PAX 2009 will play host to demonstrations of quite a few big-name titles coming out. Among them is Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed II (PS3, Xbox 360, and PC), the follow-up to last year's Jade Raymond-advertised original. This time, Altair's out of the picture and stepping out of the shadows is another of Desmond Miles' uniquely skilled ancestors, Ezio.
On the scene at PAX 09 were the merry band of men called Left4Friends, and they've let us in on the goings-on that happened in the Assassin's Creed II live demo. Read on for their thoughts on it.

PAX 2009 will play host to demonstrations of quite a few big-name titles coming out. Among them is Ubisoft's Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360, PC), the oft-delayed continuation of Sam Fisher's stealthy saga. On the scene at PAX 09 were the merry band of men called Left4Friends, and they've let us in on the goings-on that happened in the Conviction live demo. Read on for their thoughts on it.

All-new character, all-new setting - what did it take Ubisoft to jump from Assassin's Creed to its sequel? Patrice Desilets had to call the shots in terms of creative direction for Assassin's Creed 2, and from what we learn in this video interview, the switch from Altair to Ezio and the setting of the Third Crusade to the Italian Renaissance took a lot of research. They even went for some tours in Italy! (Maan, being in video development is so cool, huh?)

If you've ever wanted to play international hoops in a video game but couldn't find one that will offer such a thing, then worry no more. NBA Live 08 (also coming to the Xbox 360, Wii and PC) just sealed a licensing deal with world basketball governing body FIBA and international teams will be included in the mix.

The Play Now mode allows you to pit the world's best teams against any ballclub in the NBA, while the FIBA mode will have you battling it out in an 8-team tournament to determine which national squad has the right to be called world champions. This means you can take it to the rack using Manu Ginobili while Spurs teammate Tim Duncan tries to stop you. Can T-Mac shoot fadeaways over Yao Ming? We'll find out soon.

2006 World Championship winners Spain led by Memphis Grizzlies star Pau Gasal will be there as well as runners up Greece and USA, as well as France, Germany, Italy, Argentina and China.

The announcement adds to the already stellar list of new features such as the Go-To basketball gameplay, deep customization and management. Combine that with the trademark quality graphics and sound and the NBA Live dynasty just might go on well into the new age of digital sports.

  

With several new games added to the list, World Cyber Games 2007 for the U.S. may prove to be more exciting than ever. The U.S. Open will take place in New York City come June 2 - 3 at the Samsung Experience.

Those who can prove themselves will get automatic berths and top seeds for the WCG USA National Championship in September.  But before that, they'll get US$ 20,000 while players for eight certain games will be flying to Mexico for the WCG Pan-American championships; round trip and hotel accommodations all free of charge. The competitors will come from 10 different countries in North and South America, battling it out from June 22 - 24.

 

During the U.S. Open, both spectators and pro gamers alike are invited. WCG encourages it as an "Open", where everyone can play and stars are born. For gamers in the know, this is the chance for spotlight and professional gaming contracts. If you think you've got the competitive skills for the PC and Xbox 360 games they're offering, it's the perfect time to prove yourself.

The tournament will play in a "double elimination" format during the Open, while the individual finals will happen during the 2nd day. After that, champions from all over the world will fly to the last stop of their road to glory. The WCG Grand Final will be held in Seattle, Washington with more than 70 countries vying for gold.

WCG 2006 had 1.3 million competitors in its roster, while 24 million swarmed Monza, Italy to watch the action live. Don't forget, it might be very difficult to win the championships but it's always more important to have fun.

The PS3 has been in Europe for less than a month and its titles are sitting on top of the charts. Resistance: Fall of Man took the top spot in Italy and Spain. Germany on the other hand was taken by storm by S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (both the normal and limited editions).

The three countries definitely have different gaming tastes with the exception of Insomniac's Resistance, Evolution's MotorStorm, Formula One Championship Edition, Virtua Tennis 3, and the PS2's Final Fantasy XII. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars are surprisingly absent from the Spain and Germany charts even though it's a definite hit in the UK. Oh well, to each their own. Here's the complete list for Italy, Spain and Germany:

Italy (for week ending on April 1)

• Resistance: Fall of Man
• Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
• MotorStorm
• Formula One Championship Edition
• Final Fantasy XII
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
• Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
• Virtua Tennis 3
• Ridge Racer 7
• Pro Evolution Soccer 6

Check out the charts for Spain and Germany after the jump!

The European Commission is set to introduce a list of common sanctions against retailers that sell violent video games to minors. Perhaps, what's good about this is that the Commission has decided to leave it to member states to identify which games will be considered "violent."

EUobserver reports that the EU justice and security commissioner, Franco Frattini, has told journalists last January 10 that he would file new and stricter rules governing the sale of video games to children below 16 before this year's summer break.

Reuters informs that Frattini had this to say: "I do want to harmonize rules punishing people illegally selling products, people not controlling and checking identity." Frattini does however stresses that the EU executive would abstain from suggesting which kind of material should be banned. He adds: "We cannot judge from Brussels which videogames should be prohibited. "

It can be recalled that last December, Frattini suggested that the Brussels' package could include new age restrictions on certain games as well as stronger, more effective, parental advisory warnings. The commissioner is confident with the proposal, especially since he has so far received support from eight EU countries – Germany, Britain, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Finland, France and Spain.

It has to be noted that this initiative comes after last November's incident in Germany, where Sebastian Bosse injured eleven students at his school before killing himself, and that retailers in most EU countries are not legally obliged to restrict the sale of adult classified products.

Why should we bother to know about these things? Because some people might get some bright ideas.