PlayStation 2

God of War creator David Jaffe is living the dream--making hit games and partying at the Playboy mansion. He's a celebrity. The occasional drunken interview plastered all over the Internet just comes with the job.

[Drunken Jaffe goes mental @ Eurogamer]

If you're like me, you've wondered why RedOctane, the creators of Guitar Hero, didn't give gamers the option of buying a wireless guitar controller. The Freedom V Wireless Controller from The Ant Commandos (TAC) puts 2.4GHz of wireless technology between you and your PlayStation 2. The system consists of a V shaped guitar and a small receiver that plugs into the PS2 controller port. Once the guitar is connected, you're free to move anywhere within the controller's 100 foot play radius.

The Freedom V is similar to RedOctane's controller in many ways. It responds just like the standard Guitar Hero controller, without any noticeable lag or delay, and it's constructed from the same cheap plastic. But TAC's controller features several small improvements in an addition to its wireless features. The fret buttons, strum bar, and whammy bar all have more spring to them, which makes playing seem less mechanical and more natural. The guitar can also be played left-handed or right-handed thanks to an additional place for the strap to attach.

The air is sticky, the stench is foul and hype is in the air. A crowd of gamers are huddled around a small kiosk and one can actually reach out and touch the tension. Sony is showing off God of War II, and they're not holding anything back. The sequel to the highly acclaimed God of War was quite the spectacle to see.

The graphics in the demo for God of War II looked much crisper than the original. The level that was being shown had our hero, Kratos, jumping from dock to dock over blood stained water. As he ran through the level, the environment was stunning. Trees, temples and weather were all amped up from the earlier version. God of War II features graphics that are not too different from the original, but are more refined.

Refresh this page for the latest updates about the Sony Conference.

4:54: Ok it's starting now. 54 minute late! Kaz Hirai, President and CEO of SCEA is talking about the importance of the PS2 and the PSP to the video game market.

5:01: A video is playing that showcases a bunch of PSP titles that are set to release this year. I see LocoRoco!

5:03: Kaz is talking about the Greatest Hits program for the PlayStation and the PS2. He just announced a Greatest Hits program for the PSP. Moving over that quickly: now talking about the UMD format.

5:06: Sony plans to add RSS video, VoIP features, and camera support to the PSP later this year. Now a video featuring some people talking about there experiences with Sony products is rolling.

EA unveiled their E3 list today. With 8 titles under the EA Games brand, 2 under the EA Sports brand, and some possible surprises, EA's lineup is pretty darn big. But as far as we're concerned, only the games that are truly innovative count. And this year's big innovator from EA has to be Spore. The full list, after the jump.

Do you think your band's music is challenging enough for Guitar Hero pros? Submit your music to Be A Guitar Hero 2.0, a competition that gives musicians a chance to have their music featured in Guitar Hero II. The grand prize winner will receive the following:

• Epiphone G-400 Electric Guitar
• EMG Zakk Wylde pickup set
• Krank Distortus Maximus distortion pedal
• Pacific Drums and Percussion CX Drumset
• Morley Pedal Steve Vai Bad Horsie Wah pedal
• Copy of “Guitar Hero” and “Guitar Hero II” videogame
• Winner’s music track to be included in "Guitar Hero II"

Sony launched their E3 2006 site which will provide news, interviews, and video footage throughout the duration of the show. Currently, the site is only host to a short introduction video featuring Steve Truitt and Diane Mizota. The coverage will probably have a pro-Sony spin on it, so stick with gmrblogs for unbiased news and video directly from E3. True that!

Sony announced that the price of PS2 will been reduced from $149.99 to $129.99 on April 27. Sony hopes that this new price will fuel more growth for the PS2 in the final months before the PlayStation 3 is released.

[image:622 align=left size=medium hspace=5]Namco Bandai is developing The Fast the Furious: Tokyo Drift for PlayStation 2 and PSP, based on the upcoming film from Universal Pictures. Taking place a different world than the movie, Tokyo Drift will focus heavily on the drift maneuver, with several new features that aim to make drifting easier and more realistic. Apparently, drifting is all the rage in the street racing scene, and this game intends to capture it down to the last detail. The cars will include JDM tuner, muscle, and concept cars, all of which will be customizable with body kits, new wheels, and even new engines. Both the game and the movie will be arriving in June.

[image:593 align=left hspace=5 size=medium]Sony Computer Entertainment Europe officially announced that God of War II is currently in development for the PlayStation 2. This comes as a surprise because prior rumors claimed that the sequel to the blockbuster game would only make an appearance on the new PlayStation 3.

[image:567 align=left hspace=5 size=medium]A friendly flickr user posted several photos of the latest issue of Game Informer, which contains a feature about God of War 2. The images are relatively low resolution, so zooming in for the details really isn't an option. But, the cover indicates that the sequel is headed for PlayStation 2 rather than PlayStation 3 and some frustration about this has been circulating around the web. Since the transition into the next generation will be slow, it is likely that games for the current generation consoles will still populate shelves for some time.

Joystiq is reporting that a "reliable source" informed them that two new Call of Duty games will be added to the popular franchise. One will be set during World War II, as in past Call of Duty games. But the other will take a the franchise in a new direction. The game, called Call of Duty: Modern Combat, will take place during the present day. You'll fight on the front lines of the War on Terror in many locations around the world.

[image:543 size=medium align=left hspace=5]Ubisoft has announced that they've slated the fifth title in the Rainbow Six series, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas, for an Autumn 2006 release on next generation and current generation consoles. The game will place you among the flashy lights and casinos of Las Vegas, as you and your counter-terrorism unit attempt to thwart a terrorist plot that could cause a global catastrophe.

It looks like our prayers will be answered. During an interview with Eurogamer, the CEO of RedOctane, Kelly Sumner, said that he expects to see five or six new Guitar Hero titles on shelves by the the middle of next year.

He confirmed Guitar Hero 2, as well as some other possible editions like Country Rock or Metal. Hopefully, the games will be available on more platforms.