We got an update on the upcoming Nordic Game Conference which is set to happen in a few weeks in Sweden. Things are definitely shaping up as the top names from the industry gather for the multidisciplinary Game Creation Sessions. Find out who they are in the full article.

For real? In a new year where Nintendo's WiiWare project draws dozens of mainstream and independent developers and where former mainstream developers unite to erect new indie studios, is the independent developer scene still as cut-throat as it was last year? Ninja Theory's Nina Kristensen, co-founder and chief developer, believes it is. More at the full story.

Ninja Theory, the studio that gave us Nariko and the gorgeous world of Heavenly Sword, has hinted on a new project that's going to be "bigger and better" than the game that put them on the map. (Er, Galaxy Sword?) Is it a sequel? Is it an entirely new franchise? You judge. More in the full article.

Us writers over here at QJ.NET dedicate ourselves to playing every game we could get our hands on - and we've had our share of ups and downs, likes and dislikes, loves and hates. We've played them to death, and now, we present to you our predictions for the most coveted title in this industry - Game of the Year.

Check out our choices at the full article.

 

Top on the UK gaming news is Medal of Honor: Airborne's defense against a trio of invading newcomers. On the week of the release of Midway's Stranglehold, Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword, and Nintendo's Super Paper Mario, the multiplatform WWII shooter from Electronic Arts still manages to attract the most gamers.

With Stranglehold's arrival at second, Super Paper Mario's debut at fourth, and Heavenly Sword's launch position at seventh, Electronic Arts still enjoys a three-title domination of the top ten games, with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 at third and The Sims 2: Bon Voyage in the eighth place.

Wii Play moves up nine whole spots to reclaim its lovely fifth seat, while More Brain Training from Dr. Kawashima gains an IQ point to climb one spot to sixth.

Ninth is held by Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training, and still latching on to the last spot on the top ten is Take-Two Interactive's BioShock. In quick summary, you've got the following (for the week ending September 15, all formats in all price categories):

1. Medal of Honor: Airborne (Electronic Arts)
2. Stranglehold (Midway)
3. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Electronic Arts)
4. Super Paper Mario (Nintendo)
5. Wii Play (Nintendo)
6. More Brain Training from Dr. Kawashima (Nintendo)
7. Heavenly Sword (Sony)
8. The Sims 2: Bon Voyage (Electronic Arts)
9. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (Nintendo)

The results are in for GameFly's most requested games for the week ending September 7. Last week's "All platforms" chart sees Midway Games' Stranglehold overtaking 2K Games' Bioshock, which has sunk to fourth place. Second in the list is Electronic Art's (EA) Medal of Honor: Airborne, with Bungie Studio's Halo 3 sitting comfortably at third. Meanwhile, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare caps the list at number five.

As some readers may have noticed, last week's most wanted has effectively been dominated by 360 titles. You may also notice below that the 360-specific chart is exactly the same as the "All platforms" chart.

For the other top picks in their specific platform chart, we have Nintendo's Metroid Prime 3: Corruption going strong as the most wanted for the Wii console, with Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword making its cut as the PlayStation 3's top pick. For the portables, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass holds first place for the DS; Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is currently the PSP's most wanted game.

This week could very well strip your pockets empty, no thanks to all the hot titles coming to various platforms. One of Sony's biggest upcoming PlayStation 3 games, Heavenly Sword, will descend to the powerhouse console a few days from now. Colin McRae: DiRT is also finally racing its way to the Sony PS3.

Get ready to get physical as Electronic Arts unleashes NHL '08 face-to-face against 2K Games' NHL 2K8. Tony Hawk's biggest contender, Skate, is also set to grind its way to the shelves. Meanwhile, fans of Bethesda's latest RPG will soon have more reasons to burn hours with Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition.

Heavenly Sword. Ninja Theory's highly anticipated game exclusive to the PS3, published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is finally hitting the shelves. God of War's Kratos meets his match in Nariko, this action title's female protagonist. As most of us know, Heavenly Sword is an epic tale of revenge that puts players in the shoes of a young woman who wields a legendary sword to avenge her warrior clan.

• PS3 - September 12, 2007
• US$ 59.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• SCE

NHL '08. Electronic Arts is back with another installment to the long-running ice hockey franchise. This season is loaded with new features, introducing Skill Stick Moments and an all-new skating engine. Enemy AI also improved a notch, making way for challenging single player matches. With leagues, shootout, versus play, and team play now available as online game modes, hooking up to the net seems the best way to go.

• PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, PC - September 11, 2007
• US$ 59.99 (PS3, Xbox 360), US$ 39.99 (PC, PS2)
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Electronic Arts

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition. With expansion packs Knight of the Nine and Shivering Isles already included in the package, this Game of the Year Edition is a must buy for those who haven't played the original Oblivion. For everyone else who already invested hours on their characters, it's still a very attractive deal. New quests, areas to explore, and enemies to conquer are too good to miss.

• Xbox 360, PC - September 10, 2007
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Bethesda Softworks

Check out the rest of the games released this week by clicking the Full Article link below!

* Article originally posted Sep 09, 2007 at 07:54PM

Buy: [Heavenly Sword]
Buy: [Colin McRae: DiRT (PS3)]
Buy: [The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]
Buy: [SKATE (Xbox 360)]