Team Fortress 2 developer Robin Walker stopped by ShackNews to give a heads up on Valve’s new closed beta system for the popular shooter. The beta is meant to give Valve playtest feedback from some of the most competitive TF2 players in the world.

It’s not at all uncommon for global changes to affect a mass player base positively while doing what the hardcore players consider serious harm to a game. The most recent TF2 update, which changed item upgrades from “unlockables” to “random drops” was no exception to the rule. The casual players loved it, because they might actually be able to get The Sandman. Competitive players, though, were understandably pissed. All the work they put in just sort of went to waste (though honestly, with all the achievement servers I find it hard to be sympathetic – these guys would have been playing either way).

Valve wants to get an early look at some of that anger with their beta testing. By releasing casual features to the most hardcore players, they can determine what will work across the board and what still needs some tweaking. Overall, I’d call it a smart move. Feedback from the most competitive players is usually feedback from the base of folks that will be playing your game long after everyone else has moved on to Halo: Reach or Bioshock 2.

During a conference call, Sony corporate CEO Nobuyuki Oneda said the PS3 is now some 70% cheaper to make than it was at launch. Most estimates suggest the PS3 was around $800 to build in the beginning, which puts the console at just $240 now.

The obvious question – does this mean we’ll see price cuts some time soon? I’m inclined to say no, since Sony seems to be losing money everywhere, but that might be a great way to get a leg up on the Xbox 360. Sure, no one likes to be losing money on hardware this far into the product cycle, but imagine getting a PS3 for $250! I’d probably go buy one tomorrow out of pure disbelief, especially if it came with a decent hard drive. Microsoft’s cheapest console is so pared down I couldn’t really justify buying one.

Sony could keep prices where they are to try to recoup some of their recent losses, but why let the world know the price has gone down so far? So we know how much is headed straight to Nobuyuki Oneda’s bonus check?

Now that Bungie is officially done with Halo, they’re looking for publishers for their new IP and are apparently very close to signing someone. Who that is has yet to be seen, but it sounds like Bethesda might be looking for the job.

Ashley Cheng, a producer for Bethesda, said on his blog that his company was one of few positioned to “snag” Bungie’s new project.

You can count on one hand the number of publisher’s[sic] around who can afford to publish Bungie’s next game: EA (via EA Partners), Activision, Ubisoft, Microsoft, and of course, Bethesda. I can only imagine how much it will cost to snag their next title.

Cheng also mentions Sony but calls the prospect “unlikely.” Whoever the publisher, the game won’t be restricted to any platform, unlike the company’s most recent efforts. That will probably be a great thing for Bungie, and going with Sony might only hurt the increased revenue they would see from a multi-platform release.

Will we have a Fallout 4/Halo 6 mashup?

The Star-Telegram in Texas got to sit down with the development house for the new Ghostbusters game, Terminal Reality. The game, which released about a month ago to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first movie, has apparently sold over a million copies. That’s pretty impressive for a non-franchise launch (games like Halo blow through the million mark). Perhaps more surprising, the game cost between $15M and $20M to make according to Terminal Reality.

No, that’s not huge for a blockbuster title, but is Ghostbusters a blockbuster? I remember when I first heard about the game I immediately dismissed it as another cheesy movie knock-off product. Apparently it’s a bit more than that, though there are a whole load of complaints about the PC and PS3 versions of the game. i

The most interesting part of this whole thing, though, is something Terminal Reality co-founder Mark Randel has heard. Apparently someone told him the success of the game has sparked interest in a third movie, one that would pick up where the second film left off. Yes, you read that correctly. A movie that picks up where this very game picks up. A new movie set off by a game that was made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a movie that was made and a franchise that got revived by a game made to stand in as the third movie. It’s all very convoluted you see.

Could this possibly be true? I’ll say yes, though I’d be surprised if it was the game that really made the franchise interesting. Would a movie version of the game turn into another Hitman or Silent Hill film? Or is there more meat to Ghostbusters because it was a movie first and a game second?

BioWare will be releasing a collector’s edition of their up and coming Dragon Age:Origins that includes something special for you Mass Effect fans. The tin case fantasy RPG will include an unlockable item for BioWare’s OTHER up and comer, Mass Effect 2.

Those of you ready to drop some big bucks on the single player game from BioWare will get treated to the standard CE fare. This includes “making of” footage, a soundtrack, trailers, wallpapers, concept art, etc. You’ll also get a cloth map, 3 exclusive in-game items, and that special item for Mass Effect 2.

Gamestop’s got their pricing information posted. For PC users, you’re looking at a $65 tag. Xbox 360 owners will pay a full $75. Worth it for the cloth map?