First up, to complete my roll joke, the F.L.Y. 9 wireless flight stick for the PS3.  Originally offered as a PC accessory, PS3 gamers now have a chance for complete control in game such as;  Afterburner Climax IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey and H.A.W.X. .  The stick itself offers customization by allow gamers to adjust the handle length, handle rake angle and head angle.  Though, you really have to love flight simulation because this flight stick weighs in with a M.S.R.P. of $99.

Now what I really like to read about are the new accessories coming out for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360.  More specifically, these are for the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops, but as I don’t plan to get that game I think these will work with other games.

Mad Catz has an interesting control  coming out, entitled Call of Duty: Black Ops Precision AIM control.  The 360 version is wired to reduce latency, but apparently the PS3 doesn’t have that problem as it will have a wireless version.  They both will be a fairly standard button layout with a few additions. There are two new button at the rear of the controller that allow gamers to use ‘Precision Aim’ which slows the analog thumb stick down to allow gamers smother aiming.  Also, the combat buttons will allow gamers to re-map the action button or thumb stick commands to swap melee or sprint to the rear button to keep full control of the thumb stick while gaming.  This should really improve aiming in  lots of different shooters other than Black Ops.  Oddly enough, the controller won’t be much cheaper than an actual controller at a M.S.R.P. of $49.99

The last thing that caught my eye are the OptiCOM ProGaming Glasses.  This is basically a combination of GUNNAR glasses and a headset.  The pair are able to separate in case you end up not liking one.  Of course, this isn’t much of a combination, but it ends up being cheaper at $99.99 than the $140 pair of GUNNAR glasses that showcased at PAX a while back.

I love all the ideas that a third party manufacturer comes up with.  The fact that the prices are not as cheap as they used to be gives me hope that the quality has improved.  I do hate that everything is labeled with Call Of Duty: Black Ops, so of course I dropped that while writing this up today.  I wonder how long before Microsoft says that the Precision AIM controller is unfair and bans yet ANOTHER third party product.

“Text input on the Wii has been limited to the on-screen keyboard or large, clunky hardware,” said Chris Arbogast, director of marketing at Nyko Technologies. “We are excited to see the Type Pad Pro release and provide a convenient all-in-one solution to type, navigate and control your Wii experience.”

It may look a little funny, like perhaps a Wii-mote with wings, but Nyko states that this setup will be ideal for typing on the Wii while maintaining pointer functionality.  Currently the Type Pad Pro is ideal for the Opera Browser, Animal Crossing: City Folk and Wii friend messaging.  In addition, the Type Pad Pro has two triggers on the back that are mapped to the A and B button.

The Type Pad Pro is available now at major North American retailers or directly from Amazon.com for a MSRP of $29.99.  Certainly this product fills a gap between the Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Coming very quickly, as in this fall, The Lord Of The Rings Online will be turning into a free to play game.

“Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is bringing quality games based on The Lord of the Rings to multiple platforms, and the franchise’s expansive adventure story lends itself perfectly for LOTRO free-to-play, giving a wide range of players the opportunity to experience the game,” said Jeff Junge, Senior Vice President Online Games and Digital Games Platforms, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We are focused on expanding our game franchises onto new digital platforms to maximize quality experiences for gamers worldwide and LOTRO’s new model is a great leading example of this.”

This means that I will soon be downloading LOTRO and getting online with my roommate.  Heck, the financee might even want to download this considering she won’t have to pay for it.  From the looks of it, to offer this as a free to play game with options to purchase content really won’t limit the free players at all.

Here’s some of the features offered.

• Free means Free! – Players will download LOTRO by visiting www.lotro.com and join with millions of other adventurers as they explore the most complete and authentic recreation of Middle-earth ever created and participate in LOTRO’s award-winning epic story up to level 50 for free.
• Visit the new LOTRO Store! — The LOTRO Store is loaded with thousands of convenience items as well as expansion packs, premium content, additional character slots, potions, character customization and more! The LOTRO Store is seamlessly integrated into the game and lets the player identify new and exciting ways to enhance and customize their experience using points which can be purchased in the store or earned through gameplay.
• Be a LOTRO VIP! – Players who elect to become a LOTRO VIP will have unlimited access to all premium content, receive priority server access, 5 character slots, a shared bank slot, and a monthly allotment of points to spend in the new LOTRO Store.

In fact, there will be a beta to test out these new features.  Be sure to visit http://www.lotro.com/betasignup/ to get signed up for that.

Bwah, Who would dare place their games release date head to head with Bungie’s last master piece of Halo?

More importantly, who would adjust their release date just to do so?

Square Enix Would

FRONT MISSION EVOVLED breaks the mold of the franchise, delivering the action-packed experience of a third-person shooter within the distinct aesthetic of the FRONT MISSION® universe. Set in a world full of destruction, conspiracy and crumbling alliances, players will take on the role of Dylan Ramsey to face enemy armies while in control of a giant, customizable, bipedal tank known as a wanzer. Every wanzer is outfitted with extreme firepower, and players must fight through critical battles across a world on the brink of total war. As they make their way through metropolises such as New York City over 150 years in the future, FRONT MISSION EVOLVED will embed players in heart-pounding, large-scale action unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.

I don’t know what to say about this game.  I know very little myself at this moment.   The question in my head remains: Will this title fair well, or will it succumb to the riptide that is Halo?
Check out www.frontmissionevolved.com for more info on Front Mission Evolved.

“PDC World Championship Darts provides an authentic darts experience right in your living room. Now you can experience all the emotions and the highs and lows of the big darts matches against you family and friends” said Jim Scott CEO of O-Games.

“Without a doubt this is by far the best darts game made, it’s very easy to play and enjoy and great fun for everyone” added Jim Scott.

“We are delighted to be working with the same team again for PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour. We look forward to continuing the successful relationship we enjoyed in the past to develop another critically acclaimed darts game for the Wii.” said Jason Kingsley CEO at development studio Rebellion.

The teaser trailer is available after the jump.

Dungeon Demon is a top down, graphical object oriented editor that mixes tiling and simple graphical object editing to produce a fast and easy to use dungeon editor. Users can specify up to nine named graphics layers, each with an optional grid system. Legend items can be dropped into any layer and can be used for traditional text markup or for more technical purposes if being used for computer game map editing. Maps can be printed, exported as bitmaps or saved in a flexible XML format for use by other programs.

Find out more at www.RustyAxe.com/apps/dd/index.php.

Closed beta signup can be found here: http://www.rustyaxe.com/apps/dd/beta_signup.php

The first “Crackdown” took place in the fictional metropolis of Pacific City, where the Agency – an organisation using genetically enhanced soldiers known as Agents – was contracted to rid the city of three powerful crime syndicates. The saga continues 10 years later in “Crackdown 2,” with new enemies (the Cell and the Freaks) that stand in the way of the Agency’s goal to bring Pacific City back under control. After the events in the first “Crackdown,” a dangerous virus was released and those who were infected – the Freaks – began ravaging the city. A civilian resistance, called the Cell, also formed to take the fight into their own hands by mounting offences against the Agency. Players return as Agents in “Crackdown 2” to once again bring peace to Pacific City – by any means possible.

Check out the first episode “Home Truths” after the jump.

Episode Airing Date

Episode 1 May 21, 2010

Episode 2 May 28, 2010

Episode 3 June 4, 2010

Episode 4 June 11, 2010

Episode 5 June 21, 2010

All submarines have each been created exclusively for Naval Assault: The Killing Tide with varying degrees of speed, turn rates, depth change, weaponry and more. Players will learn to adapt their strategy as they utilize each craft’s strengths and weaknesses in battles against oil tankers, cargo ships, destroyers, frigates and battleships through multiple combat zones.

I’m not sure if there was a game like this on the last generation of consoles, but they’re saying that this is the first one for this generation of consoles.  Here’s some more about what the game will include.

Naval Assault: The Killing Tide tells the story of the Allied submariner effort against Axis forces across the key naval warzones of World War II. Players will captain an arsenal of Naval submarines against enemy warship assaults both above and below the water’s surface. In Naval Assault: The Killing Tide, players will need a healthy dose of stealth and cunning as well as sharp shooting deck gun and torpedo skills to successfully destroy the enemy fleets in the 30 missions throughout the game. Naval Assault: The Killing Tide will support single player and up to four player online multiplayer modes.

So ease those knots in your stomach by jumping headfirst into the waters of Naval Assault: The Killing Tide.