Nintendo today sent out the planned North American release schedule for Wii and Nintendo DS games during the months of July, August, and September. Most notable among the list's revelations is the announcement that Retro Studios' Metroid Prime 3 Corruption (Wii), which previously had no stated release projection since it was pushed past its initial status as a Wii launch title, will be released on August 20, 2007. Next Level Games' soccer sequel Mario Strikers Charged (Wii) is being released on July 30, 2007; the game ships this week in Europe. Kuju Entertainment's Battalion Wars 2 (Wii) is set to launch during the month of September.

On the Wii third party front, Electronic Arts plans to release EA Redwood Shores' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 and EA Tiburon/EA Canada's Madden NFL 08 in August, with EA Montreal's rhythm-based Boogie (see our Boogie first look) shipping some time during the fall. Outpost Kaloki X (X360) developer Wahoo Studios will release its Space Station Tycoon in August, courtesy of Namco Bandai Games. Gearbox Studios' Brothers in Arms Double Time is slated to be released by Ubisoft in September.

Not all third party games were included on the list. Rockstar Toronto's brutal horror game Manhunt 2 is set to ship July 10, while Capcom's puzzle-based adventure Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbados' Treasure has a general fall release projection.

The Nintendo DS lineup shows more heavy-hitters from third parties. In July, Electronic Arts plans to ship EA Japan's SimCity DS. Eidos will release ODenis Studio's action/strategy game Glory Days 2 (comes with optional 3D glasses! seriously!) during the same month. On August 14, Square Enix will release Brownie Brown's real-time strategy game Heroes of Mana. The strategy genre will also get entries of the turn-based variety that month when Atlus releases Image Epoch's Luminous Arc and THQ releases Team17's Worms: Open Warfare 2. Capcom will keep on plugging with Mega Man in August when it releases the three versions of its Mega Man Star Force. Arcade-style action fans will be treated to Coyote Developments' top-down shooter Operation: Vietnam, released by Majesco that same month.

Following in September will be the next installment in Capcom's Phoenix Wright saga, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations. That month, Ubisoft will release Plato's sublime guitar simulator and music creation tool, Jam Sessions.

On the first party front, Nintendo will release Jupiter's duotone puzzle game Picross DS on July 30. Nintendo's Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day will follow on August 20. Paon's DK Jungle Climber, a followup to the studio's Game Boy Advance game DK King of Swing, will be released on September 10. Finally, Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol, Skip Ltd.'s sequel to its original Chibi-Robo on GameCube, is set for release on September 24.

For the full provided list, including numerous other third-party Wii and Nintendo DS games, check out Nintendo's press release.

Rockstar Games has announced plans for a special edition set of Rockstar North's immensely anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360). Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition will ship not in a DVD case but in a metal safety deposit box, and will include the game as well as an art book, a partial soundtrack, a Rockstar-branded duffel bag, and a Rockstar-branded keychain on which one may keep the keys to the lockbox.

Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition will ship alongside the standard games for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 16 in North America and October 19 in Europe. It will be priced at $89.99 in the US.

Last week, UK trade publication MCV reported that Starbreeze's highly-revewed movie-licensed game The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (Xbox, PC) would be heading to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The news was soon confirmed by Starbreeze, which stated that the game would be entitled Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and released later in 2007.

Further details were revealed by Pete Wanat, executive producer at publisher Vivendi Games, this weekend on SpikeTV's television program GameHead. Though Assault on Dark Athena is a remake of Escape from Butcher Bay, it will feature new content in addition to its boosted visuals, giving players story extending beyond the events of the source game.

Starbreeze is currently also working on the comic-adapted action game The Darkness for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Shacknews has contacted Vivendi Games with further inquiries.

Following up on its initial announcement and seven-track reveal of Harmonix's Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s (PS2), publisher Activision today revealed seven new tracks that will be featured in the slightly renamed Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. All seven tracks are listed as having been "made famous by" their respective performance artists, suggesting that they are cover tracks rather than original recordings.

The newly announced tracks are The Police's "Synchronicity II," Skid Row's "18 and Life," Billy Squier's "Lonely is the Night," Eddie Money's "Shaken," Faster Pussycat's "Bathroom Wall," Extreme's "Play With Me" (best known from the climax of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), and Poison's "Nothing But a Good Time."

In unrelated news, Dan Connors, CEO of Sam & Max episodic series developer Telltale Games, once stated during a Shacknews interview, "Heavy metal died because Poison didn't listen to its fans," while speaking on the necessities of developers listening to their core audiences.

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s is set to ship for PlayStation 2 this summer.

In another dual-release week, Konami's action platformer Rush'n Attack and Namco's Galaga-based top-down shooter Xevious will be this week's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays games. Rush'n Attack will include both local and online cooperative and versus play as well as the option to play with updated graphics. Both games will feature online leaderboards and a total of 200 available Gamerscore points. According to Microsoft, Xbox Live Arcade's Xevious is the first 100% arcade-perfect port of Xevious.

Rush'n Attack and Xevious will be available via the Xbox Live Marketplace this Wednesday, May 23 for 400 Microsoft Points ($5) each.

This week's spate of three Virtual Console games exhibits a higher average name recognition than most, with Donkey Kong Country 2, Streets of Rage 2, and Blazing Lazers all making their way to the Wii's download service.

Rare's sidescroller sequel Donkey Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest (Super NES, 1-2 players), first released in 1995, is available for the standard Super NES price of 800 Wii Points ($8). Sega-AM2 and Ancient's well-loved brawler Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis, 1-2 players), first released in 1993, goes for 800 Wii Points ($8). Finally, Compile's classic shoot-em-up Blazing Lazers (TurboGrafx-16, 1 player), is priced at 600 Wii Points ($6).

As usual, check back tomorrow for the Shack's reviews on all three new Virtual Console games.

As suggested by retailer listings last week, Activision subsidiary RedOctane confirmed that its popular Guitar Hero franchise will see an edition centered around music from the 1980s. Developed by series creator Harmonix, Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s will be released on PlayStation 2 later this summer.

The announcement also provided the first glimpse of the game's 30 songs, including a mix of tracks performed by the original artists and "as made famous by" covers:

- I Wanna Rock (by Twisted Sister)
- I Ran (by Flock of Seagulls)
- Round and Round (as made famous by Ratt)
- I Want Candy (as made famous by Bow Wow Wow)
- Metal Health (as made famous by Quiet Riot)
- Holy Diver (as made famous by Dio)
- Heat Of The Moment (as made famous by Asia)

When asked about the chances of tracks from Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s appearing on the Xbox 360--possibly as downloadable content for Guitar Hero II--RedOctane representative Bryan Lam issued a statement that neither confirmed nor denied that possibility. "We recently launched the Xbox 360 game, and will continue to offer downloadable content for Xbox 360 users," Lam told Shacknews. "Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s provides a unique opportunity for our PlayStation2 fans who don't have the same online capabilities to enjoy fresh new content. We're strongly committed to offering the greatest game play experiences possible on all platforms."

Sega AM2's Ghost Squad, the company's top-earning arcade gun game in 2005, is on its way to the Wii this holiday season. An enhanced port of the arcade version, the Wii edition allows gamers to gun down terrorists and defuse bombs via the Wii Remote with up to three other players. Up to 25 different weapons--including machine guns, pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles, and crossbows--are available throughout the course of the game.

"Ghost Squad brings the classic light gun blaster experience that SEGA made popular in the arcades to the Wii," said Sega of America marketing VP Scott Steinberg. "With a more robust multiplayer experience than even the arcade version and numerous unlockable items and stages adding replay value, Ghost Squad will be the ultimate shooter experience for the Nintendo Wii console."

Formerly announced for the PC, Petroglyph's RTS Universe at War: Earth Assault will be hitting the Xbox 360 as well. Unlike many other RTS games, Universe at War's persistent world tracks environmental damage across multiple battles and environments, enabling players to return to a previous location and find it still in shambles. Players can customize their weapons and defenses in the midst of battle to be more effective, as well as partake in a number of multiplayer modes.

Responding to queries as to how Petroglyph came to the decision to bring Universe at War to Xbox 360, creative director Adam Isgreen told Shacknews that consoles are an appropriate fit for Petroglyph's design philosophy. "We always like to approach games with a console attitude in the first place," he explained, "keeping things approachable and intuitive."

Published by Sega, Universe at War: Earth Assault is scheduled for a PC release in holiday 2007 with the Xbox 360 version following in Q1 2008.

A new entry in THQ's open ended crime-centric Saints Row series is in development for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the company announced today. As with the original, the followup will be handled by developer Volition and should arrive at some point in 2008.

"The original Saints Row earned critical acclaim for its stunning graphics, unparalleled customization options and the genre's first-ever online multiplayer," announced THQ executive VP of worldwide publishing Kelly Flock. "The game's worldwide success shows the growing fanaticism for open-world gaming and our talented team at Volition is now using their proprietary technology to revolutionize the genre yet again."

Though an additional Saints Row release was first mentioned during a conference call in February, it was not known at the time if the executive was referring to a new title or the upcoming PlayStation 3 version of the Xbox 360 original.

Namco Bandai and Koei today unveiled plans to bring PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of Dynasty Warriors:Gundam to North America in late summer. Previously released on the PlayStation 3 in Japan as Gundam Musou, the game combines developer Omega Force's penchant for large-scale battles and mass destruction, as seen in its Dynasty Warriors games, with the ever-popular robots and mythology of Sunrise's mech-tastic franchise. Spanning multiple Gundam time lines, Dynasty Warriors:Gundam includes a number of different mobile suits and pilots to control across its official, original and versus game modes.

LucasArts sent along the first details on developer Rebellion's Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. Exclusively for the PSP, Renegade Squadron will represent the only original entry in the Star Wars Battlefront series this year when it releases in the fall.

Building off Savage Entertainment's PSP version of Star Wars Battlefront II, Renegade Squadron replaces the traditional class system with the option to customize a character's weapons, equipment and special abilities. The game also supports online matches of up to 16 players, with maps ranging from Korriban's Valley of the Sith to the remains of Alderaan.

Author Lorenzo Carcaterra is working with developer Eden Games to help pen the studio's upcoming revival of the classic survival horror series Alone in the Dark, which is in development for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Carcaterra--who has written books such as Chasers, Apaches, and Sleepers--is said to bring his expertise of the New York City area and experience of over 20 years in writing fact and fiction to the project, which centers around a conspiracy involving New York City's Central Park.

"Alone in the Dark was a challenge which allowed me to bring a realistic feel to an apocalyptic situation facing New York City and really dig into the Central Park conspiracy idea," explained the author. "It also allowed me to write for hard-edged characters, some good, some bad, all forced to confront a force whose power they could never imagine. The story never stalls, always moves in overdrive and the characters zoom right along at warp speed, stopping long enough along the way to say a few lines that keep driving the plot forward. The end result is, I hope, a roller-coaster of a thrill ride that should be tons of fun to play."

Neither developer Eden Studios nor publisher Atari has suggested a target release date for Alone in the Dark.

The latest entry in the Growlanser RPG series, Growlanser: Heritage of War, will make its way to North America in late summer care of publisher Atlus. Following the appearance of an impassable veil on its borders, a small island becomes plagued by war, famine, and monsters. As players struggle to save themselves and their country across the game's five chapters, they will find themselves tackling a number of strategic party-based battles and interacting with a magical fairy companion. As with most recent Atlus releases, the game will come packaged in a special edition box loaded with bonus materials, which will be unveiled at a later date.

Mondo Media's disturbingly cute and exceedingly violent Happy Tree Friends animated series has entered the interactive realm thanks to Sega and developer Stainless Studios. An action-puzzle game, Happy Tree Friends False Alarm puts players in control of one of three characters--Flippy, Lumpy, and Handy--as they use items such as concrete, ice, gasoline, and nitroglycerin to modify the surrounding environment in hopes of preventing an untimely demise.

Happy Tree Friends False Alarm will hit PC and Xbox Live Arcade this fall.

Sony Online Entertainment has announced High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition, a downloadable PlayStation 3 title for the PlayStation Network. Along with five different types of poker--Texas Hold'em, Super Hold'em, Billabon, Tahoe, and Shanghai--the game offers 6 person multiplayer and support for compatible USB camera, including the PlayStation 2 EyeToy. SOE expects High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition to arrive in the PlayStation Store later this summer, priced at $9.99.

After a few unexpected delays, David Jaffe's cops'n'robbers-inspired Calling All Cars! is now available for download from the online PlayStation Store. Developed by the Utah-based Incognito Entertainment and featuring both local and online multiplayer of up to four players, Calling All Cars! is priced at $9.99.

As reported yesterday, Sony Online Entertainment's edition of Midway's Rampart also arrived in the PlayStation store today, selling for $4.99.

Microsoft and developer Realtime Worlds today released a title update and detailed two new pieces of Crackdown downloadable content slated to arrive within the next week. The update resolves several issues with the game, such as indestructible fire hydrants and ramp problems, and adds the option to repopulate the city's gangs.

As for downloadable content, the first pack, "Free-For-All", is available free of charge and grants players the Keys to the City--a cheat mode that allows players the freedom to do just about anything, from spawning ramps and activating infinite ammo to further enhancing the capabilities of their agent. The in-game garage has also been redesigned to accommodate more vehicles.

The other piece of content, the "Getting' Busy Bonus Pack", sells for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Included in the premium pack are a number of new vehicles--the Agency Buggy, Agency Racecar, Agency Armored Vehicle--as well as new weapons--the MSK mini-rocket Lobber, EX1 "Proximity Charge", HRX "Harpoon", MZ360 "Mini-Gun", VS1 "Cloaking Device. New game types--Street Racing, Max-Agility Rooftop Races, Stockpile, Checkpoint Chase, Rocket Tag--and new achievements are also added. Furthermore, should a player that has not purchased the "Getting' Busy Bonus Pack" enter into a co-op game with one that has, they will be able to preview the extra content for the duration of that session.

Along with the announcement, Microsoft also provided a number of movies showing off the new content and modes. For a full list of all the additions and changes, check out Major Nelson.

Update: Both the "Free-For-All Pack" and "Getting' Busy Bonus Pack" are now available from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Microsoft dropped word that Turn 10 Studios' Xbox 360 race sim Forza Motorsport 2 has gone gone and will definitely be in stores on May 29. As mentioned last night, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can now download a free demo of the game from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The release of developer Artifical Studios' top-down action game Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia has been pushed from May 15 to May 29, publisher SouthPeak Games noted today. Meanwhile, last month's Xbox Live demo is still available.

Following up on the mysterious Rev64.com website launched earlier this month, Ubisoft today announced the creation of its fourth franchise based off the work of novelist Tom Clancy (pictured left), Tom Clancy's EndWar. A strategy game set in the midst of World War III, EndWar is in development at Ubisoft Shanghai for unspecified next-generation consoles. This means PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions are a safe bet, with a possible Wii iteration as well.

According to the announcement, EndWar has been designed with the power of the unspecified next-generation consoles in mind, allowing it to surpass past artificial intelligence, graphics, physics and animation.

"Our success with Tom Clancy franchises is unparalleled in the next-generation and Tom Clancy's EndWar will be a marvelous addition to the already critically acclaimed library of games," said Ubisoft chief creative officer Serge Hascoet. "A strategy game like no other, EndWar will allow gamers to lead their own armies against hundreds of others online in real global locations on the massive battlefields of World War III."

While Tom Clancy's EndWar is not expected until the 2007/2008 fiscal year, more details will be available shortly as it is featured in the upcoming issue of print publication Electronic Gaming Monthly.

Publisher SCi Interactive revealed that both IO Interactive's Kane & Lynch and Pivotal Games' Crossfire will see a simultaneous release on the PlayStation 3 alongside the previously announced Xbox 360 and PC versions. Kane & Lynch, the co-op focused bad cop worse cop action game from Hitman creator IO Interactive, is slated to launch before Christmas 2007, with the CIA-centric co-op FPS Crossfire following from Conflict series developer Pivotal Games in early 2008.

Sony Computer Entertainment sent along word of its plan to release Clap Hanz's Hot Shots Tennis this July for $29.99. Much like the Hot Shots Golf series, also developed by Clap Hanz, Hot Shots Tennis is said to present a deceptively simple premise that offers a surprising amount of depth and strategy for advanced play. In all, the game will contain 14 characters, along with 11 courts of varying surface materials and five in-game umpires.

"Hot Shots Tennis draws from Clap Hanz's success with the Hot Shots franchise by providing a social gaming experience that will appeal to casual players and tennis gaming fans alike," said SCEA software maketing director Jeff Reese. "Whether it's playing head-to-head or in a four-player doubles match with family and friends, this is a game that PlayStation 2 fans of all ages can enjoy."

Koei set a July 2007 release for Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighter's Battle. The card-based rendition of Koei's popular strategic hack'em up Dynasty Warriors series (PSX, PS2, X360, PSP, GBA) offers over 400 playable characters, 11 different scenarios, and wireless multiplayer, with 2 player co-op and 3 player versus.

Always one to go the extra mile, Atlus has detailed the bonus contents of the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 deluxe edition to be released later this summer. Included with the RPG in its special collector's box is a full-color, 52-page art book and a "wicked-awesome" CD soundtrack. Presumably, the distribution of the Persona 3 deluxe edition will be similar to that of 2005's Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga deluxe box, which saw every copy of the game packaged in the special box and paired with an original soundtrack CD.

Publisher Sega today announced that it has acquired the video game rights to three Marvel comic book characters--The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, and Thor. Today's news follows last November's announcement that Sega had acquired the Iron Man license. At the time, Sega noted that it would also be announcing a deal regarding "at least one additional Marvel Super Hero property." Speaking on the deal, Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel said, "We have already seen SEGA's passion for the Marvel Universe through the early development of the Iron Man video game, and we look forward to working closely with them over the next few years to maximize the potential of these franchises in the interactive entertainment space."

Games based on all four propertiets will be based on their corresponding upcoming feature films, with The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man slated to be the first released. Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, The Transporter 2) is directing The Incredible Hulk, due for release on June 13, 2008, while Swingers screenwriter Jon Favreau is helming the Iron Man film set for release in May 2008. Films based on the Captain America and Thor characters, neither of which yet have directors attached, are planned for completion in 2009.

"As SEGA continues to create games that are built from the ground up to appeal to Western audiences it makes perfect sense to work with a powerhouse like Marvel," said Sega of America president Simon Jeffery. Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Thor are icons that people are already familiar with and love, so our goal is to give gamers the ability to play out their fantasies by actually becoming these Super Heroes. Fans can now not only watch them in movies and read about them in comic books, but also literally control their actions through the video games we are creating."

Developers for the games have not yet been announced.

Last March, THQ released Worms: Open Warfare for Nintendo DS and PSP, bringing Team17's long-running turn-based strategy-ish franchise to current portables. Today, the publisher announced that Worms: Open Warfare 2 is in the works for both systems. It will feature new themed battles based around common video game tropes such as "Space War," "Pirates," and "World War II." Those disappointed in the lack of online support in the previous release will be pleased to learn that Open Warfare 2 features online multiplayer, with persistent stats and leaderboards tracked via the game's official site. The game will feature new modes including Rope Race, Puzzle, Campaign, and Firing Range, and new weapons such as the Bunker Buster and Buffalo of Lies.

Team17 staff also confirmed that Open Warfare 2 will be developed by a newly contracted studio in conjunction with Team17; Open Warfare was developed by Gamesauce on Nintendo DS and by Team17 on PSP.

Worms: Open Warfare 2 is expected to ship for Nintendo DS and PSP in July 2007.

During a Game Developers Conference lecture this March, Grasshopper Manufacture founder and director Goichi Suda stated that Grasshopper would be remaking its first game, a Japan-only PlayStation adventure game entitled The Silver Case, on Nintendo DS. The game's sequel, released only on mobile phones in Japan, is also in the works for Nintendo DS. At the time, Suda indicated his desire to release the game worldwide, particularly given the more positive reception seen by his polarizing game Killer7 (PS2, GCN) in the West than in Japan, but was unsure if such a release would be possible.

Now, reporting from the GO3 conference in Perth, Australia, Gamasutra claims that Suda has confirmed a worldwide release for The Silver Case and its sequel on Nintendo DS. No release projection for any territory was given.

Veteran Pac-Man players will have the opportunity to display their old-school arcade skills with the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship, presented by Microsoft and Namco Bandai Games. The tournament will run from April 25 to May 9, 2007, and will see the top entrants from each participating country compete in the finals in New York City on June 5. Finalists will be chosen based on leaderboard scores as of May 9, and must be within the 1,000 Pac-Man players globally to qualify. As of April 25, players will be able to sign up at the Xbox Live competition official site.

Namco's Pac-Man, designed by Toru Iwatani and originally released to arcades in 1980, is available via Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points ($5). The game is required for eligibility in the tournament.

Not long after Atlus' announcement that it would be localizing and publishing Vanillaware's hand-drawn 2D action RPG Odin Sphere in North America, the company has assigned the game a release date of May 22. Unusually for niche titles, the game will be released only five days after its ship date in Japan. Atlus also confirmed that players will be able to use either a Japanese or English voice track.

North American PSP owners will have the opportunity to play through revamped versions of Square's Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II, publisher Square Enix announced today. The remakes were first revealed earlier this year by the Japanese press, but had not been acknowledged by Square Enix's North American operation until now.

Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II on PSP will feature widescreen presentation, updated graphics, higher resolution sprites, pre-rendered CG cutscenes, and a new tilted camera perpsective on the overworld. They will also contain the content that was added for the 2004 release of the Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls collection on Game Boy Advance.

The two PSP releases are part of Square Enix's celebration of Final Fantasy's twentieth anniversary. "So much has changed within the video game industry since the first console was launched, and Final Fantasy has always pushed the envelope, creating the most advanced graphics and immersive storylines possible," said executive producer Shinji Hashimoto. "It is amazing to see how far Final Fantasy has come in the past twenty years, and we cannot wait to continue bringing fans more Final Fantasy titles in the next twenty years." So far, the series has seen a total of 28 game releases.

Square Enix sent over several screenshots and a piece of character artwork from Final Fantasy, as well as several screenshots and a piece of character artwork (pictured left) from Final Fantasy II.

Final Fantasy for PSP is set to be released in North America on June 26, 2007, with Final Fantasy II to follow on July 24, 2007.

Jet Black Games, a new Vancouver-based independent development house, formally announced its existence today. The company, stealthily founded last year, intends to develop for Wii and Nintendo DS. Both original properties and licensed franchises are planned for development at the studio. Veterans of nearby Electronic Arts Canada are responsible for Jet Black, claiming experience from two generations of console development as one of the staff's strongest assets.

"With the launch of our new studio we've brought together all the key elements to develop top games: proven experience and talent, the desire to push the creative envelope, commitment to making games we ourselves want to play, and all the resources and support systems needed to perform," said co-founder and CEO Roger Freddi. "Both the Nintendo DS and Wii's WiFi capabilities provide an advanced medium for Jet Black to bring already popular franchises to an even broader worldwide audience. These recognised licensed properties serve to ensure that Jet Black is a name to affiliate with Nintendo games, and nicely complement the original IP on which we're working."

Though Jet Black's own games are planned for Nintendo systems, the company has also ported A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games' engine, intended for "a yet to be announced XBOX Live Arcade game," from PC to Xbox 360. That game may be Rocketmen: Axis of Evil, the top-down shooter announced by Capcom last week.

Jet Black has not released any details pertaining to its Wii or Nintendo DS games.

Bungie today released the two new Certain Affinity-developed Halo 2 maps, available for $4: a remake of Halo's Hang 'Em High, entitled Tombstone, and a remake of Halo's Derelict, entitled Desolation. Though the maps were originally announced as Xbox 360 exclusives, Microsoft and Bungie later relented and stated that both Xbox and Xbox 360 users would have access.

Due to the cross-platform concession, however, the maps are being offered only through the last-generation Xbox Live sales mechanism, meaning that they must be purchased with an actual credit card rather than with the Xbox 360's Microsoft Points system. Xbox 360 users whose Xbox Live accounts are tied not to a credit card but to Xbox Live point cards will be required to enter credit card information to purchase the maps.

Next week, Bungie will be introducing an updated set of playlists, with Rumble pit, Team Slayer, Team Skirmish, Team Snipers, and Team SWAT requiring the new maps. Double Team, Team Training, Team Hardcore, and Big Team Battle will not require the new maps.

For more information on purchasing and playlists, check out Bungie's official update on the matter.

Konami Digital Entertainment plans to streamline its two California offices into one location, the publisher announced today. By the end of July, the company's Redwood City operations will be moved down South to its El Segundo offices, which will become the company's North American headquarters.

"In order to grasp the rapid change of entertainment trends and take timely strategic action, having all functions under one roof is critical," said CEO Kazumi Kitaue. "Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. will continue creating and innovating in order to provide its customers with dreams and excitement which have never before been experienced."

Atlus sends word that it has launched the official site for its upcoming Nintendo DS RPG Etrian Odyssey. The game's staff features several notable names, with direction by Kazuya Niinou (Trauma Center: Under the Knife [NDS]), story and world design by Shigeo Kobayashi (Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner [PS2, PSP]), monster design by Shin Nagasawa (Final Fantasy IX [PS1]), and music by Yuzo Koshiro (Actraiser [SNES], Sreets of Rage [SMS, GEN]). Previous screenshots are available here.

Confirming fairly solid rumors, Namco Bandai Games today announced that the upcoming flight combat sim Ace Combat 6 is indeed being developed for Xbox 360. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, as it is named, adds what Namco calls the "Allied Support System," allowing players to draw aircraft, naval fleets, tanks, or other friendly forces to fight alongside them. This combines with the game's "Dynamic Operation System," by which up to half a dozen discrete battles can be in progress simultaneously on one large battlefield.

Notably, Ace Combat 6 will be the first entry in Namco's long running series to feature online multiplayer. The multiplayer component will include several modes such as deathmatch and team deathmatch as well as cooperative play. Xbox 360-standard online leaderboards will be included.

Namco Bandai released several Ace Combat 6 screenshots today, and also noted that concept art and icons are available through the Xbox Live Marketplace on Xbox 360.

In 2002, Atlus USA published Japanese developer MaxFive's PlayStation strategy RPG Hoshigami. Today, publisher Aksys Games announced that it will localize and publish for North America the Nintendo DS remake of Hoshigami, which had previously been announced only for Japan. Entitled Hoshigami Remix, the game will feature a newly translated script as well as a stylus control option, a new character, new missions, and various new graphical elements. Three levels of difficulty have also been implemented, likely to address some players' claims that the original game was too demanding. Players will also be able to trade items and spells amongst one another. Aksys sent over this batch of screenshots and character artwork.

Aksys Games was founded in 2006 by former Atlus USA executive Akibo Shieh as a localization firm, but the company soon declared its intention to move into full scale publishing with an emphasis on adapting Japanese games to the North American market. Hoshigami Remix is Aksys Games' second title, following last year's Eagle Eye Golf (PS2) from developer Telenet Japan.

Hoshigami Remix is expected to ship for Nintendo DS this summer.

Sega sent word today revealing the names of three more Genesis titles it plans to release to the Wii's Virtual Console service in the near future: Virtua Fighter 2, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, and Wonder Boy in Monster World.

Sega notes that AM2's Virtua Fighter 2 was "the first 3D fighting game in the industry"--the 1996 Genesis version, however, was remade as a 2D fighter due to hardware limitations. The game features the playable characters Lau Chan, Kage Maru, Wolf Hawkfield, Jeffry McWild, Akira Yuki, Jacky Bryant, Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan.

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle was the only Genesis title to feature Alex Kidd, Sega's platforming mascot before Sonic the Hedgehog took center stage. Both before and after Enchanted Castle's release in 1989, all other Alex Kidd games were released on the Master System.

Finally, there is Westone's Genesis version of its Zelda-esque action/adventure game Wonder Boy in Monster World, first released in 1991.

Sega has not officially confirmed pricing, but all three games are likely to run 800 Wii Points ($8), standard for Genesis games.

Next week's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday release for Xbox 360 will be Rare's Jetpac Refuelled, Microsoft announced today. An expanded and graphically revamped update to the classic shooter Jetpac, Jetpac Refuelled has players shooting their way from planet to planet across 128 levels. Like most other Xbox Live Arcade games, Jetpac Refuelled features online leaderboards, Achievements, and online or local multiplayer. Also included is the original 16-level Jetpac game. Previously released Jetpac Refuelled screenshots are available here.

Jetpac was first released to ZX Spectrum in 1983 by Ultimate Play the Game, the development house founded by Tim and Chris Stamper and later redubbed Rare.

Jetpac Refuelled will be released on Wednesday, March 28 for 400 Microsoft Points ($5).

Raven Software released its X-Men Legends followup Marvel: Ultimate Alliance nearly five months ago, but new content is still on the way for the Xbox 360 version of the game. Activision today announced that players will soon be able to purchase two new Heroes and Villains content packs via Xbox Live Marketplace. Heroes and Villains will add the playable characters The Incredible Hulk, Magneto, Sabretooth, Doctor Doom, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, and Venom. Players will have access to new Achiements, an addition made possible with Microsoft's recently revised guideline allowing downloadable content to feature up to 250 additional potential Gamerscore points.

Both the Hero Pack and Villain Pack will be available in April for 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25) each, with a Combined Hero and Villain Pack selling for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

It has been known for some time that Vivendi is to publish an Xbox Live Arcade title based on the current SciFi Channel series of the same name, but until now the company has refrained from publicly announcing or acknowledging the game. Today, Vivendi revealed that the game is called, simply enough, Battlestar Galactica, and will be released on both Xbox Live Arcade and PC this fall.

Australian developer Auran Games is handling Battlestar Galactica, a single-player and multiplayer space combat game. Few gameplay details have been revealed, other than that it will allow players to relive noteworthy battles from the show using ships from the Battlestar Galactica universe.

In concert with today's announcement, Vivendi has released a series of Xbox 360 pictures and themes currently available through the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Atlus today announced that it will be publishing Vanillaware's Odin Sphere in North America. A rare case of a modern home console game employing high resolution hand-drawn 2D artwork, Odin Sphere is a sidescrolling action RPG that puts the player into the role of Odin's daughter, who must put a stop to a prophesized epic war in order to save the world.

Developer Vanillaware was founded in 2004 by Seiya Kamiya, known for his work on the well loved 1997 Sega Saturn RPG Princess Crown. Some have declared Odin Sphere to be a spiritual successor to Princess Crown. Screenshots and artwork for the game can be found on the website of Japanese publication Famitsu. Music for Odin Sphere is being handled by Hitoshi Sakimoto, composer on several games in the Ogre Battle franchise, Radiant Silvergun (SAT), and various Final Fantasy games including Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1) and Tactics Advance (GBA) as well as Final Fantasy XII (PS2) and the upcoming Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings (NDS).

Atlus expects to ship Odin Sphere for PlayStation 2 in North America this spring.

Microsoft sent over word that they're making sure lonely gamers have plenty to do on Valentine's Day, thanks to some Xbox 360 events being held over Xbox Live over the coming week. This weekend, forgotten and desolate lovers can shoot each other in the face on a forgotten and desolate world thanks to the All-Nighter multiplayer extravaganza for Capcom's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Starting the evening of Saturday, February 10 and lasting throughout the night, Microsoft is encouraging players to load up Lost Planet's online multiplayer over Live. Feel free to send a note with your Gamertag and how long you played--along with pictures--to this Microsoft email address for a chance to win some free Capcom prizes.

On Valentine's Day itself, February 14, Microsoft is also encouraging players to make use of the pinata trading feature in Rare's Viva Pinata. Check out Microsoft's site for more on how that works. On the subject of Viva Pinata, Microsoft also sent over some Valentine's Day wallpapers themed around the game.

Finally, for those involved in relationships with those who do not game, Microsoft has published a series of tips on how to introduce your significant other to the hobby. Be forwarned: these tips are from registered Xbox community members. You know, the ones you hear over your headset when you're playing Halo 2. I'm just saying.

Ubisoft today confirmed that the animated film division on which Canadian publication La Presse reported yesterday is indeed to be opened at the company's Ubisoft Montreal studio, which will also see bolstered game development operations

Atari sends word that Cavia's Xbox 360 action game Bullet Witch has gone gold. The title is on track to ship to North American retail shelves on February 27th.

Atlus USA today announced that it has acquired the rights to bring the next game in Atlus' long running Shin Megami Tensei franchise, Persona 3, to North American PlayStation 2 owners. The news is likely to be welcome for fans of the Persona series, as it has been over six years since the release of the previous installment on the original PlayStation. Persona 3 tells the story of a high school student who, after being attacked by a mysterious Shadow, gains access to his demonic Persona creature. "Persona 3 is the most exciting, challenging, and ambitious title in the SMT series to date!" said project lead Yu Namba. "While still faithful to its roots, it takes the series in a bold new direction with the implementation of the Social Link system, where your relationship with not just party members but also a huge cast of characters is critical to your success! Tired of endless random battles and character leveling? Then, focus on your Social Links instead... How you play the game is up to you!" Persona 3 features music composition by Shoji Meguro, who previously worked on the Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga entries in the franchise.

The game has already been released in Japan. Atlus recently announced that it would be releasing an update of the game, containing the original Persona 3 plus a significant amount of new content, in Japan. It is not clear if that game, entitled Persona 3 Fes, will be the basis for the North American release.

Atlus plans to release Persona 3 for PlayStation 2 in June 2007.

Hudson today sent out an email update containing various news and details of recent and upcoming Hudson releases, and included in the bulletin was word that the TurboGrafx-16 turn-based strategy game Military Madness is coming soon to Wii's Virtual Console. Hudson's official page for the game actually states that it is "now available," suggesting that the game is part of the next Virtual Console update, coming Monday, December 18.

If you've ever played any games in the Advance Wars or Heroes of Might & Magic series, you know how fun a turn-based strategy game can be. What you might not know is that the grandpappy of them all, Military Madness, is now available for the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console! As soon as you start up the first map, titled "Revolt", you'll know that you're in for a challenge as well as a whole bunch of fun. The game is likely to run the standard TurboGrafx-16 price of 600 Wii Points ($6).

Earlier this year, Sega announced that it would be delivering ten Sega Genesis games to Virtual Console in 2006. Eight of those have already been released, but now the company has put a list of its 2006 VC releases on its official site, revealing when the two remaining titles are coming. Sci-fi action game Space Harrier II is coming next Monday, December 18, while classic funk-laden co-op adventure Toe Jam & Earl will grace Virtual Console on Christmas Day, December 25. Each game will almost certainly go for the standard Genesis price of 800 Wii Points ($8).

Gears of War was easily one of the most anticipated Xbox 360 titles to date, and has been one of the system's best reviewed games following its release, so it is no surprise that Epic Games' third person shooter has already become Xbox 360's highest seller. Publisher Microsoft announced today that, since the game's so-called "Emergence Day" on November 7, Gears of War has sold over 2 million copies worldwide, 1 million of which have been in United States. "We've always held high hopes for 'Gears of War,' but we never expected such an overwhelmingly positive response from critics and gamers all over the world," said Epic president Michael Capps. "I can't describe how stoked our team is right now. Our fans can absolutely count on Epic to keep delivering new gameplay through Xbox Live."

Soon after its release, Gears of War dethroned Halo 2 as the current most-played Xbox Live game, and now some 1 million unique users have logged on to play online. That's a lot of people who will be downloading the game's upcoming free content.

In the wake of the recent launch of PlayStation 3, Sony Computer Entertainment tonight announced multiple changes being made to its divisions in both Japan and North America. Jack Tretton, who formerly served as Sony Computer Entertainment America's executive vice president and co-chief operating officer, has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of the company. He replaces Kaz Hirai, who will become the president and group COO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the company's Japanese division. Ken Kutaragi, who held the roles of president and group CEO, will in turn become SCEI's chairman while retaining his role as group CEO. Current Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president, CEO, and co-COO David Reeves will retain his current roles while also becoming deputy president of SCEI. Finally, SCEI board of directors member Akira Sato will become vice chairman of the division.

Speaking on Tretton's new roles, Hirai said, "Jack has been with SCEA since its formation and helped pilot the debuts of the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PSP and the successful launch of the recently released PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. Given his experience and exceptional reputation in the industry, I can think of no better person to assume the helm of the PlayStation brand in the US, Canada and Latin America." Said Tretton, "Moving forward, we will remain focused on the continued market leadership of the PlayStation brand, driving consumer demand for the new PS3, and existing platforms such as PSP and PS2, which continue to excel in the marketplace."

All leadership changes will become effective as of December 1, 2006.

Punchline's creepy and psychological survival horror title Rule of Rose (PS2) has faced continued problems due to its controversial content, involving a bizarre secret society set up by young girls. Sony, the game's Japanese publisher, declined to bring the game over to North America, but Atlus USA stepped in to do the honors. It hasn't has such luck elsewhere, however. Last week, on the day of the game's release, publisher 505 Games announced that it would be canceling Rule of Rose's UK release plans following criticisms by Rome's mayor Walter Veroni, citing the game's "obscene cruelty and brutality."

Now, CNET reports that under direction from 505, distributor Red Ant Enterprises will not be selling the game in Australia or New Zealand. It was scheduled for a February 2007 launch in those territories. As in many other regions, the game has received copious bad press in mainstream Australian news publications.

Today, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime addressed Nintendo's current sales goals for the recently launched Wii, and also gave his thoughts on the future prospects of the Game Boy Advance, the company's oldest current supported gaming platform. Speaking at the Reuters Media Summit in New York, Fils-Aime reconfirmed the company's plans to sell 4 million units of its Wii console worldwide during calendar 2006. Despite the company's relatively high supply for a console launch, manufacturing capacity remains the biggest limiting factor. "Exceeding (sales targets) is going to be challenging based on manufacturing capacity," said Fils-Aime. "We will sell everything we make so now it's simply a manufacturing thing." Nintendo recently announced that it sold 600,000 units in the machine's first 8 days on sale.

Game Boy Advance has been a mainstay for Nintendo since its launch in 2001, and has demonstrated similar staying power in the handheld space that PlayStation 2 has shown in the home console space, consistently performing well on the hardware charts years after its release. The machine's game release schedule has slowed in recent years, largely due to the introduction of the Nintendo DS and the PSP, but Fils-Aime stated that GBA has some life left. "For as great a Black Friday weekend that we had on DS, we had just as good a selling season so far on Game Boy Advance," he said. "We think that Game Boy Advance certainly has at least one more holiday season left in it." The executive commented on its strength as a "stepping stone" to introduce younger gamers to the medium.

Earlier this year, Killer7 (PS2, GCN) director Goichi Suda revealed the name of his studio Grasshopper Manufacture's upcoming Wii game. Entitled Heroes, the game revolves around an energy blade-wielding bounty hunter. Now, Japanese publication Famitsu has reported that the game's name has been changed, to the rather more bleak "No More Heroers." Along with the name change, IGN has translated details regarding various aspects of No More Heroes' presentation and gameplay, including that the game has an open-world structure set in a city called Santa Destroy.

No More Heroes is expected to release in Japan in summer 2007. No North American release has been announced, but it is likely the game will make it to Western shores. Suda has frequently commented on the greater success Killer7 saw in North America, and has stated his intention to continue targeting American audiences with further titles.

Microsoft sent word today of an event being held in Santa Monica this Saturday to celebrate the recent launch of Rare's Viva Pinata (X360). The event will be attended by none other than Saved by the Bell's Mario Lopez, and it seems he will be teaching kids how to perform the Viva Pinata dance. The event is free and targeted mainly at the younger folk, who will have access to various activities such as carousel rides and face painting, while their parents can learn about parental control settings on the Xbox 360.

The event is beingt held at the Santa Monica Pier, this Saturday, December 2, from 11:00am-3:00pm.

Simultaneously, the Xbox 360 team based in Mexico City plans to hold its own Viva Pinata event, where it will construct the world's biggest pinata.

This week, Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert aired a virtual boxing match using Wii Sports, in which he managed a stunning defeat over incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) represented in Mii form. Next week, Colbert will continue airing video game-related content when legendary SimCity designer Will Wright makes an appearance on the show. We already know Wright likes the Wii; will Colbert have a Wright-based Mii ready to go? Probably not, but to catch Wright's appearance, tune into the Colbert Report on Comedy Central on Monday, December 4.

Newsweek technology writer N'Gai Croal has an entertaining anecdote on his blog, telling the story of a friendly bet between well known Xbox engineer and de facto marketer J Allard, and members of the tech press. The bet centered around, of all things, Sony's PSP, and Allard's opinions on the marketplace potential for multifunction gadgets. Unsurprisingly, his outlook on his competitor's product was not particularly strong, and he made a rather unorthadox wager betting against the device's long term success. Of course, Allard has just now released his own multifunction device, the Zune. Read on to find out more.

Business publication Red Herring spoke this week to Atari founder and video game industry pioneer Nolan Bushnell about his current work on a high-tech restaurant venture. The interviewer was also sure to get Bushnell's opinion on the state of the games industry. Asked about what he is following, Bushnell commented on both Nintendo's and Microsoft's efforts. "I'm very curious and interested in the Nintendo Wii. I think it may expand the market beyond the hardcore [18- to 24-year old]," he said. "Xbox Live is interesting because it potentially becomes the platform for the living room." When asked specifically about his former company Atari, however, Bushnell was dismissive. "Atari really isn't a part of today's gaming world in any meaningful way. They lost the cachet of being a leading technology company in the games space," he said.

Asked about Sony, his reaction was also negative. "I think Sony shot themselves in the foot... there is a high probability [they] will fail," he answered. "The price point is probably unsustainable. For years and years Sony has been a very difficult company to deal with from a developer standpoint. They could get away with their arrogance and capriciousness because they had an installed base." Bushnell went on to unfavorable contrast Sony's development tools and strategy to Microsoft's development tools, which are frequently praised, and the revenue streams offered by Xbox Live Arcade and Xbox Live Marketplace. As for Sony's past and current success, Bushnell claimed it was largely an issue of being in the right place at the right time, and that the company was "almost the accidental winner."

Fans of Team17's long running Worms franchise have expressed frequent wishes that a 2D iteration of the series would one day make it to Xbox Live Arcade, and it looks like those wishes are soon to be granted. According to a Team17 employee on the official Team17 forums, Worms for Live Arcade is actually already in "final certification stages" and next the company will be discussing announcement plans with Microsoft. Given the long road that Live Arcade games seem to need to travel before release, it may be unrealistic the expect the game this year (the employee also mentioned that it will be delivering Lemmings 2 for PS3's download service first), but it's coming for sure.

Online retailer GameStop.com has revealed the full list of games and accessories included in its Wii preorder mandatory bundle. The whole package weighs in at $694.88 and includes the system and its included Wii Sports game, a 1GB SD card to augment the system's internal flash memory for game saves and downloadable content such as Virtual Console games, an additional remote controller, a 12 month GameStop warranty, a subscription to Game Informer, and six games: Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Atlus' Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Ubisoft Paris' Red Steel, Raven Software and Vicarious Visions' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Sega Studios' Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz, and EA Tiburon and EA Canada's Madden NFL 2007.

Using the price points of each component as listed on the GameStop.com website, the bundle's total value comes to $669.89 without factoring in the year-long warranty. The difference between that combined price and the bundle price is $24.99, so if you consider that a reasonable price for a warranty and you want the six included games, you're all set.

The deal will be available for preorder only online from GameStop.com and EBGames.com starting tomorrow, November 9. The company has still not released details on its PlayStation 3 preorder bundle.

According to Electronic Arts representatives speaking to IGN, EA Canada's NBA Live 07, already released for PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PSP, and PC, has been cancelled for PlayStation 3. EA released one screenshot, explicitly labeled "Work in Progress," but has made few mentions of the game. PS3-owning NBA fans will still be able to pick up SCE Studios San Diego's NBA Live as well as Visual Concepts' NBA 2K7 at launch. The EA rep mentioned that EA Canada's NBA Street Homecourt will be coming to the system, as well as to Xbox 360, in 2007.

Despite reports last month that component video cables for Wii would be sold only through online retailers, IGN today reported that Nintendo has confirmed they will be sold in brick and mortar stores as well from launch day. Game Informer also published an interview with the same information, making it fairly likely that it is correct. Component cables are capable of transmitting a progressive scan signal, allowing the system to output in 480p.

A multiplayer demo of Capcom's Lost Planet (X360) has been expected for some time now, but has yet to show up on Xbox Live Marketplace. Judging by the presence of an ad insert in Epic's fellow Xbox 360 third person sci-fi shooter Gears of War, released this week, that demo should be here any day now. "Check Out Xbox Live Marketplace For New Multiplayer Demo!" the ad reads. While it's not there yet, expect it soon.

GamersReports has an interview with Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg, speaking briefly on the company's recently announced video content coming to Xbox Live Marketplace. As the company has still yet to announce a larger hard drive, Greenberg has a suggestion for users looking for more space for those hefty videos: put your Xbox Live account on a memory unit, then you can swap between multiple 20GB Xbox 360 hard drives.