Not to rest on their laurels with the super-awesome MLB 2K7, the folks at 2K Sports have announced today the their brand-new baseball title The BIGS has gone gold today and will officially be shipping next week (June 26th to be exact).

Sporting a completely different take on major league baseball video games, The BIGS is an over-the-top, fast-paced experience heavy on speed and power ups. Are you thinking “this is just Slugfest ‘07?” Well, don’t. The producers have emphatically stated that they do not consider the game based at all upon that franchise. Which is good - believe you me.

You can check out our preview here very soon, based upon my chat with the game’s developers today. In the meantime, you can be assured that the game looks incredibly interesting, especially considering the wide variety of platforms on which it will appear. It’ll hit the next generation (Xbox 360 and PS3), current generation (PS2), waggle generation (Wii), and handheld generation (PSP).

I love baseball. I love video games. So it should make sense that I am pretty darned nuts about baseball video games.

Sadly, the superb competition of a few years ago between EA’s MVP, Take Two’s MLB 2K, and Sony’s MLB has almost completely ended, thanks to an absurd exclusivity agreement that has come close to ruining sports gaming overall.

However, there is at least a small amount of next-generation major league competition between two competent titles, although it’s only on the PS3 (Sony obviously would never put their title on their rival’s machine). This year’s MLB 2K7 and MLB 07: The Show go head to head in a heck of a deathmatch for your baseball dollar.

After over 100 games between the two titles (yes, I am that nuts…and I play on my treadmill every day) I can unequivocally state that 2K7 wins - but not by a whole lot.

2K7 is a clear victor in a few important categories - visuals, pitching, online stability, and overall quality of presentation - but darn it if The Show doesn’t put up a hell of a fight. I definitely prefer Sony’s take on batting (which is obviously a pretty darned important facet of any baseball title) and their “Road to the Show” mode is a game unto itself.

The best news is that hardcore baseballers that own PS3s have a great choice, and they won’t lose out with either one. I also can’t wait for next year’s titles, as they can only get better (right?).

This year, 2K7 is the champ. Next year?

We’ll see.

Microsoft and Bungie have made it official – their mega-hyped, eagerly anticipated system-defining shooter Halo 3 will hit retail stores on September 25. The announcement of the final ship date coincides nicely with the beginning of the public beta that begins today, so if you see some folks walking around with wide eyes and muttering “sensory overload…sensory overload”, chances are they’re fans of the series.

According to Peter Moore (the boss of the Xbox 360 group), “Sept. 25, we intend to deliver a finale that will go down in entertainment history and leave people around the world with an experience that will be shared and enjoyed for years to come.” Pretty big words.

So you’d think that the start of the public multiplayer beta and a final ship date would be all the Halo 3 news the world could stand, right? Not quite – Microsoft also announced that they’re releasing a Halo 3-themed Zune, featuring all sorts of Master Chief-inspired bells and whistles, such as videos and artwork. Perhaps someone may actually buy one of these iPod clones now?

It’s clear, Halo fans – Bungie is back and ready to dominate your life again. First, it’s for the next three weeks during the beta, followed by three months of anticipation for the final showdown to save humankind. Plunk down those pre-orders, tighten up your dual-wielding skills, and re-learn those grenade stick mechanics. The Chief is waiting.

I don’t understand.

I just don’t understand!

Pray tell, someone please explain to me why on earth the Nintendo Wii continues to sell out across the world.

What are people actually playing? And who are these people in the first place?

I own a Wii. I have played over a dozen games for it. Most of them completely stink, with the exception of Zelda, of course. Wii Sports is fun for a half an hour or so as a party game, but that’s about it. The only time I turn it on these days is for a review, since my 360 and PS3 are backlogged with tremendous games.

Other than children, I can’t possibly imagine where this is all coming from. There is not a single game that’s out for the system that has been designed exclusively for it that is remotely entertaining for more than an hour or two, and the vast majority of titles for it are PS2 and PSP ports. The best games - Zelda and Paper Mario - are built for the Gamecube, for crying out loud.

I am, and will continue to be, confused. For a long time.

Geez, it seems like Game Informer is breakin’ all kinds of earth-shattering news these days. Last month it was tons of details on the Xbox 360 Elite, but this month something actually interesting graces the cover of the mag. So much for print journalism dying!

Somehow, GI has come to the table with all sorts of details about the only game I care about these days - Grand Theft Auto IV. So, without further delay, here are some bullet points on what you need to know:

1) The protagonist’s name is Niko Bellic, a man of Eastern Eurpoean descent
2) An all-new, fully realized Liberty City is indeed the setting, made up of four complete boroughs
3) These boroughs are: Broker (resembling Brooklyn), Algonquin (representing Manhattan), Dukes (nee Queens), and Bohan (tha Bronx). No word yet if models of Shea Stadium or Yankee Stadium are going to be included, but we can only hope.
4) There’s a fifth area called Alderney, which is a fictional chunk of New Jersey.
5) The story revolves around Niko coming to Liberty City to help out his struggling brother Roman. The storyline reportedly is significantly more open and user-controlled than past games; evidently it can go down in more than one way.
6) No planes!
7) There will be online multiplayer, although no details of that mode’s gameplay has emerged. One thing is for sure, it will not be an MMO-style model.

All of this info leads me to believe that IV may just live up to the hype. As a huge fan of the series, I personally can’t wait.

Single-player gaming FTW!