Inconceivable! The Princess Bride Website has word that this game based on the fractured film fairy tale is due for release tomorrow. There's a new gameplay trailer on the game's blog, and word is: "The Princess Bride Game combines spectacular animation with the best of casual, narrative and adventure games. Help Princess Buttercup and Westley manage life on the farm, outsmart Vizzini in Battle Of The Wits, use teamwork to survive The Fire Swamp, find hidden objects with Miracle Max, and collect inventory to storm the castle. The game, rated E for everyone, features original cast voices from Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright Penn and Wallace Shawn. "

Microsoft announces the debut trailer for Call of Duty: World at War will show up on Xbox LIVE Marketplace June 21-22. On a related note, Spike TV announces GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley (GTTV) will "unveil an exclusive first look at in-game footage" from the next Call of Duty game as well, though it's not clear if this is the same clip as on Xbox LIVE. They say the show will air "Friday night, June 20th, at 1:00am ET/PT in HD." Not to confuse things, but that actually means early Saturday morning June 21st at 1:00am ET/PT.

The Team Fortress 2 Meet the Sniper Movie is now online, offering words of wisdom from the sniper to his mates on the career prospects of being an assassin.

• SCI FI Channel MMORPG
  Trion World Network Q&A on Ten Ton Hammer chats with Robert Hill about development of the upcoming MMORPG they are partnering with the SCI FI Channel to create.
• Regnum Online
  RPG Vault's Regnum Online Q&A - Part 1 talks with Andres Chilkowski of NGD Studios' about Regnum Online, their free-to-play ream versus realm (versus realm) MMORPG.
• Nolan Bushnell
  Bushnell and the Big Screen on Next Generation is a Q&A with Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, who thinks current games are too complex and that controllers have 47 buttons. He presumably also wants those damn kids off his lawn.

• Spore on IGN.
• StarCraft II on the Official Website and IncGamers.

• Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island on FileFront.
• Requiem Bloodymare on FileFront.
• Silkroad Online on RPG Vault.

• TweakTown - How NVIDIA Stuffed the GTX 280.

• Cyber Snipa Competition on XSReviews.co.uk.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Nintendo: We're Working On A Wii Storage Solution.
• Next PS3 Firmware Update to Add Achievements, In-game XMB Interface.
• PS3 Firmware (v2.36) coming soon, (v2.40) to include trophies, in-game XMB. Thanks IGN.
• Rock Band: Various Tracks on Xbox LIVE. Rock 'n' Roll Dream, Critical Acclaim, Afterlife, and Hammerhead.
• Alone in the Dark was "too ambitious" for Atari.
• Army of Two: Weapons Codes Available in the Forums.
• Sony silent on 'Heavenly Sword 2 canned' rumour.
• The Xbox 360 edition of Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm is now available. The PC version is "coming soon."
• Marathon Durandal Map Pack Drops Tomorrow.
• This Wednesday: 'Elements of Destruction' and 'Sea Life Safari' on XBLA.
• Core Wii games to be shown at E3, says Nintendo.
• Sega: leaked 'Crucible' video not our Silicon Knights game.
• Battlefield Bad Company Mocks Metal Gear.
• Rolling Stone Movie Critic Calls GTAIV "Best Popcorn Movie."
• Three Services, Three Stores: Analyzing XBLA, PSN and Wii Shop Channel.

• Wine version 1.0 is now available. Thanks Slashdot.
• NVIDIA BIOS Editor (NiBiTor) version 4.2 on MVKTech.
• PC Chipsets Today: Choice and Confusion on ExtremeTech.
• Digital challengers to MP3 format face high hurdles. Thanks Mike Martinez.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Japanese Analyst DS Hardware Demand Has Now Peaked Globally, Software Downturn To Follow.
• Adobe: iPhone Flash in early development. Thanks Ant. Just like the PC version.
• LocoRoco 2 Plops Onto PSP This Year.
• Free Rare Pokemon Download at GameStop.

• Firefox web browser version 3.0.
• Firefox Fans Today Is The Day. The new phone books are here. The new phone books are here!
• Problems delay Firefox 3 launch.
• The Mundaneum Museum Honors the First Concept of the World Wide Web.
• .Mac service sees extended outage.
• Web sites for the apocalypse.
• Report Nickelodeon Creates New Divisions For Online Games, Virtual Worlds.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Santa Fe Ignores WiFi Allergists; Recognizes Setting Up WiFi Isn't A Violation Of The ADA.
• Internet fraud has taken a sinister new turn The Courier-Mail.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• 'Anti-Spyware' Bill Brings Back UCITA - Software companies could legally shut down your PC, connectivity. Thanks Ant.
• Associated Press Digs Its Own Grave Deeper; Wants To Create Its Own Fair Use Rules.
• AP Files 7 DMCA Takedowns Against Drudge Retort.
• Former 'spam king' must pay MySpace $6 million.
• Tecmo Employees Sue Tecmo.
• Judge: White House can ignore e-mail information requests.
• Court disconnects domain name scammers.
• Recording Industry Now Making Up Facts To Support Having ISPs Police File Sharing.
• Judge halts Ameritrade settlement that would mean a boon for lawyers, a pittance for victims.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Quirks: the 1980 board game equivalent of Spore…
• Gaze Interaction interface tweaked for gaming…
• Gamasutra - Sponsored Feature: Common Performance Issues in Game Programming…
• BodySurf — Audiosurf Meets the Wii Balance Board. Thanks Ant…
• The Sims Label Announces Games Destinations Website SimsCarnival.com Now in Open Beta…

Trucking Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Zombie Tower Defense 3. Gingerbread Circus.
Link:	Misleading Ads from the Golden Age of Video Games. Baconhenge.
Stories:	Romania village elects dead mayor. Can a Spicy Meal Before Bed Disrupt Sleep? Duh.
Science:	NASA's Daring Shuttle Rescue Plan. Thanks j.c.f. Experts unveil 'cloak of silence'. What's that Chief? Why we scream.
Media:	Spishak Spishwax Car Wax. Scary Shrubbery Prank. Feed me Seymour!
Follow-up:	Salmonella Cases in 5 More States.

Brad's Impulse Launch Review offers an overview of Impulse, Stardock's newly launched replacement for Stardock Central. The program offers a set of functions similar to Valve's Steam, including an online store, game patches, social networking features, and more. Impulse Driven is the web home to the program, and this press release announces Stardock is currently working with companies like Epic Games, THQ, AVG, iolo, Gas Powered Games, Hothead Games, Ironclad Games, Meridian4, and more to bring their products to the platform, and Hothead announces Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is now available on Impulse.

Blizzplanet has word that a new patch for Diablo II is now automatically available when logging into Battle.net. The patch for the vintage action/RPG removes the game's CD check, and kicks off the promised ladder reset.

Paradox Interactive announces that Supreme Ruler 2020 is shipping in North America, and that the first patch for Battlegoat Studios' strategy sequel is also now available. A playable demo for the game was released last week (story), and the patch can be found on AtomicGamer, FileFront, and Strategy Informer. Here's the announcement:

New York, USA (June 17, 2008) Paradox Interactive would like to remind the budding leaders of the world, that – Supreme Ruler 2020 - from Battlegoat Studios is shipping to stores across North America from today.

Set in the fast approaching world of tomorrow, this geo-political simulator invites gamers to take the helm of, one of the world's nation-states. Assume direct control or assign priorities to your AI controlled cabinet, in order to:

        • Administer the domestic economy
        • Foster international relations
        • Establish foreign trade
        • Conduct research advancement programs
        • Manage military arms

Join the fractured 'Global Village' in the ultimate race to become the Supreme Ruler.

As announced here, the promised PC and Mac editions of the Spore creature creator are now available as both retail releases and free trial versions to pave the way for the release of EA Maxis' evolution game in September. The full versions and free trials can be found on the Get Spore Website, and there's a FAQ with details on the release. Downloads of the PC trial version are mirrored on ActionTrip, AusGamers, ComputerGames.ro, FanGaming, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer's Hell, and Strategy Informer. Here's the announcement:

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prepare to test the limits of your imagination! Maxis, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS - News) studio, today released the Spore™ Creature Creator, an introduction to the highly-anticipated and groundbreaking video game, Spore™ which will ship worldwide this September.

Available today for both PC and Mac, the Spore Creature Creator is a stand-alone product and creativity toy box where players create their own unique creatures, bring them to life with entertaining animations, and share them online with friends around the world. The full version of the Spore Creature Creator will be available for $9.99 at retail stores or by visiting www.spore.com. A free trial version of the Spore Creature Creator is also available today at www.spore.com. The trial version features 25% of the creature-making parts from Spore and lets players shape, paint and play with their custom-created creatures. Creatures made in the Spore Creature Creator can also be imported into the full Spore game, allowing players to populate their own galaxies when the game ships worldwide later this year.

The Spore Creature Creator lets players create their own creatures, take them on a test drive, snap pictures, and make movies of them. Sharing pictures or videos with friends is as easy as the click of a button. Players can also share their creations with others by uploading to the Sporepedia™ at www.Spore.com. The Sporepedia is an extraordinarily vast online destination where people worldwide can search for and share Spore creations, comment on other player’s designs, check out celebrity creature creations and much more.

EA-Take Two deadline passes on MCV reminds us that yesterday was the second deadline for EA's takeover bid for Take-Two Interactive, which once again passed without incident. Undeterred, this press release (thanks Gamer's Hell) announces EA has extended their offer for another month, until July 18, and contrary to some indications, they have not chosen to sweeten the offer at all. Take-Two has not wasted any time in reacting, issuing this response, saying this continues to undervalue their company, as evidenced by the number of shares EA has so far collected under the offer, approximately 7.9%, more than a little short of a controlling interest.

IGA Worldwide announces the results of a survey conducted by Nielson that they claim indicates consumers like in-game advertising, a surprising conclusion that's the latest example of why folks distrust statistics:

One of the most important factors confirmed by the Study is that most consumers reacted positively to in-game ads: 82 percent felt games were just as enjoyable with ads as without. In addition, there was an average 61 percent increase in consumers’ favorable opinions of products advertised in-game post-play.

“The growth of in-game advertising, both current and projected, makes it an attractive medium for brands looking to reach hard-to-reach consumers,” said Elizabeth Harz, EA’s Senior Vice President of Global Media Sales. “This study solidifies what many in the industry have known for a long time: in-game ads are effective and well-received by the gaming community.”

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. cleared for takeoff with amBX has word that the Tom Clancy-themed aerial combat game will support the colored lighting, force-feedback, and wind effects of Phillip's amBX environmental peripherals. The article also mentions a price-drop on the amBX line, which is previewed in this article, and here's a bit from the announcement:

Tom Clancy’s HAWX uses an Enhanced Reality System to turn novice gaming aviators into the elite fighter pilots of the future, featuring weapons systems, interception trajectories, incoming missile detection, anti-crash systems, damage assessment, tactical maps and the ability for pilots to issue orders to their squadron and other units– all of which will be radically enhanced through amBX. The Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals range, including RGB LED lights capable of 16 million different colours, variable speed desktop fans capable of up to 5000 RPM and the variable rotation speed wrist rumble strip, will create all kinds of spectacular air combat lighting, air movement and rumble effects, taking the gameplay out of the screen and into the real world.

• Bionic Commando on Crispy Gamer.
• Death Track: Resurrection on Frictionless Insight.
• King's Bounty: The Legend on Frictionless Insight.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Microsoft: We want to be first again with Xbox 3.
• Sony Appoints New Europe, America Studio Heads.
• Intellisponse Leak Continues With Activision Details.
• Microsoft- Leaked Concepts "May Or May Not" Be Real Products. Glad that's settled.
• Snaaake? We ask Sony about 'limited-edition' MGS4 80GB PS3 supply.
• Nintendo Wii Update 3.3 Kills Freeloader Too.
• Boom Blox a bust at retail, sells only 60k units.
• Rumor: Mega Man 9 in Development.
• Sony Games Studios Head Praise for Nintendo.
• Xbox 360 Gets GoldenEye Consolation Prize.
• GH Aerosmith's Saving Grace: Run DMC. For realz?
• Happy Tree Friends coming to XBLA next week.
• Crazy Mini Golf announced.
• Wii Fit and the damage done.
• The Sun Gnashes Teeth over GTA's Locked Mock Pedophile Site.

• Pre-Launch Details Of The Intel Bloomfield (Nehalem Desktop) Processor.
• AMD's latest FireStream processor hits 1 teraflop.

• Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Levels 20-39 on GameZone.
• The Incredible Hulk on Gas Bandit Gaming.
• Mass Effect on Boomtown and Gameplay Monthly.
• Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords on ComputerGames.ro.
• Rhem 3: The Secret Library on Adventure Classic Gaming.
• Savage 2: A Tortured Soul on ComputerGames.ro.
• Turok on GameZone.

• 20" LCD Monitors Roundup. Part VI on X-bit labs.
• Antec Twelve Hundred Gaming Chassis on Techware Labs.
• ASUS P5E64 WS Evolution X48 ATX Motherboard on Big Bruin.
• Buffalo LinkStation EZ 500GB Network Storage on Overclockers Online.
• Cooler Master Aquagate Liquid-Cooling on X-bit labs.
• Cooler Master CSX Warfare Stacker 830 Case on Motherboards.org.
• Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC6400 RAM on XSReviews.co.uk.
• Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1 Gaming Headset on ThinkComputers.org.
• Intel DX48BT2 Overclocker Motherboard on X-bit labs.
• In Win Powerman Commander 1200W Modular PSU on Tweaknews.
• Lenovo IdeaPad U110 Laptop on Digital Trends.
• Mushkin Ascent DDR3-2000 RAM on Bjorn3D.
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 Graphics Card with QX9650 at 4GHz on TweakTown.
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 Graphics Card in Tri SLI on TweakTown.
• OCZ Stealth X Stream 600W PSU on Overclockers Club.
• Pinnacle PCTV Dual DVB-T Diversity Stick on BIOS.
• Samsung SyncMaster 226cw Monitor on TrustedReviews.
• Scythe Ninja Copper Cooler on bit-tech.net.
• Sigma Unicorn Mid-Tower ATX Case on Modders-Inc.
• Silverstonetek SUGO SG03 Micro ATX Case on MetkuMods.
• Speed Link Styx Gaming Mouse on Tech-Reviews.co.uk.
• Super Talent Project X PC3-16000 2GB RAM Kit on Hardware Logic.
• Synology Disk Station DS508 on Legion Hardware.
• Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W PSU on JonnyGURU.
• Tuniq 3 Mid-Tower ATX Case on Futurelooks.
• WolfKing Warrior XXtreme Controller on Altgamer.

Thanks Gamer's Hell and Mike Martinez.

• Bungie.net has Red versus Blue: Reconstruction episode 4…
• Majesco Entertainment Company announces second quarter Fiscal 2008 financial results…
• U.S. Marshals Pay Jack Thompson a Visit. Thanks nin and Kotaku…
• Best Buy to enter used video game market…
• Infogrames appoints Pascal Cagni as new independent Director…
• Director chosen for Gears of War feature. Thanks Neutronbeam…

We keep wanting to grill, but have been thwarted a few times by the ever-more-regular rainstorms we are getting around here. I suppose some sort of rain shelter could be constructed over the grill, but that just seems like a recipe for disaster. Another rainy evening and the ground beef I got will have to become meatloaf instead of hamburgers.

Ground Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Elephants in Lemonade.
Stories:	Top Gear Officially Coming To NBC!! 5th human foot washes up on Canada coast. City to Experiment With Car-Free Streets.
Science:	No higher death risk in long-term coffee drinking. Bumper stickers reveal link to road rage. Super Jump. Thanks j.c.f.
Media:	Mad TV - Master Chief Comes To Dinner. Impossible bounce--awesome baseball blooper.
Follow-up:	4 New Segway Applications. Thanks Digg.