For history buffs who own a PSP, PS2, or a PC, The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome is like manna from heaven. Developed by Slitherine Software, this title should appeal to an audience that has far too often gone unnoticed by other developers.

Gamespot was lucky enough to score an interview with the development director of the game Iain McNeil. In the interview, he discussed quite a few points that should catch the attention of those who haven't picked this game up. One of the more important details that McNeil discussed is the game's focus. He maintains that this is a "real blend of action and strategy."

Before a battle starts, you have the chance to create a battle plan, which is where the strategy comes in, and your men will carry out this plan in battle.

Some players may choose to wing it and skip this section and jump straight into the battles. Once in the battles, it's fast-paced action all the way. In the larger battles, there are thousands of men giving the game a truly epic feel, which has not been seen on consoles before.

In addition to that, this game was also built to be historically accurate considering they did secure a History Channel License for the game. McNeil gave two major reasons why they decided to obtain the license and how it benefits the game overall.

Firstly, they have thousands of hours of high-quality footage, which we were able to search through and use to create the movies you see in the game. These really add to the atmosphere when combined with the superb music and voice-over, allowing the player to become fully immersed in the period.

Secondly, having a well-known license like the History Channel brings the game to the attention of people who might otherwise have missed it. It has also allowed us to do a lot of TV advertising, which has not been possible in the past. The History Channel has been really supportive and it has been great to work with them.

So there you have it. This is a history game for the most discerning war gamers out there. If you want to read the full interview, feel free to click on our read link. The game has already been released so there's no reason not to check it out to see if it's for you. More updates on The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome as it happens.

If you're the type of player who's into playing strategy video game titles, then you might want to know that the PSP version of The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome is available now in retail stores. The game is a joint project of companies Slitherine Software, Black Bean Games, Koch Media, and cable station The History Channel.

Basically, the Great Battles of Rome takes players to the humble beginnings of the Roman Empire, specifically when it was nothing more but a small village. Controlling vast armies and defeating countless enemies, the objective of the game is to fulfill that small village's destiny and establishe the Empire.

Furthermore, players will be able to customize the said armies using an incredible array of soldiers, legionaries, archers, cavalry, and war elephants. There's an option to play as the strategist and give orders or if you want, you can leave all that to the AI and focus on battling it out with the enemies.

The PSP version of The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome has a multiplayer mode where fans can go head-to-head against their friends in an epic war to remember.

Thanks to German gaming news site GameFront, we got hold of a new list of release dates for PAL titles. The list has quite a few PSP titles in it, along with one each for the Nintendo DS and Microsoft's Xbox 360. No PS3 titles, though.

A couple of notable titles are The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome and Earth Defence Force 2017. Puzzle fans also get their own dose of gaming goodness courtesy of the PSP titles Cube and PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient. Check the list below for the titles and dates.

May 25

• Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales (DS)

June 1

• The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome (PSP, PS2)

June 8

• Earth Defence Force 2017 (Xbox 360)
• PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient (PSP)
• SBK-07 Superbike World Championship (PSP)

June 29

• Cube (PSP)

Koch Media has announced that it has signed a distribution deal with Black Bean games for the upcoming strategy title The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome for the PC, PS2, and PSP. "I am delighted that Black Bean have once again chosen to work with us," commented Craig McNicol, Managing Director to Koch Media UK, "This is an excellent license and truly underpins the quality of the game."

"This game has given us the opportunity to bring a great television brand to life in the interactive entertainment arena. The blending of dramatic video footage from The History Channel with fast paced gameplay delivers a unique and authentic experience that will have mass appeal," added Chris Mehers, Managing Director of Black Bean Games UK.

Combining compelling gameplay, dramatic video footage and battle simulation, The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome allows players to fully immerse themselves into the battles and campaigns that created the world's greatest Empire. Too bad we still don't have any concrete info as to how the gameplay goes. You can check out this trailer for a bit of a look at the game, though.

We also have a few comparison shots from each of the game's three platform versions below as well as the packshots for the PSP and PC versions above. From left to right, the screenshots below are, from left to right, from the PSP, PC, and for comparison's sake, the PS2.

The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome will hit the PC, PS2, and PSP in May 2007.

Before you head off to war, always make sure you know what you're up against. Now, in case many of the guys here found information for The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome game lacking, we are happy to announce that Black Bean Games has just set up the game's website.

Among the interesting details mentioned over there was the Great Battles of Rome's release date: expect the empire to come marching into retail this May for the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation Portable (PSP), and the PC.

Moving on to the rest of the site's features, we have extra game media in the guise of a gameplay trailer, wallpapers, and screenshots. The site also carries a brief historical into the game's three main heroes: Julius Caesar, Scipio, and Trajan (the third guy was one of the five emperors that ruled during Rome's Pax Romana period).

The site further makes mention of extra game details, such as an extra 10 Celtic campaigns and 35 battles in the Cult of Mithras, which should provide for a more rounded out perspective of the sort of factions that existed during this time period. We advise historical fans and dudes who are getting tired of the Spartan hype as of late to try out the game come launch, or read up for extra details.

The subject matter of The History Channel's latest gaming project tempts a cliche: "Arma virumque cano... genus unde Latinum, Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae." The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome, being developed for the PSP, PS2, and PC by SBK07 devBlack Bean Games, with Slitherine Software and the History Channel, relives over 100 battles between the Roman legionnaires and the barbaric tribes up north, including the Punic Wars, and Julius Caesar's campaign all the way to the shores of modern-day Britain.

If you have no idea what this writer just said, right up to the Latin, try visiting a local library.

The game features a mix of strategy and action, the press release says, featuring customizable army setups and a choice of whether to draw up the order of battle or leave it to the AI and take nothing but the action. We suspect an AI-squad action game in the veins of Bladestorm, Dynasty Warriors, or 300, but no further clues can be inferred from the screenshots (presumably from the PC or the PS2 version) below.

Hey, it's not a video game that'll rock the world, but you know what they said about being ignorant of history. Which is why a trip to the library every now and then isn't so bad.