Thanks to GameSpy for their preview of Wrath Unleashed, LucasArts' hex-based action strategy videogame. This PS2/Xbox title, being developed by The Collective, has some similarities to a gaming classic, as the writer explains: "If you're like me and were born in the '70s, you may yet remember Archon... Wrath Unleashed revisits and updates the original. With a shorthand mythology regarding elementals, it offers a hexagonal board game with an RPG heart." The game, which is also reminiscent of Archon co-creator Paul Reiche's under-rated The Unholy War for PlayStation, is described as a "promising mix of elements", and Wrath Unleashed's preview concludes: "The balance between action and strategy is a tricky one in games such as this ... but it does offer a distinctly old-school feel and plenty of options for different gamers."

Thanks to Ferrago for their story confirming a film version of popular PC RPG Dungeon Siege is in the works, from the same creators who gave us the 'horrific' House Of The Dead movie, in which Sega's ghoulish gun-game series was shifted to "an island off the coast of Florida, [where] a techno rave party attracts a diverse group of college co-eds." The German producer and director of the forthcoming Dungeon Siege film, Uwe Boll, also currently working on the Alone In The Dark movie starring Christian Slater, breathlessly proclaimed: "Based on the success of House of the Dead, I believe Dungeon Siege contains major crossover potential because of its unique blend of action and fantasy, on the order of Lord of the Rings."

Thanks to GameSpot for their report that the eagerly-awaited Final Fantasy XII won't ship until at least April 2004 in Japan, according to Square Enix, who "updated its profit estimates for the full fiscal year, lowering that figure by almost 20 percent" as part of this news. The article points out that "two of [Square Enix's] major RPGs will [now] not be showing up until the company's next fiscal year", since Dragon Quest VIII [aka Dragon Warrior VIII] is already confirmed as shipping later in 2004, although a PlayStation 2 remake of Dragon Quest V has just been announced for this fiscal year in Japan. In more fortuitous news, the company also announced that "its TV toy game, Shinken Dragon Quest... [has] been selling beyond expectations in Japan."

Thanks to IGN Pocket for their article on the forthcoming Japanese launch of AM3's Advance Movie player for the Game Boy Advance. According to the piece, the player will come standalone, or "...bundled with episode one of the cartoon [Detective Conan] for a total cost of 3800 yen [$33]", and some time after that, "...gamers will be able to purchase blank Smart Media cards for 1800 yen and begin downloading content from their PC, using a Smart Media writer to get the content onto the blank card", though "cost should run between 100 and 500 yen [$1-$5]" for each download. Finally, following some "impressive video sequences" seen at the Tokyo Game Show, it's confirmed that "this technology... is also being applied to actual [GBA] games, with Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories being the first example."

jasoncart writes "The trouble with MMORPGs is a humorous account of one gamer's struggle to find and assume his place in the rapidly evolving societies which form a part of the online RPG explosion. Ultimately, it is also a lament for the loss of direction that is the scourge of the genre."

Thanks to GameSpot for their large feature charting a comprehensive history of Capcom's Mega Man. The article explains: "Mega Man recently celebrated his 15th anniversary, and the Blue Bomber is showing no signs of giving up the fight for everlasting peace", and goes on to document more than 30 Mega Man-related titles, from the original NES version, which sported "totally appalling box art" in the States, through the 3D stylings of the Mega Man Legends series, and the VR-styled RPG gameplay of the Mega Man Battle Network series. The mammoth article ends on the hopeful: "Here's hoping Capcom sees fit to grace a current or future system with a good, honest 2D - or 2.5D, at the very most - Mega Man IX."

Thanks to GameSpot for their preview of Irrational's PC RPG sequel, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. According to the first look at this previously unannounced title, a follow-up to the popular tactical role-playing game which featured "a stable of superheroes based on classic 1960s Silver Age comics", this sequel boasts an enhanced 3D engine and Nazi tentacle-bots, as "...the Freedom Force team must travel back in time to World War II to battle a new supervillain named Blitzkrieg, who is the defender of the Reich."

Thanks to GameSpot for their story revealing Korean MMORPG Lineage II has racked up significant amounts of initial subscribers in its native country. According to the article about the Unreal-engine PC sequel, "in the game's first five days in release, publisher NCsoft has tallied more than 130,000 paid users." However, SirBruce's subscription page points out that many subscribers to the initial, 4-million subscriber Lineage: The Blood Pledge "play in 'PC baangs', Internet cybercafes in [South] Korea that buy Lineage access from the company and then sell it at hourly rates to customers", making subscriber comparisons with games like Star Wars Galaxies more difficult. Elsewhere, GI.Biz reveals the PlayStation 2 is the most popular console in Korea, although only 600,000 strong, with 92.5 percent preferring it over the 60,000-selling Xbox, as "...players cited the lack of Korean language software and poor customer service as their key problems with the Xbox."

Thanks to IGN PC for their hands-on preview of the PC version of Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic, which is currently due to ship on the 18th November. Apart from increased game resolution (up to 1600x1200) and texture detail, "about thirty new items will be added to the game, including two new lightsaber types", and "the space station around Yavin (from the first film) is a new locale" for this conversion of BioWare's immensely popular Xbox RPG. GameSpot also has a brief preview of the PC version, and elsewhere, IGN Xbox has an interesting, but very unconfirmed rumor that a sequel to KOTOR "...is not being developed internally at BioWare, but in Orange County at Obsidian Entertainment", the Black Isle-rich company who recently announced a co-development deal with the KOTOR creators.

Thanks to 1UP for their 'Pray For It' article discussing an ideal, but unfortunately fictional game of their dreams, Grand Theft Auto Online. In envisioning "taking the basic template from Grand Theft Auto III and just adding more than one enterprising thug", as well as players banding together ("Once you get your own criminal operation started - kind of like a clan or guild - you can start enlisting the newbies to do jobs for you"), the author gets into a sure-to-be-controversial mini-rant regarding a perceived lack of diversity: "What's wrong with online RPGs is content. Why are they all fantasy games?... Who decided that you couldn't make an online RPG about anything?"

Thanks to Kikizo for their article discussing Phantasy Star Online Episode 3: C.A.R.D Revolution's showing at the Tokyo Game Show, where it was "one of the most popular playable games." PSOWorld has a detailed FAQ page on this forthcoming GameCube RPG, which offers "strategic combat using a turn-based card system." They also carry news of a special PSO Online Trilogy box set in Japan, and confirm that on PSO Ep.3's November Japanese release, the monthly subscription fees for the other Phantasy Star Online titles "...will carry over and work for PSO Ep.3, meaning no additional fee for Ep.3." The same may be true for the US release in Q1 2004, although Western response seems muted thus far - is this where you want to see the Phantasy Star series going?

Thanks to GameSpy for their article officially revealing the return of classic RPG series The Bard's Tale, following recent rumors that a new title was in the works. However, screenshots of the title, from former Interplay boss Brian Fargo's new company, inXile Entertainment, reveal a radically different top-down view, as the game, due out at the end of 2004, "is being developed primarily for the PS2", and "is using an improved version of the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance engine." There are also noticeable similarities to the classic original series, as: "The plan calls for the game to start near the original town of Skara Brae, an ancient ruin in the Orkney Islands on the northern tip of Scotland." Update: 10/01 22:34 GMT by S : There's now an interview with Brian Fargo about the new Bard's Tale title, also courtesy GameSpy.

Thanks to RPGFan for their coverage of SquareEnix's new product announcements at the Tokyo Game Show, which include two new PlayStation 2 PlayOnline MMORPG titles - Ambrosia Odyssey, which has "environments [that] will be inspired by Medieval Europe", and "seems to be a lot like Phantasy Star Online" (in terms of more arcade-style gameplay?), according to IGN, and Front Mission Online, a "a drab looking mech game that is part action and part simulation. The gameplay looks a lot like MechAssault, except that as well as piloting mechs, you'll also be able to take control of tanks." Unfortunately, the only news on Final Fantasy XII was 'wait and see', as "the company will reveal new information on the next game on November 19th" in Tokyo. New promo art for the earlier mentioned Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children CG movie and for the Kingdom Hearts PS2 and GBA titles has also surfaced.

Thanks to various sources for covering Tokyo Game Show game announcements, including multiple new Capcom titles, from a Nightmare Before Christmas game for PlayStation 2, to a new multi-platform Mega Man RPG for PS2 and GameCube, and confirmed details on the Street Fighter II Anniversary Edition, which "contains every incarnation of every character from each game released under the Street Fighter II name." Apart from the Final Fantasy VII-based CG movie DVD we mentioned earlier, SquareEnix has also revealed details and initial screenshots for "Kingdom Hearts II for the PlayStation 2 and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for the Game Boy Advance", and Famitsu.com has breaking news on two new SquareEnix PS2 online RPGs, the action-orientated Ambrosia Odyssey and Front Mission Online, though there'll be much more comprehensive coverage soon.

ShannonA writes "Dave Rickey examines the growth of the online RPG industry in his newest Engines of Creation article, 'Age of Discouragement?'. Based on his own analysis, and SirBruce's MMOG subscription chart, he projects that the best growth for MMORPGs is still ahead: 'In truth, we are solidly in the growth phase of our market, and our largest related markets have yet to really open up.'"

Thanks to IGN RPGVault for their continuing series quizzing videogame creators about single-player RPG character development. Respondents include Chris Avellone of Black Isle/Obsidian, who rants on CRPG spell conventions: "Almost every spell system I have encountered in an RPG has done wonders for sucking all the mystery and enjoyment out of magic", and Star Wars:KOTOR producer Mike Gallo, who suggests: "I think that somewhere, at some time, a type of stat-less main player character development will make it into an RPG."

Majestic Mog writes "FiringSquad somehow managed to score an advance copy of the English version of Final Fantasy X-2, the first REAL sequel in the long-running RPG series. They cover changes in the game over the first FFX, the English voice actors, and something about girls wearing short shorts." It looks like they took the best of FFX and combined it with the best of DoA Volleyball. In other words, this might be the perfect video game. I just wish it would come out before december since I just finished KotoR and need a new game.

Txiasaeia writes "In a very strange turn of events, it seems as if Kazaa (and only the 'official' Kazaa, not any of its non-spyware derivatives) is offering a copy of Atari's new PC RPG, Temple of Elemental Evil for download. What makes this particular case unusual is the fact that, once you download the 6-hour time-limited 'demo', you can unlock the full game for $49.95. While Steam has been doing this with Counterstrike, Kazaa is footing the bill for the bandwidth for ToEE, which makes it one of the first times that a major game publishing house has embraced a P2P client as part of its official distribution network. Is this latest move by Atari an attempt to garner media attention (especially with the RIAA and Kazaa in the news), or are they seriously embracing P2P as a legitimate source for game distribution?"

Thanks to GameSpot for their hands-on preview of the English-language Final Fantasy X-2, ahead of the RPG's release on PS2 in early December. Early buzz on the title was mixed for fans of the normally staid Final Fantasy series, when "...rejoicing changed to bewilderment as more information and assets appeared - assets that had Yuna kickin' it in a pair of hot pants and packin' a pair of pistols." But the article suggests that mixing things up may be a good idea after all: "While we thought Final Fantasy X-2 would end up being viewed as an aberration in the Final Fantasy franchise, we're not so sure anymore. The localized story stays true to a lot of the classic themes the Final Fantasy games are known for, silliness notwithstanding."

Thanks to TeamXbox for their round-up of the new Japanese-developed titles Microsoft is showing at this year's Tokyo Game Show, which starts September 26th. They include first-party titles like Phantom Dust, which Gamers.com describes as "...an action game in the Devil May Cry mold [from] Yukio Futatsugi, who in a past generation was the director of Sega's Panzer Dragoon", as well as Magatama, portrayed as "...a 3D action game set in a fantastic version of ancient Japan - comparisons to Onimusha wouldn't be too far of a stretch." A notable non-Japanese Xbox title that will also debut at TGS is BioWare's Jade Empire, "an action-RPG from the creators of Star Wars: KotOR [in which you play] a young martial arts student, trying to gain the respect and admiration of your teacher and the townsfolk."