Today in Gaming News: April 2, 2008

Sometimes we have more time than others to post about what we’re reading in gaming news.

Today is one of those days. So enjoy these nibbles of news that piqued our interest:

• Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Grand Theft Auto IV will not be banned in the UK. British site RegisterHardware has confirmed that rumors of the ban surfaced after a misreading of a document issued by the British Board of Film Classification. As of this moment, the game will indeed release on April 29 in the UK with an 18-rating certificate. Read.
• Sony BMG, one of the most active and vocal opponents of software piracy, has been caught redhanded with… wait for it… pirated software. Yes, according to ZeroPaid.com, the company that has no problem socking starving college students with a $5,000 bill for hacked songs had assets seized by software developer PointDev, which found out about the unauthorized copies its Ideal Migration software on Sony BMG’s servers in France. How did PointDev find out that Sony had horked its app? A Sony employee reportedly called PointDev’s technical support desk for help and provided an illegal authentication number! Check out the brain on that one! After the gaffe was discovered, Sony attempted to coerce news outlets to not report on the incident. More.
• Sony’s much-anticpated DualShock 3 controller for the PS3 is set for its retail debut next week. According to Playstation.blog, the new controller — which is much like the old controller except with rumble — is already shipping to retailers and should hit the shelves within a week. Not all games are compatable with the new controller, however, and Sony has posted a website with a chart of DualShock 3-compatable games here. More.
• In related news, MTV reports that Sony has announced it has pulled the plug on the SixAxis controller. You will buy what they say you will buy. More.
• Remember those Call of Duty 4 maps that were going to hit XBox Live Arcade on April 3. Yeah… not anymore. According to Call of Duty’s Game of the Year website, the maps’ release date is now set for April 10. And no, we’re pretty sure it’s not an April Fool’s joke. More.
• The format war isn’t over, friends. It seems it’s just moved to a new battlefield. Yesterday rumors surfaced that Microsoft was looking into putting Blu-ray drives into future versions of the XBox 360. Today, other rumors are surfacing that Sony is considering selectively limiting the availability of Blu-ray drive components to any manufacturer working with Microsoft. This in an effort to either keep the PS3’s integrated Blu-ray exclusivity or to force Microsoft to raise its price in order to provide integrated Blu-ray drives in its console. More.
• The Army of Two demo is now available on XBLA. Unless you’re in Germany. Then you’re kindly invited to go out for a lager and schnitzel. More.

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