RTL Winter Sports 2008

RTL Winter Sports 2008 is slated for a December 21 release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions currently being developed by In-Plane 6 Games and Big Ant Studios respectively. However, we caught a few glimpses of the content, which includes the 2010 Rugby World Cup, 2010 Super League (WTS), 2010 World Cup/Ride Nation (Ride Nation), 2010 The Gauntlet (Ride Nation) and 2009 World Championship (Ride Nation). The 2007 Rugby World Cup was hosted by Sumo Digital of Just Cause 2 fame. The 2010 World Cup was a big deal in the past, having featured the pinnacle of international competition, though previous versions were limited to a limited selection of teams and kits. As such, the 2010 version will be far more closely aligned with that year's version. According to a statement from Codemasters, "Including a whopping 300 teams and 40 more kits and kits, Rival Interactive plans to utilise both brands in a way that is both accurate and natural." While you're in New Zealand, there's a small taste of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Another team making a comeback in 2010, Konami Europe has announced plans to bring its hit Wii exclusive Karaoke Revolution: Electronic Symphony to Europe this spring. The Karaoke Revolution: Electronic Symphony will include songs from artists such as Avril Lavigne, Queen, or Starry Night.

Bizarrely, the American version of the Karaoke Revolution series will not be developed by Activision, but rather the independent developer Harmonix. Not that it would ever be made into a game, but it will attempt to capitalize on the success of the Karaoke Revolution series by incorporating elements from the musical experience and technology. Also, MTV Games will release Karaoke Revolution: American Idol this summer.

Sony Computer Entertainment America recently announced it had entered into a strategic partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment America and developed a downloadable "Onimusha" title for the PS3, a role-playing game for the console and PC that includes playable demos of the game.

Speaking of Sony, the company has also announced that it will bring its popular Guitar Hero series to Sony's handheld. Unfortunately, the publisher did not give a reason for the announcement. Sony did, however, announce that "a new chapter of the epic rock" gaming series, "Lost in Blue," is coming to Sony's handheld, as well as PlayStation 2, in the fourth fiscal quarter. The game will feature some new multiplayer modes as well as a single-player campaign.

There's been little mention of PlayStation 2 games, although we have contacted Sony to confirm whether the new partnership will extend beyond PS2.

The Sony Computer Entertainment America PlayStation Blog provided the following statement:

"In the near future, we'll continue to strengthen our console business and develop new content for our leading console platforms. On the other hand, we remain committed to the successful launch of the PlayStation 2 and have tremendous experience launching titles on a variety of Sony platforms.

"For Sony to grow our business, we will need to create a larger number of products that are more powerful than their competitors. As with any product launch, Sony will need to build innovative and engaging products to stay competitive in the marketplace. To achieve this, we will need to combine our business expertise with our commitment to the PlayStation business."

While PS2 online support will likely remain for the foreseeable future, Sony recently acquired, which means the company will have to acquire and market the online functionality for PS2 games, including games. The $10 billion USD that Sony has been acquiring for PS2 games last year, while also placing its upcoming lineup on PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2 games will likely fall under Sony's control for the foreseeable future, as is usually the case. PS2 online service is currently slated to launch in September and will follow the release of the PS2 port of Diablo II, which has already been released.

While the service's functionality will probably remain a part of the PS2 online infrastructure for some time, Sony's position as the industry leader in online gaming remains clear. "To have PlayStation2 online services available on both PS2 and PS3, which is a good enough reason for the difference between two consoles, is challenging," says Stu. "But for all the connected functions of the PS2 and PS3, it is pretty difficult to implement on both platforms."

Stu says that with its board game, EVE Online, the PS2's online game infrastructure may run at the same levels as the PS2's. "It's about the same for PS2 as it is for PS2, but it's much more difficult to implement. As for the games, it's still very hard to implement on both platforms." So the system may be able to run third-party PS2 games in the future, but the time frame might be better spent on making them available to a large number of people at once.