Hitting 505 screens last weekend, Dead or Alive raked in a paltry $232,000 over the 3-day weekend.  That’s just over $150 a day per screen, which means that approximately 15-25 people were watching each screen that was DOA-dedicated.  This is yet another indication that film adaptations of video-games are following in a tradition steadily-decreasing quality.  Although the average rating of DOA on IMDB is 4.8/10, I highly doubt that half of the people who have seen it are genuinely satisfied.

That’s right!  As of today, May 22nd, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End has launched for all major consoles, from the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, to the PSP, PS2, DS, and PC.  Craig Relyea, VP of marketing for Disney Interactive Studios, boasts that “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End allows players to experience a swashbuckling pirate’s life through adventure and swordplay that goes far beyond the events of the films [...] With its unique, dynamic gameplay and stunning graphics, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End provides a new and significant chapter in the Pirates of the Caribbean video game franchise.” Check out the official Xbox 360 Pirate’s At World’s End trailer:

There’s a plethoraof downloads and multimedia out there, including an official demo on Xbox Live, but so far very few Pirates of the Caribbean 3 cheats. I’ll update when more become available. Here are some of the astounding screens:

That’s right.  Electronic Gaming Monthly has confirmed that Valve’s upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the Half Life 2 bundle have been renamed Half Life 2: Orange!  Joystiq quips: “Valve has come up with an entire world of alien life forms, postmodern physics and government conspiracies and the best title they could come up with is a color? We guess it’s better than Half-Life 2: Head Crab-tacular Edition.”  HL2:O will include the original Half Life 2 game, along with Episodes One and Two, Portal, and Team Fortress.

Japanese PS3 owners recently discovered that Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, which was essentially a remade version of Tekken 5 with some new characters and modes, was available for download from the Playstation store at no cost.  The big difference in this version of Tekken 5, of course, is that it is High-Def (HD), running in 1080p.  There are many modes in this game, including arcade battle, ghost battle, versus battle, and a gallery for viewing and downloading images and movies.  At 830 megabytes and about $17 in value, Japanese PS3 owners must feel the Sony love.  Can’t wait for this one to come to the US!

Finally, the anticipated Rainbow Six Vegas demo has a set date for its release.  Starting October 24th, you can acquire the Rainbow Six Vegas demo in the Official US Xbox Magazine, or else wait till sometime in November for general release.  The demo will feature the single-player mode only, and a portion of the “Dante’s Casino” level.  It’s great news that Rainbow Six Vegas is finally coming, and that the official release date is sometime in November for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 versions!

Lair, an action-adventure game designed for the PS3, pits you as a dragon-riding warrior.  Here are some of the key-features, as detailed by Sony:

· Engage in a struggle on an epic scale as your civilization repels the onslaught of an unrelenting army.
· A seamless combination of vast battles in air and on the ground, against other beasts, and armies of thousands.
· Unleash your might through large-scale battles that span both the sky and ground.
· Turn the tides of war with your ferocious dragon. Scorch the ground with flames and command the skies against vicious enemies.
· Immerse yourself in a living, breathing world of voracious beasts, a deep storyline and visceral gameplay.
· Fully supports the PLAYSTATION®3 motion sensitive controller.

 Here are some of the official screenshots:

 Take a gander at the official Lair trailer:

Egosoft, producer of both the X2 and the X3 space simulators, will now be selling both products on Valve’s Steam for $29.95 a pop.  From the Egosoft email newsletter:

In order to bring both X²: The Threat and X³: Reunion to the widest
possible audience, there is now a new way to buy them that means you
don’t even have to leave your seat. Just head over to Steam where you
can purchase both games for download directly to your PC. No more
disks and an excellent price.
Since the Steam version does not include a registration code, access
restrictions on forums and downloads relating to X³: Reunion have been
lifted.

This is great news for lovers of space sims.  Available now.

No doubt we’ll see many a game made in the likeness of this series in the times to come.  Set out for May 4th, 2007, Spiderman 3 is sure to be a blockbuster, but right now, it’s just a budget-breaker.

Of course, this game will utilize the Wii-remote controller (Wiimote) to give users as much control as possible of their character, movements, and weapons.  You can also view the Official Call of Duty 3 Trailer over at GameSpot.

From the producers who brought us the luscious Age of Wonders video-game series comes an official announcement of their freshest title, Overlord, which breaks away from their turned-based strategy mold, delivering what could possibly be their breakout hit for the PC & Xbox 360. 

From the press release:

Controlling a mysterious figure that has inherited the legacy of the evil, long-dead Overlord, the player emerges, near death, from the ruins of the old Overlord’s Dark Tower. Only the player’s actions will determine if they will rise to become the new all-powerful Overlord; it’s all down to how much of a bad ass they want to be in order to succeed… evil or really evil! Played out with plenty of black humour and dark irony, the game will immerse players in twisted parodies of classic fantasy scenarios and characters.Overlord’s key innovation is the introduction of an array of impish creatures – the Minions. They believe you are the old Overlord reborn and will use their unique skills to fetch, fight and die for you. Throughout the game players will actively control a horde of these gremlin-like critters and they’ll follow your every instruction no matter how despotic or, for the Minions, life threatening it is.