Warner Bros. and D3Publisher jointly announced that D3 will develop and publish games based on DC Comics’ 100 Bullets for consoles, handhelds and the PC. The first game is due for release during Q3 2007.

No other details were revealed.

Already known about for some time, Ubisoft has officially announced the fourth installment in the Rayman franchise, titled Rayman Raving Rabbids. Scheduled for release this Holiday season for current and next-gen consoles, as well as being an official launch title for Nintendo’s Wii (it’s painful to write that), Raving Rabbids is being worked on by Michel Ancel, the man behind the excellent Beyond Good & Evil and King Kong titles, as well as being the father of Rayman.

Rayman Raving Rabbids™ marks the return of the iconic video-game hero, Rayman, in his funniest and zaniest adventure ever. When the world of Rayman is threatened by a devastating invasion of crazed, out-of-control bunnies Rayman must rise up against his furry foes to foil their wicked plans. Utilizing an array of amazing new abilities, and with the help of magical creatures, Rayman must break out all the moves to save his world from these delirious bunnies and their hare-raising antics.

“It’s a real pleasure for me to be back working on an all-new Rayman,” said Michel Ancel. “After wrapping up Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, the team here in Montpellier sat down to talk about having some fun with Rayman and his universe. We are running into a bit of a problem, though, because our game has been invaded by thousands of raving mad and vicious bunnies, who have apparently been preparing this assault since the very first Rayman game. We are now sending an SOS to all motivated gamers to help us get rid of them as fast as possible!”

Key Features:

• Combat the Ultra-Crazed Evil Rabbits - Take control of Rayman and his knack for attack to help save his world from the raving rabbids. They are mischievous, insane and completely out of control. There are several types of rabbids each with its own mischievous characteristics.
  
• Master and Ride Creatures - Tame and control various creatures such as sharks, eagles, rhinos, spiders and angelfish. Rayman can master each animal’s unique capabilities to help in his battle against the devious rabbits.
  
• Dress to Impress - Customize and disguise Rayman. Go punk, pop, rock or hip hop to infiltrate the bunnies and foil their devious plans.
  
• Explore the Colorful Fantastic World of Rayman - Explore amazing free-roaming environments and beautiful epic landscapes that mix real and fantastical styles to create a visually stunning experience.

The game will be making its worldwide debut at E3 in a couple of days. Can’t wait!

The latest publisher to announce its E3 2006 lineup is Game Factory Interactive who will be showing off a number of RTS, action and tactical games. They will be set up at booths #7115, 7117 and 7119 in the Kentia Hall.

Officers (developer GFI UA) - is a 3D RTS game with RPG-elements, where the player acts as a military commander. The game is also a unique combat simulator that covers the whole period of World War II.

Jagged Alliance 3D (developer MiST land - South) - the famous series that have won numerous awards around the globe gains a brand new life. Jagged Alliance 3D is a classic turn-based tactical strategy with strong RPG elements. It offers well known mechanics and atmosphere of the original games, as well as the pleasure of meeting good old friends - A.I.M. mercenaries. The action now takes place in a highly interactive environment where you have a possibility to destroy almost everything.

Warfare (developer MiST land - South) - is a real-time strategy with elements of global planning. The game is set on the territory of Saudi Arabia. Here four opposing forces, the Saudi Royal family, the US Army expeditionary corps, the Taliban movement supporters and Arabian rebels fight for the right to rule the country.

4th Battalion (developer MiST land - South) - is an action / RPG game devoted to the colonial wars of far of future. Key events take place on Mars, which is burning in fire of civil war and general chaos. Our hero will have to take part in immense battles along with thousands of other participants, commit several dozens of diversions and use all his diplomatic skills to restore Order and Peace for the exhausted planet.

Werewolves (developer MiST land - South) - is a real time tactical strategy game reliving the glorious history of the assault squads during World War II. The player will have to conduct special missions divided into three large campaigns - Allies, Axis and Soviet Union and have a new look at WWII history and its key events. He will act as a commander of an assault squad fighting in Stalingrad, Ardennes, El Alamein, Italy, Berlin and many other places.

Protivostoyanie (developer GFI) - is a real time strategy game with rich tactical elements based on alternative history of World War II. The idea of the game is build upon well-known plans of Adolf Hitler and Wehrmacht command to invade British Isles in 1940. As Protivostoyanie has an alternative history setting, you will be able to manage various operative embodiments and military prototypes. For example, you can use helicopters’ prototypes, military airships, ballistic rockets etc.

Glukoza: ACTION! (developer MiST land - South) - mutually combines exhilarating 3rd person action game with classical fighting, when you move from one level to another, beating your enemies hard. Player controls Glukoza directly and can use various types of weapons that can be found within game levels. Melee and hand-to-hand combat modes are also present.

Jagged Farm: Birth of a Hero (developer GFI UA) - is a real time strategy game telling the story of Glukoza fighting against guileful pigs led by pigs’ Fuhrer called Pigius. They are dying to get the global hegemony. The girl in camouflage must reveal her strategic talent and stop them. The powerful Officers’ game engine provides wonderful and cartoon-styled graphics. As for the rest, destroy all Schweine otherwise they destroy you!

The announcements keep on coming - Crave has declared its E3 2006 lineup which will consist of the following titles:

• World Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer “All In”
  
• VeggieTales LarryBoy and the Bad Apple
  
• Gun Club
  
• Dave Mirra BMX Challenge
  
• Hard Rock Casino
  
• Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends
  
• Camp Lazlo

Further information on the above titles can be found after the jump.
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Namco and Dark Horse Comics have announced that they are producing a comic book based on Hellgate: London, the upcoming RPG-FPS from Flagship Studios.

The comic book will provide the background story behind the game, with Issue “0” beginning when MI5 agent Lyra Darius discovers a human charnel house in London while investigating the affairs of a recently resigned Minister. The story builds up with Lyra entangled in the Knights Templar conspiracy, following up to the “Battle of All Hallows’ Eve”.

Written by Ian Edginton, the critically acclaimed author of Scarlet Traces and the recent War of the Worlds web comic adaptation, who has teamed up with Superman and Preacher artist Steve Pugh to explore the demon-ravaged metropolis. Issue “0” will be given away for free at E3.

Through the company’s investor conference call, EA let out that the upcoming game-movie tie-in Superman title has been delayed along with Medal of Honor: Airborne.

Originally set to hit stores alongside the movie’s release this June, Superman has been delayed to coincide with the movie’s DVD release this Holiday season. Quality concerns were cited as the reason behind the delay.

The same can be said for MoH: Airborne which was scheduled to hit this Holiday season. Now, Airborne is expected to drop in the fourth quarter of EA’s fiscal year (January to March 2007). The “very ambitious design” and “game quality” were alluded to as the reason for the delay.

Eidos and Warner Bros. Interactive have announced that they have signed an agreement that will see the former publishing Justice League: Heroes for the PS2, Xbox and PSP in North America and Europe this Fall.

Developed by Snowblind Studios, JL: Heroes is an action-adventure game with role-playing customization, letting players step into the underwears of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Manhunter, Zatanna and other unlockable heroes. Each hero will possess character-specific, upgradeable superpowers, resulting in unique controls and fighting styles. Co-op will make its presence in the game in the form of one-to-two player cooperative combat.

Having already confirmed it for the Gamecube, Eidos issued word that Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend is headed to all three current-generation Nintendo consoles - DS, GBA and Gamecube.

Currently available for the PS2, PC, Xbox and Xbox 360, Legend has moved quite a lot of copies thanks to rave reviews and basically being the best game in the franchise.

Lara Croft will be visiting the aforementioned Nintendo consoles this Autumn.

Cenega’s owner, 1C Company has announced its own lineup for E3, declaring that five of its titles is headed for the US for the first time ever.

This years titles include Whilrwind of Vietnam, a helicopter flight simulator from the producers of IL-2 Sturmovik; a fantasy RPG with turn-based battles in full 3D; a third-person stealth-action game titled Death to Spies; a first-person action game dubbed You are Empty; and Theatre of War, claimed to be the “most accurate” WWII strategy game ever.

1C also has a couple of other games that are not mentioned here. The company is located at booth #6059 in the Kentia Hall. It will not be open for public viewing; appointments and approved journalists will be escorted to private meeting rooms where the titles will be discussed.

The E3 lineup announcements continue, this time coming from European publisher Cenega who will be present at the show with El Matador and UFO: Afterlight.

El Matador, a third person action game developed by Plastic Reality Technologies, will surround the players with the atmosphere of South America and will let them experience the excitement of Drug Enforcement Agency’s war on drugs. Given the role of a special DEA agent, codename Matador, the player will be given an uneasy task to crush a strong drug cartel operating in Colombia. With some thirty weapons to choose from and supported by the latest technologies on the field of graphics, physics, artificial intelligence and sound, this game and its story is one to look out for in the summer.

UFO: Afterlight, under development by ALTAR Games, is a third part of the UFO series. Taking place in the time of its predecessor, UFO: Aftershock, Afterlight will take us to a new environment on the planet Mars where a small group of people took refuge, but their new home won’t feel safe for long.

Presenting new graphics, new range of weapons, enemies and technologies, new environments, planet terraforming and the proven combination of global strategy and small team tactics, this new addition to the UFO series will stand out while maintaining the features and diversity Aftermath and Aftershock are enjoyed for.

Cenega will be sharing a booth with 1C Company, its owner and partner. They will be located at booth #6059 in the kentia Hall.

Activision is the new license holder for videogames based on the James Bond series through 2014, according to an announcement by MGM Interactive. The license was formerly held by Electronic Arts.

The agreement gives Activision the worldwide rights to create games for all current and next-gen consoles, PC and handheld platforms. These games can be based on all James Bond movies, as well as original content.

British publisher Midas Interactive will be present at E3, showcasing their lineup of World War II and PS2 titles.

First up are two World War II titles - Battle over Europe and Pacific Warriors II. They’ll also be showing off Tank battles. The following PS2 games will be present at their booth: Zoocube, World Super Police, The Cue Academy and WWI: Aces of the Sky.

Midas will be showing off their lineup at booth #2800 in the West Hall.

Word comes from ESRB that it has re-rated 2K Games’ Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to a “M” (Mature) from its former “T” (Teen) rating. Apparently, the change was invoked due to the presence of a “locked-out art file or ’skin’ that, if accessed through a third party modification to the PC version of the game, allows the user to play with topless versions of female characters.” Yes, an user mod caused the change.

The locked out content isn’t accessible in the Xbox 360 version, which has retained its “T” rating. This follows the “Hot Coffee” scandal of GTA: San Andreas - its rating was also changed due to a user-created mod that allowed the player to see (and do) naughty stuff.

Bethesda has issued a statement on the matter, standing by ESRB’s decision and clearing up a few bits of misinformation.

The ESRB has revoked their Teen rating for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the PC and the Xbox 360 and has assigned the game a new rating of Mature. The ESRB reports that this is due to content in the game that was not fully disclosed when rating the game initially. Bethesda, not its co-publisher, developed the game, handled the ratings application before the ESRB, and stands behind it.

Bethesda will promptly implement the ratings change that the ESRB has ordered for Oblivion. We will not contest the ESRB’s decision to re-rate the game as Mature, nor will we change the game’s content to keep a Teen rating. We believe that this critically acclaimed game is not typical of Mature rated titles, and does not present the central themes of violence that are common to those products.

Bethesda will work with its co-publisher to place new “M” rating stickers on Oblivion packaging now at retail and in warehouses, and will reflect the change in rating on newly manufactured product. No product recall is being directed.

In light of the public comments that are being made about this matter, and to respond to questions we are being asked, we are releasing this statement to be on record about the circumstances giving rise to Oblivion’s change in rating.

Bethesda Softworks made what it believes was a full, accurate, and comprehensive submission on Oblivion to the ESRB months before the game’s release. Bethesda used the ESRB’s application forms and believes it adhered closely to their requirements. Nothing was hidden from the ratings agency. No effort was made by Bethesda to lobby or influence the agency for any particular rating.

The ESRB has concluded that the game deserves a rating of Mature because: 1) partial nudity in the PC version of the game can be created by modders; and 2) the game contains excessive blood and gore that go beyond a Teen rating. The facts are as follows:

There is no nudity in Oblivion without a third party modification. In the PC version of the game only - this doesn’t apply to the Xbox 360 version - some modders have used a third party tool to hack into and modify an art archive file to make it possible to create a mesh for a partially nude (topless) female that they add into the game. Bethesda didn’t create a game with nudity and does not intend that nudity appear in Oblivion. There is no nude female character in a section of the game that can be “unlocked.” Bethesda can not control tampering with Oblivion by third parties. Bethesda is taking steps to ensure that modders can not continue to hack into Oblivion’s art archives to create partially nude figures.

With regard to violence, Bethesda advised the ESRB during the ratings process that violence and blood effects were “frequent” in the game - checking the box on the form that is the maximum warning. We further advised that the game contained occasional torture, vulgar acts, and gore. We gave accurate answers and descriptions about the type and frequency of violence that appears in the game. We submitted a 60-page document listing the explicit language, acts, and scenes in the game. Oblivion packaging already contains warnings for “Violence” and “Blood and Gore.”

We value the role of the ESRB and believe the rating agency plays a valuable role in regulating our industry. As always, we will continue work in good faith to comply fully with the ESRB’s standards and policies.

We remain enormously proud of Oblivion and the standard of excellence in game development it represents. Oblivion is one of the highest rated games of all time and one of the most popular games available on the Xbox 360 and the PC. We greatly appreciate the understanding and support of our fans.

So, developers are now accountable for third-party/user-created content? That’s ridiculous!

Nikita and 1C Company have announced Sphere II, the sequel to Russia’s first MMORPG. Originally announced during the Russian Games Developers Conference on 7-9 April, Sphere II is a MMORPG based on the opposition of two races - vampires and humans. Players will encounter both fantasy and technological monsters, five special guilds and 14 various schools of magic.

The game will have players managing their social status, use guild bonuses, and other things. A unique combat system will be used in the sequel that requires constant development on the side of the player; otherwise it will grow weaker, giving the player less advantage during battle. Players will also be able to conquer new territories, establish control over resources and gain power, among the sequel’s new strategy elements.

No release date was presented for the game, and it is not expected to be released out of Europe.

Namco will be showcasing 19 of its highly anticipated titles at this year’s E3. Set up at booth #824 in the South Hall, the company will be showing off new installments in notable franchises including Xenosaga Episode III, Tales of the Abyss, Ace Combat X, Tekken Dark Resurrection and The Legend of Heroes II. They will also be showing off Hellgate: London, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos, Naruto, One Piece, Ultimate Ninja and more. Below is the full lineup:

• Xenosaga EPISODE III: Also sprach Zarathustra
  
• Tales of the Abyss
  
• Pac-Man World Rally
  
• Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
  
• Tekken: Dark Resurrection
  
• The Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch
  
• Mobile Ops™: The One Year War
  
• Mage Knight Apocalypse
  
• Warhammer: Mark of Chaos
  
• HELLGATE: LONDON
  
• The Fast and The Furious
  
• Snoopy vs. The Red Baron
  
• Charlie Brown’s All-Stars
  
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja
  
• Zatchbell!: Mamodo Fury
  
• .hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth
  
• One Piece Grand Adventure
  
• IGPX
  
• Eureka Seven Vol 1: The New Wave