Due to a manufacturing issue, the North American release date of GSC Game World’s first-person shooter prequel S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky has been pushed back to an unspecified date in September.

Originally scheduled for a September 5 debut, various reports have indicated that the PC title shipped without a CD key, forcing publisher Deep Silver to institute a recall. Several online retailers, such as GameStop, are now listing Clear Sky for a September 15 release.

For what it’s worth, the title is still slated to hit Steam next week on Saturday. However, with the recent recall in place, Valve may have to push back the unlock date to coincide with the retail release.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Delay [Blues News]

While the first Gears of War saw a release on the PC platform nearly a year after its debut on Xbox 360, history will not repeat with the sequel. Speaking in a recent interview, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski dropped word that Gears 2 will not be heading to the PC in the future.

Gears of War is a great franchise first and foremost for Xbox 360, and therefore we’re focusing on that platform for Gears of War 2. We’ve decided we’re not going to do a PC version this time around.

Tsk tsk. If you recall, stuttering issues plagued the launch of the original. Although later rectified with a patch, this issue didn’t exactly build up Epic’s rep amongst PC gamers. If they aren’t going to take the time to release a proper PC port, we can’t imagine too many will be upset by this bit of news.

Gears of War 2 Achievements and More [IGN]

In celebration of the impending Red Alert 3 release and 13 year anniversary of the critically-acclaimed Command & Conquer franchise, Electronic Arts is giving away one the original games that started it all - the classic Red Alert - for free.

Starting this Sunday at 12 a.m. Pacific time, fans can download the 1996 original straight from EA’s site. Additionally, those who pre-order Red Alert 3 before October 27 will receive a free copy of the second installment in the series.

Publisher Activision today announced Tony Hawk’s Motion, the first title to feature accelerometer technology on the DS. Utilizing the Motion Pack, players can “twist, tilt and turn” through a number of skate and for the first time, snowboarding locations, ranging from the streets of Tokyo to the frozen Alps.

An action-oriented puzzler, Hue Pixel Painter will be bundled with Tony Hawk’s Motion in a $39.99 pack when it hits this later this November. Players take control of Hue, utilizing the features of the Motion Pack to bring color to a world turned grey.

Full fact sheet after the break, along with the first screenshots of both titles.

Tony Hawk Motion / Hue Pixel Painter Screenshots

Square Enix formally announced its takeover bid for Tecmo today, confirming that it has presented the company with an offer to acquire more than half of Tecmo shares at a price of 920 yen per share. The move adds a 30 percent premium to Tecmo’s market value.

We believe that TECMO will be able to make a great leap forward by joining the Square Enix Group, which will provide the group with further growth opportunities as well.

As mentioned earlier, Square Enix is not waiting around for Tecmo to make a final decision. If the proposal is not accepted by September 4, Square plans to withdraw the bid. more »

Publisher THQ has released details on the collector’s edition of its forthcoming open-world game Saints Row 2. As shown above, it’s shaped in the form of a gun, with a variety of collectible goodies stored inside. For the premium price of $79.99, you’ll get a gold bullet 1GB USB thumbdrive, plus a limited edition artbook, Stillwater map spread and 3rd Street Saints Poster, along with other oddities like downloadable buddy icons and wallpaper.

Saints Row 2 is slated for an October release on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

This week’s PlayStation Store update kicks off with the addition of Sony’s zombie-laden PSN title The Last Guy. Played from a top-down perspective, players take control of a hero from the Himalayan mountains, tasked with rescuing the last survivors on Earth from undead creatures.

Next up is add-on content for Warhawk in the form of an all-new expansion, Fallen Star. Priced at $8, the third expansion adds jetpacks as well as ten new maps to wage war on. If you have yet to pick up any of the Warhawk expansion packs, Sony is offering a “Booster Combo” which includes all three packs for $15.99. Not a bad deal.

Rounding out this week’s update is the usual selection of Rock Band tracks, along with playable demos for NHL 09 and Soulcalibur IV. more »

According to a Reuters report, Square Enix is planning to purchase Tecmo, owner of the popular Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises. Today, the RPG-focused publisher placed a bid valued at 920 yen per share, for more than half of Tecmo’s shares.

As of writing, Tecmo has yet to respond to the bid, which expires on September 4. If rejected or ignored, Square Enix does not plan to reup the offer, as it is aiming for a friendly transaction.

The move would no doubt broaden Square’s portfolio, which consists largely of RPG centric titles.

Square Enix says aims to bid for Tecmo shares [Reuters]

Speaking in a recent interview, Sony Computer Entertainment America product marketing manager John Koller revealed that the battery life of the PSP-3000 will be decreased by 20-30 minutes, due to the larger power draw of the brighter screen.

Battery life will decrease by a small amount, it’s about 20 minutes maybe 30 minutes and that’s because there’s a larger power draw with the brighter screen.

Good news is, despite previous reports to the contrary, the PSP extended battery life pack is not being discontinued and will be available to consumers this holiday season, offering 8-10 hours of play time.

PSP-3000 Video Feature [GameSpot]

Speaking in an interview with Danish-based site Gamereactor, High Voltage Software CEO Eric Nofsinger revealed that the company is aiming for a March 2009 release of The Conduit, a futuristic first-person shooter in development for Nintendo’s WiiWare platform. Elsewhere in the interview, it was mentioned that the team is working to incorporate voice chat support in multiplayer.

Full video after the jump. The Conduit will be fully playable at Penny Arcade’s PAX expo, which kicks off later this week on Friday. more »