In space, no one can hear you frag -- or at least that's what we imagine EA is saying about its new sci-fi horror game, Dead Space. Mixing bits of Doom and Resident Evil, we've been eager to get our hands on this genre-bending action title, if only because the "survival horror" genre (essentially creepy haunted house games named after an awkward Japanese translation) has been pretty quiet lately.

The plot is fairly standard scary sci-fi fare -- an unlucky guy arrives on a space station to find it deserted (well, except for the monsters, naturally). Even though EA says the game is heavy on creepy psychological terror, every trailer or game footage video we've seen up to now has been heavy on the combat, with our hapless protagonist shooting various big ugly space monsters in generic-looking sci-fi environments. » Read the rest of the entry..

We first saw Resident Evil 5 at last year's E3, and for a while, we thought there was a chance we'd see it again next year's show--but Capcom has now announced a release date of March 13, 2009, for the latest installment in this best-selling series.

This 13-year-old Japanese horror franchise--about people battling undead monsters created by a huge multinational corporation--has inspired a big-screen movie trilogy and tons of copycat games, but also seemed to be losing steam until 2004's Resident Evil 4 put it back on the map with an updated action-oriented vibe, and controls and camera angles that weren't a bigger health hazard than a room full of shuffling zombies (the previous Resident Evil games were infamous for a flaky camera and stiff controls). » Read the rest of the entry..

As one of the only PC hardware vendors at this year's stripped-down E3 video game trade show, Toshiba at least hasn't had to compete with bigger names such as Alienware and Voodoo for attention.

The company is here at the Los Angeles Convention Center to show off some of its latest laptops, including the just-announced gamer-friendly Qosmio X305-Q701--a 17-inch Best Buy exclusive. (Matt Elliott has previously blogged about Toshiba's direct-sale version of the redesigned X305). » Read the rest of the entry..

For those true-blue rockers who might frown on a (gasp!) plastic guitar controller, gaming peripheral maker Peak Products is out with the Starpex, which it says is the first-ever full-size wood guitar controller for the PS2/PS3. » Read the rest of the entry..

Each year, the selection of games on display at E3 reveals what the hottest current trend in the video game industry is at the time--usually manifesting itself as an overused gameplay mechanic that every developer suddenly feels the need to shoehorn into their games. This year's big buzzword is cooperative gameplay--meaning gamers play together, but are collaborating, rather than competing, to complete the game's goals. This often happens online, where gamers connect via Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network from remote locations. » Read the rest of the entry..

The Star Wars movie series is over, but the brand name lives on, thanks to spin-offs like toys, novels, and, of course, video games. The dozens of Star Wars video games released over the past 20 years have gotten something of a bum rap -- after all, the source material inspires such loyalty that a video game made with minimal involvement form George Lucas can't possibly live up to fans' expectations (and yes, a lot of those Star Wars games were pretty mediocre, too).

Aiming to remedy this, and update their product line for a generation used to slick action-packed experiences such as Gears of War and Halo 3, Lucasarts has created a game designed to appeal to adrenaline junkies and Star Wars fans alike. By "unleashed," the game's title indicates that the mystical Force powers used so sparingly in previous Star Wars games are the main star here -- and using them to toss enemies around, rip open giant metal doors, and zap lightning bolts from your fingertips is very fulfilling experience, judging from our hands-on time with the game. » Read the rest of the entry..

There are a very small handful of brand-name personalities in the video game industry that deserve Hollywood-style, above-the-title billing on the games they design, such as Sid Meier and Shigeru Miyamoto. Arguably, one of the the only other figures who come close to that is Will Wright, the creator of the best-selling Sims series of games (and Sim City before that).

With his latest project, which shares many of the sandbox elements of the Sims and Sim City games, EA is betting big on another hit from Wright. Spore is easily the most anticipated PC game this year, not that there's all that much competition. Spore is best described as The Sims on a cosmic level, where you create an organism from the single-cell stage, watch it evolve, and after millions of years, develop the technology to leave its home world and colonize other planets. » Read the rest of the entry..

Sony on Tuesday afternoon concluded the trio of press conferences kicking off E3 2008. Here are some of the highlights:

We first got a glimpse of the highly anticipated sequel Resistance 2, set to ship in the fall. The gameplay looked gorgeous and featured a battle with a 300-foot monster. Next up was some time with LittleBigPlanet, shipping in October 2008, a game that will allow users to design, create, and share their own custom levels over the PlayStation Network. MotorStorm: Pacific Drift and SOCOM Confrontation were also briefly shown. » Read the rest of the entry..

Julia Brasil, a game art and design student at The Art Institute of California-San Francisco, is generally unimpressed with the lack of women in the gaming industry and female game characters who lack depth. Brasil hopes to do her part change that as the first-ever winner of Sony Online Entertainment's SOE Gamers in Real Life, or G.I.R.L., competition.

Earlier this month, Brasil, 20, beat out nearly 100 competitors to win a video gamer's dream package. Not only did she get a $10,000 scholarship toward her education, but she also landed a 10-week internship at the Sony Online Entertainment studio of her choice in Denver, San Diego, Seattle, or Austin, Texas.

The Brazilian-born student hopes her internship will help her narrow her career choices and bring to Sony the knowledge of a young, international woman gamer. » Read the rest of the entry..

The Nintendo press conference at E3 2008 just ended and we're left scratching our heads. While we were glad to see the announcement of titles like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party, hardcore gamers loyal to the Nintendo brand were completely left in the dust. There was no talk of any first-party Nintendo games beyond the Wii-branded Wii Sports Resort and Wii Music. There was absolutely no mention of new franchises like Kid Icarus or even anything from the Zelda or Mario camp. This has everyone in the office wondering, "Where are the games?" » Read the rest of the entry..