Speaking to Next Generation, UK-based independent developer Introversion Software director Mark Morris indicated that the studio is likely to move into console development within the next year. "I think you'll be seeing some console titles coming out from Introversion over the next twelve months or so," said Morris. "The downloads fit with Introversion very well. [Downloadable games] need to be smaller, they need to be unique. All of our games have at least got that."

Specifically, he pointed to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii as platforms suitable for Introversion due to their game download services; he also mentioned PSP, though noted that the handheld game download market is not particularly strong.

Morris did not state whether the company plans to bring new or existing Introversion games to consoles, nor if any plans have been worked out for a particular machine. He did note that Introversion would prefer working with a first party manufacturer rather than a third party publisher, as the proposed first party business models tends to be focused on distribution and royalties rather than a more hands on publishing approach. The studio is known to be quite protective of its creative independence.

The deal that we're being offered, and maybe as a result of the comments that I've made, have all been centered around insuring that we maintain our creative freedom," said Morris. "And we've not made a single deal yet and we never will that will compromise that in any way."

According to online reports citing the March issue of UK publication Edge Magazine, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has an idea for a rather bizarre zombie-themed massively multiplayer game. In his hypothetical online world, players bitten by zombies would lose all control--except camera control--of their characters.

"At that stage they become undead and can't control their character--all they can do is modify the camera angles. They'd see their character attacking humans and have to pay just to watch!" Kojima explained. "The only way they could end it is by opening another account, hunting themselves down and killing themselves. Of course, the problem is that your second character can get bitten as well."

In particular, when it comes to zombies, Kojima is primarily fascinated by the idea that "you can turn people just by biting them." Unfortunately, due to what he sees as a current overabundance of video games featuring the living dead, he is unlikely to act on his plans in the near future. That said, if at some point he feels the market could support his design, he will take the design "very seriously."

Capcom today sent word that, like so many other Xbox 360 multiplayer games, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition will be augmented with several new downloadable maps. A total of seven new maps are due over the coming months, split up into three map packs (presumably of two maps each) as well as the Battleground map first included in the Lost Planet Collector's Edition.

March 9 will see the release of the first pack, which will include the maps Radar Field, a construction zone featuring a large radar apparatus, and Island 902, which contains numerous small interconnected islands and underwater areas. It will be sold on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points ($5). Capcom sent over screenshots of both Radar Field and Island 902.

No specific release plans or price points for the other packs were revealed today, though it was noted that Battleground will be a free download when it is made available.

Koei sends word that Omega Force's tactical action game spinoff Samurai Warriors 2 Empires has gone gold for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. The game is on track to ship to North American retail shelves on February 28, 2007. We've also got some recent screenshots of the Xbox 360 version of the game.

In an update posted today on the official Bungie site, the company has addressed various frequently asked questions regarding the upcoming Halo 3 (X360) beta test. Most of the information has been previously released in various forms.

During Sony's pre-E3 conference last year, the company unveiled a new PlayStation 3 project from Jak & Daxter developer Naughty Dog Studios. Referred to only as the untitled Naughty Dog project, the game appeared to be a third person action/adventure title featuring highly detailed jungle environments.

Now, it seems that the game's actual title may have been revealed by way of an official listing for a game design workshop conducted by the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Among the workshop's instructors is E. Daniel Arey, creative director at Naughty Dog. Arey's list of credits is included, and the only game listed for 2007 is something by the name of "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" for PlayStation 3.

It appears that the discovery originated on the NeoGAF forums, where member gofreak uncovered several Sony trademarks including Uncharted: Drake's Fortune as well as some kind of online media program called "beats." and a likely EyeToy successor called "Eye 3." Later in the thread, a poster by the name of reminder linked to the USC page.

Legendary masked man Zorro will be making a name for himself on Wii, according to news posted by the official Zorro Productions site. Handling development of the game, entitled The Destiny of Zorro, will be Emeryville, California-based Pronto Games. Most of Pronto's past games have been for handheld and mobile platforms; among its credits is the Game Boy Advance title Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder.

Zorro Productions' post notes that Pronto's games are known to be "small, fast and fun," which it considers appropriate for the character in question (minus the "small" part). "The game is easy to understand," the description continues, "with challenges for casual gamers but with an interest level that will attract hard core gamers, too."

Few concrete gameplay details have been released regarding The Destiny of Zorro, though presumably some kind of rapier-slashing will be in order. Zorro Productions expects the game to ship during the 2007 holiday season.

Another Monday, another round of games added to Wii's Virtual Console. This week sees one game each originally publihed on Super NES, Sega Genesis, and TurboGrafx-16. From Super NES comes the classic Super Mario World (1-2 players), which needs little introduction. It is available for 800 Wii Points ($8). Sega offers from its library the arcade-to-Genesis top-down action title Gain Ground (1-2 players), notable for having numerous player characters each with unique weapons and attributes. The game runs 800 Wii Points ($8). Finally, from TurboGrafx-16 Hudson has released Irem's brawler Vigilante (1 player), featuring a classically marketing-driven video game plot that sees pop star Madonna kidnapped by thugs. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue Madonna? Find out for 600 Wii Points ($6).

Microsoft sent word today that this week's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays release will be the classic Midway arcade game Root Beer Tapper, adapted by frequent Live Arcade developer Digital Eclipse. The game will run 400 Microsoft Points ($5), and includes online cooperative and versus multiplayer modes. As always, it will be avaialble on Wednesday, February 7, at 1:00am Pacific time.

Capcom today announced that it has launched a new web presence dedicated to its many game franchises, including Lost Planet, Resident Evil, Mega Man, Ace Attorney (you know, Phoenix Wright), and others. The site will serve as a community hub, with forums for each game series as well as exclusive content and promotions. Currently, the Phoenix Wright--I'm sorry, Ace Attorney--sub-site features an interview with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All translation editor Brandon Gay.

Those interested in the goings on over at developer Bizarre Creations (Project Gotham Racing franchise, Geometry Wars franchise) may be interested in the company's latest studio update, its first such post in nearly a year. The update discusses the performance of the company's games, its recently announced rhythm game Boom Boom Rocket (X360), and its upcoming PS3/Xbox 360 shooter The Club.

Owners of PlayStation 3 and PSP can now use their portable systems to play classic PlayStation games purchased through the PlayStation Store. Currently, the games can only be downloaded through PS3, and can only be played after being transferred via USB to a Memory Stick-equipped PSP, but Sony has promised to bring PS3-compatible versions of games to the store. The company has also indicated that at some point it will provide alternative means of purchasing the PSP versions of the games, through PSP itself or through a PC.

Currently, the five following games are available, each for a purchase price of $5.99:

- CoolBoarders (UEP Systems, Sony Computer Entertainment America) (283MB)
- Crash Bandicoot (Naughty Dog Software, Sony Computer Entertainment America) (469MB)
- Hot Shots Golf 2 (Clap Hanz, Sony Computer Entertainment America) (157MB)
- Syphon Filter (Eidetic, Sony Computer Entertainment America) (385MB)
- Tekken 2 (Namco, Namco Bandai Games America)

The description of each game includes a disclaimer that "this title has been converted from the original PlayStation disc to the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system" and that as a result, features such as original PlayStation peripheral support and multiplayer modes will not function.

Publisher Take-Two Interactive Software has announced an agreement with dynamic in-game advertising firm Double Fusion to provide in-game ads in up to nine games from Take-Two's 2K and 2K Sports labels. Today's announcement did not include details of what games or franchises would make use of Double Fusion's ads, though it did clarify that Double Fusion would not act as the exclusive ad provider for 2K's games on the Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. The deal gives Double Fusion in-game ad exclusivity for the relevant 2K games on all other platforms, including last- and current-gen home consoles, portables, and PC.

This week's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday release was announced by Microsoft today to be Naked Sky Entertainment's single-player puzzle/action game RoboBlitz. RoboBlitz has gained some notoriety for being the first Xbox Live Arcade game to be built on Epic's Unreal Engine 3, as well as for making use of procedurally generated textures which allowed the formerly 500MB+ game to become a sub-50MB game suitable for release through Xbox Live Arcade. The game runs

RoboBlitz is also available through Valve's Steam service for $14.95, and a demo is available on FileShack.

As announced last week, today Microsoft opened initial registration for the upcoming Halo 3 multiplayer beta test on Xbox 360. Gamers can sign up over at the official Halo 3 site. Only those residing in the United States or Canada, of a minimum age of 17 years, will be considered. Participants must own an Xbox 360 and have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription. Microsoft has indicated that registration details for European gamers are to follow. In a note to press today, Microsoft stated that that registration "is not limited to a first-come-first-served basis" and that the company will be providing "additional ways to gain access in the coming weeks." The test is scheduled to start this spring.

The new CG trailer for Halo 3 is also now freely downloadable via Xbox Live Marketplace.

In an attempt to downplay potentially negative effects the PlayStation brand may see in Australia thanks to the machine's high price and its release delay in that region, Sony Australia & New Zealand general manager Nic Foster inadvertently praised the machine's competition. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Foster suggested that consumers will be able to identify the PS3's many entertainment functions. "Gamers are extremely aware of what they're after and what they want," he said. "So gamers will already have a very good understanding of what PlayStation 3 offers versus what Wii offers and many of them will probably have both devices." When it came to outlining what distinguishes the PS3 and Nintendo's Wii, however, Foster was surprisingly charitable to his company's opponent. "Wii is a core gaming device. It's a more fun, intuitive sort of product to pick up," he said, "where the PS3 is a broader entertainment solution." Foster went on to point out the PS3's various multimedia functions such as Blu-ray movie playback, and access to photos and music.

PlayStation 3 will launch in Australia in March 2007 at a retail price of AU$829 (US$654.58) for the 20GB model and AU$999 (US$788.81) for the 60GB model.

Burger King and Microsoft recently launched a marketing campaign that saw the release of three Blitz Games-developed Xbox and Xbox 360 games sold in Burger King Restaurants. Today, the fast good giant was revealed to be involved in a marketing effort with another major video game publisher as Konami announced a tie-in program promoting the company's well known Dance Dance Revolution series of rhythm games. From December 4 to December 31, participating restaurants will include Dance Dance Revolution toys in Kids Meals, and Burger King will include DDR-themed marketing in its food packaging and television commercials.

The campaign is in support of the recently released Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA (PS2) and Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4 (Xbox) as well as the upcoming Dance Dance Revolution Universe (X360).

Tokyo Game Show organizers this week announced that Sony Computer Entertainment boss Ken Kutaragi will be delivering a pre-show keynote address entitled "The Next Generation as Created by the PlayStation 3." Kutaragi may well reveal some of the remaining major unrevealed pieces of information about PlayStation 3, such as the details of how it will handle online gaming. During one of last year's keynotes, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata famously revealed the then-named Revolution's unique controller for the first time.

Anothing keynote slot has been filled by Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix but for the purposes of his keynote the chairman of Japanese trade organization CESA (Computer Entertainment Software Association). His address, which will follow Kutaragi's, is entitled "The Possibilities and Hurdles of the Game Industry."

Both keynotes will be delivered on September 22 as part of business-oriented programming prior to the show's commencement proper on September 23.

Various Wii rumors surfaced this week, and the diligent Nintendo reporters over at IGN Wii have given their opinion as to the validity of each. Most of them seem pretty reasonable.

- Monster Games' over the top racer Excite Truck is rumored to be a launch title. This would come as little surprise, since during E3 it was one of the Wii games that appeared to be most finalized and polished. According to IGN, the game is even closer to completion than Nintendo has let on.
- Wii's Virtual Console service is rumored to have 20-30 titles at launch. This news apparently comes by way of industry insiders who have gleaned Virtual Console plans from Nintendo and its partners in the service. Known partners so far include Sega with its Sega Genesis, and NEC and Hudson Soft with their Turbo Grafx-16. Presumably, Nintendo has also been in talks with third party developers which published games on NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64. It is unknown how many, if any, of those 20-30 titles will be original titles as opposed to legacy titles. Nintendo no doubt hopes to give Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service a run for its money; by comparison, the Xbox 360 incarnation of Live Arcade launched with about ten titles and now has about twenty-three.
- IGN states that several publishers will be showcasing Wii games during the Leipzig Games Convention next month. This will include at least one game that has not yet been shown in playable form. Contrary to prior speculation, the system's presence at the show should be fairly strong.
- More Naruto games will be coming to Wii. Games based on the popular anime have come to a variety of systems, including PS2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and others, but the GameCube titles have been known to be particularly strong sellers, making Wii entries in the series a logical step.
- There are currently no plans to bring Crash Bandicoot to Wii. Rumors that the Naughty Dog creation would come specifically to Wii were apparently erroneously derived from noncommittal statement by franchise owner Vivendi that any console platforms are potential targets for Crash.

Yesterday, The Behemoth formally unveiled its upcoming old school action game Castle Crashers. No specific platforms were announced, though the game was first shown running on GameCube during last year's Comic-Con. Now, Game Informer reports that Castle Crashers, along with The Behemoth's debut effort Alien Hominid (PS2, Xbox, GCN) will be coming to Xbox Live Arcade in 2007. Both titles fit well within the Xbox Live Arcade library, being 2D sidescrollers with gameplay that is straightforward but challenging. Castle Crashers features four-player cooperative gameplay, with The Behemoth targeting online play. Alien Hominid has same screen two-player co-op, though it is not yet known whether that will be extended to online co-op for the Live Arcade release.

Little mention has been made recently of Webzen's fantasy MMO Endless Saga, announced last year for PlayStation 3 and PC last July. It seems that the reason for this silence is simple enough: speaking to PS3Land.com, a Webzen representative revealed that Endless Saga has been quietly cancelled. "After some rigorous development effort, we found the gameplay of Endless Saga to be short of innovation and creativity we seek to achieve in online gaming space," stated the rep.

The company, which focuses its publishing efforts on massively multiplayer titles, has multiple games in the works for PC and Xbox 360, but now has no announced PlayStation 3 projects. According to the representative, Webzen still plans on entering the PS3 market at some point in the future.

Codemasters today announced that its well known Colin McRae series of racing games will be coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC in the form of DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road. The game will include the 12.4-mile Pikes Peak International in Colorado. DIRT will feature Rally Cross events combining dirt racing and road racing, and will have specific modes for European, International, and Global rally championship types. As befits a next-gen racing title, DIRT is promised to have online multiplayer, an improved physics system, and a new car damage model.

DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road will ship in 2007 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Atari today announced that its upcoming semi-MMO racing game Test Drive Unlimited (PS2, X360, PSP, PC) will break with tradition in terms of pricing for high profile, high budget games on Xbox 360. Rather than the standard third party price point of $59.99, the game will launch at $39.95. "Innovation should be available to everyone, not a privelege for those who can afford high price tags," said outspoken Atari CEO and Chief Creative Officer Bruno Bonnell.

Following Test Drive Unlimited's Xbox 360 release, developer Eden Studios will support the game with monthly downloadable car packs to supplement the game's included 90 cars, similar to Bizarre Studios' offerings for Project Gotham Racing 3 (X360). In addition to new cars, each pack will come with a new genre-themed in-game radio station containing 10-20 songs.

Eden Studios' Test Drive Unlimited is set to ship later this year. For more information on the game, check out our preview.

Online game developer and publisher Sony Online Entertainment today announced that it has licensed Epic's wildly popular Unreal Engine 3 for use in a number of its upcoming titles, including the announced MMO based on the DC Comics universe. "The combination of a top-notch graphics engine and a robust set of design tools will enable our teams to deliver incredible and innovative game content for next-generation consoles and the PC," said SOE president John Smedley. Presumably by "next-generation consoles," SOE is referring to PlayStation 3, though the DC Comics project has not yet been officially announced for specific platforms beyond next-generation consoles and PC.

LucasArts sends over a feature in which developers from Traveller's Tales and LucasArts speak on a few of their favorite moments in the upcoming LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (PS2, Xbox, GCN, X360, NDS, PSP, GBA, PC).

As promised previously, a significant Xbox 360 dashboard update is indeed on the way. Specific details regarding the changes came out today, including the much desired active download feature. While there is not yet a specific release date for the patch, it is expected in the coming weeks.

- Active download will allow users to download files in the background while performing other tasks on the console. Up to six files can be queued up at one time. When using the online component of a game, the current download will be paused for the duration of play. Upon completion of a download, users can immediately play or activate the file without having to navigate back to it.
- Another frequently requested feature is the upcoming option to boot up directly to the Dashboard, rather than straight to the game inserted into the system's DVD-ROM drive.
- Xbox Live Marketplace will be receiving a badly needed organizational revamp. Demos will be searchable by genre. Media files will be appropriately sorted by type, rather than having, for example, movie and game trailers lumped together.
- By default, when DVD playback is resumed after being stopped, it will resume from the last watched scene.
- Gamers who have left their machines idle will be labeled as such on friends lists.
- The update will be a patch to the system's firmware, meaning no hard drive or memory card is required.

In the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu, PlayStation head Ken Kutaragi firmly defended PlayStation 3's recently announced price point, first pointing out that PlayStation and PlayStation 2 sold extremely well at launch despite higher price points than their competitors. "If you consider the PlayStation 3 a toy, then yes, it is an expensive toy. However, it is more than a toy," he said. "It is a PlayStation 3. And it is the only PlayStation 3. I hope that those who understand this will gladly purchase it." Kutaragi has frequently spoken on the multifaceted functions of PlayStation family devices, most famously claiming in an interview with Impress PC Watch, "The PlayStation 3 is not a game machine. We've never once called it a game machine."

In other PS3 news, trade publication MCV spoke with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss David Reeves, who confirmed that Sony's European division "hope[s] we will be day and date with the US [launch] and I hope that we'll get the same quantities as US as well." He also stated his belief that the first machines being manufactured are slated for Europe. However, he did admit that, at first, PS3 may be present in "small seed quantities" throughout European territories, due to the difficulties of a worldwide launch. Like Kutaragi, Reeves made a point to defend PS3's price tag, comparing it to expensive early Blu-ray players. He also pointed out that it is in fact a games machine. "599 Euro for a Blu-ray player--which is what a PS3 is--and a games machines with lots of good titles coming out as well is actually a steal," he said. He claimed the 499 Euro machine is "even better value," though SCE UK's Ray Maguire recently stated that the less expensive model may not be headed to the UK at all.

Nintendo's UK always-vocal boss David Yarnton was confident in the choice of the "Wii" name for Nintendo's upcoming console, in an E3 interview with Eurogamer. Perhaps displaying a bit too much optimism, Yarnton claimed that criticism of the name has completely evaporated, following the company's strong E3 showing. "That's dead and gone," he declared confidently. "If you look at Nintendo, which has been around for over 100 years, there's always been very much a philosophical approach to what we do, very much a holistic approach to gaming, and we're looking to be all-encompassing for everyone," stated Yarnton, referring to the intended inclusive meaning of "Wii," which is of course a homonym of "we," as well as of something else.

PSP fans hoping to get in touch with their old school puzzle adventure side will be pleased to hear that Midway has announced that it will be bringing a remake of Cyan's seminal Myst to the portable system. The game is coming courtesy of Sega, which will be publishing the remake in Japan. Midway is handling European distribution. There are still no currently announced plans to bring Myst on PSP to North America, but Midway has not ruled out the possibility.

Q-Games' upcoming Star Fox title for DS, announced just recently at E3, has been officially named and dated by Nintendo. The space shooter will be called Star Fox Command and is slated to ship August 28, 2006.

Music4Games has an interview with Jesper Kyd, who most recently finished up the score for Io's Hitman: Blood Money.

IGN has a chat with game designer Evan Wells about Naughty Dog's as yet untitled PS3 game.

Videos showing features from the upcoming Xbox 360 Dashboard update are available at 1UP and GameSpot.

FiringSquad reflects on some of the games that weren't at E3.

Clarifying some recent rumors and half-announcements of upcoming games, Sega has confirmed three games for current and next-gen systems.

Most notably is a game by the name of Sonic the Hedgehog. Some may claim that this has already been released, and was available 15 years ago on the Sega Genesis, but it is in fact being developed for PS3 and Xbox 360. It is unknown whether the game will keep the basic moniker but, given that it is a Video Game, expect it to gain a few numbers or subtitles somewhere along the line. The announcement did not mention whether the game would be released on the Nintendo Revolution. However, Sega has recently called Nintendo platforms Sonic's "spiritual home" since Sega got out of the console business, so don't be surprised to see an announcement once more about Revolution is confirmed. The game is under the control of Yuji Naka, co-creator of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, and will ship at an unspecified time in 2006. (Watch Sonic run really fast in pretty 3D in this leaked video.)

Sega also elaborated on Sonic Riders (PS2, Xbox, GCN), a title recently revealed with little explanation. The game features characters riding on hoverboards, and "integrates extreme sports, high-speed racing and head-to-head battles." Unsurprisingly, Sonic and pals will go up against Dr. Eggman (Dr. Robotnik) when racing to take home the gold. The game is expected in Winter 2006.

Sega is also delivering an Xbox 360 exclusive in the form of Chromehounds, a mech combat game from From Software, the studio behind Otogi (PS2), Armored Core (PS2), the upcoming [eM] -eNCHANT arM- (X360), and the classic The Adventures of Cookie & Cream (PS2). The game supports 12-player Xbox Live in both versus and cooperative (good, Sega, good) modes, as well as featuring squad control and extensive mech customizability.

During conversations with THQ president Brian Farrell, IGN discovered that the publisher is "commited to Nintendo's [Revolution]". Apparently taking a cue from the cryptic PR style practiced by Nintendo itself, Farrell believes that "Nintendo is waking up" and that "we're seeing more from Nintendo now than we have an any other Nintendo platform," based on his interactions with the manufacturer.

Other publishers claiming support for Nintendo's upcoming console (which probably won't actually be called Revolution in its final form) include Ubisoft, Konami, Bandai, and Square Enix.

Following publisher Acclaim's highly-publicized bankruptcy last September, it was expected that the company's existing licenses would be sold in order to cover its ~$100M total debt. Juiced went for the most at $10.5 million, but most of the company's properties were apparently floating around in the ether. Today Gamasutra has acquired a list of the remaining properties up for grabs. Included are a number of older games dating back to the likes of Populous, as well as anticipated canceled titles such as 100 Bullets (PS2, Xbox). Apparently, the mafia epic Interview With a Made Man (PS2, Xbox) and the comics-based action game The Red Star (PS2, Xbox) were crossed off on the list, indicating that they have already been sold.

The classic Seaman (DC, PS2) will be getting a sequel, according to development studio Vivarium. Yoot Saito, the president of Vivarium, designed the original game and will also be responsible for Seaman 2 (PS2), as it is currently known. Like the original, the sequel will utilize voice-recognition to raise an odd-looking fish/human hybrid aquatic pet. Players who still have their USB microphone controllers from the original game will be able to reuse them rather than buy new ones, and Vivarium has even released software making the Seamic compatible with various Windows applications. Seaman 2 currently has no release date and will be published by Sega.

In addition to Seaman 2, Vivarium is currently developing Yoot Saito's Odama (GCN), a real-time strategy game containing voice recognition, pinball elements, and gigantic hamburgers. YES.

As expected, EA Tiburon's Madden 06 (PS2, Xbox, GCN, DS, GBA, PC) took high honors in the August sales charts with 2.2 million units sold across six platforms. Nintendo's Nintendogs (DS) took the silver, with a comparitively lower 210,000. However, it's worth bearing in mind that Nintendogs only sold on one platform (a new portable one at that, with a low install base compared to its bigger cousins) and was only on sale for approximately the last week of August. Over 10% of DS owners are expected to have purchased the game. In third place, EA Sports continues to rack it up with NCAA Football 06 (PS2, Xbox), followed by Backbone's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (PS2, Xbox, GCN, GBA, PC) and then Rebellion's Delta Force: Black Hawk Down (PS2, Xbox, PC). Star Wars took sixth and seventh, with Traveller's Tales' LEGO Star Wars (PS2, Xbox, GBA, PC) and Pandemic's Star Wars: Battlefront (PS2, Xbox, PC) respectively. (Note: Nintendogs occupied three spaces on the chart due to its multiple versions.)

Kathy Vrabek, president of Activision's publishing division, has resigned from her position, though she will continue to be employed by the company under unspecified duties until her contract expires on April 1, 2006. Some speculate that her decision was influenced by the company's appointment of Proctor & Gamble's Michael Griffith to CEO of Activision, despite speculation that Vrabek would receive the appointment. The post was made vacant when its prior occupant Ron Doornink, to whom Vrabek reported directly, was made chairman of the company. Griffith's five-year contract essentially guaranteed he will be paid a total of $20M in salary, bonus, and options between his hiring in June and May 2010.

Screenshots and trailer! You can go there!

Brandon Sheffield at Gamasutra interviews three executives from D3 Publisher of America on their move from budget titles in Japan to triple-A titles in North America.

Gameplay designer Chris Ferriera talks about his research for EA's The Godfather (PS2, Xbox, PSP, X360, PC) on EA's site. Sadly, his research seems to consist mainly of making sure the weapons and fighting are authentic.

Eurogamer spent some time with Microsoft's Chris Satchell and grilled him for all sorts of definitive answers regarding Xbox 360. The article is cleanly organized into categories and bullet points, so it seems sort of redundant for me to try and summarize it here, but I will distill the most noteworthy parts:

Interface/Functionality:

- Regardless of what you are doing on the console, you can always bring up a friends list and media player.
- 360 can be powered on or off by way of remote controll or wireless controller (what about the wired controller?)
- Certain preferences (such as using the right analog stick for camera control) will be globally applied to games using those features
- "Ring of light" on console indicates which wireless controller is being used. There is also an on-screen right of light that will let you know which of your buddies is being annoying and pressing buttons when he or she shouldn't be.
- Microsoft is hoping for cross-platform development, with Xbox users playing against Windows users at some point "in the future." (didn't this already happen with Dreamcast?)
- Games will award you Gamerscore points for achieving certain goals, such as beating levels or getting a high score.

Xbox Live:

- The process to transfer your existing Live account begins as soon as you connect your console. There was no word on whether you can continue to use the account on your old Xbox to play games that haven't been made 360-compatible yet.
- There is an Ebay-like reputation system over Live in general (presumably similar to Halo 2's current system).
- There will be various MSN Zones on Live, including but not limited to casual, pro, family, and underground. Apparently "anything goes" in underground. I entertain visions of all the racist homophobic twelve year olds just staying there, but sadly it's probably not to be.

Multimedia:

- DVDs will play in progressive scan and won't require a separate remote like with Xbox.
- Jeff Minter's wacky audio visualization thing will accept input from all controllers.
- You can access content from connected devices like iPods, laptops, PSPs, etc.

Peripherals:

- Keyboards plugged in via USB cannot function as a controller for games but can be used to input text.
- The Media Remote will only be included with the premium package until the initial batch runs out, then it must be purchased separately.
- RGB video output cables will only be sold separately regardless of which console package you buy. Presumably they are referring to the European SCART standard.

IGN is reporting, as some previously speculated, that Xbox 360 will be released on Friday, November 25, the day after Thanksgiving. The site also claims that ship dates for launch titles have been set for Monday, November 22. However, November 22 is a Tuesday, so IGN is mixed up either on the day or the date. Games tend to come out on Tuesday, so the 22nd is probably correct. In any case, the date seems slightly last minute in terms of the holiday season for such a big-ticket item, but it's definitely believable.

I've mentioned this several times in the past week or thereabouts, so it shouldn't come as much surprise. Especially if you live in Europe or Oceana. But here it is again: the Sony PSP has been released in those regions. Maybe games will come out now!

It is with a heavy heart I must admit that Keita Takahashi, designer of Katamari Damacy and man of my dreams, is not actually developing a game that brainwashes grandmothers. However, he, along with several other game designers, took part in a game design competition at Game Developers' Conference Europe in which the prompt was "What do Grannies like?" Takahashi designed a game that uses a controller that looks and feels like cat, which tricks grandmothers into thinking they can communicate with cats. The cat then tells the grandmother to do things. The game requires the participation of the grandmother's family.

Takahashi won the competition.

Infinium Labs' vaporware very real ware Phantom console is apparently heading to Europe. In true Phantom style, though, there's no information on when this will happen or how much it will cost. For those who don't know, the Phantom is a long-rumored confirmed console which will allow players to access "a broad library of games" online by way of a broadband connection when it is released never at a later date.

Continuing to be awesome, Katamari designer Keita Takahashi delivers another keynote distinctly unlike most game industry keynotes.

JIVE Magazine discusses the Canadian game development scene, known for such studios as Bioware and various Ubisoft dev houses.

Over at GameSpot, the Designer Diary party never stops! This one is about Monolith's Condemned: Criminal Origins (PS3, X360, PC).