Though the console-bound versions of THQ's upcoming liberation sim, Red Faction: Guerrilla, will be hitting store shelves in a week and some change, it looks like the PC version of the title will be a little late to the party. We received tips pointing us to a few online retailers who had listed the game's launch date as August 25 -- almost three months later than the drop date for the Xbox 360 and PS3 version of the title.

We contacted THQ to see if the PC version of Guerrilla would really be belated. A representative responded, "Indeed, the RFG PC sku will be a little late," adding that the game would "ship during this summer." Hey! August 25 is technically in this summer! We'll let you know when we hear a firm release date from THQ -- for good measure, we've also contacted Reactor Zero (the folks porting the shooter to PC) to find out what the deal with the hold-up is. Stay tuned!

Earlier today, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and childhood memory manufacturer Shigeru Miyamoto delivered a presentation about Wii Sports Resort and Wii/DS price cuts (or lack thereof). However, neatly tucked within the folds of their discourse was a fascinating figure for the hardware salesophiles among us -- in its launch weekend in the US and Europe, the DSi sold 300,000 units in each territory. Our on-call mathematician is currently visiting his grandkids in Des Moines, but we're pretty sure that equals 600,000 units.

The two went on to discuss some of the miscellaneous features Nintendo hopes to implement in the shutterbug handheld, such as museum maps, schoolroom applications, and tour guide programs. Those sound intriguing, though ultimately not compelling enough to steal us away from our tireless all-catching endeavors.

In the US, Nintendo fans can celebrate the DSi's launch at the Universal CityWalk GameStop in Los Angeles. In Australia, early adopters can go to a launch party at the "Nintendo Experience" on Melbourne's Swanston St. Melbourne. Nintendo just announced that there will be no such event in the UK to celebrate the April 3 launch of the DSi.

A Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer that no such event is planned "because the handheld is an evolution of the hardware - and not a replacement," in a baffling instance of Nintendo downplaying its own product. Why not just tell people, "Hey, it's just another DS, don't worry about buying one, guys!"

According to the Nintendo spokesperson, even though there's no "official" shindig, you'll still be able to pick up a system at one of the 200 GameStations, 55 GAME stores and "select HMV outlets" that mistakenly think the DSi is a big product.

Early adopters can begin forming a line outside their electronics boutique of choice as Nintendo has officially announced the street date for the DSi. The company's third stab at its popular touchable moneymaker will hit and, we predict, promptly fly off store shelves on April 5. The date is just 24 hours off of an earlier prediction last month, which by prognosticator standards isn't half bad.

For those who have been living under a rock (it's difficult to take pictures of you under there), this latest hardware revision will shoehorn a pair of cameras onto the handheld, as well as an interactive voice recorder and ability to play tunes stored on an SD card. Downloadables are also promised with what Nintendo creatively calls its DSiWare application, with software available for a range of prices starting at 200 DSi Points. It's unclear what software will be available at launch, however. What we do know is that the system will retail for $169.99, a bit cheaper than expected, and will be available in any color you want. As long as those colors are either blue or black.

IGN's Matt Casamassina reports that "multiple sources close to Nintendo" have specified a release date and price point for the eagerly-awaited (by us, anyway) North American release of the Nintendo DSi. According to whomever, the system will be released on April 4, for a crushing $179.99. It's still a deal compared to the Japanese DSi, which retails in Japan for 18,900 yen ($212) and can be imported for $250, but it's also $20 less than an Xbox 360 and $10 more than a PSP.

This timing basically falls in line with previous comments from Nintendo about the DSi's North American release. Reggie Fils-Aime said last fall that the system would launch "certainly after April", but context indicated that he meant within fiscal 2009, which starts in April.


[Via Joystiq]

Yesterday was the four-year anniversary of the US launch of the DS. What was your opinion of the DS back in 2004? None of us knew back then what it would become today; we expected GBA-level popularity at best.

Were you totally lined up for a system on the first day? Did you wait until Christmas? Until Kirby? Or were you not drawn into the DS life until the Lite appeared? Whenever you got into the DS, we're glad you did, because we doubt you would be part of our community otherwise.

As for me, what finally sold me on the DS was Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Luckily, the system got even more awesome after that!

While it might be Launch of the Glitch King (how many writers are hoping and praying they get to use that pun in the next few days?) over on the East Coast, the West Coast launch in Southern California is pretty much going off without a Lich. Er, hitch. While we couldn't get an official head count on the event at Fry's in Anaheim, we did overhear one Blizzard employee telling another that "there are a crap ton of people outside." While that not be a unit of measurement recognized by the U.S. Government, we'll take it.

Check out the highlights from the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King launch in Anaheim, a mere stone's throw away from the company headquarters in Irvine. More than 100 members of the development team were on hand to sign boxes, people were wearing costumes, schwag was given away ... and they were serving Hot Dog on a Stick. Check out the photos below and the highlights inside.

This is an extremely hard post to finish. Not because the Los Angeles Gears of War 2 launch party sucked (it didn't), not because we didn't get enough photos (took plenty), and not because we didn't get good interviews (CliffyB Cliff Bleszkinski and John DiMaggio, the voice of Marcus Fenix AND Bender, and others ... coming to you very soon). No, it's because we got the game, came home and slid it into the 360, and thought, "Hey, it'll be fun to try this Horde mode out!" Now it's 9:15 am, and it feels like one of those days where you wake up and realize you have a chemistry test in two hours that you didn't study for at all.

The Nintendo DSi launched on Saturday, and Ninty hasn't held back on manufacturing the console. While we westerners can only look on mournfully (or cough up petrifying amounts of cash for one of our own), Ninty shipped almost 200,000 DSi units for the launch in Japan, which has been lovingly photographed by Game Watch.

The official terminology for 200,000 is A Lot, but is it enough? Surprisingly, if the Lite is anything to go by, then it should be plenty. The DSi's predecessor sold 68,438 units during its first three days on sale, so 200,000 DSi consoles will probably keep Japan going for a while, though Nintendo will play it safe and release a further 100,000 this week. It's as though lessons have actually been learned from previous hardware shortages. In which case, bravo, Nintendo!

The DSi launched this weekend in Japan, and for those of you who (like this blogger) lacked either the courage, or the enthusiasm (or, uh, the pile of bones) necessary to import the new handheld, we've compiled a few videos so you can at least experience the DSi. An array of walkthroughs and explorations await you after the jump, and you've also got the option of kicking back with this epic walkthrough. For 22 minutes of our time, they better throw in some popcorn or something.

Is the incredibly limited "World Tour" of Metal Gear Solid 4 not coming to your area? Well, don't worry. You can join dozens of like-minded fans at your local GameStop. Hundreds of locations throughout the country will stay open at midnight for the launch of Kojima's latest -- if you want to play the game as early as possible, waiting in line for the midnight release looks to be the way to go.

[Via Joystiq]

Source - PDF file of all midnight launch locations

Nintendo's Wii Fit launch event in Central Park drew a crowd of interested onlookers and Balance Board tryer-outers yesterday. They could just walk over to the Nintendo World Store to buy the thing, but the rest of us chumps have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest. Oh, well, pacing is exercise too.

To entice the crowd to make that purchase, Nintendo offered live demonstrations of the game as well as personal Wii Fit sessions with trainers (who probably trained people to take their shoes off and follow the instructions on the screen). The event also served as an American Heart Association fundraiser. We've got Nintendo's own pictures in our gallery below; for more, check out Engadget.