Daily News Roundup: March 17, 2009

Today on TGR…
Rumor Killers: Metal Gear Solid 5 at E3? Ninja Gaiden II on PS3? MK Shaolin Monks 2?

TGR’s Rumor Killers weighs in on the possibilities of Metal Gear Solid 5 making its debut at E3, whether or not Ninja Gaiden 2 is rubbing shoulders with the Playstation 3, and if another Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks is in the works.

Marvel Super Heroes to Star in New MMO

Ever wish you could team up Spider-Man and Wolverine in a humongous forty-man raid against Galactus who might just drop the Epic Spandex of Web Slinging? Well, that dream may come to fruition as Marvel has just signed an agreement with Gazillion Entertainment to make a slew of MMO’s starring Marvel super heroes.

Sony Facing Pressure to Lower PS3 Price

In this economy, people usually don’t have a lot of money to spend on expensive luxury items. Like the Playstation 3. So it should come to no surprise that game publishers are once again petitioning Sony to drop the price of their next-gen game console in hopes that it will increase their software sales.

Rock Band Brings the Funk With James Brown This Week

Warm up that horn section and dust off those bell bottoms, ‘cause the funk has finally arrived on Rock Band.

Capcom Defends Charging for RE5 Multiplayer Modes

Is Resident Evil 5’s downloadable multiplayer mode really worth the price of admission, or is it something that really should have been available for gamers from the beginning?

Elsewhere on the Internet…

Animal Crossing May be Haven for Sex Predators

ABC News is reporting that sex predators may be using Nintendo Wii’s Animal Crossing to target your children. The Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force believes pedophiles are utilizing Animal Crossing’s online gameplay mode, which allows gamers to visit neighboring towns and chat with one another.

"There is no reason an adult should have this game," says Andy Anderson of the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force.

Analysis: Amazon No Threat To GameStop

According to Gamasutra, EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich speculates that Amazon’s new program, which allows gamers to buy and sell used games, will not pose a threat to Gamestop’s business. Believe it or not, according to a report by the EEDAR, overall Gamestop actually offers on average three percent more for straight trade-ins than their competition.

Nintendo Avoids Being Sued for Nintendo Wii and Gamecube

Suing video game developers for copyright infringement seems to be the popular thing to do these days, but at least one U.S District Court Judge won’t have any of it. According to Business Wire, a lawsuit filed by Fenner Investments Ltd that accused the Nintendo Wii and Gamecube of infringing on one of its patents was tossed out on Monday.

Mass Effect 2 Coming to Xbox 360 and PC in 2010

Via Joystiq, it looks like the sequel to Bioware’s critically acclaimed Mass Effect will be making its way to the Xbox 360 and PC sometime in 2010. Exact release dates have yet to be confirmed, and surprisingly, nothing about a Playstation 3 version has been announced. For now. Electronic Arts is notorious for making multi-platform titles, and it seems odd that they would break the trend by not bringing a franchise as popular as Mass Effect to as many gamers as possible.

Author: mark_fujii