Someone sent in a screenshot to Destructoid that clearly shows Jet Set Radio available on Xbox Live arcade. This poses the question, "Is Jet Set Radio coming to Xbox Live arcade?" I can tell you that the game isn't on the XBLA right now, state side at least, which either means that the game was released unannounced in Europe or that this screenshot is fake.

Jet Set Radio is widely considered one of the best games released on the Dreamcast so there will be plenty of people hoping that this is real. If any news pops up later we'll be sure to let you know.

There have been some rumblings over at bloomberg.com that Microsoft, along with previous News Corp. President Peter Chernin, is considering adding a subscription based TV channel to Xbox Live that would feature reruns of original television programs for a $1 to $2 subscription premium on top of the Live's annual fee.

Microsoft has refused to comment on the proposition but the idea is being discussed internally according to an insider who broke the news to Bloomberg. Chernin has also approached popular entertainment icon Conan O'Brien before he was picked up by Time Warner's TBS. Whether or not this new channel would fill a niche that Netflix or Microsoft's current media offerings couldn't already fill is arguable, especially with internet sites like Hulu already providing essentially free programming. Provide the service sans any type of advertising and wemight turn our heads a little.

There's word going about over at CVG that Nintendo will be releasing the 3DS, the 3D touch screen follow up to the DS, as early as October this year. This comes by way of "industry sources" who informed CVG that the company was prepping to launch the platform this October, putting it in line to directly compete with the launch of Natal this holiday season.

CVG mentioned that a long time news source noted how it was "... a surprise - we were expecting it much closer to Christmas. But I suppose it gives Nintendo the opportunity to get it front and centre in people's minds nice and early."

If the information is true, it would put the launch of the 3DS around six months earlier than expected. Of course this could still just be nothing more than a rumor unless Nintendo announces something at this year's E3.

[via CVG]

A pair of voice actors for Rocksteady's sequel to 2009 Game of the Year winning Batman Arkham Asylum let slip, almost concurrently, the name of the villains for which they were lending their voices. Thanks to this information we now know that both Mr. Freeze and Talia al Ghul will be among the villains  to make an appearance in Arkham Asylum 2.

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3D displays as we know them require often uncomfortable and dorky looking glasses to achieve the illusion of depth. When Nintendo announced the 3DS last month one of the mystery questions regarding the handheld's features was how it would pull off "3D effects without the need for any special glasses." One look at Sharp's new 3.4 inch 2D - 3D touchscreen display and a lot of that mystery is answered.

The 3D display sports a 480x854 resolution that lights up at an impressive  brightness. It can be used as a touch screen, which falls nicely within the functional requirements of the 3DS mind you, and features a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Akihabra News already got a chance to see the display in action and came away quite impressed:

Finally I had the chance to enjoy Sharp’s new 2D/3D LCD that does not require 3D glasses. What I have seen so far has been quite disappointing, Sorry Fujifilm, but Sharp’s new technology is REALLY impressive and I cannot wait to have such a screen in my 3DS ! Not only the colors and brightness are good as advertised, but also the 3D Ghost-less Effect on this LCD is really impressive...Sharp have succeeded to do what Sony and Panasonic did without the need for 3D Glasses!

Apparently Sharp has already started mass production of the display for mobile devices. As per what mobile devices specifically, well, no official word has been given. It looks like the glove fits but we won't know for certain until Nintendo shows off the 3DS at E3.

[via Endgadget]

There's been no shortage of whisperings regarding plans to remake Final Fantasy VII and while its one thing to hear game director Yoshinori Kitasi or planner Motmu Toriyama share their thoughts on the matter of a remake of the popular PSX title, it's a whole other matter to hear the big man at Square Enix himself say that the possibilities of a remake are being explored. When asked in an interview by Spencer over at Siliconera, SE prez Yoichi Wada had this to say:

Right now we don’t have a clear direction, but many fans have requested we remake Final Fantasy VII,” said Yoichi Wada, President and CEO of Square Enix, said to Siliconera during an interview at the Final Fantasy XIII launch party. “We’re going to explore the possibility – whether or not we’re going to do it, if we’re going to do it, and the platform.

This may end up being more of the same maybe/maybe not back and forth SE has been torturing FF VII fans with for the last decade, but you have to admit, hearing the guy who calls all the shots at SE say that the idea is being considered does add a fresh pair of legs to the possibilities.

Siliconera will have a more in-depth interview with Mr. Wada at a later date.

[via siliconera]

Not much of a fan of Final Fantasy XIII's linear take on the series? Final Fantasy XIII Versus may be right up your alley then as game director Tetsuya Nomura let slip some enlightening information during a Twitter interview regarding the tight-lipped game, including a couple remarks suggesting FF XIII Versus will have an overworld map that can be fully explored in an airship:

How far along is Versus?

"Not everything is connected together, so the various areas have different levels of progress. However, you can fly across the world map in an air ship."

To the uninitiated, Final Fantasy XIII Versus is one of three games of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Project. FF XIII was the flagship title in the series. Versus will take place in the same universe of FF XIII but will have its own unique story. Along with Versus a PSP game titled Final Fantasy XIII Agito will also be released.

Despite FF XIII being considered the premiere title in the series, there is a lot of anticipation for Versus that has likely been fueled by FF XIII's less-than-stellar reception from gamers and critics, BNG's review of the game among them.

[via andriasang.com]

Remember High Voltage's attempt to provide a definitive first person shooter on the Wii? That attempt was called The Conduit and it garnered quite a bit of attention with the developer's 'doors open' approach during the game's development. The end result was, admittedly, mediocre at best but that doesn't mean a sequel may not be in the cards. At GDC while visiting the demo room for High Voltage, G4TV's Eric Eckstein noticed a poster that may have teased a sequel:

"And on the poster, in a Conduit-esque font, was a giant 2.  No date, no title, just the 2."

He went on to mention that when he asked the dev. guys on the floor if the poster referred to  Conduit 2, he was met with significant grins and non-affirmative answers.

Should be interesting to see what they have in store at E3. A more refined shooter for the Wii perhaps?

[via G4TV]

Considering Turn 10's Forza Motorsport 3 has sold over two million copies, it would come as no surprise that the studio would begin work on a sequel. And it appears they are. Binge Gamer cites that a source with "intimate knowledge of the situation" reports that Turn 10 is actively hiring for the next Forza installment.

The source notes that nothing is set in stone, but says you shouldn't be surprised to see an "official" announcement in the next "several weeks."

It's been previously reported that Turn 10 is currently beginning work on "the next big thing." Last month, it was revealed that the studio was hiring for Natal developers. Whether or not this is related to the hugely popular racing series is yet to be seen.

[via Binge Gamer]

SCEE registered the domain name www.motorstorm3.com recently, which interestingly takes you to the PlayStation's UK website. Spotted by The Gaming Liberty, the domain was registered January 19, suggesting that Motorstorm 3 is on the way.

Sony has responded, saying to not look too closely into this. "It's not uncommon for us to secure the URLs containing the names of our successful IP, and those actions should not be interpreted as an announcement of a new title in a franchise," the company said in a statement.

Could we be seeing Motorstorm 3 at E3 later this year?