Despite not getting in any playtime last night, I was able to finish the singleplayer campaign of Halo 2 earlier this evening. Now I can feel secure that I will be ready to tackle Half-Life 2 the moment it's available. Next week got a little lighter as both the Painkiller expansion and GoldenEye: Rogue agent have been pushed back a week. Speaking of next week's releases, I'm a bit surprised that there appears to be more hype for Metroid Prime 2 than there is for Metal Gear Solid 3, considering the much larger installed base of the PlayStation 2. Is it because gamers feel disheartened after Sons of Liberty or does Samus just kick that much more ass than Solid Snake?

	Three Versions of the Xbox Next? That's the latest rumor taking the Internet by storm. Earlier today, The Inquirer claimed to have gotten hold of a slide from a presentation under an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) that showcased three different versions of the successor to the Xbox. Two versions are basically identical, save one part: a hard drive. In the fall of 2005, they'll release their standard base console and also the same console with an added hard drive. The surprise is the Xbox Next PC, set for release in the fall of 2006. It'll be a hybrid device of the Xbox Next and a PC, including a hard drive, wireless mouse and keyboard, and a CD burner. It would be able to play most PC games and have the same multimedia functions of a Media Center PC.
	Colin McRae Swerves onto the PSP Codemasters has announced that it plans to port Colin McRae Rally 2005 and TOCA Race Driver 2 to the PSP. One of the added features for the PSP versions will be wireless multiplayer, although no modes or player limits were specified. A handful of screenshots can be found at GamesAreFun.
	Oddworld Stranger Undergoes Name-Change Operation What the gaming media has been affectionately calling Oddworld Stranger now has a new name. Electronics Arts announced the game will now be titled Oddworld Stranger's Wrath, which, according to the publisher, "better reflects the spirit of the game." It's slated to ship January 25 only for the Xbox.
	Misc. Q&As/Features GameSpy has a heart-to-heart with Feargus Urquhart about Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. HomeLAN Fed chats with Mike Capps regarding Unreal Championship 2.
	Misc. Media/Previews
	The Magic Box delivers new screenshots for Final Fantasy XII and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. GamerFeed has impressions of both Xenosaga II and Death by Degrees. IGN sticks up images for Karaoke Revolution Vol. 3 and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening.
	TeamXbox has a dozen minus two screenshots of Jade Empire.
	GameSpot goes absolutely psycho with the gameplay footage for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
	Planet GameCube tickles us with impressions of Madden NFL 2005 (NDS). Footage of the game can be found at GameSpot along with these videos of Ridge Racers (PSP). IGN has a cute video of Puppy Times, the game formerly known as Nintendogs (NDS).
	At FileShack, we have the latest trailer for Call of Duty: Finest Hour (PS2, Xbox, GCN). IGN has some footage for NFL Street 2 (PS2, Xbox, GCN) and FlatOut (PS2, Xbox).