We're not still hearing much, just rumblings of things to come.

On the official Rockstar site, there is this blurb: "While we have yet to announce a definitive release date, L.A. Noire is coming along quite splendidly, and we're going to have details to share with you all very soon."

L.A. Noire isn't coming along good or even great, but splendidly.

Re: Episodes from Liberty City, Yusuf Amir, Donald Love and L.A. Noire [Rockstar Asked & Answered]

The publisher wouldn't offer any new details on the Team Bondi game, which is not currently on Take-Two's list of upcoming titles. That list extends well into mid-2010, so don't expect to see anything material from L.A. Noire for a while. All Take-Two would say was that, yes, the game is still in development at Rockstar—they didn't mention Team Bondi by name—and that they'd share more information when they had more information to share.

The last substantial development we heard on the multi-platform L.A. was that it was pushed into 2009, officially, then taken off the release list. In the meantime, Team Bondi has been staffing up, hopefully in an effort to give us an update and a final game.

L.A. Noire was first announced in the fall of 2006.

The Sydney, Australia area dev — headed by Brendan McNamara, former Director of Development for Sony’s Team Soho Studio which made The Getaway — has opened up the human resources floodgates, looking for animators, artists and programmers for L.A. Noire.

The game was announced in late 2006 and was most recently pegged for a 2009 release. L.A. Noire does not, however, appear on parent company Take-Two Interactive's fiscal 2009 release list, which ends on October 31. Hey, it could still make the holidays!

Team Bondi did a similar staff drive about this time last year, when it listed the game as planned for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms. Remember, kids, this isn't the PlayStation exclusive franchise that Rockstar promised Sony. That's the next one.

Anyway, if you're looking for a job where deadlines don't seem that critical poke around the open positions.

Jobs [Team Bondi]

L.A. Noire: A Year Off and No Longer PS3 Exclusive? [IGN]

Still, when word popped up today that Bondi and company were looking for new hires, listing L.A. Noire for the Xbox 360 and PS3, we got tips. Tips we're quite grateful for, mind you. But given that Sony isn't shouting from the mountaintop, defending the honor of its console exclusive in this particular case, it's nothing to get worked up over. Team Bondi even lists "next generation consoles" as the platform, despite some claims that the game "definitely ain't coming to Xbox 360."

It's not coming out any time soon and we'll most likely have a clear console war champion by the time it does anyway. We'll have plenty of time to sort the whole thing out over the course of the year.

Team Bondi [Gamasutra Jobs]

Kotaku Australia Ed Logan Booker was tipped off to a site that is listing what they say is exclusive new details about Rockstar's upcoming game LA Noire. In a nutshell:

* The game will be a free-roaming title with a historically-accurate recreation of Los Angeles in 1947.
* Team Bondi has even hired a costume designer to research the clothing of the era so the game's attire can be accurate.
* Aside from main story, side missions will be based on actual cases pulled straight of the newspapers of 1947.
* A US Marine plays a big role in the story.
* Not so exclusive...but LA Noire definitely ain't coming to Xbox 360, the size of the game is an obstacle to this.

I've never heard of Surfer Girl Reviews, so it's hard to judge this particular bit of information, but none of it sounds too outlandish.

LA Noire Too Big For Xbox 360? [Surfer Girl Review, via Kotaku Australia]

Take-Two also confirmed that the PSP rhythm game Beaterator has also slipped off the release radar, moving to at least 2009.

The full trailer of Rockstar's new next generation franchise is now up on Game Videos. The lighting looks spot on for this kind of noir title, though the music is curiously lifeless. Given how much amazing jazz is available from the period, available for practically free, I have hopes that this title is going to take a Grand Theft Auto style approach to licensing jazz and big band numbers from the 30's and 40's. Some Louis, some Duke, some John Kirby, some Jimmie Lunceford, some Peggy Lee, some Glenn Miller, some Django and Basie: now that would be an in-game radio playlist that would get this little jazz fan's wallet dry-heaving in anticipation of imminent regurgitation. Florian Eckhardt

An interactive crime thriller, murder mystery set in the 40s is Rockstar's next big game, the developer announced minutes ago.

LA. Noire will be developed by Team Bondi, a new Australian-based studio founded by Brendan McNamara, of The Getaway fame. The game is an "interactive detective story set in the classic noir period of the late 1940's." Rockstar says the game will blend action, detection and complex storytelling into a game that draws players into an open-ended challenge to sove and series of gruesome murders. The game will be set in the post-war Los Angeles of no freeways, drugs and jazz.

"Brendan and I have known each other for a long time, and to finally have the opportunity to work together on a game is exciting," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "The longstanding mutual respect and the combined experience between the two of us make this a great partnership," added Brendan McNamara, CEO of Team Bondi.

No date has been set for release and Rockstar declined to say what platform or platforms it would be hitting, besides "next-gen." Does that rule out the Wii or not? I'm a little confused on my terms.

Rockstar says they will be releasing the trailer on Oct. 5. I can't wait to see what they do with this genre, with the exception of a few recent entries it's been an under-represented genre for quite awhile. Brian Crecente