Even though writing for GamerFeed has made me much more knowledgeable about the industry than almost anyone else I know, sometimes a story pops up and I wonder "how in the heck have I missed that all these months?" Did everyone but me know that a completely voice-activated game is hitting the PS2 just next month? Instead of pressing buttons, you command your character: "Shoot!" "Reload!" "Run!" etc. How cool is that? Even if it does turn out to be a gimmick, at least Konami is trying something genuinely new. It's a shame that the same can't be said of most other big development houses these days.

You can always tell when the post-holiday gaming lull is coming to an end, and the pre-E3 hype season is beginning. The lull seems to be getting shorter and shorter every year, with the E3 buzz now starting a full three months before the show. I'm not complaining, though. That buzz is what keeps my job interesting. The frequency of game announcements is probably the biggest tip-off. Especially when it's something high profile such as a sequel to Konami's innovative GBA title Boktai or a new big-budget title from SCEA. Other software announcements this week include Eidos' Shellshock: Nam '67 and another expansion for the popular RPG Neverwinter Nights. Speaking of expansions, Mythic Entertainment is planning an expansion for their MMORPG Dark Age of Camelot. The cool part? It's completely free to download. Hopefully other developers will follow suit.

The other big way you can tell E3 is coming is the increasing frequency that new hardware makes its way into the news. Remember when you'd go weeks without hearing anything about the PSP? Well no longer. A rumor surfaced this week that the battery problems everyone assumed the PSP would have actually didn't exist. According to the report, the system's battery life will actually be on par with the GBA SP. Although unconfirmed at this point, if the news turns out to be true, my faith in the would-be GBA killer just rose considerably. A big concern of mine was that although powerful, the system would need recharging every 3-4 hours. A little later in the week yet more PSP rumors surfaced. Supposedly a focus group held by Sony leaked the goods. If the report is true, the PSP will connect with the PS2/PS3, similar to what Nintendo has going on with their GBA/GCN connectivity. Rumor also has it that some features (such as MP3 playback) might have been given the ax to keep the price down.

It's probably a good thing that I don't spend as much of my time writing news stories anymore, because if I did, my headline for this story would have been "New Sega Console Announced!" I guess that's just the kind of devious fellow I am. I don't know how I feel about the actual console, however. For about $30, gamers will be able to buy a box that plugs directly into their TV and comes pre-loaded with seven classic Sega Genesis games. I'll reserve judgement until I know all seven games set to be included. If Shining Force is included in the package, you can be sure that I'll be on board.

Game releases seemed to dwindle this week. After an extremely strong release schedule last week I was hoping that the momentum would continue, but alas, it was not to be. Still, the week wasn't a complete bust. James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, Rise to Honor, and Pitfall: The Lost Expedition were all released this week. Everything or Nothing is worth your attention thanks to it being proclaimed "Best Bond game since Goldeneye" by many, and Rise to Honor is probably worth a look simply thanks to its impressively high production cost. I'm not saying to make a good game all you have to do is have deep pockets, but it certainly helps. I personally won't be picking up either title, but it's nothing against either one. I've just had my fill of action titles, for now.

PC gamers who are into the demo scene certainly had a lot to be happy about this week. I'm still on 56K (yeah, yeah... shuddup), so unfortunately the scene is largely lost on me. Sacred, Painkiller, Egyptian Prophecy, Conan: The Dark Age, Gangland, and Nemesis of the Roman Empire all had public demos released this week. I'll be honest; some of these titles I've never even heard of. The aforementioned dial-up affliction is a large reason for that, to be fair. If you were to only check out one demo this week, if I were you I'd make it Painkiller. Set in the "nightmare realm between Heaven and Hell," the FPS seems poised to make quite a stir when it's released this April. If FPS titles aren't your thing, then Nemesis of the Roman Empire is probably the way to go. Being an RTS title, you can be sure it's one that I'll be keeping my eye on. Ever since the wee days of the Warcraft series, I've been hooked on the genre.

I'll leave you this week with the story of the boy who brought a bomb made out of a Game Boy into his school. Let's ignore all the obvious conclusions about bombs in schools and all, because that's all a given. Anyone else thought about the fact that this might give educators and/or legislatures a reason to ban portable gaming systems, or even CD players, from schools? It's a scary thought, but it's sad that in these times precautions like that might actually be necessary to keep kids safe. Until next week, folks.