For those of us who have yet to give in to the temptation of buying one of those shiny new consoles of next-gen joy from Microsoft, here's a rumor to chew on: the new shipments of Xbox 360s coming into a particular electronics and videogames boutique (cough, Circuit City, cough) may be bundled with a particular game (Rockstar's Table Tennis) - not as a freebie, but as an actual bundled item. Very interesting.

For what it's worth, the picture does seem authentic, and with the game being Table Tennis itself, this rumor isn't all that far-fetched. First, it could be a direct countermeasure against Nintendo's highly-effective campaign of bundling Wii Sports with the Nintendo Wii.

Second, while the choice of the bundled game may seem pretty suspect, it's actually a smart decision, as casual gamers looking for a solid title to start with would immediately feel at home with Table Tennis. The fact that Table Tennis is also kid-friendly and wholesome (no scantily-clad females waiting on street corners, no violence, no guns) also makes it a solid investment.

Third, and probably the most important - free games with next-gen console bundles are ALWAYS relevant. The cherry on top. The finishing touch. The contract-sealer. In short, it's something that sweetens the deal.

Certainly good news that Microsoft's upping the ante some in the console sales war. Updates as we get them!

UK's first major trade show event since 2004, the London Games Festival, started the week-long celebration of interactive entertainment. It includes a variety of events that will surely delight gamers.

First is GDC London, an annual gathering of video game developers which comprise an expo and a variety of tutorials, lectures and roundtables by industry professionals on game-related topics covering programming, design, audio, production, business, legal issues, and art. Next is the London Games Summit which provides the most hard-hitting business content specifically developed for the industry. This is where top industry executives and key government ministers provide honest insights on the gaming business today.

Gamers will be in paradise as London Games Festival features other events which may interest them like the HMV's Games Showcases which feature a handful of playable games like Pro Stroke Golf, PDC World Championship Darts, Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 and Rockstar Games' Table Tennis, to name a few. It'll also feature The Game/Play and the Artful Gaming Exhibition.

The festival does not only cater to the gamers audience as it also provides diverse events that cater to parents who need advice on games or people who want to learn more about games and where the future of entertainment is currently heading. So its a festival that caters to almost everyone, not only to the gamers. And this also reflects that gaming is serious business. The festival aims to add learning to fun. Families can attend this celebration and take part in the activities. Check out the schedule of events here.

As Tokyo Game Show 2006 kicks off this September 20, Microsoft unleashed "Bringing It Home" in relation to the celebration of TGS at Japan, and the upcoming X06 that will take place on September 27 this year in Barcelona, Spain. We here at QJ will deliver you up-to-date news of the full coverage of TGS 2006 and X06.

From its first batch of downloadable content, Microsoft dishes out its second batch of "Bringing It Home" on the Xbox Live Marketplace and high quality videos. The list includes:

    • Vista Game Montage
    • Fusion Frenzy 2
    • Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
    • Team Fortress 2
    • Table Tennis (available in Japan only)

For you gamers out there who are still playing Rockstar's Table Tennis, four themes have become available on the Marketplace. Two of the released themes, The 3 Star Theme and the Studio Rockstar Theme, have only one background picture and each cost 100 Microsoft Points.

The other two themes, Pro Theme and Matchup Theme, are the normal themes that has a different picture for each blade and cost the usual amount of 150 Microsoft Points. So if somehow you have gotten really attached to the characters from the game, go ahead and check out the themes on the Marketplace.

Ping-pong obsessed fan? Not quite. What actually happened was that the people behind the Xbox 360 game Rockstar Table Tennis has requested Llama.com for a custom 360 that was based on their game. And from the looks of it, the results were NOT disappointing in the least. Two modded boxes were crafted, one which will go to the producers and another which will be given away in a promotion. Rockstar Table Tennis was officially released on May 26.

There's quite honestly not much to say about this topic except that we were very, very impressed. So, we figured that it may be best to just let the pictures do the talking.

Got a mod that you think can kick this one out the alley? Let us know!

If you've ever seen a sports movie that has a character trying to hit, catch, or shoot a flying ball, you've probably heard that saying, "You've gotta BE the ball!" Well, there's one thing they haven't thought of in the movies. How can you be the ball if you can't see it?

That's a problem one colorblind gamer has with Rockstar's Table Tennis, and in his case, it makes playing the game an exhausting task.

Conrad Quilty-Harper, a gamer who has had trouble distinguishing different shades of colors since birth, hasn't had much of a problem with his colorblindness affecting his gaming. This all changed, however, with Rockstar's newest release. One aspect of the game involves reacting to the spin of the ball that the opponent places on it when hitting. The ball's color changes according to the type of spin, and the player responds to this by pressing the appropriate button to counteract it.

While this isn't so much of a problem with the usual game levels, the training levels that teach you how to add spin and counter it become utter hell. Skill gives way to guesswork, making the game harder than it ought to be, and more frustrating than it was intended.

We can all probably sympathize with the idea of the "impossible" level. Most gamers have had to deal with a superboss in one form or another in their games, requiring a lot of practice or a well-planned strategy.

When the impossibility of a game, however, comes as a result of a design problem rather than an intentional addition to the game, it does bear mentioning. People with disablities also want to play games, and it's both good business sense and good PR to make sure that you don't alienate a section of your consumer base.

Look for the word "controversial" in the dictionary and you'll probably see Rockstar's logo right beside it. We really don't know if Table Tennis is another controversy magnet, but judging from the raves it's been getting from gamers who recently bought a copy of the said company's latest project, the infamous game developers might have another adjective attached to their name - extraordinary.

Now more people can get hooked on the latest buzz (or should I say ping?) Rockstar has created as the demo of the said indoor sport-themed game hits the Marketplace today at 13:00 (GMT). The press release puts it best with:

"Wield your bat with Zen-like focus and mastery in either one- or two-player modes to witness all the authentic, addictive, high speed thrills of the real thing. Compete as pro players Mark or Liu Ping in a three-game match in China’s National Table Tennis Auditorium to experience the lifelike graphics and hyper-realistic physics featured in the full game."

At least there are still some "bat wielding". Yep, Rockstar's making 'smashes' with this one, only it's not the type of 'smash' we've come to expect from their games. Garnering praises like “Simple, direct, expertly balanced and unpretentious, this is like a shot of concentrated Red Bull” (ZOO Weekly); “Rockstar has served up the best game on the 360 so far” (Observer Sport); and “…I can confirm that Rockstar has created another classic” (The Star on Sunday), looks like we've got another 'smash' hit within our grasp.

Rockstar's Table Tennis has been out for quite some time now. It may just be a ping-pong game but it's proving to be one worthwhile play - last week, it has made the top ten games played over XBL. If you're still apprehensive on jumping onto the group of Xbox 360 users who have been enjoying this game in the past months, here's something that just might lure you in: a demo.

Xbox Live's Major Nelson has been talking with the guys of Rockstar Games and they told him that a Table Tennis demo is on its way to the Marketplace. The demo will feature single and two-player modes but no Live play.

Asked about that perennial question on release dates, "Exactly when?", the Rockstar folks answered the dreaded "very very soon" - which, in release date languages, can mean tomorrow or in the coming weeks. Well, there's not much to do but wait. As soon as the Table Tennis demo is up in the Marketplace, we'll let you know.

As always, Major Nelson has released his weekly update showing the top games played over Xbox Live. Original Xbox games and Xbox 360 games have been separated into two lists, but if the lists were combined then Halo 2 would top the charts. Rockstar's Table Tennis is doing well considering it's a game about ping pong (and a damn fine one at that!) and Hitman: Blood Money also has a great ranking for a newly released title.

Xbox 360 Top Live Games
1 Call of Duty 2 
2 Ghost Recon 3
3 Oblivion
4 BFMC
5 Final Fantasy XI
6 PGR3
7 Hitman: Blood Money
8 EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 3
9 Perfect Dark Zero
10 Rockstar Table Tennis

Original Xbox Top Live Games
1 Halo 2
2 Battlefield 2: MC
3 Counter-Strike
4 Splinter Cell Chaos
5 Pro Evolution Soccer 5
6 Rainbow Six 3 BA
7 Star Wars: Battlefront 2
8 Madden NFL 2006
9 Forza Motorsport
10 Ghost Recon 2: SS

Rockstar just announced  that it's new sports title, simply named Table Tennis, is now available! For a MSRP of $39.99 (€39.99 in Europe and £29.99 in the UK) you can enjoy a "a perfectly focused, addictive experience" made by Rockstar's San Diego studio. Featuring 11 realistically animated characters, 15 international arenas and offering Xbox Live support for 8-player tournaments, Table Tennis is an exciting take on a sport underrepresented in games.

The title also includes many customization options, camera angles and last but not least, tons of different moves, techniques and strategies to defeat either an artificial or a human opponent.

Table Tennis has received glowing reviews from E3 visitors, with numerous websites mentioning it as the "Best Sports game at E3". Early reviews come with scores equally enthusiastic - it seems that Table Tennis really is going to be the most successful Rockstar game since GTA.