Late Night Consoling

Though it was first revealed sixteen months ago in Japanese publication Dengeki, the internets have been aflutter this week with news that designer Fumito Ueda and Team Ico, the talent responsible for delivering the critically acclaimed Ico (PS2) and Shadow of the Colossus, are working on a new game for PlayStation 3. These reports stem from another Japanese publication, Famitsu, in which Team Ico took out a full page ad calling for experienced developers to apply to the Sony-owned studio and contribute to the still unannounced game.

Hooray!

Sony Online Entertainment sends word that classic (and intensely frustrating) arcade puzzle/platform game Q*Bert, which celebrates a quarter century of existence this year, will be released for PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Store later this month. Presented in 720p resolution with online leaderboards, the game will support up to two players in hot pyramid-navigating action.

SOE released several screenshots of the game today.

Q*Bert is set for release on February 22, 2007 for $4.99.

Montreal, which has become something of a game development hotbed in recent years, will be host to a branch of yet another major publisher in the near future. Eidos Interactive, owned by SCi Entertainment, announced its intention to open up a development studio in Quebec's largest city, which will create some 350 new jobs over the next three years. In total, the studio will contain three development teams working on current generation consoles; one is planned to go operational this year, with the others opening through 2009.

UK-based Eidos operates only one other North American development studio, current Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics in California. "I'm really delighted to be joining Eidos who deserve their worldwide recognition for some fantastic games," said new Eidos Montreal GM Stephane D'Astous. "I look forward to establishing a brand new studio that will continue this legacy and develop AAA, next-generation titles that will demonstrate once again the expertise and knowledge we have in Montreal."

This January, Forza Motorsport 2 (X360) developer Turn 10 revealed that the game will be hitting North American retail shelves this May. Today, the studio announced that European Xbox 360 owners will be able to pick up the game the same month. "After some debate, we felt it was only right for Forza Motorsport 2's online community if we were to release the game on a global level simultaneously," said community manager Che Chou.

Along with the announcement, Turn 10 released four new screenshots. For a list of the nearly three dozen European exotics that will be featured in Forza 2, head over to the latest official development update.

Keen games, Germany's first licensed Wii development studio, sends word that it is looking for programmers and artists to help fill out its ranks. Previously, keen games was known as Neon Studios. It is currently working on a Wii-exclusive title due out in 2008.

N'Gai Croal celebrates 100 posts of the informative Level Up blog, featuring the Dread Watch counter, chronicling how long Microsoft's J Allard has refused to honor a bet and head up a press conference in dreadlocks.