Feels like the calm before the storm, doesn't it? No, I'm not talking about the latest hurricane threatening me. It's the day before the release of Fable, the game Molyneux regrettably called the "best RPG ever." Despite the print media doing all they can to prepare us for a not-so-perfect adventure, I'm sure we'll see plenty of negative opinions throughout the week. Just keep your high expectations in check and everything should be fine. You lucky SOBs on the West Coast have an awesome deal on Fable; $36.99 at Fry's. I hope you choke on the change. >=(

	Vivendi Universal to Distribute FlatOut Vivendi Universal reached a deal with Empire Interactive to distribute and market the title FlatOut here in the United States. It's still slated for the PS2, Xbox, and PC and will be released sometime in the first quarter of 2005.
	DBZ: Budokai 2 (Yes, 2) Coming to GameCube With the release of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 on the PS2 set for November, Atari announced today to finally bring over its prequel, Budokai: 2, to the Nintendo GameCube. No release date is set.
	This Week's Releases If I need to remind you again about Fable on Xbox, you deserve five across the eye. Xbox gamers can also adventure with Syberia II and slug it out with Guilty Gear X2 #Reload, . PS2 gamers get to enjoy Dog's Life, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Gradius V, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, and Gungrave: Overdose (phew!). GameBoy Advance owners land Advance Guardian Heroes and Steve's most anticipated title of the year, Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper. As for multiconsole releases, there's Vietcong: Purple Haze (PS2, Xbox) and Bad Boys: Miami Takedown (PS2, GCN).
	Misc. Q&As/Features 1up speaks with the dude running Rockstar, Sam Houser, who talks Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. ByteSector chats it up with one of Microsoft's many VPs, Peter Moore. There's an editorial at gamesindustry.biz about the "failure" of the PSX.
	Misc. Media/Previews
	Lets start in-house with this five minute video of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater that's up at FileShack. 1up has a couple new details on Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. GameSpot has a boatload of Devil May Cry 3 footage and impressions of EyeToy: AntiGrave. GameSpy sticks up some trailers for Jak 3, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, and screens of Rumble Roses. IGN delivers screens of The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge, video of Shadow Hearts: Covenant, and shots of Death by Degrees.
	GameSpot previews Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors. IGN has plenty of new media for Knights of the Old Republic II and shots of Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space.
	The box art for Metroid Prime 2 Echoes is at IGN along with some video of Mario Tennis.
	Game Informer has the latest screens of Metal Gear Acid (PSP). GameSpy treats us to gameplay footage of F-Zero: GP Legend (GBA). Planet GameCube has a couple screens of Chronos Twin (GBA).
	Three new shots of GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (PS2, Xbox, GCN) are at Game Informer. GamerFeed tests out the Konquest Mode of Mortal Kombat: Deception (PS2, Xbox, GCN) while going hands-on with Demon Stone (PS2, Xbox). TeamXbox shares a hands-on of FIFA 2005 (PS2, Xbox, GCN). Games Domain gives us a look at Area 51 (PS2, Xbox). GameSpy slaps up shots of The Urbz: Sims in the City (PS2, Xbox, GCN). IGN keeps on truckin' (trying to be retro) with these images of Midway Arcade Treasures 2 (PS2, Xbox, GCN).