A bit of bad news has arrived regarding the entity that's now known as Activision Blizzard. The company sent out a press wire announcing that only five of Vivendi's games are expected to be published, leaving the future of the company's other titles in question. Further details are available in the full article.

*Update* Ghostbusters is still in development.
*Update 2* Brutal Legend has also left limbo.

Vivendi recently confirmed its Q3 guidance, and it racked up performance with accurate ties to market analysts' expectations. Apparently, their guidance also falls in confidence with observers in the business market, reassuring investors that its full year outlook is on-track.

Though the conglomerate-like Vivendi ran through Q3 of fiscal year 2007 with flying colors, its own video game publishing segment holds a success story in itself. Vivendi Games' performance also grew with the rest of the corporate umbrella. Read on to find out why.

The industry-focused leg of the Games Convention at GCDC 2007 will take place">Leipzig is expected to break its previous record of 650 attendees, after Leipziger Messe GmbH announced through press wire that the registered attendee tally for the 2007 event has hit 850 attendees. The Games Convention Developers Conference (GCDC) will take place on August 20-22, just before the consumer and retailer exhibition.

 

Hailing from 35 countries all over the globe - 60 percent from the North American and UK regions - participants have the opportunity to witness the delivery of more than 80 event keynotes from over 120 speakers. And representatives from their respective industry segments - namely handheld, mobile, console, PC, Mac, and online markets - will expound on visions, themes and issues relevant to the industry's times.

Although much of the planned discussions will be focused on the industry side, there will also be discussions on how society and political bodies can properly recognize the gaming industry, and the significance of associations representing the game industry to the outside world.

And in another note, Leipziger Messe has particularly named Tim Schafer of Double Fine Production (Grim Fandango, Psychonauts) to deliver his keynote speech entitled "Games and Creativity," adapted for the new age of game development. If memory serves us right, Schafer and his studio has been secretly at work on a game project under Vivendi's revived Sierra Entertainment label.

It was claimed to be titled "Brutal Legend", but that has been under question for some time since it was retracted. But if former Leipzig revelations are were groundbreaking, then you may count that fellow blogger Schafer will spill more details on his ambitious "labor of love."

The 2007 Games Convention Developers Conference opening remarks will be delivered by none other than the Chairman of the European Games Development Forum (EGDF), Fred Hasson. More GC and GCDC news coming your way, before the Leipzig-filled week begins next Monday.

 

Sierra Entertainment has just announced the latest installment to the Spyro the Dragon franchise, The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night.  This time hitting the PlayStation 2, Wii, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and mobile phones, this video game is the second installment to The Legend of Spyro trilogy.

The game kicks off when the Ape King attempts to start a new age of darkness by going to the Temple of Souls. Around the same time, the protagonist Spyro starts receiving strange visions which serve as clues to what's happening around him. Players will take on the role of Spyro and solve the mysteries hidden in the visions to defeat enemies such as Skabb the Pirate and Gaul the Ape King.

Aside from new breath attacks and fury modes, a new weapon beefs up Spyro's already smoking-hot arsenal: Dragon Time. Spyro can use Dragon Time to bend time and allow him to dodge attacks, confuse enemies, and aid him in solving time environmental puzzles. Sounds interesting enough, and certainly adds a new twist to the usual puzzle solving games.

Spyro's new abilities include the following:

• Upgradeable Breath Attacks (Ice Bomb, Electric Orb, Earth Vine, Enhanced Fire)
• Four elemental melee attacks like Comet Dash, Artic Blast, Earth Pound, Electric Spin, and
• New Fury Attacks that come in either Earth, Electricity, Ice and Fire elements.

Sierra Entertainment's own Senior Vice-President for Global Marketing Al Simone is excited about this new project. "We’re really excited to continue the re-emergence of one of video gaming’s most popular characters through this ongoing trilogy," says Simone.

Hollywood actors Elijah Wood and Gary Oldman reprise their roles as the voices of Spyro and Ignitus the Fire Dragon Elder, respectively.

The Legend of Spyro: Eternal Night is expected to be released this autumn. Krome Studios is developing the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions; Amaze Entertainment is in charge for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions; and, Vivendi Games Mobile will make the mobile version of The Legend of Spyro: Eternal Night. The mobile games will be available for Europe and North American mobile subscribers.

We all know that deep down inside, every gamer wants to star in a game. If putting your face on Crash Bandicoot's latest foe is your thing, O2 UK and Vivendi have something in store for you.

To promote the simultaneous release of Crash of the Titans to the PC, PS2, Wii, DS, and mobiles, the "Crash the Game" contest will give fans a chance of fame.

It's easy to earn the privilege of having your face on DIMBO, Crash's new enemy: you can either download Crash Bandicoot mini games from O2 UK Games Arcade on O2 Active or send e-mails if you're already an O2 user. You have until July 1 though, so better hurry.

President Paul Maglione of Vivendi Games believes that Crash of the Titans is Sierra's biggest launch for consoles and PC this year, and starring in the game would give the winner unlimited bragging rights.

More contest details available on the O2 WAP portal.

Well, line-up for half of the year, actually. Vivendi Games Mobile, the mobile division of Vivendi Games, announced that their line-up of mobile games for the first half of 2007. Its focus is more on casual games like those of MumboJumbo and PopCap Games. It will include, however, two classics from Sierra.

The 2006 award-studded publisher that received Spike TV's Best Mobile Game Award of 2006 for SWAT Force, Airgamer's Best Strategy Game of 2006 award for Caesar, and a Gold Award from Mobile Game Faqs for Spyro Legend will also be introducing new titles from its Centerscore studio in San Mateo, which joined VGM in September 2006.

The following titles are included in the line up:

• Crash Bandicoot Party - 14 mini-games available in solo or hot-seat mode;
• M.A.C.H. Air Combat - jet-racing, obstacle course fused with aerial combat;
• The Incredible Machine - the all-time favorite puzzler classic for all those fix-it geeks out there;
• Office Wars - get a lowly clerk to the office of the CEO through hard work;
• Shock Blocks; and,
  
• Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail - a faithful reproduction of the Leisure Suit Larry classic for all the Leisure fans demanding it on mobile.

That's not all. We've got an assortment of their screenshots right behind the "Full Article" link.