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Steve Ballmer and AT&T's Ralph de la Vega to headline Windows Phone 7 launch event in NYC on October 11 -- we'll be there live!
Horror, shock, surprise! Microsoft CEO and prime fanboy of all things Windows and developer-related, Steve Ballmer, will be the keynote speaker at Microsoft's New York launch event for Windows Phone 7. He'll be joined on stage by AT&T's Ralph de la Vega and when the pep rally is over, we're promised opportunities to finally handle the official incarnations of retail Windows Phones for ourselves. We know all this because Microsoft has just dropped a kind little invite into our inbox urging us to attend its October 11 get-together. We will, of course, be there live, but don't forget Microsoft's also holding a London event on that day, ostensibly for the same reason, so make sure to be up nice and early next Monday if you don't wanna miss a thing. As we reported last night, the company is also holding a gathering centered around T-Mobile WP7 handsets, though details are more scarce on that event. We saw an official invite from the folks in Redmond, but it looks like that showing may be smaller in scale. We have to imagine that AT&T and their GSM competition don't want to share the stage, but as this is a Microsoft launch, anything is possible. Regardless, if there are multiple carriers showing hardware come October 11th, we'll have all the goods.
Grab Super Scribblenauts early at LA launch party
After holding the first Scribblenauts launch event in New York, Warner Bros. Interactive has decided to modify the party for Super Scribblenauts with a couple of adjectives, like "sunny" and "smoggy." The launch party for the DS puzzle-adventure sequel will be held at the GameStop on Sunset and Vine in Los Angeles on October 10. There, you'll be able to buy the game early, of course, and also participate in a Super Scribblenauts costume contest, solve puzzles on a magnetic wall and meet the 5TH Cell team responsible for the game. The celebration is only going on from 11AM–2PM -- if you're late, you'll have to buy the game on its regular October 12 date, like everyone else in America. Update: See the invitation after the break.
Microsoft hosting a press conference on October 11, we'll be there live!
If you had any doubts about the most important date in your Windows Phone 7 calendar, you can now dismiss them. Microsoft has just gotten in touch to ask us very kindly to "save the date" October 11 for a 2PM London press conference (9AM ET for Americans) that will last all the way until 5.30PM. Unless Steve Ballmer's planning on reading the Iliad all that time, that sounds like there'll be hands-on opportunities with WP7 devices to us. Of course, there's nary a mention of any phones in the brief invite, but given the multiple sources nailing that exact date as Microsoft's European launch, we'd be shocked to see anything else. Either way, we're bringing our trusty liveblogging equipment and will keep you informed whatever happens.
HTC launches the Desire HD: an EVO for the rest of world
The Desire HD is official, folks, finally bringing a 4.3-inch LCD to European Android fans. The handset is made from a solid block of aluminum and comes packing a 1GHz 8255 Snapdragon processor, 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and 720p video recording, Dolby Mobile, and HSPA+ data with 802.11n WiFi when it lands in Europe and Asia sometime in October. It's also one of the first HTC devices to feature the enhanced HTC Sense experience with HTCsense.com services. %Gallery-102305%
HTC Desire Z is the QWERTY slider your Android's been waiting for
HTC has just announced the Desire Z, an Android-friendly QWERTY slider. Like the T-Mobile G2, the Desire Z features a "pop-out" (don't call it a slider) QWERTY keyboard with user assigned keys and system-wide shortcuts that let you quickly launch your favorite apps. Around back you've got a 5 megapixel camera with flash that's HD video capable while an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor pumps away efficiently inside with HSPA+ and 802.11n radios providing the data. Unlike the US G2, however, the Desire Z comes loaded with HTC's enhanced Sense UI and new HTCSense.com services. Look for it to land in major European and Asian markets in October before hitting North America sometime later in 2010.%Gallery-102283%
HTCSense.com will backup and remotely locate / wipe HTC devices
HTC's announcing more than hardware this morning, it's also announcing an enhanced HTC Sense experience. At the heart is HTCSense.com, a series of dashboard-connected services for backup, security, and control of your HTC handset. A new locate feature triggers the handset to ring loudly (even when set to silent) while flagging its location on an online map. If the phone was lost or stolen, owners can remote lock and/or wipe the phone. Backups will automatically archive your contacts, text messages, call history, customizations and data. Sense is also adding advanced multimedia capabilities to help ease the way we capture, share, and upload our content. HTC's also added on-the-fly capture effects and filters to manipulate depth of field or for adding distortion and vintage effects. Update: We've got a gallery's worth of interface shots from the new Sense experience! %Gallery-102313%
HTC is launching its next big thing tomorrow, and we'll be there live!
The drama, the excitement, the fanfare. No, those aren't new HTC model names, they're just what you can expect tomorrow. HTC is hosting a little shindig in London the day after today in order to announce the latest hardware it has "dreamt up" -- and since we're suckers for hot new smartphones, we'll be there to liveblog the hell out of it. The event kicks off at 12PM British Summer Time or 1PM Central European Time. In American parlance, that's 7AM for the East Coast and a frightful 4AM for West Coasters. Our intuition says to expect the Desire HD and Desire Z to make their debuts, but there's only one way to be certain: keep it locked to Engadget and we'll demystify everything as soon as superhumanly possible.
Halo: Reach launch festivities detailed by Microsoft
Next week's release of Halo: Reach carries with it some dire consequences for one New York City Best Buy-owned location -- the Times Square Best Buy theater will be taken over by thousands of rabid Halo fans, patiently waiting for their copy of Reach at 12:01am Tuesday on the dot. Additionally, the theater will feature a "surprise musical performance" and a chance to meet the creators of Reach. Seattle will also be holding a major launch event. The Experience Music Project / Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame will host folks from both Bungie and 343 Industries, as well as a chance to compete in tournaments and win "coveted Halo prizes." Will you finally get that real-life plasma sword? We certainly hope not. That's dangerous! As expected, US game retailers (from GameStop to Walmart) will be holding midnight launch events across the country, though we suggest you check with your local retail outlet before lining up next Monday night. A week's worth of Xbox Live-based activities -- named "Invasion Week" -- are also planned, which you can find detailed after the break. [Thanks, p01nt.]
Sony circles August 24 for all-new Alpha DSLR launch event
News has been a bit barren on the DSLR front lately (not counting Pentax's color explosion earlier on), but that's not going to last for much longer. Sony is starting up the fall refresh cycle with "never-before-seen" Alpha models, which will be shown off at an event on August 24 alongside the NEX-VG10 and some 3D-capable Cyber-shots. We've no way of knowing what's in store, but if you're in a speculative kind of mood, Sony Alpha Rumors suggests the new shooters will include a semi-transparent mirror (most intriguing!) and a pleasingly fast 10fps burst shooting mode. That's enough to whet our appetite, now bring on the full dish of details already. [Thanks, Dario]
HTC schedules September 15 event, leaves us guessing as to what it's launching
Time to get our guessing caps on as HTC has announced it'll be having a little get-together in London in the middle of next month. No advance information is available beyond the smoky teaser image above, leaving the door wide open for speculation. Given the event's proximity to Windows Phone 7's launch and the recent spate of leaks, this could easily be the date and place that HTC makes its wares official. Or, on a more tenuous tangent, if you put the smoke and "dreamt up" notes together, you could perhaps surmise that this is going to be the launch for the HTC Vision, which has most recently been referred to as the G1 Blaze. All we know for sure is that we'll be there when the fog of war is lifted. P.S. - We've enhanced the image to reveal the hint of a handset hidden inside the smoke, you can see it after the break. It looks an awful lot like the back of the Desire HD, but HTC is well known for repeating design themes across its phone portfolio, so let's not jump to any conclusions just yet.
StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty launch events spread across the globe
Blizzard is giving ravenous StarCraft 2 fans (that's ... all of you?) launch events in London, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm, Moscow, Singapore ... and a mystical place called the Fountain Valley in California. North American details are after the break, along with links detailing the international locations.
Meet Yuji Horii at Dragon Quest IX launch event
Those in the New York area eager to pick up Dragon Quest IX a day early -- and have Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii autograph their plush Slimes -- should make their way to the Nintendo World Store Saturday, July 10.
Secure the streets of APB with Massively, win our in-game "Bandwagon Van" and t-shirts!
San Paro is a tough place. It's infested with crime, and we need your help to clean it up! (Or, at the very least, cause some havoc in the name of justice.) That's right everyone, we're organizing an in-game play session to celebrate the launch of APB! Tomorrow night (Thursday, to be exact) you can join us in-game and help us take on the criminals of San Paro as an Enforcer. Or, if you don't wish to do some good for the city, you can attempt to work against us as Criminals. The choice is entirely up to you! Plus, we have lots of goodies to give away, including in-game Massively.com t-shirts for you guys to wear and a chance to win the Massively.com "Bandwagon," an in-game soccer-mom van with some kick. Need details? Follow along after the break for all the juicy information.
Fight the crowds at GameStop's UFC Undisputed 2010 midnight launch parties
Before you enter an octagon full of belligerent fighters in UFC Undisputed 2010, why not prepare by visiting a strip mall full of sleepy nerds? GameStop is holding midnight launch events for the mixed martial arts title in 3,100 of its stores on the night of May 24. There, you'll be able to commune with your fellow UFC fans and pick up a new copy of the game at the earliest possible opportunity -- and you do want to buy it new. Check here to find out if any GameStops near you are participating. If you pre-order the game before then, you'll get access to four unlockable fighters from the Ultimate Fighter TV series. If you pre-order the PS3 version, you'll get three more fighters, as well as a Blu-ray disc with footage of five classic UFC fights. That is indisputably a lot of bonuses.
Fantasy Earth Zero celebrates launch with special events
It's launch day for Fantasy Earth Zero, the PvP-oriented free-to-play game from Gamepot USA and Square-Enix. The official launch alone would be enough reason for fans to be excited, but there's better yet to come, as the game is running several events to celebrate. The most obvious one is a week of boosted experience and money -- from today until the 25th of May, all players will receive a bonus 50% to both experience and Rings gained. It helps ensure that your time spent leveling now will be on the faster side, allowing players to dive into the high end of the game even faster. Players are also being given five free enchantments to help boost their prowess in battle within the same timeframe. If all that weren't enough, Mission Maps will be updating at a higher clip during the week after launch -- the Mission Maps exist as an alternative to spending money in the cash shop, which makes a higher turnaround help speed up progress further. All players who took part in the second open beta will also receive a New Soldier Set as a present, containing potions as well as an experience-boosting ring. Take a look at our gallery below for some special launch-day screenshots, and if you're curious, take a closer look at Fantasy Earth Zero itself. %Gallery-93240%
Monster Hunter Tri devs won't be at UK launch due to volcanic ash cloud
The London launch event for Monster Hunter Tri will no longer feature director Kaname Fujioka or producer Ryozo Tsujimoto. The pair's travel plans were thwarted by the unslayable monster Eyjafjallajökull. However, even though volcanic ash has kept the Capcom staffers from flying in, that doesn't mean there won't be any festivities on April 23. The event, which runs from 9AM to 9PM, will still feature a GAME store "transformed" in celebration of the game. And more importantly, it'll still feature free swag bags for the first 50 in line. In addition, in lieu of having Tsujimoto and Fujioka sign games live, the first 100 people to purchase the game will be sent autographed covers for their games.
Meet Monster Hunter Tri's producer and director at UK launch event
If you're in London and eager to get started hunting monsters and, uh, holding a Classic Controller Pro, you'll probably want to be at GAME's Monster Hunter Tri London launch event on April 23. Not only will the game be there -- the first 50 people in line will receive a bag full of Monster Hunter stuff. And then you'll have the opportunity to have some of that stuff signed by producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Kaname Fujioka. Nintendo would like to remind you to wear your "best 'hunting' attire" to the event, so you look nice and ridiculous when you meet the developers. %Gallery-86439%
Splinter Cell: Conviction event at several GameStops on April 1
Splinter Cell: Conviction is having a little premiere on April 1 at ten GameStops across the US -- no, this is not an April Fool's joke; we made sure. Before the game hits stores (and the head ... and heads) on April 13, a premiere event will take place in Los Angeles on the high holy joking day. GameStop will concurrently host "first-to-play co-op demo events" at select stores. The LA event will take place at the Les Deux Nightclub in Hollywood. First-to-play sessions will occur between 2-6PM, prior to the "celebrity red carpet premiere" at 8PM. The event will feature the "Search for Sam Fisher" live interactive game, in which 15 attendees (21+) who attend the co-op event earlier in the day will be invited to participate. Grand prize is an "Xbox 360 Splinter Cell Conviction Special Edition Bundle and a library of Ubisoft Xbox 360 games." The non-LA co-op demo events will be held from 9PM until midnight in Boston, Orlando, New York City (two locations), Denver, Chicago, San Francisco, San Jose, Dallas and New Jersey. Specific locations will be listed on GameStop's website or at SplinterCell.com. The first 100 attendees at each location receive a "free Splinter Cell Conviction beanie." Honestly, we have no idea what to say to that.
Nintendo leading fans on wild Pokemon chase in New York City
Nintendo is adding an ambulatory flourish to its Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver launch, celebrating the PokeWalker accessory with a guided walk around New York City's Times Square. On Sunday, March 14, Pikachu footprints will be placed around Broadway Plaza, inviting fans to trace the trail of the fictional giant rat, with live demonstrations of the game and accessory along the trail. Nintendo's usual launch events take place at the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Center, but this one is located in (and around) the Times Square Toys 'R' Us. Should you show up at the NWS, you'll just have to do a little extra walking.
Final Fantasy XIII UK launch event rewarding cosplayers
Square Enix, apparently, is all about the cosplay. Just today, the publisher announced that it'll be rewarding the first 50 people dressed in "Final Fantasy costumes" who arrive at the March 9 launch event for Final Fantasy XIII with a free copy of the game's soundtrack. Oh, and also, Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo will be there, signing whatever you want. The release further entices attendees with "high-profile DJ and TV presenter Alex Zane," who'll no doubt be spitting hot fire into a mic all evening. The event kicks off at 5:30PM at the Oxford Street HMV in London and runs until the sun comes up -- or 7:30PM, whichever comes first. %Gallery-41346%
