D'oh!

The good news? There will be a US release of two new Doctor Who titles, Doctor Who: Return To Earth for the Nintendo Wii, and Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth for DS, both coming this winter. In addition to the titles, there is also a whole slew of peripherals coming out for both systems, including a Wii Remote designed to look like the 11th Doctor's sonic screwdriver, and a DS stylus modelled on the screwdriver which will be bundled in accessory packs featuring official artwork of the Doctor and companion Amy Pond.

The bad news? Most fans of the series are, shall we say, less than stoked about the new Doctor, played by Matt Smith. In addition, the fact that the games are only being released on the DS and Wii does not bode well at all. Since the console's release, Wii's track record for developing playable, let alone good, quality games has been poor at best. Not that Doctor Who games in general tend to be spectacular. All in all, I'd love to see these games come out and be amazing (Hell I'll settle for decent), but I'm not holding my breath. I'd call it a bittersweet victory for long-time fans of the series. 

Official Story via Nintendo

The Cake is Not a Lie

And by "cake" I of course mean "Xbox Live price increase". Of course. Look for the following changes November 1, 2010:

- 1 month: $9.99
- 3 month $24.99
- 1 year $59.99

Microsoft is defending the decision by claiming that inflation (Live was originally launched in 2002) and added features make the increase worthwhile. No word on whether or not Sony plans the same for the Playstation Network, but odds are good, given the trend of the two companies for running even on price points. According to Jesse Divnich, VP of Analyst Services for Electronic Entertainment and Design Research (EEDAR):

"When originally launched in 2002, a Gold subscription cost the same as an AAA video game, $49.99. When taking into account for inflation ($50 in 2002 is roughly $60 in 2010) and the additional services available to Gold subscribers in 2010, such as ESPN, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm and Video Kinect, a $10 price increase still represents an incredible value to consumers"

So, will gamers fork out an extra $10 a year to keep playing their Halo and their Call of Duty and Madden? Is that really even a question? I'll let the good folks at PA sum this one up:

Geeking Out

So Telltale games, publisher's of the successful Sam & Max game series, just announced a new Back to the Future project. I very nearly jumped out of my seat to yell the news at everyone on my floor, but somehow I don't think it would've been appreciated. This is the more recent BttF game since Back to the Future: Part III for the Sega Genesis was released in 1991. Not alot in the way of details at the moment, although it seems there will be an entirely new plot to be explored. It is confirmed that Christopher Lloyd has been signed on for voicework, and Bob Gale, screenwriter for all three films, will be working with game developers on the plot of the "5 Episode" series. No news on whether or not Michael J. Fox will be lending his talents to the game. Let us pray.

The only other information being confirmed by Telltale Games as of yet is that:
1.) The DeLorean time machine will be making an appearance (I should certainly hope so).
2.) The game will feature characters from the movies, and the likeness' of the actors.
3.) At least a portion of the game will take place in Hill Valley.

So... yeah, super vague on the details for the TIME being (lololololol- sorry).