Midway's third-party production, licensing and quality assurance groups are also in San Diego, so it makes sense they'd want the development team to be nearby them... wait, all this time Midway's quality assurance has been in a different city than its wrestling franchise development team?

...Hmm! Full announcement after the jump.

Midway to Combine Southern California Development Studios
Combination of Los Angeles and San Diego Studios Will Allow Greater Synergies and Coordination in Support of TNA Wrestling Franchise and Other Projects

CHICAGO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY), a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, today announced it will be combining the operations of Midway Studios – Los Angeles, located in Moorpark, CA, with Midway Home Entertainment, located in San Diego, CA. The newly combined operations will be located at Midway Home Entertainment’s current San Diego facility. The majority of Moorpark employees, including the entire development team for Midway’s TNA iMPACT!™ franchise, are being offered the opportunity to transfer to the San Diego facility. Midway expects to complete the transition out of the Moorpark facility by September 30, 2008.

Combining the locations will allow the TNA iMPACT! development team to further leverage synergies with Midway’s other development studios in Chicago, Austin, Seattle, and Newcastle, UK, and work in close conjunction with the third-party production, licensing, and quality assurance groups that are currently in San Diego. In addition, the San Diego area has a strong interactive entertainment talent base that will greatly help fuel Midway’s future growth.

As part of this move, Midway expects in the near future to look for new talent in its San Diego studio. For a list of available positions please visit www.midway.com.

It's not just designed as a day and date release cash-in, as the game follows the Tigon design mantra of "combining key film components with unique game play." That comes through in some of Wheelman's more dramatic driving sequences, ones that will see the titular driver jump flaming oil tankers and smash into cubicles as he speeds through an office building.

Wheelman forgoes realistic driving for over the top badassery. Diesel's digital alter ego can "air jack" vehicles a la Pursuit Force. He'll jump from car to car, kicking out the driver without missing a beat. The whole thing looks a bit silly in person, but this is the kind of game one should suspend all disbelief for.

This is mostly forgiving arcade-style stuff. Think San Francisco Rush instead of Driver and you'll be a lot happier. Having your tires blown out and driving on rims doesn't feel like it has much impact on your wheelman skills. It's all speed, adrenaline, big jumps and sexy undercover missions.

As the Wheelman, you can pull off stock Hollywood car chase moves. You'll be able to ram vehicles by flicking the right analog stick forward or side-to-side. There's no spinning out — unless you're doing the bullet-time 360 degree spin that lets Vin fire on pursuing vehicles through the windshield — and you'll never mistake the game for a sim. You'll most likely have your finger on the trigger the entire time, giving whatever car you're in maximum acceleration.

The game is set in a Hollywoodified version of Barcelona, featuring locale specific architecture and landmarks, but lacking in the city's civil engineering. It's an attractive city, featuring some 130 missions spread throughout its racetrack of a road system. According to Midway reps on hand, the game, while packed with things to do, should only take about 10 hours or so to burn through.

Visually, Wheelman has its ups and downs. The city is well modeled, but some unfortunately chosen close-ups on character models can make for a very ugly Vin Diesel. While the city and its vehicles are nicely modeled, the frame rate and rag doll physics have some noticeably rough edges.

Given the game's "Fall" release date, some of this may be ironed out. At this point however, Wheelman feels like a game that's lacking in the features and polish that consumers might be expecting. There's no multiplayer mode to speak of, for one thing, and the package smacks of an half-competitor to titles like Grand Theft Auto IV or Saints Row 2.

There's a certain charm and vibrancy to the game, but it certainly has its share of shortcomings. Whether those will be addressed in the final version — and whether controlling Vin Diesel will be enough for folks thirsting for some arcade style, mission based racing — remains to be seen.

Like Radiohead and KISS before them, the team decided that there wasn't much further they could take the Mortal Kombat franchise without doing something radical, hoping that after the shock wore off, that the core fans would come along for the ride.

I suspect that they will, with DC devotees also hopping on board. Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe is currently resting at the top of my personal list of biggest surprises at E3 08. Not only is it disarmingly fun, it reminds me of my favorite entry in the series, Mortal Kombat II.

That game may represent the fondest of memories for fans of Midway's Mortal Kombat series. It was bright, but somehow managed to remain moody; dark, but somehow still full of vibrancy.

Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe brings the series back to its roots, managing to have Krypton's only son almost fit. Superman may stand out like a sore thumb visually — the Flash and Batman less so — but his move set and his Brutality are totally MK. Seeing Batman pull off a Kung Lao-like teleport via smoke bomb or Flash run 'round the world akin to Scorpion's classic teleport just works.

There's a good weight to all of the new characters, and returning fighters — I played Sub Zero, Scorpion and Sonya — feel solid and familiar. They've been updated with some new moves, with Sub Zero getting some of the most spectacular. Seeing the frosty ninja slip through the floor and rematerialize as an icy clone, well, it literally might induce some chills.

Possibly the most enjoyable member of those selectable at E3 08 was the Flash. His flurries of punches look and sound rather painful.

Other cool additions are the "pro moves", essentially double attacks that require precise timing. These moves will not only keep your enemy on their toes, but you'll be able to further mix up your high level gameplay tactics. Obviously, these moves add a bit of risk, as your kombatant will be locked in his or her animation for twice as long.

Fortunately, MK vs. DCU is very friendly to new players. I'm a lapsed Mortal Kombat fan, personally, having most recently dabbled with Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and having little interest in the recent additions to the MK roster. Frankly, with so much lore and a cast of characters that once spanned 60-plus fighters, I welcome a whittled down roster of just twenty or so.

There's a lot of variety in here, despite the smaller character count and the removal of weapons and stances. With "Klose Kombat", the paper-rock-scissors style fighting also featured in the new "Air Kombat" sequences, and the "Test Your Might" in-fight button mashing fun, it might be a mediumcore fighting game hit. I was pretty much converted on the spot and think that a good number of the "haters" might be too, once they get their mitts on the thing.

Obviously, that didn't quite happen; Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe did. Boon said that the down and dirty MK8 was scrapped when the DC Comics deal solidified.

While MK Vs. DCU was met with mixed results, it wasn't an unexpected by the MK team. Frankly, we were pleasantly surprised by the game — despite our very much looking forward to the team's previous vision — and think that will show when we post our impressions of the Midway fighter later today.

If you're only watching to see what new DCU characters are in this, I'll save you the trouble: nobody you haven't seen yet. Supes, Bats, Flash and Catwoman vs. MK's all-stars. But it's a fine edit and some nice eye candy to start the weekend.

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe E3 2008 Trailer [Gametrailers]

The Midway Arcade site lets players post their high scores, too. Additionally, Midway's opened a digital storefront on its main site, where you can buy titles like Stranglehold, UT3 and BlackSite: Area 51 as direct downloads.

Full announcement with prices listed follows the jump.

Midway Launches MidwayArcade.com Casual Games Site for
Pick-Up-and-Play Classics

Company Also Announces Digital Storefront at Midway.com

CHICAGO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Today, Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, announced two new online storefronts for downloadable distribution of titles from the company’s vast catalog of arcade, PC and touchscreen titles.

Beginning today, gamers can go to www.midwayarcade.com to download versions of the company’s arcade classics and touch screen favorites. More than 25 classic titles, such as Defender®, Joust®, Spy Hunter® and Mahki®, are now available for download, starting for as little as 3 games for US$5.

In addition, Midway also announced the launch of a digital storefront at www.midway.com. The new site is intended for the North American market, and features ten recent Midway® releases, starting at $9.99 per game.

Midwayarcade.com and the storefront at midway.com were built by Digital River, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRIV), a leading provider of global e-commerce solutions. For the online stores, Digital River is managing the online sale and download of Midway games, offering customers a seamless shopping experience and immediate access to popular Midway titles.

“We are excited to work with Midway Games and help maximize the sales opportunities on its online stores,” said Don Peterson, Digital River’s Senior Vice President of Global Client Development. “Using our e-commerce expertise, we can help Midway offer a consistent, reliable and user-friendly way for its consumers to purchase their favorite Midway games.”

“The Midway brand has a long and rich history of fast-paced and addictive games from our arcade and touchscreen heritage,” said Mona Hamilton, vice president, marketing, Midway Home Entertainment. “The new digital storefront at midway.com and the casual games site at midwayarcade.com allow us to deliver these classics, favorites and recent releases directly to a wide-range of Midway fans.”

MidwayArcade.com

MidwayArcade.com will give longtime arcade and touchscreen fans a chance to replay some of the classic Midway games from years past. Players can post their high scores on the site.

Arcade Games – APB™, Arch Rivals®, Cyberball™, Defender®, Gauntlet® 2, Rampage®, Rootbeer Tapper®, Spy Hunter®, Joust®, Primal Rage®, Super Offroad®, Total Carnage™, Wizard of Wor®, Robotron: 2084®.

Titles from the Midway arcade catalog are available for purchase in bundles of 3 for US$5, 5 for US$8 and 7 for US$10. All 14 Midway arcade titles can be purchased for US$15.

Touchmaster® Games – 3 Peak Deluxe®, 5 Star Generals®, Crystal Balls®, Gem Slide®, Go Wild™, Mahjongg Pairs, Mahki®, Powercell®, Solitaire, Target 21®, Trivia, Word Search, Wordz®. Casual Touchmaster games are available for US$5 each.

For more information, log onto http://www.midwayarcade.com.

Midway Online Store

Gamers can visit Midway.com to purchase games and download them directly to their PC’s for immediate play.

Midway games that are now offered for digital purchase include:

Unreal Tournament 3 – US$29.95

Midway Arcade Treasures™ - US$19.99

Midway Arcade Treasures™ Deluxe - US$19.99

Area 51® - US$14.99

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy® - US$14.99

The Suffering® - US$9.99

The Suffering: Ties That Bind® - US$14.99

Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War® - US$19.99

Stranglehold® - US$19.95

Blacksite: Area 51® - US$19.95

For more information, visit www.midway.com.

About Digital River, Inc.

Digital River, Inc., a leading provider of global e-commerce solutions, builds and manages online businesses for software publishers, consumer technology manufacturers, distributors, online retailers and affiliates. Its multi-channel e-commerce solution, which supports both direct and indirect sales, is designed to help companies of all sizes maximize online revenues as well as reduce the costs and risks of running an e-commerce operation. The company’s comprehensive platform offers site development and hosting, order management, fraud prevention, export controls, tax management, physical and digital product fulfillment, multi-lingual customer service, advanced reporting and strategic marketing services.

Founded in 1994, Digital River is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices in major U.S. cities as well as Cologne, Germany; London, England; Shannon, Ireland; Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Stockholm, Sweden; Taipei, Taiwan; Tokyo, Japan; and Shanghai, China. For more details about Digital River, visit the corporate Web site at www.digitalriver.com or call 952-253-1234.

About Midway

Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices throughout the world, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for major videogame systems and personal computers. More information about Midway and its products can be found at www.midway.com.

CHICAGO - July 10, 2008 – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, today announced its product portfolio to be shown at the 2008 E3 Business & Media Summit, July 15-17 in Los Angeles. This year's lineup showcases exciting new intellectual properties such as Wheelman™ starring action film star Vin Diesel, proven brands such as Unreal Tournament 3 from world renowned developer Epic Games, highly anticipated installments of established franchises such as Mortal Kombat® vs. DC Universe, licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and entertainment for the casual gamer such as the sequel to the million unit selling Game Party™.

"Exciting new entertainment experiences such as Wheelman, proven franchises like Mortal Kombat, the next installment in the million plus selling Blitz the League® franchise and new games for the casual market make this Midway's most diverse and powerful line up yet," said Matthew Booty, interim president and CEO, Midway. "These games truly reflect our product strategy to develop top quality titles in a wide range of genres that appeal to all segments of the market."

Midway's 2008 E3 line up with expected ship dates include:

Mortal Kombat® vs. DC Universe (PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360®, Fall 2008) — For the first time ever Scorpion, Sub-Zero and the Mortal Kombat warriors battle with Batman, Superman and other popular DC Universe super heroes. Choose your side and challenge your opponents with a new fighting system including Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat along with dynamic multi-tiered environments. Plus, pick your favorite character from MK or DCU and pursue a fighting adventure in the new single player mode with an intertwined storyline and two unique perspectives.

Wheelman™ (PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360®, PC; Fall 2008) - Combining spectacular Hollywood-style stunts with a gripping storyline, Wheelman provides an adrenaline-fueled, cinematic thrill ride guaranteed to leave you breathless. Vin Diesel stars as an undercover agent and highly skilled driver who must infiltrate the Barcelona underworld to gather intelligence surrounding a covert heist. Posing as a driver-for-hire, he ends up caught in a crossfire of corruption and chaos while trying to stay one step ahead of local law enforcement and rival gangs.

TNA iMPACT!™ (PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360®, Wii, PlayStation 2; September 2008) - TNA iMPACT!™ is the exclusive Total Nonstop Action wrestling game based on the top-rated weekly television show, "TNA Impact!" Choose the wrestling style, custom move set and clothing to construct the ultimate champion. TNA drenches the player in moves and match types that allow amazing acrobatic and aerial feats along with the bone-jarring crush of hard-hitting impacts. The game also features top wrestling talent such as Kurt Angle™, Jeff Jarrett™, Rhino™, Samoa Joe™, AJ Styles™, Sting™, Christian Cage™, Abyss™ and more to deliver all of the excitement and action of the television show!

Blitz the League® II (PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360®; Fall 2008) - As the sequel to the more than one million unit selling and award-winning football experience, BLITZ: THE LEAGUE II, continues the franchise legacy as the ultimate alternative to the watered-down, licensed competition. In addition to an all-new story mode penned by Peter Egan (ESPN's Playmakers), BLITZ: THE LEAGUE II features include: Precision-Aim Tackles, player-controlled touchdown celebrations, an enhanced on-the-field Clash Mode, online multiplayer capabilities, expanded rosters with all-new personalities, and the return of a cornerstone of the Blitz franchise...Late Hits! Football legend Lawrence Taylor returns as the game's cover-athlete and star linebacker for the New York Nightmare, Quentin Sands, along with a star-studded supporting cast.

This is Vegas™ (PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360®, 2009) — When a ruthless businessman begins turning Vegas into a family-friendly tourist trap, you must start your own powerful empire and resurrect the famous adult playground. Party hard at the hottest clubs to make VIP connections. Grow your bankroll by hitting high stakes tables. Race the fastest cars on the underground circuit to raise your reputation. Fight off enemies with fists and firearms to prove your strength. Where you go and what you do is your call. Whether counting cards, seducing dangerous women, cruising the strip or starting bar brawls, there's lots of excitement on the way to the top.

Unreal Tournament 3 — (Xbox 360®; July 2008) - Unreal Tournament 3, the world's premier PC first-person shooter makes its debut on the Xbox 360®. Unreal Tournament 3 unleashes the full power of Unreal® Engine 3, taking graphics, gameplay, and challenge to a whole new level. Players engage in intense battles with other human players online, or against Unreal artificial intelligence that sets the industry standard. With the most powerful futuristic weapons and vehicles available, this is FPS action at its best!

Game Party™ 2 (Wii, November 2008) — With 11 games in all, Game Party 2 for the Nintendo Wii includes fun to play games that will provide hours of enjoyment with friends and family. Game Party 2 features new games like Bean Bag Toss, Horseshoes, Lawn Darts, Puck Bowling and more. Each game, including classics like Skill Ball, Darts and Hoop Shoot has exciting new features like four player mode, customizable characters and tournament play, making Game Party 2 the ultimate party game for all ages and skill levels.

Touchmaster® 2 (Nintendo DS, September 2008) — TouchMaster 2 returns with a collection of 20 new exciting card, action, strategy and puzzle games with some of your favorite classic games from back in the day. For the gamer and non-gamer alike, TouchMaster 2 offers pick up and play, addictively fun, mini-games that everyone will enjoy. Kill some time by playing a quick round to beat your high-score or find some real competition against other players. TouchMaster 2, the personal arcade that fits snug in the palm of your hands.

Mechanic Master™ (Nintendo DS, September 2008) — With over 100 levels! Mechanic Master uses the stylus as a weapon to rid the Earth of alien invaders that have scattered across the planet. Become the ultimate Master of Mechanics by creating crazy contraptions to free humans, keep the mechanics in motion and defeat those pesky foes. Test your skills. Creative-thinking is key to clearing the level.

MidwayArcade.com (Online, Available Now) — Fans of Midway's classic arcade and Touchmaster casual games will now be able to download their all-time favorites and play them on their PC. More than 25 classic titles, such as Defender, Joust, Spy Hunter, Root Beer Tapper and Mahki, are now available at www.midwayarcade.com, starting for as little as 3 games for US $5. Compete for bragging rights against players from around the world and battle for the high score in each game

Fortunately, Midway is filling the Fall 2008 void, announcing Game Party 2 for the Wii, sequel to the million-plus selling original. It promises a total of eleven games, including Skee Ball Skill Ball, Jarts Lawn Darts and Beer Pong Ping Cup. Sounds like something I'll never touch fun! Pics of some of the games in action in our gallery below.

"Professional football has long sought to gloss over the often brutal realities that surround the game and its players," said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing, Midway Home Entertainment. "Blitz: The League II embraces the most compelling storylines behind America's favorite sport and allows fans to experience them in a bold, interactive way."

The game is set to hit the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

CHICAGO, IL – July 8, 2008 - Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, announced today the development of Blitz: The League® II. Back for another season of heart-pumping, bone-crushing, no-holds-barred football action, Blitz: The League II strips the rules and regulations from traditional football to enhance the fun by bringing the pain. Complete with an all-new story mode penned by former ESPN “Playmakers” writer, Peter Egan, and the return of football legend, Lawrence Taylor, Blitz: The League II builds on the success of the previous release with new features and enhanced gameplay. Blitz: The League II is scheduled for release this fall for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system.

“Professional football has long sought to gloss over the often brutal realities that surround the game and its players,” said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing, Midway Home Entertainment. “Blitz: The League II embraces the most compelling storylines behind America’s favorite sport and allows fans to experience them in a bold, interactive way.”

For additional information about Blitz: The League II visit www.blitzleague.com.

One individual who didn't think quite so highly of the Journey arcade game was Steve Perry, former vocalist of Journey. He says he was against it from the get go, in a not exactly new interview with GQ magazine.

"Everybody went against me on that issue," he tells GQ "‘Cause I thought it was silly. I’ve come to find out that there’s a generation of kids who think it’s classic and wish they could find the arcade version. But I personally thought it was dumb."

Perry's kind of an odd duck, but it sounds like the Journey video game was, to him, an unnecessary ego stroke.

"See, it’s funny [...] Because I thought that we were big already, that we didn’t need a video game," Perry adds. "But that’s how the world judges you. Like, 'Gee whiz, you have a Lamborghini, so you must’ve been big.' I didn’t understand that."

Okay, Steve. WHATEVER. Yes, we understand you have a Lamborghini and you're too good for a half-baked mini-game collection with your face slapped on, but some of us never had video games made about them. Kind of hard to empathize with your digitized plight. Hmph!

Foolish, Foolish Throat: A Q&A with Steve Perry [GQ]

A paltry three new screens away you in the gallery below. Do try to make the most of them.

That leaves Prototypical Super Hero, Mystical Super Hero, Amazon Queen, Crazy Villain, and Military Superhero among the unidentified generic descriptors of DC Universe kombatants. Catwoman apparently takes the "Sexy Villainness" title. Not that big of a surprise. Big version of the pic is on the jump.

TMK Exclusive MK vs DCU Catwoman Render [Total Mortal Kombat, via GamerCenterOnline]

They're also giving away posters! Hopefully, said posters feature Wonder Woman and Sonya Blade for extra poster-kissability. For those who aren't able to make the trek to Comic-Con, perhaps these day old MK vs. DC in-game screenshots will soothe the pain.

We only know the rest of the line-up through vague descriptions from a separate source, such as Prototypical Super Hero, Mystical Super Hero, Amazon Queen, Sexy Villainness, Crazy Villain, and Military Superhero. Many of those aren't hard to figure out, but series creator Ed Boon says the full line-up has yet to be correctly guessed by fans.

Boon clears up a slew of misconceptions in a new Q&A with GameSpot, noting that DC villains will come equipped with the series trademark Fatalities, but that the good guys will just beat each other into a pulp. The PG-13-ing of Mortal Kombat somehow manages to break a little bit of my heart. Which will go on, by the way.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Q&A [GameSpot]

Action film megastar Vin Diesel and his Tigon Studios are again blurring the lines between entertainment mediums, this time collaborating with Midway in the design and production of Wheelman to ensure an edge-of- your-seat gaming experience. Diesel's voice and likeness will appear as the game�s main character, expert Wheelman Milo Burik.

Combining spectacular Hollywood-style stunts with a gripping storyline, Wheelman provides an adrenaline-fueled, cinematic thrill ride guaranteed to leave you breathless. Vin Diesel stars as an undercover agent and highly skilled driver who must infiltrate the Barcelona underworld to gather intelligence surrounding a covert heist. Posing as a driver-for-hire, he ends up caught in a crossfire of corruption and chaos while trying to stay one step ahead of local law enforcement and rival gangs.

The game is set to ship this fall for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Larger, full body shot of Bruce Wayne's alter ego and a fresh render of Sub-Zero after the jump.

MK vs DC Artwork [Worlds Collide via Megatonik]

MK vs. DC Universe Official Site

Just don't assume that fatalities are a thing of the past. Boon says they're simply "modifying" fatalities for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. "The names of these moves, and the level of violence we use, are to be determined," the MK co-creator said. "But it's certainly not a feature we plan on eliminating from the series." Just please, please make good use of Plastic Man, Ed. Maybe Elongated Man, too. They're begging for some fleshy Wile E. Coyote-style murderous contraption. Begging.

Mortal Kombat's Creator Talks [GameTap]

The sluggish performance can be credited to the fact Midway had only one U.S. release during the quarter - an expansion pack for Stranglehold. On the other hand, its European launches included Unreal Tournament 3 and BlackSite: Area 51 for the PS3, Game Party and Cruis'n for the Wii, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends for the DS, and Hour of Victory for the PC.

Looking ahead to next quarter, Midway expects the release of NBA Ballers: Chosen One for Xbox 360 worldwide and for PS3 in North America to support $18 million in sales.

Also on the road ahead for Midway, the company hopes to reap the benefits of a recent executive reorganization as it fired CEO David Zucker and replaced him with interim president and CEO Matthew Booty. The company also promoted Miguel Iribarren to senior VP of Publishing and Martin Spiess to the role of executive VP of its Midway Games Ltd. subsidiary.

The company's investor call marked Booty's first outing speaking to the investor community. Booty said he's been with Midway his entire career, most recently as VP of Worldwide Studios, and that his two goals now are to deliver a solid 2008 lineup and to put the company back on the path to profitability. "My intent is to improve execution on a number of fronts to deliver on the commitments we've made to quality," he said.

At its recent press event in Las Vegas, Midway announced Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and the troubled publisher is clearly hoping it, along with This is Vegas, TNA Impact!, The Wheelman Unreal Tournament 3 for the Xbox 360, and Blitz: The League II. The company seems to be hopeful that the new lineup and the fresh executive leadership will help put the troubled publisher on track for brighter days.

In fact, Booty said that the initial revelation of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe garnered enough attention when it was announced to knock GTA IV off of the top position on Gamespot, and the trailer took the number one spot on GameTrailers. He promised further information on the game leading up to an anticipated launch in the fourth-quarter of 2008.

When asked why Stranglehold and Blacksite suffered critically and commercially, Booty said that the success of a game depends not only on its quality, but on the timing and manner of its launch, including surrounding marketing efforts. Essentially, Booty said the releases suffered from poor timing, but expressed confidence that they've resolved their timing issues for the 2008 lineup.

Finally, will Midway consider bringing more titles to the Wii as a way of capitalizing on its broad install base? "In terms of bringing some of those PS3 and 360 games out for the Wii, I think the games that are successful on the Wii are made specifically for the Wii in terms of audience and technology," Booty said. "Where appropriate - for example, we've brought some of our Mortal Kombat titles over to the Wii - we'll take a look at it."

I did a couple of write-ups and whatnot on it, and sometimes we'd get really close to it but issues like our representative for the other company left the company for some reason, and that reset the whole thing back to beginning.

Ed Boon Interview [CVG via N4G]

I took a look at the opening chapter of the game entitled Frantic that introduces us to the character and the heavy driving theme of the game. You are the titular Wheelman and your first mission is to help a gal named Lomi escape from a bank heist. Because you are new to the area and don't know your way around, you must follow her directions to complete the mission. An inset map also helps with finding your way around. Throughout the level you are being pursued by police and a quick flip of the left stick will have you ramming your car into your chasers. If you are in possession of a gun, you can also use the stick to fire your weapon out the window. One insane special move called the cyclone sends your car spinning 180 degrees allowing you to shoot at enemies through the windshield. Your car takes a lot of abuse in this game, constantly smashing into other cars or in my case, walls. Luckily, once your car is wrecked, you can merely hop out and jump into another one.

Wheelman isn't all about driving however and you can leave your car to run around and take on enemies with your gun. The portion I played used both driving and on foot controls to complete the mission. The driving controls felt very tight and intuitive and the on foot controls had a similar feel. Accelerating and reversing in the car is done via the triggers and when you switch to on foot, the triggers allow you to aim and shoot your gun.

The graphics, while nice, had a certain sparseness to the details which I'm sure will be polished up in subsequent builds of the game. The camera work is very cinematic and dramatic. For instance, when making one particularly large jump, the camera switched to a front view and we got a little "bullet time" as the action slowed down so we could take in the full effect. Once the car hit the ground again everything went back to full speed. It was an effective trick and really gave one the feeling of being in a movie.

There's quite a bit of content to explore in Wheelman as well. Besides the open worldliness of the game there are also ten hours of missions and ten hours of events. I appreciated the work that went into making this title and thought it was a decent enough game, but ultimately there was not a whole lot about it that really wowed me. But then again, I am rarely impressed by franchise games in general and driving and shooting can get a bit boring after a while. I will reserve my final judgments of Wheelman until the game is actually completed and I have a chance to see more than a couple missions. Perhaps the addition of a little spit and polish will help me change my mind.

In the main career mode, you are taken through six episodes of a TV show "contest" to become the NBA chosen one. Hip Hop artist Chuck D hosts the episodes with actual real life footage. Each episode pits you against the many NBA stars and their signature moves and you must win each round to move on. By scoring points, you can fill up your meter allowing you to pull off "Shut 'em Down" super moves and "Act a Fool" combos. The Act A Fool combos are pulled of by a series of button presses and are completely over the top. I got to see a few of these in action and they are actually quite funny and had me shouting "No Showboating!" You also have the option of playing 1-v-1, 2-v-2 or 1-v-1-v-1 match-ups either locally or online over XBL. Downloadable content will also be made available so you can customize your character adding to the game's already rich Create A Baller system.

Admittedly, I am not a big sports fan so I think that some of the nuances of the game were rather lost on me, but the graphics looked nice and the special moves were good for a laugh. I'm sure those of you who enjoy a good round of basketball on your console will find plenty to do in NBA Ballers.

The fighting mechanic was pretty basic and what you would expect from this type of open world, mission based game. You can fight everyone form the local yokels and thugs to the mascots of the various casinos. I got particular pleasure out of beating the crap out of one mascot who looked suspiciously like my arch nemesis, The Burger King. By pressing X to attack, you can build up your BuzzBomb meter which, once it's filled, will give you an special move that will send your enemy flying through the air. Beating enemies down yields casino chips that can be used later to buy more clothes, cars and other goodies.

Next we moved on to the gambling portion. At the current time they have confirmed that there will be Black Jack, Texas Hold 'Em Poker and slots with other games to be announced later. I tried my hand at a Black Jack game and did pretty well. Of course, it helps that the game has a built in cheat device for each casino game. In Black Jack, the cards are marked and going into a special mode will allow you to see What's coming up next and what the other player have in their hands. but don't linger to long in cheat mode, because the pit boss is watching and if his suspicion meter fills up, you are busted.

Where game really shone was the party mode. Your character is dispatched to a club that is rather empty and you are implored by the DJ to help her bring customers in. This is accomplished through a series of mini-games like a Cake Mania-esque bar tending gig, beating up cheesy bachelors and a rather gratuitous wet t-shirt mini-game where you spray girls down with water.

My favorite part of the club scene however, was the dancing. Based on the Tony Hawk method of combos, you can make your character pull of various dance moves using button presses. The more moves you can stack up without failing, the more points you can score. If you get really good, you can even get everyone on the dance floor to follow you in a group synchronized dance routine. It was really pretty clever and I found myself thinking that in itself would make a pretty fun game.

All in all I'd have to say that the game seemed pretty fun and the dialog was amusing. The graphics looked great and the recreation of Vegas was really well done with loads of detail. However, what we saw of This Is Vegas was pretty disjointed so it was difficult to get a handle on the overall gameplay. I look forward to seeing a more cohesive version that includes the driving mechanic at this year's E3. It is expected to ship Winter 2008 for 360, PS3 and PC.

The thing that sets TNA Impact apart from other wrestling games is its pace. While not quite the frantic pace of a fighting game, it finds a nice middle ground that makes it comfortable to control. The other thing that really made the game spectacular was the graphics. Truly some of the best I have seen in a game like this. The backgrounds were fully 3D rendered, great dynamic lighting and character models so detailed that at times they seemed almost photographic.

As to the game itself, it contains over ten different modes including Full Metal Mayhem, Tag Team and the infamous Ultimate X which has players trying to grab a big red X that is chained over the ring by large cords. This mode was particularly fun because it gets the wrestlers off the floor and hanging off the giant cords above. While grappling the cords, the wrestlers can still kick each other off or if one is on the ground, he can reach up and pull his opponent down. Pulling off any wrestlers special moves will give you style points that can then be used later to unlock all sorts of goodies from clothing to special move sets.

Of all the things I saw from Midway, TNA Impact was overall the most impressive and you can expect to see it available for your PS3, PS2, Wii and Xbox 360 this summer. You guys can have your Lara Croft and Kasumi, just give me the beefcake.

Later in the evening however, an ugly story started to circulate. According to several sources, Ed Boon stated that the game would have no fatalities. No fatalities? Seriously? Fatalities are what the franchise is best known for but apparently DC will not have their beloved characters torn limb from limb in fountains of blood. Can't say I blame them, but I'm curious to see how such a move will affect sales of the game. Will Mortal Kombat fans be willing to accept the trade off? Superman vs Fatalities: who is going to win out?

Obviously, Gauntlet's addictive gameplay remains the same as the coin-op and its spinoffs, with upgraded enemies and AI. Graphics naturally are state of the art for the DS. But the real two-dot-oh for this Gauntlet, IGN reports, will be in the multiplayer, will full Wi-Fi support for linking up to three mates and the ability to talk to them over a mike. Everybody, all together now, "Elf needs food!"

Exclusive First Look at Gauntlet [IGN]

- Midway have lost around $300 million dollars since 2004
- Their revenue growth from 2004 through to 2007 was -3%
- The increase in net losses from 2004 through to 2007 was at least 399%
- Midway's stock value has dropped by 79% since 2004
- Sumner Redstone have lost over $500 million in equity since taking over Midway

All paint a bleak picture, but me, I think Zucker's fate was sealed the day somebody at Midway saw Cruis'n on the Wii and said "yes, brilliant, let's release this".
Midway CEO David Zucker canned after Sumner Redstone stacks up huge losses [Variety]

"I am excited to have the opportunity to lead our game teams and talented associates as we roll out our 2008 releases," said Matt Booty. "Our plans include significant front-line releases, ambitious new intellectual properties, reinvigorated franchises with well-established fan bases, and new offerings in the casual games space."

Matt Booty Named Interim CEO of Midway

CHICAGO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY) today announced that Matthew V. Booty has been named Interim Chief Executive Officer and President, and that the company's Board of Directors has commenced a search for a new Chief Executive Officer and President.

"Dynamic new leadership is needed to bring Midway to its full potential," said Shari Redstone, Chair of the Board. "I believe that Midway has the resources and creative capability to once again be competitive with the best in the videogame business. The Board is confident that a new CEO will be selected who can fully utilize the opportunities presented by this next-generation console cycle to renew Midway's position as a major player in the videogame industry."

Sumner M. Redstone, Chairman of the Board and CEO of National Amusements, Inc., the controlling shareholder of Midway, said, "I look forward to helping Midway's Board choose an outstanding new CEO and I am pleased that we already have some highly qualified candidates in mind. Our new leader must have the proven capabilities and track record to lead Midway and to reclaim its place in the forefront of the fast growing videogame industry."

"I am excited to have the opportunity to lead our game teams and talented associates as we roll out our 2008 releases," said Matt Booty. "Our plans include significant front-line releases, ambitious new intellectual properties, reinvigorated franchises with well-established fan bases, and new offerings in the casual games space."

Mr. Booty has served Midway in progressively more responsible positions since 1991, most recently as Senior Vice President - Worldwide Studios. He succeeds David F. Zucker, who is leaving the company.

Thanks, Josh!

Of course, Epic still has Gears of War and the oft-licensed Unreal Engine. So they're not going hungry or anything.

UT3 and Stranglehold hit 1m sales [MCV]

Todays audience is a savvy, involved group so the film must be A plus plus in every area in order to capture the magic of the first film...The original Mortal Kombat game was born a child of many visual loves by the creators at midway so this latest version borrows heavily from that pioneering spirit and must be thought out and executed at the highest level in order for it succeed in today's market place.