According to Evan Wilson who is an analyst of Pacific Crest Securities, Nintendo & Microsoft should be unveiling their next-gen consoles in 2010. That means we only have 2 more years until we can put our hands on some brand new top of the line technology. I am sure both the Nintendo Wii II and the new Xbox (whatever they call it…maybe the Xbox 720?) will both be a hit among gaming fans. However, I am hoping that Nintendo will decide to leave the “party machine” console behind and focus more on graphics and gameplay…rather than just basic games with new virtual reality type controls. The Wii’s novelty has just worn off for me so I am not wanting a part II that is just a remake of the same thing. I guess we will just have to wait and see what both developers have in store for us in the future. Also, with Nintendo and Microsoft planning releases in the next two years we can assume Playstation 4 won’t be far behind them. I for one am excited about the possibility of these new next-gen console arrivals. Let’s hope we hear some more solid news soon.

It has been confirmed by a Sony insider that a new slim model of the Playstation 3 is already under development. The new model will of course be much slimmer and lighter than the current one, which by the way is quite bulky if you ask me. This isn’t really surprise being that they did the same thing with the Playstation 2 (PS2). However, it is a bit of a shock that they are doing it so soon. It took them over four years to release the PStwo slim (name given by consumers)…so why the rush this time? Who knows, and who cares! The new design will be awesome none the less. I am curious of why other systems such as the Xbox 360 don’t do this as well. Everyone likes smaller, lighter, and more modern looking gadgets. This has certainly been proven with the new size of cell phones, laptops, etc. Either way, I think it’s a smart marketing strategy on Sony’s part to keep sales steady against the competitor consoles. Below you can find a mock-up design of what the new model may look like that was designed by the people over at T3.com. Keep in mind this is just to get an idea of what it could look like…not an actual Sony prototype or anything. However, conceptual or not…it looks pretty damn good doesn’t it?

PS3 Slim Mock-up

I have played a LOT of games throughout my life, and I must say that Rock Band is one of the coolest games I have ever seen. I purchased the special edition version last night, which comes with the official Rock Band microphone, drums, and guitar. It wasn’t cheap, but was well worth the money once I got home and started jamming Weezer - “Say It Ain’t So” with my girlfriend. We both played Rock Band for about 2 hours straight! Any gamer/rock fan can certainly appreciate the time put into this game and the replay value is extremely high. There are tons of songs to learn, plus unlockable songs, plus songs you can purchase on the PS3 Network or Xbox Live for a reasonable price. It has also been confirmed by an EA CEO that Rock Band will make its way to the Nintendo Wii in the near future, although no release date has been set yet. Overall, I give this game a 9/10. The only reason I didn’t give it a full 10 is because the graphics aren’t exactly spectacular, but the game play more than makes up for this. You should definitely give this game a shot if you haven’t already…it truly rocks!

Rock Band Song List

• “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” – Jet
• “Ballroom Blitz” – Sweet
• “Black Hole Sun” – Soundgarden
• “Blitzkrieg Bop” – Ramones
• “Celebrity Skin” – Hole
• “Cherub Rock” – Smashing Pumpkins
• “Creep”* – Radiohead
• “Dani California” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
• “Dead on Arrival” – Fall Out Boy
• “Detroit Rock City” – Kiss
• “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” – Blue Öyster Cult
• “The Electric Version” – The New Pornographers
• “Enter Sandman” – Metallica
• “Epic” – Faith No More
• “Flirtin’ with Disaster” – Molly Hatchet
• “Foreplay/Long Time” – Boston
• “Gimme Shelter” – The Rolling Stones
• “Go with the Flow” – Queens of the Stone Age
• “Green Grass and High Tides” – The Outlaws
• “The Hand That Feeds” – Nine Inch Nails
• “Here It Goes Again” – OK Go
• “Highway Star” – Deep Purple
• “I Think I’m Paranoid” – Garbage
• “In Bloom” – Nirvana
• “Learn to Fly” – Foo Fighters
• “Main Offender” – The Hives
• “Maps” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• “Mississippi Queen” – Mountain
• “Next to You” – The Police
• “Orange Crush” – R.E.M.
• “Paranoid” – Black Sabbath
• “Reptilia” – The Strokes
• “Run to the Hills” – Iron Maiden
• “Sabotage”* – Beastie Boys
• “Say It Ain’t So” – Weezer
• “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – The Clash
• “Suffragette City” – David Bowie
• “Tom Sawyer” – Rush
• “Train Kept A-Rollin’” – Aerosmith
• “Vasoline” – Stone Temple Pilots
• “Wanted Dead or Alive” – Bon Jovi
• “Wave of Mutilation” – Pixies
• “Welcome Home”* – Coheed and Cambria
• “When You Were Young” – The Killers
• “Won’t Get Fooled Again” – The Who

Unlockable Songs

• “29 Fingers” – The Konks
• “Blood Doll” – Anarchy Club
• “Brainpower” – Freezepop
• “Can’t Let Go” – Death of the Cool
• “Day Late, Dollar Short” – The Acro-Brats
• “I Get By” – Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives
• “I’m So Sick” – Flyleaf
• “Nightmare” – Crooked X
• “Outside” – Tribe
• “Pleasure (Pleasure)” – Bang Camaro
• “Seven” – Vagiant
• “Time We Had” – Mother Hips
• “Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld” – Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld

Downloadable

Additional song downloads are added often so it is best to check on the Playstation 3 Network or Xbox Live store for the latest list.

The extremely well-known Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series is coming back for another go. This is of course no surprise since they have had tons of success in the past. Despite all the soccer moms ranting and raving over the violence and sexual content, Rockstar games is still going strong. Grand Theft Auto 4 should be the best yet in the series not only graphically, but with the game play as well. This is truly going to be one awesome game! The game will be released for the Playstation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360 on April 29th, 2008. I highly recommend claiming a copy of this game now, so you can be sure that you will be one of the first people to play it. There are two different options you can go with when purchasing the game. They have the regular version, and a special edition. What’s different in the special edition? It Includes the Grand Theft Auto IV Art Book for the hardcore fans, a soundtrack CD packed with awesome tunes, an exclusive (and really cool) Rockstar keychain, and a limited edition Rockstar duffel bag. This is all packed inside of a Grand Theft Auto metal safety deposit box and of course comes with a key. It’s actually really cool and is only $30 more than the regular edition game. So if you are a long time fan of the series such as myself, I am sure you will want the special edition. Reserve your copies today are you could find yourself waiting to play GTA 4 for quite sometime after its release. Looking for a place to get it? No problem just click the links below.

Grand Theft Auto IV - PS3

Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition - PS3

Grand Theft Auto IV - Xbox 360

Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition - Xbox 360