Here's an update for those folks who read our previous article on the latest Prince of Persia (PS3, PC, Xbox 360, DS) game. We've found a new advisory on the Ubisoft forums stating that "Heir Apparent" isn't actually the name of the game.

It's time to make some phonetically inclined jokes, fellows of QJ land. Game Informer has the latest on the upcoming Prince of Persia game, giving it an official name. Learn more about the Heir Apparent after the jump!

*Update* The supposed "Heir Apparent" subtitle has been debunked by Ubisoft. Click here for the follow-up story.

Chasing the coattails of the juicy Guitar Hero 4 bits we've revealed to you earlier are those of Ubisoft's latest addition to the Prince of Persia (DS, PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360) series and Capcom's Resident Evil 5 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Now while the details aren't as voluminous as those for Activision's hit rhythm game, they've got their own share of eyebrow-raising potential. No kidding. Check the full article for headturners.

New scans from Game Informer has revealed new information about the upcoming Ghostbusters: the Video Game (PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Wii, DS) from Sierra. The scans give new info on some of the game mechanics, as well as some of the weapons you'll be using in the game. It even has some info on the multiplayer system.

The scans and a quick summary in the full article.

 

It didn't take long after word broke out that Team ICO is currently working on a sequel, as rumors of what's supposed to be Shadow of the Colossus' successor have already surfaced. According to newwhat they say, Game Informer's latest issue will reveal The Last Canyon.

Supposedly, Fumito Ueda stated his team wants to do something unique in a different setting. Instead of fighting giants in HD, players will find themselves in a gigantic desert like Death Valley in California, but with canyons of different width and depth. Unfortunately, those places aren't colossi in disguise.

The main objective is to find something while traveling around with an air glider made of wood and cloth. The ground will look flat while airborne, but you'll be doing a lot of climbing when you drop into the canyons. Flying freely around such a big and immersive environment is what's supposed to lure players in, much like the epic feeling Shadow of the Colossus provided.

No matter how good The Last Canyon sounds, we'll have to tag this under rumors. Game Informer's Andy McNamara posted on the same thread in the NeoGAF forums where the rumor originated, denying any news in the next issue. Here's what his posts contained:

This is not in the next issue of Game Informer. The new GI has something new...but its from another much-loved developer. Trust me...we'll try to get the next Team ico game....love those guys. but I wouldn't slam the door shut on the next issue yet. I think most people on this forum are fans of their work.

It's also noticeable how canyons are almost comparable to colossi if they're both the heart of the games they appear in. Also, if rumors hold true, we see the glider being as important as the horse, Agro, in Shadow of the Colossus. These seem to contradict the "unique" part, and it's possible that a fan just jotted down what Team ICO should do next.

Others believe the idea could've been spurred by Team ICO's job advertisement on Famitsu back in February, which had the image you can see on top.

We all love the Harvest Moon franchise. It lets us live the easy life: plow the farm, run errands, and woo the girl (or boy) of our dreams. And when Marvelous Entertainment president Yasuhiro Wada said that the next Harvest Moon game will have online game features, we'll find ourselves loving the game series even more.

In an interview with Game Informer, Wada said that an online Harvest Moon is in the works, but he did not specify for which platform. He did mention that it will not be a MMORPG for the PC platform, however.

Wada revealed that two to eight players will be able to interact in another player's town, and even toyed with the possibility of letting every player have the same NPCs available in your town. Does that mean that there's a possibility of love triangles between two players and a virtual wife? Interesting, that.

Wada didn't mention which console will get this Harvest Moon title, so we'll have to keep our eyes peeled for now. More updates to come!

Game Informer managed to talk with Eiji Aonuma, designer of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and got some interesting insights about making a Zelda game for the DS, as well as info on two new additional characters making their way to Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Aonuma said that the DS supported Toon Shading and required a lower number of polygons than other consoles, which helped ease the translation of the game into the DS handheld platform. Tasked with the creation of a DS Zelda game, Aonuma made sure he was is going to make a game specifically for the DS and it clearly shows in the way that Phantom Hourglass makes full use of its touchscreen and stylus features.

While he didn't specify a specific DS hardware limitation, Aonuma did mention that a big difference in Phantom Hourglass was the classic top-view camera angle. He explained that a top-view camera angle was more natural for the DS because players tend to look down at the lower screen while playing. Aonuma even stated that it was also the reason why Phantom Hourglass is his favorite Zelda game to date: because it gave the feel of older, classic Zelda games.

He also alleviated the fears of those who want to get Phantom Hourglass but haven't played its direct prequel, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Aonuma assured players that a summary of Wind Waker will be shown at the beginning of the game with storyboards, so anyone will be able to pick it up without getting confused.

As for the controls, the development team did not give an option to switch controls to the D-pad. Check out his explanation why:

Actually, the idea of giving the player the option of being able to use the D-pad and the touch screen was brought up in the course of development. But as a game developer, I really don’t like the idea of switching controls, because it removes the player from the experience and the player has to think about which controls they’re using and at what point they have to switch and always keep that in mind. That was a conscious decision on my part to not give the player that option. With regard to the hand getting in the way, that’s something I’ve thought about, but I’ve found a solution in using a longer stylus.

On a related note, Aonuma confirmed the addition of two more Zelda characters, Sheik and Ganondorf, to the roster of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It was not mentioned whether they would be playable, or act as assist trophies, or whether Sheik would come into play in a similar fashion as Zero Samus. We'll keep you informed so expect more updates as they come happen.

Online site GameTrailers has this special video productions focusing on Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo in relation to their preparations for this year's E3. For this week, the show highlighted Nintendo's consoles Wii and DS and what announcements fans can expect from the company.

The discussion was spearheaded by Spike TV's "Game Head" host Geoff Keighley and the guests include: GameTrailers Editor in Chief Shane Satterfield, analyst Michael Pachter, Game Informer Online Managing Director Bily Berghammer, and Newsweek General Editor for Tech N-Gai Croal.

Basically, the three discussed what surprises Nintendo has in-store this year in terms of video game titles, possible hardware upgrades in relation to enhanced Wii-DS connection, and the controversial game Manhunt 2. Aside from the already mentioned, a lot of other important topics came up so we suggest you get your headsets now and watch the video via our Read link below.

 

Seems like Spore may not be able to make it to the PC nor the Nintendo DS anytime soon. According to Game Informer, Spore has been "delayed indefinitely", quashing the hopes of many gamers waiting for the release of the much-hyped create-your-own universe sim game.

Electronic Arts said that "Spore has slipped out of fiscal 08 and into fiscal 09" in relation to the Game Informer report. Gamers better stop holding their breaths then since they won't be seeing this gem anytime soon.

Despite the spiffy-looking demos that were presented by Will Wright, Spore is still nowhere near completion, though the reason has not been apparent as of the moment. After all, the game demos looked like they've got a solid game in their hands already.

There are many possible reasons, but we'll just have to wait and see what they are. Cue the Duke Nukem Forever jokes now.

 

The rumors were hot during the Nintendo Media Summit, and at last Nintendo has finally confirmed the fate of the Nintendo Power Magazine. Talking to Game Informer, Perrin Kaplan notes that the "It’s [magazine] going to be licensed, but it’s going to remain a magazine."

As to who's going to get the details and what changes will be done to the publications, Kaplan says that Nintendo Power is moving to New York, although that doesn't necessarily mean that the owner will be from the same city. As for other details, we get the classic "We will be announcing that soon" response.

When it comes to for E3, Kaplan is a bit mum on details. They don't confirm if Mario, Metroid Prime 3, or the next Smash Brothers will make a "playable" appearance at the event, however they do promise some surprises. Most notable hint is that when asked about the possibility of a Zapper 2, Kaplan responds by asking people to come to E3.

Oh, and speaking of events, when it comes to this year's TGS, Kaplan says that the event is a last minute event for them. She says: "We don’t know yet. We have not decided. We will literally decide TGS at the last minute"

As for criticism that the "core gamer" is being left out in Nintendo's attempt to expand the market and target a new audience, Kaplan says that even within Nintendo they are having these arguments, and they constantly try to look for the right balance. She does drop a helpful hint: "By December I’d love to know if you still feel this way."

Kaplan even has a nice thing to say to the Game Informer interviewer who noted that he felt that there aren't enough Nintendo games out with "meat" in them. She responded:

"So you’re already done with Paper and you’re ready for something next. The average consumer spends a little bit of time with it. You have to remember as a core gamer you have an insatiable appetite. You, at all costs, probably don’t shower or eat until a game is done. You’re a freak. And then you want the next one. I think we’ve launched a lot."

It's probably safe to say that this means that they'll probably come up with a surprise "hardcore" game by December (she did say "by December"), or one of the more anticipated titles like, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption or Smash Bros Brawl will be out by then. We can only hope.

More from the interview with Game Informer via the Read link below.