I really don't think I could have been any happier this morning to have opened my email to the announcement that the "Top Gun Anthem" will be available as a free download for Guitar Hero III, starting July 3rd.

You see, I was a mere 10 years old when Top Gun debuted, which resulted in two things: One, that I was going to become a fighter pilot no matter what (that really didn't work out once I discovered I was scared of flying), and two, that I whipped out my casio keyboard and learned how to play the Top Gun Anthem by ear (not an epic feat). I played and played that anthem thinking I was the coolest 10 year old around.

The download is available on both the X360 and PS3, staring July 3rd, just in time for the fourth of July.

3/4 of a mile. Call the ball!

The Guardian's Game Blog points out that the PS3's latest firmware has a few online features that is making Xbox LIVE's online advantage tenuous.

Two such features are "XMB" and "Trophies." XMB is Sony's cross media bar (if you own a Bravia TV or PSP, you'll be familiar with this) which in the case of online PS3 means that you can message friends, issue invites, etc., in-game. Previously, you would have to exit out of the game to do this.

Trophies are essentially Xbox Live achievements.

The blog entry finishes...

Of course, Live remains more tightly integrated and is likely to remain the better service even with these PS3 updates. But the gap is closing and you have to wonder how long Microsoft can go on charging for access to Live when many of its features are free on PS3.

I was looking at the NPD data for May sales the other day and it got me thinking about how many consoles have sold to date.

Well, in the US the install base of the Wii and Xbox 360 is about the same, just over 10 million. That is pretty amazing taking into consideration the head start for the 360. The Wii, if it continues on its current pace, will soon overtake the 360 in the US.

Overall world sales of the three consoles break down like this (NextGenWars):

Wii: 21.8 million
X360: 18.9 million
PS3: 10 million

What's more, Michael Pachter (Wedbush Morgan analyst), is confused (go figure) by the lackluster sales of GTA4 and inability to drive sales of the 360 and PS3. You can read about his lack of skills here: Gamespot.

I have an idea why a $400 console isn't selling along with a $60 game: It's the economy, stupid!

Oh, and if you want to see why Pachter isn't very good at his job, it's because he doesn't understand gamers.

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I just spent a good hour or so playing through the demo of The Bourne Conspiracy, available on Xbox Live. The game is due to ship tomorrow, June 3rd, for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

My time with the game is what I'd guess a meth addict experiences while playing Grand Theft Auto IV, that is, it's all very twitchy and slightly confusing.

Any grace, polish, and roundness that a game like GTA4 or Bioshock has is exactly what this game is missing.

The game itself follows the movie The Bourne Conspiracy (the first one in the trilogy of films), reenacting some scenes exactly, but without Matt Damon, much less any other star/likeness.

The lack of the iconic image of Damon as Bourne fits perfectly into my feelings about this game: it feels like a B-movie version of better games. And, that goes for every aspect that I've played from the melee fighting, to gun fighting, to driving. It's all very 3rd grade ADD influenced with a physics engine that makes driving about as much fun as staring directly into a strobe light for half-an-hour.

We'll have to play more of the full game when it's released to really get a feel for it, and to decide if it's walkthrough-worthy. For now, though, count me as unimpressed.

If I had extra time, this is what I'd like to do with it.

For everything else GTA4, check out the Lunabean GTA 4 Walkthrough and Strategy Guide.

Hat tip to Gold 2 for pointing this out to me.

*Drools* It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of the Brothers in Arms games. They are easily my favorite of the WWII genre, combining excellent FPS action with just the right amount of real-time strategy.

It doesn't matter if all the game offers is better graphics and new campaigns. That's all I need.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway debuts for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC this August. However, do note that the game has been pushed several times already.

I saw the above video clip at EW.com where the poster guesses at the roots of the video and whether or not it's a viral video for some product.

Well, of course, the first thing that pops into my mind is LEGO Indiana Jones which debuts on June 3rd for all systems (we'll be doing a walkthrough soon thereafter).

And, to add a few of my thoughts onto why I think this is definitely a "professional" video and not some amateur thing:

1) The LEGO ball didn't move as if it were made of LEGOs; it was too light and rolled too easily when the two guys initially took it off the truck.

2) The ball runs into a Toyota Previa and a very generic sounding car alarm goes off. Who puts a car alarm on an old Toyota Previa?

Assuming it is a viral marketing ploy for LEGO Indiana Jones, I think it's a poor one; my cats could've teamed up and created a better commercial.

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