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GameTrailers was recently able to have a little chitchat with Pandemic Studios' co-founder Andrew Goldman to talk about their upcoming multi-platformer, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.

Goldman says that Mercenaries 2 places more focus on being the best mercenary out there, as compared to the prequel which was really more about the money. Goldman's also talks proudly about the game's highly destructible game environments, which are rendered using pushed-to-the-limit physics. One of the basic points he makes is that they're just there to offer weapons and vehicles, but it's entirely up to the players to develop their own original tactics and gameplay styles.

Featuring 130 vehicles, better storyline construction, kickass weapons, and loads loads more, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is set to conquer your PCs, 360s, and PS3s this year.

Details may have been real scarce for Sega's upcoming racer, Sega Rally, but now it has bounced back to give us the official fact sheet for the game along with all-new screens for the PS3 version of the game. Some say that the keen attention to environment details (take the richness of the chocolate-like mud for example) may be comparable to MotorStorm but perhaps it's still too early to tell, eh?

Sega Rally is slated for release for the PS3, Xbox360, and PC Autumn this year. So while we wait for that, here are some of the key game features you might wanna read up on:

• Bumper to bumper Rally racing - show your competitive side by racing with multiple cars and track racing bumper to bumper across Rally inspired environments.
• Deformation - Fully deformable environments & surfaces that will ensure no two laps will be the same.
• Speed & adrenaline - Wide variety of looping tracks, surface types, and vehicles including 4WD, 2WD & Classic vehicles.
• Environments - Eight different environments inspired by exotic locations all over the world.
• Competition - Advanced AI, multiplayer and online capabilities
• Immediacy - Arcade accessibility with simulation depth.

   

Looks like the the promo campaign train for Conan the Barbarian is chugging along real well as goodies for both the 360 and PS3 versions are regularly pouring in. Not that THQ really has to put in much effort really, as 90% of the gaming population is already aware of the barbaric fame that Conan has achieved through various movies, comic books, and TV shows.

Anyways, user comments on this game are really bipolar. Meaning, some have nothing but good stuff to say ("whoa, it's really violent, i love it!") while others just can't seem to stop comparing it to God of War. I dunno about you guys, but I say let's give the half-naked man a break here and let him show off just how bloodily gruesome he can get -- with the help of your superb playing skills, of course. That said, we'll leave you to enjoy the gory violence of Conan in this trailer right here. Enjoy!

   

"Love Can Build a Wall. Hate Can Tear it Down. Justice Stands Forever."

Or so the tag line goes. Intriguing, eh? That's the basic theme that Darren Reid's graphic novel "Xevicom Forever" revolves around. The first two issues launched today for the PSP and PC mark Reid's very first release for your beloved handhelds.

There will also be enhanced online editions for the Wii and PS3 soon, which will also allow DS users in Europe and Japan to view the novel. (Currently, you can view the Wii/PS3 online browser versions at Reid's website, the link to which is in the Read link)

And the fun (?) doesn't end there: the novel's third issue will be released on March 16th, and the fourth and final one to be launched on March 23rd. But if you don't wanna go through the hassle of downloading the issues one by one, you can opt to wait 'til March 30, when you can download the whole novel in one bundle.

With previous works that include The Sword of Oz, Darren Reid still has quite a few novels up his sleeve. So if you like what you see in Xevicom Forever, make sure you keep an eye out for his future releases.

Download: Xevicom Forever for PSP
Download: Xevicom Forever for PC

The folks at GameTrailers were able to catch up with Robert Huebner, Director at Nihilistic Software, at the recently held THQ Gamers Day event to talk about their upcoming action-adventure game Conan the Barbarian.

Slated for release on the 360 and PS3, THQ's Conan has been compared by some to God of War -- albeit with better graphics and of course, the famous half-naked man gracing the game. So anyway, the video interview above lets us listen in on Huebner as he talks about the story time line you'll be following, as well as the rewards you'll get by barbarically slaughtering the masses. The vid contains even more gameplay footage (and decapitations!) so we suggest you don't miss out on this one.

We know it came as quite a shocker to some of you to find out that Incognito has scrapped the whole single-player concept to focus all their energies on bringing you a top-grade online multiplayer experience with their combat game, Warhawk. And to shed more light on this is Incognito's Game Director, Dylan Jobe, who talks about how they reached this decision and just how awesome the multiplayer will be.

In addition to showing us how players will be able to get in and out of anyone's game (without affecting one's gameplay, if I might add), we're also given a glimpse at player customization, the split-screen feature, and tons more. As you know, the game will only be available online and will have tilt-sensing support. At this point we know most of y'all are just waiting for this baby to hit the PlayStation Network, so while we wait for June to come, hit play and get some Warhawk 101 from Dylan Jobe.

Autodesk Inc. has just announced that they've licensed HumanIK middleware for EA to use in developing next-gen games. For those who haven't been reading up on the developments behind game creation (read: devving hullabaloo), Autodesk HumanIK is a developments library that allows game characters to interact realistically with digitally-rendered environments.

Still not getting any of this? Okay, let us put it this way. Notice how interactive the characters and environments are in Def Jam: Icon and NBA Street Homecourt? Yenno, like how the environments actually play a huge role in defining your gameplay? Well. All that's thanks to Autodesk's HumanIK.

Along with Autodesk Maya 3D software and Autodesk MotionBuilder character animation software, the HumanIK middleware was successful in achieving this element-integration in the said games, and also in FIFA Soccer 07. For parties interested in more of AutoDesk's products, you should know that they're also featuring their latest software, AutoDesk Maya 8.5, at their booth in the ongoing Game Developers Conference.

  

After being tossed back and forth with rumors here and there, Incognito Entertainment finally clarified the confusion surrounding their upcoming online combat game, Warhawk. But just in case you weren't able to catch that, here's an update: the rumor about the single-player aspect being removed was true. The game will now be multi-player only AND will only be available online.

Now that that's clear, let's get on to the goods at hand. We have just scored these brand spankin' new screens to give users even more sneak peeks at what's in store for them once they download the game. As you know, players will be able to whip out and blast their enemies with a vast array of weapons including missiles, rockets, sniper riffles, flame throwers, and tons more. And with support for the SIXAXIS' tilt-sensors, you'll also be able to maneuver the big mean Warhawk machine with tilts and rolls.

Warhawk is set to conquer the PlayStation Network this June, so while you wait for that, ogle at the fiery goodness of the screens below, why don'cha?

   

At the recently held THQ Gamers Day Event, the GT staffers were able to catch up with the folks of Kaos Studios to talk up Frontlines: Fuel of War (PC, PS3, Xbox360), the upcoming multi-platform FPS that's currently cooking in their quarters.

The Game Mechanics interview discusses how Frontlines is actually quite the genre mixer because it has RPG levelling-up elements like the more you use certain things, the more you rank up different abilities. It also has strategy elements as players will be able to take on various roles including the following: defensive, ground/air support, drone tech, counter measures, etc.

The dev walkthrough vid lets us listen in as Dave Voypka, Design Director of the game, talks about the new weapons featured in the game, how the frontline combat system works in both the single and multiplayer modes, and even the frontline system in the UI. But don't take our word for it, just hit play and get the goods from the devs themselves. Enjoy!

Watch the dev walkthrough vid after the jump!

It's only been mere hours since Game Developers Conference 2007 opened its doors and yet news of next year's event are already circulating in, how do you say it, teh intarwebz. It's been a real crazy day here at the QJ quarters, what with all the GDC updates pouring in (in torrents, if I might add). Personally, I'd just like to deal with the ongoing GDC first, but just so you guys are way ahead of everybody else, we'll share with you the details we scored on next year's GDC.

According to DevelopMag, show organiser CMP has already confirmed this early on the dates and venues for GDC 2008. If things go as planned, the Game Developers Conference 2008 will take place on February 18-22, and will be held once again at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's shift the focus back to this year's event. GDC Mobile,the Serious Games Summit, Casual Games Summit and Independent Game Festival are the front acts for GDC 2007, with the main conference and expo scheduled to hit the stage on Wednesday. That said, allow this writer to sneak out and get back to insane GDC news reporting. Stay tuned for more.