Looks like the GameCube has been pushed back a bit according to a report by FGN. According to a calender at the Annual Toy Fair in New York, the GameCube has been pushed back to Nov. while the Game Boy Advance has been moved up to a June 11 release. Nintendo has yet to comment on this news.

OPTIMUS LIVES!!!

Shugashack has some great news for us folks that miss the Original Transformers.

TRANSFORMERS: There are robots, and then there are ROBOTS IN DISGUISE. The original toy robot that took the world by storm in the '80s comes full circle with the return of ROBOTS IN DISGUISE. Hasbro is bringing back the "classic" theme for TRANSFORMERS right down to the car-to-robot transformation. Plus, in the fall, Fox Kids will begin airing all-new TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE programming six days per week.

According to FGN Interplay and Shiny have officially announced that they are developing games for current and future platforms that are based on their newly aquired Matrix agreement.

Welcome Mr. Anderson...

Famitsu has snippets from a Yu Suzuki interview as well as screenies from new info based on the Virtual Fighter 4 arcade game. An ed. note in the article mentions that the interview occured before Sega announced that it would be publishing on mutliple consoles.

Yu Suzuki on VF4 Characters
"We will definitely add some new characters, though we haven't decided how many yet. We also intend to re-design the costumes of the VF series' characters: the Player1 outfits will follow the same vein as the earlier titles in the series, while Player2's ones might be pretty different. Sorry, we can't show them now, but I guarantee they're worth waiting for. Also, we will improve each character's facial expressions, and they should look like they've aged a bit. Anyway, all of the characters will get a makeover. For VF4's presentation, we borrowed some movie-like styles that were cultivated during Shenmue's development and incorporated them into various parts, like characters' victory poses."

Yu Suzuki on VF4 Stages
"The graphics of stages will also become even more realistic than before, as we take advantage of Sega's architecture on the NAOMI2 board: For example, look for impact shocks when a character is thrown down and footprints during snow battles."

Control and the fighting system might be chaged as well. Removal of the 4th button (Escape), different throws being based on location from the other fighter, and changes to the "Guard" system are being tested and may be implemented in this Naomi 2 based arcade title.

Interplay has secured the rights to the Matrix video games, according to eV. Shiny, creators of Sacrifice, Messiah, and the might Earthworm Jim, is supposed to be developing games based on the movie, hopefully having a one ready in time for the launch of it's prequel at the box office.

"All I can tell you is this: Any studio bidding on 'The Matrix' better drive a Brinks truck to the negotiations," said a spokesman for Electronic Arts, which was rumored to have been in the running for the license.

" 'The Matrix' is one of the most sought-after properties in the history of the industry, which means WB is going to expect (and deserve) top dollar for the license. What's more, expectations coming off of the movie are so high that delivery of a quality game is going to set records for cost of development."

The deal is expected to allow Interplay to create several game titles based on "The Matrix" franchise.

For those who didn't know, the Matrix Trilogy will play out similar to the Star Wars Trilogies. The first movie out was actually the second in the series. The next out will be the first in the series followed soon after (reportedly within a month) by the last in the series. Star Wars was supposed to a Trilogy of Trilogies with the first three movies being the 4th, 5th, and 6th in the series and the next three, starting with Ep. 1, being the first three in the series. From what I've heard, Lucas has said that the books and comics have done more than an adiquate job of keeping the legend alive and he will not make the last Trilogy (Films 7, 8, and 9).

Smikwily.com is alive. Smikwily.com should now point to this website. I know it isn't much yet, but I'm planning an update soon. I've changed both the font and the size. Going for a more mainstream look. Also, I'm planning on moving away from Blogger again. I love Blogger, but I'm looking for something I can do more with and something that I can modify like I want to. The new posting software may be a little overkill, but it gives me plenty of room to grow. Send me an email and let me know what you think...

IGN's site has the has info on the PS2 version of Half Life. All I can say is wow. Can't wait to see a 128-bit Freeman! Here is the first pic.

Smik is moving on up! Got a host today. Just getting settled so the place will be a mess for a little while. Might work on a redesign in the process, but no promises :) HostRocket is my host and I hear good things about them. $13 a month for 200MB and a buncha other stuff.. Smikwily.com is being repointed as we speak and should be online soon. That will get rid of the goofy numbers and the slow redirect. Hopefully I can make this place a little nicer with some room to grow...

From FGN Online

Gamecube: EA has all-but confirmed that it will release games for Gamecube when Nintendo's machine launches later this year.

Speaking at yesterday's financial results conference call, CEO and Chairman Larry Probst said, "Gamecube is going to be an important platform in the next generation. You can surmise that we will be there when it is launched."

And around the world the gamers rejoiced at the collective POP! of EA pulling their heads from their butts...

About time EA!

Infobeat has some good movie info that I had to pass along:

Singer Aaliyah on for 'Matrix' sequels

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Aaliyah, the singer who made her feature acting debut in "Romeo Must Die," has been added to the cast of the subsequent installments of "The Matrix" franchise. The first of the sequels is slated to start production in March in Australia with filmmakers Larry and Andy Wachowski at the helm. The third installment is scheduled to be shot immediately following the second. The story lines for both sequels are being kept under tight wraps, but it is known that Aaliyah will play a character named Zee and will likely be more prominent in the third installment. Original cast members Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving are back on board for the sequels, and Jada Pinkett Smith has been added to the cast as the love interest of Fishburne's character.

Atkinson rounds out 'Scooby' cast

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - British comedy star Rowan Atkinson (a.k.a. Mr. Bean) is in negotiations to play the lead villain in the live-action feature "Scooby-Doo," for Warner Bros. and director Raja Gosnell. The project is scheduled to begin shooting Feb. 13 in Australia. For "Scooby," written by James Gunn and John August, Atkinson rounds out a cast that includes real-life couple Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Fred and Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy and Linda Cardellini as Velma. The plot line is being kept tightly under wraps, though it is known that the Atkinson character's name is Mondavarious.

SwirlVision has info on the Sega Demo Disc plans. Recently yanked from the Official DC Magazine, the Demos will be sold at retail stores for around $5.The first group includes the following:

-Daytona USA 2001
-Unreal Tournament
-Typing of the Dead

According to this little snippet on IGN's PS2 site, Vitua Fighter 4 is a PS2 exclusive. Looks like one of Sega crowd favorites won't be on the crowd's console. Ah well. Glad I have a PS2!

For those of you who don't have one yet, the US Playstation store has opened online. 14,000 PS2 were available on a first come, first serve basis. Head this way to order your missing hardware.

Times are a changin' for Sega. VideoGames.com as news that the house that Sonic built will be quietly exiting the hardware biz by slashing the DC price to $99 dollars starting Feb. 4. Space Channel 5 and the newly renamed VF4 (formerly VF-X) will be coming to the PS2 in 2001. Game Boy Advance will get mobile versions of Puyo Puyo and Chu Chu Rocket as well as the previously announced Sonic Advanced.

I hate to see Sega's hardware support disappear, but I'd rather see that then have the whole company gone. I think they have done the right thing. I just hope my DC gaming library can continue to grow.

Hideo Kojima, creator of all that is Solid and Snake like has been quoted as saying that Metal Gear Solid 2 will "conclude" the MGS series. Head over to FGN for more info.

Gamers.com has a very interesting article on a very interesting rumor. They have word that XBox wil have a DC chip in it that will allow the console to play Dreamcast games. Apparently MS already has a version of Virtua Fighter dubbed "VF-X" up and running on the XBox. This is not a emulated piece, but a XBox specific game. Things are getting interesting in the land of video games, that is for sure.

Inside.com reports that video game industry mag Game Week has word that Sony plans to start selling the PS2 via their website. Apparently the boy at Sony don't wont retailers and customers alike mad at the company, so they won't be advertising this yet.

Well. I'm back to Geocities. Barrysworld has gone under. I hate to see it happen. Not only because of the wonderful hosting they offered, but because of the other stuff as well. 2 Unreal Fortress servers as well as the Team Earthquake clan page and the official Unreal Fortress page all existed becuase of Barrysworld. A lot of people are going to miss them, myself included. I hope to get a permanant host in the near future, but until that time, Geocities will have to do...