The 6th Annual Video Game Awards of Spike TV is about to kick off next month, and we've got the list of nominees for this one. Cross your fingers tight and wish your personal fave bets good luck. See the list after the jump.

In a recent interview with Phil Spencer, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios, he talks about Microsoft's stand on the legal brawl between Silicon Knights and Epic Games and also about the future of Microsoft in a world that seems to have grown attached to casual gaming.

Read about the interview in the full article.

The NPD Group has just released the retail sales numbers of Canada's video game industry, and for the month of September, hardware sales of the Microsoft Xbox 360 have jumped to 51,200 units. The rise was attributed to the September 25 release of Bungie Studios' Halo 3, published by Microsoft. Over all, the game industry was reported to have met a 96% increase in total sales from US$ 66.2 million to US$ 129.7 million, year on year.

Throughout the retail sale categories that the NPD report covered, console hardware sales have more than doubled for the month alone, confirming Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter's prediction. The revenue hit a high of 244% from US$ 13 million in September last year to US$ 44.7 million in September this year.

With it, console software sales rose 79% year-on-year, from US$ 27.8 million to US$ 49.9 million in revenue. Handhelds in contrast performed in the lowest margins, though both software and hardware revenue increased according to NPD's numbers.

Handhelds sold in the nation hiked up 29% from US$ 9 million in September last year to US$ 11.7 million this year, while handheld video games rose by a slim 2% from last year - US$ 9.5 million to US$ 9.7 million. The hardware sales ranked by most unit sales for the month of September stood as:

• Microsoft Xbox 360 - 51,200
• Nintendo DS - 45,000
• Nintendo Wii - 42,900
• Sony PSP - 2,200
• Sony PS2 - 16,500
• Sony PS3 - 15,600
• Nintendo GBA - 8,600

You can also see the top 10 video games for September 2007 ranked by most unit sales at the full article.

A new week, a new slew of discoveries waiting to happen in this week's "On Shelves" report. Highlights include the US release of Project Sylpheed, all locked and loaded for its sortie to the Xbox 360 console.

Meanwhile, PC fans will have a much uncharted territory to explore, as K2 Network sets sail with their Sword of the New World MMORPG this July 10.

In the handheld arena, sports buffs can take a swing at Smash Court Tennis 3 for the PSP, while those who want "warm and fuzzy" can cuddle up with AniMates for the DS.

Project Sylpheed. In this Xbox 360 sequel of a PS2 remake of the classic arcade shooter on Sega CD, players will be treated to a plethora of space-based missions and hardware, as they defend humanity from enemy forces.

• Xbox 360 - July 10, 2007
  
• ESRB T (Teen)
• US$ 39.99
• Microsoft Game Studios and Square Enix
  

Sword of the New World. This MMORPG from Hakkyu Kim (the creator of Ragnarok Online) is based on Europe's exploration of the New World. You control a party of three characters at once (your account holds several characters). K2's US release also has exclusive features.

• PC - July 10, 2007
  
• ESRB T (Teen)
• US$ 19.99
• K2 Network
  

See the other game releases by clicking on the Full Article link below!

 

If you've been penny-pinching to save up for upcoming games, here's a little primer on US retail releases this week, starting July 2.

Eye catchers of the week (for the grown-ups) would be Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PS3 and Vampire Rain for the 360. We've been covering both games for quite some time now, and the anticipation is fit to burst through Rachel's black leather suit.

Moms and dads may also want to get Platinum Sudoku or Vegas Casino for those quiet times when the kids are busy with Marvel TCG and Taito Legends 2. (More about these and other games in our Full Article).

What a way to start the month of July! New month, new week... new games!

Ninja Gaiden Sigma. The demo for this ninja action adventure title was one of the few demos that actually lived up to its hype. For those who are old enough to crave challenges and gameplay more suitable for mature audiences, this PS3 exclusive is a must-buy.

• PlayStation 3 - July 3, 2007
• US$ 59.99
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Tecmo and Team Ninja

Vampire Rain. Take on the role of John Lloyd, the government's vampire hunter, as he purges Los Angeles of the vampire threat. We're hoping that this horror action adventure game will cast new light on the vampire game genre with its stealthy "high-tech Buffy meets Sam Fisher" gameplay.

• Xbox 360 - July 3, 2007
• US$ 59.99
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Microsoft Game Studios and Artoon

See the other game releases by clicking on the Full Article link below!

 

From the folks that will be bringing you the Develop Conference and Expo on July 2007, Tandem Events organizes a double event dedicated for the games graduates of UK. GamesGrads is slated to occur on April 24 and April 26, on Manchester and London respectively.

GamesGrads is a full-blown game career fair to be supported by numerous game industry names, including Havok, Microsoft Game Studios, Disney Interactive Studios, Rare, Lionhead, Juice, and Rebellion. They are many more other developer studios that have yet to confirm details on their attendance. Ali Wynn, an organizer at Tandem Events, was proud to say that the developer response to the event was "great." She also added:

We've got some high profile studios actively looking to recruit games graduates taking part and so far hundreds of graduates registered to come along and meet up with them, showcase their work and hopefully secure a career in the games industry.

Game industry students interested in attending GamesGrads should look up the official GamesGrads website and register there. All registrants will be entered into a draw to win an iPod Video and a Super Pass for the Develop Conference and Expo 2007 to take place once again in Brighton.

It might be weird to see a Microsoft Game Studios title on the DS, but in an interview with 1UP, Microsoft Game Studios">Shane Kim, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft Game Studios, said that, "A Kameo or a Viva Pinata on a DS makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways from a franchise perspective."

Despite a slow start, Microsoft Game Studios is still committed to Rare's Pinata-filled IP. Phil Spencer, head of Studio Development for Microsoft Game Studios, said that Viva Pinata is "the beginning of an IP that will be a pillar for Microsoft Game Studios for a long time." Kim also expressed similar sentiments, saying, "I think it's fair to say that we're going to continue to invest in that property."

Speaking of handhelds, will these and other Rare titles make the jump to the PSP too? Don't hold your breath. Says Kim, "Whether you're talking about [publishing games on] mobile or the DS -- you probably won't see it on the PSP, though."

Buy: [Viva Pinata for the Xbox 360]
Buy: [Kameo Elements of Power (Xbox 360)]

As expected, this year's Golden Joysticks Awards held at the Park Lane Hilton hotel in London, was a real blast. There are a total of 16 awards given, 15 of which were decided by the gaming public. Winner of the Editors' Choice Award, on the other hand, was selected by a panel of the industry's journalists. Titles that came out on or after August 1, 2005 until July 31, 2006 were all contenders.

Rockstar Games continued on its winning ways as Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories took home the Handheld Game of the Year award. It would be remembered that just last year, San Andreas also emerged victorious in the said award giving body. Accolades were then given to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion by 2K Games as it grabbed three trophies: PC Game of the Year, Xbox Game of the Year and PLAY.com Ultimate Game of the Year.

Nintendo also shared the limelight as it won in three categories as well: Nintendogs for The Sun Family Game of the Year and Bliss Girls' Choice for 2006. New Super Mario Bros., on the other hand, won the Nintendo Game of the Year trophy.

Other winners are as follows:

• T3 Innovation Award - Xbox Live Marketplace (Microsoft)
• 1Xtra Soundtrack of the Year - Need for Speed Most Wanted (Electronic Arts)
• Nuts All-Nighter Awards - Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (Konami)
• PlayStation Game of the Year - Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
• Intel Online Game of the Year - Age of Empires III (Microsoft Game Studios)
• Retailer of the Year - GAME
• CVG's The One to Watch for 2007 - PlayStation 3 (Sony)
• Publisher of the Year - Electronic Arts
• Editors' Choice Award - Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft)

The prestigious Golden Joystick Awards are the oldest gaming awards and have taken place each year since 1982, when the video game industry was still in its infancy. The awards ceremony is anticipated by gamers in the UK (where the Golden Joystick Awards originated from) every time, and 2006 will not only turn out as the most successful year for the Golden Joystick Awards, it's also the time of the tightest head-to-head races as there are still no clear winners in most of the categories.

400,000 voters, more than twice more compared to last year, have voiced their favourite games as of now, an impressive number that easily smashed the organisers' expectations.

With console generations currently shifting and the new opponents all aiming for the top spot, gamers seem to be even more passionate to have their say in the Golden Joystick Awards. Voting's still open till Friday, October 12 and everything can still change.

Check the current top five ranking in each of the categories right after the jump!