News from the gaming world

Another day and another round of video game news. I know it's been a while since I put some info up, but hopefully this will satisfy your appetite for a while. Here we go:

• Halo Goes Hollywood
  After a bunch of wheeling and dealing (as well as some huffing, puffing, and theratening to blow some houses down) is looks like Master Chief is finally on the fast track to hit the silver screen. According to Variety, the Microsoft has reached an agreement with Universal and 20th Century Fox to bring the popular video game to theaters worldwide. In to the agreement between the three companies, Universal will handle the production of the movie as well as domestic distribution. Meanwhile Fox will handle the overseas distribution of the flick. The two film studios will split the revenues equally, while paying Microsoft $5 million and 10 per cent of the film's gross. According to the Variety report, Microsoft will be granted extensive consultation rights on the project, but no approval over any of the film elements. Also, several members from Bungie will serve as creative consultants.
  
  
• Halo Gets a Boxed Set
  Speaking of Halo ... Microsoft has officially announced the pending release of the Halo Triple Pack, just in case you're one of the small number of Xbox owners who has yet to experience the popular first person shooter. The pack will include Halo, Halo 2, and the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack. The pack will come in at a price of $59.99 MSRP.
  
  
• Metroid DS Detailed
  It's so hard to be right so often. A few months back, Nintendo and GameSpy announced that they were teaming up to develop Wi-Fi matchmacking services for the Nintendo DS. The first games announced utilizing the new feature were Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing DS. Coincidentally, Nintendo also announced that the long awaited Metroid Prime Hunters game for the DS would be inexplicably delays. I'd mentioned at the time hearing that the delay was partially due to Nintendo's desire to incorporate online play into the game's multiplayer. Well, I was right.
  
  According to Nintendo, Metroid Prime Hunters will launch in the first quarter of 2006, complete with access to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's upcoming online gaming service which will let players connect wirelessly with one another as easily as if they were sitting in the same room. Nintendo also has released images and video of three previously unreleased bounty hunter characters in the game. These include:
  
  Sylux, mysterious bounty hunter who harbors an intense hatred for the Federation and for Metroid heroine Samus Aran.
  
  Weavel, former Space Pirate Captain who has been fused to a new robotic body after being critically injured during an altercation with Samus.
  
  Trace, a young member of the feared Kriken race on a rite of passage to seek out a planet to for his race to invade.
  
  As I hear more on the new game, I'll be sure to pass the word along.
  
  
• Bandai and Namco team up
  Two of the big guns in media development, Namco Hometek and Bandai Entertainment, have announced plans to merge into a singular entity, Bandai Namco. According to reports on the deal, Bandai would own about 57 percent of the merged company, with Namco retaining the remaining 43 percent. More news about this should be coming out of Japan sometime next month.
  
  
• Auto Assault Hits A Traffic Jam
  If you're one of the many whose been itching to go all "Mad Max" and roam the wasteland in massive automotive combat ... well, it looks like you'll be waiting just a little bit longer. NCsoft and developer NetDevil have announced that their highly anticipated MMO Auto Assault will be debuting a little later than initially planned. Citing ideas spawned from the latest round of beta testing, as well as the need for more fine tuning and "tweaking", the game's beta test period has been extended through Sring 2006. Unfortunately, that means gamers won't be able to satisfy their road rage until after the holiday season.
  
  
• Breaking the Code
  Have any of you out there NOT read The Da Vinci Code? The first posters and trailers to the movie have been showing up in theaters lately. I can't help but wonder what would happen if someone were to do a video game about it. I mean, take a look at all of the collective parts of the story ... the interesting characters, the engaging drama, the intrigue and mystery. It could be a great adventure game, if it was done right. Ah well, it's all nothing more than wishful thinking on my part ... or is it?

I'll post more news a lot more frequently now as time permits. Keep checking in to see what I know. And don't forget about the Hulk giveaway I'm doing. It ends on Sunday night.