Assassin’s Creed II is quickly shaping up to be one of the year's blockbuster releases. We're just days away from launch, but for those of you who still hunger for more info on the game, here's a video interview with lead game designer Patrick Plourde.

Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino thinks games are evil. He's said it before, and he's not afraid to say it again. This time, however, he does give credit to what he believes are technological advancements brought forth by video game hardware.

With the impact and acclaim that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots got on its run on the PS3, you'd think that the MGS with Big Boss on the spotlight will also make its run on the PS3 - would've made for eye-popping graphics and great cutscenes again, yeah? Well, certain considerations were made, and it was decided that the War Economy would be better off with Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker heading for the PSP. Hideo Kojima explains why.

There's nothing like coming out of the Item World holding a shiny new overpowered piece of equipment. Anyone who's ever played Disgaea is well aware of the grinding that you have to invest in fully leveling an item, as well as the satisfaction of slaughtering tough baddies with one blow. Ever wondered how and why Nippon Ichi let those insane grindfests fly? The answer, my friends, is right here.

Speaking to the European PlayStation Blog in an interview, Hideo Kojima gave some more gameplay info about his next Solid masterpiece, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. After this one and Metal Gear Solid: Rising (PS3, Xbox 360, and PC), however, the real Big Boss behind Metal Gear Solid is set to leave the franchise in the hands of his younger colleagues at Kojima Productions, leaving the creative genius wide open for new games.

Despite the Minis name, development for Sony's new PSP program is by no means a small task, particularly for smaller developers. Gamasutra got in touch with a few developers supporting PSP Minis, and one of the things they got out of the interviews is a big concern for making smaller, cheaper games for the PSP.  Who would've thought that the cost to get ESRB ratings could be so steep?

"Consumers are back out spending again." That's what Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said as he described his anticipation for the forthcoming holidays. Even with the economy going the way it is, the industry seems to have won them over, getting them to spend on their toys again. More after the jump.

More news from TGS 09. Q-Games has announced that PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe, the portable version of the popular PS3 tower defense game, will be heading to the PlayStation Network this Thursday.

Take this from a guy whose brilliant mind turned figments of the imagination into glorious cultural icons. No less than the man behind Marvel himself, Stan Lee, has expressed his admiration and respect for gaming development. His exact words: "It's lke a miracle."

Don't let his robes fool you - you may have more in common with Trinley Dorje than you think. He's only 24, listens to hip-hop on his iPod, and enjoys a good round violent video games. Yes, you read that right - this Buddhist leader enjoys good old-fashioned pwnage as much as the next guy. In fact, despite his disposition, Dorje believes that this type of games can even be therapeutic.