Is iTunes 7 breaking iPods? If you ask Apple reps, they'll say no, but owners of slightly older iPods, nanos and shuffles have noticed their players dying as soon as they upgrade to iTunes 7. Apple's response? Buy a new iPod, sucka. ...

We'd known Resident Evil 5 was a fair way off, with developer and publisher Capcom deciding not to show any of the next-gen zombie-blaster at this year's Tokyo Game Show, but a recent interview with the producer of Capcom's Xbox 360 stormer Lost Planet suggests we might be lucky to see it on shelves next year.

Speaking to French gaming website Xbox Gazette, producer Jun Takeuchi explained his game's engine was being shared among several Capcom titles: "Dead Rising, Devil May Cry 4 and maybe Resident Evil 5 will be using the same engine."

That doesn't mean that you can squint at Lost Planet, imagine those are zombies running around under the Mediterranean sun, and know what to expect, though, as Takeuchi clarifies: "As for Resident Evil 5, we do plan to use the same engine but will be making a number of changes - you could say we will be tuning it to run like a GT car."

Don't be too alarmed, though, as even if Resi 5 doesn't have an engine yet, its team is likely still elbow-deep in work on it - prototyping its new features before slotting them into what will become the finished game. We'll still be itching like T-virus victims while they polish it to better-than-Resi-4 standards (is that even possible?) but we know it'll be worth the wait. ...

After at least five hundred versions of the Dynasty Warriors Japanese army slashers on PS2, its developer is turning its attention to Europe for PS3's Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War.

Instead of playing a legendary general leading his armies to glorious victory, you'll be mucking in as a mercenary company, fighting for either the French or English as you choose (although, to be fair, we can't see too many of you picking the French without an incentive). It's possible to switch sides throughout the war, with performance on the battlefield more important than loyalty.

While Dynasty Warriors veterans should be at home with the button-hammering, combo-building combat, there'll be a little more strategy involved in using the right units in the right situations - and we're hoping for some PS3-flexing destructible castle walls in the sieges.

Currently looking a little ropey compared with the majesty of Medieval 2 on PC, Bladestorm still has plenty of time before its mid-2007 release to flick all the 'look hot' filters on. But Dynasty Warriors was never a looker - it's all about the action.

Screens Here ...

Xbox Live Gold subscribers looking forward to the videogame version of Eragon can download a 415MB demo today to see whether it's any good.

Developed by Stormfront, Eragon is based on the forthcoming film which is, in turn, based on books by a chap called Christopher Paolini.

The books follow a young chap called Eragon who discovers that he's actually a Dragon Rider, and gets "swept into a world of magic and power".

Given Stormfront's pedigree of Lord of the Rings adaptations, you'd be right to guess that this translates into a bit of a hackandslash in game terms.

Anyway, it's due out later this month - on PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox, DS and GBA as well as our pal the 360, so watch out for a review in the nearish future. ...

Nintendo's moved quickly to reaffirm that Wii will output in 480p, after Official Nintendo Magazine suggested it would offer higher resolutions.

According to reports, the official mag wrote: "At the time of going to print, Wii games will output in 720i and 720p - 720i is your standard TV picture."

But it turns out this was a simple mistake, with Nintendo UK confirming this morning: "Wii will output in 480p".

Nintendo UK also recently said that it had every invention of releasing peripherals like the component cable - used to achieve the 480p resolution - at retail, despite suggestions that you'd have to buy the cables through online shops in the US.

The interest in Wii's high-resolution options is of course spurred on by Microsoft and Sony's battling over the higher end. Both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 generally offer games in 720p, with 1080p now possible for developers who want to go the extra mile (well, the extra 1,152,000 pixels, anyway). ...

With Need For Speed Carbon out this Friday, EA has kicked off its Xbox 360 downloadable content plans with the release of the Collector's Edition Upgrade and various smaller bundles.

The Collector's Edition Upgrade isn't such a bad idea - aimed at gamers who either couldn't find or regret not buying the slightly more expensive retail Collector's Edition, it opens up access to all that version's extra content.

The difference in price on shop shelves ought to be around a fiver, and it's not that bad here - asking for 800 Microsoft points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.30) and offering 12 new tracks, six new Challenge series missions and ten exclusive cars for the price.

That includes the '92 Nissan 240 SX, the '07 Jaguar XK, the '06 Camaro Concept, and the Koenigsegg CCX. It's worth noting, though, that the bonus cars cannot be modified further once downloaded, and cannot be used in Career mode.

And if you're buying the game but can't actually be bothered to play it, EA's got you covered too, with its now-standard range of downloadable content designed to let you toy with advanced kit without having to go through the painful process of playing the game to unlock it.

On the turning front, there's the Performance Drivetrain Bundle (400 points), giving you access to all Street and Pro packages for engine and transmission upgrades; the Performance Engine Boost Bundle (400 points), which is the same but nitrous and turbo parts; the Performance Handling Bundle (400 points), which is suspension, brakes and tyres; and the Ultimate Performance Bundle (800 points), which is all three of the above in one handy download.

There's also the Muscle Car Autosculpt Body Kit (300 points), which features 12 autosculpting kits allowing you to play around with the front and rear bumpers, skirt, chop top and bonnet on muscle cars; the Autosculpt Tuner Body Kit (300 points), which is 13 kits for tuner cars; and the Autosculpt Exotic Body Kit (300 points), for exotics.

Not only that, but EA's throwing in the option to buy some cars too, with the '99 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, the '04 Lamborghini Murcielago and the '06 Dodge Viper SRT-10 all available for 80 points each. All of the stuff in the last three paragraphs either says that the individual pieces of content or "many of the items" in them "can be achieved without purchase by progressing through Career". ...

Following last week's Swedish mag revelations, more Halo 3 multiplayer details have surfaced from the French edition of Official Xbox Magazine.

The OXM previews three new multiplayer modes. Ninjaball, which - funnily enough - is about getting ahold of a ball, Elimination where the object is to kill off opposing team members and Tankflag, which is basically capture the flag with an erm, tank.

There's also more details on the new Spartan Laser weapon, which is apparently balanced in that you have to lock-on to a vehicle for three seconds before unleashing a ground-scorching laser of death.

Meanwhile the "Man Cannon" - which is a euphemism commonly used around the CVG office - can apparently be used to shoot explosive barrels and even vehicles around the map, which can be shot down or fired from whilst in mid-air.

Halo 3 is currently in the alpha stage of development, with a typical non-committal release date of "when it's ready". ...

Codemasters will publish Rafa Nadal Tennis, a new tennis game on DS which will feature an interesting new touchscreen control system.

Players will use the stylus to move their athlete around the court, and swing for the ball by making swiping motions across the screen, with lobs, drop shots, power shots and other plays all performed this way.

This will apparently give you "unprecedented" levels of control over the angle and power of your shots. You will also be able to improve your player's attributes by winning tournaments to earn credits, which you spend in gaining higher skill levels. And it's got a four-player multiplayer option that will work with one cart, which is always nice.

We can't imagine exactly how the control system will perform, but it certainly sounds intriguing. We've not got long to wait, though - it's due out in December. Check out the first screens.

Screens Here ...

Mere weeks after World of Warcraft was made the subject of an entire episode of South Park, the outrageous cartoon returns to videogames again - this time featuring the Wii.

In the hilarious episode, Cartman is going berserk in anticipation of the Wii's US launch and, is the first scene, is pacing back and forth outside a Wii poster-covered games store.

Later in school, as Mr. Garrison teaches his rather explicit version of natural evolution, Cartman sits wide-eyed and shaking in sheer eagerness for the new Nintendo console, as he asks: "How long until Nintendo Wii comes out, now?" Then shouting "OH GOD" when Carl tells him it's still three weeks away. "How about now" he immediately asks.

His solution? To go into a state of suspended animation by freezing himself "like in the space movies". It's hilarious. ...