This week's game announcements
Rather a lot of them.
In an effort to stop our news cattle wandering off and getting lost, we've rounded them all up in our Friday inspection-pen.
It gives us a chance to look over the mooing herd and arrange the heifers into some sort of bite size order, so that you can get your chops around the juiciest announcement burgers this week.
I've not seen that before
Squeenix kicked off proceedings this week by revealing three new games ahead of its Square Enix Party in Japan this weekend. Role-playing game Last Remnant for PS3 and Xbox 360 was the most exciting of these, but Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon for Wii and Final Fantasy Dissidia for PSP also caused a fuss.
Blade Interactive caused quite a splash with watery action-puzzler Hydrophobia (PS3, Xbox 360 and PC), as did EA with its announcement of a new Simpsons game to parody some of the biggest titles around.
Meanwhile Activision revealed a next-gen rethink of a familiar legend with Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, as well as Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for PSP and Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s for PS2.
Eidos showed off its Nervous Brickdown for DS puzzle-addicts, just moments before Funcom could steam in with its new MMO The Secret World for Xbox 360 and PC.
SEGA proved to be ridiculously active this week, confirming Condemned 2 for PS3 and Xbox 360, a new next-gen RPG project with Gas Powered Games, and a remake of light-gun classic Ghost Squad for Wii.
Followed by Sony Online Entertainment who added its own announcement milk with three new games: EverQuest II expansion Rise of Kunark, PS3 downloadable title High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition, and a game based on Kung Fu Hustle for the Chinese market.
Codemasters Online Gaming also chewed the cud this week by revealing the first of many content updates for Lord of the Rings Online, with Book 9: Evendim. And THQ finally admitted to Saints Row 2 being developed for Xbox 360.
Dating service
Frontlines: Fuel of War slipped to 2008, as did the delayed Spore. And heads spun when Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops for PSP was pulled from retail due to a missing BBFC rating, before being re-dated for later this month.
Microsoft finally confirmed Project Sylpheed, Vampire Rain and Tenchu Z for Europe on 29th June, as well as stamping a big fat 1st June date on FASA Studio's Shadowrun.
Metroid Prime Pinball earned itself a 22nd June outing (although we'd urge you not to bother), and it will be sharing shelf-space with Mario Party 8 for Wii on the same day.
Eidos went and plonked a 1st June date on Tomb Raider: Anniversary PC and PS2, although the PSP version is yet to be dated. And Mercury Meltdown Revolution will be appearing on your Wii a week later on the 8th.
Those of you waiting for the demo of Lost Planet on the PC will only have to wait until the 15th May, and if you're not sure whether to invest in Ageia's PhysX techno-wizardry, then test out the freshly released CellFactor to see what you're missing.
It's a Live
Xbox Live activity this week consisted of a Spring Update to add Messenger to the mix, joined by downloadable content for GRAW2 and Crackdown.
Demos for Forza 2 and Blacksite: Area 51 showed up, followed by a rather dumpy Double Dragon on Live Arcade.
And if Live Arcade's your thing, then you'll be pleased to read about six new games that Microsoft has lined up for the service.
Please don't ask me to say all of that again.