Original Model of Gordon Freeman

Ingenuity at it's Finest

Those "Snow Days" are gonna be awesome! I'm jealous Moose.

Final Fantasy XIV Online Beta Applications Being Accepted

courtesy of Gamespot

Square Enix surprised many when it announced during the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo that it was at work on a new massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Final Fantasy XIV Online. However, what gave cause for those raised eyebrows wasn't so much the online game's existence as it was the game's release date--2010.

Today, Square Enix took one more step toward delivering the game next year, announcing that it has begun accepting beta-test applications for Final Fantasy XIV Online. Those interested in testing the game prior to its full release can now register through the official Final Fantasy XIV Online Web site.

Final Fantasy XIV Online will be set in the realm of Eorzea, a world not seen before in any other installments in the franchise. Like in other MMORPGs, gamers will be able to explore the world after selecting from a variety of races, combat classes, and professional skills. More information on Eorzea's lore and backstory can be found on the game's site.Currently, Square Enix is accepting beta-test applications for the Windows PC edition of the game only. As the game was formally announced at Sony's E3 press conference, Final Fantasy XIV Online has also been confirmed for the PlayStation 3. The publisher expects to have more information on the game's console testing phase in the near future. Square Enix has also indicated that it is "considering" bringing the game to Microsoft's hardware.

Final Fantasy XIII Day One Sales Hit 1 Million in Japan

courtesy of Gamestop

It almost went without saying that Final Fantasy XIII would be a massive success in Japan. Any doubts to that were squelched in April, when Square Enix released a short demo for the game in Japan for the PlayStation 3--the only console that Final Fantasy XIII is available for in the region--and system sales nearly quadrupled on a weekly basis, according to Media Create.

With Final Fantasy XIII officially available on retail shelves in Japan yesterday, the game's selling potential has snapped clearly into focus. Citing internal figures, Square Enix announced today that the Japanese role-playing game has sold more than 1 million units in its first 24 hours. Square Enix noted that the figure does not include units sold as part of hardware bundles, such as the 250GB ceramic-white PS3 with a graphic of protagonist Lightning printed on the top.

Yesterday, Square Enix announced that it had shipped some 1.8 million units to Japanese retailers in advance of the game's launch. The publisher also noted that total worldwide franchise sales stand at 92 million units since the Final Fantasy brand first emerged in 1987. Of its most recent iteration, Square Enix has forecast total sales of 6 million units worldwide.

Final Fantasy XIII will be released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America and Europe on March 9. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

Star Wars Hiker

First Look: Google Phone - Nexus One

courtesy of engadget

Well here you have it folks, honest-to-goodness pics of the Google Phone... AKA, the Nexus One. As you can see by the photos, the design of the device is largely similar to those we've seen, but the graphic on back is slightly different, and that piece of tape is covering a QR code (how very Google of them). Just like we've heard before, the updated OS features new 3D elements to the app tray, as well as an extended amount of homescreens, though it looks like the lock screen / mute is the same as in Android 2.0.1. Additionally, there's now a new grid icon at the bottom of the homescreen, which when pressed brings up a webOS card-style preview of all homescreen pages -- which raises some interesting possibilities. Apparently there's been a new software update for the device pushed tonight, and sure enough the phone is identified as the Nexus One on the system info page. Quite clearly this device is running on T-Mobile, and is also using WiFi, so there's two other questions you've got answers to. The phone also appears to come loaded up with Google Navigation (a bit of a no-brainer) and the brand-spanking-new Google Goggles. Hardware wise, the Nexus does look incredibly thin and sleek, and while there's not a slew of buttons (those four up front are clearly touch sensitive), there is a dedicated volume rocker along the side. Oh, and note this... no HTC logo anywhere to be found. We'll update the post as / if we get more info, but for now, feast your eyes on the gallery below!

Update: One item of interest. In the packaging there's a quick start guide which points users to a "questions" page at google.com/phone/support. The page is a dead end right now, but it certainly gets an eyebrow raise from us. If there is a real Google Phone in the offing, that seems a likely landing page for support.

Update 2: In case you're interested, here's Android 2.1's boot animation for Nexus One. Eerily familiar, no?

A True Gamers Candle