The first two songs of the Jimi Hendrix library have been announced for Guitar Hero World Tour. These two tracks will ship with the game:

• “Purple Haze” (Live version from a  1969 show at the San Diego Sports Arena),
• Master Track: ”The Wind Cries Mary”

Not only that, but Hendrix will be a playable character in the game! Additional Jimi tracks will follow as downloadable content too, in case that’s not enough Hendrix for your face.

Guitar Hero World Tour is a music game from Activision that comes out for the Wii, PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 this Fall.

All Jimi fans rejoice I know I am!!!

Find yourself huffing and wheezing while playing Wii Sports? Well soon enough, you may have to step off that Wii balance board for a bit and check your blood pressure with your Wii-Mote.

That’s right, Nintendo filed a patent for a Wii-Mote blood pressure check add-on. According to Spong’s report, the add-on will allow the following functions and features:

“Pulse and body temperature of a user playing a video game on the video game console, and a rotation counter for counting the number of rotations of the main body; a control unit mounted in the recess; a band including two second measurement devices for measuring blood pressure and pulse respectively by wrapping the band around the wrist; and a cable interconnecting the main body and the band. Blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature values are shown the display while playing.”

Availability and release information of the add-on is not disclosed as of yet, but at least now, the next Gramma visits, let her know that she can soon play Wii Tennis with you without any worry. With the Wii balance board, Wii-mote and blood pressure check add-on, we now await for Wii Fit Bootcamp with Billy Blanks.

Spong: Now the Wii wants your blood pressure

Among the most surprising announcements at this year’s E3, was the existence of a Grand Theft Auto game for the Nintendo DS. No one knows how Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars will play yet, but it’s coming.

But what about the Wii? Is Nintendo’s non-handheld going to get the GTA love? It’s a possibility. Here’s what Nintendo America President Reggie Fils-Aime had to say:

“You know, a ‘GTA’ on the Wii is all based on what Rockstsar and Take Two want to do. And again, from our standpoint, if they build a bottoms-up game that takes advantage of what we do well, I’d love to see it on the platform.”

Sadly, although Nintendo is open to the possibility of the game, no conversations with RockStar have taken place, according to Reggie.

Now I know many of you out there are big GTA fans.  It is time to sound off and let us know if you think this franchise should make its way to the Wii.

English newspaper The Guardian is asking a provocative question via their weblog: How long can Microsoft keep charging for Live? Now that Games for Windows Live is free, is it only a matter of time until Microsoft un-costs the excellent online component it has built for the 360?

We could see it going either way, honestly, and it probably depends on the long-term health and success of the PS3’s online offerings.

Guardian: How long can Microsoft keep charging for Xbox Live?