Earlier this week, LucasArts and Bioware finally confirmed what we already knew, that they were indeed collaborating on a new MMO based in the KOTOR era. Star Wars: The Old Republic certainly sounds like an awesome experience, and it seems that EA isn’t wanting to limit the experience to PC gamers.

EA Games president Frank Gibeau was quoted as saying that a console version of the game, along with Warhammer Online is “under consideration”. I honestly think it’s a bit early in the game to really speculate on whether or not this title will make for a good experience on a console, but it’s good to know that they are keeping their options open.

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Earlier this week we reported on rumors that E3 was going to be restored to its days of former glory, with public access and all. Well the ESA has finally commented on these rumors, and they were partially correct. Here’s an official quote from ESA CEO Michael Gallagher.

“Video games are the fastest growing and most compelling sector of the entertainment industry. And, this upgraded event will reflect the growth, innovation and excitement of our industry”

We will be getting an “upgraded” E3 complete with increased booth sizes, and an expanded list of eligible participant companies which includes those that aren’t members of the ESA. The event will even be co-produced with IDG World Expo, which has been organizing the E For All show.

What we won’t be seeing is access for the general public. The show will still be closed to exhibitors and press when they open their doors next June 2-4th. One big question still remains. Will there be booth babes?

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I’m sure that you’ve all seen the Premium Drum Rocker from Ion, which is a $300 kit for Rock Band. While that is a hefty price to play for an instrument to be used in a video game, you can upgrade it and convert it to a real electronic kit. Unfortunately, the same does not hold true for Logitech’s new Premiere wireless guitar.

I have to say that I’m torn on this one. While there is a part of me that is drawn to the realism of the guitar, the metal frets, rosewood fingerboard and wood neck, it really is hard to justify. I suppose if you’ve already shelled out the cash for an Ion Drum Rocker, then your plastic Stratocaster just won’t measure up next to it. If you have $250 burning a hole in your pocket, then look for this to hit stores in December, but only for the PS2/PS3.

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I’ll admit to having some interesting pieces of gaming (or general geeky) art on my walls, but what I’m missing is something that pays tribute to the console that started it all (for me). Sure, I could track down an old poster featuring an NES title, or maybe a unique piece with a classic Mario theme, but I don’t think that would do it justice. No, what I need is an original NES cart inside of a shadowbox.

This wonderfully Photoshopped image of what you will probably get upon purchase really doesn’t look that great. Honestly, it doesn’t even look like a shadowbox. While I wouldn’t recommend dropping $80 on one of these, I think that you could probably make a pretty decent piece of art for 10-15 bucks with a trip to a hobby shop.

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Female gamers rarely get much attention, with the exception of the DS ads.  Although I have to admit, even with those I got a little annoyed by the nauseating Carrie Underwood commercial where she’s playing Nintendogs.  Well Toshiba has created a gaming laptop specifically geared towards the female gamers, and the hardcore ones at that.  Which is stated quite clearly by the bright pink color of the laptop and nice specs to go with it.  Although yes, it does get tiring that the first color companies go for when they make female gadgets is pink, I still appreciate the effort.

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If you don’t exactly have the greatest skills when it comes to carving a pumpkin you might as well carve one that has a little geek appeal.  If you have a 360, you’ve probably seen the notorious RRoD and if you haven’t, you probably will.  Well now you can see the RRoD in a slightly more humorous manner.  It’d be a  lot better than going the usual route and carving triangles for the eyes and nose and then do the classic Jack-o-lantern smile.

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Finally, after what seems like years of rumors, LucasArts and Bioware have finally announced their latest joint venture. The rumors were all true, we are getting an MMO set in the KOTOR era. Specifically, the story is set roughly 300 years after the KOTOR games.

You will be able to choose a character that is a Jedi, Sith, or a number of other roles which fit your liking. Taking a different approach (than most MMOs) to the single-player experience, you will meet “companion” NPCs along the way that will stay with you through various missions. Of course, you’ll still be encouraged to group up with a party of friends as well.

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Remember back when you purchased Rock Band 2? There was promise of getting an additional 20 tracks for free. We’ve been waiting for a little while (some longer than others, depending on your console of choice) but Harmonix has finally announced which songs we’re getting, and when to expect them. Hit the jump for full details.

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Remember the screen issues with the new PSP-3000 that we told you about the other day? In case you missed it, the above image pretty much tells the story. While the PSP-3000 has a nice bright screen, the horizontal lines become very visible during times where there is fast movement on the screen. Well, Sony has released their official statement, and it doesn’t sound good.

“On some occasions, scan lines may appear on scenes where brightness changes drastically, due to the hardware features of the new LCD device on PSP-3000. Installed with this new LCD device, PSP-3000 offers more natural and vibrant colors on its screen, but the scan lines have come out to be more visible as a result of improving response time to alleviate the afterimages on PSP-3000. Since this is due to hardware specification, there are no plans for a system software update concerning this issue.”

Oh, it’s a feature. Here I was worried that you just accidentally used parts that happened to be of inferior quality (if a little brighter) and were going to fix it at some point. If I had to choose between the darker PSP-2000 screen and horizontal lines, I’d stick with the old one. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad in the first place.

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If you are an expecting parent, who also happens to be a gamer, then there’s a good chance that you’ll want your child to grow up loving video games. Sure, it’s hard to get infants hooked on games when they can’t even walk, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t dress them appropriately.

This Rockstar Baby Kit includes a black onesie featuring Space Invaders, a black star hat, and a matching bib with a classic joystick. When people see your child, they’ll shake their head, knowing that in a few years, the world will have yet another gamer on its hands. The kit comes in a special gift box, and will only set you back a whopping $5.99.

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