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As well as news of securing FIFA and PES for a year, Microsoft's Leipzig conference brought with it a bit of release date clarity and a bit of release date confusion - with the HD-DVD drive now listed as "autumn" (or "fall" in American) and Forza Motorsport 2 swerving perillously close to 2007 with its new "this winter".

Today at the Leipzig Games Convention, Microsoft made all sorts of bold pledges about PC support - and announced the Windows Wireless Gaming Receiver, which will allow PC users to play games using Xbox 360 wireless peripherals.

There's still a while to wait until Flagship's rather fancy looking PC title Hellgate: London hits the shops - but according to studio boss Bill Roper, they've already got big plans for developing the franchise further.

Right! Hello again. Here we are at the Microsoft stand, having braved the perils of the cavernous glass central hallway in the Leipziger Messe and the slightly suspicious tasting coffee. There's a mini colloseum in the middle of the stand, and about 200 people are milling around in here - I say "about 200", meaning "an indeterminate number that looks like Quite A Lot." A wraparound screen is showing off a looping promo reel.

WILKOMMEN IN DEUTSCHLANE, Nintenzigger fans. Es ist time for the conference. It's very white. I've got mich a headset and we're expecting to start soon.

For once, Microsoft has the luxury of not taking sides - and being praised for it.

Following the revelation of next-gen exclusivity on market-leading football franchises FIFA and PES, a confident European Xbox boss Chris Lewis has claimed Microsoft now has the console war sewn up for the year ahead.

With the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Virtua Tennis 3 on display at the Games Convention this week, SEGA's announced that the game will also be appearing on PC and PSP next spring when the game debuts

Following its press conference yesterday, Microsoft announced a list of prices and dates for its big old pile of new peripherals, including the Habu Laser Gaming Mouse (60 quid), the wireless PC receiver (20 dollars) and the Xbox 360 steering wheel (all the gold in the world).

The fifth incarnation - or should that be incantation - of the Suikoden series is due in Europe for PlayStation 2 next month.

Whilst Nintendo has once again failed to announce the official price or launch date for Wii, the company's head of German operations has stated that he expects a price point below 250 Euro.

Introversion's swinging game of global thermonuclear war is due out next month and for some reason they're planning to flog it on Steam for, get this, US$ 14.95.

Software giant Electronic Arts has announced its acquisition of German development studio Phenomic, creators of Settlers and Spellforce, amongst other titles.

Casual games provider PopCap Games and Valve Software have jointly announced a new agreement that will see a significant number of casual games digitally distributed through Valve's Steam platform.

Tucked away rather sheepishly in the handheld inner sanctum of Konami's (literally) throbbing Leipzig stand, Silent Hill Origins made its unheralded public debut today - but we came away wondering whether it really benefited from such a premature showing.

Ubisoft has announced the development of a new game in the Asphalt: Urban GT series, which you'll be pleased to hear is coming out on both DS and PSP - although at completely different times.

There's not long to go before you can once again don your Stetson and head West, with the latest instalment in the curiously entertaining Wild Arms RPG series.

Vivendi and Mithis' upcoming PC strategy title Joint Task Force, which adopts a more action-oriented stance (perhaps it's standing with a leg up on a stack of Die Hards), has thrown up a demo.

It's poker time, kids. Well, it's not, since I'm writing this in a hotel in Germany at 6am and Texas Hold 'Em won't be released on Xbox Live Arcade until 8am, but you get it.

Bungie has been dropping hints about the exploratory nature of Halo 3's campaign levels, but caution against us getting all excited about how freeform it is.

Speaking at the Leipzig GCDC, Lionhead's Peter Molyneux has warned that motion-sensing controllers such as the Wii remote could leave gamers exhausted unless developers think creatively.

Microsoft today unveiled its roadmap for PC and Xbox 360 cross-platform gaming, predicting that "the floodgates will open" for software playable across the two formats by 2008.

Sony has issued a statement correcting the information regarding its projected retail allocation for the PlayStation 3, confirming plans to have 2 million units available by launch day.

RedOctane has announced that Guitar Hero II will feature two rather awesome headline tracks - Freebird and Sweet Child o' Mine.

Leipzig isn't the only thing kicking off today - EA Sports has also chosen this morning to unveil the highly anticipated next-generation version of FIFA 07, due out later this year on Xbox 360.

Electronic Arts today unveiled the next-generation version of FIFA 07, promising a completely new experience based on an engine that's been two years in the making.

Amazing what you find wandering around trade shows the day before they open their doors. When Sony recently said it had taken the decision to hold off letting the general public gets their hands on PlayStation 3 until Tokyo Game Show at the end of September it really wasn't lying. We walked around the PS3 section of Sony'stand at Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany today and saw logos, screens and seats, but nary a controller (or PS3 hardware) in sight.

In a speech delivered at the Leipzig GCDC this morning, Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux has declared it's time to revolutionise combat games - and guess what, he's got some ideas on how to go about that.

The Battle of Waterloo has been reproduced in videogame form on more than a dozen occasions and yet so far no-one has got round to modelling one of the most important factors in the French defeat - Napoleon's colossal haemorrhoids. (It's said that chronic piles limited the Little Corporal's mobility during the battle by keeping him out of the saddle). Developers GSC had the opportunity to rectumify this grievous situation with this standalone expansion for Cossacks II, but - criminally - they've parsed it up.

First things first: Germany is a wonderful place for firsts. I had my first beer there (later I had my first yard of ale, and my friend had his first stomach-pumping). I had my first schnitzel there, and my first sauerkraut, somewhat stereotypically, but less so was my first jaywalking charge. And my first sighting of a transsexual man throwing a spaniel at a police car. This week should prove another good'un for firsts, with the Leipzig Games Convention set to host a number of big games. Quite a large number in fact.