The Internet was ablaze yesterday of rumors about Rare Ltd. supposedly working on a "Perfect Dark 2" title for Microsoft's Xbox 360. Today, a statement from Rare shakes off the rumored sequel into the proverbial "neither confirmed nor denied" status.

Rare Ltd. Production Director Lee Schuneman spoke to GamesIndustry.biz and commented thus:

There's always rumours going around about different games we may or may not be doing but we'd prefer not to comment on rumours at this stage.

If it would so happen, Perfect Dark 2 would be the third in the series. Perfect Dark was released back in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. The overall positive reception it garnered from critics prompted Rare to release a follow up on the Xbox 360 in the form of a prequel called Perfect Dark Zero back in 2005.

Meanwhile, fans of the development studio would know that Rare is set to come up with a sequel... for a different franchise. Last we heard (from the Microsoft X06 event), Rare's set to come out with Banjo Kazooie 3 on the Xbox 360.

Several months after the quite confusing mention of a sequel to Perfect Dark Zero by Rare Ltd. for the Xbox 360 (despite Perfect Dark Zero being a prequel to N64's Perfect Dark), there's now another rumor which may better explain what the new Perfect Dark title really is: Perfect Dark 2, a direct sequel to Perfect Dark for the N64. Still following so far?

Not much is known about this supposed new Perfect Dark installment, except for a few choice tidbits: Joanna will get a total underhaul and take on a more serious, darker appearance. Aside from Joanna, all the other characters will be rendered with a twinge of grey as well.

The storyline will be beefed up with multiple paths, thanks to a morality system that will let gamers decide on what to do during the game's critical turning points. Another intriguing rumor is that there will be no cutscenes in the game, with everything playing out from the gamer's perspective.

Certainly an intriguing thread from the gossip mill. Will there be any developments to this Perfect Dark 2 rumor? Do stay tuned to find out.

Apparently Ace Combat 6 isn't Official Xbox Magazine May 2007's only curveball. According to a WordPress blogger, the magazine's Rumor Mole dug up word on a potential Perfect Dark Zero sequel being hinted at in the game's novelization tie-in's press release. The blog's quote:

The Mole’s pals in the book industry have tipped us off to a sequel to Perfect Dark Zero by way of a press release announcing the next novel in the paperback series that also mentions a follow-up to the game…

Well, judging from the reactions of readers, at best, they're hoping that this rumored Perfect Dark sequel (knowing that Zero's the prequel to Perfect Dark, we have no idea where in the continuity this rumored sequel falls into) will improve upon the 360 game's good points - high among them multiplayer - and correct some pointed flaws.

Hey drumercalzone09 (Unregistered), if you're reading this right now, thanks for confirming the Ace Combat "timed" mention in OXM, and yeah, can you point us page and paragraph for this one? (And other stuff that might have been missed?)

Some people must really cherish grabbing every Achievement and Gamer point from every game. And with Microsoft promising rewards for such obsessions, who could blame them? Diego K. wanted to nab the 60 points for playing 1,000 multiplayer deathmatch games and 1,000 DarkOps games (30 points @) in Rare's Perfect Dark Zero, but obviously didn't want to sit there pushing buttons. So he built a robot to do the job for him.

With an erector set, a couple of solenoids, some other electronic stuff, and time to waste, he built the xBot (not the pejorative term), which automates the process of getting those 60 points for him. His full description of how the thing works can be found at the source (Read link), but what it does is simply presses the Start and B buttons at timed intervals, as demoed by his video below.

For him, perhaps, the satisfaction comes from creating the device, and not really on obtaining two Achievements and 60 points. On the other hand, it only took him 40 hours to Achieve 60 points - and in those 40 hours, his hands were free. Heck, HE was free. Doing some math, that's 1 hour of work for 4 hours of not having to play the game, and about 6 points per hour, that equals to... 60 Gamer points.

It's not much, and so far, it seems only applicable to Perfect Dark Zero. And it's a one-shot deal - Achievements earned, mission accomplished, no further need of device (unless it can be programmed for another game). It's still break-even territory, in economic terms.

But here's the kicker. His little 10-hour side project earned him a little publicity, via a 2-page spread in Official Xbox Magazine. In Mastercard mathematics, that's priceless.

In some surprising news, two of Rare Ltd.'s founders have left the company to tackle new challenges, it seems. According to a 1Up report, Chris and Tim Stamper have left Rare, though the reasons for their departure are still cause for debate.

Titles from Rare haven't been particularly impressive as of late, with their Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo: Elements of Power, and Viva Pinata games selling fewer units than expected. Microsoft asserts that the low sales are not the reason for their departure, saying:

Chris and Tim have helped shape Rare into the world-renowned development studio that is it today and their impact on the videogame industry as a whole is well known. They are simply leaving to pursue other opportunities and we wish them luck in their future endeavors.

While Microsoft is probably reeling from the acquisition of Rare and the lackluster sales, we're still hoping the two Stampers can find some way to bring new sorts of gameplay mechanics (perhaps a new Viva Pinata) to consoles everywhere, whether they be on the Xbox 360 or not. Till then, we'll just have to say "See you later!" to them while we wait for news.

As my fellow writer Kyle has already mentioned in his earlier article on Perfect Dark Zero, in addition to the four maps already available for the game, two more will be released.

And today we have great news to all XBL gold members 'coz these two new maps are already available for download at the Marketplace!

As of the moment though, the pack 2 is only available for gold users, we have yet to hear from Major Nelson if it'll be available for silver users as well. "Facility" and "Ruin" may look familiar to hardcore PDZ players, as these are both remakes of two maps from the N64 version.

The Perfect Dark Zero map pack two includes multiplayer maps "Facility" and "Ruin" and is available for free in all Xbox Live regions. We will keep you posted for more PDZ developments and whether the pack is also available for silver users so keep checking back with us for more updates.

It appears Perfect Dark Zero is about to get even more perfect as more details emerge on the platinum edition of the best seller (sold over 1 million copies); and with the original version costing $30 at a reasonably cheap retailer, the said edition seems like a really great deal. This November, Microsoft will be celebrating with the release of Perfect Dark Zero Platinum Hits Edition; the "bestseller" and best value version of the title, which includes six new multiplayer maps that weren't available in the original release. Although the price has not yet been announced, it is expected to cost around $19.99.

Of course, Microsoft wouldn't let the people who already own Perfect Dark Zero down, and four of these maps are currently available for free on Xbox Live, with the other two maps called "Facility and Ruin" being released for free as Perfect Dark Zero map pack two, ready for download in November; probably at the same time as the the release of the platinum edition. Vintage gamers out there may remember Facility and Ruin, as they are both remakes of two maps seen in the N64 version of Perfect Dark

It isn't all good news though if you are a "cheater." There's a fix in the new version of the game which has been sneakily included along with the new maps. The "fix" will address the "Cover Move" exploit that previously allowed players to hide within the game's geometry. If you want to be able to use the exploit, then you'll want to spend the extra $10 and buy the original edition of Perfect Dark Zero via the link below. Otherwise it's probably best to wait for the platinum edition coming in November. Stay tuned to QJ for the release date which should be announced soon.

Buy: [Perfect Dark Zero original]

After all that hype and fun at the Tokyo Game Show this year, Microsoft will again be wowing audiences, much to the delight of Xbox fans. This time, the hype goes to Barcelona, Spain. Yes, Barcelona will be Xbox City as it hosts X06.

X06 is the Xbox brand experience for the games and entertainment industry. It will start September 27 and will last till the next day. And roughly hours before the event starts, the rumor train is already at full speed. So why don't you take a ride and we'll share you some of what it carries?

First is the HD-DVD release date and price for Europe and U.S. that is expected to be announced in the conference. A speculation is that the add-on will start retailing in the U.S. on the 24th of November for the price of $ 200, while Europe will get their hands on it on the 1st of December for the price of € 150. The HD-DVD is expected to be bundled with Universal Media Remote.

Another exciting rumor is that there will be updates about 1080p. Also taking a ride in the rumor train is the new dashboard, which will hopefully be released late November this year. A new Halo 3 trailer is also speculated to be shown in X06. Rumor has it that Halo 3 will run natively on 1080p and will include info on the multiplayer features; sad news is that only a handful of people will be able to see the playable demo.

Aside from Halo 3, other game titles also joined the rumor mill: Gears of War single player and multiplayer videos will be shown plus trailer and multiplayer for Fable 2 will be confirmed. Another thing you surely don't wanna miss is the confirmation as to whether the Black Xbox 360 will really be available this holiday. Also to watch out for in X06: new Xbox 360 core and premium bundles and Xbox 360 Classics games list, which includes Kameo and PDZ. Wow!

Xbox fans may also be interested in being updated with news on Xbox's Live Anywhere and how it will function. Will it really function with Zune and XBLA  titles? X06 will hopefully answer that question. Furthermore, we heard that Alan Wake is now fully playable and will also be available on Windows Vista. The X06 floor will also let us get our hands on lots of playable demos, picture packs, and themes. Well, we hope this X06 rumor train will definitely stop at the Barcelona station.

We know what you are thinking right now. You definitely want to be in Barcelona! But don't worry, we here at QJ will surely deliver you 'hot-off-the-rack' news and updates on X06 and we'll let you know which passengers of the rumor train actually got off in Barcelona. Stay tuned!

We guess Microsoft heard the US Xbox 360 gamer's pleas and cries for a North American Platinum Games Package. On October 15th, make sure you at least have $29.99 with you so you can buy one of these: Perfect Dark Zero, Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo:Elements of Power, or Need for Speed Most Wanted.

The Platinum Series, or "Classic" for Europe, offers games at good value because, as Mitch Koch (Corp. VP of World Wide Retail Sales for the Interactive Entertainment Business) says, "it ensures that the platform's best games are available to new customers at an amazing price. And if you missed playing a game the first time around, now is a great reason to pick it up."

So for those who weren't able to get these games the first time around because they were too expensive, they're available at a more cheaper price now.

The second wave of Platinum Hits will be hitting global shores in Spring 2007, with varying titles per region. Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia will all have Platinum Hits specified to the specific faves of gamers within those regions.

Buy: [Perfect Dark Zero]
Buy: [Kameo Elements of Power]
Buy: [Project Gotham Racing 3]
Buy: [Need for Speed Most Wanted]

The first wave of re-released budget titles for the Xbox 360 has been revealed by Microsoft UK officials. These titles will form the first of the Xbox 360's "Classics" range, the UK equivalent of the North American Platinum Hits, where titles that have sold 400,000 units in nine months are repackaged and given a $19.99 price tag.

Each UK Xbox 360 Classic game will be priced at £24.99 ($47) from October 13, which is significantly less than the original retail price of £44.99 ($85) but not as low as the original price of the Xbox Classics at £19.99 ($38). The difference is in keeping with the £10 ($19) increase in next generation console games pioneered by the Xbox 360.

Requirements to make it into the UK Xbox 360 Classics range are still unclear. As for the titles, we've already told you guys that Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo: Elements of Power have made it into the Classics range. For this update, two more have just been added to the list: Condemned and Peter Jackson’s King Kong. A second wave has been promised for spring 2007, with similar schemes promised before the year's end in North America, Asia, Latin America, Japan and Australia.

Buy: [ Perfect Dark Zero | Kameo: Elements of Power | Condemned | Peter Jackson's King Kong ]