Ahh, good to be back on my DSL. What an atrocious few days. Anyway, the other day I wanted to clue you guys in on an article over at GamesIndustry.com. It's a piece by Rob Fahey, an excellent editorialist, and he talks about a recent controversy rearing its ugly head again; gaming publications possibly being paid off for positive review scores. At the center of attention is DRIV3R. Fahey says a few organizations have had to step forward and admit to reviewing non-final code based on promises by Atari that certain bugs would be fixed. Using the game as an example Fahey, makes another point; do reviews even matter? The game does poorly review-wise on the overall, but no one argues that it won't be a success, much like last year with Enter The Matrix (another Atari title). It's a good read concerning the community we are all a part of.

	Metroid GameCube Bundle IGN has learned from Nintendo sources that plans are underway to release a Metroid-themed GameCube package in August. The bundle will consist of the standard console and controller, but also a copy of Metroid Prime and quite possibly a demo of Metroid Prime 2 Echoes and still retail for $99. When questioned about the demo, sources were unclear if it'll be packaged or sold separately. No word on any new graphic or aesthetic changes of the system/controller.
	Konami Announces Winning Eleven 8 What will most undoubtedly go down as the biggest surprise in video game history, Konami revealed today the latest sequel in the popular Winning Eleven series, Winning Eleven 8 . Dubbed Pro Evolution Soccer 4 for the European market, the game will arrive on the PC, PS2, and for the first time, the Xbox. Upgrades for this year's outing are revamped penalty and free kicking, an upgrade to the entire control system, and graphical details such as player likenesses and uniforms getting dirty throughout the game. No confirmation on online play for any version. Screens included.
	Samurai Warriors Expansion Pack Here's something you don't see very often; an expansion pack for a console game. That's exactly what we're getting with Samurai Warriors: Extreme Legends. Koei claims the pack will offer four new characters, new weapons and battle skills, and added techniques. The pack is rumored for a summer 2005 release.
	Dead or Alive Ultimate Delayed The rumors had been spinning for a while, but 1up got confirmation from a Tecmo representative that Dead or Alive Ultimate has been delayed till October. No reason for the delay was given.
	Misc. Q&As/Interviews TeamXbox interviews Keisuke Kikuchi, creator and producer of Fatal Frame 2. GameSpy talks with Denny Thorley, president of Day 1 Studios, and discusses MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf .
	Misc. Media/Previews
	IGN goes paws-on with Dog's Life. Also at IGN are screens of Spy Fiction. Konami hosts a new trailer for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The Magic Box reaches into their bag of tricks and surprise us with images of Final Fantasy XII. GameSpot gives us new shots of Okami and World Tour Soccer 2005. GamerFeed slipped on their putting glove to go hands-on with Hot Shots Golf FORE! and follow that up with a look at Astro Boy. GameSpy knocks us new images of Tekken 5.
	GamePro has an animation test of the new 'jack vehicle' maneuver for Halo 2. GameSpot presents plenty of shots for Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders.
	IGN tells us the five best things about the upcoming Resident Evil 4. The peeps at EuroGamer deliver a first impression of Paper Mario 2. Almost a daily event for us; more screens of Tales of Symphonia, courtesy of GameSpot.
	Game Informer goes hands-on with Headhunter: Redemption (PS2, Xbox). TeamXbox cracks their knuckles in their preview of SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos (PS2, Xbox). New shots of ESPN NFL 2K5 (PS2, Xbox), TOCA Race Driver 2 (PS2, Xbox) and Sreet Racing Syndicate (PS2, Xbox, GCN) at IGN this evening. GameSpy previews Test Drive: Eve of Destruction (PS2, Xbox).