Microsoft is launching a “Best of Platinum Hits” program that will be lowering the price of some of its Platinum Hits titles down to $9.99. The first group of games for $10 actually looks pretty good; there are a few exceptional titles in that list. Unfortunately I already bought them, but for those who missed them, or never got around to playing them, here is your chance to play some great games at an extremely low price. Here is the first set of games:

Counterstrike – Microsoft Game Studios
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – Bethesda Softworks
Enter the Matrix – Atari
Fuzion Frenzy – Microsoft Game Studios
MechAssault – Microsoft Game Studios
Project Gotham Racing 2 – Microsoft Game Studios
Shrek 2 – Activision
Soul Calibur II – Namco
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon – Ubisoft
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Island Thunder – Ubisoft
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3 – Ubisoft
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow – Ubisoft
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – Ubisoft
Tony Hawk’s Underground – Activision
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 – Activision
True Crime: Streets of LA – Activision

I would personally suggest both of the Splinter Cell games, Rainbow Six 3, and Morrowind if you don’t have an Xbox 360 or a nice PC to play Oblivion on when it comes out later this month. MechAssult was a lot of fun when it first came out, but the sequel was quite a bit better (online anyways). Also, Project Gotham Racing 2 is a lot of fun if you are looking for a racing game and are not into sims like Forza.

That is right people, the next installment of elder scrolls has now gone gold and should be appearing in stores around the 20th of this month. The only question that remains is which version to get: PC or Xbox360.

Rockville, MD – March 2, 2006 – Bethesda Softworks® and 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced that the highly-anticipated role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion™, has gone to gold master and will be available in stores in North America and Europe during the week of March 20. Oblivion will be available for Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC in both regular and collector’s editions.

“Our most ambitious project ever is finally done,” said Todd Howard, executive producer of Oblivion. “We’re excited to get the game into everyone’s hands and let them experience it for themselves. We hope they enjoy it. I think it’s our best game yet.”

The Announcement

It looks like Sony is going to start allowing people to play planetside as much as they want for free. The only catch is that you can only go up to battle rank 6, at which point you can continue to play, but wont gain XP.

The recently re-launched their website with a completely new design

A community member over at the planetside site made a pretty cool fan trailer of the game to promote this new system. It is actually a pretty impressive video. You can view it here.

There is also a somewhat older video made by a different community member that is equally as impressive. You can watch that video here.

Anyways, here are some of the details of the thing taken from the planetside site

Q: What is the demo program PlanetSide Reserves?
A: Demo players will be able to download the PlanetSide Reserves demo and will be able to play for free through Battle Rank 6. Once they reach BR 6, they will be able to continue to play the game, but will not accumulate additional experience points unless and until they upgrade to a paying account. On exit from the game after each play session, players will be taken to a website that will allow them to purchase the game client and upgrade to a paying account. Upon purchase of the game client, you will receive an additional 30 days of play after upgrading your account. This offer is not available for existing PlanetSide accounts.

Q: Is Battle Rank 6 the maximum rank that PlanetSide Reserves accounts can reach?
A: Yes. The PlanetSide Reserves accounts can only progress up to Battle Rank 6 (BR 6). Once BR 6 is achieved, you will be able to continue to play the game, but will not progress further unless you purchase the game client and upgrade to a paying subscription.

Q: How do I access PlanetSide game files to try it out?
A: We will provide you a location to download the demo game files. There will be a link on PlanetSide.com with more details.

Q: How would a PlanetSide Reserves account user convert to paying subscriber?
A: On exit from the game, you will be taken to a website that will allow you to purchase the game client and upgrade to a monthly subscription for the price indicated on the website, which includes the opportunity to obtain the Battle Frame Robotics (BFRs), the giant robot units, and gain more XP to progress through higher Battle Ranks. With higher XP you will be able to gain new implants, better weapons and higher command ranks.

Q: How long can I play the demo?
A: The program will run for a fixed 12-month period. The length of your demo time will depend on when in the promotion period you sign up. If you sign up on the first day, you will have almost 12 full months of gameplay. If you sign up one week before the end of the program, you will have one week of demo time.

Q: When a PlanetSide Reserves account converts to a paying account, what happens to the characters and account if they decide to cancel later on?
A: Once an account converts over to a paying account, normal cancellation procedures apply. To play that account again you will need to enter billing on it. Please note, only one PlanetSide Reserves account per Station Account will be permitted.

The rest can be found here.