Sid Shuman

Game consoles as you know them could become obsolete sooner than you'd think. Imagine a supersvelte thin-client box that streams HD games in real time over the Internet. Pay a subscription fee and it can run the latest games at reasonably high resolutions on your TV, PC or Mac. We just saw--and tried it--for ourselves. It's called OnLive.

This box (that fits neatly in the palm of your hand) has a couple USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth support, optical audio and HDMI out jacks. That's about it. The OnLive "microconsole" doesn't have much in the way of juice (CPU-wise), but it just let us play Crysis at 720p on an oversized HDTV. It blazed through a couple races in Burnout: Paradise City and GRID.

Monday, Zeebo, Inc officially announced its upcoming Zeebo console, which will enable players to download all games over a wireless 3G signal, the same high-speed connection used by popular smartphones such as the iPhone 3G. The Zeebo is aimed at the growing group of middle-class consumers. The Zeebo website claims it will launch next month in Brazil in "limited quantities." The Brazil launch in April will "be followed by broader rollouts in Latin America, Asia and beyond," the website states, hinting at a North American release.

Judging by the few tech specs we have seen, the Zeebo doesn't appear to be a graphics powerhouse like the PS3 or the Xbox 360. Important details such as controller features, launch game lineup, and pricing specifics (including possible 3G data plan subscription fees) are also unknown as this time. But based on the press release, it's apparent that Zeebo is aimed to be an affordable, mainstream game console. So far, Capcom, EA, Namco, and THQ headline third-party support, but that may change as more information is made publicly available.

Last week, I had a chance to speak with Max Schaefer, the CEO of the newly formed Runic Games. Schaefer is a Blizzard veteran, having played a major role in the creation of Diablo, Diablo II, and Warcraft III before moving to Flagship Studios and producing Hellgate London and the free-to-play action-RPG Mythos.

With Flagship Studios gone, and the Hellgate London and Mythos IPs moved to new owners, Runic Games is hard at work on a secret new project that will be a spiritual successor to Mythos, itself a spiritual successor to Diablo. In my correspondence with Schaefer, I learned exclusive first details about his upcoming (still untitled) action-RPG, the challenges facing independent developers in a shaky global economy, and his anticipation of Blizzard's own Diablo III. It's a great, informative read for any fan of Diablo, Mythos, Blizzard, or the action-RPG genre.

The video game industry is looking hale and hearty, according to newly released NPD Group sales figures. Despite a souring economy, North American game sales for November 2008 are 10% higher than November 2007 -- an impressive achievement.

Saying that "all three of the newer generation console systems have something to brag about," NPD analyst Anita Frazier reports robust November game sales for the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. In fact, game sales were up 10% over November 2007, itself a hugely successful month.

In Fall 2009, Bungie will release "Halo 3: Recon," which will serve as a prequel to the events in Halo 3.

The news was dropped during Microsoft's address at the Tokyo Game Show last week. Halo 3: Recon will put players in the boots of a UNSC recon soldier who will serve as a "new hero" for an all-new storyline and campaign.

Namco Bandai has announced that their Sony-only fighting series Tekken will hit both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion.

The announcement comes as yet another high-profile defection for a traditionally Sony-only series. All previous Tekken games, with the exception of the GBA spinoff Tekken Advance, have been exclusive to Sony consoles.

Tekken 6 is still tearing up arcades in Japan (plus a few lucky arcades in North America). But last week, Namco Bandai has announced a sizable new expansion called Bloodline Rebellion at the 46th annual Amusement Machine Show in Tokyo, Japan. The expansion will hit arcades in Japan this December.

New to Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion are two fresh faces: the rebel leader Lars Alexandersson, decked out in almost "dark superhero" fashion, and Alisa Bosconovitch, the cybernetically enhanced daughter of Tekken 3's Dr. Bosconovitch. The two new fighters will bring the total fighter count to 40, giving Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion one of the largest rosters ever created for a fighting game.