Carmageddon, Conflict 4, Rogue Trooper online?

"The majority" of SCI's console product line-up for 2005 will be online according to remarks snuck into the publisher's recent interim results report to the City, meaning that along with Battlestations: Midway (already confirmed), at least one or two titles out of Rogue Trooper, Conflict 4 and Carmageddon should be playable on PS2 Online and Xbox Live.

Furthermore, we can also surmise that the planned Reservoir Dogs game for FY2006 and subsequent Conflict games will be online - assuming that series doesn't run out of steam by then. SCI has already confirmed that it has three titles - including the abovementioned two - planned for release in FY2006. We suspect the other title will be the next incarnation of Richard Burns Rally, but nothing has been confirmed as yet - although obviously it's also a prime candidate for online play.

Although the publisher has been unwilling to confirm which titles would feature PS2 Online and Xbox Live compatibility, the company's decision to support both competing online console games services is encouraging. And depending on just how many of the "Exciting new opportunities under evaluation" mentioned in the results bear fruit, we could well have more to talk about in the coming months.

However, don't expect SCi's line-up to emerge on the PS3 or Xbox 2 in the early days of their respective life spans. The company stressed in its annual report that it would continue to support the current generation of hardware until the next-gen reached a 'critical mass', effectively ruling out the chances of seeing the Conflict series on those platforms until roughly 2008!