During Activision's fourth quarter earnings conference call with investors yesterday, the company announced that the Call of Duty and Guitar Hero series will be continuing.

"Activision (ATVI) has confirmed that three times as many Guitar Hero SKUs will be coming in the next fiscal year, as well as that Call of Duty 5 will be released for Wii, PS2 and DS, in addition to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

With regards to Guitar Hero, the company commented that there will be three times as many SKUs during the next fiscal year. An SKU refers to any particular platform of a game, so Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, released on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS2 and Wii represents five SKUs. The company hinted that other studios will be joining Neversoft in handling additional versions of the game. Vicarious Visions is currently working on the DS version of the game, Guitar Hero On Tour, and the company confirmed that it will be bundled in a Nintendo DS package by Nintendo (NTDOY.PK).

Activision did not release any details on Guitar Hero IV but did comment that the series is "extremely expandable." Rumors point to the inclusion of drums and vocals in the next entry of the game. The publisher did confirm that the next Call of Duty game will be released for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2 and PC but did not comment on the game's developer. In addition, Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4 engine will be used in the next James Bond apartment."

Source: SeekingAlpha

In addition, the Preseident and CEO of Activision said the following about Call of Duty 5:

"For Call of Duty, we’ll bring the intensity of the recent Call of Duty: Modern Warfare title to yet a new military theater, to engage our significantly larger user based, which nearly doubled last year as new users came into the franchise."

You can view the full conference call transcript at SeekingAplha.

Criterion Games, a division of Electronic Arts, announced that "Burnout Paradise" is coming to the PC.

"Burnout Paradise will be the first Burnout title ever made for the PC, customized with expanded multiplayer, enhanced online features, and community driven content.

Originally released for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, Burnout Paradise has won over 55 awards worldwide. Burnout Paradise delivers an open-world environment built for intense speed, excitement and exploration and sets a new standard in the seamless transition from single-player offline to social online gameplay.

Burnout Paradise for the PC will combine all the open world racing, intense speed and action of the original game with new gameplay for the PC version."

A new "welcome to the PC" trailer can be found on the official site.

2K Games has announced an agreement with Universal Pictures that will turn BioShock into a film. Gore Verbinski, director of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, is slated to direct and produce the BioShock movie. With a history of poor game to movie conversions in the industry, this will be the film that is most likely to turn everyting around.

"The prospect of bringing this blockbuster game to life has attracted not only a major studio, but top Hollywood talent. Gore Verbinski, director of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, is slated to direct and produce the BioShock movie. John Logan, Academy Award-nominated writer of Gladiator, The Aviator and Sweeney Todd, is in talks to do the screenplay.

The expected release date and terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

An original property developed by 2K Games, BioShock is one of the most successful new interactive entertainment franchises to launch in recent years. A critical and consumer hit, BioShock has sold more than 2 million units worldwide since its release in August 2007. A sequel to the game, BioShock 2, is planned for a release in 2009.

"We are excited that 2K Games' vision for BioShock will be carried forward in a new medium," said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two. "BioShock has been hailed as one of the most highly cinematic and richly plotted titles in interactive entertainment, making it extremely well-suited to film. In partnering with Universal and Gore Verbinski, we have assembled a team that respects the uniqueness of BioShock and will translate it into a powerful movie experience."

Mr. Zelnick added, "Our ability to attract a major studio and unparalleled creative team speaks volumes about the strength of our BioShock franchise. It also demonstrates how Take-Two is delivering value based on our strategy of creating and owning our industry's most powerful intellectual property."

Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K Games, noted, "BioShock fans appreciate the depth and complexity of the game, and our partnership with Gore Verbinski will introduce the world of Rapture to an even wider audience. In addition to his impressive body of work, Gore is an avid video gamer and true fan of BioShock. That was extremely important to us in deciding to move forward with this project."

BioShock: Triumph of the Imagination

Considered to be one the finest games in the history of interactive entertainment, BioShock unfolds as a deep and exciting adventure. Barely surviving a plane crash, the player lands in icy uncharted waters and discovers an undersea city called Rapture, a failed utopia whose citizens had embraced genetic engineering before the city descended into pure anarchy. Power and greed have run amok and the city has succumbed to civil war. It is a gripping game that forces the player to make complex moral choices. Fans have embraced BioShock's mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. BioShock is also renowned for its rich visual detail depicting a gorgeous Art Deco world set deep beneath the sea.

BioShock has earned some of the highest ratings and strongest accolades in video game history. It is one of the best-rated titles for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, with a MetaCritic rating of 96. Numerous organizations bestowed "Game of the Year" status on BioShock in 2007, including The Associated Press, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Game Informer, Spike TV's Video Game Awards, G4's X-Play, Amazon.com, The Houston Chronicle and Paste Magazine. Additionally, BioShock ranked among the top 10 titles on many other "Best of 2007" award lists, including The New York Times, Time Magazine and Maxim. BioShock was internally developed by 2K Boston and 2K Australia and is owned by the 2K Games label of Take-Two Interactive Software."

Valve and Queasy Games have announced the release of "Everyday Shooter" on Steam, the award winning independent arcade shooter that was previously released on the Playstation Network.

"Winner of numerous Independent Game Festival Awards including Design Innovation, Everyday Shooter is everything but what its name implies. Drawing upon a mixture of arcade shooter gameplay styles, Everyday Shooter stands apart from the crowd by offering both a wide variety challenges and an all-guitar soundtrack, including procedurally generated guitar riffs used instead of traditional game sound effects.

Everyday Shooter is now available for just $9.99 via Steam, and those who purchase during the first week of availability will save 10% off the regular price.

In other Steam news, Portal: First Slice -- the official demo for the title named Game of the Year by over 30 publications -- is now available for free to all gamers via Steam.

And, finally, Steam has been re-launched to better showcase the growing number of titles and publishers on Steam.
For more information, please visit www.Steamgames.com or the game's website www.everydayshooter.com"

Paradox Interactive has released new screenshots from "City Life 2008," giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming city building sequel by Monte Cristo.

"Do you ever tire of where you live? Are you fed up of rowdy neighbours? Forever disappointed at the lack of civic services? Think you could do a better job? Then escape the mundane habitat of your surroundings and build the city of your dreams in - City Life 2008 Edition.

Let the following screenshots feed your imagination with ideas of the possibilities the game's toolset places at your disposal. Select a location from a host of maps and scenarios, create housing, provide employment and services, while ensuring your citizens live in pleasant surroundings. Use reports to solve any problems and manage the city as it grows."

GamersGate has announced an agreement with GamersGate that will bring Gameckock titled to the digital distribution website.

"The first title to be released under this agreement is the Strategy title Stronghold Crusader Extreme in May, followed by the bisodic Action-Adventure game Insecticide, with the first episode available in June. Upcoming additions include among other titles Velvet Assassin, planned for Q3 2008.

"Gamecock has taken the entire gaming industry by storm and we are thrilled to add their exciting titles to our growing portfolio," said Theodore Bergquist, CEO of GamersGate.

"This is an important partnership for us because GamersGate really delivers to players," said Harry Miller, El Presidente at Gamecock. "Working with GamersGate to support independent gaming is awesome. Now fans will have a one stop online shop to get the goods."

To find out more about GamersGate, please go to http://www.gamersgate.com"

Frictional Games has released "Penumbra: Black Plauge" for Linux, which can be purchased on the developer's website.

"Penumbra: Black Plague is a creepy and dark psychological horror experience featuring the adventures of Philip as he sets of in search of his dead father. Trapped in a shadowy, underground complex, intrepid explorer Philip is determined to discover the truth behind his father's disappearance. Surrounded by enemies and assaulted by terror from all sides, Philip must collect clues and solve vexing puzzles while combating the gnawing psychological terrors that assail his mind and threaten to strip him of his sanity.

Can Philip master his fear and finally uncover the truth behind a mystery that has haunted him for a lifetime? Only you can decide..."

Penumbra: Black Plague is rated M by the ESRB and the Linux version is now available for $19.99.

id Software has announced "Doom 4," the next sequel in the award-winning first-person shooter series.

"Production has begun on DOOM 4™, the next journey into the legendary DOOM universe. We are expanding our internal team and are currently hiring to work on this highly anticipated title.

"DOOM is part of the id Software DNA and demands the greatest talent and brightest minds in the industry to bring the next installment of our flagship franchise to Earth," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. "It's critical for id Software to have the best creative minds in-house to develop games that meet the standards synonymous with our titles."

The DOOM franchise is one of the most recognizable and important in gaming history, having been named "one of the ten most influential games of the decade" by PC Gamer and "the #1 game of all time" by GameSpy. DOOM 4 will join the award-winning series which has consistently topped sales charts throughout the world.

We are looking for talented, ambitious and passionate individuals eager to join our accomplished team of developers working on the industry’s most innovative and anticipated games. For a complete listing of available positions, visit our id Careers page. "

Sierra Entertainment has announced a "World in Conflict" map making contest sponsored by NVIDIA.

"The competition offers World in Conflict map makers cash and prizes as well the opportunity to have their maps become “official” and included in a future World in Conflict product.

World in Conflict, which was developed by Sierra’s-own Massive Entertainment, is the groundbreaking action-strategy game released in October 2007 and was the overwhelming choice of global media as the 2007 Strategy Game of the Year.

Using the publicly released World in Conflict Map Editor, PC users can create their own battlegrounds and challenges and then submit them into the competition. Each level submission will be reviewed and evaluated by the professional designers at Massive Entertainment, creators of World in Conflict. Top entries will be posted on www.worldinconflict.com. Winning maps will appear in future release of an official World in Conflict product.

In addition to the opportunity to “Go Pro,” the Grand Prize for the contest will also include $1,000 cash and an NVIDIA® Video Card to help the winning amateur level designer continue their quest to become a professional game developer."

Focus Home Interactive and Cyanide Studios have released new screenshots from "Pro Cycling Manager 2008," the upcoming sports simulation sequel that is scheduled to be released on June 19th.

"The management side of the game has been given extra depth with many new elements. It has an entirely new stamina system, a more realistic progression curve for each rider, a complete skills editor and a new young talent recruiting system with a more aggressive AI.

This year, the racing is even more realistic, with a reworked feeding system, an enhanced game interface and the most advanced rider AI yet plus highly detailed rider models and animations. The 2008 edition also includes a new improved user interface, lighting system and more detailed, richer environments with a large variety of buildings and landscapes.

For the first time in the series, impressive “track racing” events are available. Choose track events such as cycle speedway, Kierin and elimination to challenge your team’s track racing skills. All of these features combined make this new edition the most complete and exciting recreation of professional cycling."

Silverlode has teamed up with FileFront to release 50,000 copies of SAGA, the recent MMORTS, for free.

"Players have until May 11th to secure one of 50,000 Retail Keys available at http://www.filefront.com.  SAGA can normally be purchased for $19.95 from the official SAGA website and at many hobby stores across America.

SAGA uses an innovative collectible revenue model first implemented by the THQ studio Genetic Anomalies in 1997 and now seen in over 120 online collectible games, such as the upcoming EA collectible RTS BattleForge.

SAGA has no subscription fees. Players pay as little or as much as they decide, by purchasing ‘booster packs’ of random troops and spells, which are traded and customized to create the strategic army of choice for each player.

SAGA can be played for free; however, the unregistered free version disables many of the features that players find most attractive in a collectible game. Using the Retail Key from http://www.filefront.com unlocks trading, guilds, espionage and PvP combat."

For the first time ever, the Blizzard Store will allow fans to buy Blizzard games through the digital distrubution method. Only three products have appeared on the store's digital shelves and those are as follows:

WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos at $19.99
WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne at $19.99
StarCraft Anthology at $14.99

While the library of games avaliable is very limited, the store has opened up just today, so expect more and more games avaliable for purchase and download as the weeks fly by. World of WarCraft is conspicuously absent from the opening day line-up, but game hours are avaliable for purchase. The perfect gift for friends and family.

It doesn't sound like a big deal. Connect online, activate and then play. However, Mass Effect will constantly check with a PC every 10 days for an internet connection and when a connection isn't found, Mass Effect will not start up. BioWare's Community Communications Coordinator, Chris Priestly, explained the process in the official Mass Effect Forums:

"If you buy MEPC, install and run the game the game will register automatically and you are good to play.

After 5 days the next time you start the game the system will automatically try to register. If you are connected to the internet, it will occur without you even knowing it and reset the 10 days.

If you are not connected to the internet, you can keep playing for the next 5 days. As you start each day, the system will keep trying to validate. If it connects and validates, the "clock" is reset.

If the system cannot connect to the internet after the 10 days, you will not be able to play MEPC until you are connected to the internet. Once you reconnect to the internet and try to play, it will re-validate and you can play as normal for another period of 10 days as before."

Essentially, a computer with Mass Effect installed will check every 10 days for an internet connection. It'll be a transparent process however, because the game will check for a connection without any sort of human input and when a connection is found, the game will simply reset the 10 day timeframe. This odd process seems to be a unique method of battling piracy, because the game can simply find and detect a cracked executable, which would determine if the game is a legitimate copy or not. Just a theory, though.

How about legitimate customers who don't want to put a DVD in the drive every time they want to play? Well, they won't need to; the DVD is used only for installation and it isn't required to run the game. So, don't fret, this doesn't sound like another BioShock fiasco.

During SCEE PlayStation Day, Mirror's Edge's first trailer was shown. The trailer was completely in-game and displayed the highly-touted first-person platforming. A little bit of combat was also shown, as the game's protagonist, Faith, dispatched guards with some quick acrobatics. The combat was also completely first-person and it looked visceral, immersive and very promising. Those who are prone to motion sickness should seriously watch with caution. A firm release date hasn't been set, but the PC version and its console counterparts are poised to hit shelves sometime later this year.

Deep Silver has announced a publishing agreement with GSC Game World to publisher "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky" in North America. The original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was, of course, published by THQ.

"The game is expected to be available worldwide on August 29, 2008 and is developed by GSC Game World, a leading computer games developer.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the prequel to last year's critically acclaimed S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, a game IGN called "a fascinating achievement." GameSpot commented, "this first-person survival game is at times amazing and engrossing and on par with such classics as Deus Ex and System Shock."

"The buzz surrounding this game is phenomenal," said Cathy Tische, vice president of sales and marketing for Deep Silver. "We're excited to let people know that it'll be available here at the same time as the rest of the world."

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is a survival FPS game for PC based on a 'what-if' scenario of the second Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. The game is created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the official prequel to the renowned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game by the Ukraine-based GSC Game World studio. The game is set in 2011and brings forth the events to have preceded the third campaign of Strelok to the Zone center. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky introduces an alternative look onto the events of the original game and offers the player to try himself out as a mercenary s.t.a.l.k.e.r. in search of his own path in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

For more information, please visit the official game site: www.stalker-game.com"

Lighthouse Interactive and dtp Entertainment have released a demo for "Overclocked: A History of Violence," giving players a chance to try out the recent adventure game.

"Created by award-winning developer, House of Tales Entertainment, players will delve into the world of Overclocked to explore the deranged minds of three of the five patients admitted to the Staten Island Forensic Hospital. This highly anticipated adventure game on PC DVD-ROM was released in the UK on May 2 and is available in stores now.

Overclocked explores violence, an archetypical, yet actual condition of mankind. Players will become engrossed in a world where memories and illusions; dreams and reality; perpetrators and victims… collide."

The 952MB demo can be downloaded from AtomicGamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer's Hell, Strategy Informer, or Worthplaying.

Kotaku is reporting on rumors that 2K Boston may be working on a new X-Com game. This rumor is apparently running in the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine.

"That rumour concerns just what, exactly, 2K Boston (and I presume 2K Australia as well) are up to these days. With 2K Marin confirmed as the team behind BioShock 2, what could Ken Levine and the rest of the guys behind BioShock 1 be working on? Maybe a new X-Com game. Yes, X-Com. 2K quietly bought the rights to the series in 2007, so the rumour's at least got a solid footing, though we're still going to recommend you increase your daily intake of salt. If only because the thought of a new, official X-Com game is too awesome to mess around with."

PC Games:

• Great War Nations: The Spartans
• Iron Man
• Supreme Commander Gold Edition

Movies Opening This Week:

• Frontier(s) (limited)
• Speed Racer
• The Fall (limited)
• What Happens in Vegas...

DVD Releases:

• A Collection of 2007 Academy Award: Nominated Short Films
• A Haunting: Season 3
• Ace of Hearts
• 'Allo 'Allo!: Complete Series Eight
• Bella
• Carrier
• Crossing Jordan: Season 1
• Drew Hastings: Irked and Miffed
• First Sunday
• Hiya Kids! A 50's Saturday Morning Box
• How to Cook Your Life
• I'm Not There
• La Roue
• Love's Unfolding Dream
• Motley Crue: Carnival of Sins [Blu-ray]
• Movin' On Up: The Music And Message Of Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
• Om Shanti Om [Blu-ray]
• Oprah Winfrey Presents Mitch Albom's for One More Day
• Over Her Dead Body
• P.S. I Love You
•  Saawariya [Blu-ray]
• Serial Mom
• Speed Racer the Next Generation - The Beginning
• Teeth
• The 4400 - The Complete Fourth Season
• The Business of Being Born
• The First of May 
• The Jack Benny Show
• Thomas & Friends: Mud Glorious Mud
• Twister [Blu-ray]

• The man who grew back his finger tip
• Giant Stingrays Found Near Thai City
• Cuba puts first computers on sale to the public
• Trifecta of lost opportunities: US #15 in broadband ranking
• San Francisco in stainless steel cookware
• 'Free Tibet' flags made in China
• Family Guy The Matrix Trailer (video)

Submitted Links:

MOBO

• DFI LANParty LT X48-T2R Motherboard Review at TweakTown
• Quantum Force "Avenger" exposed! at TweakTown

Enclosure

• NZXT Alpha Classical Series Mid-Tower Case at Benchmark Reviews

CPU

• Mainstream Quad Core Processors Compared from AMD and Intel at Madshrimps

GPU

• MSI GeForce 9600GT 1GB OC Graphics Card Review at TweakTown
• GIGABYTE GeForce 9800 GX2 Graphics Card Review at TweakTown

RAM

• OCZ Quad 2Gb Memory Kit Review - 8Gb of Platinum Goodness at Madshrimps

PSU

• Tuniq Miniplant 950w Power Supply Review at Virtual-Hideout

Storage

• OCZ Rally2 Turbo 4GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Review at Virtual-Hideout

Cooling

• ThermoLab Micro Silencer CPU Cooler Review at TweakTown
• Noctua NH-U12P Heatpipe CPU Cooler at Benchmark Reviews
• Overclocking the Intel Q9300 CPU With Subzero Cooling at Madshrimps
• Nexus XiR-3500 Copper Ed. CPU Cooler Review at TweakTown
• Nexus XiR-2300 Aluminum Ed. CPU Cooler Review at TweakTown

Display

• Samsung SyncMaster 245BW Widescreen LCD Monitor at Benchmark Reviews

Sound

• Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 Sound Card Review at TweakTown

Other

• Kaspersky Internet Security 7 Review at PC Review
• Exclusive look at MSI GX600X TurboBook at TweakTown
• NZXT Tempest Giveaway at Benchmark Reviews

Dylan Fitterer has released an update for the popular "Audiosurf" on Steam, which includes the addition of last.fm audioscrobbling among other things.

"The release, simply called the FM Update, is now available free via Steam to owners of the innovative and award-winning title that allows gamers to "ride their music."

The FM update introduces a host of new features and content including last.fm audioscrobbling, the ability to run Audiosurf as a music visualizer, scoreboard comments, and much more. Many of these new features were produced as a direct result of community requests and feedback.

In addition, this update introduces a Mod interface for developers. The interface was made available during its beta phase and several Audiosurf extensions are already available. These include Shuffle Play, an MSN Messenger status writer, and a context menu that can launch Audiosurf directly into a song by right-clicking it in Windows Explorer. A full list of the Audiosurf extentions is available here: http://www.audio-surf.com/mods

In other Audiosurf news, Kyle Gabler (of 2D Boy and World of Goo) is making his musical debut on Audiosurf Radio today. Techno music he produced years ago, before putting his efforts into incredible indie games, is now available for the first time anywhere.

Owners of Audiosurf will automatically receive the free FM Update by connecting to Steam, where Audiosurf is offered for just $9.99, including The Orange Box Soundtrack."