias00 (who has the ability to spout endless amounts of nourishing fluid from his head) to water the plants and TTL Tortacular (who knows a bad seed when he sees it) to rid the garden of pesky weeds. Thankful for the assistance, the mindful caretaker could then focus wholeheartedly on the well-being of the piñatas. Handmade Hero, the Pretztail who had already fallen ill from eating noxious dirt, learned nothing from his last episode as he continued to make the same mistake. Thankfully the doctor was able to heal him three times in one day but Eloco the Taffly was not so lucky. Getting sick in a remote part of the garden hidden behind the helper house, the doctor was unable to reach him before he got eaten by the other piñatas. Suffering a cruel fate, the lesson of survival of the fittest was only just beginning.

As dusk began to fall over the richly diverse piñata garden, two new residents joined the already established hierarchy. Two Newtgats, Jim 028 and PinkBulletz14, covertly slinked into the glistening pond. Upon discovering the unwelcome intruders, Senor Leche and Nid, the Lickatoads who had been dwelling in the water peacefully unchallenged, grew instantly infuriated. Standing his ground, Senor Leche challenged Jim 028 to a fight. After exchanging devastating attacks, Jim 028 stood victorious while Senor Leche lay wounded in the water. Nid challenged Jim 028 next only to find himself the next victim of the seemingly undefeatable Newtgat. Senor Leche and Nid dejectedly swam out of the pond and left the garden, upset over the loss of their prized territory. And thus the sweet piñatas learned about natural selection, which was existent even in their remote candy-filled corner of the world.

*If you signed up but weren’t introduced in this first two episodes, fret not. It will take a while to work everybody in the mix but I can guarantee you will have your turn. I just don’t guarantee that you will like it. Muhahahahaha ….