Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is set to take the floor at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco next month, with a Thursday morning keynote presentation titled "Heart of a Gamer".[br][br]Iwata is the second key speaker from a major platform holder to be announced at the show, with Microsoft's J Allard already due to deliver an address on Wednesday morning - although neither speaker is expected to reveal much about their respective companies' next-generation plans.[br][br]The Nintendo boss' presentation promises to cover his perspective on the current state of the games industry and the changes set to take place within interactive entertainment, with a specific focus on how these things have driven the company's thinking on both the DS and Revolution consoles.[br][br]Almost uniquely for someone so highly placed within the industry, Iwata's background is actually in game design - having played a key role in the creation of the Kirby character, the Super Smash Bros series and the Earthbound RPG series before moving into his role at the top of the firm.[br][br]"Satoru Iwata is a global icon in the game industry and we are honoured to have him share his knowledge and experience with the entire game community," commented GDC director Jamil Moledina. "The GDC strives to deliver the best the industry has to offer and Mr. Iwata certainly brings us to that level." ...

Sony's next-generation home console will be revealed to the world before the E3 show in Los Angeles this May, representatives of the company have confirmed, with rumours strongly hinting at a late March unveiling.[br][br]In the wake of the official public debut of the Cell microprocessor which will power the console earlier this week, speculation has been rife about Sony's plans for revealing more precise details of the platform itself.[br][br]Now representatives of SCEA have confirmed to US website GameSpot that the company "will have an event to premiere [its] next-generation system" ahead of the E3 show in three months time.[br][br]While Sony has revealed previously that the console will definitely be at E3 in some form, it's been widely rumoured that the unveiling would come before then - with a Sony roadmap from last year suggesting that it would come near the end of the firm's financial year in late March.[br][br]That timescale still seems very possible - the company has revealed that the unveiling will not be at GDC next month, but a special Tokyo event to show off the console's specifications in late March would be in keeping with the firm's past approach on such announcements.[br][br]However, it's important to note that a pre-E3 event to premiere the system could mean just that - since Sony, along with rival platform holders Nintendo and Microsoft, traditionally holds an event in Los Angeles in the days before E3, and used this event to premiere the PlayStation Portable.[br][br]Both Microsoft and Nintendo are expected to make announcements concerning their next-generation plans at E3. ...

Ubisoft has announced that Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Peter Jackson's King Kong and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory will all be making an appearance on the Nintendo DS.[br]Gameplay details are scarce on all three titles. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is the officially licensed game of some film that's coming out this summer. Apparently it's the story of some bloke called Anakin Skywalker who gets some lassie up the duff, goes all moody, falls in some lava and buys a black helmet. Thus, we expect a platform game. [br][br]Seriously though, the DS version will more than likely transpose the scenes of the film into clever touchscreen-fuelled gaming experiences. It'll be ready when the movie hits cinemas - May 19 in the States and shortly afterwards in Europe.[br][br]Even less info is available for the DS version of Splinter Cell, but it's due "later this year". Hopefully we can expect some nifty touchscreen stealth, and possibly the mic being used for distracting guards and the like.[br]Last up is Peter Jackson's King Kong. It's another flick license, this time based on the Lord of the Rings' director's remake of the monkey monster-mash movie. More touchscreen madness should be expected, hopefully including a 'Spank the Massive Monkey' minigame. The film's due out on December 14, 2005 in the States so the game should be arrive around the same time.[br][br]These titles join Ubisoft's three DS launch titles: Rayman DS, Sprung and Asphalt: Urban GT.[br][br]The DS launches across Europe on March 11. More info and some screens for these new Ubisoft titles soon. ...

Out of the minefield of reports and rumours threatening to destroy the unwary on the Internet - be careful where you tread - we rather like the recent wild and wonderful suggestion that EA is planning to develop a Nintendo DS version of its next Command & Conquer: Red Alert game.[br]News of the existence of a new Red Alert game smacked us between the eyes last December, when EA vice president and executive producer Mark Skaggs revealed that the project was already underway.[br][br]At the time Skaggs said that the team behind the new Red Alert title will "leverage and continue to evolve this powerful engine [the Sage graphics engine originally developed for Generals and an enhanced version of which is powering Battle for Middle-earth] as we start work on our new Command & Conquer game."[br][br]Hardly a statement that causes Nintendo DS to immediately spring to mind, is it?[br]Still, the rumours would have us believe that EA Pacific is watching over development of the DS version of the title and that naturally the handheld's stylus and touchscreen are being put to good use.[br][br]And what, pray, does EA UK have to say about all this? When we confronted a spokesperson with the rumour earlier, we were told: "EA have not made any announcement or confirmation on this title." ...

later today at the laugh-riot known as Solid-States Circuit Conference, Sony will finally unleash their big gun - information.[br][br]For later today in sea-breeze swept San Francisco, Sony will formally unveil The Cell, a chip rumoured to be so powerful that it can fly a space-shuttle via Bluetooth while also ensuring two hot, buttery wholemeal slices pop up the moment that you get home. [br][br]Designed in cooperation with IBM and Toshiba, the chip will be at the heart of everything from the PS3 to the next generation of desktop PCs. It will even appear in a slightly reduced form in TVs and PDAs. [br][br]By studying the early plans for the chip already on show in the US patent office, industry experts believe that the 64-bit chip could be 10 times faster than the current generation of PC processors, even running at an astonishing 4.6 gigahertz.[br][br]So far both Nintendo and Microsoft are yet to reveal any detail on the tech-specs of their new technology but new rumours have emerged about the names for their next-gen consoles. [br][br]So while we've all heard of Xenon and Xbox 2, the latest rumoured moniker to appear for the Microsoft console is Xbox 360. [br][br]But since the same internet sources have hinted that Nintendo's Revolution may receive the tag Nintendo 21, we think this name might go the same way as those other temporary titles: PSX (PSone), Dolphin (N64), Katana (Dreamcast) and Starcube (Gamecube). ...

The Nintendo DS is taking to the road from 04 February in a massive consumer and trade sampling campaign. It will give everyone across the UK the chance to discover what nearly three million gamers in the US and Japan have already discovered – the Nintendo DS is a great new way to play video games.[br][br]Kicking off with a national shopping mall tour throughout February, March and into April and taking in amongst the 40 day tour; Bluewater, Brent Cross, The Mall (Cribs Causeway) in the South and The Bullring, Trafford Centre and Meadow Hall in the North. Sampling will also take place at 24 'Lock In' invite only nights at Topman stores nationwide including London, Manchester and Birmingham flagship stores.[br][br]Gamers across the country will also be able to get their hands on the Nintendo DS at all 42 of the UK's VUE cinemas between 11 and 12 March, 19 and 20 March and 26 and 27 March in addition to further nationwide sampling activity at Mega Bowl Bowling Alleys, Laser Quest Arenas and All Sports retail stores up to and beyond the launch period. Gamers can find out where and when the tour will arrive at a location near them by logging onto www.touchmehere.co.uk [br][br]Games on show will include Nintendo first party titles 'Super Mario 64 DS', 'Wario Ware: Touched!' puzzle game 'Polarium' and 'Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt'. Third party titles include 'Project Rub' from Sega, 'Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 2005' from EA, 'Asphalt Urban GT' from Ubisoft and 'Spiderman 2' from Activision.[br][br]Dawn Paine, Head of Marketing, Nintendo UK, said: "All our research has shown that sampling will be key in getting people to understand and really enjoy Nintendo DS – once people get their hands on it they can't put it down." [br][br]In addition to this fully comprehensive consumer sampling campaign, Nintendo will also ensure trade and retail get their DS fix courtesy of the 'DS – Dual Squads' with over 25,000 in-store sampling hits between now and the launch for store staff. Retailer GAME will be hosting 15 regional superstore evenings where top loyalty card holders will be invited in-store to try out the DS and its great games.[br][br]Andy Yates, Head of Retail Development, Nintendo UK, said: "Whenever you make a quantum leap in technology like Nintendo have done with the DS, people inevitably ask lots of questions, however, getting the console into people's hands immediately changes their perception and opens up their minds to a new way of playing games through touch. For this reason sampling will be pivotal to the success of our trade strategy." [br][br]Nintendo is also placing a record number of free standing interactive Nintendo DS pods into trade from 01 February. The new striking and eye-catching design will ensure good in-store standout. Nintendo estimate that over 500,000 people will have played the Nintendo DS by the time of launch.[br][br]The Nintendo DS will launch in the UK on 11 March 2005 at the estimated retail price of around £99. Nintendo DS software will launch in the UK on 11 March 2005 at the estimated retail price of around £29 and £19 depending on the title.[br][br]The Nintendo DS is the new touch screen, dual-screened handheld video game system that redefines how people play videogames. In addition to the touch screen, the system includes both voice input and multiplayer wireless communication. The sleek silver and black system will be a welcome addition to any game collection.[br][br]Click onto www.touchmehere.co.uk for all of the most up to date official information on Nintendo DS sampling. ...

Soul Calibur, the finest hack n' slasher to ever grace a Dreamcast and a pretty successful venture onto the current generation of consoles when it finally erupted across all formats the year before last.[br]Well, rumours have gathered apace that Namco's big swords battler may be about to debut on the DS and confirmation apparently comes today courtesy of the Official Latin American Nintendo magazine.[br][br]We first reported on this last September, but no further details have emerged other than Soul Calibur DS is an imminent arrival. Yet Namco would be fools to ignore the DS's touchscreen controls, wi-fi multiplayer and DS download play. Wouldn't they? Well wouldn't they?[br][br]We contacted Namco reps, who were unavailable for comment and "in a meeting" - either that or the sneaky beggars were engrossed in a touch of Soul Calibur DS themselves. No word from Nintendo on this one either yet, but we'll keep harassing them. ...

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Nintendo has confirmed that it plans to unveil its next-generation console, codenamed Revolution, at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in May, but the company is still considering how best to announce it without giving too much away.[br][br]Speaking in a recent interview with Japanese magazine ITmedia Games, Nintendo of Japan PR Office Manager Toyoda Ken said, "we are still looking at E3 as a launching pad for the 'Revolution' platform, and are deliberating if we should feature the actual console, visuals, or simply illustrate the concept behind it".[br][br]However the Nintendo man said the company was cautious about saying too much. "While we are aiming to make some form of positive impression, we also want to avoid giving away too much, and are therefore currently in a dilemma about the situation," he added.[br][br]Still on Revolution, he said Nintendo had "absolutely no intention of approaching our new hardware with the intent of making it an extension of the line of hardware we've released up to this point," which almost certainly rules out "GameCube 2" as the official moniker-to-be.[br][br]"The fundamental approach to making things at Nintendo will not change," he said when asked about external pressures, before adding it was safe to say Nintendo was "embarking on a different direction than our competitors."[br][br]E3 is definitely the target though, as Nintendo is not considering any Nintendo-only events "at this stage".[br][br]As a final word on Revolution, Ken took a minor swipe at competitors Sony and Microsoft, both of whom have made stat or tech-heavy announcements in the past, by saying, "fun isn't something that can be expressed in figures, and we are ever mindful of how we can illustrate the difference offered by our particular brand of fun".[br][br]Toyoda Ken also said that the DS would feature prominently at E3 - particularly on account of the show's proximity to its 11th March European launch date. "Following the upcoming release of the DS in Europe, we are looking to use E3 as a means of generating additional momentum for the platform," he said. ...