Late Night Consoling

Today, developer Bethesda Softworks confirmed yesterday's reports that the acclaimed The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, released earlier this year for PC and Xbox 360, will also be heading to PlayStation 3. Furthermore, the company announced that the game will be a launch title for PlayStation 3 when the machine goes on sale this November in North America, and next March in Europe.

Bethesda also confirmed The Elder Scrolls Travels: Oblivion, a separate PSP game set for release next spring in North America and Europe. "The Elder Scrolls Travels" is the branding Bethesda has previously used for its Elder Scrolls games on mobile devices and N-Gage.

Disney subsidiary Buena Vista Games, which is recently been gaining more and more visibility in the video game publishing world, today announced its intention to buy the Climax Racing studio from UK developer Climax Group. Climax is the developer of the THQ-owned MotoGP franchise and the Sony-owned ATV Offroad Fury franchise. BVG also owns the recently formed Propaganda Games, working on Turok (working title) (PS3, X360), as well as veteran developer Avalanche Software, responsible for the Tak series. It is inclear how the upcoming Climax Racing acquisition will affect the future of the MotoGP and ATV Offroad Fury franchises.

"The acquisition of Climax Racing aligns perfectly with our strategic and geographic goals by allowing us to both reach into new genres and new markets for creative talent," said BVG senior VP and GM Graham Hopper. "Adding Climax Racing to our creative family will provide an additional catalyst for our continued growth in the video games market." Terms of the deal, which is expected to close next month, were not disclosed.

When Midway first announced that it would be bringing Blitz: The League, its non-NFL successor to NFL Blitz, to Wii, the game was an expected launch title for the console. However, ever since that announcement, very little has been heard about the title, prompting some to speculate that it had been cancelled. However, speaking to IGN, the company confirmed that the game is still in the works but, as was becoming more and more obvious, will not be a Wii launch title. No new release period was given.

Today, Microsoft released a playable demo of the Xbox 360 version of Yuke's' WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 on Xbox Live Marketplace. The free download comes in at a staggering 1.06GB. Marketplace has also been updated with trailers for Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Project 8, Midway & Tigon's The Wheelman, Kaos Studios' Frontlines: Fuel of War, and Pivotal Games' Crossfire.

Electronic Arts today confirmed expectations that EA Tiburon and EA Canada's Madden NFL 07 and EA Black Box's Need for Speed Carbon will be launching alongside Nintendo's Wii console when launches on November 19, 2006. "Both Madden NFL 07 and Need For Speed Carbon were able to really bring out the innovation in the new FreeMotion Controller on the Wii and will attract a whole new sector of gamers," said EA Canada senior VP and GM John Schappert. "We are honored to be a part of the launch of this new exciting platform and are inspired by the new creative ideas it will let us explore."

X06 coverage is up from GameSpot, IGN, Game Informer, 1UP,