The BBFC has announced that it will be launching a new online rating scheme which will let them rate more media content such as downloadable games, films, and programs. Want to find out more about this? Head on over to the full article for more information.

Riding on the fame Square Enix has developed for the series during the previous years, Kingdom Hearts readies itself for a new generation of games for the handheld and the mobile.

Announced during this year's Tokyo Game Show, the new games will be featured in Japan first before any thoughts of a U.S. release will be settled. However, we can give everyone a little preview into each of these releases.

First off, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS features the story of Organization XIII's Number 13 Roxas. The game looks into the life of the semi-protagonist of Kingdom Hearts 2's life during his days in Organization XIII. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 will feature single-player as well as multiplayer missions through the WiFi capabilities of the Nintendo DS.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for the PSP is a sort of prequel to the entire series. It tells the tale of a trio of heroes who seek out a wayward Keyblade master. Those of you who've unlocked the hidden FMV found in Kingdom Hearts 2 will finally be able to follow the teaser ending it gave everyone through the end. The game will feature the same traditional controls, game system, and the visual style of its predecessors.

Finally, Kingdom Hearts coded for the mobile bring together the first collaborated project between Square Enix and the Walt Disney Internet Group. It tells the story of the events after Kingdom Hearts when Jiminy Cricket finds a mysterious message in his journal. King Mickey then digitizes the contents of the journal and asks Sora to investigate the matter. A digitized Sora enters the new world and tries to unravel the mystery behind it.

All these games definitely sound like a good way to extend the series and further flesh out an already fantastic story. Hopefully, the release for their respective U.S. versions won't be too far off so we can immerse ourselves in more Walt Disney video game goodness.

There's a steady trickle of information regarding the movie adaptation of Jordan Mechner's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Just the other day, we reported that the movie port's script was reviewed. Today, we found out the exact release date for the movie.

The previous reports indicating a "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" release date of "summer of 2009" proved quite accurate. The movie will be made under the watchful eye of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and will be made under Walt Disney Pictures. According to ComingSoon.net, the movie will be heading to box offices on June 10, 2009.

That's right, fans. It seems they're making the movie with the sweet luxury of time - which is pretty ironic since the movie is about manipulating the very stuff. Anyway, we'll keep you posted on this so stay glued.

 

Now we all know that Jerry Bruckheimer, renowned producer and cinema visionary, had the Prince of Persia franchise under his wing for a long time now. Under the watching eyes of Disney, the movie is being primed for a blockbuster release this coming 2008 in summer. Probably a first of three movies to come, "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" will take us into a more immersive world behind the story of the beginning of the Sands of Time trilogy.

According to a couple of sites, including BadTaste.it, the movie may just be looking to be a great production after all, despite rumors of just maturing in the pre-production stages. The following images below may or may not reflect in the final movie (although we have confirmed that they are concept art straight from Walt Disney Studios), but the works show just how much intricate detail they plan to put into the costumes and settings.

Click on Full Article to view the concept art and some information we dug up on the movie.

Yet another game title is on its way to the fancy land of Hollywood. Ubisoft's fantasy/adventure franchise has reportedly caught the eye of Jerry Bruckheimer, the same guy who launched the ships of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is said to be the one off to the moviehouse. For those of you not in the know, the plot is set in medieval Persia, a time when they ruled the world as the superpower. It's also deemed to be the most mysterious kingdom, with lots of drama and action, such as the downfall from power of the Maharajah, as well as the kidnapping of his daughter. With a looted palace of priceless treasure, one controversial hourglass, and a mysterious dagger, the stage is certainly set for one heck of an adventure.

Now, we've all had one disappointment or another with movie adaptations of our much-beloved games (Uwe Boll's "House of the Dead," anyone?). Here's hoping that this one won't go kaput at the box office, especially since the game's creator, Jordan Mechner, actually provided script with the supervision of screenwriter John August.

It is also said that it is Disney's and Bruckheimer Films' hope that this adaptation "could then lead to a new hit series of movies for the studio." The two media outfits are now getting ready to set the production wheels in full motion for the target release of Summer 2008.

Keep it posted here for more updates on this.

Lucas Arts and Frontier Development have worked hard on making a fun, casual experience. You have to applaud them for that, and for the cuteness that is Thrillville.

While it's more like a fun set of minigames placed inside a theme park environment, you can't deny that making your own little slice of Walt Disney is something many kids would dream of doing. It's even more true with those who've just entered Disneyland for the first time.

Of course, there's no need for us to tell you that you can basically do everything in this game from shooting things in first person to racing cars, especially since the game just came out.

What we can offer gamers is one last hurrah in celebration of the game's release. This is Frontier's final trailer right before the release, and it shows you the many things the game offers. While it's satisfying enough as single-player game, finding some way to share the Thrillville experience, even on your PSP can make this game feel more like a party. Enjoy!

Download: [Thrillville: Party Games Trailer]

At first it may seem that Climax Studio is on a downhill track following the sale of its Brighton, England racing studio to Walt Disney's Buena Vista Games. The recent reports about the downsizing of its Santa Monica studio also fits well in this line of thinking. The CEO of the company however, Karl Jeffrey, denies these speculations and says they are just restructuring operations.

"New-gen game development requires incredible focus and the removal of all barriers to your teams creating and communicating effectively," states Jeffrey. Accordingly, Santa Monica studio will be reduced by 14 while the remaining ones in U.K. (in Hampshire and London) will be expanding. All studios will now be placed under the direct management of Simon Gardner, Climax Head of Development.

Jeffrey adds, "Integrating our management structure in this way and doing more of our development in the U.K. will allow us to control the production process better. I am also looking forward to recruiting new talent into the company." The company, in the past, has been responsible for quality titles such as MotoGP, ATV Offroad Fury and Xbox RPG Sudeki.

Today, known upcoming projects of Climax Studio include Oblivion for PSP, next-gen project Codename: Avalon and a Ghost Rider game for 2K Games.

What do you next after creating the No.1 video game of all time ("Top 100 Videogames" in the The Killer List of Videogames) and working for the same company for 30 freaking years? For Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man,  the next step is going back to school to teach. Wow, that's like having Walt Disney teaching you to draw!

After lecturing regularly at several universities Iwatani says he realized the importance of teaching. "I experienced first hand the passion today's young people have for games. So, when TPU (Tokyo Polytechnic University) told me they were beginning a new course on games, and asked me to become a full-time lecturer, I decided to do it."

Sure, he still wants to make games but he thinks its more important to pass on the know-how he had accumulated over the last 30 years to the next generation. Iwatani hopes other veteran game designers will follow in his footsteps and help train the next-gen game makers.

Out of his 30 years of experience, what would be the most important lesson he wants his students to learn? The importance of communication in the workplace. "Game development is a group activity, so communication is crucial," Iwatani said. "On the other hand, it's a creative process, so assertiveness is necessary. I hope to foster in my students a balance between assertiveness and cooperation."