The recent debacle between Infinity Ward and Activision makes for a good news read, but there's a lingering question that nobody is asking: Is Call of Duty Dead?

Of course, Treyarch will still be there to give us its games, but let's face it...Infinity Ward is the God of COD. So what will happen to the franchise now? We attempted to contact representatives of both IW and Activision, but have not yet received an answer.

What do you think? Will Activision drop Infinity Ward?

Evidence says, "Yes." After announcing Sledgehammer Games, Activision seems to be attempting to fill Infinity Ward's spot. After all, IW is plenty capable of delivering big selling COD titles every two years. However, there's also talk that Sledgehammer Games is simply working on bringing COD into a new genre...so it could be that they're just trying to open new doors and not do a full replacement. There's a good chance that IW is still under contract for the 2011 COD.

Either way, we won't know for sure until Activision or IW responds. So, stay tuned!

According to Amazon.com on March 1, 2010 @ 9:30a.m. CST, Final Fantasy on PS3 is ranked #1 in Video Games. The Xbox 360 version is ranked #16. How (or if) this will translate to total sales is purely conjecture, but Amazon is currently reporting that the PS3 is presenting more interest as of right now.

We'll be keeping an eye on this as release draws nearer.

It's that time, again. Last year, we broke news in March of Team ICO showing off Project Trico at E3. While nothing is confirmed, here's what to expect from this year's E3.

SONY:
Sony will expect to see a lot of Natal from Microsoft, and they don't seem to have much faith in Natal, if at all. So, Sony will really be catering to the hardcore crowd this year. They'll have a good focus on Arc, but it certainly isn't meant to be the focus of the event as a whole. Put Sony down for some more "real" game demonstrations, but most of what we'll see will most likely be shovelware. We're likely to see Arc at work with Little Big Planet, but if ModNation Racers has another demonstration, expect Arc to play a role, as we've already seen a lot from this game.

We can expect to see some tantalizing teasers from Agent, inFamous 2, and Project Trico. As is Rockstar's way, don't expect any actual gameplay to be revealed on Agent. They'll be sticking with cinematics...(but that's fine with me). inFamous 2 will reveal the story that's in line for us with the sequel, and Project Trico will most likely unveil another artsy piece...though expect Team ICO to give up a few more details.

We're sure to see some gameplay from trailers featuring Resistance 3 and Final Fantasy XIV. Most likely, we'll even get a live demonstration of each. Expect a release date for Resistance 3 and a beta announcement for FFXIV.

Final, we'll get a glimpse of Killzone 3. They may assign a release for "Winter 2010", or something, but don't expect to see it until early-to-mid 2011. Most likely, Killzone 3 will be released in order to gear people back up for the PS3 in the slower start of the year. There are some great games in production, but most won't see store shelves until late 2011, so Sony will need to fill out the beginnings of next year.

We might also want to cross our fingers on some news from Bioware. Announcement of an MMO or FPS may be forthcoming, but I would really doubt anything FPS related, as Sony really has a satisfying FPS lineup already. If there's no Bioware, maybe we'll see something from Naughty Dog or Media Molecule, instead.

MICROSOFT:
Microsoft is going to really try to turn naysayers into gospel preachers when it comes to Natal. There's a lot of guff in the 360 community right now, so we can expect Microsoft to try and put fears to rest. Will they deliver? Most likely not. If they're smart, they'll take Sony's route and really focus on the hardcore gamer at E3 and let television marketing hype the casual crowd. (How many grandmas watch E3?)

Unlike 2009, Microsoft has a massive load of great things to bring to E3 2010. Expect to see new details on Fable 3, Gears 3 and Halo Reach. These 3 titles are enough to carry Microsoft's entire conference.

Don't expect a lot of innovation, though. Microsoft is sticking to what works, and they're sure to bring Bungie along to announce something new. Will it be a new franchise, or just another genre of the Halo universe? My money is on a bridge from Halo to something new. They've got a cool new engine from Halo Reach, and they aren't planning on trashing it just yet.

Other than exclusives, expect Microsoft to show off some more multiplatform titles. They like to do this, and they'll do it again. Microsoft really tries to sell itself as the best platform for multiplatform games, so we can reasonably expect to see them showcase some titles from Activision and EA.

OVERALL:
Who will win E3? I don't really believe in winners. I do think we'll see less innovation than usual from Sony, though. Sure, they'll have some awesome titles, but nothing that really shocks us. With God of War 3 around the corner, we've really seen the PS3 push boundaries. Expect a little downtime from Sony.

Microsoft, on the other hand, will really give us the impression that they've been working hard to keep everyone's attention. They'll be successful, for the most part. But as far as innovation goes, I predict that the Natal will disappoint. What we've seen, and what we've heard, just doesn't support Natal as a concept for E3-watching gamers. Fortunately, Microsoft won't let followers down, as they will have a load of fantastic titles to steal the show from Natal.

You won't leave E3 (or its coverage) empty handed. Gamers will be fully satisfied this year, so get ready! It's going to be a pretty sweet ride.

UPDATE: Just got some more news. Look forward to an exclusive confirmation in late March.

Have you ever watched a video online, where some stupid idiot is about to try jumping his bike from rooftop to rooftop and thought to yourself, "What is this idiot doing?" Or maybe a bungee jumper getting ready to jump from a bridge, and you think to yourself, "He's gonna bust his head open."

I have. And I think the reason I have those "what a moron" thoughts is because I can see that what is about to happen is a major risk. The benefit for me is that I get to watch. I'm not the one taking the risk. I'm not the one that is about 20 seconds away from splattering my face all over the asphalt.

It makes me feel smart. Why? Well, because I would double check the length of the bungee cord. I would do the math on the rooftop jump. I would calculate the risk and then do everything in my power to make sure that things would pan out...that the result would be exhilarating and successful.

And that's what Heavy Rain is. It's a bungee jump, and Quantic Dream are the jumper. There's just so much risk involved in Heavy Rain, and when I play it, I can see the cord coiled up on the ground, quickly untangling as Quantic Dream fall toward demise. I see the frays, and I count the feet, and I wonder and wonder: Did they check everything?

Yes. They did.

The real risk is that this game has to compete with real games. With games that have an "M" rating, but are really crafted to be enjoyed by anyone that can use a controller. Heavy Rain may have an "M" rating, but it's not for everyone. It's for a mature audience. And you can't put an age on that. In this specific instance, "mature" does not mean "able to buy beer". "Mature" does not mean "has had sex". In this instance, "mature" means exactly what most gamers aren't. And that's the risk.

It may be forced 75% of the time, but Heavy Rain is artsy. It's emotional. If you don't enjoy the first 30 minutes of play, put the controller down and return the game. I'd say, treat it like a museum. If you don't like museums--or paintings or classical music--then you most likely will not appreciate Heavy Rain...at least not as Quantic Dream have intended it to be appreciated. BUT, if you can get a thrill out of a sunset...if you get stupid-happy smiles on your face when your children do the most basic task...if you appreciate life... If you can appreciate life, you can appreciate Heavy Rain.

This is more than a game, and I want that clearer than anything. Before I can do a "game review", you have to understand that this is not a game. And that means that this review is purely for formalities.

Now...on to the good stuff.

Heavy Rain starts you out as Ethan Mars, an architect with everything who soon finds himself down on his luck. There has been talk that the first couple of hours with Heavy Rain are slow. Let me tell you right now: That's the stupidest comment ever. This isn't a game. This is something else. And, as something else, the prelude is perfect. (My only complaint about the beginning is that the Ethan Mars' kids annoy the crap out of me.)

After the prelude, you get right into the opening credits. I thought these were worth mentioning because they do a great job of giving life to the environment. They also give you a good look at the setting for the game. Believe me...the setting is important. Make yourself familiar with the map so that you an easily find your way around, if needed.

There's also a fair amount of nakedness. The web has been passing clips of the lead female character around like wildfire. There's something about it that's fun to watch, but in the game itself, the scenes (while cool) are pretty forgettable. And that's good.

One thing that we didn't really get enough of was ARI, the Added Reality Interface. You use this as you play FBI Special Agent Norman Jayden. It consists of a pair of high tech sunglasses and a single "power glove" that helps to analyze crime scenes. It does most of the work for you, you'd think, but there's also a fair amount of thought that you have to put into solving puzzles, and you can use the information you find with ARI to help other characters, as well. I could have done with seeing ARI in the game about twice as much as it is, but I can be thankful they they didn't overuse it.

The controls are fantastic. People complain about it being "one big quick-time event", but that's really ridiculous. I can prove it. Go pop Modern Warfare or Mass Effect into your system. Turn it on. Start playing. I promise that, within the first five minutes of regular play, you will get a button prompt. Whether it's to open a door or pick up an item, you'll be told what button to push. Heavy Rain just evolves this process. Instead of a simple button press, you actually move the thumbstick like you are actually performing the action. The slower you move it, the slower the action is performed. It's a welcome evolution...a natural evolution.

You'll probably read a ton of reviews that complain about "clunky" movement, but in reality, any movement headaches you find in Heavy Rain are the children of the 3rd person set up, and not the controller configuration. Once you figure out that Quantic Dream have coded paths into the game to help you find our way around objects, you'll let go of the left thumbstick and use it just for drastic changes in direction. Basic routes are all handled, and it works fine. Some may complain that this takes the "game" out to an even higher degree, but the truth is that it's not really a big deal. You get so into the story that you really don't care if you can explore the whole neighborhood.

Speaking of exploration, you really are paid off for exploring environments for clues, but you can also explore too much. You can save yourself a lot of headache by keeping your nose where it belongs. I can think of two scenes in particular where I got my characters into a world of hurt by being a little too thorough. I'll be playing those scenes again to see if there's any way to minimize the problems I caused. There are even some places where you'll react without thinking and then have to face (and pay) the consequences. It works well.

The story moves along well. I've read some reviews (and I'm sure you have, too) that mention plot holes galore...but I failed to find anything really worth mentioning. I honestly can't think of a movie that doesn't have plot holes, and video games barely have plots to begin with, so I think complaining about the insanely fantastic story in Heavy Rain is pretty childish and unimpressive. The story works, and it works well. My only complaint is that it is incredibly similar to Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy), Quantic Dream's last major release. There are times when the resemblance is so strong, I felt a little robbed. But by the middle of the game (particularly the scene where you take control of a child for a short run), I started to realize that Heavy Rain is the game Quantic Dream wanted to make when they created Fahrenheit. And it's a better ride, too.

The game, of course, has a massive amount of ways it can end--from fairy tale to tragic. My ending was less than perfect. I'll be jumping in soon to find out how I can make it a little...well...happier. It was a little dark for my taste. It was a little gruesome. But, it shows that it can be difficult to get a happy ending...just like in reality. Things don't always go well, and your choices along the way can determine that. The only problem is that "choice" really plays a very small part in Heavy Rain. It sells itself on "choice", but the truth is that your reaction time really matters more than anything. The majority of consequences are a result of not pushing the right button at the right time. Sure, you could argue that not pushing the button is a choice of avoiding the action, but it still leaves you feeling cheated sometimes. Still, there are times when you'll want to pause the game just so you can think things over. There are some instances where choice is a serious matter, and you have to handle the situation delicately. And it's a fun challenge.

And that's really what Heavy Rain boils down to: a fun challenge. Just like bungee jumping. Did Quantic Dream take the appropriate precautions? Did it check the length of the cord? Did it put on a helmet? Did it measure the drop?

Yes. And I think they'll survive quite well. I don't think Heavy Rain is going to be a huge seller, though, and that's a shame. Risk taking gets rarer and rarer in the games industry. When someone steps up and delivers something new, gamers should jump on board to not just support it but to encourage it. We already have Mass Effect. We already have Uncharted. We already have God of War. And while those games are fantastic, we'll never bring gaming to the next level without games like Heavy Rain.

Kudos to Quantic Dream and Sony for taking a risk. Kudos for pulling it off, and kudos for doing it fearlessly.

Rating this game on a scale of 1-10 is tough. Honestly, I have no idea what the perfect game would be for this genre. Or even what the worst game would be. But I do know what I would have appreciated more of here and less of there, and based on that, I can pretty easily say this game scores well. Pick up your copy today. You won't be disappointed.

9/10

INTRO
Let's face it: 3D just isn't going to work for a mainstream audience. The only market where 3D is even going to stand a chance at survival is in the gaming community. I'm a huge fan of 3D, but there's more to my devotion than eye-popping graphics.

THE PROBLEM
Virtual Reality has come and gone....sort of. I remember jumping into a VR machine at a local arcade about twenty years ago. I had to stand in this big cylinder and wear a giant (and heavy) helmet, carry a big, clunky controller, and try not to look like a moron in front of the line at this thing. (Yes, at $4.50 a turn, there was a line...that was a lot of money back then.)

Let's put this into perspective. In 1990, Super Mario Bros. 3 was released. It wasn't just the best game of all time, it was also the most impressive graphically. For all the trouble I went through with trying to get a "real-life" feel, the graphics in the VR machine wound up being so totally pathetic, it's not even funny...

And other VR systems had the same problem. Take Virtual Boy, for instance. I probably would have purchased that unit if I'd never been allowed to try it. Upon giving it a go, I was just disappointed with the experience. And I think that gaming companies caught on to this trend. It wasn't just me that gave up on VR, it was consumers as a whole. And so VR and 3D drifted away into a dark abyss.

And good riddance.

But now we're seeing this reemergence of 3D, and we have mixed feelings about it. I've met a number of people that say they'd never want to wear glasses to watch TV, but when they went to see Avatar? You guessed it. It turns out that 3D can be really cool in the right circumstances. For instance, I would totally wear 3D glasses if I was watching something in 1080p at home. Who wouldn't? I might just have to be brave enough to say that anyone with a bad taste for 3D in the home is either having sour memories from 20 years past, or simply weren't alive to experience that feeling of excitement of VR when it hit the market all those years ago.

THE POINT
Why am I even mentioning VR? I know, I know, 3D and VR aren't the same. But they CAN be. 3D needs to make its home in gaming. Why? Because gaming offers so much potential for "cool". Let me give an example.

Grand Theft Auto 4 released not long ago, and it brought into gaming a ton of really great technology. From Euphoria to sprawling cities to realistic vehicle damage--it was as close to the "perfect game" as anyone has ever come when you talk about being able to really experience an open world.

Killzone 2 was a good game, too. When it released, it boasted some pretty awesome graphics. At the time (and arguably to this day), it was the best looking console game ever. One thing that I really liked about it was the duck and cover mechanic.

THE SOLUTION
Are you catching on, yet? Gamers want technology. And that's the truth. When games stop pushing the realm of possibilities, we get a little ticked (ODST) and flood the web with hate and ridicule.

We need 3D. But we need it accompanied by the rest of our great technology.

Check out this sweet demo (cam required): http://www.boffswana.com/news/?p=958

Now, imagine playing Killzone 2 with head tracking and 3D. Don't want to be up jumping around? Don't worry about it. The only time you use head tracking is when taking cover. And the sensitivity is adjustable, so a simple nod of your head will do the trick. And now, a game that was crazy immersive in the first place pulls you in that much more. With 3D, the experience just multiplies itself.

WHAT MATTERS
The only thing that really matters is that the experience can be as crazy as you want it to be. Don't have glasses? No sweat. Just turn off 3D. Still want head tracking? Turn it on. Want just 3D? Fine.

Or, maybe you just want to kick it old school.

In any case, there is a market for 3D, and while it may be considered a niche market--and thus comparable to something like the market for Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain--it's a market nonetheless.

UNTIL LATER
3D is coming. Head tracking is coming (we've all seen it in action). We just have to hope that the ability to customize that experience also comes with it.

Sound off with your comments below!