Hardware Geeks

PC gamers without a next generation console will only have to wait a bit more to get their hands on Grand Theft Auto IV.  Rockstar Games announced today that their widely successful game will officially be coming to the PC.  You can expect to see the game on store shelves November 18th in North America, and November 21st in Europe. 

According to Sam Houser, the founder of Rockstar Games, “The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC. The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can’t wait for people to play it.” The PC version of the game will include expanded multiplayer features not seen on consoles.

Man, oh man, oh man - what a work out! After playing Top Spin 3 for the Wii for nearly 4 hours I am beat and I want to go for 4 more because even though I am beat and my arm is killing me the game is so much fun.

I have been waiting for this game for nearly a year, ever since I first played the demo. I fell in love with the game and have been anticipating its launch for a while now, and now that I have it my life feels complete… not.

As this year’s E3 comes to a close, let’s take a look at the bigger new announcements and see who came out on top.  Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all had press conferences that gave us a few surprises.  There were hardware announcements that ranged from new bundles from Sony, to new accessories from Nintendo.  Lots of talk about video content took place as Microsoft announced deals with Netflix and other studios, and Sony announced their own video download service.  New games were announced for all systems, including God of War III, Wii Sports Resort, and Lips.  Casual games were big this year, with announcements of games like You’re in the Movies and Animal Crossing: City Folk.  Perhaps the biggest surprise came from Microsoft and Square Enix as they revealed that Final Fantasy XIII will be heading to the Xbox 360.  All in all, it felt like a very eventful E3 for every platform.

Which console company do you think did the best this year in terms of new announcements?  View a recap list of major announcements after the break!

If you missed today’s press conferences by Sony and Nintendo, you can still catch the replays online.  IGN has videos of the entire press conferences for both Sony and Nintendo.  Sony’s official blog reports that they are in the process of converting a video of their press conference for download from the PlayStation Store.  Additionally, G4TV also has streams of all press conferences so far from all companies.

At long last, Kratos will be making his debut on the PS3!  No details have been revealed, but a teaser trailer was shown during Sony’s E3 press conference.  Expect the game some time next year.  View the teaser trailer after the break.

For those of you who missed Microsoft’s E3 2008 press conference, you can watch or download the entire conference online.  There is video courtesy of G4TV, as well as video courtesy of IGN.

Nintendo’s press conference kicks off this morning at 9:00 AM PST, followed by Sony’s press conference at 11:30 AM PST.  Live streaming video will be available through G4TV, IGN, GameSpot, as well as from other sources.  For those who are unable to watch, sites like Joystiq and Kotaku will be providing live blog updates.

A surprise announcement was made during Microsoft’s E3 press conference that is sure to upset Sony fans around the world.  Square Enix, the company behind the incredibly popular Final Fantasy RPG games, has announced that Final Fantasy XIII will be coming to the Xbox 360.  Previously, Final Fantasy XIII was set to be an exclusive title for the PS3.  This huge loss is sure to be a big hit for Sony.  There is currently no release date set for Final Fantasy XIII.

EDIT: Chrono Trigger for the DS has been officially confirmed by Square Enix.  It isn’t clear whether this is going to be more of a port or a complete 3D overhaul like Final Fantasy III and IV, but SE is promising touchscreen integration, a new dungeon, and a wireless multiplayer mode.

In recent years, Square Enix has devoted a great deal of resources to releasing a lot of its (or at least Squaresoft’s) old NES and SNES games on the Nintendo DS.  Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV, and Dragon Quest IV have all seen releases on the other side of the Pacific, and FF III is already released here with both IV’s to follow.  One of the most asked-about (not Final Fantasy VII) properties that Square Enix has not done much with may soon be making a reappearance, however.  Squaresoft’s classic RPG Chrono Trigger has yet to see any kind of U.S. re-release or sequel aside from the port in Final Fantasy Chronicles and the side-storyish Chrono Cross, both released for the original Sony Playstation back in 1999.  Square-Enix has launched a new flash website, though, and with an address like http://www.square-enix.co.jp/ctds/ and the nostalgic tick-tock accompanying the countdown, it’s hard to imagine that this doesn’t foreshadow a release of Chrono Trigger on the DS.

SCEA, on the official blog, has confirmed that firmware version 2.4 will include the much requested in-game XMB and trophy system. It will be available to all PS3 owners on July 2nd. Personally I’m very excited to get my hands on this epic update. It has been a long time coming but it is finally here. Unfortunately not all games will be compatible from the start. A lot of games will need to be patched in order to take advantage of this firmware. Regardless of the fact, it is a step in the right direction.

Hit the jump to see how this all works.