Leaked Links Overload

June 17, 2008 on 5:22 pm | In News | 1 Comment

Although not on par with its former glory, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (or E3) will soon be arriving in Los Angeles and bringing with it a frenzy of new info, trailers and demos from some of the biggest companies in the industry. With the event less than a month away, rumors and leaks have arrived full force, thanks mainly to a security hole at the Web site of marketing company Intellisponse. Intellisponse handles some big-name clients, notably Microsoft and Activision, and the info comes from marketing material mock-ups. I’ve compiled a list of the juiciest tidbits along with links, enjoy!

Leak #1 Don’t Stop Believin’

While I can’t report Journey has made it into the new Guitar Hero game (though it would help Activision attract women in that 18-29 age bracket), the leaked info from Intellisponse has created some noise. Besides a track list that includes Jimi Hendrix, Foo Fighters Smashing Pumpkins, Korn, Ozzy and Interpol, the big excitement is the possibility to rock out some sick solos with a “touch-sensitive neck slide.” Such a new feature would open up the way for some truly epic shredding by using the entire neck of the (fake) guitar.

Leak #2 Mii-crosoft

In an effort to add another aspect to the somewhat, ahem, Spartan face of the Xbox 360, the software giant could be adding Mii-like animated avatars to its online service, Xbox Live. These little fellas would replace gamer pictures…and probably do a cute little dance or the like. Compounding the rumor is another source that divulged details to Joystiq about a massive fall update for the 360, including a “creation service which blends the customization options of Home with the in-game functionality of Miis.” A direct challenge to the cuteness of Nintendo and the ever-on-the-horizon Home, this rumor seems a likely truth and a smart move on Microsoft’s part. Though details (and confirmation) remain scarce, E3 is just around the corner…

Leak #3 From Button-Mashing to Foot-Stomping

The treasure trove unearthed through Intellisponse’s “oops” also includes possibilities of a motion-sensored “Tony Hawk” game for the Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. As a one-time skater, I’m always interested in new approaches to the genre (I recently acquired a copy of and enjoyed the imaginative approach of “Skate”). Again, as an ex-skater, I’m also somewhat confused about the (possibly) planned use of a board-like peripheral (a la the Wii Balance Board?) to accomplish this. Actual skateboarding is brutal on boards and requires a certain amount of vigor to execute, so this idea sounds like it will make you like even more foolish than desperately clicking colored buttons on a plastic guitar. For once, I almost hope this is a rumor that doesn’t turn out to be true.