From GRIN to grim. Talk about wiping that grin off your face. The development team just bid goodbye through their site now that they've officially shut down as a result of "an unbearable cashflow situation." It ain't over yet though, ex-GRIN members got together and formed a new team, under which they'll be waving a new banner, Outbreak Studios.

If you enjoyed the previous co-op campaign DLC for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, you probably won't want to miss this. Ubisoft has revealed the second installment to the co-op campaign with new maps and achievements. Details and map screenshots on GRAW 2's new co-op DLC in the full article.

For those whose interest in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 has declined, here's something that may get you to pick it up from your stack of games again: Ubisoft has released a new downloadable content package for the Xbox 360 that will give the game an all new co-op campaign as well as nine additional maps. Check out the full article for details.

Here's a developer diary video for upcoming Xbox 360 video game America's Army: True Soldiers. The title is being developed by Red Storm Entertainment using the Tom Clancy's GRAW 2 game engine. It will be published by Ubisoft and is scheduled to hit retail stores in a couple of days.

Being a tactical shooter focused on multiplayer campaign, it is only proper for America's Army: True Soldiers to sport real strategy and tactics being employed by the United States. Watch the video clip at the full article to know what Red Storm thinks about this.

 

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is about to be released for the PS3 on August 21, and we can't help but be excited to find out how the game will look like on Sony's shiny black console.

To help appease Ghost Recon fans' curiosity, Ubisoft Paris' Lead AI Engineer Olivier Didelot talked with Kotaku about the challenges that were presented in developing a game for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 simultaneously.

Didelot clarified that GRAW 2 for the PS3 is not a port of the Xbox 360 version, because the game for both platforms were developed side-by-side with Ubisoft Paris and Red Storm studios working on the Xbox 360 version, and Ubisoft Paris and Shanghai developing the game on the PS3.

Since PS3 hardware is different and required them to come up with ways to tackle game development, GRAW 2 for the PS3 is actually an original development. Furthermore, the differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 prompted Ubisoft in making sure that the GRAW engine will enable cross platforming.

This then allowed Ubisoft to develop the basic features of the game and optimized it according to the demands of the specific version they're dealing with. Didelot did not expound on each consoles' difference, but he explained:

For an engineer, the two platforms are critically different, with different strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, we feel that there's a real difference in the philosophy behind it. The very primary differences, in the way the processors are designed & combined or the way the memory is handled make them very different challenges for engineers.

Despite the differences however, the AI code is exactly the same for both consoles. Didelot said that the differences lie in how the AI code is handled by the hardware. If there were any discrepancies between the two versions, he assured that it will be invisible to the players.

GRAW 2 for both systems will have teammate's AI use voice feedback to help players out in locating enemies, while enemy AI will present considerable challenges by making full use of the terrain in attacking.

That certainly was a handful of useful information, straight from Ubisoft's Lead AI Engineer himself. For PS3 fans waiting for the game, why not check out the PS3 demo? Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2's PS3 release is just around the corner, but it won't hurt to experience the game in advance.

Here's another Xbox Live activity update coming from the battlefield, courtesy of everyone's favorite Major, Major Nelson, and it's for the action-filled week of 8/6. We get you all the facts, figures and statistics of the Xbox community's online hijinks as far as what games we're all playing is concerned.

For the Xbox 360, it's the same as last update: Gears of War takes the top spot, followed by none other than Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas and Guitar Hero II. For the top Arcade titles, it's Track and Field in the lead, with Spyglass Board Games and Bomberman Live close behind. And in the Original Xbox Live category, Master Chief's still going strong as Halo 2 reigns king of the hill once more, Battlefield 2: MC placing second and Star Wars: Battlefront 2, third.

Noteworthy update here is the fact that even though it's still unreleased, Puzzle Fighter HD has reached the top ten spots of Arcade titles. While this may seem strange, a reason for it could be that many users are buying the picture packs already available for it. Also, the Stranglehold Demo's rising up the ranks, netting the fifth spot for Xbox 360. Sweet.

Updates as we get them. In the meantime, here's the complete list for your viewing pleasure.

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles

1. Gears of War
2. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
3. Guitar Hero II
4. Forza Motorsport 2
5. STRANGLEHOLD DEMO
6. Call Of Duty 3
7. Oblivion
8. NCAA 08
9. Bomberman LIVE
10. GRAW 2

The complete list after the jump!

It's always nice to find out what your fellow gamers are playing the most over at Xbox Live, and courtesy of Major Nelson, we give you the opportunity to do exactly that in this week's chart of Live Activity for the week of 7/30. Let's take a gander at the top spots before working our way down the other contenders, shall we?

For Microsoft's next-gen console, we have Gears of War taking the Number 1 spot this week, with other greats such as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas and Guitar Hero II following closely behind. For top Xbox Live Arcade titles - the full versions, mind you - Bomberman Live is at the top of the heap, Spyglass Board Games as second and Halo's grandpappy, Marathon: Durandal coming up in third. And finally, for Original Xbox Live games, Halo 2 rules supreme over classics like Battlefield 2 and Star Wars: Battlefront 2.

One thing to note here is that Halo 2 is still going strong - understatement of the year, perhaps, as the short-lived Halo 3 Beta test really got armchair Spartans back into a Covenant-wasting mood, as well as get some quality time with its predecessor Marathon: Durandal. Certainly good news that the popularity of a contemporary game gives attention to titles almost forgotten by time.

In any case, here's the complete list, for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles

1. Gears of War
2. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
3. Guitar Hero II
4. Forza Motorsport 2
5. Call Of Duty 3
6. Bomberman LIVE
7. Oblivion
8. NCAA 08
9. GRAW 2
10. Saints Row

The complete list after the jump!

E3 is over and done with, leaving some of us hopeful for games queued up for the next couple of months. That doesn't necessarily mean we should turn a blind eye to this week's releases though. There are still a couple of gems not worth passing up.

While Nintendo doesn't have anything up for this week, it's going to be a busy one for the Sony and Microsoft camp as things heat up on the gridiron with All-Pro Football 2K8 and NCAA Football 08, both available on the 360 and PS3.

Over at the handheld side, we've got a rapping dog in the form of PaRappa the Rapper and Namco Bandai's latest Tales installment, Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology, for the PSP.

Desktop gamers also find a treat this week: the PC version of GRAW 2 is to be released, as well as the Mac OS X version of World War II Online.

On with the festivities then! We've got a touchdown to score.

All-Pro Football 2K8. Sports-buffs wanting to scratch their jock-itch for more football titles might want to give this a try. Boasting realistic football mechanics and, more importantly, a roster of football legends like Jerry Rice and Joe Montana could make this a sports title that competes with the likes of Madden.

• PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 - July 16, 2007
• US$ 59.99
• ESRB E (Everyone 10+)
• 2K Sports

PaRappa the Rapper. Kick-punch-block your way through this rhythm-based remake of the classic PSOne title. Help PaRappa rap his way to Sunny Funny's heart, as this journey into music will have you encounter a strange lot of characters, including a moose as your driving instructor, a Rastafarian frog at a flea market, and the ever-famous Master Onion.

• PlayStation Portable - July 17, 2007
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• NaNaOn-Sha and Sony

Check out this week's "On Shelves" list by clicking on the Full Article link below!

Lucky ghost-wannabes who got a taste of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 know that the game is beyond just the pretty physics or nostalgia factor. For the doubtful, a couple of guys, Grin CEO Bo Andersson and Lead Mission Designer/Lead Artist Rickard Johansson, from GRAW 2's dev team sat down to answer a few questions from the fans.

As usual, squad tactics will be the major focus of the game. Even so, the PC version aims to deliver an authentic FPS experience. CrossCom 2.0 is leagues better than the previous version. You can now issue orders much smoother, and command your support team around with a few button touches. Tactical map will offer more details to open up a plethora of new strategic choices.

If you haven't tried demo yet, now is a good time. Meanwhile, watch the video for yourself to get more info.

We've got a trailer of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter Throwback Pack for the PC, Sony PlayStation 3, and the Microsoft Xbox 360. As the developers promised, the game lives to the franchise's tactical FPS tradition with a hodgepodge of past and current maps in store.

Such maps as Bonfires (Ghost Recon 2 DLC), Desert Gulch (GRAW), Fishing Village (GRAW), and many more are available to add more replay value and to invoke nostalgia among fans. The old maps look a little better than they did before with the advances in 3D modeling and that can only spell out more fun for all you soldiers out there.

The GRAW 2 Throwback Pack is now available for you. If you don't have it yet, this video should help you decide. Chances are you'll shell more cash out.