TGS 2005: Armored Core, Tenchu going next-gen

From Software today announced that it is bringing two of its biggest franchises into the next generation with Tenchu 360 (working title) and Armored Core 4.

From Software acquired the ninja-centric stealth action Tenchu brand from Activision last year and has since released versions of the game for the PlayStation 2 and PSP in Japan. The announcement of Tenchu 360 offered little insight into the game other than to say it would be released in 2006.

Details are similarly slim on Armored Core 4, but it will be released for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, with the latter version due in summer of 2006. This is the first next-generation game for the long-running mech combat series, and it's the first installment to appear on a non-Sony console. Since debuting in 1996, 10 Armored Core games have appeared on the PlayStation and PS2, with another due on the PSP later this year.

The series has made its name for the wealth of customization features it offers players, letting them create their own distinct mechs from hundreds of interchangeable parts. The latest installment of the series, Armored Core: Nine Breaker for the PlayStation 2, hit shelves in North America earlier this week. Check back later for GameSpot's full review.