Titled Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes, the game plays like a simpler version of Tactics, using the click wheel for movement and selecting actions. (Sorry, iPod Touch owners, but this is for click wheels only.)

To take advantage of its unique platform, Square-Enix threw in a feature where your characters are created based on which songs you select. Like Monster Rancher with CDs, each song in your library gives you various class- and level-type characters based on a variety of factors.

Don't expect a huge epic Square-Enix RPG, but who could turn down an offer to get a Monster Rancher-inspired Square-Enix tactics game on their iPod for $5? I would tell you how it is, but my iPod died years ago.

As it turns out, Bendis himself is a big gamer, but beyond that he was also an executive producer on the tragically departed Marvel Universe MMO. (I still have the introduction video saved on my 360's hard drive. It hurts too much to delete it and admit that it's gone.)

Perhaps the most heart-breaking part of Marvel Universe's cancellation is that nobody ever bothered to tell us why. One day it was there, and one day it wasn't. From the sound of Bendis's own words, that's pretty much the same way the folks on the development team felt too.

ComicMix: It's no secret that you're an avid gamer. Is there any comic character or title that you'd still like to see in a videogame that hasn't popped up yet?

Bendis: Well, you're talking to one of the executive producers of the ill-fated Marvel MMO that went away. I have my laptop here, and on it I have the "X-Mansion" level fully completed that only I and five other people have access to play. It's gorgeous and fantastic and no one will ever see it. So I feel bad, because I think that MMO was a phenomenal idea that was extremely well executed and it went away because some guy at Microsoft who we'll never know pulled the plug on it before it even got underway.

But adding to that, I think that they should take each of these Marvel events and turn them into a videogame franchise. "Civil War," which will be part of the next Ultimate Alliance, "House of M,"...

Isn't that always the way it happens? Damn MS and their faceless executives ruining my console MMO fun! I'm keeping track; I will not forget. First True Fantasy Live Online, then Marvel Universe! Who art thou, faceless executive? Have at thee!

Microsoft is launching an incentive program where those who slap down the extra dollars can have access to several mini-games all based around money earning mini-games which can then be used in Fable II once it launches. No cap has been mentioned by either the Microsoft or Lionhead camp, so conceieveably gamers could be sitting on a truckload on money come Fable II's launch day. Those not wanting to pre-order Fable II can buy the mini-game pack for 800MS points. While a nice option, there really doesn't seem to be an incentive to get the games this way. You have access to the mini-games if you pre-order reguardless, and they will be included in the final copy of Fable II, limited or regular. For once pre-ordering a game has some benefits.

[Via Wonderallweb.com]

We pause for the scratching of heads...

The 3^rd annual C4 convention isn't about explosives, but about fans of the old school Commodore 64 computer. C4 stands for the Cincinnati Commodore Computer Club. The event was held during the last week in Mitchell, Kentucky.

The official website didn't go into details about what was going to happen at the convention, but we do know that the world's first Commodore 64 LAN party was held there. A new LAN game called NetRacer was unveiled and allowed an astonishing 8 players to play together over an Internet connection.

PSN and Xbox Live...hang your heads in shame.

With E3 being the biggest videogames convention of the year, expect to see tons of brand new content to whet your gaming appetite from many big name companies. What we want to know is which company do you want to hear the most news from? Which company are you most excited about and why? Check out and vote in the new poll and tell us why you picked your choice, and is there a particular game that you can't wait to hear more info about?

Make sure to come back and visit every day next week when we will be giving you exclusive GamerNode interviews, in-depth previews, impressions, live blogging and mini podcast episodes of all the exciting news.

Which games are the staff members of GamerNode most interested in?

Eddie - Fallout 3, Prince of Persia, Resident Evil 5, inFAMOUS, White Knight Story

John M. - Animal Crossing Wii, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2

Demetri - Final Fantasy XIII, Fallout 3, White Knight Story, Aion, Resident Evil 5

Billy - Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky, Fable 2

Kyle - Halo spin-offs, XBLA announcements, DLC announcements

Frank - Rock Band 2, Gears of War 2, Killzone 2, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Tomb Raider Underworld

Brendon - Rock Band 2, Resistance 2, Left 4 Dead, Gears of War 2, DC Universe Online

Inside sources indicate that the talks are in a "delicate" stage but that the deal, if taken by Levine, will allow him more creative control over his projects as well as allowing him to start new game lines.

Will the new contract mean big bucks for Levine? Most likely, but other sources say it won't be in the same pay stratosphere as the creators of Grand Theft Auto IV.

"Levine delivered a big hit for Take-Two and they want to give him a good deal going forward. But 'BioShock' isn't 'Grand Theft Auto.' It's not even in the same universe," said an unnamed source.

Keeping Levine on the Take Two team will not only assure the quality of the next BioShock game, but will also serve as a bargaining chip in making the company more attractive to the ever stalking EA. Electronic Arts has been actively jockeying for position in order to take over T2 through several bids but has failed to come up with a figure that the Take Two Board of Directors is satisfied with.

With Levine onboard, he enhances the perception of value of Take Two and possibly increases the chances of a higher price from EA. Evan Wilson of Pacific Crest Securities commented, "Having certifiable hit makers on staff is rare. If Take-Two tried to sell without development talent, then what would EA really be buying?"

EA is currently extending its offer to buyout Take Two till July 18. This is the fourth extension that Electronic Arts has made.

The map is called Cold Storage and for dedicated Halo fans, they will notice that it is a cool (pun intended) remake of the Halo 1 map, Chill Out. Cold Storage is a smaller map that will allow some close quarters one-on-one battles.

The new map is available for download today on Xbox Live. Bungie is also offering new dashboard theme and gamer pics. In addition the Legendary map pack will be sold at a new price of only 600 Microsoft points (7.50USD).

Looks like it's time to dust off your Needler gun or assault riffle for some more Halo 3 mulitplayer goodness.

Whether Nintendo adds one game, ten games, or none at all, GamerNode will be here every Monday with the official details - titles, platforms, ratings, pricing, and even a taste of some corny marketing copy - keeping you up to date with everything from the online Wii scene.

Without further ado, the games:

WiiWare

SPOGS Racing (D2C Games, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Coming at you full throttle is SPOGS Racing, an all-new racer from D2C Games featuring classic arcade racing, pick-up-and-play controls, all-new racing vehicles and Crash N' Grab™ instant upgrades. Jump in, gear up and modify your ride on the fly as you compete head-to-head for a totally outrageous arcade racing experience on your Wii console. Whether you're a casual gamer or hardcore racer, SPOGS Racing features fun for all and is a must-have download for your WiiWare digital game library.

Virtual Console

KING OF THE MONSTERS (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released by SNK in 1991, KING OF THE MONSTERS is an action/fighting game that features city-destroying battles between huge monsters. Choose one of six monsters and travel around Japan, stopping to fight in various famous cities with the aim of becoming the ultimate winner. In addition to punches, kicks and other regular moves, each character has the ability to use more devastating maneuvers, like throwing flames and shooting laser beams, to defeat opponents. Wrestling elements are also incorporated, as you must completely exhaust your opponent and get a three-count to pin him and be victorious. Along with the player-versus-computer game, multiplayer options allow you and a friend to enjoy one-on-one matches and two-on-two tag-team matches against the computer. Take on the challenge and claim the title of King of the Monsters.

"It would be churlish of me to ruin the fantastic surprises awaiting everybody at E3," Gosen told MCV. "Clearly we'll use that to make a number of announcements. We place a huge amount of importance on R&D and innovation. We're always working on new things. And you'll continue to hear lots of things from us that we believe to be game-changing. But you'll just have to wait for those to be officially announced by us."

Could one of these new surprises be the rumored 360 Wiimote? Gosen quickly stomps on the rumormill a bit, saying:

"We know it is all about simplicity in the mass market. We can do that without a controller - we can do that with today's controller," he said. "For me, casual gaming is really a mindset rather than a genre. It's got to be easy to play a difficult to master," Gosen added. "Games studios can design games that are appealing to everyone without getting to the lowest common denominator."

[MCV]