We like to think that one of the pluses of having such a flexible, global team here at GL is that we’re able to be everywhere at once.

While most of the insane breaks and major developments reserve themselves for E3, GDC and TGS, it’s easy to forget that there are a couple of gaming exhibitions occuring in other regional centres throughout this big bad world we inhabit.

Two of the larger upcoming events landing at the end of October- eGames Expo (Melbourne, Australia) and Eurogamer Expo (London, United Kingdom) promise to provide if not a ton of surprises, but at the very least a couple of juicy tidbits, some face-to-face hands on with upcoming releases and maybe a scoop or two.

What else do they have in common? Gamer Limit will be at both!

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After a short delay, the NPD Group has finally released the software and hardware sales data for the month of September. With a 1% increase over last year’s sales, the month of September was certainly an impressive sales month for both Halo 3: ODST and the Playstation 3 console.

Despite the fact many feel Halo 3: ODST felt more like an expansion, Halo fans proved, once again, just how important the Halo series is to the Xbox 360.

Hit the jump for the full breakdown of September’s NPD numbers.

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Chinese online games revenues jumped 6.18 billion yuan ($906m/£576m) during the second quarter, an increase of 39.5 per cent year-on-year, according to data released by research firm Analysys International.

Hit the jump for the breakdown.

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It must be tough to be a Chinese gamer.  After having every game with a gangster in it getting banned back in July, their terrific communist government strikes again: on October 1, the Chinese government launched a campaign to eliminate illegally operated games featuring content they deem “unhealthy.”

So far, over 200 games have been investigated, and forty-five have been straight-up banned.  Many more were given a time limit in which to clean up their acts.  Apparently, they were operating from outside China without prior approval.  And that, in the eyes of the Chinese government, is a no-no.

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You have probably heard of Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle).  You’ve also probably heard of Level 5 (Dark Cloud, Professor Layton).

When their powers combine, what do you get?  The biggest DS game ever – four gigabits of awesome.

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Ever order a used game off of GameStop.com and had nothing sent to you but the game disc in a cheap paper sleeve?  Those days are no more.

GameStop’s new policy is to include both cover art AND instruction manuals with every used game they sell online.  Well, every used game on the newest generation of systems: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, and PSP.  PS2/Gamecube/Xbox-only owners are out of luck.

Are there catches?  Probably.

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Today the developer behind the popular Warcraft 3 mod Defense of the Ancients: Allstars, known only as ‘IceFrog,’ announced that he is going to be leading a team of developers at Valve.

According to IceFrog, this is “great news for DotA fans.” He stated, “I finally have all the resources needed to do some very exciting stuff that you guys will love,” notes IceFrog. “As I’ve said many times in the past and especially after today’s developments, I am very excited about DotA’s future!” Read more… »

Today The Federal trade Commission announced some revisions to its “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” that pertain to us bloggers. According to the Commission, us bloggers are now required to reveal “connections that consumers would not expect,” aka free products or money in exchange for a review.

The wording of the Commission’s announcement is a bit loose. To get a better idea of how these regulations work, read on. Read more… »

Today the Entertainment Consumers Association, a non-profit organization involved with gamers’ rights, announced that it has formed a new group called the “Gamers for Digital Rights.” This group will focus on providing “tools and resources that will help protect the rights of video game consumers today.”

ECA VP Jennifer Mercurio stated, “Digital rights are an extremely important and timely subject for everyone who buys and enjoys entertainment, but especially for those who purchase and play video games.”

To find out more about this new organization, hit the jump. Read more… »

One of the biggest names in video game journalism has moved onto greener pastures. Garnett Lee, 1UP’s executive producer, previously executive editor, has left 1UP.com to be editorial director for GameFly Media.

GameFly Media is a division of GameFly Inc. which includes Shacknews, FileShack, ShackVideo, Ponged, and Game Answers.

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Sony announced yesterday that it’s bringing a smaller version of PlayStation Network’s Home to the PSP… sometime.

Hit the jump to see the scant details!

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Today Nintendo announced that its ridiculously popular console, the Wii, will be receiving a price cut in the U.S. this Sunday, Sept. 27. Lopping off $50 from the retail price, the waggle-tastic console can now  be yours for only $199.

This news really shouldn’t comes as surprise to anyone. Over the last few weeks the Internet has been awash in rumors thanks to numerous leaked documents from various retailers. Read more… »