Bringing the classic franchise back is Sega, who has signed an exclusive agreement with 20th Century Fox to develop new titles based on the Alien film franchise. The company disclosed that multiple titles are in development, including a first-person shooter and a RPG, with the first due in 2009.

“As a direct result of Fox’s efforts over the past 27 years, Alien has become one of the most recognised franchises in the motion picture industry,” said Simon Jeffery, President and Chief Operating Officer, SEGA of America, Inc. “SEGA will utilise the power of next-gen systems to blend the time-honoured story with leading edge design technology to deliver a riveting and suspenseful gameplay experience.”

“Alien is one of those special franchises that has continued to thrive in licensing long after it has left theaters. The L & M program has been very successful over the years because we have partnered with the best companies in each category and created appealing products that become must-haves for the extremely loyal Alien fans.” added Elie Dekel, Executive Vice President, Fox Licensing & Merchandising. “We look forward to partnering with SEGA, a known leader in the gaming industry, to expand the program to the next generation gaming systems and bring the franchise to life with the newest technology and gameplay.”

Sega has put up a dedicated site for the upcoming Alien games.

A highly welcome move by Valve is the introduction of “Guest Pass” in Steam, allowing owners of certain Steam games send time-limited demos to their friends. This post on the service’s website states that a beta will be conducted after which the Guest Pass system will be extended to Day of Defeat: Source owners.

No specific titles were mentioned, though Half-Life 2 and other big titles can be taken as staples.

Microsoft has launched the XNA Game Studio Express, allowing coders everywhere create their games for PC and Xbox 360. It is based on Visual C# 2005 Express Edition and the .Net Compact Framework, making game development easy.

The company also announced the launch of the XNA Creators Club on Xbox Live Marketplace; it is available for £30 for a four-month subscription, or £65 for an annual subscription. Those who subscribe will get access to thousands of game assets from Microsoft and its partners, as well as white papers, specialized starter kits, samples and technical product support.

In addition, they have also launched the “Dream-Build-Play” content for both PC and Xbox 360 users. The contest, which will be launched in January 2007, will offer the community the opportunity to showcase its work, with the winner’s game being published on Xbox Live Arcade. Further details can be found on the contest’s official website.

Founded by former developers from Sinister Games and Vicious Cycle Software, Sentinel Studios has announced its inception. The studio is headed by Paul Potera and Marc Racine, managing the five-man console game development team with over 50 years of combined industry experience.

Both Potera and Racine recently produced licensed titles for Octagon Entertainment and has shipped more than 30 SKUs for PS2, DS, GBA and PC. They intend to develop retail games, as well as downloadable content and handheld games at Sentinel Studios.

The company is yet to announce any project.

Ubisoft has officially announced Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, the next entry in the popular squad-based FPS franchise. The game is in development for the PC, PSP, PS3 and Xbox 360 for release in Spring 2007.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 builds off of the events in the first game and places gamers in control of the U.S. military’s elite fighting unit, the Ghosts. In the year 2014, the rising conflict between Mexican loyalists and insurgent rebel forces has thrown Mexico into full-scale civil war. Under the command of Captain Scott Mitchell, the Ghosts are called upon to face an imminent threat to the United States. The fate of two countries now lies in the hands of the Ghosts as they fend off an attack on U.S. soil. Equipped with the most cutting-edge weaponry and technology, the Ghosts must battle on both sides of the border to neutralize the escalating rebel threat.

Key Features:

• Groundbreaking Visual Experience: The war zone in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 comes to life as you navigate through trash-strewn streets and pick off enemies from behind bomb-scarred structures. The cutting-edge physics and particle systems will show you some of the most intense and realistic explosions, smoke, and environment destruction ever seen in a video game. Dynamic lighting and shadows will morph as real-time day/night cycles and a constantly changing weather system require you to adjust to the changing conditions on the fly.

• All-New Battlegrounds: For the first time ever, the Ghosts will defend U.S. soil from a cross-border attack, taking the fight to all-new locations. The Ghosts will battle enemies in mountain terrains, barren deserts and even on their home turf in El Paso, Texas. Each environment presents its own benefits and challenges and will call for fresh tactical approaches.

• Vastly Improved Artificial Intelligence (AI): Watch your back as rebels send their own team members to flank your position or gain vantage points by utilizing vertical gameplay to pick you off from the rooftops above. Improved squad-mate AI will now feed you more of the information you need with descriptive commands like “enemy spotted behind red truck ahead.”

• Improved Cross-Com: The revolutionary new Cross-Com 2.0 will give the player more information than ever before. You will be able to see what your friendly forces see in the top left display and the click of a button will expand that to full-screen view for a clearer and more precise picture. This will give you a more comprehensive view of the entire battlefield. The new Full Command View will allow unprecedented precision in developing and issuing tactical plans on the battlefield.

• Expanded Support: Command lethal air strikes with jet fighters, gain mobile cover for otherwise impassable situations and replenish armaments on the battlefield using an unmanned artillery MULE. Players can now heal their team on the battlefield, including squad leader Scott Mitchell, with an all-new Medic class of soldier.

Below are the first three screenshots:

Translated reports from Japanese games magazine Famitsu reveal that Tekken: Dark Resurrection will be released for the PS3 via its online store. Originally released for the PSP, the game will run natively in 1080p resolution and feature updates to all of the modes from the arcade game and will include the ability to play as the boss Jinpaichi. It is not clear whether it will have online multiplayer.

The title will be a download totaling 800 MB in size. No release date or price was given.

Enlight has officially announced Football Mogul 2007, the latest entry in the American football simulation series. Set for release this month, the game will feature new functions and improvements, including a new roster editor which allows for personnel customization, new play calling engine and even more. Football Mogul 2007 will retail for $20.

A must-buy for all Zelda fanboys is this Ocanira of Time Adult Link Statue from First 4 Figures. Based on the classic game, the 7 inch tall action figure shows Link winding up for his signature spin attack and is cast in high quality poly-stone, hand-finished and hand-painted. He also holds the Master Sword and Hylian Shield and stands upon a diorama base; it also includes a dungeon map and key for “added realism.”

The figure is expected to be available in Q2 2007 and will be a limited run of only 2,500 units worldwide; it will retail for $110.

More tactical Japanese action is headed our way, thanks to Koei’s Samurai Warriors 2 Empires. The game, announced for the PS2 and Xbox 360, will combine action, fighting and strategy to offer an environment set in feudal Japan. Scoop:

SAMURAI WARRIORS 2 EMPIRES combines the most exciting aspects of Action, Fighting and Strategy games. At the start of the game Feudal Japan is divided into warring states and it is up to the player to resurrect a nation using equal amounts of strategy and strength! The game’s ultimate goal is to unite Japan’s 25 regions into a single nation under one ruler. Prior to each battle, the player will meet with their war council to discuss military and political affairs; then it’s time for combat.

SAMURAI WARRIORS 2 EMPIRES is the first in KOEI’s successful line of “Empires” games to be set in Japan. Accordingly, the game’s deck of 90 policy cards, used to issue military commands and impose political policies, is boosted by 50 new cards inspired by Japanese history, while all-new formation cards are based on historically-authentic samurai attack formations.

Special events in the game chronicle major turning points in Japan’s history including “The Honnôji Incident” where the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga, met his demise, and “The Battle of Kawanakajima,” considered the largest and most prolonged encounter of the Warring States era.

Key product features include vicious multi-Musou attacks with up to four officers, 5 “Unification” scenarios plus 6 “Regional” scenarios, over 400 playable characters to choose from, a create your own warrior mode, as well as 2-player co-op play.

The game is pegged for release on February 27, 2007.

Burnout has already been announced for the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it will also be hitting the PS2 and PSP, the consoles on which it has fared the best so far. As disclosed by EA, Burnout Dominator is being developed exclusively for the aforementioned Sony consoles and will hit stores sometime next year. Here’s the deal:

Burnout Dominator is an all-new installment of the legendary and multi-award winning Burnout™ series, loaded with intense racing action and dozens of retina-searing World Tour events. Burnout Dominator challenges gamers to face off against a series of hot-blooded rivals in brutal tests of aggressive driving techniques where performing burnouts gives you the advantage and multiplies your score potential. For the ultimate nerve-wracking experience, Burnout Dominator takes you to the very edge of control, punishing the smallest mistakes and rewarding drivers for taking outrageous risks.

“The series was born on the PlayStation 2, and Burnout Dominator is about celebrating the essence of Burnout,” said Nick Channon, senior producer of Burnout Dominator. “Burnout Dominator focuses on the reckless skill-based racing and fear of crashing that fuelled the first games.”

The game is in development at EA’s UK studio in Guildford, UK. Below are the first screenshots from the title: