Black gold

At E3 2004, one of the games that got the most attention wasn't on the show floor. It was a then-in-early-development PlayStation 2 shooter from Criterion Games that went by the mysterious--and presumably working title--"Black." In the subsequent 19 months, Criterion was bought by Electronic Arts, and the game was also announced for the Xbox. But the name stuck, and today game journalists across the globe got to trot out their best "black gold" puns as the game was sent to the factory.

Black is rated M for Mature, and with good reason. Described by its developers as "gun porn," the game is an ultraviolent shooter set in Eastern Europe. Gamers will assume the role of Sergeant Jack Kellar, a black ops agent who recalls a series of missions though film-noir-ish flashbacks. Those missions are composed of a harrowing series of firefights in a series of neglected ex-Eastern Bloc locales, which feature a whole arsenal of weapons, including combat shotguns and AK-47s.

For more details on Black, which will arrive in stores on February 28 bearing a retail price of $49.99, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.