It should be remembered that LucasArts sealed the fate of rhythm-based video game title Traxion earlier this year when it announced that it will no longer be publishing the title. It felt like the decision was not appreciated by Kuju Entertainment (who's now changed their name to Zoe Mode) as the developer severed its publishing agreement with LucasArts.

Today, Zoe Mode head Ed Daly mentioned that they are still considering pushing through with the project and that they may even market Traxion as a PSP and an iPod game. Daly commented,

The terms of the deal with LucasArts are still confidential, so I can't comment on the details - but we have retained the rights to the IP and we're now looking at what we can do with the IP and the technology and what it's potential is. There's a long history of games that have been canned and came back as great proposition.

However, Ed Daly also shared that their studio is busy at the moment with other projects such as SingStar and EyeToy titles for Sony as well as unannounced next-gen titles. He added that when they find the time and the manpower, Traxion might even go next-gen,

When the teams free up the idea might find place on next-gen formats, or mobile phones or even iPods - there's plenty of use for the tech, but we just need to figure out what that will be and then build the resource so we can take the next step with it.

On a related matter, Ed Daly also revealed that Zoe Mode will be coming up with another music-puzzle game that will be released on the PlayStation Network (PSN) and/or Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA). The concept is different in such a way that the game will be controlling the music instead of the other way around. He shared then,

It's interesting as there is no longer that one straightforward route to market and we're able to think that maybe we are better off investing a bit more in the self-publishing route. There are only a finite number of companies or publishers willing to invest so certain games we aren't always going to chase a traditional publishing deal for them.

Not only is Traxion out of LucasArts' lineup - so is Kuju Entertainment. Only a couple of days after announcing that LucasArts, in mutual consent with Kuju, would no longer publish Traxion, Kuju has announced that they have severed their publishing agreement with LucasArts as well.

Kuju Brighton studio head Ed Daly confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that Kuju has formally split from LucasArts "in respect of the Traxion game." Hard to interpret from this sentence whether this means that Kuju's looking for a new publisher for Traxion. On the other hand, Daly went on to mention that they are "confident" that they can put the technology developed for Traxion to good use "in future releases." Again, we can't interpret this to mean that Traxion is still looking for a publisher, but this may mean a similar Kuju title, or a game using some elements from Traxion, in the future.

Looks like musically-inclined PSP owners will be singing the blues for now. LucasArts announced it has cancelled Traxion, a rhythm-action game and music organizer for the PSP. According to the official statement, LucasArts and Traxion developer Kuju agreed to drop the project. No reasons were given for the decision.

Originally set to be released last fall, Traxion did the demo round at E3 2006. The object of the game is to weave around the line collecting baubles generated by the music being played on the PSP to create combos. But we hate to leave things on a bad note so we might as well mention that Kuju could still release Traxion via another publisher. We'll keep you posted.

These days we're finally getting to see some really original games after the expected onslaught of rehashed ports and totally unimaginative shooters. And a fine example of that would be TRAXION.

For the first time ever, you'll be able to play dozens of games on your PSP where you can use your own music to actually change each one. Using your own MP3 files or the hot music loaded within the game itself, Traxion will analyse your favorite tunes and create personalized game experiences based on the music you choose. Be it rock, rap, classical or jazz (yes, even polka!), every song present will present unique gameplay accompanied by a dazzling visual and sensory experience. Play the same game to different music and enjoy it in a different, personalized way every time you play!

The following features have been announced:

• Play along as Traxion analyzes your choice of tunes to generate unique gameplay, new challenges and custom levels.
• A variety of arcade-style games, light show effects, and interactive displays bring your music to life.
• You can experiment with your music library to get high scores, play along to your favorite album, or just dip into a quick song while waiting for the bus.
• When using your own MP3 files, change games at any time with no break in the music, or change songs in the middle of a game you've already begun. You can also play a single game continuously over multiple MP3 files or automatically switch games with each new track. You're always in control!

Each of the 20-plus games features its own specific goals and challenges. A few of them include the following:

• Vortex: Switch left and right between lanes as you guide a bouncing ball down a twisting, swooping, diving musical staff. Avoid obstacles and collect notes that arrive in time with the music.
• Beatdrop: Destroy colored blocks at the top of the screen by adding more from the bottom. Plan ahead and create longer chains of blocks, or cause combo-boosting cascades of well-placed blocks. Watch out! The wall is continually rebuilt from above as more beats arrive.
• Karate-oke: Fight your music in this collage-based parody of classic martial arts films. Use a combination of three different attacks and defensive stances to fight a series of musically generated opponents.

In addition to more than 20 games, Traxion will also serve as a music organizer for your PSP. The release is scheduled for Fall 2006.

E3 will be wrapping up soon, but not before we get some info about Traxion, the upcoming PSP game developed by Kuju Entertainment and to be released by no less than Lucasarts.

Traxion is a rhythm-action game that allows you to play along with your music. Well, somebody's bound to take advantage of PSP's ability to play music through it's Memory Stick, so we really saw this coming. The game features 24 different ways of interacting with music coming from both UMD and user's personal ID3-tagged MP3 collection.

IGN had the chance to see a series of demos, one of which is a game that shows a cursor flying through 3D space on a track. The object of the game is to weave around the line collecting baubles generated by the music being played on the PSP to create combos. If that's not interesting enough, then how about a cartoon figure chopping off musical notes? A music-based fighting game? Music puzzlers? Interactive fireworks show? No? Come on, with 24 mini-games, you're bound to like at least one. The concept is great. Here's hoping the game catches on.

Traxion is scheduled to be released this Fall.