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Guitar Praise to Transform Guitar Heroes into Guitar Gods, Literally
by Derek Buck | 08/28/08 | 3:37 PM PST

And on the eighth day, God created a diamond-plated ESP Explorer, cranked some Judas Priest and commenced the holiest of divine shredding.

You never hear about the eighth day, but apparently, Digital Praise has. The Christian-focused interactive media company has given the wildly popular Guitar Hero series an altar-appropriate makeover with Guitar Praise, a knock-off that transforms you from lowly guitar hero to sacred guitar god. Literally.

From the product's description:

Grab the guitar and play along with top Christian bands! Shred those riffs or blast the bass…you add a unique sound to the solid Christian rock. But watch out: if you can't keep up, the artists will take a break and stop the music. Crank it up and try again - you'll soon be rockin' with the best while praising the Lord! -- Digital Praise

Guitar Praise offers more than 50 heart-clutching anthems from top Christian rock acts such as dc Talk, Flyleaf, Whitecross and more. The game also scrolls lyrics onscreen, allowing players to "sing their hearts out as their friends play the guitar."

Guitar Praise will be available next month for Mac and PC. Bibles not included.

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Podcast: FTW [Gamers McCainers!]
by Casey Ayers | 08/28/08 | 2:56 PM PST

Casey and Sascha are back for another fun-filled edition of FTW! On this week's episode:

Politics and Gaming: Who should gamers vote for in November?

Too Human: Sascha's Review

Will Nintendo release their next console earlier than its competitors?

Would a $199 Xbox 360 put Microsoft back on top?

An interesting take on how Sony could utilize LittleBigPlanet to take the PS3 to the next level.

Is Halo 4 on the way courtesy of Gearbox Software?

How important have digital sales become to this generation?

...and much, much more!

If you're not yet subscribed, go to http://feeds.feedburner.com/KomboNetwork to subscribe today!

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Leipzig Organizers Consider Invading North America
by Blake Grundman | 08/28/08 | 12:20 PM PST

When it was announced that E3 2007 would be closed to the general public, gamers around the globe cried foul. Fortunately for us, the organizers of Leipzig have got our backs. They recently announced their intentions to host a new convention in North America:

Leipziger Messe, the organiser of the Games Convention and the GCDC, has confirmed that it is planning to stage an event in North America.

It was not revealed where this event would take place, merely that it would be part of a continued international expansion for Leipziger Messe, who will be holding its second GC Asia in Singapore, over September 18 - 20. -- Gamesindustry.biz

To add further validity to this claim, the CEO of Leipziger Messe has been publicly quoted saying:

"The concept is flexible and the network of the global games industry permits us to be active at different locations. After the Southeast Asian Games Convention, we are now focusing on the North American market." -- Wolfgang Marzin, CEO of Leipziger Messe

E3 had become the Mecca of gaming, and then suddenly it was all over because a few publishers threatened to take their proverbial ball and go home. Penny Arcade Expo and Comic Con have attempted to fill the void, but the shoes of E3 have been far too big to fill. This new event might be that holy grail of gaming goodness, that we have been so desperately waiting for.

My guess is that they will simply pack up their booths from Leipzig and ship them stateside. I just hope they remember to poke holes in the boxes so the booth babes can breathe...

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Random Video of the Day: Why Mega Man Lets Dr. Wily Escape
by David Oxford | 08/28/08 | 9:22 AM PST

For the better part of over nine games, Mega Man's nemesis, Dr. Wily, has made a habit of evading capture when faced with defeat. And yet, every time, Mega Man just stands there and watches... but why?

Witness for yourself why Mega Man is regretfully forced to allow Dr. Wily to make his next move, time and again:



Game over, man. Game over.

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Pro Gamer on the Upcoming Season of Survivor
by Kim Fidler | 08/27/08 | 8:44 PM PST

You know CBS is desperately reaching out to a demographic when they throw a "pro gamer" into the fray as a contestant on the latest season of Survivor. Ken Hoang, who is known to many of his fans as SephirothKen (Yes, I'm being serious here) is a world renowned Super Smash Bros Melee player that holds one of the best win/loss ratios on the tournament circuit. Totally impressive to nerds like you and me, but I'm foreseeing snickers-a-plenty when he tells his cast mates what he does for a living.

Ken Hoang gives a new meaning to the term "gamer." Known to the gaming community as "the King of Smash," Hoang is a professional at his craft. As the current international champion of Nintendo's Super Smash Brothers Melee video game, Ken has traveled the world from Japan to Australia to prove his dominance. -- CBS

If I was a betting man, I would wager that Ken will last about 2 episodes. The first episode will see the departure of some old person that can't even hold themselves up, or an annoying person that eats all the food. If he does manage to last, I can guarantee that he'll eventually get booted for complaining about the use of items, unbalanced moves used by players, and what parts of the island should be banned.

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Development Rights to Sin City Game Change Hands
by Marco Halili | 08/27/08 | 5:11 PM PST

Personally, I didn't even know a Sin City video game was in the works, but who am I to get in the way of the opportunity to see my sweetheart Jessica Alba in that outfit again.

Anyway, publisher Red Mile Entertainment acquired the rights to Frank Miller's comic book series Sin City back in May 2007, and originally tabbed Transmission Games to develop a video game for unannounced systems to release sometime in 2009. Fast forward to today, which has Red Mile giving us an update on the Sin City situation.

While that 2009 release appears to still be a go, Red Mile has confirmed for GameSpot that it won't be Transmission Games at the wheel. Responding to requests for comment, a Red Mile representative said that Sin City has been passed off to an as-yet-unannounced development house, a change that occurred "quite a long time ago." Commenting on the switch, the Red Mile representative said, "Transmission is focusing on Heroes Over Europe, which is quite an important title for us." -- GameSpot

So, to recap: A Sin City video game is in the works and scheduled to be released in a little over a year, and all we know about the game so far is that an unannounced developer is working on the game. Unless the development studio's been working furiously on the game under the radar, I don't know if I'd get too excited about this.

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Gaming Tales from Indonesia
by Kombo Staff | 08/27/08 | 4:40 PM PST


Having never been to Indonesia before, it is fascinating for me to observe the video game market here. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, and Java is the most densely populated island on the planet, with 150 million people in a space half the size of the UK, so clearly the potential for a thriving gaming industry is huge. Not unlike Britain, Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven, Guitar Hero and GTA are the most popular games. The market, however, is different. It is rare to see a console for sale, or a shop lined with games. It is much more likely you will see one of the many gaming centers, often little more than the back room of someone's house, but sometimes huge arcades covering an entire floor of a mall. Here you will find rows of 14" TVs connected up to PS2s and PS3s. The key thing is that you will struggle to find anyone playing a Wii or 360. Indeed, many people are bemused when I begin to repeatedly shout 'Wii' and wave my arm around like a Wii-mote in their faces.

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Win a 360/PS3 by Designing Your Own T-Shirt
by Matt Furtado | 08/27/08 | 4:34 PM PST


Looking for a free way to get a 360 or PS3? Well, how about you design your own t-shirt and win one? The fine folks at Stacker 2 are holding a contest catered to us gamers. They must know we lock ourselves in our rooms for weeks at a time and only survive on 6 Hour Energy Shots to keep ourselves at our highest working degree.

In order to win one of the said consoles, all you need to do is design your own t-shirt using the tools provided by Stacker 2. Thankfully, it's easy and fun to do. Let your creative gaming minds run wild and try to create the most unique t-shirt you can think of. After all, what do you have to lose?

Check the official details below. Quick note, this contest is only open for US residents and will end on October 8th.

• Grand Prize: One winner, selected by Stacker 2 from the top 250 highest scoring entries, will win a Stacker 2 6 Hour Power Prize Pack which includes a Stacker 2 hat, sunglasses and a one-year supply of 6 Hour Power Extreme Energy Shots. The one year supply of 6 Hour Power Extreme Energy Shots consists of six cartons (12 bottles per carton) of each of the five flavors for a total of 360 bottles - plus we'll toss in one single bottle of each flavor Very Berry, Lemon Lime, Orange, Grape and Punch to make it a square 365 bottles of 6 Hour Power Extreme Energy Shots. You'll also receive 10 t-shirts with your original design, your choice of a PS3 or Xbox 360 game console, plus a copy of Codemasters' Rise of the Argonauts on your preferred platform.
  
• Most Viral: One winner, selected by Stacker 2 from the top 250 entries that receives the most attention across the Internet, will win a one-year supply of 6 Hour Power Extreme Energy Shots and a copy of Codemasters' Rise of the Argonauts on their preferred platform. Learn about Most Viral.
  
• Weekly Sweepstakes: Each week, one winner who participates by voting or reviewing, will be chosen randomly to win one carton (12 bottles per carton) of Stacker 2 6 Hour Power Extreme Energy Shot as well as a copy of Codemasters' new game Rise of the Argonauts. Ten winners in all!
  
  How to Submit:
  
• Create an original Stacker 2 6 Hour Power t-shirt using the Entry Editor or download the provided Art Assets and create your own. Your design must include the Stacker 2 and 6 Hour Power Feel it Fast, Energy that Lasts, No Crash logos.
  
• Click the Submit Entry tab and follow the steps provided.
  
• Tell your friends to come to Brickfish and vote for your entry!

-- Stacker 2 Contest

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New Kombo Swag Bag Prize: Madden NFL 2009
by Phillip Levin | 08/27/08 | 3:31 PM PST

Oy, it's been a while since we updated the Swag Bag. To be honest, we have no excuse for you as to why we've fallen behind on the prizes, but we're going try and get back on track.

Every week, we give away a different video game or accessory for free, and all you have to do for a chance to win is e-mail us your name, age and address with the e-mail title "Kombo Swag Bag." Every Wednesday, check back here to see who won last week's Kombo Swag Bag, and what the next prize we're giving away is.

This week, we're giving away a copy of Madden NFL 2009 (Xbox 360). And congratulations to Helena Mary Kale, who won the last Swag Bag prize, We Ski (Wii)! For a chance to win this week's Kombo Swag Bag prize, enter below.

Madden NFL 09 Publisher: EA Developer: EA Genre: Sports Platform: PC Enter to win! E-mail us and include your full name, age and address to enter.

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Penny Arcade Reveals PAX Omegathon Prizes
by Kim Fidler | 08/27/08 | 3:26 PM PST



Are you a bad enough dude to compete in the PAX Omegathon? If you were lucky enough to be chosen as one of the 20 Omeganauts, congratulations, I hate you. Along with my jealous rage, you have also been given a 2 in 20 chance to walk home with one of the sexy console bundles pictured above. The second place winner takes all 3 consoles, while the first place winner gets the consoles on top of a trip to the Tokyo Game Show, and $5000. No word has been given on what place nets themselves that bottle of chili sauce in the background.

You can angrily shake your fists at all 20 contestants when PAX gets underway this Friday. Make sure to keep it tuned to Kombo for all the moving and shaking that will undoubtedly be happening at the event.

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Media: Photos from Games Convention 2008
by Phillip Levin | 08/27/08 | 3:09 PM PST



Games Convention 2008 may be over, but we've got one more update for you. If you weren't able to attend the show (and I'm guessing that's the case for most of you), this post should interest you.

One of our contributors, David Chiu, attended GC 2008 and snapped a collection of photos throughout the week. We've uploaded them all, which you can look through after the cut.

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Beloved Classics Get Fan-driven Remixes
by Matthew Green | 08/27/08 | 12:05 PM PST

The video game ROM hacking world has an abundance of Super Mario Bros. hacks in which Mario and friends have been replaced by [insert immature garbage here], but that kind of trash has a bad habit of overshadowing actual fantastical reimaginings of beloved gaming classics. Enter NeoGAF forumite Mama Robotnik and a list of spectacular ROM hacks that actually aspire to become something more than their source material. Here's a brief sample of the goodness on display.

Extra Mario Bros: This redesign of Super Mario Bros is a marvel. Rather than a level-by-level system, the engine has been redesigned to be more like Metroid, with a series of linked sectors in a large world (which you can backtrack through). Through exploration, Mario earns permanent upgrades such as terrain-destroying fireballs, different types of projectile, different types of boots (so Mario can walk on Lava) keys and double-jumping, allowing him to progress further.

The Legend of Zelda - Parallel Worlds: This five-year long undertaking involved taking the Link to the Past engine, adding and reprogramming it though assembly language, and creating a brand new Zelda game from it. There are no dungeons, or any parts of the overworlds, that are not changed. The game is entirely redesigned from the ground up, and comes with new levels, new items, new music and a new story. I have only just started playing this, but have been very, very impressed so far. It feels like a new, challenging 16-bit Zelda, something which I hadn't expected to see again.

There are also some very involved and impressive creations based on Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Metroid, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Super Mario World. Players are left to discover how to actually acquire and play these projects, but legalities aside, these are some very admirable projects. When gamers talk about ROM hacks, it's these kinds of projects that should be shared and remembered and not those that revolve around some fourteen-year-old's crudely edited in-joke.

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Blizzard: 'We Have Nothing Against Consoles, It's a Square-Peg, Round Hole Thing'
by David Oxford | 08/27/08 | 11:16 AM PST

There have been those who have long awaited the opportunity to experience World of Warcraft on their home consoles (why throw away your life so recklessly?), but Blizzard has been unrelenting in their stance of keeping the divide between their software and the hardware of Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony strong. Surely, there must be some sort of vendetta or grudge here, right?

"World of Warcraft is designed as a PC game. It's designed to have a keyboard and a mouse. So the controls and the control scheme that you have are very PC centric. If you think about mapping those controls and all those different type of buttons that you have to a console without a keyboard for chatting, it's a very challenging proposition." -- J. Allen Brack, Production Director of Wrath of the Lich King

Lead Game Designer Tom Chilton added:

"It's really not that we have anything against consoles," Chilton said. "I mean we love console games also. And I'm sure there will be a successful MMO sometime on a console. So it has nothing to do with that. It's just more like a square peg round hole thing for our game. It just wasn't designed with that in mind."

What do you think? Is there room for World of Warcraft on consoles? Are they just not trying hard enough, with other games such as Final Fantasy XI helping bridge the gap to some degree? Or is this where the true divide between PC and console gaming stands?

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Here Comes a New (Handheld) Challenger!
by David Oxford | 08/27/08 | 10:53 AM PST

Looks like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP may soon find themselves faced with some new competition. They will find themselves faced with... the Wiz!

"The most interesting thing is the Flash Player (Flash 7.0 compatible) and the planned release of commercial games. It has a LiIon battery built-in - and finally a place for the stylus! And a nice OLED display. If everything works as planned, it will be shipped in mid October."

Looks awesome cant wait to see what the price is, best thing of all is that GP2X is far from dead, all that has to be done is recompiling of GP2X Homebrew. The specs are quite powerful with an Arm9 533mHZ processor and 3D Accelerator and 64 MB of ram. Looks like the PSP, DS and even the Pandora will have a fight on.-- DCEmu

You can find a brochure with more specs and info here, and PlayASIA is selling them here.

So go ahead... take a Wiz! You know you want to. You'll find all of our Wiz coverage nestled right between that of our N-Gage and Zune coverage.

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Capcom 'Working On' Bringing Tatsunoko vs. Capcom to the US
by David Oxford | 08/27/08 | 10:22 AM PST

Street Fighter IV isn't the only face-pounding free-for-all that has Capcom fans excited; there's also the little matter of the spiritual successor to Marvel vs. Capcom known as Tatsunoko vs. Capcom that's building excitement. But due to the nature of having to license half the roster, we may never see it in the US, right?

Though it may come as an affront to those who adore the Tatsunoko group, some of us are really only interested in the Capcom half of things-- MegaMan Volnutt sealing the deal for me to have to play this game-- and so I put forth the question to Capcom if we might see this game come to the US in an altered form. It wouldn't be the first time changes were made to a title crossing the Pacific for such reasons. What if the Tatsunoko half were replaced with more Capcom characters, for instance?

Fortunately, we can at least say this for Capcom: They're trying. No word on what may happen or to what degree they may succeed, but...

All I can really say is that we're exploring a bunch of options, and we certainly recognize that there are a bunch of Western fans of this game who would love to see it outside of Japan. In fact I think I'm president of that fanclub, and it was with much pain that we mailed the prototype arcade board back to Japan R&D today. Hugs for letting it out to play guys, even if I wanted it to stay longer! -- Seth Killian, Sr. Community Manager for Capcom

In addition, Christian Svennson threw in his two cents as well:

I'm workin on it... that's all I'll say. -- Christian Svensson, Capcom VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development

So while this in no way means we're getting the game, there is at least the reassurance that Capcom is at least seeing what they can do to maybe bring it over, which is far better than if they'd simply looked at it, said "this would be too complicated," and just written it off. So for that much, I'm thankful.

And as far as I know, that's a greater courtesy than Namco gave us with Namco x Capcom.