Reuters is reporting that Toshiba has given up on HD DVD, ending the format war.  An official announcement should be coming soon.  This is very unfortunate news for Toshiba since they are set to lose tons of money in the wake of their defeat.  Technically DVD is still beating Blu-ray, but it’s only a matter of time before more people upgrade to an HDTV and want an HD movie format to go along with it.  I have always preferred HD DVD, but with last week’s announcement that Netflix was going Blu-ray exclusive, they made my decision for me.  The PlayStation 3’s high cost had been attributed to Blu-ray, and if Blu-ray hadn’t won Sony’s system would have been in serious trouble.  Now they are likely to benefit greatly from its inclusion.  Being one of the cheapest Blu-ray players on the market is nice, but in addition the PS3 has many other features making it an attractive purchase for anyone looking to upgrade to an HD movie format.

[Via Reuters]

Despite many sites “confirming” that Bioware was working on a new KotOR, we remained cautious, labeling it as a rumor.  It looks like this was the best approach as it has now been officially confirmed by EA that the “confirmation” was a misunderstanding.  EA was forming a list of developers showing off some of the best games they have created, KotOR being listed under Bioware.  The official word from EA:

The slide in John’s presentation is titled ‘Best Creative Talent’--it addresses future and past titles. “KOTOR, Black, Boogie, Skate and some other titles on the slide speak to past portfolio releases and the pedigree of the studio but do not specifically address future sequels.

[Via Destructoid]

As a fan of the Vigilante 8 series I have to say that I’m really excited for this game.  I always felt it was better and more advanced than the Twisted Metal series.  Vigilante 8: Arcade adds online play, new levels, voice chat, and more.  We can clearly see some old weapons and levels in the screenshots so you can look forward to reliving your favorite Vigilante 8 moments in HD.  Vigilante 8: Arcade is currently an Xbox Live Arcade exclusive (as you may have guessed by the name) that I’ll be downloading the day it’s released.  Check out more details at the official site by clicking here.

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It seems that Australians are always getting the short end of the stick when it comes to gaming.  Not only are release dates in their country much later than most, but they also have very strict standards when it comes to violence in games.  The latest problem for Australian gamers is that Dark Sector has been refused classification, essentially halting any chances of the game being released there in its current form.  IGN reports that the developers plan on modifying the game (essentially censoring it) so that it can be approved and released in Australia.  Though nothing has been announced I expect the game to have similar difficulties being approved in other strict countries, particularly Germany where Crackdown, Dead Rising, and Gears of War were never released due to their violent content.  I haven’t had a chance to play Dark Sector but it looks like a quality title that plays similarly to Resident Evil 4.  I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it this March when it releases in the US.  Check out more screenshots and video on their official site located here.

[Via IGN]

According to an EA investor report, Bioware is heading up a new entry in the KotOR series.  Considering the investor report doesn’t provide any solid details I’m marking this as a rumor for now.  The game appears to be in production but things change, games are canceled, etc. so it’s always best to not get your hopes too high until we actually start seeing a finished product coming together.  The series has a large fanbase so I’m sure EA will be making a sequel sooner or later.  The real question is, who’s hands will it end up in?  Let’s hope it’s Bioware.

[Via Joystiq]

EA’s recent revival of the Command & Conquer series appears to be affecting every aspect of the series.  Since last year’s Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, we’ve seen the first expansion pack announced, Kane’s Wrath, the first-person shooter Tiberium, and now Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.  The original Red Alert still remains one of the greatest RTS games ever.  While some games have arguably more depth, such as StarCraft, nothing beats the Command & Conquer series for pure RTS action.  Screenshots and details should be out soon so we can get a better idea of what this game will be like compared to previous entries.  The fastest way to get more info would be to pick up the latest issue of PC Gamer.

[Via Destructoid]