The Last Word: 2/27-3/3

It has been a wild week in the gaming world. The endless, soul-crushing news cycle wasted no time, starting off early Monday morning when video leaked of what looked like a Microsoft gaming portable. While that turned out to not be the case, handheld owners did get infected with another revelation--namely that Spore, the latest god game from Sims creator Will Wright, would be coming to unnamed portables.

Console owners were more enthused about a series of product announcements. 24: The Game shipped, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter went gold, and Battlefield 2: Modern Combat got delayed for the Xbox 360.

In Los Angeles, GameSpot News' own Tim Surette was on hand at Midway's annual Gamers' Day event, where he learned that Fear & Respect had been canceled, Paperboy and Defender are coming to Xbox Live Arcade, and CEO David Zucker is a funny guy. Meanwhile, back in San Francisco, Brendan Sinclair covered Sony Online Entertainment's official unveiling of Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, while Tor Thorsen cornered the publisher's president, John Smedley, with a microphone and camera.

MONDAY
Nintendo patent hints at new DS functionality
Report: Sony admits PS3 delay possible
Microsoft's handheld to be revealed soon?

TUESDAY
Sims 2 work retail
Spore growing on handhelds
Blu-ray bowing on May 23

WEDNESDAY
Midway joins Revolution
VUG's 2005 earnings WOWed
360 Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter gold

THURSDAY
Report: Origami "not a portable Xbox"
Elder Scrolls unrolls this month
Midway: Ready for its close-up

FRIDAY
SOE pays tribute to Gods & Heroes
Sold-out DS Lite available for heavy price
Lionhead regrouping