The Daily Hotness: I have been a busy bee (08/15/08)

Thanks to my homeboys Samit Sarkar and Dale North for covering the Hotness this past week. I have been bouncing back and forth to the Bay Area for the last two weeks to see a bunch of games. You saw some of the previews today, and there will be an avalanche of previews coming next week from yours truly. Also, as a blogger, it is my duty to hype the hell out of Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure. It’s going to be a sleeper hit and I just know people are going to completely miss it unless it gets the attention it deserves. 

Chad checks out the annual I Am 8-Bit show in L.A., Brad N hits up Gen Con, July’s NPD numbers are in, Akuma is revealed in Street Fighter IV, we have a Soulcalibur IV panty gallery, and plenty more happened on Friday.

Friday Regulars:
Indie Nation #28: Photopia
Art Attack Friday: I Am 8-Bit 2008
Friday Night Fights: the 90s were scary edition

Preview Coverage:
Checking out Godfather II from the middle of the San Francisco Bay
EA Showcase 08: The Sims 2: Apartment Life
EA Showcase 08: New Battlefield Heroes screens and a trailer
EA Showcase 08: Boogie Superstar
EA Showcase 08: Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
EA Showcase 08: Hands-on with NERF N-Strike for the Wii
EA Showcase 08: Hands-on with Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Gen Con 2008 in Pictures
Dungeons and Dragons Online: Mod 8 detailed
Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria details

News:
Mega Man 9’s in-game store revealed: Transvestite Man power-up costs 200 bolts?
Xbox 360 outsells PS3 by nearly 3:1 in Japan last week
Is the original Puzzle Quest and expansion headed to PSN?
Console war decided: Warner Music Group to bring music videos to Xbox LIVE
Rise from your grave! Atari turns a profit
July NPD: Summer heat shows no signs of cooling down
Maggie who?: Maggie Q featured in just-announced Need for Speed: Undercover
Wii Fit takes top spot on Amazon.com, I still haven’t opened mine
MGS4: Snake’s Altair costume via code
Viva Pinata gets simultaneous release on DS and 360
Clue gets unnecessary update; Professor Plum now a videogame designer
Analyst questions EA Partners deals
The Week in Rock Band DLC: Devo, Duran Duran, and … The Janitors
Dreamcast build of Shenmue III spotted? Nah.
EA Sports Hockey League: you’ve got your MMO in my NHL 09, it sounds brilliant!
Does Quest for Booty confirm the existence of a new Ratchet & Clank game?
Play Brain Training a lot? You’re still stupid, kid!

Galleries:
Akuma rages into Street Fighter IV
First screens of Batman: Arkham Asylum are dark, dirty, and making us hot
Evil looking toys are evil in THQ’s DS puzzler Dropcast
Guitar Hero On Tour Decades screenshots for uh, decades

Trailers & Videos:
Vampire Rain: Altered Species trailer is scary for all the wrong reasons
Kore, a six-year-old unreleased Xbox game, revived for the Wii (Update)
New trailer for Renegade Kid’s DS title Moon is surprisingly epic, too short
Pure Pwnage episode 17 has arrived
PS2? More Eyetoy games coming this year
New Shaun White Snowboarding trailer and screens are very snowy
First of four NBA 2K9 teasers features Paul Pierce ownage

Offbeat:
Would you steal a PS3 to save your family? That’s one excuse I suppose
Believa Pinata followup: New video, plus exclusive behind-the-scenes with Rare
Soul Calibur 4 adds maids, also panty shots
Soulcalibur 4 featuring the Final Fantasy VII cast
Finally, Mega Man ‘E’ Energy Tanks are real