Following an analysis of review scores and the value of a fast framerate over graphic quality, Insomniac has stated that just-released platformer Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3) is "probably" its last game to run at 60 frames per second.

"There is virtually no advantage in sales or reviews of a 60 fps game versus a 30 fps game," reads a blog post from Mike Acton, the studio's engine director. "However it does appear that gameplay scores are also influenced by graphics scores. i.e. Better looking games appear to be more 'fun' to reviewers."

Acton explained that "only a minority...notice framerate as a significant issue of any kind" and noted that some players even view slowdown "as a reward... Read more

It seems that word of Insomniac's extremely likely followup to Resistance 2 has emerged not from the gaming industry, but Hollywood.

NeoGAF user goldsoundz claims to have run across a movie set with a billboard for the unannounced PlayStation 3 exclusive sequel. The logo features a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty, suggesting that the sci-fi shooter will be set, at least partially, in New York.

The set is reportedly located in Shreveport, Louisiana, which then led other message board denizens to conclude that the location was gussied up for Columbia's upcoming alien invasion flick Battle: Los Angeles. The movie is due out in February 2011.

Unsurprisingly, Insomniac and publisher Sony have yet to issue any comment. Insomniac traditionally releases a new game each fall, and has alternated between Ratchet & Clank and Resistance releases since the PlayStation 3 launched. The next Ratchet is due out October 27, with no official word on what's next for the independent studio.

While developer Insomniac has long teased a new Ratchet & Clank game for this year, publisher Sony Computer Entertainment today made it official, revealing that the next PlayStation 3 adventure for the lombax-robot duo is subtitled "A Crack in Time."

The action-adventure platformer picks up where last summer's downloadable entry Quest for Booty left off, and promises to answer "some of the franchise fans' biggest questions" through the magic of time travel. It's slated to hit retailers this fall.

With 15 years in the field and numerous franchises under his belt, including Ratchet & Clank and Resistance, Insomniac founder and CEO Ted Price does not appreciate the US government's repeated attempts to involve itself in the video game industry.

"I think video game legislation has no place in America," Price told Shacknews in an exclusive interview. "It saddens me to see legislators stomping all over our First Amendment rights for their own specific interests."

Most game-related legislation has focused on keeping violent games out of underage hands, but is traditionally ruled unconstitutional due to vague language. Opponents, such as acclaimed author Stephen King, often question why video games are singled out for perpetuating America's "culture of violence."

"We're going through what every other entertainment industry has gone through, and that's being the temporary scapegoat for society's ills," Price reasoned... Read more

An image appearing at the end of Insomniac Games' upcoming downloadable effort Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty (PS3) indicates that the company is planning a new entry in the series for the fall of 2009.

As reported by 1UP, the image points to a new iteration in Insomniac's long-running action-platformer franchise. With work on the studio's upcoming shooter sequel Resistance 2 (PS3) nearly completed, it is speculated that the title will be a full retail release, rather than a downloadable installment a la Quest for Booty.

The Burbank, CA-based studio recently announced its intentions to open a new development branch in North Carolina. The new branch will likely speed up Insomniac's product cycles, which typically see new franchise installments every two years.

Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty will arrive on the PS3's digital storefront next week.

The next entry in Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank series will debut on PlayStation 3 later this summer as a downloadable effort.

Continuing from the events of Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty delivers the series' traditional 3D platforming gameplay and will sell for $14.99.

"A shorter game at a lower price," explained an Insomniac representative.

Burbank, California-based Insomniac Games, makers of the Ratchet and Clank and Resistance series of titles, is planning to open a new studio in North Carolina, GameDaily reports.

Insomniac CEO and founder Ted Price says the company plans to search for office space over the coming months, and expects to open the studio by January of next year. The studio will be head up by Insomniac art director Chad Dezern, while gameplay lead Shaun McCabe will act as production director.

The company plans to hire 25 to 30 new employees for the new studio, which marks Insomniac's first expansion in the 14 years. Though the company exclusively develops titles for the PlayStation 3, Insomniac has remained independent since its founding.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for us to start a new group with the same philosophy that we've built up over the last 14 years at Insomniac, which is to have a team focused on top craftsmanship and attention to detail," said Price. "It gives us... Read more

1UP has a Resistance 2 preview up, rounding up all the information known about Insomniac's PS3 shooter sequel so far.

The first media of Insomniac Games' Resistance 2 (PS3) has at long last appeared, providing the gaming public with its first look at the now-armored Chimera and their multi-legged war machines of doom.

The sequel to Insomniac's first person shooter of a PlayStation 3 launch title, Resistance 2 arrives this fall with two campaigns--one single-player mode, the other allowing 8-player online co-op--and 60-person online multiplayer in tow.

While no official announcement has been made, a recent PlayStation Underground e-mail (pictured left) from Sony confirms the oft-rumored PlayStation 2 port of High Impact Games' Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP).

According to the e-mail, the port will hit stores in March, about a year after the title debuted on PSP. Size Matters marked the first Ratchet & Clank title to be developed outside of Insomniac Games, which created the franchise.

It also marked the first title for High Impact Games, the staff of which includes several ex-Insomniac employees as well as veterans from Jak & Daxter developer Naughty Dog. The studio is currently working on another portable Ratchet & Clank title, Secret Agent Clank (PSP).

PSP to PS2 ports have been all the rage these days, and rumors of marquee PSP releases making the leap to the PS2 are frequently tossed around. Fortunately for Ratchet and Clank fans, this one turned out to be true. Expect an official announcement from SCEA in the near future.

Insomniac Games' next project is a sequel to its PS3 launch FPS Resistance: Fall of Man, the studio has revealed in the latest issue of gaming publication Game Informer.

Slated to arrive on the PS3 this fall, Resistance 2 will follow the continuing exploits of protagonist Nathan Hale and his struggles against the alien-esque Chimera. Along with the main adventure, up to 8 players can engage in a separate campaign via online co-op, one of the original's most requested features.

Insomniac also promises up to 60 players per match in the game's online competitive multiplayer, which will allow players to split into individual squads, each with their own unique objective, along with multiple character classes. The first Resistance supported a maximum of 40 players per match.

The projected fall release continues Insomniac's tradition of annual Q4 titles, which it has recently maintained with Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3) in November 2007, Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) in November 2006, and Ratchet: Deadlocked (PS2) in October 2005.

Sony Computer Entertainment America has just launched the PSP version of the online PlayStation Store, allowing PSP owners to download everything from full-fledged PSP games to demos and themes.

PC users can access the online marketplace store.playstation.com. Those with an account for the PS3's online store can use their existing login, and downloaded content is transferred to an attached PSP via the PlayStation Network Downloader program available on the site.

Initial offerings include downloadable versions of SCE Studio Liverpool's already-released Wipeout Pure and Gangs of London, at $14.99 and $19.99 respectively, as well as the $9.99 PlayStation Store-exclusive Syphon Filter: Combat Ops multiplayer game and free demos of Slant Six's SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike and Sony Bend's Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow.

SingleTrac's Twisted Metal 2 and Insomniac's Spyro the Dragon, both of... Read more

VideoGamer.com has a Q&A with Insomniac CCO Brian Hastings posted. Hastings is asked about his company and its recent titles including Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction and working with the PlayStation 3.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the first PlayStation 3 title from Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter creator Naughty Dog, has shipped to stores a few days in advance of its official November 19 release.

Shacknews can confirm that GameStop stores in North America are receiving the treasure-hunting game and selling it today.

Rumors of an early release for the treasure-hunting game began circulating late last week. At the time, Sony informed Shacknews that the game was not to receive an early release a la Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction (PS3).

Be sure to check back with Shacknews in a few days for our take on the final game, but feel free to scope out our past interview and hands-on impressions in the mean time.

The remainder of this year's PlayStation Store offerings include a number of exclusive downloadable games and new content for PlayStation 3-only titles, SCEA has announced. Sadly, SCE Studio Liverpool's Wipeout HD was not among the listed titles, suggesting it has slipped from its expected 2007 release.

By the end of 2007, the PS3's online store will feature another map pack for Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man, an expansion for thatgamecompany's flOw, two sets of downloadable goodies for Game Republic's Folklore, as well as two more download packs for Evolution Studios' MotorStorm.

As far as downloadable games go, the next month and 20-something days will bring with them Idol Minds' injury-laden Pain, Q Games' Tower Defense-esque PixelJunk Monsters, the Hot Wheels-reminiscent Toy Home, Snakeball, and ... Read more

A new patch for Insomniac's PlayStation 3 shooter Resistance: Fall of Man is now available, SCEA line producer Greg Phillips announced today on the official PlayStation Blog.

Like the upcoming Warhawk update, the Resistance patch includes rumble support in preparation of Sony's upcoming vibration-enabled DualShock3 controller, retailing in North America this spring. The patch will also allow players to take screenshots with a USB keyboard.

Several gameplay tweaks and bug fixes have also been added. The patch is the sixth game-enhancing update to arrive since the title's debut during the PlayStation 3 launch last year.

In a fairly weak offering of downloadable content, this week's PlayStation Store update brings Insomniac's legacy PSone title Spyro the Dragon as a $5.99 download. The 341MB single player game originally retailed in 1998 and was the second title from Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction developer Insomniac.

Though no game demos accompany Spyro's release, Sony's EyeCreate software for use with the newly available PlayStation Eye will be available for download soon. The 9.06MB software is bundled with the standalone $39.99 PlayStation Eye, but must be downloaded by Eye of Judgment buyers if they wish to make use of the Eye's creation tools.

On a related note, an update to Evolution Studios' Motorstorm is available today for European gamers, according to a community coordinator post on the game's forums. The update to version 3.0 adds future DualShock3 rumble functionality, Sixaxis sensitivity settings, and other gameplay tweaks, and will likely be available in other territories soon.

A minor bug in North American copies of Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, which shipped to some stores today and comes packed with the rumble-enabling 1.94 firmware update, may prevent players from starting the title, depending on the contents of their PlayStation 3's hard drive.

Much like Insomniac's previous PS3 effort, Resistance: Fall of Man, Ratchet & Clank mandates a brief setup procedure that copies some files onto the console's HDD. However, an unexpected glitch within the game causes it to read the hard drive as full and refuse to install under certain conditions.

"We recently discovered a bug on the US version of Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction that some of you may encounter the first time you boot the game," Insomniac community manager James Stevenson told Shacknews. "With specific amounts of free space on your drive, you may see a screen that tells you have insufficient space to create game data even though there is plenty of free space on your drive."

Fortunately, the workaround is a relatively simple one. "When this occurs, either delete or add about 500MB of data to your hard drive and the problem will go away," wrote Stevenson. While this may seem a lofty chore to some, the abundance of downloads in the online PlayStation Store means that relief is, at best, a matter of deleting an old demo or two, and at worst, the task of downloading of a few additional files.

The newest PlayStation 3 system software update to version 1.94 adds firmware-level support for the upcoming rumble-enabled DualShock3 controller. Though the update is not yet available for download, it's bundled with Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, the first retail game with built-in support for the DualShock3.

By pressing the middle PS button on a PS3 controller, the DualShock3's rumble can be toggled on or off from the Controller Setting menu in-game. Listed as the "vibration function," rumble will obviously only be felt with DualShock3 controllers and not the rumble-less Sixaxis.

Sony plans to release the DualShock3 in Japan this November, with the peripheral coming to the U.S. and Europe this spring. Until then, check out the Shack's list of game's that will feature or be updated to feature DualShock3 rumble support.

Speaking of Ratchet & Clank Future, prospective owners should be sure to check out the minor and easily resolved bug that prevents some from installing the game.

Though it was recently delayed until October 30, Sony has announced that the PlayStation 3 debut of Insomniac's fuzzy robot duo will ship early to some outlets next Tuesday, October 23, the game's original release date.

Word that Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction will arrive sooner than expected comes shortly after several retailers updated their listings with the new date. A demo of the vibrant platformer is currently available for download from the online PlayStation Store.

For more on Ratchet & Clank Future and the studio behind it, dig into our hands-on impressions and interviews with Insomniac community manager James Stevenson and marketing director Ryan Schnieder.