Decepticon Owners Turn Tables On Autobot Gamers [Metagames]

A little over a week ago, we showed you that players of the Autobot version of the DS' Transformers Revenge of the Fallen were beating Decepticons fans. Things have changed.

The game's first online meta-game battle did end with owners of the Autobot version of the game winning, having scored 48 million Energon points to the bad guys' 40 million. This cast some doubt on claims I'd heard from Transformers experts that the Autobot and Decepticon consumer bases are split 50/50.

But the second and current battle waged by the games' owners, owners of the Decepticon version of the game are beating their rivals 100 million to 93 million.

The conflicts are waged by players connecting their DS online to activate daily single-player challenges and then uploading their point tallies. Those challenges are associated with regions on a world map, and the battle continues until a faction claims all regions.

The balance might be even after all. And the growing numbers are a sign that the game's online play is being adopted by consumers.

Hey, It's Me On The Bonus Round Again [Clips]

Last week, GameTrailers' Geoff Keighley, Shane Satterfield, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter and Kotaku's I talked about the future of video game controls. This week, we do it some more.

In part two of our Bonus Round discussion, we chat about the high-definition "Wii Plus," Project Natal (again), the possibilities for PlayStation Eye, and if the video game controller as we know it will ever go away. We also get a very up close and personal look at the naked ankles of Michael Pachter. This episode is also solid proof that going back to the gym was a good idea for yours truly.

Motion control enthusiasts, this one's for you!

Bonus Round: Episode 306 - Part 2 HD [GameTrailers]

Sony Bringing Ratchet, Clank & Drake To Comic-Con [Comic-Con 2009]

Heading to the San Diego Comic-Con? We are too! As is Sony, bringing with it the latest and greatest from two of its upcoming PlayStation 3 games, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In time.

Sony Computer Entertainment America is holding two invite-only events and promoting two panels, revealing exciting new info about both games and giving us a chance to go hands-on with each PS3 entry again. Team members from Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games will be present at their respective panels and Q&As, with attractive Uncharted 2 cast members also available for pestering/cat-calling.

Seriously, you going to Comic-Con? If so, official details are below.

Ratchet & Clank Community Event (RSVP Required to Attend)
Wednesday, July 22
8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Join G4 and Insomniac Games as they unveil the winner of the "Captain Qwark's My Blaster Runs Hot" weapons contest and present the winner with a real-life replica of the weapon they created. Stick
around after the unveiling for the hands-on premier of all new Clank gameplay.

UNCHARTED 2 Panel Discussion
Thursday, July 23
5:30-6:30 p.m.

Listen in as Naughty Dog demonstrates the performance capture process for UNCHARTED 2 and discuss how they deliver the active cinematic experience. The panel will include a Q&A with cast members and Naughty Dog staff including: Nolan North, Emily Rose, Claudia Black, Gordon Hunt, Steven Valentine, Amy Hennig, Josh Sherr, Taylor Kurosawa.

PlayStation Gaming Cocktail (RSVP Required to Attend)
Thursday, July 23
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Following the UNCHARTED 2 panel, join the PlayStation team to go hands-on with our latest first-party PS3, PSP and PSN titles. Grab a cocktail, chat with developers and get hands-on with content from the show floor and additional software titles.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Panel and Q&A
Sunday, July 26
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Insomniac Games will be on hand to reveal behind-the-scenes stories about the development of this fall's PlayStation 3 blockbuster. Creative Director Brian Allgeier and other team members will reveal new scenes from the game, the latest trailer as well a new weapon feature.

Video Games Used As Shorthand In New Movie Trailers [Hollywood]

Making a trailer for a major motion picture and needing to show that John Cusack's fictional son is a bit detached? Need to show that Vince Vaughn is partying hard? Show video games.

While sped-up sunsets, crowd scenes in Manhattan and the destruction of the White House are all common elements of Hollywood trailers, video games don't show up in them that often.

Not this summer, though, as we're approaching trifecta trend status.

As of today, Kotaku believes there are two in-rotation major Hollywood trailers depicting the use of video games.

Atop this post you see a clip from the trailer for Couples Retreat, an October comedy about four couples who go to a Club Med style place to rekindle their relationships. The trailer includes such visual hallmarks as a bouncing car (see: wild sex), a bare-chested, buff man slowly emerging from the water (see: temporary comedic threat to marriage) and... Guitar Hero (see: partying hard).

The other trailer is for 2012, another movie about the end of the world from the creator of Independence Day and the Day After Tomorrow. This one has crashing planes (see: disaster strikes), huge waves (see: more disaster strikes), crashing planes caught in huge waves (see: lots and lots of disaster) and it has a boy playing the PSP (see: adolescent detachment).

Note that the year is supposedly 2012 and this kid is not playing a PSPGo, suggesting a disaster of an altogether different kind.

Shadow of Memories Getting PSPorted [Konami]

Konami's 2001 PlayStation 2 game Shadow of Memories—we call it Shadow of Destiny 'round these parts—will find new life on the PSP later this year.

The time-traveling adventure game will be scaled down to UMD format and ship to Japanese retailers on October 1, the same day the new PSPgo ships to North America and Europe... but not Japan. The Japanese get it a month later. Sorry, I guess there's no real connection there.

But for anyone who missed out on the original release, or its Windows and Xbox ports, you'll soon be able to relive the time-hopping murder mystery all over again. Perhaps Eike will be given a side mission in which he travels back in time to prevent himself from getting that terrible hair cut.

Shadow of Memories PSP [Konami via Siliconera]