What's the antonym for delay? Whatever the word, we're not used to using it around here. So when Bizarre Creations community lead Ben Ward let us know this morning that Geometry Wars 2 will be released on Xbox Live Arcade one week earlier than expected (next Wednesday!), we were at a loss for the word (of course, we could have settled along the lines of "bumped up," but opted instead for a geeky math-related term: realigned -- get it?). Ward also confirmed that the age of super-budget priced geometric space shooters is over, as we'll be paying 800 Microsoft Points ($10) this time (of course, the premium comes with a whole lot more game -- more on that in a minute).

In addition, Ward revealed that the Geometry Wars 2 trial version is "basically" the full Deadline game mode, including multiplayer support (up to four players locally). We've posted Bizarre's descriptions of Deadline and the 5 additional game modes, preserved in their original British flavor, after the break. (But before you read on ... FUN FACT: Geometry Wars 2 is the first Bizarre game published by proud, sorta new parent company Activision.)

PlayStation 3 owners who subscribe to Sony's "interactive magazine" Qore will be able to participate in Resistance 2's beta this September (via IGN). The details are sketchy at the moment -- we're going to guess you'll have to pay the $25 annual subscription fee and not just $3 for the related episode -- but the thought of 60-player team deathmatch has us frothing at the mouth. No beta details revealed yet for the Qore-less Europe.

The two-episode Watchmen series that was announced yesterday will be a prequel, according to a preview from 1UP. You can choose to play as either Nite Owl or Rorschach, with the other controlled by AI or via split-screen co-op, in the time before masked heroes were outlawed.

The third-person action games take place exclusively at night is set to be M-rated. While they brought on some heavy-hitters for the story -- notably Wolverine creator Len Wein and Watchmen illustrator Dave Gibbons -- we're always hesitant when someone other than the original author tries to expand a story. Still, an M-rated series with visuals reportedly "worthy of being a now-generation game" and Rorschach's infamous makeshift flamethrower? We remain cautiously optimistic. Watchmen episodes will be released around the same time as the film (March 6, 2009).

Market research firm Parks Associate has released a study claiming subscription-based MMOs aren't dropping enough loot for its players. According to the group's Electronic Gaming in the Digital Home II study (via Worlds in Motion) only the hardcore gamers were into the subscription model, whereas the casual gamer showed "significant interest" in the free-to-play, microtransaction model.

Another part of the study found that, of the non-MMO players polled, 14% would be interested to play if they could play for free, whereas only 2% of that group was interested in subscription-based MMOs. As we always caution, studies generally aren't worth more than the pixels they're displayed on (unless it's a nice monitor, then they're probably worth less). In a recent polling at Joystiq HQ, games that are "free to play" were also seven times more likely to grab our attention than games that weren't free.

Said Director of Broadband and Gaming Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai: "World of Warcraft, with over 10 million players, exceeded expectations for subscription-based MMORPGs, but it's unlikely any other publishers will achieve the same in the near term using a subscription model." Of course, that's kind of a no-brainer even for WoW's competitors.

[Via Eurogamer]

The supposed full set list for Guitar Hero World Tour has been making its way around the forums (Something Awful, GameFAQs). The 87-song list is divided by 73 main tracks and 14 bonus tracks. Additionally, there are 3 guitar battles (Ted Nugent, Zakk Wylde ... and renowned bassist Sting) and 7 "sample songs," presumably for the song creation mode. We're still looking into the source of the list; with no official word from Activision or Neversoft, consider this a rumor. Full set list after the break.

Buried deep down on a PlayStation Blog post about PixelJunk Eden and the Trophies available in the game, is an odd little paragraph about possible Trophy support for PixelJunk Monsters. Dylan Cuthbert, president of Q-games, developers of PJM and PJE, mentions he's been "inundated" with requests for Trophy support in Monsters. He says the company is looking into it and will badger the game's producer at Sony, Deborah Mars, "to get some dates set."

The information is a bit ambiguous and we're guessing is designed as a tease for an incoming PJM patch. Cuthbert also says the patch will "implement XMB music and a couple of other things." Considering we know PlayStation Blog posts are "checked," information like this doesn't just slip by. Looks like we're going to have to stop playing PJM Encore and wait 'til that Trophy patch gets added, because we're guessing the achievements won't be applied retroactively.

All you need to know about this week's GameTap update is encapsulated in one word: Fallout. There, we've said our bit. No word yet when Fallout 2 will make it onto the smorgasbord.

• Fallout (Windows) - "A post nuclear role playing game."
  
• Aveyond 2 (Windows) - A relatively new RPG that looks like an old-school Squaresoft game.
• Battle Chess (Windows) - Play chess, but watch the pieces on the board beat the pixels out of each other. Oh, how we long for an HD remake of this game.

Knights of the Round gets added to GameTap's selection of gratis games this week. The full list of free ad-supported titles from the service can be found after the break.

A new system update for Japanese Wii consoles has introduced an intriguing new function to the Wii Shop Channel: bonus content. The feature, which prompts users to enter a 16-digit code when accessed, has so far been used to distribute the Wii Speaker Channel using a key included with Daigasso! Band Brothers DX for the Nintendo DS.

Nintendo Everything and Wii Fanboy speculate that the Shop Channel's new feature could potentially be used to redeem codes included with games for everything from free Wii Points to downloadable content and Virtual Console titles. Might we suggest a code that, when entered, simply rewards users with smiles? Nintendo certainly has a lot of them to go around.

[Via NWF]

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:
Last week GamePolitics editor Dennis McCauley declared in his weekly Joystiq column that E3 was dead. He is certainly not alone in his opinion. IGN's Craig Harris also pronounced the show dead on his blog, and EA CEO John Riccitiello said that he "hates E3 like this," vaguely threatening to simply have the publisher put on its own show in the future. And of course, the always reliable 3D Realms said that it wasn't attending E3 this year because it was "irrelevant".

A lot of people were disappointed with this year's E3, perhaps even more so than what most considered a horribly executed 2007 E3. As someone who has never been to E3, I suppose I don't have any personal experience to draw from to tell you how much worse this year's E3 was than the ones from 2006 and before. However, as someone who has anxiously awaited and followed E3 for many years, I wonder whether a lot of this reaction is overblown.

It appears NinjaBee is ready to talk a little about its upcoming city builder, A Kingdom for Keflings. Teasing the title in a viral video last month, the company finally gave some details to IGN, details which make the game look and sound like a cross bee-tween SimCity and Gulliver's Travels.

It appears the player takes on the roll of a Gulliver-esque character and must build a kingdom for the Keflings, with the final goal being to create a castle. The game features 50 buildings, a tech tree and optional quests. Isn't it interesting that all the different smaller-scale city builder games, like Hinterland and My Life as a King, are releasing this year? Check out video for A Kingdom for Keflings after the break.

[Via X3F]

Contrary to the previous post on the matter, some of us think this shirt is awesome. Check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
The games that weren't there: Missing from E3
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Tomb Raider: Underworld
Joystiq impressions: FutureU, Kaplan's SAT prep game for DS
Joystiq interview: Nintendo spins 'core' gamer appeal, more
Ryan Davis talks up Giant Bomb's explosive re-launch
Wii Fanboy Weekly: July 10 - July 23

News
BBC: Unsafe charging devices 'flooding' UK
Sci-fi author Bruce Sterling to keynote, predict future at Austin GDC
EA inks talent agency deal, more game movies coming
Nintendo launches Wii Digicam Print Channel in Japan
Watchmen getting episodic games on PC, PS3, 360
Watch the direct feed Mirror's Edge demo
Iwata 'sorry' for Nintendo E3 briefing; Wii supplies may still be tight this holiday
Battlestar scribes working on Aliens: Colonial Marines
ESA: E3 2009 'will occur'
Horror filmmakers try hands at comedy on Xbox Live
Penny Arcade Adventures coming to PS3 this fall
Wii third-parties nonplussed by surprise MotionPlus reveal
PixelJunk Eden demo available tomorrow
N+ gets new, 200-point level pack
MS to take larger cut of best-selling Community Games
Finally! It's your turn to watch last year's Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailer
Facebreaker demo coming July 31 with create-a-character sharing
See first trailer for Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
Molyneux: 'I feel sorry for Denis Dyack'
Reggie: GTA welcome on Wii, but only if it's not a port
Kingdom Hearts DS ad points to 2008 release in Japan
Ticket to Ride's Europe expansion boards next Wednesday

Rumors & Speculation

Culture & Community
Capcom to sell intentionally awful Mega Man 9 shirts
Zero Punctuation visits Conan in Hyboria
Penny Arcade's original Fallout 3 webcomic debuts
1942: Joint Strike E3 shirts now available for purchase
Rush fails Rush on Colbert Report
C-list celebrities + Gamespot party = Awkward

Did you miss us last week? Well, we were just so darn busy with that E3 thing, we couldn't scrounge up enough time to do a recap post for you all. So, we've got a lot to catch you up on. First, check out our two giveaways. You like free games, right? Then, be sure to check out all of the highlights from E3, including all of our hands-on impressions. You can find them on our E3 2008 page right here.

As for the highlights, we're going with original content to catch you up from the week you missed.

Features

• Born for Wii: Four Sword Adventures
  We retool it for Wii
• It's-a Mario World: Mario is Missing (from E3)
  Our weekly look at Nintendo's plumber covers the show
• Revolutionary: More Motion
  Mike Sylvester tackles the topic in his latest tech savvy column
• Born for Wii: Pikmin
  Got Pikmin on the brain? So do we!
• Top 5: Things we won't see at E3
  Still a good read!
• VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 7/14/08
  We check out that week's Virtual Console releases
• VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 7/21/08
  We check out that week's Virtual Console releases
• Brawl Stage of the Week: It's a car
  No, seriously, it is!
• Virtually Overlooked: Aerobiz Supersonic
  We tell you why it should be on the Virtual Console
• Virtually Overlooked: Mega Man and Bass
  We tell you why it should be on the Virtual Console
• Top 5: Nintendo's biggest 'mehs'
  We run them down

The latest episode of Glitch in the System makes it horribly obvious that the "celebrities" attending Gamespot's E3 bash had no idea who was hosting the party. That street probably goes both ways because, straight up, we had to Google almost every single one of the "celebrities" that we saw in the video. Check out the cringe-inducing footage o the red carpet interviews after the break.

PS: Thanks again to the 300+ people who attended -- or used astral projection to attend in spirit -- our Joystiq E3 meet-up. Watching something like this makes us appreciate you all even more.

Normally, watching actual musicians play music-based games is pretty cringe inducing. They don't like feeling like they can't play their own songs, and we don't like being reminded that playing Rock Band prepares us for for absolutely nothing other than playing Rock Band 2.

But in this backstage footage from The Colbert Report, we're happy to report that Rush does not completely embarrass themselves on "Tom Sawyer," aside from only making it 31 percent through their song. But hey, back in the drug years, we bet Clapton was lucky if he made it through 31 percent of a verse. Nothing to be ashamed of Rush, hold your heads high. Your old, old heads.

The 1942: Joint Strike shirts from E3, featuring Street Fighter's Cammy doing her best bomber nose art impression, are available now from Meatbun.com. The shirt will cost $26, plus shipping, and is available worldwide in the three colors seen above. A close-up of the shirt's image can be found after the break.

Fun fact: Yoshiki Okamoto created both 1942 and the Street Fighter series, so the shirt's image with Cammy isn't an entirely random cross-promotion.

[Thanks Jared, Via John D's blog]