If you've pre-ordered Harmonx's upcoming rythm party game Rock Band you may have gotten an email from Amazon this morning announcing that the game is getting pushed back to 2008.

Well - it's not.

Joystiq is reporting (and this comes straight to them from Harmonix) that the game is still slated for release in November. Harmonix followed up the assertion with the following:

We have asked Amazon to address this and we'll be coming out November of this year. We've requested they update their information. We have no idea where that date came from.

My guess is that if you got one of these delay notifications you should probably be getting an appropriate retraction sometime soon. In the meantime you can ignore the "August 11, 2008" listing on the Amazon product page.

For those wondering the XBox360 listing shows November 20, 2007.

Bits Bytes Pixels and Sprites spotted an interesting new figure in this month's Toyfare magazine. The figurine is none other than Altair from the upcoming Ubisoft title Assassin's Creed. While relatively little is known about the game right now it's interesting to note how much the character of Altair, at least in this figurine, looks like Orlando Bloom.

Don't believe us? Check the side by side below.

Up until now most screenshots from the game have featured Altair but have done relatively little to expose his face. As Bites Bytes Pixels and Sprites points out this is our first real glimpse at the character.

So - what do you think? Is this or isn't this Altair Bloom?

Fallout 3 is definitely a title most RPG fans should be watching for. Along with the teaser trailer (released mere weeks ago) fans of the series have had good news heaped upon them in droves. Besides recent confirmation that the title would be working it's way to the XBox360, PS3 and PC more details have begun to surface that are sure to excite fans!

Known most recently for Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Bethesda is a company with a healthy past in developing high quality RPGs. Fans of Oblivion will be happy to hear that Bethesda has confirmed that Fallout 3 will be running on an "evolved" version of the Oblivion engine which includes upgrades to the third person view.

In the latest version of US Game Informer Magazine Bethesda hasalso shed some light on how Fallout 3's combat system will differ from that of Oblivion. Using a system they're calling the Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.) players will be able to switch back and forth between real-time and paused time for the purposes of targeting your enemies. While real-time combat will be unlimited (kind of like in Oblivion) players will need to use "action points" to pause the game when using strategic targeting. Once spent players will need to rely on real-time gameplay until the "action points" regenerate.

Fans of the original Fallout series will be glad to hear that the game will also sport between 9- 12 endings which will be based on choices made by the player as they move through the title. If Falout 3 turns out even a smidgen like Oblivion there's certain to be huge amounts of content. This is definitely a title to keep your eyes on.

With a release date sometime in the Fall of 2008 you also have plenty of time to try out the original games (available as a Fallout 1 / Fallout 2 Bundle at Amazon).

A few weeks back we got an early look at Haze courtesy of a viral site launched for Mantel Global Industries, a fictional corporation around which the game is based. Since that site's launch more and more information about Haze has been popping up leading to the release of today's developer diary entry.

For the most part I've expected Haze to be just another shooter - this developer's diary has upped the anti though. While the use of "Nectar" seems similar to mechanics used in previous games (like FarCry Instincts) some of the game's other features are very interesting. Of particular note is some of of the hints at "Moral Implications" that will be facing the players as they advance through the game. Check out the video above and be sure to put Haze on your watchlist.

For those of you desperate to get your Gordan Freeman kick word is slipping out that Valve is getting closer to releasing the newest episode of the Half-Life saga.In a recent message from the Valve crew they released word that "Right now, we're working hard on putting the final parts of Episode Two together." Along with the news we also get a quick look at three pieces of concept art showing off Alyx and the G-Man.

While nothing significant is really shared it's nice to know that the game is working it's way towards release sooner rather than later.