World in Conflict goes Open Beta

My good buddy Luke gave me the heads-up today that Massive Entertainment, Sierra and Intel have opened registration for participation in their World in Conflict Open Beta. While some of us are anxiously awaiting its arrival on Xbox 360, PC gamers can go directly to http://game-on.intel.com/eng/geekout/wic/default.aspx to register for the Open Beta.

Missile Command to hit Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday

It appears that Atari has dug deep into their vaults and revived the arcade classic Missile Command.  Here are the details according to the press release:

While staying true to the original arcade classic, the enhanced “Missile Command” for Xbox LIVE Arcade has players acting as regional commander of three anti-missile batteries defending six cities in their zone. As Planet Zardon is under attack by an endless hail of interplanetary ballistic missiles from Krytol, players must act fast to fend off the missiles and keep their cities intact. Gliding across the sky, players complete levels by taking out all enemy weaponry. At the end of a level, players can earn bonus points for the more cities that remain and the fewer missiles that are used.

The game will also feature updated 3D graphics, music and sound effects and will support 2-player multiplayer both locally and over Xbox LIVE. All of this for the reasonable price of 400 Microsoft Points

Although I may be dating myself by saying so, this was one of my favorite games as a kid. Not only did I pump countless quarters into the upright machines, I also played the game right off the cartridge on the Atari 2600.

Whatcha’ playin?

I thought I might start off with something simple and ask what everyone was currently playing. Summertime has historically been the worst time for new game titles so I’m curious if anyone has come across a gem or if everyone has been spending time in their archives.

For me it’s been Forza Motorsport 2 (Awesome!), Spider-Man 3 (disappointing), Tenchu Z (not sure yet, but leaning towards not too great) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (surprisingly better than I expected).