The fact that "Call of Duty" branding was conspicuously absent from Modern Warfare 2's debut trailer and all subsequent promotional materials about the game seemed to declare clearly enough that the title had left the franchise's well-fortified nest. A fact that Activision seemed to acknowledge by telling us it "has taken on such a life of its own." So, imagine our surprise when the game's box art materializes ... with "Call of Duty" in the title.

Was this a reaction to the fact that consumers weren't really aware of the game without the familiar branding, as made clear by a Google Trends chart tweeted by Destructoid's Nick Chester? (Or recent analyst comments saying as much.) When asked about the apparent change of heart (and art), Activision replied, "Infinity Ward, the original creators of the Call of Duty franchise, has said from the beginning Modern Warfare 2 resides in the Call of Duty universe. This is reflected in the title's package."

The company also said that, "Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. We have focused our attention on Modern Warfare in order to most effectively communicate the fact that this is the first true sequel in the Call of Duty series." We agree: letting people know it's a Call of Duty game is probably a good thing.

Natsume is finally bringing the long-delayed Afrika to American audiences this year. The nature-themed photography game is very much a niche title, but its production values are far beyond what a typical budget game offers. Pricing is a tricky subject for the publisher to handle, as its games aren't meant really for casual gamers. "We are not so interested in the so-called 'value' titles," Yasuhiro Maekawa explained to Gamasutra. "Most of the Natsume games I'd say are about in the middle. Sort of normal retail price titles with normal graphical levels."

So what will the publisher pursue for Afrika? "For a PlayStation 3 title, this will probably be $49.99. That's what we're thinking. Between $39.99 and $49.99. $59.99 is probably too much." At $50, Afrika isn't really a "budget" game, but it's still cheaper than the average new PS3 game. Is that low enough for you to consider purchasing the game? Or should it drop down to $40?

During a recent chat with CVG, Bioware co-founder Greg Zeschuk spoke about Dragon Age: Origins and what DLC and demo plans the company had for the title. With the PC version shipping with a really robust tool set, console gamers may feel like they're missing out, but Zeschuk says that Bioware is actually looking to get that user content from the PC over to consoles. Aside from that, there's also discussion of new dungeons and expansions that could be DLC, though Zeschuk wouldn't comment beyond confirming DLC is in the works.

As for the possibility of a demo preceding release, Zeschuk says that likely isn't in the cards. It's a problem of finding the right part of the game to offer to fans. "The way the game's set up actually makes it hard for a demo because there are six origin stories and we don't know whether to just pick one or a couple." We'd just say pick a couple (more is better, right?) and go for it, because who doesn't like free content (other than Communists)?

Hardcore fighting fans are all talking about BlazBlue, Aksys' foray into high-def 2D fighting. While equal numbers of 360 and PS3 copies were made, the PS3 version appears to be selling out faster than the other. Why is that? Well, it could be the system's superior D-Pad. While many players will opt for an arcade stick, those who play with a default controller generally find the DualShock layout more comfortable for 2D fighters.

Or, it could be the rare implementation of Remote Play. With a sufficient wireless connection, players can play the game with the PSP system from anywhere in the world. This is only the second retail title to take advantage of the feature, the first being Lair (ugh).

Perhaps players are taking advantage of the lack of region coding on the PS3 version. Without a European release in sight, some may look towards importing the American PS3 release. (The Xbox 360 version is region locked.)

However, according to an Aksys representative, the main reason BlazBlue is more popular among PS3 owners is its popularity with Japanese gamers. Aksys' Harry Chang explained that many hardcore players want to play against Japanese players, and people know that the "Japanese players are mostly on PS3." Those that are seeking competition from Japan's best players know which version to choose. No wonder PS3 is Capcom's "platform of choice" at the EVO Championship Series.

Konami's Katamari Damacy clone, Zephyr: Rise of the Elementals has just spun itself an easier, more straightforward title: Tornado Outbreak. The game is the first from Loose Cannon Studios, made up of Sucker Punch veterans. While the pedigree of the studio is quite impressive, we found the game rather uninspired at E3, missing the charm that makes Katamari so lovable. Perhaps Tornado Outbreak will blow away our dampened expectations; this trailer reveals new elements (like bosses!) that we didn't have a chance to experience in our previous hands-on.

You'll be able to give Tornado Outbreak a whirl when it launches on Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 this September.

Netflix announced today a partnership with Sony to bring its movie streaming service to ... the Bravia brand of TVs?! Starting this fall, owners of internet-enabled Bravia televisions will be able to -- blah, blah, blah. Seriously, the Bravia! Clearly there's something up here and we're thinking it has more than a little something to do with a concept gamers are well versed in: the timed exclusive.

It's a reasonable explanation, considering we've seen the idea of Netflix alluded to for the Wii and this Bravia thing is about as silly as it gets. When asked for comment, Sony listed several media options it currently provides for the PS3 (full statement after the break), but currently had nothing to announce about Netflix on the console. We're currently awaiting comment from Netflix, but if the company stays the course, it'll be something like: "Netflix is always looking for ways to expand its service, but for now our game platform is the Xbox 360."

[Thanks, Protofunc; Via DigitalTrends]

If you've already played Tales of Vesperia, don't be surprised by how unrecognizable this new trailer is. Namco Bandai isn't holding back on the PS3 version of the RPG, adding tons of new content, from new playable characters, new dungeons, to new fully voiced cutscenes, like the ones you see above.

Japanese gamers will be able to test the PS3 version of Tales when a free downloadable demo releases next week, July 13th. If you make a Japanese PSN account of your own, you'll be able to try it -- just make sure you know Japanese first, okay?

We contacted Namco Bandai Games America about its plans for a US release and were simply told, "We have not announced Tales of Vesperia (PS3) for the North American region at this time. Therefore, we can not comment on additional content for the PS3 version of the game in Japan." Shucks.

[Via Kotaku]

Though we all believed that Modern Warfare 2 had completely dropped the "Call of Duty" moniker, that's not exactly the case, judging by some new box art just posted by Infinity Ward spokesman Robert Bowling on his Twitter account.

We're not sure if this is a new official name for the game, but we'll do our best to find out. In the meanwhile, check out the full box art after the break.

No matter how much critical juice a game receives, it doesn't really mean a whole lot until the public gets their hands on it and puts it through its paces. Developer Sidhe announced today that you'll finally get to have your way with budding critical darling Shatter on July 23 (if you don't mind ponying up $7.99).

If you've missed the buzz, Shatter is a futuristic take on the brick-breaking genre that you can see in action right here.

We weren't fans of the last episode of Brütal Thoughts, Jack Black's bi-weekly video series promoting Brütal Legend. But boy, does this make up for it. Black wields a rather impressive battle axe and uses it to great effect! It's obvious the actor is having a lot of fun with his role; it suits him rather perfectly, no? Just make sure you watch all the way to the end -- things will be broken.

See also:

• Tim Schafer electrocutes Jack Black on video
• Jack Black pumped for 'that Brutal Legend movie'
• Jack Black's latest 'Brutal Thoughts' missing Schafer, humor

No, Trine isn't available on PSN ... yet! However, a brand new trailer on the PlayStation.blog makes us wish we could play it on our PS3s right now. (Note: You can buy it on Steam ... but it'll cost you some more.) This new footage focuses on the co-op gameplay and how multiple players can take advantage of the physics system to help each other traverse the game's 16 levels. Unfortunately, there's no release date revealed on the blog, other than a simple "coming soon." Boo. Soon doesn't mean today, does it?

See the trailer after the break.

It's a rarity, but we'll admit it when it occurs: We might have judged a game too quickly -- specifically, Lego Rock Band. While we assumed it would just be a brickalyzed version of the game we all know, love and are the tiniest bit sick of, a recent interview has us questioning that.

TT Games boss Jonathan Smith told VG247, "The Lego character customizer means that pirates, knights and skeletons can be rock stars too, in amazing new locations. Battle sea-monsters, smash up an entire building, or take a trip into space, all with the power of rock!"

Publishers, if you're curious about how to get our attention, skeleton rock stars destroying buildings with rock power before traveling into space is a great way to start.

It appears that Amazon is slashing and absorbing the extra cost of Prototype, as the action-packed, vertical sandbox gorefest has been reduced by $20 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC for today only.

The game was certainly well-received, so nobody is going to spit on you for deciding to take Amazon's offer. Well, inFamous' Cole might spit on you, which would be shocking. But not as shocking as these photos of him and Alex Mercer when they aren't saving/destroying the world!

[Thanks, Lesek]

According to the PlayStation Europe Blog, WipEout HD's upcoming game-altering DLC, entitled Fury, is in final QA testing. Answering a short list of questions submitted by blog regulars, WipEout HD game director Tony Buckley and producer Paul Tweedle noted the expansion was in the "final phase" of testing and promised release information would be announced (via the PlayStation Blog) after it completes the process. Fury is set to add a laundry list of content, including 8 tracks, 13 ship models and 3 game modes, to the popular anti-grav racer.

[Via CVG]